Chapter 94: What Falls Down

Arson sat at the head of a table in his mother’s villa. Within the large room also sat Xani, Autumn, and surprisingly Moriarty, who Arson was stuck with temporarily.

How does this make any sense…

“So you were defeated, so what? You beat me prior to that. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

Arson was flummoxed by the thought of the young man’s supposed period of a season of service actually being carried out. He returned over and over to the same question, its verbiage the only thing changed, while they moved in circles continually to the same point in hopes he could find a way out.

“No, at no point did you slander me, well before your affliction took over,” said Moriarty. Arson’s brow furrowed at the comment, and he almost let it pass, but Autumn ruined any chance of that happening.

“Moriarty, none of my father’s children have been cursed with his affliction, and how dare you bring such a thing up at another Cultivator’s table? Especially one that you now serve,” stated Autumn sternly.

“What’s he talking about Autumn?” Autumn looked at Arson, her eyes going wide for a moment, before she looked away from Arson and mumbled to herself.

“You of course know why you were able to beat me? You relied on the Rage of the Dragon Blooded Furies. I’d call you a cheater but I know that your win came with a cost, a heavy one, I hope,” said Moriarty. Autumn slapped the table with both hands.

“Mori…. I’m giving you one more chance to mind your manners at this table before I ask Lady Jade into the room and we will see how you speak to her son,” said Autumn. Moriarty laughed.

“You really think she cares for this adopted stree…. I mean low born Cultivator. You saw how she manhandled him, he probably serves like a butler here,” said Moriarty with a chuckle, glaring at Arson as he did so.

“I was adopted by my biological mother after the system teleported me away from my two immortal parents. I guess the system believes that beings with the potential to live forever shouldn’t show mortals how to live, grow and learn. And that adoption took place after she raised the tier of planets within her realm multiple times in a handful of season cycles, all while searching for me,” said Arson casually. He saw that the words unbalanced Moriarty slightly, but Arson couldn’t let his cousin know how much he feared that his mother didn’t love him. Loved that she had a son, yes, but loved who he was and what he was becoming, he was unsure.

“But if your parents have ever done anything half as kind for you, please let me know. As for whatever affliction you're talking about, you don’t mean the curse of the Dragon, do you?” Arson still could see those same words directly beside the other characteristic, Curse of the Phoenix, both curses irremovable from his Overlay as far as he knew.

“Yes, I’m surprised you didn’t spread your wings and begin to fly. May have even made you harder to fight, though you may have weak ones. They say the longer it takes you to unleash them for the first time is what determines how refined they truly are. Are you of the poultry?” Moriarty glanced at Autumn, who was boiling with anger and Arson knew he’d probably just been called out his name.

Poultry… is he trying to insult me by calling me a small winged animal?

“You seem to know a lot about my family, but not much about me. No, I don’t know anything about this Poultry. If this rage you speak of requires me to have had spread my wings, then you nor I have ever experienced this supposed power within me. You got off lucky fighting Reaper while my seal is nearly at its maximum,” said Arson raising a branded palm toward Moriarty as proof.

“The last time something like that happened I hadn’t gotten him to swear an oath to me yet, at least now he trains my body when he is able to take over, rather than finding the fastest way to kill opponents,” said Arson with a matter of fact tone. Moriarty’s frown deepened.

“You have the curse, Arson, and you still haven’t spread your wings,” asked Autumn. Arson smiled and gave his sister a nod.

“There is a man in Ascension who believes that I have been growing them my entire life believe it or not, I’m just glad the process is slow and all the extra bones I can feel in my back don’t erupt from my spine, as the last time I had them checked each wing is around five and a half feet long,” said Arson. Both his sister’s and cousin’s jaws dropped open.

“Dude, you have sparking wings?” asked Xani. The girl rose to her feet as he nodded and moved in threateningly, starting to throw punches even before she started yelling.

“I want wings, give them to me. You get everything... junkyard full of umm not junk to tinker with, magical portals, a runic library strapped to your sparking wrist, and a bloody AI in it, cut off the wings and hand them over!” Arson raised his arms not truly defending himself, Xani’s punches landing continuously. Jabs to the eyes, lips, and even an ear were successful. Then she aimed for the throat, and Arson caught her fist.

“You are a tech genius and you're learning runic systems faster than I am. Stop hitting me and build your own wings. Did you not hear the part about my own not being used yet, or was the hitting me just necessary for you?” stated Arson in a rush, Xani’s free hand being raised even as he spoke.

“To be honest I didn’t think of that, and part of me may settle on that after I have at least tried to surgically take yours,” said Xani nearly under her breath.

“Are all of you psychotic?” asked Moriarty plainly.

“Do you truly have to serve me for a season? Is there no way for me to get through the rules of honor, sell your time owed? I’d rather choose another Mason at this point, especially if you are just going to run your mouth and bring down the vibe. my guy.” Moriarty looked toward Autumn who seemed deep in thought, and then back toward Arson, speaking so softly that Arson swore he misheard the young man’s response.

“What was that?”

“I said you can force me to dungeon dive on your behalf, but that it would be a waste of my talents,” repeated Moriarty, truly not wanting to dungeon dive. Not only because it was dangerous, but because of Xani’s comment earlier. Whatever portals Arson used to train, Moriarty wanted no part of, worried that he too may bring home unwanted travelers hidden within his own soul.

“Hmm, that may be something to consider, but honestly I’m going to have you three do some recon for me, as long as you're okay with that,” said Arson more in question to Xani and Autumn.

“Yeah, as long as I’m in charge and can leave both of them to their deaths if things get real. What? Don’t look at me like that, I want to build some combat wings, and you probably want me to go outside into that mess,” assumed Xani with a point across the room toward a silenced wall screen that showed the devastation occurring even still throughout Maelstrom.

“No, actually, I need a damage report for the tower this one over here and I wrecked. I honestly think we should use it as a foundation for everything, but I’ll share more once you guys get me an update.”

“Okay, I’m in, but how are you going to get those workers you had down there to go back after the incident, they all seemed shaken up pretty badly?” Arson smiled and glanced at Xani who gave him a knowing look.

“Jasmine already handled it?” Arson shrugged before he gave a customary nod. Xani on her feet, pulling Autumn by the arm out of her chair.

“I’m forcing Auto to help us too. Until we speak again, love you, bye!”

“What are you going to be up to, brother? May I call you later to catch up?” yelled Autumn in question, but the door closed before Arson could even respond, Xani now dragging his sister through the air in her rush.

“I have a friend I need to find,” said Arson more to himself, almost forgetting Moriarty was still in the room until the young man spoke.

“I can join you rather than getting in their way if you would like, Sovereign,” said Moriarty and Arson knew it to be a genuine request. Oddly timed, and even more oddly compassionate.

Respect is often gained through battle, if only it were loyalty and understanding instead.

“I don’t see why you would want to, but if you're not going to act like you have a servant that wipes for you whenever you're done being… messy, you can come. It’s probably going to be dangerous though,” said Arson with a point of his own toward the screen that displayed Maelstrom. His cousin smirked.

“But I do have a servant who wipes, don’t you?” Arson looked away shaking his head as he laughed, only for his cousin to frown. Arson froze and his brow rose.

“Wait, seriously?”

…

“Why, won’t you die!” Rob repeatedly stabbed the what he now knew to be a demonic beast, well above his level with a broken potion bottle.

Two more of the beast which his Overlay had identified for him as, VoidBorn-Manavores lay dead in a pool of acid nearby, while the last remained clamped onto his leg.

Rob had no idea how the creature managed to bite him, and now be drinking what he assumed to be blood from his leg, but it was.

He had no more acid potions, and didn’t think his health potions would help the situation, until his head started to spin. The creatures teeth beginning to glow, along with its eyes and even its bones now visible through the rotted body of the monster before him.

Rob uncorked a health potion, and chugged, even as his vision flashed white with pain. He finished in record speeds and smashed the bottle giving himself another jagged edged weapon to strike with.

“Die!” The light grew brighter within the creature and its body even began to shift and change before Rob’s eyes.

How could this situation get any worse!

Rob’s eyes watered and he looked over his shoulder at the threshold he did not reach before he was pulled off his feet by the creature now feasting on him.

The propeller palm drones beside him punched the monster, but it only seemed to be growing stronger. Rob unsure of what to do, didn’t want to die, so drank more health potions, dragging himself toward the doorway, kicking the entire time.

“I refuse to die here, I refuse to die until I find her!” Rob roared as he kicked, refusing to be discouraged after what he’d already faced that day, even as the creature grew wings.

“What the sparks…?” Rob couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The once misshapen physique of the creature, refined itself, until the shape of what had once been, returned once more.

I can’t be looking at a Fox-Owl, can I? Aren’t they supposed to be the size of birds?

The Vulpis-Ibis made eye contact with Rob the more its mental faculties returned. A beautiful animal and known companion to Cultivators across the realms, sharing a bit of its own soul through a bite. A bite that would either end in their being bonded forever, or the creature’s death.

Still in pain, Rob sloppily drank the potion, now more mesmerized by what he was seeing, than alarmed.

Rob had just experienced something very few new Cultivators ever would, but when the creature's soul energies flowed into Rob’s core, new levels of pain were felt. Searing hot venom streamed from the center of his body, remade soul energy being infused throughout his entire body.

“Son of the maiden’s widowed orphans!” Not seeing the notification light in his vision, Rob did nothing but scurry backward when the Fox-owl let Rob go and slumped to the ground convulsing. Its red orange, grungy fur, turning to a beautiful and lustrous black coat, matching Rob’s own hair color in a breath.

Rob was only able to look away after he thought he heard his name whispered by a familiar voice. He turned his head and was able to look inside the kitchen. There it was that he finally saw her.

Brianna lay underneath what looked like to be large sections of the roof and other pieces of the equipment that had once lined the room. Her chest barely rising and falling within the room full of flames, her open eyed gaze pointed toward the sky above.

“Oh no, Brianna!”

Rob’s leg hadn’t even healed completely before he was pushing himself upright, and committed to a hobbled run in her direction. He signaled for the propeller palm drones that still followed him to push debris and clutter aside, while he shoved forcefully over and over on a large oven atop the ceiling that landed on Brianna.

I’m going to get you out of here, Brianna, just hold on!” Rob threw one of the health potions he had left to one of the drones and it managed to feed Brianna the entire bottle. Yet even with that task completed, and with the aid of all four Propeller palm drones, the oven, nor any piece of the ceiling moved even the slightest bit.

“Come on!” Rob managed to grip the underside of the stove, the slightest of gaps made between the rubble and the heated metal oven.

“Come on!” All four drones slipped beneath the oven as Rob heaved with everything he had. The drones heard revving their propellers at a far more accelerated speed than normal.

His muscles flexed and he lifted it even higher in a burst of strength. The power flowing through his body abundant in its explosiveness, but not unending.

“No no no, I refuse,” roared Rob, breathing deeply, and focusing with all his might as he felt his grip slipping, and the power of the drones flag.

“No!”

Rob had almost given in to dread when he saw something in the corner of his vision. He jerked his head to see the Fox-owl sniffing Brianna, opening its mouth to bite the young woman.

Rob roared and felt fire fill his veins, another burst of strength and the oven was flipped into a roll off of the debris on top of Brianna. Rob looked down at his burnt hands in shock, the burns disappearing slowly, but visibly as he turned to chase off the wild animal next to Brianna,.

Rob’s eyes met the Fox-owl’s, the large animal sitting down next to his best friend,. Streaks of blood at Brianna’s legs and obvious sign of her just having had been dragged from underneath the collapsed ceiling. Rob’s head tilted, and so did the Fox-owl’s.

“Why are you helping me, trying to make up for almost tearing off my leg like a fast food drumstick?” Rob approached warily, pulling his last potion from his bag and pouring it across Brianna’s lower half. The Fox-owl lying down and covering its eyes as it whimpered in seeming shame.

“Well, you should be ashamed of yourself,” said Rob, checking over Brianna as he looked around for more survivors and spoke to the animal he couldn’t help but feel connected to. Responsible for even…

“Well, as long as you promise not to do it again, and you help me get my Brianna out of here, I’ll feed you plenty of steaks, how’s that sound?” The Fox-owl uncovered its face and looked up at Rob, its tail swishing as its wings flapped slightly. Rob sensing a vibrational agreement in the air between them and smiled.

“Man, nobody is going to believe me when I tell them this…”