Chapter 23: Enemies At The Gate

“Err ... excuse me, sir, Kartion Ram”, Molian meekly interrupted, adding the honorific title common in Kingdom Earth. “Joining the transport outside of New Earth would be impossible. Our group can only lead as far as the other side of the pathway to the surface of the earth, since a return trip isn’t guaranteed”.

“Are you saying that I’ll never get to see again my young Martial sister?” Hagen flapped her wings in a huff.

“I- I don’t know”. Molian hurried to say. “All I’m aware of is that for Mr. Zel’s relatives and friends the safest place is somewhere not in New Earth, and that heading there must be done with haste since his enemies are soon to show up and when they will, according to my superior, they will only shy from offending His Valor Ozeyn. So ... lack of time is basically the problem. You can join the escort outside of New Earth, but by then wanting to return may be too late”.

“Big sister Hagen, it will be okay. Master, everyone, I understand your intention. If I was in your position, I’d have probably insisted too, but ... the enemy is not the Black Horns tribe anymore...” Zetsa hardened her tone of voice, yet did not speak further. What she was implying was plain to their ears, even in the subtle manner she used.

“Zetsa”, Grandmaster Kartion said in heavy tone, halted mid speech, heaved from his flared nostrils and continued. Their eyes met and he could still see the features of the little girl he once picked as his apprentice. “Not forever”. He finally said with meaning that sounded obscure, yet not to his daughter.

His words weighed more than everything that could be added by the rest of the household, put together, so they let their intersecting gazes say their piece, all but one who Zetsa had to say goodbye to face to face.

Laivien.

...

There were twelve armored vehicles parked in front the pathway from New Earth to Ercas Mir. Each gave the impression that its formation embroiled alloy could withstand the strikes of Peak Mist Lords and that its unique set of six wheels could traverse any terrain in existence.

There were seventeen passenger seats in every vehicle, minus one for the driver.

Standing not far from the pathway, surrounded by black suited men and women and a whole lot of confused and chary people, family members and friends, Laylen held Liz in her arms while Marco carried their bags and luggage.

After being taken from their home, the three were driven to a secluded hangar where they saw coming and meeting members of the extended family, as well as old friends and families of their son’s old friends.

From there, with barely a chance to talk, they were put on buses that left the hangar one every ten to twenty minutes that were headed to the pathway, to which their bus arrived fifteen minutes ago.

“Mom, let me down, mommy!” Seeing the children that followed the adults, among which were several of her close age cousins, little Liz felt like joining them, running around playing.

As she and all the other kids saw more familiar faces, they naturally felt more secure.

“Not, Liz, stop!” Laylen’s brows creased, partly from gauging the many faces in search for Zetsa, who she was told would also be here, partly from counting the many people whose lives, she could not deny, her son implicated.

“Give her to me, Laylen”. Marco let go of the handles on the luggage and took his daughter. “Go look for her”. He had the same idea of his wife.

“Marco, do you know what’s going on?” A man with a few similarities in his facial features with Marco, accompanied by two youngsters, a teen boy and an older teen girl, as well as a woman in her mid thirties, came asking.

“Manny, Kaya”, Marco tensely greeted his younger brother and sister in law.

“Laylen?” Manny perplexedly looked at her as she brushed past him without a hello.

“She went to search for Zetsa”. Marco explained.

“Zetsa? She’s also supposed to come?” Kaya asked with signs of relief. Zetsa was a well respected cultivator. She, her husband and children were anxious due to the domineering black suited men and women that brought them here. Knowing that shortly there will be an expert they could rely on made them feel comforted in this perplexing situation.

“Uncle Marco, big sister Zetsa really coming?” The boy who was thirteen or fourteen asked. Other than sharing the same current sentiment as his mother, Zetsa was an object for admiration to all the members of the family, especially for the younger generation with aspiration for Martial cultivation.

“She will”. Marco nodded. Before being able to say anything more, his brother cut in.

“Marco, we came together with dad and mom. Nissa and Gerison are with them with their families. We were all told the same thing...” He hesitated to repeat with Liz and his children present. “Anyway, everyone is getting together trying to figure out what’s happening; you two and Laylen should not remain alone”.

Although most of them belonged to the same family, there were several, like Marco and Laylen, who for various reasons tarried beside their immediate households.

“Dad, I want to go to grandma and grandpa”. Liz said.

“Manny, we’ll join you when Laylen return”. Marco said, not arguing with Liz.

“Honey, maybe we should wait with them?” Kaya told her husband. She really hoped to see the expert of the family as soon as possible.

“Well...”

“Liz, come to me”. Manny’s and Kaya’s sixteen or seventeen years old daughter reached out and plucked the enthusiastic Liz from Marco’s grasp. “Kirik, take out that games pad”. She asked in her big sister authoritarianism.

Just like this, Manny and his family stuck longer together with Marco and Liz as more family members converged with them.

“Zetsa, it is Zetsa!” At a certain point someone in the crowed cried in elation.

To be frank, up until this moment, the atmosphere around Marco was growing sullen. It did not take much for people to notice that those brought over by the black suited men and women could be divided into two categories, members of the family and tiny groups of strangers who had more in common, by their greetings, with the branch side of Marco in the Zel family.