Chapter 26: Close But Dare Not To Step Forward

The earth was fissured far as they eye could see. Zax was gone. Sister Iaura was gone. Remnant light attribute fluctuations were in the air with Cardinal Northstar and Stelero Mars’s signatures, yet neither was present. Though hurried footsteps and gusts of wind resounded from every direction, Archbishop Silternjan was the sole face to look at in the encompassing vicinity, and his expression was full of anxiousness and trepidation.

Sister Beatriz looked dumbstruck, tried to comprehend what transpired and how, in the name of The Almighty, so many changes occurred without her Peak third level Martial Mortal’s perception noticing.

Her mind worked in such a haste to absorb everything with all of her sense, only after she finished a fraction of a second later, it dawned on her again...

“Sister Iarua is gone!”

...

Her head spun. All she saw was a colorful mixture of smudges flashing nonstop. The only constant was the hand dragging her and the man it belonged to. She opened her mouth to speak, to protest, but the rapid airflow suffocated the words.

She came up with another idea to get his attention. It took a lot of effort, but gradually she managed to lift her arms, till her hands made it to his wrist and touched.

It was a bad idea. His temperament was awful, unlike anyone who ever treated her, a complete contrast to the most caring and affectionate His Young Eminence.

The moment she made contact, a rush of malevolent intent permeated her sea of consciousness; in an attempt to traumatize her soul just enough that she will not die but still bear a lasting mental injury.

The pain was agonizing, yet just as she lost consciousness a stream of mysterious energy came out of her soul, nullified the foreign intent and sealed the sea of consciousness.

Zax glanced over his shoulder, both suspiciously and stupefied, at Sister Iaura.

‘Light element energy? ‘

...

“Who is she?” Anet welcomed Zax with a guise of calmness over her seething anger while scrutinizing the unconsciousness lass in a sliver robe with and a Luminous Church’s metal plate. She expected him to turn the world upside, if that what it takes to help Niel, and since the earth was not crumbling, the sky not falling and he returned so soon, she was in no mood to entertain thoughts of disappointment.

“There were complications”. Zax admitted, aware that should he try to facilitate the truth, Anet would spot it and will not let it go.

As he anticipated, Anet’s face turned sour and she glared at him in displeasure. “Complications?” Her throat hurt from the stress of lowering her voice. “Then why are you back? Why is this girl here?”

“Archbishop Silternjan could not help, not even Cardinal Northstar and that fellow I told you about, Stelero Mars. I saw it on their faces”.

“So, did you return after killing them and kidnaping this girl?” With every exchanged sentence, every passing wasted second, Anet’s state of mind grew more erratic. The miscarriage of her first pregnancy left a bitter mark on her heart and now the threat hovering above Niel was on the verge of pushing her over the edge.

Zax shook his head. “Though I left turmoil in my wake, I haven’t killed anyone. As for the girl, her name is Sister Iaura. Initially I brought her as collateral and an incentive for Archbishop Silternjan to do his utmost in finding means of dealing with the strain of Godly Retribution in Niel. She seems to possess a special status. I met her a few times in the past and in every occasion she was next to Stelero Mars, kindly cared for by him and all who surrounded her. As you know, in here they refer to Stelero Mars as ‘Young Eminence’, but in the Holy Palace I gather her rank is even more prominent”.

“How sure are you in these speculations?” Anet asked dejectedly.

Zax studied Sister Iaura. “On my way back I detected some odd fluctuations in her sea of consciousness that were very familiar to elemental energy”. His gaze shifted back to his wife. “To begin with I was not completely helpless in trying to solve this predicament on my own, but my level of assuredness was unsatisfactory. This, too, is just a speculation, but perhaps with her I’ll have a better chance-”

“And if you won’t? Is there a risk in trying?”

“If I’ll fail Niel would be okay”. Zax promised.

“And you?” Anet frowned.

Zax sighed inwardly. He wanted to divert her concerns for him, but without success. “I won’t die”. He said somberly.

‘But to what degree would you be injured?’ Anet gave up from asking. Meeting his eyes, she knew she could not sway him.

Using his dark attribute energy, Zax lifted sister Iaura. “Don’t let Niel leave the house. When I’ll be done with the preparations, I’ll notify you to send him to the Large Depository”.

“Yes”. Anet complied as there was nothing else she could do; nothing but hate and curse in her heart the God who inflicted her husband and son, and the wretched who worship him.

...

The Large Depository was the second underground chamber in the villa. Its interior was similar to a shiny, iron vault with deposit drawers covering the walls. Some drawers contained cultivation materials, others held resources useful to erecting formations and many more kept either general Martial techniques and formations or blueprints of Zax own unfinished techniques and formations.

There were no tables or chairs in the room, not even a rug to stand on. Zax laid Sister Iaura on the hard floor and sat cross legged.