Defiance of the Fall

Tavza kept her face impassive, but masking the waves in her heart wasn't easy. She knew this meeting was an opportunity Laz Tem'Zul presented, a way to tie a first string of fate between herself and this walking calamity. She had spent years trying to nudge him closer to their camp by hook or crook, even letting the Zi girl get targeted by the Reavers to shake things up and sow the first seeds of partnership.

Now was the time to harvest, yet her mind wasn't on the present. She was trying to hold onto that blurry sky, whose primordial Dao was just out of reach. The same was true from the lingering touch of the progenitor, crossing the vast river of time. If she could just get another chance, another glimpse… She might find some of the answers she sought.

She still couldn't understand what just happened. The scene had been brief and obfuscated, but she could tell it was just as the earliest annals described. There had been a few occasions where extraordinarily talented Draugr had triggered that Ancestral Descent, eternalizing their accomplishments by adding them to the Stargazing Tablets.

However, while her bloodline was the strongest of the past 100 generations, she was not one of those chosen. Yet looking into Arcaz's eyes had given her a glimpse of her origin, like a scene observed through a dirty window. That on its own was shocking enough, but it had actually purified her bloodline by a bit. Tavza wasn't certain, but she believed she could succeed in a partial awakening.

Tavza had never heard of anything like this, and the answer could only be found within the man before her. She had already considered him an avatar of Chaos, inadvertently creating unpredictable waves in the River of Fate. But to think the effect was this direct, this brazen. What secrets did Arcaz Umbri'Zi hide for him to trigger her bloodline in a way not even the two ancestors had?

The incredible opportunity had completely thrown her off-balance, and she glanced at Laz for him to take charge while she tried to sort out her thoughts.

"Not preparing the Abyssal Pond in time is a miscalculation on our part. We were happy to hear of your successful return and sent out our invitation before arranging things properly," Laz said.

"You learned I had returned from the Perennial Vastness as a human and were afraid your scheme with the [Essence of the Abyss] had failed," Arcaz said with a meaningful smile.

The accusation dragged Tavza back to the present, and she quickly sent a message through her mental link.

'The essence was tampered with?'

'That's—’

"It was my order to tamper with the essence," Tavza said, knowing the truth from her guardian's tone.

She didn't know whether she should be angry or not. The Abyssal Council scheming behind her back had made her mission far harder, if not impossible. No wonder all her attempts at meeting in person had been ignored, all her attempts at communication been met with distrust. Then again, Tavza sincerely doubted she would have managed to convince this man to pick death, especially after meeting him in person.

An unbendable stubbornness was engraved into his bones—ironically, a possible side-effect of his bloodline. Kator's probe had been met by a powerful rejection, allowing the reaver to make all sorts of deductions. Even now, faced with Monarchs in what he possibly considered hostile territory, Arcaz looked unwilling to back down even one step. Tavza briefly wondered if she would have been able to do the same.

"Of course, we would," she continued. "You know the value your bloodline holds to our race—you've used that fact to extort us for years. Too much is at stake to let the cards fall where they may. Thankfully, the bloodline of Eoz is alive and well."

'There's no need for you to take the blame for this,' Laz's voice echoed in her mind.

'I ultimately bear responsibility for this mission, including our failures. And it's better he trains his ire toward me than the Abyssal Shores if we want him to join us when we return.'

"Being straightforward about it doesn't make it better," Arcaz snorted.

"We will provide a satisfying compensation for this… misstep," Laz said. "I hope you can believe us when we say there was no malice behind our actions, even if we had a self-serving interest. We were certain it was one or the other, and your future prospects as the Bloodline Ancestor of Eoz would be immeasurably broader."

"Now that you've become a true Draugr, our goal has been met. I'd venture our goals are more aligned than you might think going forward," Tavza said.

"And if not, you'll make sure to guide me down the correct path?" Zac asked, his voice rife with sarcasm.

"If that's what's required."

"Tavza is direct, but she only has your best interests at heart," Laz coughed before Arcaz could speak again. "In a way, you can even be considered siblings. The three upper branches were always the closest. I'm sure they're looking forward to your return. On that note, I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation. You are one, right? A true Draugr?"

"I think this matter should be discussed with the others, no?" Arcaz smiled.

Rebellious to the end. Tavza didn't care since she already had the answer. If Arcaz Umbri'Zi wasn't Draugr, at least where it mattered, then no one was. Laz glanced in her direction to gauge her reaction. It was exhausting, but the Heart had decreed that the young generation would lead this expedition. It seemed foolish, but Princess Ur'Mez had already warned that fate was the most important part of her mission, but it was currently in an incredibly fragile state.

Bending to outside interference or letting others direct your path could weaken your fate with the Fifth Pillar. The change compared to her life back home was refreshing, but that liberty currently felt suffocating. How should she deal with this troublemaker? How was she supposed to tie a malignant star like this to her chariot?

'His bloodline is real—he must be protected. Have Sepravo follow him at all times.'

"Of course, we've kept the others waiting," Laz said. "We simply hoped to meet you before the others to confirm the veracity of your bloodline and give a warning now that we've confirmed it's real."

"A warning against what?"

"Any large empire has dangerous undercurrents, and the Undead Empire is no different. The upcoming trial has priority, but you must be careful, even among your allies. The appearance of Eoz's bloodline has already spread in certain circles, and not everyone is happy with the changes that might usher in. Not even Draugr."

"And the only ones I can trust are the two of you?" Arcaz commented.

"We are just reminding you to never let your guard down, even if your circumstances clearly have changed," Tavza said. "In fact, some things might be better left unsaid. I have received four messages from Kator already. Let's go."

"Just one question," Arcaz said. "If you had to pick between the mission and saving the bloodline of Eoz, which would you choose?"

Tavza looked at Arcaz a moment. "That is an impossible choice, and I will work hard to avoid being put in that position. Ultimately, you are responsible for your fate, and you cannot rely on anyone else to save you. Just as I don't expect you to save me or my subordinates at the expense of the bigger picture."

"Fair enough."

------------

Zac relaxed, having crossed the first hurdle. He had been worried that his Draugr persona wouldn't be seen as the real deal, which would drastically have lessened his value to the Abyssal Shores. Luckily, Tavza had clearly felt the same resonance as him, confirming his heritage.

Even then, she had said that she couldn't protect him if he got between the Undead Empire and the mission in the Left Imperial Palace, but that was to be expected. At least it meant he should be somewhat safe inside Kavista. After all, this was Draugr territory, with the other factions only having a handful of representatives present.

Laz'Tem Zul transported the three the next moment, and the four from before were already waiting when they arrived.

"I'm sorry," Laz smiled as they appeared. "I got excited and forgot myself."

"I'm sure," Toss scoffed. "So? Is he real?"

"He's Draugr," Tavza calmly confirmed. "There is no doubt about it."

"We're all busy, so let's not waste any time," Toss said. "One moment, we get reports you chose life, even after we were assured that was impossible. You being a Dreamer or undead doesn't matter for the mission—that's more of an issue for the Abyssal Shores. However, the situation raises an important question. Before we can untangle the recent events, I need some assurances.

"You might look right and act right, but there's something off about you," the reaver continued. "We still have no idea where you came from, and your means are far beyond what you'd see from some frontier cultivator who got lucky. Meanwhile, you adamantly refuse to join the Empire. Makes me wonder if you can't rather than won't, due to previous obligations. How can we know you're not working for someone else?"

So it came, after all, before they'd even touched upon his dual bodies. Zac had to admit they had good reason to be suspicious.

"Well, the part about me avoiding your trap is easy enough to answer," Zac said. "I became acquainted with Iz Tayn of the Tayn Family a while back. She used one of her family's special methods to scan the gifts you provided. She found a brand that would somehow tamper with any life in my body and helped me remove it."

There was no point hiding his link to Iz from the Undead Empire. He was almost certain they already knew about it, considering Iz hadn't exactly been circumspect in her visit to Zecia. Adding that to their appearance by the Orom, and it would be impossible not to make the connection.

"So you're really part of the Tayn Clan," Toss commented, and Zac could feel the displeasure even if he had no expression to read.

"I didn't say that," Zac said. "We met inside the Tower of Eternity. I kind of pissed her off before running away, so she hunted me down to the frontier. Luckily, it helped me escape the Orom, and we've worked things out since then."

"So they were really there for you," Pavina laughed. "Their rampage helped many of us to let go of the grievances we had held onto."

"How absurd," Enis sighed. "A small grudge between juniors led the Tayn to the fifth pillar by accident, while the Starbeast Alliance had to toil for eons."

"You really are a troublemaker," Kator guffawed, and even Tavza's inexpressive mask had a hint of helplessness as she wordlessly looked at Zac. "I've read the reports. Why do things go out of control wherever you appear? Should we be worried?"

"Just coincidences," Zac muttered, unable to bring much gusto to his voice. His track record wasn't exactly stellar.

"Never mind that. Will the Tayn Clan become a hindrance?" Tavza asked.

"The opposite, really," Zac said. "She has her own goals, so she won't help me. But she won't make trouble for me or my friends either. Better to have a neutral party enter the Left Imperial Palace than a hostile one, right? She's only interested in the main inheritance while we're supposed to be looking for something else."

Zac didn't mention he knew about the Hollow Court, at least not yet. You never knew when that knowledge could come in handy.

"We can't do much about the Tayns," Laz'Tem Zul agreed. "Trying to bar them from the inheritance will create more trouble than it's worth, and targeting their princess would lead to a calamity for the Empire—it's better just to stay out of their way."

Zac inwardly sighed, unable to fully suppress the pang of jealousy in his heart. Iz was really living life on easy mode, with her family being so terrifying that even the Undead Empire didn't dare target her. Meanwhile, he was forced to plan ten steps ahead every time he left Earth. To that point, he still wasn't out of the woods as Toss wordlessly looked at him, clearly not satisfied with his answers thus far.

"I know what you're looking for, but I don't have any answers to give you. I don't know how I came to be," Zac said. "I'm sure you've investigated my background already. I'm a native of Earth."

"A human," Toss commented.

"Well, truth be told, I actually died once during the integration," Zac said. "At least I thought I did. A few seconds later, I woke up in my Draugr form. It took months before I even heard of Draugr. I've been searching for answers to my situation since. My best guess is that I'm like many other natives of Earth—a descendant of that bloodline research base that had everyone in a tizzy."

"The heretic base, which just so happened to blow up after you entered its depths," Kator commented. "Destroying any chances of verifying your claims."

"Yeah, well. It would blow up whether I got involved or not because of that spatial treasure," Zac shrugged. "You could always look for similar bases if you want more answers. I'd be curious to see what you'd find as well. As for my means, that's just what happens when you survive against all odds, and your advantages begin to snowball."

He conjured a screen, and a few sharp intakes echoed across the room as they read its contents.

[Grand Achievement: Gain 50 Titles while in E-Grade. Reward: Effect of Attributes +6%.]

"Fifty?" Pavina muttered in disbelief while Enis and Laz looked at him with burning eyes.

Zac smiled as he closed the screen. This was the best he could come up with. Pleading ignorance wouldn't satisfy these reavers, so he'd prepared a plausible excuse that was impossible to verify. Triv had already mentioned sending back word of the unusual amounts of varied bloodlines on Earth, and he was using that fact to cover up his own circumstances.

"You should worry about our real enemies rather than some imaginary hand in the shadows. Catheya and I were targeted by the First Heaven inside the Perennial Vastness," Zac added, eager to change the subject. "They even sent a Supremacy into the Immemorial Realm to take me out."

"What?"

"What happened?"

Zac ignored the suspicious looks and recounted the situation mostly truthfully, only leaving Kruta out of the equation.

"How could you possibly remember all this?" Laz'Tem Zul asked, and he was not the only one doubting Zac's words.

"I made a deal with the Realm Spirit Sendor," Zac said. "I retain all memories of people and events inside the Perennial Vastness but nothing about the realm itself. I also had Lord Sendor arrange a special opportunity for Catheya, so she'll only return one year before the inheritance trial. I figured you wouldn't take me at my word, so I brought you some things."

Zac presented a series of reports, information crystals, and Cultivation Manuals taken from Valsa's spatial ring and the various safe houses. He even presented one of his seal-finding treasures, though he kept the rest back on Earth. Zac felt a series of domineering souls scan the contents on the table, and the room was silent for over ten seconds.

"As expected, the harmony between the coalitions is cracking now that another pillar is up for grabs," Kator said, his thoughts mirroring Kruta's. "That's pretty good. I've always wanted to lead a crusade against those haughty bastards, but they're too troublesome when sticking together. "

"It's no surprise the imperials are getting mixed up in this—it would be weird if they didn't. Even the undying Realm Spirit of the Perennial Vastness is trying to influence events from the shadows," Toss grunted, turning to Zac. "I'll accept your explanation for now. But I will keep a watch on you. I will strike you down if you give me a reason to think you're working against the Empire's interests. I don't care how valuable your bloodline is to the Abyssal Shores."

"And I'll work hard to become a thorn in the side for you and the whole White Sky Phalanx if I find you people scheming against me," Zac countered.

"You against the whole Phalanx?" Kator laughed, but there was an unmistakable sharpness to his tone. "Such huge appetite from a barely ascended Hegemon. Then again, you need the backbone of a reaver if you want to accomplish anything great in this world. I heard you fought my uncle to a standstill inside that big fish. Impressive, even if you cheated."

"I cheated?" Zac swore, the memory of that duel igniting a wave of anger. "That shameless guy cheated long before I bent the rules a bit."

"Is that so?" Kator said. "Well, makes me even more interested in fighting you. I want to see if you have what it takes to threaten my home."

"What's the point?" Zac snorted. "As you said, I just ascended. Besides, we both have better things to do."

"What better way to get to know each other than through a simple spar?" Kator said. "I'll restrict my level to yours."

"See, your uncle said the same thing until he started losing," Zac shrugged. "Not interested."

"Ah, I remember a prize was on the line for that duel. Then how about I put up something good I found the other day?" Kator said. "If you win, I will provide you with a sealholder."

"What, you'll lend me one of your men?" Zac said. "Why would I want that?"

"Oh, not one of mine," Kator snickered. "It's a Dreamer I brought back from my latest campaign. A Zecia native, at that. Maybe even someone you know."