Chương 21: Prepare

With a flash and a pop Cyrendale appears on the table in the dining room again. This time nobody is there but a servant. The unlucky pale skinned woman was terrified at the sight before her. The eccentric young lord known for his positive outlook and playful banter was covered in bloody wounds. A milky gold liquid spilled from his bare porcelain chest as he stood there holding what looked like a tangle of twisted snakes.

Deep black in color and dripping a purple liquid that splattered across most of the young celestial level cultivators body. Standing frozen with horror she only reacted when he dropped to a knee and whispered an order.

"Inform my father I have returned."

"Brother!" Cyra sprints through the castle with a burst of wind following in her wake. Crackles of electricity cover her body as she moves fast enough to create her own static field. Breaking the two doors in her rush, she stops in horror at the scene. Neither of them are fighters. Her and her brother always were the pampered and talented chosen. Given every resource and teacher possible they climbed to great highs. But those heights were not physically impressive for their cultivation level.

They were both prodigies in different forms of mana arts. Hers was manifesting while his was travel and rune work. Fearing the worst when she entered the room she didn't hold back and left a path of destruction through their ancestral home. Just inside the door she braced herself for the worst and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw the healer sitting over him with a relaxed posture. If the healer was calm then he would survive.

"You silly fool, what pile did you step in this time?" She said aloud while inside she was trying to reel her emotions back in.

"Someone hear a bug? I'm not sure, maybe the smell attracts flies." With an eye roll the healer reminded Cyrendale, "Now you two need to be a little more serious. How would your father respond if he heard y'all joking st a time like this?" Cyras eyes went wide and started to fill with tears. Her brother had been gone so long. He didn't yet know.

"Cyrendale, you have been gone nearly 10 years…."

"It's been wild, definitely have stories but first I need to warn father. I found some things in the void between worlds that he needs to hear of. I shouldn't wait, we need to make preparations." He started to push aside the healer and stand when he looked at his sister for the first time. She was crying… and she was wearing her father's crown… the signs are obvious…. Pausing and looking at the healer he made eye contact. The healer held his gaze firm and nodded. With a sorrowful exhale he braced himself.

Rising to approach his sister he wrapped his arms around her in a strong hug. Ignoring the grime and blood covering them both now they cried together for a while as the healer and servants left the room. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. After a little while Cyrendale remembered his urgent news.

"Sister, I assume by the crown that you have taken the throne?" When she nods and wipes her eyes, he continues.

"Cyra, I hate to bring you poor news, but we need to begin preparing for an invasion. It won't be today. I imagine it may take some years honestly. But something out there learned to track me. I was ambushed at a gate as I connected it to a new one, then traveling another distance I was attacked again by similar beasts. I'm not sure how they knew where I would appear. Maybe they had something at several locations to wait. Of the six times I was attacked all were celestial level cultivators.

Some I defeated with effort but most I had to run from especially near the end. I will be staying here for some time to assist." Seeing the seriousness in her older brother's eyes she nodded and went to work. A lot of powerful people came together over the next several months and received a brief that would focus their nation planet in a singular goal. Prepare.

"What's the news on this force crossing the jungle?" Speaking into an opened spell scroll, runes on hide with mana inscribed in a specific way, the spy master of Versale asked.

"Sir, the reports say a group about 5 companies large left the Crater capital almost a month ago. The direction isn't promising. It seems they are headed nearly directly at one of our forward bases in the region."

"Clearly their spies are better than ours if they located one of our bases and we have no clue where theirs are. This report will definitely get the lords on board with funding the new project. Alert me with any updates. I will reach out at the next check in otherwise. Expect reinforcements." With that he closed the scroll and watched as it burned up. As great as it is to speak across thousands of miles, it would be better if they weren't single use items.

Opening another scroll and drawing the final rune to activate it for a specific second scroll to connect to, he prepares to handle the first war brief of his generation. Having expected this to be in another eight or so years the spy master knew his generals were not prepared. But when the enemy comes knocking you must respond. Opening his finished scroll and receiving the flash that signals connection he spoke.

"One month past, five companies, forward base three, prepare."