Chương 68: Episode 13: Waspinites Are a Tribe?

A massive yellow light almost blinded my eyes as the rising sun pierced the clouds, looming over a city of narrow towers forged from honey that glistened in the sun's light. The sparkling honey crawled along the shining surfaces of the towers. Multiple empty windows had yellow rays spilling from them. The land looked like a frozen ocean of gold. The sleek surface shone, with honeycombs shaped like hexagons lined up perfectly beside one another.

In the center of the city, a massive tower coated in jagged spires of honey dominated the skyline with a very noticeable presence. A flag with the Waspinite Insignia flailed from the top, even though there was no wind. It had no windows, and its surface was completely smooth. But there was a massive gap right in front of us, with a long, narrow brown bridge leading to the city and toward the castle's massive brown wooden door, which was shaped like an arc. I reached for my daggers, but my hand froze right there.

I stared at the massive metropolis for a moment and shut my eyes, sighing.

"I just don't trust the bugs in this place… they give me the creeps."

"I didn't know you were scared of insects," teased Starla, smirking.

"You're the same guy who erased a tyrant from reality!"

"Well, he's different!" I shouted.

"Waspinites, you never know if they're gonna sting or not! They're like Waspiors!" For your information, a Waspior is a type of wasp that looks like a Waspinite, but instead they are small, have two large stingers, red eyes, two translucent wings, no antennae, and eight legs to make things more "interesting". I shook my head and looked toward the bridge.

"Forget it, let's just cross the bridge and get to that castle over there." I pointed right at it. Starla raised an eyebrow.

"What are we gonna be doing in there? Aren't we gonna get swarmed by Waspinites?" I grinned.

"We're only going there to get answers about the Xeniths, and especially their reasons for being here…" Her eyes rolled, then she patted my shoulder.

"Boys first, since you seem to like these Waspinites so much."

"WHA—NO!" I exclaimed, my face turning red.

"It's ladies first! Traditional!" She walked over to the bridge, holding up a mocking smile.

"Oh, thank you, gentleman." I grumbled and started walking after her across the bridge. The bridge was sturdy enough to hold both of us. Kai dropped from Starla's arms onto the ground, hopping along with us. He relentlessly sniffed the air; somehow, he had already fallen in love with the smell of honey. I hated honey. Not because it was created by the Waspinites, but because the taste is literally too sweet and sugary. As a Celestianite, I could get sick from consuming honey.

The scent got stronger, and my dread grew. The loud, vigorous buzzes of Waspinites started to fill my ears, and the noise of the city was just sinking in.

"I don't feel good already…" We stopped at the end of the bridge, right in front of the entire metropolis. I lifted my head up, my eyes enlarged. Everything already looked ten times bigger than before. Hundreds of Waspinites flew back and forth between buildings, zipping through the sky like normal citizens minding their own business. My anxiety was already trying to find a way to choke my soul. This many Waspinites meant this many chances of getting stung.

One wrong move and their stingers are gonna stab me in the ass. I reached for the Ravagers before Starla gave me a look.

"If you take out the daggers, it'll just make them think that you're a threat." Confused, I threw my arms down and groaned.

"And… how do you know this?"

"Jocabed couldn't stop talking about their history when I hung out with the girls," she said.

"She said that as long as we don't appear as threats, then we'll be fine. We just need to enter the castle." She was right. The castle was right in front of us anyway. It appeared way wider up close than how it appeared when we were farther away. Its golden, sticky frame was shining so hard that it felt even worse to look at than the radiance of the sun in the clouds. The wind blew past my body, and the pressure was building up. I was scared, but I didn't want to talk about it—especially not while she was here.

I facepalmed.

"…Fine, let's just get this over with."

"Is there even a ruler in here?" Starla held a hand above her eyes as she scanned the room.

"Nope. Not even a guard." Kai hopped around excitedly before leaping into a fountain of honey, splashing through the sticky golden liquid while chirping happily.

"Doesn't seem like she's available right now," Starla said.

"Wonder where she is." I rested my hands on my hips.

"How's a whole castle empty while the entire city's out here vibing?" BOOM! The doors burst open behind us. A female Waspinite wearing a velvet-gold dress with white faux fur wrapped around her wings stepped inside, throwing her arms wide.

"SHEEEEEE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!" She had pitch-black eyes, a maw instead of a mouth, long antennae, and a sharp stinger that I definitely did not want anywhere near me. I leaned toward Starla, side-eyeing the queen.

"She really doesn't care about privacy."

"Velvetia's the name," she said, fluttering her eyes at both of us.

"And who might you lot be?"

"Don the Celestianite," I replied.

"This is Starla." Starla gave a small wave.

"…And that's Kai," I snorted, pointing toward him as he happily swam through the sea of honey.

"I'm just your average prophetic kid trying to figure out why the Xeniths came to Earth."

"From a Xenith," Starla added with a smirk.

"We're here because we heard you know everything about them."

"Intriguing," Velvetia said. She walked over to her throne and gracefully sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

"So… you wish to learn about the Xeniths from a Xenith?" she asked.

"Us Waspinites are merely a sub-group."

"Sooo…" I tilted my head.

"You guys aren't part of the full thing?"

"Oy, heavens no!" she laughed.

"We're only a tiny branch of the tribe. Our own little group!" For some reason, Kai decided this was the perfect moment to jump straight onto her lap, absolutely drenched in honey. Velvetia froze for a second as he calmly licked his paws before curling up. Starla laughed. Meanwhile, I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"She is adorable, Celestianite!" Velvetia squealed, her eyes practically sparkling.

"What's her name?"

"That's a he," I corrected, my face straining. Starla looked at me with a completely straight face. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Please be civilized, Don." I gawked at her.

"In a city full of Waspinites?! Who do you think I am?!"

"No need to fuss," Velvetia assured us.

"I'll make sure none of my guards or citizens lay a finger on you." Starla jabbed a thumb toward me, wearing the smuggest grin imaginable.

"He's scared of Waspiors." Heat rushed through my body."'KAY! WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THE TOPIC!" Velvetia chuckled.

"Very well, Celestianite.

"During the war on our home planet, Power banished every Xenith after becoming king. Dironyx was imprisoned within the Sacred Dimension as punishment. Thanks to his overwhelming power, he eventually escaped and set a course for Earth.

"Once he arrived, he began searching for the Lost Gem, hoping to restore the Xenith Empire. It was a dream he'd clung to ever since his imprisonment, though he'd never managed to obtain the Gem. Every time he got close, the tree simply moved away from him.

"As for us Waspinites, we had already been sent to Earth after the Celestianites were born. Unfortunately… the Avangardians rejected us."

"Avangardians?" Starla raised an eyebrow. We exchanged a glance.

"How did they reject you?" I smirked.

"No way Jocabed never told you this one." Velvetia let out a slow breath.

"The moment we reached Avangard's surface, we were surrounded by Celestianites and Lunaranites. Since we weren't native to the planet, they declared us illegal beings." She adjusted her dress.

"Soon afterward, the Frozenanites captured us and imprisoned us in Eclitsic. We fought back inside one of the frozen caves where the Power Gems are kept, but the cold eventually overwhelmed us. Before we knew it… we had all become frozen statues." My eyes widened as the memory clicked.

"Oh… that cave!" I pointed at her.

"You guys weren't frozen for a while—you were frozen for an entire millennium!" Velvetia giggled.

"We're terribly weak against ice, so spending a thousand years frozen certainly wasn't pleasant." She lightly tapped a finger against her throne.

"While all that was happening, the remaining Waspinites and I fled to Zeriath, where the people lacked both the strength and the desire to harm us. We never intended to hurt them.

"We eventually settled beneath what is now the Haunted Castle. I had my workers dig deep enough underground to build an entire city." Starla and I stared at her.

"Wait…" Starla said.

"If we're underground… then why can I see the sun? The clouds? Why can I feel wind?" Velvetia smiled as she gently brushed the honey out of Kai's fur.

"Because… we're underground, outside."

"WAIT A SECOND!" I shot upright.

"I COULD JUST… LEAVE?!"

"Certainly!" Velvetia exclaimed.

"You can leave that dreadful dungeon Dironyx trapped you two in. I don't work for that bloke anymore. He annoys me… and he's weird."

"Okay…" Starla said, glancing at me before looking back at the queen.

"But where are we?"

"Near the Haunted Castle," Velvetia replied as Kai purred beneath her hand.

"There's another, much darker reason the Xeniths have come here. Dironyx now resides in Zeriath and has claimed a dungeon that was originally built by someone named—""Vandalez Switchzen!" I blurted.

"He's the one who left me that note and forged these daggers! He said the Xeniths came here to find the Lost Gem and destroy the Lost World of Zeriath so they could rebuild the Xenith Empire, right?" Velvetia simply gave a calm nod.

"Yes. Exactly." Starla rested a finger on her chin.

"If the rest of the Xeniths are scattered throughout the galaxy… does that mean he's planning to use the Lost Gem to bring them all here? So they can rebuild the Empire on Earth?"

"And restart the war," Velvetia answered, her voice growing heavier.

"Dironyx wants the Empire to grow strong enough to overthrow Power and rule Planet OMens himself. Since he's been banished and can no longer challenge Power directly, he's turned his sights toward Earth instead.

"And now that Power is here… conquering this planet could also give him another chance to claim Planet Omens." Starla's expression darkened.

"Meaning Olsen has to move fast before Dironyx gets the Lost Gem."

"Right." I nodded.

"But if that's his goal… why hasn't he taken it already?"

"It runs away from him." We both looked at her.

"Every time he approaches the Tree of the Lost Gem, it moves. Even if he manages to reach it and tries to touch it, his hand passes straight through, as though the tree were a ghost." She folded her hands together.

"It behaves as though the Gem itself is alive." I slowly nodded.

"I get it now. Our job is getting out of here… and Olsen's job is stopping Dironyx from claiming the Lost Gem before he rebuilds the Xenith Empire."

"Which means," Starla said, narrowing her eyes, "we've gotta move fast." The sounds of screaming Waspinite soldiers echoed from outside. Every one of us snapped toward the doors. BAM! The doors burst open as a Waspinite guard flew through the air, smashing into the wall beside Velvetia. She screamed. Kai sprang off her lap, hopping onto Starla's head as I whipped out my daggers, teeth gritted. Starla's fists ignited with Astral Energy.

"LET'S GO!" We slammed the doors wide and charged out, landing in fight stances while Kai just sat on the threshold, completely unbothered. My eyes swept across the city, widening at the carnage. Waspinites were being hurled through buildings, honey towers leaned on the verge of collapse, and green blood splattered across golden streets as explosions thundered in the distance. A black streak blurred. A fist drove deep into my stomach, slamming the air straight out of my lungs.

Blood sprayed from my lips before I even registered the impact, sending me flying backward through the castle doors. Wood and stone exploded as I crashed straight through Velvetia's throne, shattering it to splinters. Luckily, she had already scrambled out of the way, staring in horror as dust rolled into the room. Two glowing yellow eyes pierced the haze. Starla lunged first, but the attacker answered with a single backhand that launched her across the hall.

"STARLA!" I yelled, struggling to stand as my vision swam in a sickly yellow glow. The dust settled, revealing a figure stepping forward with slow, heavy paces. Torn martial arts gi, razor-sharp dragon talons scraping the stone, and heavy chains clinking around his wrists and ankles. Massive tattered wings dragged behind him, a barbed tail swaying as a jagged, scarred smile exposed rows of sharp teeth.

"Hello…" he whispered, his voice cutting through the quiet.

"Alternate Don 1." My pupils shrank as I stared up at him.

"Another one…?"

He simply rested on top of a mountain—the highest in Avangard—the Rufty Mountains' tallest peak, named "Mount Skybreaker." He sat above the clouds, looking down at the gray sea beneath him as the sky watched him mourn. Not for Sammy and the Heroes he had eliminated—the Admirals—but for the family that perished in the Heroes' failure to save them. With his fist pressed against his cheek, he leaned his elbow on his knee. His head tilted slightly, eyes lowering to the gray clouds below.

He felt for the Heroes he massacred, but he never felt regret for them. The killing had been necessary—done to end the pain. It didn't end. Now, what did everyone see him as? The Man Who Murdered the Heroes. A man without regret. Without remorse. And they weren't wrong. What else could he do, other than sit on a mountain and carry the weight of it all? The dried blood on his fur—it never left his chest. He slowly shifted back into his regular human form.

The blood remained, dry and clinging to him—a constant reminder of what he had done just to survive. He looked forward. His eyes flashed gold. Everything slowed. Time dragged, stretched thin—but he alone moved normally. He flickered away from Skybreaker. In an instant, he was seated on the edge of a mountain in the Kingdom of Hearts, overlooking the pink city of the Blushinites. Elbow on knee, chin resting on his fist—silent, watching. Then he flickered again. Scarletsville. He stood near a pool of bubbling lava.

And in its heat… the memories returned. His daughter, Sarah. His wife, Marie. All three of them sat together at the table. Rack beamed at the food, a quiet, grateful smile on his face as he looked up at Marie, who carried plates of meat and vegetables. She smiled, setting them down before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Best husband I've ever had—but don't eat everything."

"Hey, no promises," Rack muttered with a small grin.

"Daddy! Look!" Sarah ran toward him, holding up a drawing. She climbed onto his lap and shoved it into his hands—a messy, goofy sketch of him and Marie. Rack stared at it for a second… then his smile broke wide.

"I love it!" He lifted her up, laughing, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Sarah." The lava shifted, and the memory twisted with it. Fire swallowed the buildings of Iris Town, flames roaring as they consumed the streets. Citizens fled in panic while Heroes rushed through the chaos, saving who they could—but not his family. Rack sprinted through the inferno, moving so fast the collapsing world seemed frozen around him. He reached the building, stepped inside, and froze. He looked around in vain, searching for any sign that someone had tried to save them. No one came.

And that broke him. Back in the present, Rack dipped a single claw into the lava, watching it sizzle away to nothing before the memory dissolved in the orange glow. He stood over Scarletsville's vast canyons—rivers of liquid fire stretching as far as the eye could see—shook his head once, and vanished. His feet struck the earth, tearing across the continents of Avangard. The ground scorched beneath his soles as he pushed himself past Mach 50, his teeth gritted as the memories burned through his mind.

Tears streamed down his face, smearing the landscape into a blur of color. Past Mach 70. Past 90. His fur began to singe under the friction, but he grunted, forcing himself beyond his physical limit. Yellow and orange energy snapped wildly around his legs as he tore across the continent, trying to outrun the pain.

"GET AWAY! GET AWAY! PLEASE!!" The world darkened around him. A pale, faceless figure chased him, keeping pace effortlessly no matter how fast he ran. At Mach 100, Rack couldn't run anymore. Energy exploded outward from his body in arcing, violent surges. Eyes pouring light and tears, he threw his arms wide and roared into the sky as a blinding shockwave detonated from his core. The blast swallowed half of Mechamio in a flash of white, obliterating everything in its path. Then came the silence.

As the light faded, Rack stood with his head lowered, staring at the monstrosity he'd created. Mechamio was ruined—machinery melted, structures collapsed, and fire stretching to the horizon. His hands trembled slightly as mortification crushed down on him. He turned away slowly, his fists tightening.

"It was still… worth it," he lied to himself. He needed a real solution: the Lost Gem. It possessed pure revival power—enough to bring his family back and leave the Heroes in the dirt. But as a fugitive, he couldn't just walk into the Lost World and demand answers. He had to turn to the only option left. The ones who helped him do this in the first place: the Admirals. Not to negotiate, but to take what he needed by force. He blasted forward, the air tearing apart in his wake.

As he accelerated, he pulled out a radio communicator, his voice cold and steady.

"Admirals… find the Lost Gem. And destroy the Lost World while you're at it." A pause drifted over the line before the speaker crackled back to life.

"Our time… has come."