Chapter 1769 – Bright Glory and Pride
John stood at the beach of Bay St. Louis. ‘Wonder why they did not include an of in the name,’ he thought as he watched the Worldturtle swim ever closer.
It was just above half the size of the Raid Boss that John had fought a while back. A fact that kept it clearly in the ‘moving island’ category of being. It was a variant of a Granite Titanturtle. As the name implied, this subspecies had granite as their stone core – red granite in the case of this adolescent specimen. Other recorded kinds were marble and lime.
The back of the creature was covered in oriental buildings. Like so much in East Asia, the traditional Vietnamese style of building resembled the Chinese one closely, yet put its own spin on things. The colours were more red and brown than the strong red and greens John was used to and the roofs designed more practically, likely to cope with the heavy rain season South East Asia had to endure. The lineage of culture was, nonetheless, heavily apparent.
The fleet of ships around the turtle was a colourful mixture of military and private vessels, which then were further separated by origin. Illuminati, Fusion, Mandate of Heaven, Rex Germaniae (especially the NTC) – even the Sons of Rome had sent a few ships for the transport. It was a perfect opportunity for them to get a PR victory and to confirm everything John did was over the table.
Truthfully, they had way more ships than were strictly necessary for the transport, but it was a lot more comfortable this way. Another side benefit was that spread out people were less likely to reach the critical mass to riot. Not the most likely occurrence, the majority of people with low impulse control had ended themselves shortly after the fight, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility. This was the first time for these people to ever see the ocean and they were crossing it on strange swimming boxes. Some panic was understandable.
John stood on an elevated piece of the landscape, a stage made of rock that Gnome had made for them, overseeing the Protected Space that Lee had erected. In it was a basic city of a similar architectural style as the Aztecs should be used to. Nahua had helped instruct Gnome on the fine details, including much of the familiar vegetation that they could get to survive in this different climate. It did not take all of the plasticity out of the freshly minted city, only a few years of living, the elements, and personal decoration would do that.
The Worldturtle was the first to settle in the reshaped piece of coastline. It was no perfect harbour, but it would do for a long time, especially if it was only used for small vessels after today. This Protected Space was, first and foremost, for the effort of integrating the Aztecs into Fusion. Vietnamese and Chinese soldiers moved around, preparing the landing bridges.
John glanced over to Lu Zhi. The Heavenly Jade Empress had personally come to oversee the transfer. A calculated move to further show the world that Fusion and the Mandate of Heaven were growing closer. That she stood right next to John, the Dragonspears behind rather than beside her, further added to the rumours that they were more than just two rulers conversing. All as the empress desired. The representatives sent by the other guilds were, by and large, unimportant. That was to say they were important within internal politics of their respective guilds but not people John benefitted from knowing much about.
The loud beat of stomping feet pulled John’s attention aside. A singular, broad bridge was extended from the side of the enormous turtle. Down it stomped, always coordinating their heavy footfalls to come down in unison, the Vietnamese soldiers. Every fifth man, flanking the sides of the procession, held up a tall banner. Yellow on red, the image of a burning drum was depicted.
It was the symbol of house Phuon, originating from the day they had chosen Vietnam over their Chinese roots. Legend had it that they had piled up all of the instruments that were used to coordinate a large army and set them ablaze. Afterwards, they turned into a ‘robber army’ that terrorized the southern Chinese border in order to prevent the build up of any supply lines. That robber army remained under command of the Phuong family to the present day.
The current head of which was walking down the centre of the bridge. Vinh had hair of ash and black, turning red towards the tips. She wore the long, wild strands in a pair of low ponytails. Little clothing covered her athletic physique, revealing the dark skin tone of an Asian woman from warmer climates. Her exposed arms were covered in tattoos of flowers and flames, both red on black vines, winding up to her shoulders.
Dangerously, she had the Rave body type. Medium breasts and wide hips but what the Gamer’s future wife had in the perfection of her bubble butt, the genes of the Vietnamese woman appeared to have been invested in the thickness of her thighs. The meaty display of legs quivered fairly little when she stepped, betraying how much under that smooth surface was muscle. Her stomach was nice and flat, the linea alba defined without showing more definition.
John would have marvelled more at her beauty, at her orange eyes and confident smile, had it not been for the thing she dragged behind herself. Skewered by a spear that she carried against her shoulder, the corpse of a dragon was pulled along by her slow steps.
Glancing to his left, John involuntarily gulped. Lu Zhi was grinning. The sight was hidden from everyone but him by the bodies of her bodyguards and the jade fan she kept raised to her nose. It was a jade-lipped, broad grin, filled to the brim with danger. Eyes glowed a pale green, pupils slit, and her naked teeth were sharp. It was the amused, annoyed grin of a woman that lived every day in disappointment that she was no warlord.
Once across the bridge, Vinh Phuong hurled the corpse of the dragon across the distance. It was a western dragon, bulky and four-limbed. “THIS HUMBLE SERVANT PROVIDES HER COUSIN A GIFT!” the rebellious tomboy screamed while the corpse was in mid-flight.
Lu Zhi took a step forward. Her Aura ignited, preceding a martial art that turned the forward momentum of the massive body around. Everyone on the stage had to swiftly dodge the whipping tail of the dragon as it was launched back at the sender. “This unworthy tribute is denied!”
Vinh jumped up, then threw her spear. The weapon slammed into the head of the monster, slamming it into the ground. Surrounded by particles of ash, the warrior woman landed on the vertical end of the shaft. “As always, the heavenly court does not know manners. It is no wonder that the Mandate is the smallest under your rule that it has been in a thousand years!”
Lu Zhi advanced to the edge of the stage, then stepped past it. Every footfall that should have met only air instead met a jade pillar that Lu Zhi created from thin air. Upon reaching her detractor, Lu Zhi closed her folding fan with an echoing snap. “You court death, little sister.”
Standing on her spear, Vinh Phuong was of equal standing as the Heavenly Jade Empress – which left the imperial tomboy the shorter of the two courtesy of the half head height difference between them. Despite that, it was clear which one of the two was bigger. Vinh Phuong could grin all she wanted, John had seen the difference in effort it had taken for Vinh to throw the corpse and for Lu Zhi to toss it back.
“Know your place, ‘dragonslayer’, before the dishonour you bring me is repaid with the weight of heaven and earth,” Lu Zhi hissed. Only those with extremely keen ears could have picked up the threat. “Or…” her tone became sweeter, “…keep going… give me an excuse…!”
“I wouldn’t dare besmirch your honour, cousin,” Vinh answered with a broad smile and stepped backwards. Elegantly, she fell and landed on the snout of the dragon. In one smooth motion, she pulled out the weapon and bowed. It was a bow of the European style, not the deep kowtow that was appropriate for a vassal of the Middle Empire to use. “Violence between siblings is barbaric, wouldn’t you say?” she asked out loud.
Lu Zhi tapped her chin with the side of her fan. “It is ever in the nature of younger siblings to envy the size and power of their elders. Very well, I shall be generous and forgive this quarrel.” With that, the imperial tomboy turned around. The jade pillars disappeared as she walked.
Vinh was still grinning. Her orange eyes burned intensely. Reaching up, she flicked her thumb over her cheekbone. A dark grey trail of wet ash was left behind. “The young outlive the old, cousin!”
“What a mundane thing to say!” Lu Zhi laughed and arrived back at the stage. Staring down at the Vietnamese woman, the Heavenly Jade Empress decreed, “You have your orders, robber general, follow them. Or must I find you a temple you can pillage to find a crumb of honour?”
“Oh no, I will gladly do your foreigner’s bidding,” Vinh shot back, then stepped away.
‘Do not look at her ass,’ John cautioned himself and instead turned to Lu Zhi. “Is that how this usually goes?” he whispered.
“Quite so,” the Heavenly Jade Empress answered and smiled again. “Perhaps I should grind her estate to dust, to send a message?”
John chose the diplomatic route and did not answer. He had more questions about the exchange but those would have to wait until they had overseen the transfer. “Father, it is not our place to-“
“It is exactly our place!”
“And here comes my annoyance,” John mumbled to the imperial tomboy, who giggled at his anger. Turning towards the back of the stage, the Gamer took several rapid steps. Simultaneously, the first Aztecs were chaperoned off the Worldturtle. Other ships were coming to a still in the harbour. John came face to face with Moira and William Brighton. “You weren’t invited to this,” he said immediately.
“A failure on your part,” the Lord-Protector of the Order of the Golden Rose growled. “You transferred responsibility of these lost souls to us, so that way we may show them the Lady’s light, and now you deny us the presence at their transfer?!”
“You have been given a clear schedule,” John hissed back. Something about interacting with William always turned his patience into a soft mush. “This event is for the powers present.”
“Our boat is in that fleet.”
“And you are subordinates of Fusion.”
“We are partners in your Federation, below you in legal station perhaps but-“
“Can you two shut up and step off the stage?” Moira asserted herself. John glared at the man with the white streaks in his red hair. William glared back at the Gamer in his suit. Both men pressed their lips together and stepped out of view to continue their talk. “Father, it is not our place to be here.”
John had already caught that this was Moira’s stance and William obviously had to know; it still surprised both of them for the Warden to take the Gamer’s stance openly. “If we do not stand equal as the newcomers arrive, then they will believe they should turn to the soldiers of Fusion first,” William stated.
“There will be an introduction for you later where Nahua herself will say that you will be the one responsible for their wellbeing,” John pushed back. “This is not an event for prestige, Will, it’s so the members of the Divided Gates can see that we’re not pulling any stunts on this one!”
The Lord-Protector’s eye twitched at the nickname. “You will not be pulling any stunts,” he corrected. “I am only here in the Lady’s name.”
“I do not believe your Lady blesses such glory hounding.”
“You should know your place.”
“I know my station and it is above yours. Stop breaking your oath, William! I won and your Order now is part of this Federation.”
“You dare call me an oath breaker for demanding recognition of our importance in this endeavour?! This problem you have caused?!”
A short explosion of harmless but bright holy light kept John from spitting out his next response. “Both of you, shut up!” Moira demanded. “John, try to be half as patient as you are horny. Father, what mission of the Lady is aided by your insistence on this?”
“No servant of the Lady shall stand down when there is justice and mercy to be delivered,” William answered, his tone indicating that he was citing some kind of scripture.
Moira’s response came in the same tone, “To those that are not allies of the Order, be they enemies or undecided, show them only a shield wall resplendent and closed and a hand open.”
“You wish to lecture me on our principles, Daughter?”
“Lately, you have been complacent and ill-mannered, Lord-Protector, and as Warden it is on me to decide what scripture we follow.” Moira might as well have brought down her hammer on her father’s chest. “Stand down, I beseech thee, and remember who you are,” she spoke softly.
William inhaled deeply and pulled his shoulders back. “We will talk more later,” he said to both of them, then turned. When Moira started to follow him, he raised his hand. “I admit to being brash around this man, so you stay here to advise him. Annoyance or not, he is chosen.”
“That is wise, Lord-Protector,” Moira said, and sighed once her father was far enough away not to hear, “Men.”
“…I was about to say it has nothing to do with what is between our legs, but it actually might be an exacerbating factor.” John scratched the back of his head. “Thank you for taking my side.”
“I did not take your side, I chose the correct side,” Moira told him. “It is important you know the difference.”
“Noted,” John said, then turned his head towards a well-known shout.
Rave dashed over from the shore in a flash – quite literally. Her body turned into a beam of light that manifested next to them. “There’s my Tiger Prime,” she purred and hugged him from the side. His Ambassador Double was still by the shore. “You two aren’t cheating on me, are ya?”
“Very funny,” Moira drawled.
“Cheating on you would be the dumbest thing I could ever do,” John said lovingly and gave her the best kiss he could give and a quarter of the kiss that she deserved. “Any words of advice you have for me, Moira?”
“Live up to the Lady’s expectations,” the redhead stated.
‘Nice, vague and yet very clear,’ John thought, then began to ascend the steps. “You coming with?” he asked his first fiancée.
“And watch people walk past me for like an hour? Nah, I’m staying here with Moi-Moi. What’s the other you doing?”
“Getting back to the Guild Hall. Speaking of which… should we do that later?”
“Still thinking about where to put that, so maybe.”
“Who says I want to hang out with you?” Moira asked as John went up the staircase.
“Everyone wants to hang with me, I got cute ears.”
Giggling, John went back to Lu Zhi.