Chapter 254: Universal Cattitudes
Zalanth would carefully follow the directions she had been given, down to the letter. Luckily, she had received a simple request to meet at a specified location, so she would make no mistakes. There was no room for argument or excuse when it came to almost any of the largest or more influential factions, and that was more true for the Blessed Mau Collective than it was for any of the others. Unlike a faction of Demons or Undead, the solitary group of felines had a wider variety of willing agents. It would be better to avoid unnecessary delay.
As a factionless individual, the last place Zalanth wanted to be was the stronghold of any particular faction, especially ones that were powerful enough to conscript her into their service using system contracts. She would have no opportunity to negotiate terms, no matter how much they valued whatever they saw in her. The power disparity between herself and the faction was too great. At the very least, she was thankful they had not descended straight to force from the start, but the fact that she had been summoned was not a good sign.
Nevertheless, she subtly prepared to fight for her life. She thought she’d make humans proud by hanging onto at least a small thought of rebellion.
Before leaving her private compartment for what would inevitably be the last time, she refreshed her braids and donned the limited equipment she smuggled through her exile. A dark silver band protected her forehead, wrapping beneath her newly braided hair. Matching metals lined the lower edge of her ears, clamped to her defined jawline, and rested along her collar bone. Armlets, bracers, and anklets completed the accessories she had kept while the brand new dangling bracelets were stashed away. The subtle battle tattoos that had been carved in her limbs with invisible ink shone with mana if viewed from precisely the correct angle as the arrangement focused her might. She nodded to herself and prepared for her own battle.
She exited through the sliding gate confidently, with her head held high, letting the golden mana-weave silks of her sheer robe hang in the breeze behind her. The accessories she equipped completed the look, melding the dichotomy of her current existence. She had become prosperous, but she was still a warrior at heart.
She glanced down both directions of the muted hallway. The corridor was lit by a series of mana lamps on small platforms beside each room’s gateway, and they each gently hummed in their solitude. She was clearly alone. The guests of the luxury cruise didn’t spend a fortune for a ticket just to hide away in their private compartments, and there were no suspicious characters keeping an eye on her movements from the shadows.
Zalanth marched toward the main lounge, following the tinkling chimes that accompanied the stellar views through the hushed hallways. Her footsteps were silenced by the plush patterned carpeting, but her steady stride was unburdened.
She opened both heavy double doors at once, letting them swing away, and found the scenes of opulence completely unchanged as they washed over her. The affluent continued to be pacified by their delicacies and expensive views. The rumbling in the foundation of the galactic community caused by humans hadn’t reached these heights. They had been a passing fascination at best.
She kept to the perimeter, moving with purpose as she rounded the area and approached the vessel’s main gateway. She only hesitated for a moment before exiting, snatching one last bead of namanin fruit while glancing back to see if any of the guests were paying extra attention to her.
The looks she caught were only the typical leering, impossible to avoid while being a relative giant, and they quickly averted their eyes, recognizing the danger of her aura. Whoever the agent of the Blessed Mau Collective was, she couldn’t spot them.
She stepped onto the utilitarian gateway to be transported to the Lankir Sector’s main hub settlement. A rush of mana that suppressed all of her senses gave her a moment to consider her position and develop a preliminary plan.
If the Blessed Mau Collective sought to turn her into a soldier, would she refuse? As far as fates within the galactic community went, it wouldn’t be a particularly poor outcome. It wouldn’t even be on the bad side of the spectrum. Being a low-ranking member of the Blessed Mau Collective would actually be a relative promotion over being Prime Commander for the Endless Empire. She probably wouldn’t resist, but she felt a small twinge of pride that opposed the idea of restarting from the bottom. Either way, a congenial recruitment was the most optimistic of outcomes, one that she doubted she qualified for.