Chapter 47: Return of Grim Van Ambrose Part 1
Dawn painted the eastern sky in hues of yellow and crimson as Grim stood atop the mountain peak, gazing down at the Celestis Empire. The White Castle at its heart gleamed in the early morning light, its walls and towers were taller and stronger. It had been rebuilt after the devastation of that night.
The night his life had ended.
His eyes drifted to the cairn at his feet. Cassius’s sword stood upright at the head of the grave, his white ceremonial robes now weathered and frayed, fluttering from the hilt like a ghost in the mountain breeze.
Grim knelt, his fingers brushing the topmost stone. "Rest well, grandfather," he murmured. "The White Death has earned his peace."
[He was a stubborn old bastard,] the voice in his head commented, a rare note of respect coloring its tone. [Lasted far longer than anyone expected with those injuries.]
"Still not long enough," Grim replied softly.
He felt the approach of footsteps behind him. Twelve years of grueling training had honed his senses to detect the slightest movement around him.
"It’s time," Yongrun said, his voice weathered by the passing years but still commanding. Beside him stood Dongmei.
Grim rose to his feet, turning to face his mentors. At seventeen, he stood taller than Dongmei now, his frame lean but corded with muscle. The scar that bisected the right side of his face from temple to jaw had faded from black to slightly purple. Though faint traces of darkness still lingered beneath the skin, pulsing occasionally.
"The Empire has changed in your absence," Dongmei said, pulling her fur-lined cloak tighter against the mountain breeze. "New alliances, new enemies. The noble houses have grown stronger with their ambitions."
Grim shrugged. "That’s okay. I’m forgotten, but i will make one hell of an entrance." He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small golden pin emblazoned with the imperial crest. "I still have this after all. It shows I’m favored by the Empress."