Chapter 328: Negotiations
A/N: I’ve been reading through some of my earlier Chapters and found there were a few things in my vision that didn’t quite develop in the way I originally planned. So, I took the liberty of retconning a few things in the early story. There’s no major impact on any of the characters or world, just a few terminologies.
The biggest changes are in the identifications at the Shard of Omniscience. In regards to soul strength and mana affinity, I felt that the wording was a little confusing. I had some other ideas that made sense, but the story developed in a different direction. I’ve gone back and made the changes in previous Chapters. You can view the new statuses in the character descriptions available for Xiviyah and Korra.
Anyway, this is also your friendly reminder to leave a review. We just need a few more to get rated and I’ll release like 3 or 4 Chapters. Thanks for reading!
The guards parted to allow me through, though their cautious gazes never left the massive wolf at my side. The leader of the guards, a middle-aged and stern man, kept a watchful eye on me as I peered about the inner courtyard. My eyes grew wide as I found small, colorful garden beds neat cobblestone paths traversing the exterior. They were abandoned and forlorn, the plants withered in the unseasonal cold, but finding them here sent a chill down my spine. It was too warm, to...innocent. A reminder that the devastation I would surely cause was not upon my enemies only, but those who were unlucky enough to be caught up in the fight.
The fortress was a massive lump of blue rock, broken up only by the occasional window or arrow slit. Soldiers gathered on the walls above and in the shadows of the garden, eyes intent upon me for any sign of danger. The inner gate of the fortress was only a hundred or so feet from the wall, yet by the time we reached it, nearly a hundred second and third-level guards watched us. Their eyes dug into my back, causing my chest to tighten and my tail to flick back and forth.
Had anything even changed since Heartland? I had walked into the Circle’s lair with no plan, carried only by a faint hope and a dream. There was no one I could count on here, not allies to appear at the nick of time and save me should I get into trouble.
I took a deep breath and drove away my anxious worries. Things were different now. Before, I hadn’t a reason to live, believing the Glory Chasers had abandoned me, and every star in my life winked out. I may be alone now, but it wasn’t hard to envision Tana and Sorrin’s encouraging smiles and Dyson flashing me a thumbs-up. Rasce might have even said something, had he been here. But, most vivid of all, was my vision of Korra and me sitting atop the monolith. I couldn’t abandon her now, not like Levin had. I wasn’t a hero anymore, if I ever truly was, but at least I could try and be a friend.
Before I knew it, we were walking through cold stone hallways. The guard led me through several corridors before he finally ushered me into a great hall. Tall arches of blue-tinted stone rose against the walls, supporting a distant peaked ceiling. Stained glass skylights stared down like lidless eyes, filtering the morning light into vibrant splashes of color that danced across the polished tile floor. A great banner hung limply behind a raised dais on the far wall, proudly displaying the fortress’s allegiance to Brithlite.
A bearded man sat in a throne-like chair on the dais. It was far from ornate, lacking the gold leaf and jewel-encrusted affluence of Alverin’s throne, yet unmistakable as a symbol of power and influence. The man wore loose, high-quality silk garments, but even his cloak did little to hide his broad shoulders and muscled physique. His soul was near the peak of fifth level, and the naked-bladed sword rested against this throne looked as though it belonged there.