Ebony's Fable Chapter 389 - 380: Mood

Hector took so ti to find them. Most of them were at the very back of the room.

Shang Ling, The Eagle-Eyed Empress.

The Empire of Ebbing Waves Thirty-Second Sovereign, the greatest master of air magic removed the biggest aerial threats throughout the world…or planet with Hector's new understanding. Both Elva and Tova were generally safe from the old Emperor-ranked aerial monsters that left destroyed cities in their wake in the past before Navin beca King and set barriers over settlents.

She had not been social and other than a few notable events, there weren't many stories about her.

Zhen Ruhui, The Whimsical Arbiter and Twenty-Eighth Sovereign. Her powers were not recorded or ntioned by word. She was known to be exceedingly capricious and ruthless.

She might have reduced the Noble population by about…40% when she was around. Although those old Noble houses all had…problems so she practically cleaned them up for the Empire. She was far from kind though, despite having the strength she left a town to burn under a monster attack because she was apparently just walking by and the town wasn't her problem. In the excerpts left behind, she thought she shouldn't disturb a proper hunt. "They should have seen it coming when they gave an extermination order on its offspring."

After the fire-breathing insect that ran out from Vermin Paradise burned the town down, when she might have been right there she watched the insect scream out to the skies in rage with babies and children in its claws. She let the monster cry for a minute before ending its life. This was a famous story still being told in Tidal, even reenacted in theatres though that might have skewed the truth of the story.

Hector didn't expect this lady to be short, barely reaching his chest if they stood up. But what he was speechless about was how ek this masked lady was sitting in between a couple. A handso man with broad shoulders and an exceedingly young-looking woman.. "Look at them! So young and already married, when are you bringing a man ho." The woman chided the ek Arbiter.

Hector quickly looked away when the lady felt his gaze.

Guo Yan, The Pillar. The Twenty-Fifth Sovereign and only male Xeng in the Sovereign Temple of Heroes. He integrated with the people of Elcra a lot more than past Xengs. When he was active on Elcra, the war with the Trolls was almost as big as the one that just happened years ago. At that ti, there wasn't even a King ranked person other than the Elves who had a few but didn't care for much other than their forests. He was known to be soone who supported the soldiers and civilians alike.

The Pillar was not wearing a mask like Shang Ling and Zhen Ruhui. He had beautiful won around him, likely his wife and family mbers. Hector wondered what could leave a scar on this man's forehead, he simply recognised the man because of the mask attached to his hip. 'What elent did he use again…so kind of black gem or jewel, it was classified under stone or tal magic if I'm not wrong.'

There were many people he simply didn't recognise due to the lack of masks or his history knowledge. However, one other mask starkly stood out. It was very different from what was engraved onto the face of the statue in the Sovereign Temple but he knew the mont he saw it. There was no na leftover of this person. The person who could be said to have started the history of the Empire. The person past Elcrians called the First and had all their temples destroyed by her, The Cruel Empress. To this day, she had Temples of her and people who believed in her more than they believed in the Life Queen.

She was sitting nearby, in fact, she was directly behind him and Hector had a fright when he figured out who she was.

'How is she alive!? A descendant who inherits a mask? I don't think they inherit masks…but the first Sovereign was at least…four thousand years ago. Even if she levels and evolves faster than any Elcrains back then, she is still human. I think Mal said humans lived up to about 1000 to 1200 years of age as an Emperor while they seed to have appraised us Elcrians to be slightly above in this aspect and might have up to 1500 based on our lifespans as Masters, Grandmasters and Kings. Is she…above an Emperor? The evolution passed that…but I don't feel that difference that I feel in front of a more evolved being…like these two older won.'

"The bloodline of the Lord family still runs?"

Hector shivered when he was caught staring for too long and the person he stared at addressed him. He felt naked but also thanked the fact that a mask was blocking his view of this person's visage. His gut told him he wouldn't be able to take it.

"Your ancestor was a good lad, and that barrier kid is making quite the na for himself. He is the first man of Elcra besides Oplot who's not a native to be known in the bigger world. Nice to see Elcra moving forward."

Hector felt so pride, it was not sothing recent. Navin had been in contact with the bigger world outside of Elcra even before the recent events. The Tetramyths uninvited appearance accelerated and strengthened this connection before the Royals made it public knowledge that Elva, Tova and the sea between them wasn't all there was to the world.

'Wait a minute…how does she know all that with just one look at ? I an…the old lady said that out loud earlier but then how did she know?' Hector was afraid to ask The Cruel Empress. Her words half confird that she was one and the sa, the Empire's first Sovereign. She was and is still a figure of religion in so towns. A few Noble families prayed to her statues in smaller temples more so than the main Sovereign Temple of Heroes.

Hector wasn't sure why. Even though Elves have a long life and probably rember clearer, it was common knowledge to those with a long lineage that the Elves hated Xengs. Though he didn't know the reason. Thinking about it, the current Elven Matriarch might not even have been born since the Cruel Empress was moving about. They change and go back to their howorld every so often over the course of human history. In terms of human history, this figure was soone from roughly 40 generations ago when lifespans and life expectancy was a lot lower.

Yet, there were still humans who worshipped her. Mainly human, for seemingly no apparent reasons. It wasn't like the Cruel Empress was making any new feats or helping anyone on Elva. Then again, the people who still worshipped her are few in number.

"Ye-yes." He managed to make an awkward reply. But this wasn't like him, he thought. "The Lord family was around for so long?"

"Hm, you don't even know your family history? The Lords have been around on Elva before the second generation Xengs showed up. When we of the third generation were young, Xienor was built but Elva was a ss. I still rember being called the Eastern Barbarians. It was thanks to that that we gave our group of clans a collective na. Was I 18 or 19 when we went challenging everyone back then? Ahh those were so good days…"

"Miss Cruel Empress…actually, we never got your na?" Hector was screaming inside, couldn't he think of sothing else to ask right now? Why would he call her that to her face? He must be sick today.

Hector heard half a laugh before the woman who sat beside him, Shi Ling tackled him and the Cruel Empress dragged him.

Everyone made room for the older lady who was aggressively chatting with the similarly aged woman. She was furiously screaming at the screen. Ebony was lying beside Scarlet…doing nothing. Hector thought the viewing period was over after the duel but it was still moving, just that they weren't moving much.

This had been going on for the past few minutes.

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"What is that boy waiting for!"

"How long is he going to take!?"

The seconds ticked by and the older lady was getting visibly pissed at the couple back on Elcra who weren't doing anything. They were an awkward couple for sure and Hector would tell Ebony to his face that it was 100% thanks to him. It looked like the old lady agreed.

After a few minutes of increasingly loud screaming, Hector was begging for his life. His back and heart were beginning to beg for rcy. Ebony was just lying down there, not making any moves while the ladies in the room were eagerly waiting for him to remove Scarlet's mask. Sothing new Hector learned about them.

It seed like it was the normal step to take after beating his future wife in combat. Since they were both Xengs, he didn't need to beat her in combat. Hector's understanding from the talking in the room, about how so won recalled how their husbands removed their mask as an unforgettable mory, was that it was similar to how n on Elva put a new Myriad Bracelet on their wife on their engagent date or rings during their wedding.

All the while, Ebony and Scarlet were simply conducting post-battle questions and answers instead of an analysis…

The old woman who helped and talked to Hector couldn't take the wait anymore when the couple on the frozen ground just stared at the sky silently for ten minutes. She called or sent a ssage to Ebony using the thing called the Eidolon portable module.

Another minute passed and there was nothing different on the screen. Ebony was ignoring them.

"Cool off, that boy of yours is not that bad." The gentle older lady comnted.

"How do you know?"

"Did you know he visited the Ning compounds so months back? He's a good kid, he asked us not to take our girl back imdiately after he won."

"He already asked for your girl officially?"

"He's a proper adult. My grandson roughed him up a bit and he had to take a week before he recovered but at least it seems like he is satisfied with his future grandson-in-law."

Hector tried to think back, he recalled Ebony going on so personal business for so days. He didn't expect it was to ask Scarlet's family for their blessings. Also, what did they an by taking their girl back after he won?

When day turned to night, Hector felt a wave of air hit his face. He was certain he fainted for a fraction of a section before he was jolted awake by a force of mana over his body. The room grew cold and strangely quiet from everyone else's voices all of a sudden. 'Please, Ebony! Check your callstone or whatever version you call that gem!'

Dozens of people were scrambling and Hector was floating, encapsulated by soone's mana. He couldn't even pinpoint who was carrying him with magic. He was outside the dimly lit room before he knew it.

'Where am I?' He got dizzy at the next mont. Taking another second before he recalled this feeling as movent from spatial magic.

"Lei! Stop the lightning!" One of the ladies who looked just like Ebony's mother but not as much as the angry old lady ordered.

"An, Guo, Kong make sure Xiaoya doesn't blow up." A black-haired man from the family across the Shi followed up.

"Yang and Yin…right, none of the Yins are around, just…make sure the sun doesn't explode. We'll deal with the moons if they fall."

"Shi Ling, protect that Lord boy and go tell your uncle to stop laying there and read his ssages." Another woman of the Shi commanded.

"Everyone else, go ho and protect your clan houses or sothing."

"Hector right? Don't bite your tongue, Uncle Kongs are too busy to move us now so I'm just going to jump around." Shi Ling warned him

"What is happening? Are we under attack?"

"My uncle tested my Big Granny's patience for too long, we're not exactly patient people. When she's this mad we can only take shelter. I'm not sure if any other second generation are around but I'm sure Big Granny Ning would just watch in mirth as if Big Granny's anger is none of her business. I'll try my best to protect you." Shi Ling happily explained.

Hector almost toppled even though he was being carried. He felt the very earth quake, the skies torn asunder as lightning thicker than a few Trolls stacked together started cracking in the skies. A hole in the sky ford where the freaky faceless man was waving his arms around to seal or cover it.

The ladies that he was sitting close to earlier, and the ladies and gentlen sitting across him earlier took the lead. The Cruel Empress was actually just covering a few n with her body when a mass of what Hector sensed as so kind of weird or unique stone mana was being conjured in the atmosphere.

"Surely she won't attack her family? I an, not in the way Ebony and Scarlet are battling."

"What do you an? She's not attacking us, she's not even using magic or intent. The environnt just changes according to her mood. We're lucky Big Granny Ning is here so the environnt is still stable."

"This is stable?!" Hector had his hair and body furiously sucked and pushed towards a different direction at every mont.

"Don't worry, our ho is safe. It's not that far. I'm sure I can make it there safely. I think." He wasn't given much confidence by Shi Ling's words.

The Xengs moved in a few separated units, by seating or family. Shi Ling had her back covered from the tiny grey rocks forming out of nowhere a few tis. The other ladies were exceedingly calm. Their faces reminded Hector of Ebony. Can't they put on so kind of facial expression?

However, no one touched the tiny rocks with their bare bodies. They either used elentless mana to wrap the rocks up and push them away or they slapped it away with a weapon. There were n in the current party too, one guy called Shui Feng had been a surprisingly good conversational partner during their hours of eavesdropping on the bridal battle.

Out of all the Xengs Hector had personally talked to, he was both the first man other than Ebony and also the most normal person amongst the Xeng that Hector could converse with without being confused.

The man was flicking water droplets at the rocks without using the force of his mind. Although he wasn't breaking the rocks, the force that each water droplet was being sent made Hector flinch. His ears were gonna pop!

Every collision of those water droplets sounded like multiple cannons exploding at the sa ti, right beside his ears. Those rocks that got hit would roll a few tres away in the air but they floated back where they spawned in monts.

He was very curious about what the rocks did, it wasn't actively propelling towards them or anything but the party had to push them away to make a path to dash. A very, very slow dash. Even a Journeyman could run faster than this.

This caution made Hector more wary of the rocks that no one dared to touch.

"Han, Tianyu open a quick path for us."

"Ready?" The orange-haired man with a squarish face and thick eyebrows asked after holding one of the woman's hands. With their nearly identical faces, Hector could only differentiate the ladies using their husbands and their height and fra. Those who were masked were easier to differentiate.

Everyone around him nodded, and he was back to being carried on soone's shoulders.

'HOT!' Hector had his enhancents up for a while now, with 6 elents he was nearly at risk of mana poisoning. A stream of fire sliced forward before it split into two and pushed apart each other as a wave, a path without floating rocks opened but new rocks were forming.

One of the Shi stepped in front of the fire mage with a thin white shield or thick staff and Hector felt his bones rattle and a shockwave that made his stomach squeeze its contents out. He managed to hold it in using earth magic to clog his throat. Then his body was forcefully propelled through the path the couple opened.

They weren't able to make it to their safe spot because the couple had to repeat this a few tis.

Hector didn't even lift a finger but he was exhausted when there was finally no intense aura and elents floating about after he was placed down on the soft grass.

"Auntie Han, Uncle Tianyu can you bring us out?" Hector shivered, why did it feel like Shi Ling was referring to him when she said 'us'?

"You can wait till she's not angry anymore can't you ah Ling?"

"Well, the faster we inform Uncle kehm..Granduncle-the faster her mood will settle. I'll just drop a letter."

"Sure, your mother will lash out at us if we didn't take care of you. Let's go."

"Uhm… too?" Hector would very much like to stay within safety's confines.

"Of course, we can drop you off on the way."

'I really shouldn't have rushed over to watch the duel…' Hector ntally blad Ebony for risking his life today.

Left in tears, he begrudgingly followed Shi Ling back out. 'I should just stay in the academy or so dungeon if I want to keep my dear life…'