The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Avril's hopes were realized as Serena looked straight at her, eyes widening and ears trembling. Smiling, she inwardly praised Oscar for having the sense to mention her to his friends, certainly a husband's bragging about his wife. However, rather than the welcome she expected, Serena bit her lips and balled her hands into fists, her shoulders quivering as she averted her gaze from Avril. The confidence faded, replaced by what Avril had seen many times on Oscar when he had messed up: shame. What did she have to be ashamed of?

"Are you truly her?" The man behind Serena took off his helmet, revealing a handsome, broad face with two distinct scars that crossed across and a bed of braided blondish hair stretched down his neck. A solemn, blue gaze met hers. He covered his face as if about to cry and clenched hard, his armored hand squeezing his head. "I assume you have put on a disguise. Follow me inside." The gold-armored warrior gently pressed his hands on his wife's shoulders and led her weak, shaky figure inside, with Avril following.

The two guards flanking the gate placed their hands on their side of the door, a formation of Ein brightening in intricate patterns. From a rotation of their wrists like keys in a lock, a series of metallic clacks drummed inside the heavy door until it unlocked fully. They pushed it open, and a gorgeous garden greeted her, the fragrance of flowers and freshly cut grass relaxing her somber mood, more pleasing to her element. It had been too suffocating earlier. She wanted to ask about Oscar, but the two sullen backs in front of her forced away the questions on her tongue.

'Did…did Oscar…' Her smile flattened as a chill stole the warmth from her blood, and she felt like she had been tossed naked into a snowy mountain in the heart of winter. Gulping, she tried to calm down, but a dark figure lurked in the shade of the hedges, resting its scythe on its shoulder. Oscar couldn't be dead. He couldn't be. Avril believed in him. But why else would they have such sad eyes? Desperately, she sought to ask, to pose the question. However, the visage of her mistress neared, each step silencing her words, fear choking her throat.

"Are you alright?" Serena put a coat on her and dapped a handkerchief in the cold beads of sweat overflowing on her pale brow. "It can be quite chilly when fall approaches. Come in. I'll have the fireplace started." Avril was pulled into the castle, dragged into the wide halls adorned by treasured paintings and glittering lamps, and taken into a small room where a hearth burned, the charcoal crackling to a fine white.

"Undo your transformation. We have heard from Oscar many times about your appearance. The New Dawn is hidden and numerous, but you can trust us." The man placed his spear on the table in a show of peace and stoked the coals with a pair of tongs, the metal red at the tips as the coals spewed embers. The heat filling the room helped her calm down, and Serena set down a warm cup of tea. Sipping the tea, Avril sighed in relief. She undid the effects of the transformation elixir, letting her hair turn deep indigo and eyes glow bright gold. She purposely retrieved her ring from the space pocket for them to see as she emphasized putting it on.

"Are you Avril Terr?" Serena asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am. She twirls the ring on her finger, angered that they don't believe her." Avril realized her mistake and held her hand over her mouth, wondering how she had slipped up after years of holding back. The tea swirled in its cup, and she found the culprit. "A truth elixir? I should have taken an antidote beforehand. She puts the tea down, no longer wanting to drink." The truth elixir forced her speech to revert to its natural state, her impulse overwhelming her control.

"I suppose you are. Welcome to the Brilliant Drake Empire. I am Serena Rudinberg." Serena introduced herself again.

"Gavir Rudinberg. I fought alongside Oscar in the war." Gavir bowed his head. "There's no better warrior to have by your side. I owe my life to him."

"Isn't that right? You understand!" Avril couldn't contain her joy. The praises for her beloved excited her. It was the first…well, anything she had heard of Oscar since arriving on the continent. Perhaps it was the truth elixir or the desire to see him, but she couldn't stop her tales of some of the journeys together, deep love in her recollecting gaze. Avril slowed down, falling to silence at the listless expressions on the two. Again, a darkness befell on them, a cold shadow over their bowed heads as if they were apologizing. Gritting her teeth, Avril struggled to speak, barely able to ask, "Is…he…."

"No. Oscar is alive." Serena's answer abated away all the worries that gnawed on her sanity. Avril slumped in her seat and covered her face, relieved to hear he was alive. The tears that almost overflowed from anxiety, unable to return, now leaked slowly, wetting her hands. Chuckling, she wiped her tears and dried her hands over the hearth, warmth welling from her chest. Serena opened her mouth, hesitated, then sighed, "Follow me. Gavir, can you leave someone else in charge?"

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Swiftly, they boarded an airship and headed out of the city. Avril nervously glanced at Serena and Gavir, fidgeting in her kneeling position. Oscar was alive, so what was the problem? Since Oscar was alive, then surely, he would be alright. She opened a book, flipped to where her bookmark stuck out, and mumbled the words, keeping her mind occupied. Seeing their depressed looks gave her no confidence and no wish to look upon them. After all they had been through together, there was no chance that something happened to Oscar.

"You're very much alike. I can't count how many times Oscar lost himself in those pages." Serena smiled faintly, a soothing, gentle grin that one might find on a mother.

"He taught me how to read and write. She can't stop laughing when remembering the year he spent teaching her." Avril hid her face under the book, both embarrassed and happy. Those long days in the cave, eating fruits while scribbling on half-ruined pages, seemed so far away but ever so clear in her mind. Serena asked her more about her past, which she happily shared, omitting details she believed to be better kept a secret. Serena asked more, and she obliged. An hour later, the airship docked in a vast city, half of it under construction, countless workers laying bricks on the streets, hammering on wooden beams, and elevating great stone blocks.

"We've arrived. It was nice to listen to your stories. I'm glad that Oscar found you after Ashen Grove." Serena grabbed her hand and led her away in a rush.

Avril realized she missed the chance to ask about Oscar's current situation. Naturally, she started to read to gather the courage to ask, but she was so caught up in the conversation with Serena that she forgot. Or was it on purpose? She recalled Oscar describing Serena as a wily woman with an eye to read people. Smacking her face, Avril knew she had been tricked, led astray by Serena's timely questions. She didn't even know that hours had gone by until they landed.

'Scary….' She thought. Oscar usually handled the talking for them, so she was unprepared for this kind of person.

Following Serena, she entered a vast palace far larger than the castle in the previous city. Guards of the same armor as Gavir lined the walls under reconstruction. Most of the castle was under reconstruction. The guards didn't stop her this time, thanks to Gavir and Serena. Avril smelled a familiar scent from the Burning Valley, the complete opposite of the garden. Charred stone and rubble, still not cleared, let out a foul stench of blood and burnt ashes. Green and silently gagging, she hurried upstairs and waited for Serena to catch up, worry laden in her new friend's gaze.

Slowly, Serena went down the hall. Torn and burnt tapestries of once former glorious depictions of dragons and feats of strength still draped down. The path was uneven, a few stubs of broken flooring poking into her feet. Inside a room, past the wooden gate of artistic, gilded engravings of dragons, a beautiful woman waited, her silver hair pairing with her emerald eyes, a person she knew well from Oscar's stories, his former flame, the princess of the Brilliant Drake Empire, Celestina. The princess's regal gaze, carrying a draconic gleam, pierced into hers.

"Princess, this is–" Gavir said.

"Avril. I have heard much about you." Celestina interrupted and approached. She stood an inch or two taller, yet Avril could swear she was far taller. That sharp demeanor and royal presence towered over her. Suddenly, all that withdrew, and Avril found herself in the princess's embrace, confused at why she had received a warm hug. Celestina said to her ear, "Thank you for helping him. Thank you for letting him go to help us. But, I'm sorry." The princess gnashed her teeth, and a warm liquid dripped on Avril's shoulder. Celestina was crying. "I'm sorry for being unable to help him. He should have been waiting for you, but we all failed him!"

"W-wait! She doesn't understand and shakes her." Avril grasped Celestina's shoulder, her voice trembling. Something was very wrong. He was alive, but why did everyone act as if he was dead? "What happened to Oscar? What happened to my husband?!"

"He…he's…." Celestina winced.

"What?!" Avril nearly lost it. Everyone had the answer, but none wished to give her the answer. "What happened to him?!" Her chilling voice came forth, lending a certain direness and hostility to her tone. She didn't want to, but it just came out.

"He's-" Celestina nodded, closed her eyes, and spoke further.

"What is this racket? Here, I came on Gilbert's wishes to give you this." Someone intruded into the room and tossed a scroll on the table, clearly unwilling by her deep frown. Avril snapped at the rude person, who interrupted Celestina's answer. Unable to control herself, she stomped toward the entrance, raised her hand, and slapped the woman in the face. Her icy glare grew dense at the aggrieved woman, and she slapped her again.

"Shut up. Learn some manners. She was about to hear what happened to her husband." Avril found the woman very annoying, an inexplicable tick nagging in her head. Clenching her fist, she punched the bewildered woman in the face, flinging her outside the room. "Stay outside and wait your turn."

"You!" The red-haired woman yelled, rubbing her nose. "I am Isabella Lockwood! Do you know who you just hit?"

"I don't care."

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