Ol’ Man Whisper walked up to Samantha in the center of the Coliseum as the cheers from the audience began to quiet. All eyes turned to the High Bronze as he stopped before her and gave her a small nod of acknowledgment. Samantha managed to return the gesture with a bow low enough to be appropriate for their rank gap, despite her quickly declining condition now that the battle high was wearing off.

She wondered what his goal was and why he was approaching her so soon after his family’s loss of face. If she had to guess, she suspected that he was looking to repair his family’s reputation as much as he could before the next fighters came in and the current audience dispersed. Whatever the reason, she couldn’t imagine his intentions were wholly benevolent.

“I applaud your effort, miss Cray.” he praised, “And I thank you.”

“For what?” Samantha asked incredulously before she could think better of it.

He laughed, the airy sound carrying over the area like a fresh spring breeze, “My house is vast and strong, like an old tree. However, it’s inevitable that at some point, for the tree to be in its best condition, some branches need to be pruned. You have done my family a service by cutting off some sprigs that had been allowed to rot and wither on our trunk for far too long. I have always been a firm believer that it’s the responsibility of parents to raise their children up into excellence, and it’s now clear to me that the head of that branch has been remiss in his duties. Now that I’ve been made aware of this problem, rest assured that I will see to solving it personally.”

The man’s words turned ominous towards the end of his speech, but his tone did not vary from that of lighthearted, casual conversation. Despite the dark undertones, Samantha could see many of the audience members nodding along in approval to his declarations. Samantha, meanwhile, was really starting to feel her injuries. She struggled to stay upright and maintain her dignity as she continued to freely bleed from countless wounds.

Seeing her pained expression, Ol’ Man Whisper switched topics. “Ah, but I’m being inconsiderate… Healers!” he commanded, waving a small group over to them. “And bring a chair and table!”

In seconds Samantha was seated comfortably while soothing energies healed her injuries. Expert hands gently worked to reattach her severed fingers as Samantha fought the urge to groan with relief.

“Give her a sublime healing pill as well. The cost will be paid from the coffers of the offending branch of my house.” he ordered the healers.

Some members from the crowd gasped at this show of generosity from Master Braxand. A sublime healing pill could only be crafted by the most experienced alchemists and was the highest quality of medicinal available to be purchased. Consuming one could practically bring a person back from death itself, and in general cost more than the 50 gold she had just won.

A healer ran off to fetch one of the treasured items and brought the pill back in a small, enchanted vial. The glass tube was sealed with a stopper marked with preservation scripts, and was handed to Samantha with both caution and reverence.

Samantha couldn’t help but stare at the pure white pill in her right hand, and wondered if it would be inappropriate to save the item for later. After all, no one had overtly said that she had to take it now, and such a boon could help her on the next floor if she sustained a grievous injury.

She decided to risk the faux pas, as the literal lifesaver was too precious to waste on wounds that were already in the process of being healed. She slipped the item into a pocket as discreetly as she could while Ol’ Man Whisper continued to speak.

“Now then, I’ve already had invitations sent to your family elders for a feast tonight. I believe that a family that has produced such an exceptional warrior ultimately deserves appropriate recognition. We’ve had minor business dealings in the past, but I believe you’ve proven that your house is capable of more.”

Samantha was mentally reeling from this quick turn of events. First she was thanked for getting members of the Braxand family exiled, then she was given free healing and a medicinal treasure, and now her entire family would be talking business deals over a feast in her honor tonight?

Ol’ Man Whisper turned on his heel and started walking towards the exit, “It seems the healers have done quick work–come along. We’ll ride to my estate in my personal carriage. Your other family members in attendance today are welcome to travel with us as well.”

It irked her that he directed her with absolute certainty, as if he fully expected her to follow behind him obediently.

Samantha tested out her reattached fingers by making a fist, then splaying out her fingers wide repeatedly. There was still an angry red ring around the digits where they had initially been severed, and the flesh was sore and tender, but their sensation and responsiveness seemed the same as before. She would finish the final stretch of healing with Flawless Regeneration to ensure there would be no noticeable scarring, but she determined that the quality of the healing that had been performed was excellent overall.

The crowd was beginning to filter out now that the fight was finished and Master Braxand was done speaking. Through this exorbitant show of wealth and goodwill towards her family, she suspected that he had succeeded in his bid of regaining most of his family’s lost reputation with the masses. She couldn’t help but be a little disappointed, though she should’ve expected as much. It wasn’t that shaming one of the Big three had been a major goal of hers in the first place, but she just felt it would’ve been nice if vast fortunes couldn’t circumvent so many negative consequences.

She could already see her parents and Thomas smiling and talking excitedly with one another as they were led out of the Coliseum by neatly dressed servants. She knew that the elders from the main branch of her family would be in similarly high spirits from receiving invitations to this prestigious feast too. The Cray family as a whole had long desired to improve relations with the Braxands, since the Braxands were the primary providers of spirit beast materials utilized in crafting businesses. It was a win for her family no matter how you looked at the situation, and she realized that Ol’ Man Whisper had trapped her as effectively as she had trapped the brothers. She was in no position to decline.

In a last ditch effort to exert some sort of independence in defiance of his plans, she offered, “I am honored by your summons, however… could I not meet you at your estate after cleaning up some?” She gestured to her bloody, dirty, and generally disheveled appearance to emphasize the point.

He looked back at her briefly before huffing out a dismissive chuckle. Without even pausing his stride he simply replied, “Nonsense. I’ve already sent ahead for a luxurious bath to be set up for you, as well as a new set of armor to replace that tattered laminar.” He left no room for her to argue against or reject his proposal, else she would seem insultingly ungrateful or risk angering him. Samantha felt herself deflate slightly at the way he so easily forced her to march to his tune, but she had no choice but to submit herself to his whims for the moment.

So, she fell into line behind him–as he had expected–and followed.

The carriage was spacious enough to comfortably fit 10 people within it. With only herself, Silas, Ol’ Man Whisper, her parents, Thomas, and two servants to cater to them during the ride inside the carriage box, there was plenty of room to spare.

The entire travel experience screamed ‘opulence’. The incredibly plush seats were upholstered with high quality silks, the windows were enchanted so that they could dim light from the outside or hide the occupants from view, and despite riding over bumpy cobbles the journey was as smooth as churned butter. Not only that, but the Crays were treated to ‘snacks’ that were, in reality, culinary delicacies, as well as an expensive range of teas and alcoholic beverages. Samantha couldn’t tell if all this was yet another show of wealth for the benefit of face, or if this was just how the head of House Braxand normally traveled. Such concerns did not seem to bother her family as they partook of the offered cuisine with enthusiasm, though.

The conversation as they rode was light and easygoing. Ol’ Man Whisper was refined, charming, and engaged with all his guests–even her mortal parents. It was unnerving. He was not behaving as she would expect a cultivator at the height of power to act. Even outright rudeness would’ve been more palatable and put her more at ease than him acting so friendly. It was highly suspicious, but she couldn’t pin down what his plan was.

“We’re here.” he announced as the carriage rolled to a smooth stop. “Miss Cray, my head servant Leanna will take care of you and your family’s needs until the feast begins. If you want anything, simply ask her. I must be off to make some preparations.” Ol’ Man Whisper instructed.

The Crays stood as one and gave the master a low bow as he departed the carriage first, only raising their heads after several seconds had passed. In that short time, he had already vanished from view.

Leanna held the door open for the Crays and led them through the open courtyard towards the main building in the estate. There were no walls that bordered the Braxand’s property, but instead lush hedges and flowering bushes that gave off a refreshing aroma. These plants were neatly trimmed to only reach up to chest height, which made it evident that they were clearly more for decoration than protection. While the tightly packed foliage would be a mild deterrent for a mortal trying to push their way through or jump over, it was no barrier at all for the cultivators who primarily inhabited the city center. By her reasoning, the low cut greenery was practically welcoming pedestrians to gaze into the perfectly manicured gardens and be filled with envy at the sight of several pristine, multi-story mansions.

The walkway leading through the hedges was unguarded, but only a fool would think that the area was unprotected. The sprawling property had Braxand servants interspersed throughout it and all of them–as far as Samantha could tell–were cultivators. Some appeared to be giving tours to other visiting families, some were performing with spirit beasts, and others’ sole purpose seemed to be to carry trays of refreshments for visitors.

The entire area was lush and green with herbs and grasses of all kinds, but rather than looking wild and unkempt it enhanced the natural feeling of the space. The grass nearest the walkways was evenly and neatly trimmed, but the rest of the lawn was left alone for the roaming spirit beasts on the grounds to eat. Everywhere she looked there seemed to be some tamed beast or another grazing or soaking up the sunlight.

To her right was a stage where the performers coordinated a colorful dance with flying birds. The spirit beasts unerringly followed each direction from their partners, twirling and spiraling in a mesmerizing pattern around the cultivators as bright arts were discharged. The perfect harmony achieved by the humans and spirit beasts was a testament to their dedicated training and the trust they had in each other, and Samantha couldn’t help but feel a little inspired by the display. Even with her and Silas’s somewhat atypical ability to mentally communicate, they had not yet reached that level of cooperation.

Directly in front of her, along the primary walking trail, was a man-made pond filled with large aquatic spirit beasts. She could see the glinting shapes of Turtles, Koi, and Eels swimming beneath the surface of the water and under the shadow of the wooden bridge that crossed over it. Beyond the pond were branching pathways that led to one of the many buildings on the property.

To her left was an orchard ripe with fruits. She couldn’t identify all of them from this distance, but she recognized some expensive pears, apples, and cherries as they were harvested by servants and placed into woven baskets. There was a Verdant Stallion foal, some Woodland Does, and a few River Deer contentedly milling through the rows of trees. They frequently stopped and gathered around the field hands in hopes that they would be fed imperfect or damaged goods during the harvest.

She felt Silas’s uncontrollable urge to run over and gorge himself on the delectable treats as she looked over the idyllic scene. In an attempt to avoid potential catastrophe, she scooped him up and held him tightly in her arms despite his protests.

“Everyone else is getting to eat! I want to eat too!” he complained.

“We need to be careful, Silas. Remember, these were the same people who initially wanted to steal you from me.” Samantha warned.

“But we just beat them!” he whined, “I deserve a treat after all that. And look at all the food–it isn’t fair!”

“Is there a problem, miss Cray?” Leanna inquired, slowing her pace as she took in the somewhat comical sight of Samantha struggling to hold back a writhing Jackalope. “Does your spirit beast need something?”

“Ah, well… not exactly.” Samantha said, trying to gloss over Silas’s behavior, “We can continue onwards.”

“I bet the poor thing’s hungry, isn’t he? He worked so hard today!” Martha chimed in, giving Silas a calming scratch beneath his chin.

“Silas is always hungry.” Samantha said flatly, “He has some food in his vest leftover from earlier that he can snack on if he really wants to.”

“Would it not be easier for him to graze the grounds, miss Cray?” Leanna offered.

“I couldn’t possibly let this glutton roam freely in good conscience.” Samantha refused, laughing as she spoke to soften the rejection, “I fear he would eat everything in sight.” She hoped her words would be enough to move past the conversation, but her mother thwarted her efforts.

“Oh, we can watch over him Sam!” Martha unhelpfully suggested, “You’ll probably be in the bath for a long time anyway. Right, Aldon?” Her mother looked up to her father hopefully.

“Yes, that’s fine. We’ll keep him out of trouble for you dear. Take your time.” Aldon agreed.

“Wonderful!” Leanna smiled, then clapped twice. The other servant who had ridden in the carriage with them walked next to Leanna and stood at attention beside her. “Attend to the Cray’s as they explore the property, and bring them to the parlor when they’re ready.”

“Yes, ma’am. If you would kindly follow me?” the man said, gesturing to her family and leading them towards the orchards. Samantha somewhat reluctantly placed Silas on the ground, where he happily hopped off after the servant.

“Remember to stay alert and on guard! I don’t totally trust this family.” Samantha mentally warned Silas again.

“I am always alert and on guard. Otherwise, I would’ve been eaten long ago.” Silas commented with some confusion.

“Fine… just… tell me if anything suspicious is happening? Or if there’s danger?”

“I will.”

Trying not to show her mild frustration, Samantha smiled towards Leanna as a sign of thanks. The woman then returned to the task of leading her across the bridge and into the central, largest manor.

The mansion had 3 floors and countless rooms. The building seemed to be crafted from a rich brown, polished wood with doors made from brass and inlaid with silver images of local fauna. Though the structure had existed for hundreds of years, it still looked freshly constructed without the usual signs of wear and tear. Glowing scripts surrounded the base of the walls and each window, though Samantha didn’t know exactly what their purpose was.

Just as she was taking in the lavish exterior of the home, the main entry door swung open at their approach and she was distracted by the nearly excessive decadence of the interior. From the hardwood floors laid out in complex patterns, to the silk curtains and the handcrafted furniture, to the exquisite artworks (both carved and painted) and the lofty ceilings where grandiose chandeliers lit the rooms… the only appropriate word was magnificent. Luxury oozed out of every room as she was led through a maze of hallways until she finally reached the bathing room.

The square “bath” nearly took up the entire room with only a walkable border of around 5 feet along the edges of the water and a small area set aside for changing. The changing area had a privacy screen, a chair and table with a vanity mirror, and a shelf set into the wall with a variety of towels and soaps. Resting on the tabletop was a folded set of combat robes that appeared nearly identical to what Eileen was wearing during their fight earlier.

A spirit pearl was set into a pedestal near a set of steps leading down into the bath. Subtly glowing lines ran down the sides of the pedestal and snaked around down into the bath basin, which suggested to Samantha that the pearl was powering scripts to heat and/or clean the water. A pleasant fragrance coming from the steaming pool, combined with delicate flower petals floating on the surface, suggested that the bath was lightly perfumed as well.

“Shall I help you undress, miss Cray?” Leanna asked.

“That won’t be necessary.” Samantha quickly said, embarrassed by the thought of a stranger seeing her in the nude.

“As you wish. Can I offer you any food or drink? I recommend fruit juice freshly squeezed from our orchards, as it has qi restorative properties.” Leanna proposed.

“That sounds lovely, thank you.” Samantha accepted.

Leanna gently tugged twice on a red cord near the door that caused a bell to chime. In less than a minute a male servant arrived with a tray holding a pitcher of golden juice, a glass, and a small tub of ice. Leanna took the tray from him and set it down on the table in the changing area next to the robes, and he promptly departed.

“If you want anything else, you may pull this once and I will return to attend to you.” she instructed, pointing to the red cord she had used not long ago. “Enjoy your bath, miss Cray. I won’t be far.”

Samantha waited for a few seconds after Leanna had closed the door behind her, then let out a deep sigh when she felt she was truly left alone.

She had not quite been able to get her bearings after the fight had ended–the quick turn of events leaving her feeling continuously on edge and off-balance. Now that she finally had a moment to herself to take a breath and reflect, she could go over some of the notifications she had suppressed during the battle and plan her next move.

Samantha undressed at a leisurely pace, making sure to pour herself a glass of the delicious juice and take the occasional sip. She was pleasantly surprised at the sweetness of the beverage, and the promised +1 qi point/hour regeneration it would give her over the next two hours.

After peeling the last piece of blood-slick laminar off of her body and setting it into a pile on the floor, she grabbed the closest bar of soap from the nearby shelf and lowered herself into the blissfully hot waters of the bath. She watched in fascination as the water itself visibly pulled away the thickest layers of blood and dirt from her skin and carried the grime on an unseen current to a nearby drain port–no scrubbing on her part required. The enchanted bath didn’t clean everything perfectly, but it certainly saved her a lot of trouble and left a refreshing mint-like tingle behind. Not wanting to risk getting too comfortable in the heavenly warmth, she got to work helping the cleaning process along while reading through notifications she had missed or suppressed while in the heat of battle.

Most were damage notifications, but there were a couple stand-outs that made her smile.

*Ding* Congratulations, you’ve strengthened your spirit bond with Silas!

For a prey animal, their ability to survive in the wild is only equal to their instinctual fears. You have proved this is not the case for your companion, so long as he is by your side. You have convinced your bond to face off against a natural predator and confront his primal terror. Not only that, but you have taken one step further along the path of true teamwork–trusting in him as much as you have convinced him to trust in you.

+1 Bond Ability Point awarded!

*Ding* Your efforts to improve yourself have borne fruit! Training to master your body in combination with pushing your body beyond its limits in the crucible of combat has granted +1 to Strength.

With these changes, Samantha now had two Bond ability points in reserve and her Strength had gone up from six to seven. She sensed that the fight had brought her other stats close to advancing as well, and just a bit more training or one more battle would push them past the threshold if she worked hard.

To refresh her memory on what bond abilities she could choose from, she pulled up that section of her profile.

Bond Ability Points: 2 remaining

Swift (Rank 2 – 2 Points) - For every 1 qi point spent per second, you will gain +2 agility. After skill ends, effects will persist for 5 seconds, losing 1/5th of total value each second until original agility level reached. Herb Hunter (1 Point) – Like the Lunar Hare, you have an uncanny ability for finding the best quality herbs around. Translucence (1 Point) – For every 1 qi point spent, you will become partially transparent for 30 seconds. Remaining motionless while translucent will make you exceedingly difficult to spot. As One [Special] (Rank 3 – Cost 3 Points) – ????? Unavailable. Requirements not met.

Looking at her options, she was glad she hadn’t spent all of her bond ability points before. It gave her more flexibility. She was tempted to purchase the next rank of Swift right away since it was a staple ability for her combat style thus far and it would become more efficient to use. However, she hesitated at finalizing the decision.

With her ascension drawing ever closer, she might need Herb Hunter or Translucence. She had no idea what kind of environment awaited her on the second floor, so in her mind having more options was always better. As for the third rank of As One, she had no clue what requirement needed to be fulfilled for her to be able to buy it–not that she could afford it at the moment anyway.

Samantha closed the window without spending any points and laid back for a minute, allowing herself to float on her back in the water while she thought.

Whether by coincidence or by design, the Braxands had quickly managed to isolate her from her family and made her an easier target. With her recent public victory, combined with the knowledge she had about Lord Braxand acting as Ol’ Man Whisper in the slums, she was concerned that she would be viewed as a threat that needed to be dealt with. Granted, she didn’t know much about Ol’ Man Whisper’s dealings, but she knew enough to potentially endanger herself.

For whatever reason, Lord Braxand hid his identity and hired out gang members to harass Harold Greene, the alchemist. The alchemist had mentioned that he had been working on a concoction to help the City Lord break out of his 70 year stagnation at Peak Bronze and into Silver–a first for Yivesh and possibly the whole floor. Putting two and two together, Ol’ Man Whisper wanted to prevent the City Lord’s advancement–though for what reason she wasn’t exactly sure. What she was sure about was that if the City Lord found out about this plot, it would not go well for the Braxands.

She didn’t lie to herself and pretend that him bringing all of her loved ones to this estate was anything other than a veiled threat. Despite the public backlash he would receive if he decided to ruin her family or silence her permanently, his house would weather the storm given enough time or money thrown at the issue. She would need to come to some agreement with Lord Braxand if she wanted things to go smoothly, both tonight and after she left the floor. She was certain that an opportunity would arise to speak in private with the master of the house, whether she wanted to or not.

Samantha thought back to Aiden’s poor father and regret clenched in her gut. She had promised to do what she could to find Ol’ Man Whisper (and by implication, bring him to justice), but everything was too high stakes now. She had found her quarry, but could never risk telling a soul who he was lest he wipe her and whoever she told from existence. She could never help to resolve Jacob’s grief.

The only ray of hope in this situation was that Lord Braxand hadn’t killed her yet. In fact, he was on his best behavior and showering her with favor. If she was being pessimistic, this was all for show and he would find an excuse to tell some tale that she insulted him after his generosity and he ‘accidentally’ struck her down. He would then pay a hefty blood price and cut some secret deal with the City Lord to circumvent any laws that may exile him for his behavior.

This didn’t seem likely though.

It was more likely that he was showing her how useful of an ally he could be, provided that she played along with him. She needed to join the game cautiously, assure him she was not a threat, and do whatever it took to gain her family security and prosperity before she left. As much as it left a bad taste in her mouth to do his bidding, he was too powerful to deny.