Path of the Berserker-Chapter 7Book 5:

I downed my fourth shot of straight plum wine as Tu’lok slapped me hard across the back, laughing like a mad man. Opposite me was Blue Rose, quickly slamming back shots of her own as she worked her way down the line of glasses before her.

She amazingly got to ten before me and Mal’Kira immediately jumped in her seat and began a new line of shots.

“Hurry up!” Tu’lok screamed in my ear. “Go, go, go!”

I downed my tenth shot and Tu’lok tagged teamed to jump in my place. He began double fisting the rounds to catch up to Mal’kira who was already nearly done.

“And it looks like the girls are ahead,” Hein said in a cheesy fake announcer’s voice. “Will they make it? Or will the boys pull it out of their asses to take the lead? Only one handover left to go!”

Having a drinking competition right before meeting the princess probably wasn’t the smartest idea in the world. But it was our last chance for free booze aboard a luxury space yacht and plus the old bag was footing the bill, so we were going to take full advantage.

The best part was there was no need to transfer to a skiff.

We were already riding down from orbit comfortably.

Tu’lok tagged me back and I began tossing down the small cups of plum wine. Blue Rose was already way ahead of me though. She slammed her last cup down with a resounding yell of victory, throwing both fists into the air. Mal’kira joined her in celebration, lifting Blue Rose onto her massive shoulder.

“Haha, eat shit you two!” Blue Rose roasted us with a laugh.

Tu’lok waved his hand dismissively. “Eh, that was a bullshit win.”

“Yeah,” I said, half drunk. “Plus, you girls have an unfair advantage. You’re used to having things shoved down your throats all the time.”

I cracked a cheesy grin and Tu’lok and Hein let out a hollering laugh.

Blue Rose and Mal’kira immediately began pelting us with the empty glasses.

“You bastards!”

“Come here! I’ll shove something down your damn throat!”

“Catch him, Blue! Catch him and show him how it feels!”

Shattering glass and laughter filled the air as the small bar within the ship’s gally turned into a mini arena. Blue Rose tried to tag me as we ran around the table and then suddenly a loud bang filled the air.

We all froze mid-shenanigans to see Ling Wei standing in front of the galley door she had just slammed. “What in the nine heavens is going on here?”

I instantly smiled. “Oh, Ling Wei! Wanna join? We need another girl for the girl’s team, then Hein can join in.”

“What are you talking about? What are you doing? We land in under fifteen minutes! You have an audience with the princess! Did you forget?”

“Trying to forget is more like it,” I said laughing.

“This is ridiculous!” Ling Wei said flustered. “You are behaving like animals! This is not acceptable! This is not a prison!”

“Take it easy, Ling,” I said, sauntering over to her. “I’ll be fine for the meeting.”

She shook her head. “You had better be. The Princess will have very important matters to discuss with you.”

I sighed.

Honestly the only thing I wanted to do was get home to Fia and my family, to hold my newborn son. But I had to go through this cringy meeting with the princess first. I still had no idea what to even expect from it.

“Fine,” I said. “This is going to be relatively quick though, right? There is a lot I want to do when I get back home.”

“Of course it will be,” Ling Wei said. “I have informed the princess already of such. Your match with the Warden is set for as soon as you return to Jurin Province. We will be landing at the stadium. The match begins at sunset.”

“Wait, what?”

“Is that not why you wish to return home so promptly?” Ling Wei asked. “To seek revenge against the Warden for the loss of your family?”

Shit, not really, I thought. I’d much rather reunite with my family first.

But Ling Wei and the princess didn’t know that.

To them, my family was already dead.

So revenge right away did make sense. Still, I was hoping for at least a couple of days to prepare. But no matter. The rigors of surviving forty plus days on a Hell World had prepared me well enough.

“Yeah sure,” I said. “I want to deal with that right away.”

Ling Wei nodded. “Good. Now please, go clean yourself up.” She then cast a baleful glance over at my drunken companions. “And I would insist your ‘entourage’ remain onboard. I would not wish to risk the ire of the princess to see such a…” She paused for a moment, looking at my companions warily as she tried to find the right word. “Such an un-immaculate crew.”

We all burst into laughs even though she wasn’t making a joke.

“To un-immaculance!” Hein toasted, making up his own new word and everyone cheered.

“To un-immaculance!”

Ling Wei sighed exasperated, but I quickly comforted her with a pat on the back.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll be downstairs, dressed and ready in five.”

* * *

It took more like ten minutes, but by the time I exited the ramp of the space yacht, I was decked out in my full robes, complete with Gold and Jade trim, signifying my new rank as an Imperial Marshal. A fanfare of music played from a small contingent of artisans on the landing pad as an honor guard gave me a salute.

A frail looking, Dharmian man in imperial robes bowed to me as I approached.

“Greetings in the name of the princess, Marshal Iron Bull,” he said. “I am Wui Lang, Chief Administrator and Minister of Commerce. I welcome you to the Imperial Palace of Li Wan Province. Third Princess Lunalah eagerly awaits your audience with her. Right this way.”

I had to admit, with all the pomp and grandeur, the build up to meeting the princess was causing a bit of nerves to float through my stomach. I had met other princesses before, even ones of higher ranking than Lunalah herself. But this was the woman I was one day destined to defy to take back my world, and now I was finally going to meet her face to face.

As we weaved through the interior of the imperial palace, every foot soldier and palace guard braced to attention and saluted me. It was a new feeling to be shown this much respect, but I was digging it. I returned the salutes and bows and even cracked a smile or two, made easier by my now slowly receding buzz.

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As we crossed an elevated walkway, I was given a bird’s eye view of both the expanse of the Imperial Palace and the greater lower city of the province below. Both were impressive, rivaling what I had seen upon the core world of Lu Shui Prime. Towering buildings and flying skiffs. Well-manicured gardens and sprawling fields. For a split second I got the sense of rivalry that had to exist between all the princesses. Cultivators competed at everything and when you were in control of an entire planet, I guess it was no different.

Everyone wanted to look their best in front of their rivals.

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And that included me right now too, I supposed.

Looking my best for the woman I would one day soon depose.

We entered a large antechamber and there in the center, seated on an elevated throne was the princess herself. Surrounding her were six jade urns that hovered with a slight hum of power. I couldn’t sense Qi, but I was sure they had to be producing a crap load of it.

As we got closer, I got a good look at the princess herself.

She was smaller in person than I expected, although to be fair, she had always been jumbotron sized every time I had seen her previously. Either spread across a Qi display screen for one of the propaganda ads or hovering in midair with the giant projection of her Sacred Soul Form.

But now, in the flesh, she looked like a normal woman.

Not that she wasn’t exquisitely beautiful, as all the princesses were, but seeing her true form was like finally looking behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Just a normal cultivator like everyone else.

But she still had power over me.

Power that I would be forced to acquiesce to for now.

A subtle smile spread across Lunalah’s lips as we all prostrated ourselves before her, and to my surprise she actually arose from her throne to stand before us. I had my head down, but I could sense her soul dripping with lemonade, as she stood over me.

“My champion tribute,” she said. “Do rise before me Iron Bull and let me be the first to congratulate you on attaining the most notable rank of Imperial Marshal.”

She was far from the first to congratulate me, but I wasn’t going to try to correct her.

As I stood, I was yet again surprised to see she was rather tall even without her magnifying imagery, with her head reaching the top of my chest. As she stared up at me, an unnerving look filled her eyes. It was like she was looking straight through me.

An insatiable hunger that mirrored the lemonade in her soul.

I was immediately repulsed, but I masked my natural reaction with a strong façade of [Indifference]. I simply bowed to her again.

“My thanks, your majesty.”

“You may call me princess,” she said with a quick grin. “Come let us sit. We have much to discuss. Wui Lang, you may leave us now.”

The old Dharmian guy looked shocked by his quick dismissal, but he didn’t protest and immediately turned and left the antechamber. Thankfully she hadn’t dismissed Ling Wei as well and I carefully placed her between myself and the princess for safety.

We sat on two stools next to the throne and Lunalah instantly let out a short laugh.

“This is so exciting, is it not? The Iron Bull within the Imperial Palace at last.”

I had no idea what the hell she was talking about, but I smiled politely and just nodded.

“It is indeed,” Ling Wei said, covering for me. “Your majesty, we should perhaps start with the details of your impending trial before the High Council. The Iron Bull will need to know exactly what is at stake here.”

“Yes, of course,” Lunalah said. “It will seem perhaps a petty matter to one such as you, Iron Bull, but my elder sister Rheutera seeks to take revenge for you rightfully claiming the full Imperial grant for your service to the empire as a tribute. And before I forget.” She then leaned forward and placed her hand atop mine. “I must thank you deeply for doing that. You’ve saved our treasury.”

I tactfully wiggled my hand from beneath hers and distracted her with a grin. “Not sure I had much to do with it. That was all Jei Su Long’s­ do--.”

“Oh, yes and regarding that family,” she said, cutting me off. “They will no doubt be seeking revenge as well. I would imagine they will beg their princess to send one of their very best against you in our trial.”

I shrugged with [Indifference]. “Let them bring it on. Won’t matter to me who the hell they send.”

Her eyes lit up. “Such an indomitable spirit. I love it.”

An uncomfortable paused lingered as that hungry look entered her eyes again.

“Perhaps now, your majesty, would be a good time to discuss how the Iron Bull shall prepare for the trial?” Ling Wei said, bailing me out once more.

I thanked her with a quick smile.

Ling Wei had said there were important matters to discuss, but this seemed like something else. It reminded me of when Princess Rheutera callously went about inspecting the animals gifted to her by Princess Ul’vera. A chance to gawk at her new prized possessions and show them off to the rest of the world.

In Lunalah’s case that was me.

A native-born Imperial Marshal.

It sickened me a little, but I stomached it for appearances sake.

Now was not the time to start my rebellion.

Ling Wei kept the conversation on track with how I would schedule my time with training, relocating to the capital and making routine check in with her and the princess. Ling Wei I didn’t mind so much. She was actually pretty competent, and I got a kick out of how she tried to maintain professionalism at all times. Even with a bunch of chuns like us

But living in the damn capital with unlimited cringy meetings like this? That would defeat me long before any court case.

“I’ll have to insist on my own training regime,” I said with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “And I train best in my own back yard. No offense, princess.”

Lunalah looked shocked by my decline of her offer. “But we have the best facilities here. The best sparring partners on the planet would be available to you.”

I chuckled. “My sparring partners exist on the Hell Worlds, princess. Ain’t nothing you got here that could challenge me.”

I thought she might get pissed off at that, but it had the opposite effect. Her lemonade kicked into high-gear and I swore I heard her gasp a little.

“Indeed,” she said. “You projected your Sacred Soul across the very stars. There is perhaps nothing on this world that can match you now. You are exquisite.”

Her lemonade intensified.

As did my cringe.

“Then perhaps routine visits to the capital might suffice?” Ling Wei again came to my rescue, inserting herself into the conversation. “A fair compromise I would think, your majesty.”

“Yes,” Lunalah said, eventually breaking her gaze from me. “But it shall be very routine.”

Damn, this is getting awful, I thought.

But becoming her champion would be an opportunity like none other. A chance to literally have the princess’s fate resting in my hands. I could blackmail her. Throw the match and let her suffer the consequences, or even demand she hand the planet over to me directly. I still couldn’t see that far down the road yet, of course, but the possibilities seemed endless.

“Rest assured that I do not take your standing in as my proxy lightly, Iron Bull,” Lunalah said. “To successfully defend me against these false allegations will earn you much honor and reward. I would be indebted to you in the extreme. I have yet to decide how I shall reward you, but trust that it will be one worthy given by the hand of a princess.”

She grinned at me again and simply nodded.

How about giving me my planet back, bitch? I wanted to say. But there were smaller battles to win before that.

“Well, all this will be moot unless I win against the Warden, right? Maybe we should focus on that first.”

Her eyes flashed open as if just remembering the match. “Yes, of course! I have much to discuss with you about that as well. You may leave us now, Ling Wei.”

Ling Wei looked surprised for a moment but then quickly bowed. “I shall be just outside, Marshal Iron Bull.”

I suddenly felt naked and alone as she left.

Lunalah then leaned forward and rested her hand atop mine again. “I first must offer you my sincere condolences on the loss of your betrothed and child,” she said. “I know it must have come as quite a shock to you to learn of their demise.”

Although it wasn’t true, the casual way she brought it up irked me.

“I did not know the Lady Silver Light well, but by all reports she was a fine woman. I know losing her must leave a huge void in your soul.” She rubbed my hand some more. “If there is anything I can do to ease your pain, let me know.”

I eased my hand away. “I’ll be fine. Time heals all wounds.”

She smiled, almost looking relieved. “I pray that it does, but there is something you should know. Something that may perhaps speed your recovery with their loss.”

I raised a brow at that one.

“It is not my place to interfere with your match with the Warden,” she said. “My role is to simply officiate. However, you should know that, while you rightly took your revenge against the three Bird Sister’s already, they were not the one’s responsible for your family’s demise.”

My pulse sped a little. “What do you mean?”

“When the condition of your betrothed was exposed in the ring, it was overheard by one of the stadium staff, the Warden giving instructions directly to her nieces. Instructions to kill both her and the baby.”

The words chilled me.

I suddenly had a flash back to how the Warden callously left my father, mother and sister to die under the Bloodmoon. And now she had come for my present family as well? Deep ire burned within my soul as the root of my Twin Dao kindled.

That damn bitch… I thought. She was gunning for Fia directly?

Fia and my unborn child?

“I know this must come as somewhat of a shock,” Lunalah said, patting my hand again. “But I thought it important for you to know the truth behind the murder of your family. To know who was truly responsible.”

Rage flooded my mind like a bursting damn.

No other thought mattered.

“I leave you to do what must be done,” Lunalah said, finally letting go of my hand. “Drink full your revenge, Marshal Iron Bull. This battle you face is more personal than you know.”

* * *

I left the princess’s antechamber, mind spinning.

When I first touched down, I wanted nothing more than to get back home and leave facing the Warden for another day. But the priorities had reversed completely now. I looked to Ling Wei who was waiting for me just outside as promised.

Her brows furrowed. “Are you alright? You seem upset.”

“I’m more than upset,” I said, the Struggler fighting to keep the Demon at bay. “You were right Ling Wei. I do want to get home immediately to fight the Warden.”

“Oh,” she said surprised. “Well good. If we leave now, you’ll still have a few hours to prepare.”

“I don’t need time to prepare,” I said. “I need to go now…and strike while the fire is raging hot.”