Hector used a cable to lift a core free of the goop that until recently was a human brain. His heart was still thundering in his chest from the surprise he'd received when that door opened unexpectedly. He'd had no hint that someone was inside the manor. He would need to prioritize training his senses. Fortunately his reaction had been to attack rather than freeze.

He crept into the building and began a search. When he saw a tumbler half-full of whiskey in the parlor, Hector dropped the core into it and swished vigorously. The core that emerged had far less gunk on it, so he felt comfortable placing it into the pocket of his uniform.

The continuation of his search did not reveal anything. It would be ridiculous for him to expect anything else, given an enemy occupied her house. Hector's hands curled into fists. His presence at the auction caused this to happen. He should have just asked Zara to bring him something back instead of accepting her invitation to join in person.

There was no way for him to predict that Platinum would see him there, of course. That fact didn't assuage his guilt, though. What happened to Zara? And her staff? His stomach was doing flips as he thought through the dark things that were possible. Had they all been murdered? He might not have interacted much with the servants, but they were people with lives just as valuable to them as Hector's was to him.

And what about Dorian? The man might have been a terrible bully to Volithur and an accomplice in Hector's tournament experience, but the two of them had socialized a couple of times. The guy wasn't a complete asshole. He seemed nice enough to his friends. Which… damn it… Hector realized the two of them probably were friends.

Hector massaged his temples. There was a good chance that someone knew exactly where Zara was. Going to find that individual would be very stupid, though. "And I don't want to be stupid." He spoke the words with more conviction than he actually felt.

There was unguarded food in the pantry. He could raid it and the bar. That would be plenty of resources for his Xian soldiers back on Aes. The whole reason he'd come here….

Hector took a calming breath and opened his eyes. He bore partial responsibility for this mess. Just walking away wasn't an option. Raiding the pantry before walking away would be even worse. The moral imperative in this situation was obvious. He had to visit the first household of Thrakkar Shaocheth.

"You're an idiot, Hector. This virtue obsession that other people like to make fun of is going to get you killed one of these days. Quite possibly today." He took a few more moments to vent his frustrations before exiting the house and taking to the sky.

He had a vague idea of the path between the first household and the Lord Platinum's estate. Volithur hadn't paid much attention while being escorted the distance, but he'd noticed enough. Hector got as much altitude as possible to find familiar landmarks.

He noticed Platinum's black tower, then a fork on a road next to a river crossing. From there, it didn't take him long to identify where he needed to go. Hector shot forward with a disregard for sane caution. If he planned to barge into the house of the Lord General, why worry that some random cultivator on his route might take exception to him flying overhead?

No one confronted him before he reached his destination. That was a small miracle on its own. The understanding on Tian was that land ownership included the sky above. Hector detoured slightly before arriving at the estate that was his destination.

This short side trip proved far more powerful than the disappointing visit to the fifth household. Hector paused outside the small house he remembered living with Khana. Someone else called it home now, but not much had changed. He felt a wave of nostalgia so powerful he almost lost his balance. It wasn't his life, he reminded himself. He wasn't the one who struggled learning to cook using a wood-burning stove beside a wife who couldn't keep her hands off of him. He didn't cuddle with a newborn Darius in there.

Hector forced his feet to carry him away from the source of his bitter yearning. Next he'd be thinking of all the things Volithur should have done different. How the disaster could have been prevented. Pointless thoughts. It had all happened to someone else and none of it could be changed. The harsh Xian society had force-fed Volithur hate until he was too emotionally corrupted to walk away from a losing game.

All Hector could do was take those lessons to heart and be better.

His feet next took him past the warehouse where Volithur started most of his supply runs as a porter. He'd trained under Master Zara there, seeing her as a stern but fair mentor figure. Somehow while receiving those memories Hector had missed the fact that Zara was a fine-looking woman. A woman with modest age lines had been almost invisible to the young Volithur.

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The next stop was the gate at the outer wall. Hector stopped short of strutting past the guard on duty. The level six man looked nervous about that possibility. "I'm here to see the Lord General," he said.

The guard's concern grew more pronounced. "Is the Lord General expecting you?"

"No."

"Then you must leave."

Hector took a step closer. "Tell Thrakkar that Hector Thoreaux is here to talk about Zara."

After a tense moment, the guard bobbed his head. "I will pass word. Remain outside."

He almost followed the guard in before reining in his impatience. Antagonizing a guard weaker than him wasn't who he was. Just because he could get away with something didn't make it right. He would be the kind of man his father would respect. One his mother would recognize.

The guard returned within minutes to let Hector know the message had been passed. To combat his desire for action, Hector cultivated. The watching guard's eyes bugged out as he witnessed uncontaminated energy filling Hector from seemingly nowhere.

Twenty minutes later, a level nine man approached. Hector recognized him as Perry, a member of the Lord General's retinue since the days of Volithur. "Well met, Hector. You're here to speak to the Lord General about Lord Zara?"

"I am."

Perry gestured him forward. "Let's go, then. I would warn you not to antagonize the Lord General this time, but I don't know that my words would do any good." The man led Hector into a side door, through a maze of corridors, and then into a room partitioned with ceiling-to-floor curtains.

"Sit," Perry commanded as he kicked one chair towards Hector. He took another. Hector lowered himself while studying their surroundings. Volithur had spent some time in here while filling his energy reserves before the fateful battle on the world that would one day be known as Union Central. It was used by members of the retinue when they wanted the illusion of privacy.

"Are you going to pump me for information before letting me see the Lord General?"

"You're waiting on the Lord General's summons. Why not talk?"

Hector narrowed his eyes. "Do you know where Zara is?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because enemies occupied her home."

Perry gave a good impression of a surprised person. "Enemies?"

"Don't play coy, Perry."

The other man shook his head ruefully. "I don't understand what kind of strange society formed your character, but you do realize I'm more powerful than you? Then again, you don't restrain your mouth around Lords, either. Still, Hector, you should be careful." Perry pointed at Hector. "Level seven." Then he tapped his own chest. "Level nine."

Hector fished the core of Percival out of his pocket and held it up for Perry to see. "I ran into this guy at Zara's estate. He was level eight. I guess I didn't know I was supposed to lose that fight. My mistake."

A deep chuckle came from beyond the curtain partition running down the center of the room. Following that came a flood of power as a veil was removed. Hector turned to face the curtain and bowed. "Well met, Lord General."

The curtain lifted on a thick cable and Thrakkar Shaocheth strode through with a grin on his face. "Forgive my spy craft. It's a habit I picked up at the Coalition Army. The Jinn and Arahants are constantly playing at their intrigues. Something to pass the time."

Without asking, the Lord General plucked the core from Hector's fingers. "Platinum's porter, I assume? He was a hollow spear for sure. Still, you successfully fought up a level. Was it a challenge?"

"It was over fast. I don't think he had any experience fighting for his life."

The Lord General held out the core. "You are more impressive every time we meet, Hector. I attempted to mentor Ha… your predecessor, but he never heeded my advice. I have seldom known someone who was more of a hollow spear. Platinum's porter would have defeated your predecessor without any trouble."

"Volithur was undeniably an idiot." Insulting the man who betrayed him seemed like a good way to get into the Lord General's good graces. "You can keep the core in exchange for letting me know where Zara is."

The Lord General placed the core into Hector's hand. "My offer is different. Serve under me for one tour with the Coalition Army and I will bring you to Zara." The request, if request it was, was made in a firm tone.

Hector presented the first objection to come to mind. "I'm currently an officer of the Aes Reconquest."

The spark of interest in the Lord General's eyes grew brighter. "Then you will be at home in the Coalition Army."

"The Stronghold I serve is on the verge of being overrun. I can't abandon them."

Thrakkar Shaocheth laughed. "Everything frightens the weaklings of the Reconquest. Join me instead. I wish to see you in action before I grant your request. Zara's tastes have historically been a disappointment to me."

Hector swallowed past the dryness in his throat. "I have responsibilities as a leader."

The Lord General paused, considering. "Concern for the Reconquest is your only objection?"

"Yes, Lord General."

A cunning smile broke free like the sun through the clouds. Hector understood in the moment of its appearance that he'd been outmaneuvered. The Lord General turned to Perry. "Rouse the army for a training exercise. We're going to spend a few days on Aes."

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