Linda shook in Bronson's arms. His brothers were guarding a thick metal door that was barred shut in multiple points with steel beams.

"Where are we?" Linda whispered.

The one known as Mender spoke up. "A bunker from the old days. A place that humanity hid from the Forsaken during the early construction of the city."

"That's right," Bronson said. "We have food and water, even though we shouldn't be here long."

"What's going on up there?" Jamie asked. "I felt the ground shaking."

Linda turned to Bronson for answers. His hard-set eyes didn't give anything away as he watched the door.

"It won't be long now," he said.

"What won't be?" Linda questioned, "why won't you tell us?"

Mender stood and walked to the back of the room. "Amber is likely killing someone. If she put us in here, then we were in danger, and she didn't want James destroying the city."

"I agree," Jamie said, "with him off fighting the giant, we were sitting ducks for revenge or to be made an example of."

Shivering, Linda tried to understand why she was brought with. How was she included in the group? Why was Bronson and the Elson brothers part of this?

Bronson seemed to sense her thoughts. "Amber likely didn't want to take the risk of leaving us out. You were the one to teach him tanning and worked his dragon hide."

"Who's after us?" Linda asked.

"Cultivators," Mender stated. "These politics are the reason I want to leave."

Jamie got up and walked over to the shelves of food. "Anyone want some chips? I could go for a beer."

"Don't have any beer," Bronson said with a chuckle.

"Damn."

Linda was getting frustrated. "Why are you all so casual about this?"

Mender hummed. "Why wouldn't we be? Cultivators are always trying to kill one another to get more resources and special treatment."

"That's not normal!" she snapped.

"Actually, it is," Jamie stated. "That's another reason we are following James. I'd rather face the Forsaken than deal with the sects. I'll miss my master and friends, but I know James will take care of me."

"Can he really help us cultivate?" Bronson asked.

"Yes," Mender answered. "I've seen him do it to Luna. She used to have a solid core. Now she has something else. It's hard to explain what it is though. You would have to ask them."

Closing her eyes, Linda tried to calm her mind as the battles above ground continued.

James watched the giant finish splitting open as two arms grasped the torn flesh and pulled itself free. A black skinned head was next to be revealed. Slit eyes and nose were revealed as the mostly human Forsaken revealed itself. Pulling out its legs last, James watched with wide eyes as the monster's soul flared to life, drowning out everything nearby.

The monster yawned before turning to him. "So. You're the one that defeated me."

Luna stepped closer to James.

Frowning, James summoned his sword again. "What are you?"

Wiping off the gore from its arms and face, the humanlike Forsaken, jumped down from the giant's body. "According to your kind, I'm just another monster. A Forsaken as you call us."

Stepping up to the monster, James kept his sword ready. "You were controlling the giant."

Glancing back at the body, the monster nodded. "It was a good vessel, but alas, it was not enough." Cocking its head, it looked James up and down. "You are stronger than anyone here. Your soul is active, like mine."

"Yours is stronger," James stated. "You could easily kill us."

Nodding, the monster crossed its arms. "I could. Yet you intrigue me. Why does a surface dweller have an active soul? Why does the funny animal behind you have an active soul as well?"

Glancing back at Luna, James said, "I activated hers."

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Raising its imaginary brow, the monster hummed. "To think, a human has the ability to activate a soul. How strong are you going to become?"

"I want to be stronger than you," James stated. "Mostly, I want answers."

Turning, the monster started walking away. "Join me for a moment."

James glanced at the elders and found them frozen in fear. Luna wasn't fairing much better as he started walking with the monster.

"What sort of questions do you have, human?"

James pursed his lips for a moment. "Why did your kind assault the surface world?"

Tapping its chin with a clawed finger, the monster didn't answer right away. When it did, James didn't know what to say.

"What do you know about you humans breaching our world?"

Frowning, James shook his head. "Nothing. What do you mean we breached your world?"

"History has been lost to you." Nodding its head, it kept walking, avoiding trees and rubble. "That can't be your only question."

"The rents," James stated.

"Made by you humans. The question you have to ask yourself, is why they were needed in the first place."

Dismissing his sword, James crossed his arms. "How much of our world is a lie?"

"Most of it."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" James questioned.

Pausing, the monster turned to look at Luna before they made it too far into the forest. "She is a Forsaken as you call us. Yet you love her."

"She can't be a Forsaken," James said. "She doesn't have the black skin of your people."

"We don't normally have black skin." Shrugging, the monster started walking again. "You're in love with my kind and I bet you have more friends like her. I even know you fed that panther the other day. He's waiting for you."

"He? I didn't know you had genders."

Chuckling, the monster nodded. "We do. Your lover obviously has a gender, why would I be different? Why would the animals be different?"

Rubbing his temples, James found himself in a clearing. "None of this makes sense. The humans invited you to our world?"

"No." Shaking its head, the monster took a seat on a boulder. "They simply made their way into our world and started killing us. We fought back."

"Why would we do that?" James murmured.

"That's the question you will have to find the answer for yourself. Both of our worlds are dying. Will you be the one to stop it?"

Leaning against a tree, James let his mind wander to the wastelands. "Your world is eroding as well?"

"It is." Closing its slitted eyes, the monster nodded. "Alas, I don't know why."

"It would seem that it is time for me to venture back into the destroyed cities," James said. "Are you going to kill me before then?"

"No." Opening its eyes, the monster stood and turned his back to James. "I'm going to search for my own answers now that I'm not bound to that vessel. I believe the answer lies at the site of the first crossing. If I can find it."

"I'm going to kill more Forsaken," James stated. "That won't bother you?"

Shaking its head, it started walking away. "The mutated monsters are a threat to my kind as well. Slaughter them if you can."

James watched the monster walk away, disappearing into the forest. Rubbing his chin, he let his thoughts race by.

The world is more fucked than I thought. What did my ancestors do that is causing our world to rot? Why did that Forsaken let me live? I need answers to this world.

Luna wrapped her arms around him a second later, breaking his thoughts. "You're safe!"

James nodded. "I am…"

"Did you kill it?" she asked while scanning the clearing.

"No," he admitted. "It let me go."

"You don't sound happy," Luna said softly.

"We have a lot to discuss," he said. "Let's head back to the city and gather the others. We need to leave."

"What about the Running River Sect?"

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the city. "Let's gather our friends first."

Nodding, she took his hand. Together they walked back to the elders and found them looking over the broken wall.

"It'll be repaired easily," Bo stated.

"Will the farms be safe?" Jing asked.

"They'll be fine," Bo said. "I have enough strength to mend the walls."

James approached them but before he could say anything, an explosion in the city shook the ground. Everyone turned towards the smoke and dust billowing into the air in the distance.

"What the hell?" James muttered.

"Finally," Jing said.

Tim and Bo turned to him. "Finally?" Tim asked.

"I didn't think they were ever going to act." Jing shrugged and spears thrust through the ground, impaling Bo and Tim. The cultivators were lifted into the air as their blood trickled down the stone.

"What are you doing?" Luna demanded.

"Taking over," Jing said.

James summoned his sword and slashed, barely reacting as the ground rose up around them. A bear trap of razor-sharp spikes threatened to clamp down on both him and Luna when she grabbed him and jumped back. His sword had carved through the front opening, ensuring they would have lived.

"Damn," Jing said with a sigh. "You should just die."

Bristling with rage, James raised his hand and Siphoned the cultivator. The silver energy of his soul prevented the absorption he was expecting.

"Tingly," Jing commented. "I guess the real fight begins."

Amber hid in the shadows of a collapsed building as the dirt and dust settled around her. The earth cultivators had blown up a building, looking for her. The three core cultivators had come back with another twelve of the same rank. Although they weren't the same. Their robes were blue and their steps softer as they seemed to flow across the ground.

Water cultivators. This is going to be harder than I thought.

Fingering one of her remaining orbs, she slipped out of the building and listened to the cultivators all around her.

"Kill everyone you see."

"Aren't you concerned about a riot?"

"They are only demi-humans. What can they possibly do to us?"

The three voices were the most commanding as Amber focused on them. One of them was a water cultivator, questioning their actions.

Ears flickering, Amber calmed her tail as she slipped through the shadows. Through the alley, she found two of the water cultivators side by side, scanning the buildings. They wouldn't find anyone, as her people had taken shelter under the city.

Pressing the button on her orb, she rolled it across the ground after four seconds. The two cultivators had a moment to look down in surprise before it exploded, shredding their bodies and destroying their cores.

Chaos erupted around her as all of the cultivators rushed to her position. Summoning a ring, she slipped it on and faded from the world. Her body sank into the brick wall, becoming one with the building as cultivators gathered.

"What happened?" a man demanded.

"Another attack? Is there a cultivator out here?"

"No, we checked. The elders are all outside the city. Our leader will have subdued them by now."

Amber frowned, as she counted the time remaining on her ring. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to wait long as the cultivators started splitting up again. It was time to whittle down their numbers.

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