Path of the Berserker
Book 5: Chapter 20

I felt like I deserved a level up in the spiritual fortitude department after enduring my spectral romp with the Princess, but all I got to show for it were some horrible memories and a mental trigger of now, greater than normal revulsion, anytime I smelled rotten fish.

Still, it came with some benefits.

Lunalah basically left me and my companions alone for the rest of the ride. That allowed me time to cut loose with the crew. We bugged the hell out of poor Ling Wei though, cajoling her to join us in our partying and revelry as we celebrated our last moments of all being together.

I still played the part with the princess, tossing her small winks from the lower decks as we kept our physical distance, but the number of damn love-notes she kept leaving me was driving me nuts. I did my best to write back, but I wasn’t the greatest writer in general, much less a poet and scholar like Master Hei Dong, so they basically amounted to little more than one-liners that alluded to wanting to bang her.

I guess it worked though because I was able to cultivate her lemonade the whole damn trip. It was another small bonus to enjoy in between all the drinking and carousing. When everyone else was asleep, I was able to fit in some meditation time to focus on enhancing my inner world while contemplating my true plans once I reached the core worlds.

Lunalah’s family history lesson gave me an indication of what I could be stepping into, when it came to her mother, but I still wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d met with princesses before and to me they were the height of egotism and haughtiness. So what then would it be like to meet an Empress?

I wasn’t sure if it would be worse or possibly the opposite. These women weren’t the spawn of the emperor, after all. They were his wives, and they had to come from royal families outside his own. Granted all high society Yee culture had been pretty jacked up to me thus far, save for Fia’s family. It made me appreciate what great parents she had. Judging by Lunalah though, I probably shouldn’t be expecting to meet a mother of the year candidate.

We finally arrived at the Fringe world of Kul’tar by the end of the second day and landed at the planet’s main sky port. When we disembarked, I finally saw what an Omni Gate actually looked like. I’d heard the name countless times and knew the concept, but I wasn’t expecting to see something so large.

In the area the size of a stadium stood a towering structure, that resembled an elaborate three-arched paifang. The center arch was four-stories tall and topped with an ornate jade-slated roof that spanned at least 50 feet across. On either sides of the main archway were smaller archways that were two stories high and spanned perhaps only twenty feet across each. A glowing, opaque film of light stretched across the spaces between the archways.

It was the same concept as the demonic gates, I assumed.

Although the film on these was blue instead of purple, which gave me some comfort that passing through it would not put me in direct connection with I’xol’ukz again. The purposes of the three different arches became clear as we joined a small queue that awaited entry to the gate.

The smaller archways at the sides were for people it seemed, with the left one for people leaving and the right for people arriving. The central archway was for cargo and that one was omni directional, with various skiffs waiting in line to leave and then pausing as a new vessel would arrive.

I stood back with the princess as Ling Wei handled the administration of booking our transit with the officials. I was curious as to how much it was costing her to send the lot of us, but I dared not ask the question.

The last thing I wanted was to know how indebted I was to the princess.

“Enjoy the experience, Marshal Iron Bull,” Lunalah said. “There is nothing quite like travelling via Omni Gate.”

I nodded, even though travelling through gates was old hat to me now. “I look forward to it.”

“By the time of my trial, our very own Omni Gate should have been completed.” She then smiled at me. “We can both travel home in style after your victory. Something else for you to look forward to.”

“No doubt,” I said.

As Ling Wei returned, she gave a deep bow to the princess. “All arrangements have been made for the Iron Marshal and his entourage, your majesty. They should be ready to depart in half an hour.”

Lunalah smiled. “Just enough time for goodbyes. Leave us, Ling Wei.”

Ling Wei quickly bowed and departed, and the princess moved closer to me.

“I shall look forward to your letters, Iron Bull,” she said and subtly I felt her hand take hold of mine, hidden between the folds of our robes. “They will soothe the ache in my heart until the day we can join together…fully.”

“Uh huh,” I said, trying to distract myself from the way she kept squeezing my hand. “Until that day.”

She finally released me and I gave her a respectful bow.

“Do me proud Iron Bull,” she said. “Conquer whatever is before you. Make yourself a Duke and mine soul shall be thine.”

I cringed at the way she said it, using formal tones as if it were some kind of prophecy. But I suppressed it all with indifference as I kissed her hand and then thankfully made my way towards my entourage.

* * *

Princess Lunalah could not control the hunger in her soul as she watched her beloved depart. The last two days were torturous to say the least. Being so close to him, yet needing to stay so far apart. It was all for appearances sake, but she had to admit, it added more depth and passion to their love affair.

It made the longing of being together all the more sacred.

And desirous.

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As she watched the Iron Bull rejoin his companions, she could not help but feel a pang of jealousy as he laughed and caroused with them. She had not bothered to learn of their names or who they were, but looking more closely now, besides the sullied oaf and the man in soldier’s garbs, all of the Iron Bull’s companions…were women.

Even a beastly sullied woman, she thought with disdain.

But aside from the sullied woman, Lunalah did not like the way the Iron Bull so casually embraced the two scholars he had selected to come with him. Especially the taller one. No, she did not like the way she cast her gaze upon the Iron Bull at all.

“Are you ready to depart, your majesty?”

Lunalah looked down at Ling Wei who was now waiting patiently by her side. She looked back to the Iron Bull and his growing harem of women. Who knew how many more would be attracted to him and even try to join him from within the Lower Courts?

The thought both terrified and infuriated her.

She had to do something to stave them all off.

To protect her claim.

The Iron Bull was hers and hers alone.

“I am ready to depart,” Lunalah said. “But you are not.”

Ling Wei blinked. “Your majesty?”

“You did not purchase yourself a ticket for the Omni Gate, did you? Tell me why have you not?”

Ling Wei again looked back at her dumbfounded.

The foolish girl, she thought.

“You did not presume that I was going to send the Iron Bull on such a journey without a royal retainer, did you? You are to accompany him on this journey, Ling Wei.”

Her eyes grew wide yet again. “Me? But your majesty, I have not prepared for that kind of journey. Who knows how long he will be gone for? And what of my responsibilities at the capita—?”

“Who cares of your measly responsibilities!” Lunalah shouted. “Any fool could do what you do. I need you to do what I tell you to do now, understood? You are to accompany the Iron Bull and report back to me on his activities. Leave no detail out. And especially keep an eye on those scholars. I do not like the looks of them.”

Ling Wei’s mouth hung open, but she didn’t respond.

“Do you understand me, Ling Wei?”

“Y-yes your majesty, but I still feel compelled to advise you that this doesn’t make any sense. The Iron Bull will be gone for months. I can not be away from my duties for so long. I should be at your si—”

Lunalah slapped the last word from out of her mouth.

“Do not dare to speak back to me! You shall do what I say!”

Ling Wei reeled from the slap to the face and immediately fell to the ground in a kowtow. “This One apologizes, your majesty. This One will do as instructed.”

Lunalah scoffed at Ling Wei’s paltry attempt to curry favor with her now. She was just about to berate the insolent girl again when she sensed a sudden presence at her side. She looked to see the Iron Bull suddenly standing there, glaring down at her as if she were some opponent in the ring.

His eyes were narrowed and focused, his brow creased in a scowl.

“What the hell is going on?” he said.

Lunalah was taken aback by his tone. Forceful and demanding. But not in the normally pleasing way. And how dare he question her rebuking of a simple servant like this? And why would he react as such? It was only Ling Wei. But as she studied the anger in his eyes, she quickly realized that she could be risking his disapproval.

Curse his lowly upbringing, she thought. It was perhaps still beyond him to treat servants as they should be treated. He himself was but a servant not long ago, after all. Lunalah thought quickly. The last thing she wanted was to taint their mutual desire over the fumbling tongue of a insolent steward.

“Do not be shocked, Iron Bull,” she said. “I was merely disciplining Ling Wei for insulting your companions.”

Ling Wei let out a gasp, while the Iron Bull raised a brow at her in question.

Lunalah then pointed towards the tall scholar. “She said that woman there looked like a whore for the way she fawns over you. I rebuked her for making such a derogatory remark about the Marshal Iron Bull’s companions, did I not, Ling Wei?”

Ling Wei did not even look up from the ground as she spoke. “Yes, your majesty.”

Lunalah smiled. “See. All is taken care of now. But I will have Ling Wei atone further for her loose words. She will now accompany you, Marshal Iron Bull on your venture to the core worlds and lend whatever assistance necessary for you to carry out your tasks.”

* * *

I eyed the princess with a cold mask of [Indifference] and an even colder resentment as suspicions ran wildly through my mind. I didn’t know Ling Wei verywell, but I knew her well enough to know it was doubtful she had said anything like that.

But just the mental replay of Princess Lunalah striking her sent fresh Frenzy spewing from my Flame. Whatever she had truly done, she didn’t deserve a slap like that. I looked down at Ling Wei, her head still plastered to the ground and realized there was nothing I could do for her right now.

The princess was exerting her power over the both of us.

And while it inflamed every cell within my being, I needed to let it go for now.

I allowed the Struggler to take control as I nodded. “Very well then. I look forward to Ling Wei accompanying me.” I then reached down and lifted Ling Wei to her feet by the elbow. “Let’s go Ling Wei.”

I pushed off with Ling Wei in tow before the princess could say anything else.

As I marched her towards the Omni Gate, I heard a sniffle come from her.

“I-I apologize, Marshal Iron Bull,” she said. “For insulting your companion.”

Fresh anger and resentment brewed within my soul.

“No need to apologize, Ling Wei,” I said. “There’s only one person who has truly been insulted this day.”

I left it at that, not wanting to draw the agonizing moment out for her.

But before this was all over.

I was going to ensure the princess paid for that insult.

In full.

* * *

I pulled Hein into a brotherly hug as our turn to step through the Omni Gate drew near. He would be returning to the Xin Long via a military transport that was due to arrive at the Kul’tar sky port in a couple of days.

That meant I wouldn’t be seeing him for who knew how long now.

“You’ve done well, Max,” he said. “You even pulled off the princess thing.”

I chuckled. “I nearly blew it a couple of times, trust me. Five minutes ago, included.”

I still felt the irritation of what the princess had done and was thankful she had taken off in her space yacht soon after the incident. Hein looked over my shoulder to where Ling Wei was hanging back at the tail end of our entourage.

“You think you can trust that woman? She is the Princesses’ chief aide, right?”

I shrugged. “I know she’ll do what she’s told. Still, I don’t like seeing anyone treated like that. Plus, she’s a good barrister.”

“That’s always handy to have,” Blue Rose said. “Especially heading into the core worlds.”

Hein smiled. “I wish you the best in finding what you need to save your son. And bring back a souvenir from the smithing world for father, wont you? He would love that.”

“Yeah, great idea!”

“Take care of yourself, brother.”

I gave Hein a final embrace and then dressed back as he said his final farewells to Blue Rose. I could tell she looked torn between staying with me or trying to chase after him, but there was no choice really. Hein was still oathbound to return to his post and there was no place for her on a star ship, unless she wanted to sign up as a soldier herself.

“I will try and meet up with you all on my next shore leave,” Hein said. “Stay safe all of you.”

As Hein stood to the side I set my sights on the glowing blue portal just in front of me. The Gate staff did their thing, collecting our tickets and checking our permissions to proceed. It was surreal in a way. Not too long ago, I had to get a handwritten note from Master Edrick just to visit the crafting district back home.

Now here I was, an Imperial Martial with full access to the Lower Courts of the Core Worlds. I gave a smile to my entourage consisting of Blue Rose and Tu’lok, Mal’kira, Xi Xha and Mu Lin and finally the latest addition, Ling Wei. I beckoned her to stand with me as we prepared to depart and she sheepishly stepped forward.

“Are you certain you would not wish one of your more trusted companions to join you at the front?” she said.

I chuckled. “Are you kidding me? You’ve seen these knuckle heads in action. I need someone who is going to keep us out of trouble, not get us into more of it.”

As I smiled at her, her countenance changed, becoming more confident once again.

“I will do my best, Marshal Iron Bull.”

“Good,” I said as I prepared to step through the Omni Gate. “Let’s get to the Core Worlds.”

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