Mage Steel Alice 3

THREE

“That’s a human warship,” Alice spat as she leaned over Daniur’s shoulder to look at the sensor arrays. Humanity had taken many prizes over the long years, but they had commissioned some ships as well from worlds that paid for protection. This was one of them, an assault cruiser. It was mostly engine and guns, meant for fast pursuits and beating down enemy ship’s shields. They couldn’t stand and slug it out with true ships of the line, but they were good for anti-pirate activity. 

“The great thing about humanity is they generally don’t care who pays them. These rogue sects have employed your Knights as a security measure against those who find them…distasteful,” Daniur said as she aimed their shuttle toward the planet. 

“That’s a way home.” The moment the thought came into her mind she remembered the burnt out ships floating above the Lupine moon, destroyed with ease by the being she was hovering over. Alice didn’t think Daniur constituted as an Ulmna anymore, there was something about her that seemed greater than that. Daniur was the most powerful cultivator she’d ever met in person and she had no desire to meet anymore of them if they were at all like her. 

“Relax, you’ll find your people again. I won’t keep you forever,” Daniur said, as if reading her mind. Alice slunk back to her chair and sat on it as the shuttle entered the atmosphere, heading toward the only stable continent on the planet. 

“What’s it going to be like down there?” Alice asked as she settled in, strapping herself down tight as the shuttle shuddered as it entered the atmosphere. 

“Blood, sex, and money,” Daniur said as she adjusted the controls. 

“That explained most nights at a bar for me. What makes these people different from the rest of you cultivators?” 

“They pissed off people, were unscrupulous with their cultivation methodologies, practiced heretical teachings, who knows. Most are just the survivors from the wrong side of a sect fight, but some down here will be the real deal. I can feel several powerful presences already,” Daniur said. 

“Stronger than you?” Alice asked, already dreading the answer.

“No, but as strong as I was before my ascent. Plus you humans down there, when you’re in that armor it's hard to get a feel for your strength. I can handle them, but I’d prefer not to have to,” Daniur said as the ship began to slow. 

“Could she be tired from her little demonstration with the wolves?” Alice decided to keep that question to herself as the ship settled down. Daniur rose in a burst of motion and disappeared in a flash of light. Alice blinked out the spots in her eyes, cursing under her breath as she unlocked her straps to stand up. Daniur returned before she could fully rise, slamming a bundle of clothes into her ribs. 

“Wear this. If anyone asks, you’re a body cultivator that I have taken as a servant.” Alice looked at the bundle, the silk smooth and cool in her fingers as she started to dress, pulling the plain red robes on and belting it on like she’d seen Daniur do before. As she pulled it on a mask fell from the bundle, Alice grabbing it before it had a chance to hit the ground. 

The mask was the same red as the robes, with eight golden eyes across it with cat slit pupils. Fangs had been masterfully carved into the demonic mask and Alice raised an eyebrow at Daniur as she tied her hair back and put the mask on. 

“Can’t have a human running around. Masks are common enough here, people wishing not to be seen or known. Stay next to me, belt on your axes,” Daniur said.

“Will there be fighting?” Alice asked, curious as she grabbed the heavy axes and slid them onto either hip through concealed loops in the robe’s belt. 

“There’s always fighting. Nobody should be dumb enough to challenge us before the tournament though,” Daniur said. They walked to the edge of the ship, Daniur adjusting her own more elaborate storm-gray robes that had wicked forks of blue-white lighting along the voluminous sleeves. She settled her sword before taking a deep breath, releasing it slowly as suddenly more of Daniur’s presence was felt. It wasn’t so open as her aura spilling out, but the shuttle suddenly felt too small. 

Light spilled inside as the ramp lowered and Daniur marched out with her head held high, eyes sweeping imperiously before her as hundreds of gazes landed on them. Alice nearly choked at the sea of aliens, all of them dressed and armed like martial cultivators. Dozens of auras overlapped as bare steel was laid before them as power crackled around the crowd. 

“What business do you have here?”  a deep, melodious voice floated from the crowd. Bodies moved as a channel opened up and a figure strutted out of the crowd, a small trail of attendants behind them. 

Seven feet of scarlet-gold silk robes that hovered millimeters above the ground, a wooden mask that covered and altered their voice, not a limb to be seen. The cultivator seemed to glide forward rather than walk. They had no aura themselves, but the feeling of a presence pressed against her, similar to what Daniur’s did. 

“I thought all were welcome here?” Daniur said, her voice flat and emotionless as she stared at the sea of anger and strength with the aplomb of a storm racing across the world. Alice could feel the disdain in her new mentor, as if Daniur was not only stronger but superior to them, vermin scurrying before her.

“All are, but I know your face. The last time you arrived there was trouble,” the spokesperson said again. In the back of the crowd, there was more bustling as someone started to push their way forward. 

“They wished to trade pointers. It’s not my fault they were too weak to survive,” Daniur said. 

“Elders of three sects died that day to your blade,” the figure said, a hint of heat breaking through. 

“They didn’t deserve their titles,” Daniur said, refusing to budge at all. The crowd parted and a human man walked out the crowd. Alice’s eyes locked onto the short, lean man wearing the three piece suit with a black cravat. 

“Honored guests, I hope this does not come to bloodshed,” the man’s voice whispery, his throat bobbing along a scar that reached his chin. Behind him three armored figures emerged, behemoths of steel armed with heavy rail guns that would turn people to mist if they managed a hit. More weapons jangled on weapon harnesses, laser rifles, ballistic pistols, shotguns, and even a plasma caster on the central ones back. Not including the warhammer, maces, swords, and double headed axes that swung on their belts. 

“I don’t recognize their suits.” Alice bit the inside of her mouth as the three Knights postured behind the smaller man, giving weight to his words. If Alice hadn’t just witnessed what Daniur had done to the Lupine world she’d think that they had an advantage. 

“I came to sponsor a candidate in the tournament,” Daniur said, not flinching from the eight foot juggernauts attempting to stare her down. 

“How do you know there’d be a tournament?” the human speaker asked. Every cultivator gave the man a side eye and dind’t bother with a response.

“Some type of noble then. Anyone who knows anything about cultivators know they love fighting each other.”

“None would allow you to enter a fight, Stormweaver,” the masked cultivator said instantly. 

“Not me. My attendant. She is a low D-Grade body cultivator who has begun to aspect to life. Sturdy, strong, and heals well,” Daniur said. Alice glared at the woman even if she looked over the horde around them and thought about what it’d be like to fight in a tournament. 

“Could have asked me first.” Alice couldn’t help but smile a bit at the thought of fighting these cultivators though. She wouldn’t be able to use her runes, it would just be her skill and strength against theirs. It was a challenge she wouldn’t mind taking at at all. 

“I ask that you contain your lessons to your attendant only. We will have enough funeral pyres without you deciding that a sect or clan needs a lesson,” the figure said, but it was already retreating, auras in the crowd condensing as they all turned to walk away, presenting their backs to Daniur. 

“Oh, that won’t do,” Daniur whispered so quietly that even with her enhanced sense Alice could hardly hear her. Then the world flashed as lightning arced from the ground to the sky, ozone rich in the air as Daniur’s presence expanded outward like a tsunami, crushing through those auras still present. The weight of the world doubled, tripled, and Alice’s knees threatened to fold and send her to the ground. 

The crowd crashed to their knees, heads folding to touch dirt, leaving only the humans standing as Daniur expertly wielded her power around them. The storm cultivator smiled savagely as she started to walk, the shuttle ramp closing behind them. They walked between the crowd of struggling figures, not a single one of them able to force their heads up to look as they passed through their number.

“Was that wise?” Alice asked as they left through the crowd and entered a bustling open air market. Thousands of fearful eyes tracked them, people frozen as Daniur carved a path forward with just the hint of a scowl. 

“No. But I will not be disrespected. Are you ready to fight?” Daniur said. 

“Always,” Alice said.

“Good. They will try to kill you in the arena to make up for the humiliation I have given them. You are to keep your identity secret, no runes at all. The body cultivation lie will keep people from wondering how you heal so fast after the matches. Lose a limb though and you’ll continue without it. You have grown far to accustomed to sacrificing a limb and it is a crutch in your fighting style,” Daniur groused. Alice hummed agreement and let her eyes sweep over the massive crowds, stalls, and the most mixed group of aliens she’d ever seen. 

“This isn’t so bad,” Alice said to herself, her fingers beginning to beat a pattern on the double axe blades.