Chapter 1021: Vibe Check
[Alright, I’ve seen enough. You’re good,] Tortallion suddenly declared while powering down.
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Caught off guard by Tortallion’s sudden display of pacifism, Zhen Xun Tian couldn’t help but follow suit. This sudden drop in aggression was followed by profound feelings of disappointment, that affected not just Zhen Xun Tian, but everyone watching as well.
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While the Zhen Clan warriors were happy about not being caught up in any overtly deadly displays of power, and probably getting injured as a result, they wanted to see who would’ve actually won between the two(?) Aether Emperors.
However, amongst these warriors filled with disappointment, there was precisely one warrior who had an entirely different emotion in control: curiosity.
On the deck of the [Storm Queen’s Galleon], while the “puppets” were returning to their original work and untying the two branch clan scions from the mast, Zhen Liu continued to stare at Tortallion with a strange look on his face.
A look that people only develop when they learn something or in the process of learning something…heavy.
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‘Huh…Logos, Pathos. Just to double check something, if I infuse my vision with [Chaos], can I see how someone’s internal aether and systems work? Like how healers do?’
=To an extent, yes.=
‘Not exactly, no. I want to take a look at Tortallion’s workings.’
<=You...you do realize that since kaijin are made of [Chaos], they don't exactly have-=>
‘Y’all don’t have normal organs inside like most other mortal creatures, I know that,’ Zhen Liu interjected. ‘What I also know is that y’all got physical cores inside that more or less count as a brain, a heart and a soul all at once. So if anything, I’m just checking if that part of him is still…ya know…intact.’
‘Besides, I can’t use my normal methods in checking on the kaijin due to him being unconnected. So I gotta be a bit more…creative.’
=In that case, milord, allow us to quickly teach you a better way to use your eyes.=
‘Dammit…’
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<[Like I said, you're good]> Tortallion repeated, this time in a mix of [Chaos] speech and Tide Tongue. <[You and your crews are free to enter the city now.]>
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Zhen Xun Tian was very much used to being the one to subject others to her whims and sudden bouts of rash decision making, so the fact that it was happening to her instead was…off-putting. Luckily for her, Tortallion was willing to explain himself.
<[Since you seem to know what I really am, I'm not gonna mince any words and get to the point. That ink on your back belonged to a very old friend of mine, and I wanted to see if you stole it or if he gifted it. The fact that you're able to use it with such ease and that he is stil teaching you tricks on how to use his stuff tells me everything I need to know.]>
At that last statement, Zhen Xun Tian couldn’t help but to look over her shoulder towards her back tattoo.
<[It's been a long time since we fought, so I guess this is his way of telling me that it's time to bury the hatchets.]>
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<[You'd be surprised.]>
The turtle-like kaijin and the Zhen Clan matriarch exchanged a few more words, some pleasantries and some rules about entering the city before going their separate ways. The former made his way to the front gate while the latter touched down on the back of the [Luminescent Ark Serpent].
Once she had landed, Zhen Xun Tian was immediately questioned by her son on what had just occurred. She actually would’ve been swarmed by all soldiers at this time, but they had determined it was easier for just one of them to ask. Especially when that “one” was her son.
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At this painfully obvious question, Zhen Xun Tian shot her son a flat look.
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Mother and son continued to discuss about the exchange, until they finally got to the important part: Entering Undertow.
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At this exact moment, the spines of Zhen Hai and Zhen Feng shivered.
“Why do I feel like we’ve been dragged into something we’re not qualified for?,” Zhen Feng asked Zhen Hai.
“Because that’s been our life for the past few months?”
“Yeah…think we’ll be able to wrap up whatever this is to help back home?”
“Hope so.”
Incidently, they weren’t the only ones hoping for the next few days to be peaceful.
____________Meanwhile…________________
The area behind the gates to Undertow was lot bigger than most outsiders could anticipate.
Any city-state worth their salt not only needed an urban center to house most of the populace, but a rich rural territory where smaller villages and farms could develop.
And it was in this rural territory, that the humble shack of Tortallion, the Guardian of Undertow, resided.
As a kaijin, Tortallion technically didn’t need anything such as shelter or food, but the people of Undertow insisted that he had at least had somewhere to sleep or…whatever kaijin did when they weren’t awake.
Therefore, the turtle-like kaijin settled for a small shack at every edge of Undertow’s city limits.
It was quaint, it was warm and-
“Messy, messy, messy! How can someone over three hundred years old be this messy?!”
-and it was also the site for a massive cleaning frenzy…for the time being.
“Yesterday, it was fine. But now it’s covered in…is this jelly? When did he get jelly? Why is it on the ceiling?!”
At this moment in time, a woman with long black hair, fin-like ears, swirling tattooed skin and a jaw like a deep-sea eel was cleaning the shack of dust, debris and various other forms of detritus.
“Seriously, father. How is it that you doted on me for all these years and yet insist on living in such…squalor!”
To most people, this woman was known simply as Terra. She was a Bloodliner woman who was one of the few people allowed by the Undertow City Council to go to the surface for supply runs and mercenary work. Under an alias, of course.
“On the plus side, his bed is still clean…mostly.”
To the people of Undertow specifically though, she was known by quite a few titles.
Terra the Storm Witch.
Terra the Abyssal Siren.
Terra the Inheritor of Shockheel.
These titles sounded rather grandiose to be sure, but it was something that the people couldn’t help but attribute to her. After all, it was only right for the direct daughter of a Storm Knight to be given such praise.
“Okay, I just need to throw out what appears to be a piece of cheese covered in mold and then I’m done…by the tides, I really hope this is just cheese.”
But to Tortallion specifically, she was only known by one title: daughter dearest.
“And…done! Now all I have to do is wait for papa to come home and…wait a minute… something’s… different.”
Soon after she tossed out the last piece of garbage, Terra sensed that something was… different in the air.
“Why am I sensing….more than one [Chaos] signature?”
