Chapter 625: Moving Along

Chapter 625: Moving Along



As always, outside the Teleportation Hall was a busy affair where people thronged to reach out places swiftly. Though an added convenience, it suffered from its own set of inconveniences, the first of which manifested as always being crowded.

It was easy to get lost in the crowd if one wasn't a Disciplined who could resist the tide of people brushing past. Luckily, this wasn't a problem for Alexandria and her cadre.

Kieran caught sight of her pale lilac hair, which seemed paler than he remembered it being, more so appearing white with a tinge of purple added to give it extra presence.

Trailing behind her was Luka, who was always by her side like a loyal lapdog. Kieran assumed that's precisely what the young man was. Otherwise, what reason was there to stick so close as they approached?

'You'd think they were Siamese twins with that gait.'

As she was upon them, Alexandria greeted everyone with a smile, but Ezra's treatment was more personal, ending in a tight embrace that left Bastion and Nemean frowning.

"Why can't I have a hug like that?" Bastion murmured.

Nemean spared him a sidelong glance, scoffing. "I'm almost certain she isn't in the mood to throw up. So I'm convinced that's perhaps the reason."

Sera, who had recently joined the fray - or rather, Kieran had specifically requested her presence pursed her lips as she listened to the two.

"Be nice, you two," she insisted.

Leaving them to talk, Kieran approached Ezra and Alexandria, then looked past at that group of roughly ten accompanying her. There were some familiar faces, all of which came from their meeting in the facility's hangar.

Curious, Kieran interrupted the long-time friends by clearing his throat and nudging his face in a direction that felt out of earshot to the rest. Confirming the authenticity of that assumption was complicated due to the varying levels of Perception everyone had, but there were a few workarounds in place.

And Kieran implemented one of them, bringing up the private message. It was a strange but welcome convenience as it didn't require hands to operate. It could also thrive on mental cues or pull words from one's thoughts with enough focus... via the Zenith Frequency.

"Is your family sinking their claws deeper into your business?" Kieran asked.

Alexandria looked over her shoulder, glancing at the reason for Kieran's question before nodding. "Yes, but it hasn't reached a point where I can't manage it myself."

"That's good," Kieran grunted. Though he didn't want to pry into her affairs, he needed to know how careful he needed to be around these people. "Are they here because you allowed them to join you of your own volition, or were you forced?"

Alexandria gave a rueful smile. "Both, sort of. This is only a fraction of what my family wanted, but I stopped them from meddling by threatening to disband my guild."

Typically, a Magnate Family wouldn't fear a threat, but judging from Alexandria's staunch expression, it was clear that this one got them to back off.

desert and of the strange horse that had accompanied him.

He soon shrugged the thought aside and had the two stable boys leave the horse and carriage.

"Oh gods... not again," Bastion groaned.

"What?" Sera blinked her large, adorable eyes. "I think these horseys here look incredibly cute."

Bastion grimaced, pinching his noise while comically waving the air. "Cute, but they reek! I mean, have you ever smelled a horse? And the carriage should be labeled torture. Oh, but..."

Bastion trailed off at the end with a strange smile many couldn't decrypt until he stole glances at Ezra. Then, it clicked. The fool was reminiscing about being that back of the wagon!

'This guy...'

"He makes a great point. I've been taught horseback riding since I was a little boy," Luka said. His sudden inclusion in the conversation roused some attention from Bastion and the others, as well as raised brows.

"Yeah, I believe it. He has that... look," Nemean said.

Luka appeared at a loss for words. "What do you mean look? What are you trying to say here?"

"Dunno," Nemean shrugged. "Just look like you've never braved hardship and have had

everything easy in life. That... clueless look, if you will."

Kieran, noticing this conversation could ultimately take a strange turn that drove a wedge in the relationship, cleared his throat and took the reins of the talking.

"Alright, that's enough badgering. Simmer down," Kieran thundered. His voice's deep, magnetic tone shook most of more than Kieran meant, but he didn't have much control over

his Adept prowess.

Still, he continued talking. "Two carriages, separate parties. I'll take one, and you can take the other, Alexandria. We'll be setting a course for far outside the Aubrililes Kingdom."

"Understood," Alexandria nodded.

Slowly, everyone boarded their respective carriages and felt when the horses started to trod

along.