Which family was she from?
Stella stood there, unsure how to respond. Her true identity would be easy to discover if she admitted to being a Crestfallen. Ashfallen was out of the question as it wasn't a known family or sect yet, and she didn't have the facial features of someone from the Redclaw or Silverspire family. So what should she even say?
Sensing her hesitation, Elder Margret stepped slightly forward, "She is currently with us."
"The Redclaw family?" Theron Skyrend narrowed his glowing eyes and grinned, "Come take a seat, miss."
His massive hand was gesturing to the empty seat before her, and in the dim lighting of the restaurant, she feared it would either eat her or chains would spring out and strap her down.
A part of her wanted to turn around and walk away, but even she knew that would be incredibly discourteous after being offered a seat at someone's table.
Why did I think this was a good idea? Was all Stella could think as she pulled the seat back and carefully sat in its confines. A large ornate wooden table may separate her from Theron, but his giant body made the table feel smaller than it was.
Elder Margret pulled out the chair beside her, offering some reassurance. Elder Brent had gone off to another table nearby with members from a family unknown to her, but from their cosmic-looking hair, she could guess they were the Starweaver family.
Theron took charge of the conversation and decided to do a round of introductions, "My name is Theron, and this is my dear sister Kassandra Skyrend. I already know of Elder Margret. I believe we last met a decade ago at the Silverspire economic summit?"
"That is correct," Elder Margret nodded, "You were a teenager back then."
Theron's laughter boomed across the table, "That's right! I wonder if there will be another event hosted by the Silverspires..." His voice dropped slightly as he glanced across the room at Sebastian's back as he talked with the merchants, "You know... because of the whole silver core inheritance thing."
"It's possible. I just hope they don't announce another drastic increase in the cost of their spatial rings," Elder Margret sighed, "They were already expensive enough."
Stella listened in silence, eager not to draw any attention to herself. However, she had to keep her eyes on one of the people's faces to avoid seeing the horrors lurking in the mystical fog at the edge of her consciousness.
Finding Theron hard to look at, she ended up glancing at Kassandra. She returned the glance, but it didn't come off as friendly. Almost as if she was looking down at her... which she was due to her height, but it still made her feel looked down upon. Unlike Theron, Kassandra's eyes glowed a light blue.
Eventually, the exchange of pleasantries between Theron and Elder Margret dried up, and Theron turned to Stella and asked the dreaded question, "And your name was?"
"Roselyn," Stella answered calmly. This was a name she had thought up after getting the tattoos.
"No family name?" Theron was really hung up on finding out which family she was from, which irked Stella. Why was he so darn persistent.
Stella remained silent, so Elder Margret chimed in, "She is just here to observe rather than engage in discussion."
"A lesser should learn to keep quiet." Theron snapped at Elder Margret, "I was asking Mistress Roselyn here, not you."
Elder Margret's eye twitched. She opened her mouth and then closed it. Her eyes darted briefly to the Grand Elder, who was engaged in an intense discussion with the merchants.
"Tree, I don't like this guy," Stella whispered in her mind, "Should I fight back for Elder Margret?"
"Hold on, let the conversation develop a little more."
Theron crossed his arms and leaned back with a grin, "I thought it was rather bold for a lower-tier family to dare host an event like this, so after hearing it was sponsored by the Silverspires, I came to see what's up." He gestured with his chin to Ryker, standing quietly next to Sebastian, "But it seems that a mere child was behind the sponsoring due to the inheritance event."
Kassandra snorted, "And to think I bothered spending a month to learn alchemy for this. What could a lower-tier family teamed up with a child offer us for our time and attendance? Do you think our time away from cultivating to show you face is cheap?"
"We provided very reasonable rewards considering the low barrier to entry for this tournament." Elder Margret snapped back, "It's you who decided to attend. We were just being courteous and sent you an invite."
Theron laughed, "Would you dare not send one?"
"Yes, we would," Elder Margret said without pause, "We actually hoped you wouldn't even attend."
Theron frowned, "Since when did the Redclaws lose sight of their place in this sect? Just because you have the Silverspire kid backing you doesn't mean you can show such disrespect to me."
"I fear neither the Skyrend family, nor you." Elder Margret snapped back.
"So confident, Elder Margret... is it because your Grand Elder is almost on par with me? Or perhaps the Silverspires bodyguard is giving you confidence?" Theron sneered, "I am sitting here right now in front of you, and I could spit in your face, and there's nothing you, the Redclaws, or even the Silverspires can do about it."
"I dare you to show such disrespect—" Elder Margret's eyes widened as Theron spit a lightning-infused ball of saliva straight at her face.
Stella's eye twitched as she created a portal that redirected the spitball at Theron's face. It all happened in an instant, and Stella didn't even have time to think about what she had done.
Theron reached up with a trembling hand and slowly wiped off the spit from his cheek. His eyes pulsed white as he seemingly held back his rage.
Kassandra seemed to be holding back a chuckle as she shifted away slightly from her enraged brother.
"Nice shot," Ashlock commented, which made Stella smile behind the mask.
Theron let out a long breath and then leaned forward. Both elbows were on the table, and his hands crossed beneath his chin, "Tell me why a spatial Star Core Realm lady with no family name is willing to defend the honor of a lesser and, in turn, make an enemy of the Skyrend family? How much are they paying you?" It was clear from his overly calm speech that he was holding back a flood of rage.
"I don't even know who you are," Stella replied calmly.
Kassandra burst out laughing, which made Theron frown.
"What's so funny dear sister? Or do you find humor in shaming our family name?"
"I have never... seen someone... dig their own grave like that." Kassandra said between wiping away her tears of laughter, "It would make sense if she had just arrived from a distant demonic sect to not have heard of us... but outsiders should be killed on the spot. And if she is from this sect, she is courting death."
"I've lived here my whole life," Stella retorted, "Yet I have never heard of your family. What's so great about it? You can shoot some lightning? A bunch of random clouds in the sky can achieve the same thing."
Kassandra fell silent, staring at her with bewilderment. Theron also seemed baffled, and Elder Margret could only offer her a weary smile.
"I think you shattered their fragile egos, Stella... weren't you coming here to make friends?"
"I'm here to empower the Redclaws and our sect. They have done nothing but insult Elder Margret at her own event while throwing around the weight of their stupid family that nobody cares about," Stella replied, "I feel cowering before them right now would only lead to more issues down the road."
"Hmmm, maybe, but he looks pretty angry now. What's your plan?"
Stella's mind froze at Ashlock's words, "Plan? I thought you were going to protect me?"
"I said I would watch over you, not help you. This is supposed to be a learning experience for you... I can't hold your hand all the time."
"Can't you fill his mind with your telepathic technique and tell him to leave?" Stella began to panic a little. She had only dared to act so pridefully as she thought Tree was backing her up!
"No, I can't do that. My technique can only be cast near my trunk."
"Why can I still hear you then?" Stella asked.
"It acts like a curse. Once cast on someone, I can maintain the link so long as they are within the range of my roots."
"Will you really not help me?" Stella pouted behind her mask.
"Of course I will if you really need it, but I would rather not. I need to save my special technique for the finals when the Voidmind family invades."
Stella wasn't sure what Tree's secret technique entailed, but if she would inconvenience him and condemn the sect to the Voidmind invasion due to her actions, she needed to fix this situation somehow.
"Good! Very Good!" Theron drummed the table with his fist as he laughed, "This has to be the most interesting meeting I have ever attended!"
Stella tilted her head, "Why?"
"I like you, come work for me," Theron grinned, "I could always use a spatial affinity cultivator to help transport my servants up the mountain and carry my things."
"No thanks, I will remain here." Stella politely declined while holding back her rage from the insult, but that seemed to be the wrong answer judging from Theron's pulsing eyes.
"I advise you take my offer," Theron leaned in, "I don't know why a pretty little thing like you is out here in this backwater city working alongside lessers when you could come and work for me."
"I said no thank you? Do you not have ears? And don't call me a pretty thing. You're vile."
"You intolerable women!" Theron shouted as he stood up and slammed the desk. His Star Core pulsed, and white lightning crackled across his skin. "Working for one such as me would be an honor."
Everyone in the room turned their heads, and Stella could even see the Redclaw Grand Elder begin to run over in the corner of her eye, but it was too late.
Stella felt an immense pressure descend on her, and before she could even blink, a tremendous bolt of lightning shot out from Theron's hand at her illuminating the entire room in a bright white.
Her Star Core flared up and coated her body in purple flames. The lightning slammed into her, almost throwing her off the chair and onto the floor. Her body became flooded with lightning Qi that she managed to just about get under control due to her dao comprehension.
It was clear that the attack hadn't been intended to be lethal, but it had still come from a cultivator many stages above her, so it was obvious he intended to humble her.
As Stella blinked away the bright light, she inserted some Qi into her spatial ring and summoned a lightning Qi barrier fruit into her mouth. Quickly chewing it behind her mask, she escaped the chair and stepped away from the table. She could only walk under Theron's pressure because the Redclaw Grand Elder was combatting it with his own gravity.
"So much arrogance... all for that?" Stella crossed her arms and raised her brow, "I expected a bit more firepower."
Stella could feel every pair of eyes in the entire restaurant on her. It made her skin crawl, and also extremely anxious. Clearly, she had messed up somewhere to end up in this position...
You were supposed to remain low-key, Stella! Like a wallflower! Why did you have to run your mouth like that?
"Stella, do you need my help?"
"No, I caused this mess, Tree. Let me handle it," Stella replied mentally.
"What seems to be the problem?" the Redclaw Grand Elder said as he strode over.
Theron Skyrend's face was twisted in anger, his eyes glowed, and his chiseled, almost stone-like muscles bulged, "Your hired rogue cultivator dared to disrespect me, Grand Elder. I don't know how you found her, but I demand she is presented on my doorstep after the tournament, or you will face the wrath of the Skyrend family."
The Grand Elder looked between the two before clearing his throat with an awkward cough, "Theron. I am far more scared of her than your father."
Total silence shrouded the room as everyone absorbed those words.
"Interesting... such bold words Grand Elder," Theron sneered, "Do you dare tell me this woman's family name or origin so I may also know to fear her?"
"Why are you so obsessed with me?" Stella tilted her head.
Theron snorted, "I would never be obsessed with a talentless country bumpkin like you."
"You called me pretty and tried to make me your servant just a moment ago." Stella took a fearless step forward, "Yet now I am a talentless country bumpkin? What makes you better than me?"
"Just look at me—"
"Yes, I'm looking. I see nothing but unearned arrogance." Stella scoffed, "All you do is throw your family name around and call others lesser to feel important. I have no need to bend the knee to a manchild such as you."
Theron threw his head back and laughed manically for a while. Eventually, he looked back at Stella with pure wrath, "You dare compare yourself to me? I'm a descendant of a god! To disrespect me is to defy the heavens!"
He raised his hand, and the ceiling exploded as lightning tore through it and collected into a bolt he held like a javelin. Through the shower of splinters, as the building almost collapsed upon them, Theron hurled the lightning bolt alongside roaring thunder.
Under everyone's shocked gazes, Stella surged the power of the fruit to her palm and effortlessly slapped the lightning bolt away.
"I defy the heavens at every turn," Stella shouted as she kicked the table that separated them into splinters, "I care not for your weak god."
"Heretic!" Theron's massive fist plummeted toward Stella, but she activated her earrings. Her eyes became abysses as she sidestepped the fist with lightning-enhanced speed.
Meanwhile, Kassandra hurled lightning bolts from the side, but Stella easily shrugged them off with the power of the fruit and her comprehension of the lightning dao. She had punched heaven's lightning. How could Kassandra compare?
Theron was disorientated and shrieked as if terrified of what he saw in her eyes. The 8ft tall giant stumbled to the side and ended up crashing into a table with a very calm man and an all too familiar woman sitting at it.
Stella glanced at the man whose eyes were as black as his hair. His figure was lean and almost ghoulish.
"Dante Voidmind," Theron said through clenched teeth, "This bitch crawled out from hell and dares to protect the lessers and offend me. Will you not show some face and help?"
Dante sighed and stood up from his chair, "Grand Elder Redclaw. Squabbles between families can be overlooked, but I hope for your sake that you agree this hired woman of yours has taken it a step too far?"
His voice sent chills down Stella's spine. Lightning she had no issues against with the help of her dao comprehension and Ashlock's fruit, but a void affinity cultivator was a whole different beast. Dante could likely delete her from existence if he so wished, so she reluctantly stepped away from Kassandra and spared her from a similar beating.
The Grand Elder ignored Dante and asked Stella, "How do you wish to handle this?"
Stella glanced between the two Skyrend siblings. Every ounce of her being wished to tell them to leave and not even bother with the tournament, but she didn't know if Ash wanted to go to war with the Skyrends over her personal grudge.
"Tree, what should I do?"
"Whatever you want, Stella. I trust you. Since when did we fear a bit of lightning?"
Stella smiled behind her mask, "I will formally apologize to them if they can prove they are better than me at anything."
"I don't want your worthless apology," Theron snapped, "I want you chained on my doorstep."
Stella shrugged, "Fine."
"Who picks the challenge?" Dante asked.
"They can. I will beat them at anything," Stella said nonchalantly and loved the scowls she received from them. It was clear getting a taste of arrogance was unnerving for them, and she had confidence that she could prevail over any challenge with Tree's cheat fruit and truffles.
"Were you planning on attending the alchemy tournament?" Kassandra asked, and Stella shook her head, "No, I was not."
An unsettling grin appeared on the woman's face, and the two siblings nodded to one another.
"Then you will enter the alchemy tournament and compete against Kassandra." Theron grinned, seemingly convinced of his victory. "That is our challenge to you."
"I accept," Stella said as she turned to leave the building because the stress was beginning to overwhelm her, and she didn't wish to stay any longer, "I will see you all tomorrow."
A portal manifested with a snap of her fingers, and she was gone. Leaving behind a shocked group of spectators and two very angry Skyrend siblings.
