Starlight Life Of The Sage

Public Release: March 5th, 2019

"Happy Birthday!" said Zara as she woke up the meditating Cara with a loud confetti popper. Colorful streamers scattered throughout the room, covering almost everything in rainbows and glitter.

Cara opened her eyes and almost fell over at the sudden transformation. She hadn't sensed a thing during her cultivation.

"Wait," said Cara, "How did you even know today was my current birthday?"

"The Dixon Head has records for all of the children of the Four Families, even the ones not born in the Tin City," said Zara with a grin. She took a small curled toy and put it in her lips. She blew into it and it made a buzzing noise as it unfurled. It looked like a colorful snake's tongue.

"That's concerning," said Cara. She wondered what kind of information was held in those records. If they had information from her first years of life, the years before The Sage took over the body, then wouldn't that cause problems?

"It's fine. They only have the basic things like your birthday, blood type, hair and eye color…"

"Stop. I understand," said Cara, holding up a hand.

"Yeah, there's nothing problematic… Anyways, let's not think about that! Instead, let's go over the plans I made for your Birthday!" said Zara as she pumped her fists in the air.

"Zara, I'd really just prefer to quietly cultivate. I'm close to having my Weapon Cultivation break through to the Xantian Rungs. I only need another 12 hours, probably…"

"That won't do! A birthday is important!"

"Zara I've had over 50,000 birthdays…"

"Right now you're turning 16, teacher. It's very, very important you understand something, here. 16, in this world, is the age someone becomes an a.d.u.l.t. If you don't make a public appearance today, someone else will for you…"

Zara's words were spoken in a rather ominous tone and implied she knew something important that she didn't want to share right away.

Cara sighed. "What is going on?" she asked.

"The Stonelight family, your body's family, wants to express their rights as your relatives," said Zara with a mysterious smile.

"Zara please don't dodge the subject. What's going on?"

"They're going to publicly announce your engagement, today."

…

…

"I'm sorry, what?"

"They're going to publicly announce your— "

"Don't just repeat yourself! I heard you the first time!" said Cara. She stood up and held her halberd in her right hand. Her eyes were filled with fire.

"Do you want to know who they chose?" Asked Zara.

"I don't give a f.u.c.k who or what they want to do," said Cara, her voice snappy, "But I do know I'm going to go stop this farce."

"So you *do* want to go out and celebrate your birthday with me~" said Zara.

"Zara, please. Let's just go stop this stupid engagement…"

"Nope. Unless you agree to come with me to the party I planned, I won't interfere at all with your engagement announcement~"

It was blackmail. Zara was blackmailing her. Cara grit her teeth. She was genuinely frustrated. What could possibly have gave the Stonelight family the gall to do such a thing, in the first place? Did they not remember what happened at the Auction House?

…

Actually, now that Cara thought about it, she didn't remember seeing the Stonelights at the Auction House at all.

When she really started thinking about it, she hadn't met a single Stonelight since she came to the Tin City.

She wondered if the Dixon Head was responsible for that? If so, she probably needed to thank him. She, genuinely, didn't want to meet any of the Stonelights, especially now.

"Who are they trying to engage me to, anyways?" Cara asked.

"To the City Lord's son."

Cara almost broke the floor under her as she stomped her foot. She wasn't strong enough to mess with the City Lord without Zara's help, either. She didn't seem to have any choice in the matter...

-

Cara soon found herself wearing a rather flashy pink dress, something covered in the frills and lace that she so despised. When she looked at herself in a tall mirror, though, she had to admit that it looked good on her. Her body was strong and tall, still growing. Her head reached up to Zara's shoulders, now.

Her sword-like brows gave her a distinct and sharp look. She tried to smile and it came off so natural that it scared her.

She was cute.

Of course, with a large halberd strapped across her back, she definitely didn't look dainty. That was the one thing Cara refused to compromise on. She needed to keep her Halberd with her at all times to build a better rapport with it and to further its cultivation. She didn't intend to waste the day, even if she had to cultivate while 'celebrating' her birthday.

-

Cara was soon ushered down out of the room to the main dining area of the Inn, only to find decorations and streamers strewn about. A loud noise erupted as she walked in as at least thirty people yelled 'Surprise!" all at once.

Cara about jumped out of her skin. She hadn't sensed the people at all. She turned her head to the side to see Zara staring at her with warm eyes.

Down below, several people whom Cara knew were cheering. She saw the Dixon Head, the owner of the Inn, young Lars from the Twin Birds Auction House, and even the Guard Captain she met way back in the Soldier Garden.

Something stirred in Cara's heart. A new warmth spread inside. She looked Zara in the eyes.

"Okay, you win," said Cara.

"What are you trying to tell me?" asked Zara with the smuggest smile possible on her face.

Cara sighed.

"T-thank you."

Zara's face turned red as a beet and steam came out of her ears. She froze in place and stopped moving entirely.

"Zara? Are you okay?"

"So so so so so…" Zara started to mumble.

"Zara?"

"SO CUTE!"

"What?" Cara jumped.

Zara wrapped Cara in a tight hug, and Cara struggled like a small cat to free herself. Several people watched the two women with warm eyes from the dining floor.

And it was at this moment that Zara froze again. Her eyes snapped to the north, and she looked up at the ceiling, her perception stretching to the skies beyond it.

"Teacher," she said, still holding Cara in her arms. "We need to leave, now."

"What?" Cara asked, still being smothered by Zara's c.h.e.s.t.

A loud noise echoed inside the building as the front door was kicked in. The City Lord stood in the doorway with a wicked grin on his face. To his left side was Wilson Stonelight, the Head of the Stonelight Family, and to the City Lord's left was a teenage boy who looked strikingly similar to him.

"Why hello, everyone!" said the City Lord as he walked in.

"Avalon, you bastard, you weren't invited here!" said the Dixon Head as he stepped forward.

"I was invited here, Dixy~ You see, Walter Stonelight invited me here."

"My name is Wilson, Wilsone Stonelight," said the Stonelight Head from the side.

"My friend Wacko, here" said the City Lord, not missing a beat, "has a fun announcement he needs to make!"

"Zara, let's shut them up right now," said Cara as she tried to pull free from Zara's grip.

"Sorry, Teacher, but there's been a change of plans," said Zara.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Teacher, spread your senses to the skies in the north…"

Cara did as she was told and immediately went limp. The sheer volume of mana she sensed caused her mind to nearly collapse and, if it wasn't for the intervention of her Spirit Contract, she would have been seriously injured.

"You sense it, right? There's a string of mana connecting that man to the City Lord. That bastard brought reinforcements…"

"F.u.c.k, what is this?" Cara asked as she managed to stop her shaking. She could feel the aura of an Ascendant approaching.

"He's weaker than me," said Zara, "But not by much. Teacher, if I go to fight him, I can't protect you here…"

"No, Zara. Don't try to just drag me away and run. I'm not taking this insult," said Cara. "I can hold my own here for probably an hour at least."

"Teacher…"

"You may think I'm weak right now, Zara, but I've got a few secrets even you don't know about. They didn't call me 'The First Paragon' for nothing~"

"No. We're leaving…"

"You probably can't outrun another Ascendant while carrying me. If you're going to fight him, it's best to meet him when I'm not around to get caught in the crossfire…"

Zara clicked her tongue. Her eyes were wild and filled with anger. She slapped Cara across the face.

"Teacher, I have my alchemical creations in the Soldier Garden waiting. We're leaving NOW!"

Cara didn't have a chance to protest again. Everything around her started to move too fast for her to perceive with her eyes alone.

To everyone else in the Inn, it looked like the Master and Disciple vanished into thin air. A large hole opened up in the front of the building and an explosion shook everything. The tailwinds from the duo's escape alone ripped the metal siding off of every house along their path. The roads were gouged out and it looked like a Skyship had crash-landed down the main street of the Wide District.