The wind howled differently out here in the wilds. Away from the orderly formations of the Alliance Headquarters and the stone walls of the fortress, the air tasted of tree resin and damp earth. Below the landscape was a rugged tapestry of jagged hills and dense untamed forests that stretched toward the horizon like a green ocean.

  Li Yu descended from the clouds with the wind whipping his robes. The massive shadow of Tekton glided silently. The Sky-Iron Dreadnought looked almost majestic against the backdrop of the setting sun. His metallic scales reflected the orange and purple hues of the twilight.

  They aimed for a secluded valley nestled between two sheer cliff faces. It looked like a natural fortress and was hidden from prying eyes. A thin column of smoke rose from a clearing below, the agreed-upon signal for the group that arrived first.

  Li Yu jumped off Tekton and landed softly on the grass. As he landed his boots crushed wild mint and it released a sharp fresh scent. Tekton came down behind him. He first dumped off Cyrus from atop his body and then began to shrink as he went down. On the journey here Li Yu tried to put Tekton away in a beast bag but the bag wasn’t powerful enough.

  It had been a bag that he had robbed from Cyrus and thought it would be powerful enough to hold Tekton but it wasn’t. The two of them talked about various different ideas of what to do and the answer came from Tekton himself.

  ‘I can just shrink myself down. That way you can carry me.’ Tekton said back then.

  ‘You can shrink? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? That does make things easier. But even if you shrink down, I will have to wear you or something like that.’ Li Yu responded.

  ‘I know! I can wrap around one of your arms. Becoming a bracket or band of sorts.’ Tekton quickly responded as though he had finally cracked it.

  ‘You weigh so much though. I am strong but I won’t like that kind of weight around me all the time.’ Li Yu thought about it for a bit but then saw the downside.

  ‘I am a master of gravity and weight. I will make myself weigh less using my qi while I am on your arm. I am a genius!’ Tekton roared inside Li Yu’s head.

  Back in the present, there was a clearing where a small camp had been set up. A fire crackled in the center and four figures turned to face the new arrivals.

  Krell stood near the fire with his arms crossed. He was staring into the fire with a stoic face. Kael was pacing near the edge of the clearing. He had his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. His energy was restless and dark. Jian Xuan sat on a log, polishing his sword with a dedication usually reserved for religious artifacts.

  And there was a fourth person. A woman Li Yu hadn’t met before.

  She sat on a flat rock opposite Jian Xuan and was holding a cup of tea. She wore pale blue robes embroidered with white cranes. They had remained free of dust or dirt even out here in the middle of nowhere. Her dark hair was pinned up with a simple jade hairpin and her posture was straight and elegant. It was quite a stark contrast to the wild surroundings.

  “You’re back,” Krell said as he looked up. He looked at Li Yu and then at Tekton who was on Li Yu’s wrist. He was surprised by how powerful the beast was. “And… you brought a monster.”

  “Friend,” Li Yu corrected as he patted Tekton on his wrist. “I brought a friend. And a prisoner.”

  Li Yu unceremoniously pointed to the limp bundle that Tekton had to the ground earlier. The former Patriarch groaned, a pathetic, dry sound that barely registered as human.

  Jian Xuan leaped to his feet, his eyes wide as he looked at Tekton. He completely ignored the fallen Patriarch, his gaze fixed solely on the metallic beast.

  “By the hairy legs of the Great Crab!” Jian Xuan bellowed. “Brother Li! Is this him? Is this the beast you tamed? The one they called the Sky-Iron Dreadnought?”

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  “It is,” Li Yu said with a smile. It was truly great to be among friends. “Everyone, meet Tekton. Tekton, this is Krell, Kael and Jian Xuan.”

  Li Yu gestured to the woman in blue. “And you must be Jian Xuan’s Senior Sister. He has told me… many things about you.”

  The woman stood up and offered a graceful bow. Her movements were fluid, like water flowing over stones.

  “I am Lin Xia,” she said, her voice melodic but carrying an undercurrent of steel. “Jian Xuan has spoken of you as well since his return, Fellow Daoist Li. He claims you are the only person who understands the ‘Way of the Crab’ as well as he does.”

  “Better,” Li Yu said with a smile to Jian Xuan. “I understand it better.”

  Jian Xuan laughed out loud. It was a booming sound that echoed off the cliff walls. “We shall see! But first… this beast! He is magnificent! Look at that armor! Look at those claws! It is living metal!”

  Jian Xuan walked up to inspect Tekton. Even though he felt his power, he showed absolutely no fear. He looked at the Dreadnought with the admiration usually reserved for fine art, reaching out to touch the creature.

  “Can he speak?” Jian Xuan asked, looking back at Li Yu like an excited child.

  “He can but only to me,” Li Yu said. “I will have to speak on his behalf.”

  Tekton raised his head until he was eye-level with Jian Xuan. His metallic eyes glowed with a soft golden light.

  “Greetings, Crab Champion,” Tekton’s voice resonated in Li Yu’s mind. Li Yu then immediately spoke the words for him “Tekton says greetings, Crab Champion.” And so it went on. “Master has told me of your affinity for the shelled ones. As a creature of iron and shell myself, I salute you.”

  Jian Xuan beamed as his face split into a wide grin. “He knows! He knows the glory of the shell! What should I call you, oh mighty beast?”

  Tekton paused for dramatic effect so Li Yu had to do the same.

  “You may call me… the Leg-Gendary Crab.” Li Yu was barely able to say it himself.

  There was a second of silence in the clearing. The fire crackled. The wind sighed in the trees. The others were dumbfounded by the name, not truly understanding what was going on. However, there was a person that knew and the name was meant for him.

  Jian Xuan threw his head back and roared with laughter. It was a laugh of pure and unadulterated joy. He slapped his thigh so hard it sounded like a whip crack.

  “Leg-Gendary! Hahahaha! Because of the legs! Oh, that is brilliant! Brother Li, where did you find him? He is a genius! Truly a befitting member of the Crab Cult.”

  Jian Xuan wiped a tear from his eye and bowed deeply to Tekton.

  “Brother Tekton! We are brothers for life now! Anyone with puns that bad and armor that good is family to me! I will make sure you are treated with extra care. The finest ores! The best oils for your joints! Leave it to me!”

  “I look forward to it, Brother Jian,” Tekton replied. Tekton was clearly pleased with the reception.

  Li Yu smiled at the two of them. It was a bit annoying to have to speak for Tekton but watching the bonding moment made it worth it. It was good to see Jian Xuan happy. But then his gaze shifted to the edge of the clearing.

  Kael hadn’t moved toward the beast. He hadn't laughed at all. He was staring at the heap of rags and bones on the ground. He was staring at Cyrus.

  Li Yu walked over to Kael and placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “It’s him,” Li Yu said quietly. “You know him better than I do. I’ve brought him here for your judgement.”

  Kael trembled. He looked at the withered, skeletal figure. It was hard to reconcile this broken thing with the monster who might have ordered the destruction of his family, one of the men and women who had loomed over his nightmares for years. Out of all of them, he was the one that was like an untouchable god.

  Kael truly still didn’t know who exactly was the elder or higher up in the Crimson Fang that ordered the death of his family. He might never know who exactly it was. However, if he destroyed the entire House of the Crimson Fang they would all perish.

  “He looks… small,” Kael whispered. His voice was thick with conflicting emotions. There was rage, sorrow and a hollow sort of disbelief. “He looks like a corpse already.”

  “He is small,” Li Yu said. “He burned his life away trying to kill me. He is a mortal now. Crippled. Broken.”

  Li Yu kicked Cyrus lightly. The old man wheezed, his eyes fluttering open to reveal milky blindness.

  “I brought him for you, Kael. He is the first of your revenge.”

  Kael looked up at Li Yu, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Thank you, Li Yu. Truly, thank you.”

  “You wanted justice,” Li Yu said. “The Alliance would have just locked him up or executed him cleanly. But I know what it’s like to lose a family. I know that sometimes… clean isn’t enough. Sometimes you need to close the book yourself.”

  Li Yu remembered the Seven Sins. He remembered the rage he had felt, the burning need to make sure they paid for every ounce of suffering they caused. He understood the need for a reckoning that was personal.