Ace waited until she woke up again. Harley sat up and stretched and yawned. When she saw Ace she jumped on him. "Are you ok?" She asked taking his face in her hands and looking for anything wrong. "Why wouldn't I be?" Ace asked removing her hands. "You've been out for weeks?" Harley said. "Weeks?" Ace asked. "Yeah weeks. What's wrong? You look like you've seen something." Harley asked. "When I was out that same man was with me. The one in the stories you said. He said he saw the events in my future and the power he gave me will help me progress along that road." Ace said. "Im gonna go splash some water on my face help me wake up." Ace said as he walked to the bathroom.
He turned the cold water on and splashed it on his face and looked up at him. He felt a stinging pain on the back of his left shoulder. He turned a little and looked in the mirror. On his back was a pentagram that looked like it was burned on. He gently touched it with his pointer and middle finger and a voice started to speak to him. It was the same voice as the man. "Newly branded… Your journey begins with one word…. Oxglen." "The fuck?" Ace asked as he touched it again and the same message repeated.
He walked out the bathroom and said "He left a message. He said I should look for something named Oxglen." Ace said. "Oxglen? I know where that is." Harley said. "How do you know these things?" Ace asked. "I grew up there. I told you this before. You need to listen when I speak to you." Harley said. "Yeees mooooom." Ace said.
Maya began to stir and she woke up. "Maya are you alright?" Ace asked. "She's been out for as long as you have." Harley said. "I had a strange dream. A woman with white hair told me I need to follow you Ace." Maya said as she sat up making the bandages around her torso visible. "Well I guess it's similar to mine." Ace said. Ace told Maya about what's going on and then Harley spoke up. "Oxglen is way high up in the mountains. We can't use your archangels or an avalanche would happen. There are cabins at the stops between lifts to the city. Let's get going." Over the next few days, they all made their way to the base of mountain Steok. "How long will this take?" Maya asked. "A little more than a day." Harley replied. "You think he knows that we know that he's following us?" Ace asked. "He's not really the sneakiest person." Maya said. Shock had been following the group since they left for some reason.
They boarded the first lift that went up to the mountain. Ace held on to the bar on the front and watched them rise through the glass. "Do your parents live in Oxglen?" Maya asked. "Probably… never met them." Harley said. "Oooooooh…. Ill shut up now." Maya said.
After a few hours they were now stepping off the 6th lift. "We should almost be there." Harley said. When there were about to board the 7th lift, Shock came running out of the 6th lift. "Hey wait for me!" Shock said. "Hey I was wondering when he'd show up." Ace said. "You really need to cover yourself better. We've known you've been following us." Maya said. "I was following you because…" Shock looked around in every direction. "You were being followed." Shock said. "Yeah… by you." Ace said.
"No by a man. He was dressed in all black. I drive by your place nearly every day but since you went to the Hazlevale Manor he's always been outside. He left the same day you did in the same direction. I don't know where he is but he is definitely following you." Shock said.
"Did you get a look at him?" Ace asked and motioning Shock to step in the lift with them. "No he was always wearing a trench coat and a mask." Shock said. "Well just in case we need to be on guard in Oxglen." Harley said. "Why are you even going to such a remote city?" Shock said. "Personal reasons." Maya said. "Uhm alright?" Shock said.
They rode the lift up to the edge of the top of the mountain. They stepped off the lift and stood on the top of the mountain. In the valley below lay the sprawling city of Oxglen. A city that the mountain helped shape it and it was one of the hardest cities to siege. All the way up the mountain, if a siege is spotted, they cut the lifts.
When Ace started to walk down the massive winding staircase into the city with the others, he felt the brand on his shoulder get hotter. He paid it no mind, thinking it was the fact that it was on him and was just irritation. After they reached the bottom of the staircase they were stopped by guards and had to come up with an excuse for entering the city. "Family business. We're visiting relatives from Nightshade." Ace said. "Of course your city folk. Go on in." The guard said and opened the gate.
They walked through the frosted streets until they found a place they could stay while they search. "I have no idea what we're looking for." Ace thought to himself. They opened the door to the Frosted Jack tavern. The tavern was filled with the sweet aromas of food and drinks. Few patrons at the tables, playing a card game. Pillars of spruce wood were in the center of all the tables and supported the floor above.
Harley strolled up to the bar and said. "A room for 4." And put 25 snowflakes on the counter, snowflakes being the local currency. "Upstairs first room on your right." The bartender said handing them a key and taking the money. As they walked up the stairs Ace asked. "Where'd you get that money?" "The guards were a teensy bit rude so I dished out some punishment." Harley said winking. "God you're so hot right now." Ace said with a growl but quickly apologized, that wasn't like him. "What's up with you lately?" Maya asked. "I don't know." Ace said.
*hours later*
The group got accustomed to the room and everyone but Ace was asleep. He sat at a table in the center of the room. He was slowly drinking a mug of Frosted Duchess, trying to think of why the man had sent him here. The door opened and a woman with light red hair walked in. She was wearing a leather trench coat and her weapon was holstered on her back. A large great sword with a thin jagged blade and a half broken cross guard. Ace paid her no mind and continued to think. He was pulled out of thought when she walked by and the branded started to burn him. When she walked away towards the bar, the brand cooled a little but still stung slightly.
"Hey!" Ace called, for some reason he was feeling cocky. The woman ignored him and sat at the bar. "I'm talking to you." He said as he took a seat next to her. "Leave me be." The woman said. "Not until you answer one question." Ace said. "You'll repay me by answering one of mine." The woman said. "Who are you?" Ace asked. "Burberry… bounty hunter." She said. "Who are you?" The woman asked. "Ace… nobody." Ace said. "You're travelling with three others, from Nightshade aren't you?" The woman asked. "Yeah why?" Ace asked.
"I'm sorry." The woman said. In an instant she had drawn her sword and did a full swipe with the heavy blade and cut deep into the bar. Ace had no idea how he was able to dodge such a quick attack. "Ace. Nightshade citizen. Rider of the Kyuubi. Adrift race champion. The bounty on your head far exceeds others in the past. I hope you put up a good fight." Burberry spoke. "Bring it!" Ace said as he took both knives in his hands.
Burberry cracked her neck and a wave of power surged to the sword. "Stage one. Release." Burberry spoke and the sword started to vibrate rapidly. She quickly slide forward and took a second swipe, cutting the thick pillar like a sawblade. Ace jumped back and started to throw furniture at her. She stood in place and with little to no effort, swung the massive blade through each piece of wood. "What is the bounty on my head?" Ace asked. "100 billion coins." Burberry said. "Damn I might kill myself if I'm able to become that rich." Ace said.
Burberry jumped forward and kicked Ace in the chest, sending him outside. She jumped after him and swung downwards, cutting into the stone and throwing sparks at Ace. Ace kept dodging each and every blow. "Let! Me! Hit! YOU!" Burberry shouted as she swung her blade, having it ring through the air. "Stage Two! Release!" Burberry shouted and her blade started to glow red hot. Ace barely dodged each swipe that seemed to burn the air. On the way up, he remembered Harley mention how the statue in the square couldn't be destroyed no matter what. If you burned through it, the hole would seal almost instantly.
Ace slowly backed up towards the statue as he dodged each swipe. His back was to the statue's base and Burberry was in a craze and she was doing a massive downward slash. He put both knives up to block the blade. The blade started to cut and melt his knives. The great sword was about halfway through the knives entirely when Ace twisted the blades and gained extra grip on the blade of the great sword. He stepped to the side and pulled the sword into the base of the statue. When Burberry couldn't get it unstuck fast enough, he jumped forward and grabbed the handle. He kicked Burberry in the head with the tip of his shoe and pulled back his leg back, ripping Burberry from the sword. She slid across the frosted stone and he grabbed the sword. In one motion he ripped the sword from the base of the statue and threw it. The spinning whirlwind of death hit Burberry in the neck and severed her completely. Her body fell to her knees and fell flat on the ground.
The sword became embedded in the wall behind her and Ace turned to walk away. He heard something behind him and turned around. Burberry's body had grabbed the sword and took a carve at Ace, hitting him in the metal reinforced shoulder. The sword cut straight through the metal and was hitting his flesh. It generated sparks "Branded?" Her body spoke before he kicked her away. He ripped open the coat to see the pentagram had moved from his shoulder to block the attack. Her body bent over and picked up her head and the dismembered head spoke. "Well struck Branded. Tell me how you came to get engrossed in affairs not your own?" Burberry asked as she stuck her head back on its place. "What?" Ace asked. "I know fairly well that you didn't happen to become branded randomly. The brand marks a future legend. Sadly, since I lost… I cannot claim the bounty on your head." Burberry said.
"Why not?" Ace asked. "I haven't had a fight like that in centuries. I swore upon a fair maiden that if I lost a fight in the future, I shant kill them later." Burberry said as her neck reformed.