One of the women spoke enough English to tell him that she was Chinese, from the megacity of Tianjin, though he couldn’t get much more out of her than that. The other two were Filipinos, and while their English was a bit better than the other woman’s it still wasn’t on a level where they could have a conversation. Luckily the Indian man was fluent, and so sincere was his joy at meeting Nolan that he cried after hearing his words.

The man’s name was Arjun, and he was the only of the four to initially appear in the kingdom of Ridgerock at the onset of the Interspatial Migration. He’d been there ever since, frightened for his safety and worried about his family all the while. Nolan filled him in on everything he knew, for as far as he was concerned everyone from Earth was on the same team now that they were in Venara.

Arjun was crushed to learn that he was likely the only survivor of his social circle, though he cheered up slightly when Nolan told him of his goal to gather as many Otherworlders as he could to create an independent place for all of them to live.

“How will we survive in this world?” asked Arjun, distraught. “The people here are powerful.”

“Luckily there are certain types of meditations in this world that can help you become stronger.”

“They tried to teach us, but none of them worked.”

“There’s one that does, and I know it.”

“Does…does it really work?”

“Why do you think the king of this country’s showing me around his palace? Of course it works, man.” Nolan turned to Caimen and reverted to the Universal Language. “I’ll explain later, but I’m going to teach them my cultivation method. For some reason Otherworlders can learn it.”

Caimen’s eyes lit up with a wary flash. “Is that why you’re seeking them out? To build an army?”

“To give them a place to belong, where they can be safe. They’ve lost their family, their friends, their homes and their ways of living, and not only that but the youngest kid could kill them on a whim.”

“Nolan, I must warn you. People might not like the idea of the Otherworlders gathering and forming their own force.”

If only you knew that almost everyone on this planet is descended from Otherworlders. With the exception of Uncle Grey and Nyla, this was the case for everyone he’d met, at least according to the old ghost.

“Regardless of what they think, this force will assist your kingdom if you need it.”

“I’ll keep your secret, and I’ll take care of these four until you return to pick them up.” Caimen was quiet for a few moments before the stress lines that creased his brow suddenly grew lax. “I must know, do you plan on staying in the kingdom for a while? If so, you and your friends may pick any room and even a few servants if you’d like.”

“Unfortunately we can’t stick around. We’ll be heading north as soon as I’m done with these four.”

“Then I must be off. I need to have a word with my father about the halmite that he withdrew from the treasury.”

“Uh…”

“Not to worry, Nolan. What’s won is won. I only ask that you and your friends seek me out to say your goodbyes before you go.”

“For sure. And what we talked about earlier?”

“I’ll gladly trade ordinary spirit stones for superior ones. Only, how many superior stones are you looking to exchange?”

“Five thousand.”

The king looked incredulous. “Five thousand superior stones?”

“That’s not a problem, is it?”

“No, of course not. I just wasn’t expecting such a number.” Caimen turned back toward the grand entrance, which resided just outside of the room that they’d gathered the Otherworlders in. “Find me in the royal square. I’ll bring your friends along.”

“Will do. Thanks a lot Your Majesty, I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing compared to what you’ve done for me and my people.”

Once Nolan was left alone with the others, he quickly set about teaching Arjun the first eight stances of the Ancestral Body Technique, which he mastered with incredible speed. If Nolan didn’t know any better the man had meditated all his life, which made the mental component of cultivation many times easier than for someone with no experience of mental mastery.

Two hours later and an incredulous Arjun was hugging Nolan in what was one of the most heartfelt shows of sincerity that he’d ever experienced. The man thanked Nolan for giving him another lease on life, for he’d felt the Origin Energy that he’d been able to pull in just half an hour before. Arjun promised that he would teach the others as best he could, at which point Nolan left the room and soon after the building.

Nolan headed to the square where he’d won the royal challenge, his green robes drawing almost every eye as he made his way down a long road thronged with revelers. Many people stepped aside as he passed, many groups courteously parting so that he could pass through with comfort.

I could get used to this, he thought as several pretty girls shot him inviting stares. If he wasn’t in such a rush to find the others…

He found his friends mingling with the royal family in a distant corner of the square, which had been converted into a dance area of sorts with dozens of musicians playing the same songs in tune with each other from all over the area. Esteban and Haldi were busy playing with the prince, while Ian and Sean clinked chalices with Commander Hueler and king Caimen. Nolan arrived just as they were slamming back a fresh helping, the mood so amiable that he found it hard to believe that the situation from earlier had actually taken place.

Cera and her husband thanked him at least a dozen times in the coming hours, and he also received thanks from the king’s wife and son. The princess wasn’t around, though she never made much of an impression to begin with, having sat quietly at the head table while Keplin created a commotion at the feast. Her face had been covered by a veil, so he wouldn’t recognize her even if he happened to bump into her during the celebrations.

Their stop in Ridgerock had been a whimsical decision, but it turned out to be one of the best times that Nolan had since arriving in Venara. He and his friends were treated like celebrities wherever they went throughout Mason. Word travelled quickly of what transpired at the feast, alongside his feat of completing the royal challenge. Basically everything was free, and the girls swooned wherever they went; even Esteban received a handful of daisies from several girls his age.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t stay here longer,” said Sean as he waved at a woman that had given her eyelashes a coy flutter. “We’ve got all the demographics covered here what with you two and Esteban.”

“Dude,” breathed Nolan as he twirled a cute brunette around in the simple dance that everyone else in the square seemed well versed in, “just go talk to that lady already so I don’t have to keep listening to you talk about all the attention we’re getting.”

Sean put back the remainder of his ale and then stowed his chalice away. Straightening his shoulders, he approached the woman in question with a swag that made Nolan burst out laughing.

Ian laughed along with him as he danced with a friend of Nolan’s dance partner, until a drum-heavy song sent the crowd jumping with excitement, a bass-like lyre adding an oddly modern twist to the song.

“Oh shit!” said Nolan as he pushed his partner away. “Hey Ian, check this out.”

Seeing the odd dance that Nolan had broken out into, Ian couldn’t help raise his eyebrows, purse his lips and put on an impressed smirk. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s called the crip walk.”

“That a dance from…you know, your hometown?”

“Yeah, sort of.” He remembered awkward phase that him and his friends went through in the eighth grade, back when everyone thought they had to learn it. He was good at it, but it didn’t take him long to realize that he wasn’t the guy.

“I’ve never seen someone dance like that,” smiled the girl he’d just stepped back from. “It’s really interesting.”

“And I’ve never seen such a cute dimple. Come here, let’s get that dance going again.”

Sean returned a while later with a big smile on his face, and when the others rolled their eyes he said, “Oh shut up and keep dancing, I earned it.”

They enjoyed another hour or so at the festival before Nolan gathered the group and then sought out the king and his family, who were busy talking with Commander Hueler and Cera. Esteban promised Haldi and the prince that he’d return in the coming months, while Nolan and the others exchanged respectful goodbyes with their high-profile acquaintances.

Not twenty minutes later and they were back on the ancient highway that they’d grown so accustomed to in recent weeks, in much better spirits than when they arrived at Ridgerock.

They’d been running for an hour when he picked up on a pair of familiar auras about two kilometres ahead of them, at which point he immediately began to channel energy into the Millennial Ring.