The Haric Tribunal was in the Arena District, a building set behind the arena itself. Not quite hidden away, but kind of like it wanted to be. It was a building that said ‘forget I exist’. Plain but had an overpowering aura. Square with strange metal panels, and just a couple of doors to enter by. No windows, no traffic in or out, but from what Orbic the Orc had said, it was a very busy place.

  This was where all Nexus disagreements that couldn’t be settled with duels ended up. Trade violations, people trying to cheat the System. And I wasn’t sure how that was even possible, but sometimes Factions did it. I’d only encountered a half dozen or so, but there were hundreds of Factions of various sizes in the Nexus. Not all even had presences in the Market or Entertainment Districts.

  That part I found odd, but if it was a three hundred year old Faction, they would have so many deals in place that there would never be a need to step foot in any of the Districts and why bother with new Factions unless something really unique or interesting popped up? I’m sure they all had agents prowling the Districts and sniffing out interesting new additions to the Multiverse. Maybe we’d even had some sniffing around us already.

  Orbic and I, along with the Bounding Dragon Sect Member sat in a square room. A very square room. White walls with no decorations. All four walls, the floor and the ceiling, were the same exact size. I measured, I was that bored. There were chairs, really uncomfortable things, along one wall, a door we had come in by and a door I assumed that someday we’d be able to leave by.

  The whole room had a very sci-fi feel to it. Which was odd since the rest of the Multiverse, at least so far, had a very strong fantasy vibe to it. Sure there was some steampunk, we had airships, but overall it was fantasy. Not even space fantasy like Star Wars.

  “So he’s not one of yours?” Orbic asked, pointing at the Sect Member.

  The poor guy was huddled in a chair three down from us, and Orbic and I had a chair between us. Most members of the Bounding Dragons were arrogant, felt superior to everyone, and carried themselves that way. They sat straight, glared at anyone that so much as glanced at them. The Dragons were a reflection of their leader, Subudai. This one was anything but. Maybe they were all like this in private.

  He sat hunched, his robe bloodied and wrinkled. His head hung low, no signs of any kind of arrogance or superiority. He had just gotten beat by three Anura, which if he was only Level 100 and they were higher, wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. Subudai wouldn’t see it that way and maybe that was the guy’s problem. He knew he’d have to face Subudai about it, and especially about being saved by me.

  “Naw, he belongs to an opposing Faction from Earth, sorry I guess you guys all know it as Terra,” I said.

  Orbic laughed.

  “You know you just said the same word twice, right?”

  “Huh?”

  “Every planet is called the same. It’s the same word in different languages. So the System actually doesn’t translate it. We hear what the world is called.”

  That was confusing. So Cryim was Earth but in their language. Terra was Earth in human language, or at least what the System translated it as. So everyone called their planet Earth. That was confusing. My head started to hurt so I let the topic go. Maybe I’d ask Stylo someday when I was drunk or wanted to punish myself.

  “He’s an enemy and you saved him?”

  “I guess,” I said, looking at the poor guy. “I don’t like seeing anyone get bullied and those Anura…”

  “May they all rot,” Orbic grunted.

  “Yep,” I agreed. “And it’s not like this guy has personally attacked or killed any of my people.” I paused, looking at him, waiting for him to look up at me. He did, reluctantly. “As far as I know,” I said, waiting for a reaction. He quickly looked away. “If that had happened, I might have kicked his ass myself. After beating up the Anura.”

  Orbic laughed.

  “That arrow didn’t look like it hurt,” I said.

  “It didn’t,” Orbic smiled wickedly, showing his tucks and red stained teeth. “In battle I would have ignored it, just one of dozens that I was probably shot with, but I was in the shop just minding my own business. I was more annoyed than anything.”

  The door opened and in walked my favorite person in the entire Multiverse.

  Subudai was tall and well built. Long black hair that flowed halfway down his back. Most was kept loose but he had some in a ponytail and two long thin braids hanging over his shoulder. The hair was almost lost in the blackness of his robe. Jet black, bordered in red at the hems and stripes down the sides, a red belt wrapped around his waist multiple times with the ends hanging down, a black stripe down the middle of the belt. No weapons visible, but I knew he carried an arsenal in his inventory and was an expert in all of them.

  He was handsome in that cold, stark way that some women just loved. The cold bastard that they just wanted to melt into a giant teddy bear, instead of going for the teddy bear in the first place. The way he held himself, it was like he was in command of the entire world. Or at least thought he was.

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  Which had some truth to it. Subudai did think he was in charge of the entire world, or should be at least. And that was why I didn’t like him. He was a major arrogant prick, but I could have handled that well enough. It was the ‘I deserve the entire world’ attitude that I couldn’t deal with.

  And walking into the room, he had that attitude.

  He felt he was destined to rule the entire world. That was probably expanding to include the entire multiverse now that he was on Crossroads.

  Surprisingly there was no one with him. I rarely ever saw Subudai by himself. He didn’t need bodyguards, he just felt that his august, imperious, important person should have them.

  He looked around the room, that constant haughty attitude there as his eyes fell on me and Orbic. He didn’t bother looking at his Sect member yet.

  “Nicholas Howell,” he said. “I should have known you were involved.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, not bothering to stand up to greet Subudai.

  He cocked an eyebrow at me.

  “Your Sect member there would probably be dead or beaten worse if I hadn’t shown up.”

  Subudai looked down at the Bounding Dragon member, who had gotten up from the chair and was prostrating himself on the floor, arms outstretched, facing Subudai.

  “Jhang Gho, is this true?”

  “Yes Great Khan.”

  I rolled my eyes. That had been the first thing Subudai had done when he’d formed the Bounding Dragon Sect. Proclaimed himself as the Great Genghis Khan’s descendant, which may or may not have been true, and the heir to the Khan’s legacy. The self-proclaimed Khan was doing a pretty good job of taking over all of Pangea.

  “Why are you even here Subudai?” I asked, loving how he barely suppressed a grimace when I didn’t use his title.

  “When my Junior Sect Member was brought here, as his Faction Leader I was informed and summoned.”

  Jhang Gho kind of shook when Subudai had said ‘junior’, putting emphasis on the word. I think the poor guy had just gotten demoted. He was not having a good day.

  I turned to look at Orbic, who was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, looking like he was enjoying the show.

  “No one else from your Faction is here, does that mean you’re the leader?”

  Orbic chuckled.

  “Naw. I’m just the highest ranking currently in Crossroads.” He looked at me. “And you’re your Faction Leader so..”

  “Ah, nice. Let’s talk after this,” I said and turned back to Subudai. “So?”

  “You may rise,” he said to Jhang Gho, who quickly got to his feet, moving to stand behind Subudai, with his head looking down. Orbic grunted, apparently not impressed. Neither was I. “What?” Subudai asked me.

  “So are you going to thank me….”

  He said nothing, staring at the door across from him, doing a good job of ignoring me.

  “So he’s that one’s boss?” Orbic asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Has he hurt some of your people?”

  “Yep,” I said, looking at Subudai and smiling.

  Orbic looked from me to Subudai and back. He leaned back, crossing his arms again, smiling as he looked at Subudai.

  “Can I watch when you kick his ass.”

  “Yep,” I said, also leaning back.

  I could tell it was taking all of Subudai’s willpower to not respond. He stood a little too straight, looked at the door a little too hard. If he did respond, it would just be useless posturing. Make him look weaker. Everyone in this room knew that I could beat him. It would be a hard fight, and he did have a chance at winning if I messed up. But in a straight up fight, I’d win every time. I knew it. He knew it. And it had to bother him that Orbic knew it and I felt bad for Jhang Gho because he’d be the recipient of Subudai’s wrath when this inquiry was over.

  For all his arrogance, Subudai was a good leader. Very charismatic. He did lead from the front, not one to send his people into battle and sit back and watch. I did have some respect toward him for that. It was just his ambitions I had issue with. And I didn’t know why his people so fervently followed him. I’d seen some of his Sect willingly sacrifice themselves because of a goal he wanted.

  Subudai would never directly confront me, not alone. He’d have some of his elites and a lot of others. So if we ever did fight, and it would probably happen someday just because of stupid circumstances and dumbass politics, it wouldn’t be one on one. He’d have the advantage. And for the most part he never let himself be alone around me. The bodyguards he normally had, along with Subudai, they could all easily take me out.

  He was dangerous. Smart and probably the best military strategist left on Earth. I’d never make the mistake of underestimating him.

  We all fell silent, just waiting. Subudai didn’t take a chair and didn’t move, leaving poor Jhang Gho behind him to do the same. I really wanted to know the story of how he got involved with the Anura. The door opened, which was a signal that I was about to find out.

  A Haric walked out. All gray skin, baldness, and four-arms. He looked at each of us, even Jhang Gho who was not quite hiding behind Subudai.

  “Please follow me,” he said, turning and heading into the next room.

  Subudai and Jhang Gho went first. Orbic and I standing up and following. The door closed behind me as we stepped into the Tribunal Room.

  At least that’s what I thought it was called. No one bothered to tell me.