BXBX NOVEL Chapter 75 (LXXV) Return
Purple lightning began arcing up Jackson\'s feet, twisting around his legs as he kicked off the stone, leaping backward as the guard jumped at him.
His body became enveloped in electricity as the bolt of lightning bounced off a lamp post, ricocheting between stalls as he disappeared down an alleyway.
"Quick! Alert the Guard Post!" The soldier shouted, pointing at one of the guards who saluted and ran off, "Everyone else, after him!"
The three remaining armored men raised their spears and ran through the plaza between the buildings and into the alley.
Jackson poked his head out from the rooftop as he watched the guards chasing a ghost, chuckling to himself as he stood up and looked around the large fort city.
The castle was high above him, cut into the mountainside behind him. His gaze traveled across hundreds of rooftops surrounding what seemed like endless rows of shops lining both sides of streets, which led deeper within Fort Novae until eventually ending at a set of massive walls and towering gates leading outside onto open plains beyond where numerous farms dotted throughout fields stretching far off horizon lines.
Tall towers poked above the sea of rooftops in various locations, soldiers stationed atop with large braziers burning intensely. Two enormous spires standing proud amidst dozens of lesser structures scattered about them were most notable.
One larger than most others near an area called Market Square, while another tower sat just past the colossal floating blue crystal nestled between four stone pillars. Dozens of small offices were built nearby among green gardens filled with flowers blooming everywhere imaginable.
The other spire structure was taller yet thinner than those surrounding it; however, it had multiple levels connected to nearby buildings, unlike any other building constructed anywhere except perhaps Castle Gouran.
The Castle was carved from the mountainside, with intricate masonry and stonecutting working hand-in-hand, creating beautiful patterns throughout its entire exterior.
Ten thousand stone stairs led up and down to the castle\'s tall, imposing battlements and spires overlooking all areas of Fort Novae; some parts of these staircases were worn smooth due to countless people climbing them daily since ancient times when this fortress first rose from its foundations centuries ago during war against the neighboring kingdom.
Jackson looked around the street below him, ensuring it was empty as he quickly dropped from the rooftop. He pulled his hood over his head, concealing his face as he briskly walked toward the Gate Crystal.
He ignored the notifications flashing in the corner of his vision and the hundreds of street vendors shouting to grab potential shoppers\' attention.
Whenever a group of soldiers appeared, his heart would begin pounding as he melded with the closest group of civilians, sneaking past the sentries as he reached the Gate Plaza.
His eyes went wide as he gazed across the beautiful flowers growing alongside decorative fountains adorned with statues depicting heroes fighting monsters and beautifully crafted mosaics covering large squares of the streets made entirely out of glass tiles embedded together, each tile perfectly fitting snugly beside its neighbor.
He quickly passed through the breathtaking plaza as he pulled his hood back and entered the Gate Crystal, exiting God\'s Tower. The sun was just beginning to peek over Mount Shurima\'s peaks to the East when Jackson emerged from the portal in God\'s Tower.
The sun bathed everything in golden rays shining brightly, not even slightly obscured by fog or clouds; sighing in relief as he returned to Duskgate, practically flying down the floating staircase as he ran toward his shop and base \'Overgeared\' as quickly as possible.
He came to a halt outside the front door, panting heavily as he saw it filled with customers; the three sisters assisted them while Alijah managed the register, completing transactions.
He took a deep breath, holding it as he closed his eyes and opened the door casually, sighing heavily as he entered the store.
"Good morning, welcome! Someone will be with you shortly!" Alijah shouted instinctively as she rang a customer up. Jackson rolled his eyes and smiled, \'At least she\'s courteous...\'
He walked through the store, approached the counter, and stepped behind it, walking behind Alijah, saying good morning to her as he entered the back office.
"Good morning, Jax!" She replied, smiling at the customer as she handed him the product before her eyes widened and snapped to the shutting door and shouted, "JAX?!?"
"Um... Please excuse me for one moment!" Alijah said with a sly smile to the customer who had approached the counter before she ran over to the triplets asking for coverage before sprinting into the back room.
"Jax, when did you get back?" She said, closing the door behind her as Jackson sat down at the desk and started looking through papers.
"Just now, I can\'t stay long; I received a call for help from Megan. I can\'t get ahold of her through the Zoís Corde!" Jackson explained as he searched through the scattered papers and began opening drawers and rummaging through them.
"I know... Jax, I have something to tell you..." Alijah stated; she chewed on her lower lip, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt as she twisted her body left and right.
Jackson stopped his search, staring at the desk as he slowly closed the drawer and leaned against it, "What happened..?"
She sighed heavily, "It was after you left..."
"What?" Jackson interjected during her long pause, "What is it!"
"Sheesh! It\'s not easy!" Alijah exclaimed, "Natane said we needed to pay this protection fee because of something in God\'s Tower! Abigail, Bella, and Jolie had only just finished the first batch, so we\'ve only just started gaining traction..."
"What? Who demanded that we pay reparations??" Jackson shouted, glaring at her, a massive wildfire burning in his eyes, causing her to flinch.
"It was Flaming Dawn!! They left you a message!" She pointed to the sealed envelope tacked to the wall, "They said they took your girlfriend, so I didn\'t think anything of it at first as I know you don\'t have a girlfriend."
"She\'s not my girlfriend!" Jackson muttered, grabbing the letter and ripping it off the wall.
"When I explained to Amelia what happened, she told me about Megan... I tried to pay them, but they refused..."
Jackson raised his hand pausing her as he opened the letter.