Eric took great big wheezing gasps of air as the gentle golden sunlight caressed his skin, saturating him with warmth, hope, and life-giving Spiritual Energy. And how odd it was, for his running to be as effortless and glorious as a dream while his cells screamed for sustenance as he raced a micrometer above the train tracks, moving as fast as a Self-Tube jet video spinning across the continent. He found solace in the rich green oasis of lush grass, tiny ponds, stately oaks and fruit trees already filled with ripening treasures cutting through the wild territories he presently traversed. Faerie’s sanctuary and blessings, an extension of Elonia’s domain, now stretched a full 37 yards on either side of his magical train tracks.

  Yet just beyond the last of the screening fruit trees, brooding dark skies crackled with thunder and lightning as he darted through broken badlands, rocky deserts with swirling ocher sands, and wild humid jungles resonating with the roars of fearsome prehistoric titans… before zipping past giant, alien-looking fields of 20 foot tall fungal tubes that looked otherworldly, yet he knew to be just one more aspect of ancient Earth history brought to hideous mutated life. What was even more remarkable to Eric than the collage of Earth’s violent pasts was that not a single roaring prehistoric theropod or wasteland abomination dared to even brush against the outskirts of his extended sanctuary.

  Even through his growing agony, he could feel the deep, rich potency of territories still on the cusp of rupturing into black. He knew it was only his sister’s kingdom now stretching sea to shining sea, and train tracks infused with all the might and potency of a wildly ascending planet that was keeping the dozens of territories he flashed past in check.

  He for a smile through his pain, fiercely proud to see that for all their struggles and pyrrhic triumphs, for all that he was suffering even now, he and his sister were STILL making a difference. Still transforming the world for the better, one territory at a time. One interconnecting rail line at a time, expanding the boundaries of safety and allowing for the contiguous flow of Faerie’s might, like an arterial network nurturing every system within one’s body.

  C – Eric, please respond with your ETA

  ES – Hey, Calibro! Should be there in about 2 minutes, tops.

  C – Are you hot?

  Eric winced, knowing exactly what his friend meant. And the fact was, he should be hot. Hell, he should be BLAZING! Leaving a lifeless hellscape with his passage, with a hyperion core nestled right in his ES Space. But thanks to a combination of the hyper-slow time his Extra Dimensional Storage Space now enjoyed, combined with 897 in his Elemental Resistance that had been boosted a full 50% thanks to his Hyperion Blazer perk, and seeing as this was hyperion radiation… he felt the farthest thing from the youth he had once been that had come so close to being obliterated from only temporarily storing a core in his ES Space.

  Yet now he felt little more than the warm glow he might have once associated with capsaicin muscle cream. His belly was a little bit warm… and that was it.

  ES – I feel fine. Wait, that’s a lie. I feel like shit. But all I feel from my package is gentle warmth.

  C – Alright. Please proceed without delay to the jump gate. Please avoid interacting with anyone who might not understand the particularities of your situation. I’ll meet you there.

  ES – Understood.

  Eric winced, but couldn’t deny that his friend had a good point. So when Arcadia’s bucolic splendor was replaced by the gleaming monuments of glass and steel, shiny chrome, and brilliant blue Alutopaz of Freetown, he wasted only a moment admiring the grand sky scrapers and architectural marvels of the most technologically sophisticated city in North America, looking very much like what he imagined a futuristic New York might.

  Which really shouldn’t be surprising, since he had forged it whole-cloth from desperation and dream, not that long ago.

  And since he had absolutely no intention of bringing tragedy to the city he had worked so hard to save, he darted along the major thoroughfare heading straight to the space port, trying not to pay any mind to the empty streets, parks, and shopping areas that were normally so lively, assuring him a steady stream of profit as partial owner of the entire city… yet nowhere was the lack of life so visible as in the space port itself.

  His eyes widened at the sight of no less than half a dozen giant silvery-hued vessels easily the size of football fields taking off in unison, their engines emitting a low thrum that Eric felt vibrating through the ground, the engines glowing a bright blue, yet emitting no propellant, back-draft, or flame whatsoever as they slowly ascended like giant blimps, hardly seeming to move at all. Yet within seconds they were were already sparkling blue dots in the sky. And save for a half dozen far sleeker ships that looked like everything from F-15s to Milleniax Falcons that were utterly void of passengers or crew… the spaceport was oddly barren.

  Of course he knew that wasn’t actually the case. Thanks to 1700 Perception, he could sense the continuous thrum of electromana pulses and signals emanating from multiple chrome-hued terminals and spaceport hangers, not to mention the hundreds of lives radiating both heat and a low-key anxiety within those buildings. Yet the spaceport landing strip itself was void of absolutely everyone, save for a single figure kitted up in what looked like a high-tech hazmat suit, presently standing before a massive teleportation crackling with shimmering streaks of lightning all the colors of the rainbow, upon an opal-hued surface.

  The figure awaiting Eric held up a softly beeping device before solemnly removing his helmet, and there Caliban was, flashing him a relieved smile, a look of such warmth and gratitude in his eyes that Eric had no words to describe it.

  “Caliban…”

  Yet his friend didn’t say a word before solemnly dropping to his knees, bowing low before a nonplussed Eric. “Thank you, my friend. Your service to this world and the fragile lives it nurtures and protects won’t be forgotten.”

  Eric blinked, before forcing a cheeky grin. “Are you kidding? Did you see how absolutely badass I looked, slicing that ICBM bitch in half? Mother couldn’t pay for special effects that sweet, and I got to do it for free! Not only that, I’m up another sweet fucking core!”

  Caliban shuddered and paled.

  Eric winced. “Sorry, Caliban. It’s just that…”

  His friend stood upright, clasping his harm and shaking his head. “No need to explain anything, Eric. Just please accept our gratitude.”

  Eric dipped his head, suppressing a wince as a fresh wave of pain tore through him. For Freetown, as much as he savored its high tech marvels and wonders and the hundred thousand or so souls brought to fresh life… still lacked what had brought him at least a sliver of comfort during his mad run to the gate. Arcadia, at least, had been blessed with just enough Wood-aligned Spiritual Energy to help him endure the pain that was once more becoming a torment.

  “Happy to be there for you, my friend.” Eric flashed a bitter smile, electing to reveal no hints of secrets that Caliban had no business knowing. Such as everything revealed by the ears of his familiar, that had clued Eric in on absolutely everything that had occurred in his sister’s palatial hall.

  “So, I don’t suppose you can tell me precisely where I’m going or what’s expected of me?”

  Caliban smiled, solemnly handing him the last things he had expected to see… his familiar Bunbun’s tablet. With a little something extra, that absolutely blew him away.

  He swallowed his suddenly parched throat, heart hammering. “Caliban…”

  “The tablet of one Lillian Hendrix, recently ascended general of the Imperial Fleet, otherwise known as Bunbun. A tablet that I’ve been assured is now as close to indestructible as its possible to get,” Caliban assured as he unfastened the harness holding the mithril blade he had sheathed to his waist. Eric recognized the Wind-aligned Qi radiating from the weapon, inviting so many questions… but there was no time.

  So he remained silent, save for revealing a grateful smile as Caliban solemnly handed over both blade and a slender card case the color of burnished electrum.

  “And you’ll want this.” Caliban laughed at Eric’s expression. “My assistant just happened to mention that we had a genuine mithril dachi of unknown origin in our inventory right as I was making my way here. So I had him drop everything and meet me here, before you arrived. Somehow, I felt it more than fitting that this serve as my parting gift to you, my patron, partner, and friend.”

  Eric swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he securely fastened the harness upon his still naked torso, not hesitating to bind it to him that very instant with a single drop of his blood, needing only to draw the exquisitely honed blade fit perfectly to its sheath to recognize both its nature and strengths, allowing what would be an extension of himself to dance and spin through the air for no more than three precious seconds before his lips stretched wide with fierce satisfaction, the now sanguine-hued blade bound to him, body and soul.

  You have successfully Soul-bound: Feng Ren Wind-aligned mithril blade at the cost of 1 Soul Point. You may now unleash Windfire Strike / Bloodfire Strike at will!

  “How absolutely remarkable,” Caliban whispered, growing slightly misty-eyed before clearing his throat and patting the electrum card case. “Your card, my young business partner and friend. Yes, the case is ES space friendly, and virtually indestructible. That, along with a drop of your blood and proof of your potency, will grant you access to your imperial account at any official branch of any and all major mercantile factions within this galactic sector.”

  Eric blinked. “But I could just use my card at any Blue Corp branch, right?”

  This earned a patient smile from his friend. “Of course. Though Titan Prime, one of the most important agrarian meccas in this sector, and your ultimate destination, is primarily served by the Jade Syndicate. Of course, we do have a lesser presence in NanDushi. One of the four megalopolises of your future home that hold one of the four jump gates or worm portals, if you like, leading from the continental shoreline lowlands to locations that are far more accessible to us.”

  He then tapped the tablet Eric held in his unresisting hand. “Basic tourist details of your destination are, of course, included as part of a standard traveler’s package that a certain associate made sure your tablet was equipped with.”

  Eric blinked at this. “The Jade Syndicate?”

  His friend nodded. “Think Blue Corp, but with zero boundaries or strictures. Also possessing a ruthless reclamation policy… though they do offer VIP status for high rollers such as yourself, which I most definitely recommend you take advantage of. As a VIP, you will be treated almost as well as you’ve come to expect with Blue Corp… so long as you remember to read over the fine print thrice.” He lowered his voice. “And by all means, make use of a Blue Corp representation before signing any binding documents or making any major purchased. You may even message me, should the situation warrant a truly impartial expert.”

  Eric opened his mouth, then closed it. There was so much he wanted to ask. Needed to ask, as Caliban bowed once more before Eric, solemnly and low.

  “My family and my clan will never be able to repay you for what you have done on our behalf. Thank you, Eric. Our entire faction owes you a considerable debt.”

  Eric smiled, more touched than he wanted to admit, no matter the painful haze at risk of overwhelming him once more. Yet of all the maelstrom of questions and concerns he would have loved to bring up if there was time, he settled for the question he most needed to ask.

  “Do you think it will help?”

  Caliban sighed. “With the degree of Spiritual Energy that even the lowlands of New Titan are supposed to radiate, I’d be very much surprised if you don’t find yourself feeling leagues better, sufficient to finally slow down and savor a far more peaceful life, free of pain and hardship for years… even centuries. Even if you utterly fail their absurd requirements to actually ascend the plateau. And as for details as to how all that works.,. I’m afraid I have none to share at all.”

  Eric squeezed his eyes shut and cursed. “Fuck, Jade Syndicate? If I’m forced to deal with another—”

  “No, Eric. They are the farthest thing from goblins. Their word is their bond, and is inviolate. Even if they accept more ruthless associations and contracts than Blue, they have never once broken faith with us in any arrangement. Not once.”

  Eric clenched his jaw, then forced himself to nod, before flipping open the card case, though he already knew what he’d find. “My Blue Corp card.”

  “Your imperial account,” Caliban quickly corrected. “Which you have been gracious enough to entrust with Blue.”

  At that moment, the giant shimmering portal flashed once, twice, then again.

  Caliban’s eyes widened. “You have to go now, Eric. No time to waste.”

  Eric hissed, hating feeling like he was once more under the gun, now fully embracing Battletime. “First take 8 Billion from my personal account. Put it in our joint business development banking account.”

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  Caliban blinked at this. “Eric, you have no idea how…”

  “And you’re to give Elonia indefinite zero interest access to my share of the proceeds from our banking operations. Effectively, she can use every last credit to help keep New Arcadia, New York, and every other territory of the Sylvan Alliance vibrant and strong.”

  Caliban froze in stunned disbelief as Eric solemnly passed Caliban his card, slowly girding himself for the jump as Caliban hurriedly swiped it.

  “Are you sure, Eric?”

  “Do it! No time to waste,” he snapped, snatching it up when Caliban handed it right back to him.

  Warning! Jump Portal is about to close! Hyperion core will now—you have successfully accessed: Tiger Fleet gate!

  Eric leaped into the shimmering portal that was both jet black and sparkling with what seemed a thousand blazing stars and flashes of unfathomable effervescence... so like a rift entrance.

  He expected the passage to be in the blink of an eye.

  He certainly wasn’t expecting to sense himself being yanked right off the space port, sailing past the moon in the blink of an eye, Battletime immediately kicking into high gear and even then, it was to see stars streaking past him at inconceivable speeds.

  Yet instead of the existential horror he knew he should have felt at the void pressing against him from countless dimensional angles, he couldn’t help but laugh, or screech for joy as he embraced his true form once more, reveling in darting along galactic reverberations at screaming speeds so reminiscent of his time as a phoenix. Yet the movement was effortless, and utterly his to control. He still stayed on the path of least resistance, happily floating upon the currents before him, before thinking to spread his wings and catch even stronger updrafts, now darting through hyperspace at speeds beyond what even jump gates should be capable of.

  He gave an exultant cry, now utterly free of pain, sensing how easy it would be to burst past his own constraints and evolve to Bronze and so much more… but no.

  Not when he was so close. Not when he had come so close to achieving perfection, before his sire’s parting gift had forced him to surrender so much potential that he was now absolutely determined to regain, more determined than ever to achieve pristine 3rd Tier Core Saturation so that when he one day spread his wings in full, he wouldn’t harm a single twig upon the nest of his birth.

  Yet he wasn’t blind to the price he was now forced to pay, having already surrendered the sweetest of boons, a Bronze tier title that could have, should have, been his own… but no. Even now, he could sense his twin’s tears of joy, the sheer exultation she felt, commanding the howling winds and torrential rains of a storm that would shake the very bedrock of New York’s coastline, and send the flotilla of World War II era battleships some monster had somehow brought to bear sinking to the bottom of New York’s harbor.

  Before a single shell could be launched against her cities.

  For the Bronze Title she had earned might have given her a massive boost to her ability to defend her empire… but it was the Silver title she had claimed, squeezing tight to her breast… that now allowed her to channel the powers of the Winter Queen herself.

  Their mother. Free of all limits or restrictions. For this world was most definitely Elonia’s own.

  And even if the title that could have enhanced an entire galactic faction had weight only upon lands Elonia had claimed, and only upon the world of her birth, Eric could think of no better use of her gift, of her arts, than defending her empire against all forces that would see her fall. It might just be enough to ensure her survival, even if Eric was now countless light years away.

  The young phoenix gave a mournful cry, not sure if he was seeing glimpses of what had been or what might be, but one thing was for sure. Elonia now held a hidden Ace up her sleeve that very few hands could beat.

  As for Eric himself, he too had an unexpected card up his sleeve. For unlike the countless thousands of elite-tier souls locked in suspended animation that he sensed riding similar jump gate currents, Eric was very much awake and aware and enjoying taking his ease, soaring over gentle currents leading him along brilliantly glowing galactic filaments, well able to swim free, whenever he liked.

  Of course, he had absolutely no desire to do so, knowing that he’d find himself torn out of hyperspace to float in the blackness of real space in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but quantum flux and distant stars to keep him company while shockingly high Vitality and resistances assured his endless survival for who knew how many days or millennia, till he could attract help, offering outrageously high bounties to anyone willing to take the trip to save his sorry ass.

  He shuddered at the thought, shaking his beak, no matter the chipper System message percolating through his mind.

  Congratulations! Thanks to Adept Tier Charge skill, Speed Racer Rank III, Superhuman attributes, Gold-tier insights and previous history as an ascended Gold Phoenix, you have successfully learned the Jump Flight skill!

  Now, whenever you make use of a Jump Gate, You may effortlessly control your movements and positioning to exit anywhere within 100 miles (cubed with skill level) of standard exit point! Additionally, you retain FULL CONTINUED ACCESS to said jump gate and may access it to leap to any known gate, so long as you are within range! Additionally, you may slip free of hyperspace at any time.

  WARNING! Early exits can be hazardous if you slip back into normal space without proper gear, resistances, or lacking sufficient knowledge of your location or the nearest habitable star system!

  NOTE! A skill check (with a minus 20 penalty) WILL allow you to hop onto nearby hyperspace wormholes even when beyond 100(skill level) miles of jump gate, OR leap from one wormhole to another, mid-flight!

  Jump Flight is now Rank 1.

  You’ve had a breakthrough! You can spread your wings in hyperspace without depleting your core saturation at all! Phoenix wings prove IDEAL for manipulating your movements in hyperspace.

  Jump Flight is now Rank 5!!

  A tiny corner of Eric mind was awed by the scope of a skill he couldn’t help but think that space pilots and interstellar navigators would go to almost any length to obtain. Yet thanks to his background and Contender status, it all came to him as naturally as breathing.

  Yet mostly what he felt was prickly ire when he sensed the exit point of his jump.

  Not in the comfy quarters of a valued guest or trading partner that Admiral Reiza would once again make the deal of a lifetime with. Not even the cool, sterile quarters of an unexpected guest.

  No.

  What he sensed waiting for him was an exit point surrounded by a giant sphere crackling with multiple nul fields and denial matrices with no less than three dreadnought-class ships aiming hyperion mazers and quark torpedos at, along with dozens of smaller supporting battleships and space destroyers circling the multiple mile-long dreadnoughts like restless sharks around titanic krackens... and countless attack frigates swarming like bees around them all.

  “Good thing we can bypass all that bullshit. Isn’t it, Fearless Leader?”

  Eric grinned at the memory of his beloved familiar, now Eve’s valued general, earning both him and his sister the clemency they had desperately needed to survive and thrive when a more ruthless tyrant would have simply crushed the life out of every last one of Malificent Bane’s descendants.

  Just in case. And how could he blame her, really?

  But that didn’t matter.

  What mattered was the smirk that a hyperspace phoenix shared with his rabbit, neither caring that much that the ways they were contorting their features was impossible in 4-D space. Because what was exceedingly possible to the point of being effortless was taking careful note the blinking red lights demarcating every place his familiar had been summoned or hopped along in oh-so-innocent curiosity around Admiral Reisa’s flagship, the one dreadnought that of course had the largest hyperion mazers, blaster batteries, and torpedo bays presently pointed at Eric’s exit point.

  Which made it absurdly easy for a still smiling and now completely human-looking Eric to pop into existence right behind the snappily dressed Admiral Reiza, who looking downright splendid in her Elizabethan era naval uniform with a dash of Enterprise flare, cutting a smokingly hot figure indeed with curves in all the right places as she glared at the massive holographic display in the middle of her bridge, snapping orders to her suddenly stiffening crew.

  “Lieutenant Sulu! Status of the jump gate?”

  “Two minutes until estimated emergence,” assured the crystal-clear voice coming from the bridge speaker.

  “Excellent! I trust that Scotty has the fields overclocked as requested?”

  “Yes, sir. Scotty’s certain that the power he’s skimming from all three of our dreadnought cores will be enough to contain any anomaly below Gold.”

  Reiza squeezed the gold wire wrapped hilt of her force saber in satisfaction. “Good. The Empress herself made it clear that any and all means used to assure our glorious fleet’s triumph was acceptable. And if our guest is anywhere near as hot as his familiar was last time, then Tiger fleet will be all too happy to take that core off his hands.”

  “And you can do just that!” Eric brightly declared from behind a suddenly shrieking Reiza who spun around, drawing a crackling force-saber with a panicked twist as the entire bridge began blaring with flashing red lights and digital cries of alien presences and safety breeches.

  Eric, still dressed in nothing but bluejeans, and surprisingly still covered in the gore spatter that hadn’t flicked off with his dash to Freetown, kept his hands politely behind his back and away from the hilt of his dachi as he gave the terrified-looking commander his best smile.

  “No need to scream in excitement, even though I’m about to give you the deal of a lifetime!”

  Reiza’s eyes widened, her features flickering between terror, outrage, fear, until finally settling on bemused disbelief.

  She even managed a breathy chuckle, trembling hands resheathing her crackling saber, a tiny headshake causing the half dozen heavily armed security glaring Eric’s way to step back.

  “Let me guess. You’re not just a Dreadlord, you’re the one who’s familiar…”

  “Bunbun.”

  She flinched. “Yes… Bunbun. Your familiar who was so desperate to unload multiple cores—”

  “At absolutely rock bottom prices!” Eric chimed in. “Top-tier cores better than anything you’ll find on the Jitan market can once again be YOURS for the low low price of…” A grinning Eric cupped his ears. “You know the magic number.”

  Reiza took a shuddering breath. “Half a trillion credits—”

  “Sold! A pleasure doing business with you as always, Admiral. Now, if you’d be so good as to escort me to the faraday cage of your choice… though not the Gold mousetrap below, ha ha! I’d be happy to deposit your 100% guaranteed quality purchase. Just as soon as you sign on the dotted line!”

  Eric then presented his tablet with a flourish, ignored the looks of disbelief the entire crew was giving him while scrolling to the bottom of an app he didn’t understand in the least, but that Bunbun’s mental projection was guiding him through like an old pro, before presenting the tablet to the bemused Admiral with a bow.

  Admiral Reiza blinked and stared. “You’re serious.”

  “Dead serious, Admiral awesome!” Quipped Bunbun’s image that suddenly popped up on the tablet, Eric’s former familiar presently taking her ease on a plush cushion in a tiny garden that Eric just knew was in the middle of a very fast and extremely powerful starship, presently munching on a tasty-looking carrot.

  Which made Eric feel a sudden jolt of shame he carefully kept from his features.

  When was the last time he had even fed his beloved Bun? Let alone organic special-selection carrots he just knew were a thousand credits a bushel. At least!

  “Sorry, dear one.”

  “Don’t sweat it. We were busy as fuck!”

  “Now, seeing as you have three Dreadnoughts and each is capable of pulling along a delicious swarm of battleships through hyperspace, I’m betting you have PLENTY of room to store another backup core! And seeing as your queen can grab another priceless prize for HALF the Jitan going rate… what’s not to love? Am I right? Of course I am!” Bunbun happily chimed in.

  “No, no, don’t look at your delicious trap that didn’t work quite as expected. And don’t worry about the fact that the Level 37 equivalent Silver with over 3700 in Strength and 900 in Elemental Resistance, so your blasters won’t do SHIT, just happened to EFFORTLESSLY slipped free of your little surprise, ha ha. And we won't even stress how easily and effortlessly he's carrying a city-destroying hyperion core that he's carrying without leaking a lick of radiation... a core that would obliterate most hollow excuses for Silvers... because none of that matters. You know why, Reiza darling?”

  Reiza’s aura of command visibly cracked, eyes widening as she took in Eric’s completely unassuming form. Looking more like an extremely fit college freshman than any word-destroying titan.

  But for some reason, his smile, his very BEST smile, was definitely putting her on edge.

  Reiza took a shuddering breath, her purple irises locking with Eric’s own.

  Her nostrils flared, pupils dilating as she licked her ruby red lips, and Eric just stared.

  “Because grudges are for suckers. For pros like us, it’s all about the bottom line.”

  “Damn right, Reiza baby! It’s ALWAYS about the bottom line! So sign on the fucking dotted line, and let’s all walk away like the winners we are!”

  Reiza took a shuddering breath, and the bridge screen flared to fresh life.

  Revealing a cool-eyed woman dressed in an exotic collage of silks shimmering with spirit pearls, mana jewels, and protective wardings that absolutely screamed wealth and royal privilege, making it clear who the woman with high cheekbones, absolutely flawless features, and brilliant amethyst eyes had to be.

  “Admiral Reiza, what is your—” Her words broke off, glaring at a positively beaming Eric, who gave the image a polite 45 degree bow, even as he heard the crack of dozens of fists banging foreheads or breastplates.

  The obvious queen’s eyes widened thoughtfully, lips curving in a calculating smile. “You are indeed a resourceful one…”

  “Eric Silver, Your Grace.”

  “Indeed. And you successfully passed the test we had prepared for you. Exactly as we had hoped you would.” She steepled her fingers as her discerning gaze flicked over his form in thoughtful appraisal before she gave the tiniest of approving nods. “Tell me, Eric Silver, are you ready to serve a cause far greater than any single man? To purge this sector of pirates, raiders, and rebels while helping to restore a galactic empire whose song will echo through the annals of the galaxy for countless eons?”

  “For the empire!” Cried out every officer and enlisted person on that bridge.

  Eric gave the queen his widest grin, ignoring the emotionally hurtful flinch he received in turn. “If by help, you mean sell your Tiger Fleet a TOP-TIER hyperion core at the absolutely ROCK BOTTOM rate of half a trillion credits, then count me in!”

  The queen had the grace to smile, though it didn’t reach her calculating eyes. “Indeed, we would be happy to continue our mutually profitable arrangement. Now, I will let my admiral complete the transaction and credit your Imperial account immediately. And should you accept our proposal after celebrating another shared fiscal triumph, you might just find yourself the richest newly forged Contender in this corner of the galaxy, and that just might earn you an impressive title or two. And few things are more precious to individuals like yourself than unclaimed titles, no?”

  Eric blinked at this, heart pounding with wonder, avarice, and unexpected fear. He carefully dipped his head. “That sounds splendid, Your Eminence.”

  “Indeed. A pleasure making your acquaintance, Eric Silver. Do enjoy your trip to Titan Prime.”