The Wanderer

The Empress

As Sora made armor for Jiro, I privately talked with Gio. I faced him with my arms crossed, "So...You said this was about my mother? How did you know Zariya?" I ask.

"And how did you know she was my mother?" I raise an eyebrow. He rubbed the back of his head, "Well, it's quite obvious. You can turn into a Dragonoid, right?"

I nod, "That's right...What about it?" I ask. Gio sighed "I never knew her personally, but there were stories about her. In the Serpentine Wars, she died from an Elemental Master..."

I frown as my jaw clenched, "Yes. Yes she did."

"But she wasn't human." Gio looked up at me and my eyes widen. "What?" I raise an eyebrow, "Not human? Is she..."

Gio nods, "She is exactly like you, Asteria. I knew I recognized your power when I saw it."

I was silent as I pulled out my album and opened it, flipping to a page with my mother on it. "So she...Was a Dragon?" I ask and gesture to the picture. Gio nodded "I remember stories of her. She fought well and she was a wanderer like you..."

I smiled, "My father says I look just like her...And...I have to admit, I do. And I love it."

I smile and pull Gio into a hug "Thank you, Gio." I say and he returned the hug. Though I couldn't help but wonder...Why didn't Skales tell me about this?

I walked over to the others, Jiro's armor finished. I felt a grip on my wrist and looked. "Asteria." Cole said and I turned to him, he let go of me. "There's something I have to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow "Okay...What is it?" I ask. "Do you remember how I told you I could hear the ground screaming?" He looked up at me.

I nod, "Yeah, I remember that."

"Well, last night- When everyone was asleep, I heard a voice." The earth ninja explained. "Calling out to me from the edge of the valley. A voice I haven't heard in a long time..."

My eyes widened, "Master Wu."

He turned to me "How did you know?" He asked. "Nya and Kai followed his voice as well."

Cole walked closer to me "He was calling me. To follow him."

I placed a hand on his shoulder "Then follow. Ever since the Merge, everything hasn't been the same. But, if you ever hear Wu's voice...You follow."

Cole smiled "I was hoping you'd say that. Now go. Stop the Mergequakes. It looks like my journey is going to take me somewhere else."

I smile and pulled him into a hug, "Be safe Cole. Once you return, I'll be waiting for you."

Cole hugged back, "Of course."

We pull away and I jumped onto Jiro with Nya and Junior as Sora and Nadine sat on Zanth. We took off into the sky. I look to Junior, "We have a lot to catch up on, you know."

He chuckled "That we do."

~~~

Nya spoke as we were getting closer to the Kingdom, "For as rotten as this Kingdom is, it does look perfect from the outside."