Gram Gram grabbed Henry by the scruff of his neck, punched a hole into time and space, and dove straight through. Henry felt the chill of the great wide, nothing immediately. It sheared at him, dug deep, past clothes and skin. Gram Gram was completely unaffected; she looked like she was on a stroll through the park.

  Just as soon as it started, it stopped. Out of the frying pan into the fire, from cold darkness to intense heat and pressure, Henry felt ki pushing down on him, pressure like he had never experienced before. It was like the world was trying to squeeze him until he popped.

  Gram tapped him on the forehead, and the pressure and heat relented just like that. He could focus on the crazy landscape before him—soaring spires of stone in a sea of flames and lava as far as the eye could see. On the lava lake's surface, rock mermaids were swimming and frolicking without a care. Flying in the air were magpies entirely made of flame, darting and twirling before combusting into ash.

  "Pretty magnificent, isn't it, dear?"

  "Pretty fucking cool; I mean, yes, Gram Gram, very magnificent," he said, feeling strangely bashful about cussing in front of Gram Gram.

  "This is my winter home, dear. We can stay here for your training. No one bothers me here."

  She held him like an accessory as they drifted slowly into the lake of lava.

  "Gram Gram, I'm not fireproof, and that's a lake of lava."

  "Hush, this is the cool part, as you would say," she said mischievously.

  The two cultivators plunged into the lava. Henry braced for his feet to be melted off. Instead, he was met with a pleasant, gentle warmth. It was like dipping your toes into a perfectly drawn bath. The lava parted for them as they moved through it. There was a giant castle at the bottom of the lake.

  Henry marveled at the structure. It was large and imposing, with big parapets and giant walls surrounding it. For some reason, there was a moat, and he was confused about why that was necessary. He chose not to question Gram's architectural choices; he just took it all in.

  "Gram Gram, you're right, this is pretty cool."

  Standing ramrod straight at the main gate was a butler. The guy looked so proper that Henry half expected him to speak in a snobby accent. He was not disappointed.

  "Madam, it is always a pleasure to receive your august presence at Flamestone Castle."

  "Thank you, Sebastian. This is my grandson, Hen Ri. He will stay with us for the foreseeable future," Gram Gram said as she entered the gates. Henry followed along like a puppy in a new house.

  "I will alert the staff, madam, to make up a room for Master Hen Ri. Will you require anything else?"

  "No, you may go, Sebastian; that will be all."

  "Very well,l madam."

  The butler bowed once and was gone. Henry needed to learn how all these people could do that. It was pretty impressive.

  They entered the castle, and Henry was doing the shocked tourist look again. The lava surrounding him stayed outside as he stepped onto plush carpeted floors. The interior of the castle was awe-inspiring. It made the Dragon's Horde feel like some cheap two-bit hotel.

  Dark lava rocks made up the stone walls. The rich, blood-red tapestry hung everywhere. Gold was the general decoration theme; everything was covered in it. In glass cases, things screamed at Henry with their potential energy. Gram Gram was loaded; he was sure of it.

  So why was Goldy slumming it, why did he not just get a loan from her.

  Gram Gram spoke as if she were reading his mind, and let's be serious, she probably was.

  "My son, your master has always been very prideful, even for a dragon. He didn't want any handouts, and he didn't want any help from mommy dearest."

  There was remorse and sadness in her tone. Henry had always been a mama's boy, so he reflexively patted her on the back.

  "Goldy is an idiot, Gram Gram, but I think if he could have asked for help, he would have."

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  Gram looked frailer now, standing alone in this giant castle by herself. He felt a pang of sympathy for the old lady. As tired as he was, Henry threw a big stupid smile and said, "Hey, show me more of your sweet digs, Gram Gram."

  "You're a good boy, Hen Ri. Come, you need a bath and some rest. You look and smell terrible."

  She walked briskly up the stairs, Henry following after. Making turns almost at random, she led Henry to an abandoned section of the mansion. All the rooms looked to be vacant. There were dozens of darkened rooms, except one with a soft glow coming out from under it. Standing outside was the butler again.

  "The suite is ready for the young master, madam. I have also taken the liberty to draw a bath for him."

  "Thank you, Sebastian. As always, your service is impeccable," Gram Gram said as she shooed Henry into the room.

  "Clean up, dear boy, and when I'm ready, I will have someone come collect you."

  With that, she turned on her heels and disappeared into the maze of corridors.

  Henry stood there in what felt like a small condo. He couldn't help staring at the gigantic bed with its fluffy pillows and perfectly soft-looking blankets. All of his exhaustion finally crept up on him. He had not slept since he was transported to this damn world.

  Gram Gram was right, though he stunk.

  Next to the fireplace was the bath, a big porcelain tub with clawed feet. The water was the perfect temperature when he put his hand in. On a tray table next to it lay some fancy soaps and creams.

  "If the young master would undress, I will have your clothes laundered or incinerated, judging by their sorry state."

  Henry jumped in fright.

  "Holy crap, man, you scared the shit out of me; make some noise next time when you're around.."

  "Also, please don't call me young master. I hate that," Henry said as he started to strip.

  "Just call me Henry."

  "That would not be proper, young master. You are her ladyship's grandson, and your dishonor would reflect poorly on her."

  If snobbery were a person, it would be taking lessons from Sebastian.

  "The bathtub heats and cleans itself. The soaps and creams are for you to experiment with at your leisure."

  This guy was intense, Henry thought as he slid into the water.

  "I shall be back with some refreshment and a spare change of clothes for the young master. If you need anything else, there is a bell on the tray. Ring it, and someone will be with you shortly."

  Henry was already in the tub making a mess of the soap before Sebastian could finish. The butler gave him a quirk of his perfectly shaped eyebrow, then silently walked out of the room.

  I don't think that guy likes me very much, Henry thought as he scrubbed layers of filth off of himself. Luxuriating in the tub, he let the craziness of the last forty-eight hours wash away.

  Gram Gram is insanely powerful, so he thought she was downplaying her abilities. So why was she being so nice to him? He understood she wanted to see her son again, but why train him? Henry mixed the steaming water and soap, watching them separate slowly. Did she see Henry as family? He never knew his grandparents growing up. He knew he had them, but his mother was very vague about the details. He kinda liked the old lady; she seemed the type that would drink a beer with him in private. Henry heard a noise and was stirred from his mental musings.

  There was a knock on the door and a polite cough.

  "Come in."

  The door opened, and five maids walked in. They all had different colored hair but were otherwise dressed identically. Each girl was holding a silver platter laden with food. Sebastian followed the maids with a stack of clothes in his arms. With a grace that Henry could never hope to replicate, they set a feast up next to the bathtub. Everything was ideally within arm's length.

  "Young master, dinner should be ready soon, but for now, feel free to snack while the girls dress you."

  "Uhh, come again, I can dress myself, thank you very much," Henry said, eying the maids. They were all adorable, but he had to draw the line somewhere.

  "Do we displease you, master?" said the redhead.

  "No, it's not that, it's just…"

  "We haven't had a guest in a long time; we just thought we could be of service," the one with blue hair said, looking dejected.

  "Now, girls, if the young master says you are useless, you will be dismissed."

  Five sets of doe eyes looked at him all at once. This fucking bastard butler, he knew what he was doing. Henry was confused; what was Sebastian doing?

  "See here, I never said that; just leaving five young girls alone with a man doesn't seem like a very proper thing to do."

  Haha, gotcha Sebastian.

  The green-haired one spoke up.

  "Young master, we are not young."

  "Zi here is the youngest one out of all of us," she said, pointing at the purple-haired girl, "and she is five hundred years old."

  Henry had nothing to say, of course they were, because why not, it was just xianxia things after all.

  Sebastian nodded to the maids briskly and gave the bundle of clothing to the pink-haired one.

  "Girls, please ensure the young master is adequately dressed for dinner."

  With military discipline, the five maids all bowed as one to the retreating butler. Then, also as one, they trained their gaze on Henry.

  Henry was sure he saw a very peculiar glint in all their eyes. Like a fox in a hen house, he suddenly felt very vulnerable.

  Help a Bro Out!