The Eldest

A million different scenarios flash through my head as I watch the battle below me, changing with each choice the combatants make. Finally, the Devourer is banished into the Abyss, and the majority of the scenarios vanish, leaving behind just a few hundred. A quick scan of the remaining shows that what I am looking for has not vanished. I let out a sigh of relief. The paths might have been better if the boy, Ian, had only been stronger, but to give him the necessary level of strength in just the few months he has been a Laen, he would have had to have suffered tremendously, and in the end, I just couldn’t bring myself to make him suffer that much.

“What are you feeling relieved about?” the Master asks with a slightly mocking tone, “You realize that due to your inability to harden your heart and make the hard decisions, you have been put at a disadvantage.”

I finally turn to face him. He had appeared at the point where Drew had opened his third eye. I ignored him then, unable to remove my attention from the fight, but now that everything is all over I can fully give him the attention he deserves.

“And what makes you think I want that advantage?” I ask, smiling at him as some part of my mind begins searching. For him to appear physically before me, some part of his concealment must have been weakened.

The Master shakes his head. “Regardless of what you want, the paths have been set, and you just gave up your advantage. Honestly, with how foolish you act at times I wonder how you ever managed to outsmart me then.”

I remain silent for a few seconds. “I will be leaving soon.”

He perks up at that as a joyful glint appears in his eyes. “So you want to follow that path. Ha ha ha, truly you are foolish. Do you really want to die that badly? Why not just offer your neck to me then, we might as well speed things up.”

“What makes you think it’ll all go according to your plans?”

He gives me a knowing look. “I know what you are counting on, Eldest. And I can tell you this right now. It won’t work.”

I find what I am looking for and begin to trace the thread. Wanting to distract him, I do my best to continue the conversation. “We’ll see. Anyway, since we both need the boy, why don’t you tell that servant of yours to watch him while I am gone? We don’t want to open those paths now, do we?”

“No, we don’t. And also, I am no fool. I can tell what you are trying to do.”

The next moment he vanishes, taking the thread along with him and halting my progress instantly. I feel the side of my mouth quirk upward. “Shameless old bastard, you can’t even face me like a man.”

I turn back to the scene below me and nod to myself before leaving. After thousands of years, things are finally beginning to pick up. At this thought, I feel a bit of sadness weigh down my heart.

* * * * * *

Tahku

The fight ended without me needing to interfere. There were a couple of times I had been tempted to interfere, like the time the foolish had allowed both of his arms to get chopped off, but I always managed to hold myself back, and in the end, things worked out exactly as the Master had hoped.

“You are free to go,” I say to the two presences behind me. A moment later they are gone and I turn to ‘Taur. “What do you think?”

“That boy has guts,” ‘Taur opines, stroking his beard. “Going up against the Devourer with just a Watcher. If the Majin hadn’t been weakened, and if that possessed idiot hadn’t kept interfering, he would be dead.”

I chuckle. “To be honest, I’m surprised he even had the presence of mind to get the Watcher. I thought he would act the way he did at the concert and just rush here in the hopes of saving his sister. I guess he has more sense than we give him credit for.”

‘Taur disagrees. “I highly doubt that.”

“Well, our work here is done. Release her, and let’s be on our way. I have some business to do with Liam.”

‘Taur nods and brings out a jar. He gently opens the lid, and the next moment the small, glowing Fasuru within zips out, putting as much distance as she possibly could between us and her. She looks so vulnerable that I can’t help but consider using telekinesis to crush her. She wouldn’t die after all.

I notice ‘Taur giving me strange looks and push the thoughts out of my head. “Come on, let’s go.”

* * * * * *

Grand Master Zarel

I close my eyes and break the connection. With Hugo there, I hadn’t expected the fight to last long anyway. I take a deep breath and focus on the roomful of people in front of me, Elders, and Grand Elders from all Metoriums in the world. Miran begins the meeting and then turns to me.

I begin addressing them. “As we all know, the war never truly ended, it only entered a false state of calm due to the timely arrival of the Eldest. Well, the Eldest is leaving.”

My words ripple across the room, leaving shock and anxiety in their wake, but no one interrupts. It was only a matter of time until the Eldest left as he usually does, so no one was particularly surprised.

“From this moment onward, things are going to get complicated. But, you all have one order from the Eldest. Grow the strength of the Order as quickly as possible in preparation for war. The time for coddling is over, and we must ensure that in the shortest time possible all our members grow stronger. For those who have yet to open their third eye, send them out on more dangerous missions, host tournaments, give benefits, and do everything you can to motivate our students because soon, we’ll need all the manpower we can get. And finally, all Metoriums must begin preparation for the activation of the Grand Tzir Array.”

The final part of my sentence finally sparks the room into activity as they finally grasp the meaning of my words. In a few, I can see fear in their eyes. I turn to look at my fellow Masters and they nod at me. I nod back. Today marks the beginning. But the beginning of what is what we are yet to find out.