============================== 5. To Shoulder Responsibility ============================== .. Kroman hears the Khaay out. Merlock wants the Crown to stop an impending war which will start at the hands of three tyrants. He needs the Crown’s power to stand up against them. Kro agrees to help. He decides to ask the Gradii for help. Sin agrees to come with him, but his father stops him at the last minute as they receive news of Gawin Oreille’s death. Kro has only 5 months to complete this journey. --- "Merlock the Wise? I haven’t heard that name in a long time." Ransu’s voice sounded soft, as though trying to remember a painful memory. Krono-Kroman raised a hand in question. "You know Merlock?" "Who doesn’t? Of course, I haven’t met him — Sanzu used to mention his name often. Alongside Arelus’ name obviously. Turns out that your ancestor trained alongside him." "So I’ve been told." Ransu took in a deep breath. "Well, Merlock… If he is in this, then perhaps I wasn’t just dreaming after all." "Dreaming?" The Gradius waved his hand as though he were swatting a fly. "For the last few nights I’ve been dreaming of a loud voice which tries to tell me things," he paused and looked at them as though realising what he was saying, "It’s nothing. It was only a dream," he added, looking at Sintrei cautiously. The Elwash was staring vividly at Ransu as though he saw something new in him. "I need to retrieve the Crown, Ransu. And for that, I need to go to Sinaarkei. To find the Key of Alsurm." "And you’ll need a guide. I see your point." Ransu looked over at the door at the far end of the room and called out. "Radell! I know you’re there." The door was still. But through the gaps, smoke crept into the room. The smoke took a Human form and the head became distinctly like Radell’s. "Smoke?" Sintrei asked, looking vacuously at Radell’s head. "Mist actually. There’s more of a difference. You’ll need to observe closely," Ransu explained. Fixing his eyes on Radell he continued. "Find Eomth." Radell’s misty form stirred. "Eomth? I don’t know — " "He’ll be on top of the Lookout. I expect you’ll have no trouble reaching him." "No. By your leave — " The head became mist and the mist seeped out of the room from under the door. Ransu turned towards Krono-Kroman, "Eomth is well-travelled. He is one of the few Gradii who has travelled almost the entire world. Of course he returned just two months ago, but I’m sure he’ll accompany you. He hates staying within confines." "Confines?" Ransu frowned. "Well, to the Gradii who travel a lot, Limiters are sort of like confinements. He isn’t really comfortable with Limiters." Krono-Kroman nodded. "I could imagine what the sudden control over his power would feel like." It always was a pain receding to his normal state from his Sorcerer state. Ransu laughed. "Well, I’d expect you would." Then, taking a sterner look, "What of the Khaay? You don’t trust them, that much is sure." Krono-Kroman sighed. "I don’t trust their actions, Ransu. Why serve Merlock? I thought that the Khaay were free people." "I have no idea. But I expect that you can trust them to some extent. I haven’t met many Khaay, but I’ve heard that they are trustworthy. Perhaps more so than Humans, or Elwash." Sintrei held back a snarl, though only half-heartedly. A wind blew into the room. Shivering, Sintrei noticed that a window was open. As he moved to close it, the wind slammed it shut. "It’s a stormy night. It’s funny how the weather can change in such a short time," said a deep voice. Sintrei turned around to face a tall man he hadn’t notice enter the room. He wasn’t tall as an Elwash, but he was even taller than Radell, albeit only a little. He had long black hair which he had tied in a ponytail. His jaw was covered by a very thin film of hair, he hadn’t shaved that day it seemed. He wore a long unbuttoned coat, the kind that the Ahvansh Guard wore, only it was light grey. He wore black leather boots and similar gloves. His shirt was white, perhaps cotton or wool, it was too covered to tell. His trousers seemed to be leather, yet there was a different look to it. Perhaps it had been tanned in a different way. If Sintrei didn’t know better it almost looked like the material had scales! The door was closed, leaving Sintrei wondering how this man came into the room. He assumed that he might have had some power like Radell’s. Perhaps smoke or even the ability to walk through walls. If there was such an element. The one thing that interested Sintrei even more was the fact that this one did not carry a weapon. At least one that was large enough to be visible. "Eomth. I’d like you to meet the Sorcerer-King of Straasfore. Krono-Kroman." Krono-Kroman raised his right hand to gesture his friendship, but the tall man only nodded. The new Gradius was stiff as a rock. Sintrei observed that Ransu didn’t bother introducing him. Not that he cared, of course. Krono-Kroman seemed to find the Gradius inert to starting a conversation, so he took the first step. "Ransu tells me that you are well-travelled. Do you know Sinaarkei well?" Eomth grunted what Sintrei could only assume to be an acknowledgement. He felt he understood why this one moved about. The people around him couldn’t possibly stand his coldness. At that moment, Sintrei decided that this one irritated him more than all other Gradii alive. He wished that there could be someone else to guide them. A Gradius, if no one else could be found, but not this one. Ransu’s stern stare seemed to do something to shatter the other Gradius’ show of inertness. "I was born on Sinaarkei. I know it well." Krono-Kroman raised an eyebrow. "Born on Sinaarkei? You don’t look like an outlander." "Eomth," Ransu said, "They search for the Key of Alsurm. They believe it is in the Second Continent." It appeared that Alsurm’s name gave Eomth some amount of interest. "You have business with the Gatekeeper?" Krono-Kroman nodded slowly. "Not directly, but I’ll need his key to go to the Third World." Eomth raised an eyebrow sceptically. "For a worthy cause, I’m sure." He turned his attention on Ransu. "Why was I summoned?" Sintrei didn’t know much about the hierarchy among the Gradii, but he was certain that Eomth’s lack of respect would have some repercussions. Ransu regarded the other Gradius with silence. Sintrei felt the room warm up but outwardly the Lord of the Gradii was the embodiment of calm. "I want you to go with them to Sinaarkei with them," Ransu ordered. Sintrei was amazed at the sudden change of voice. In a way, Ransu was indeed like a King. The Gradii were under no regime save that of their Lord. And Ransu lived up to the title. Eomth wasn’t impressed, apparently. There was defiance in the way that he stood, but he nodded in the end. "As my lord commands." Ransu looked appalled at his reply. He rubbed the tip of his nose slowly in silence as he regarded the Gradius with curiosity. And Eomth seemed to have noticed his manner. "I feel confined here. The Limiters… they restrain me," he spoke looking at his palms as though a great power could burst forth from them suddenly. It was then that Sintrei began to wonder what Eomth’s element was. He didn’t know if asking him upfront was a good idea. Although, judging from the way he’d entered without opening the doors, he supposed that it must be something similar to Radell’s. Ransu took in a deep breath and let it out. He walked closer to Eomth and raised his head to look him in his eyes. "I expect you to return, Eomth. I do not encourage wandering around the world. You still haven’t mastered all your powers." Eomth didn’t move. For a while they stood there, two men who could have been siblings for all Sintrei knew. And in that small exchange, it made the Elwash wonder who would have been the elder of the two. Sintrei’s first impression of Eomth was that he was one of those men who would go and start a war or two just because he was bored. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He felt that there was something buried within that cold exterior. And he wasn’t looking forward to trying to decipher the Gradius. "I’m sure we’ll enjoy this in a way," Kroman said, obviously trying to shatter the silence. "I can’t teleport to Sinaarkei without a pattern circle there." Eomth turned around. "You mean you can’t teleport to a place you’ve never been before?" Kroman looked distracted. "It’s not that. The only reason teleportation is possible is the pattern circle on the golden walls of Emansun. Without it, I can’t go. We need to find a new way." For a second, Ransu and Eomth exchanged a glance which ended with Eomth trying to say something and stopping right before he could. "I think you’ll find a way," Ransu said. Kroman was probably considering using a ship, there was a smile on his face that Sintrei knew well. It was the way the young wizard had once smiled when he tried to steal some flowers from a garden to give to a girl he’d seen by a river. It usually meant trouble. Sintrei was pretty sure that an identical smile was spreading over his own face. "Whatever we choose, we should leave soon. Can you be ready in a week, Eomth?" Kroman asked. Eomth looked at Ransu who nodded. He was still looking at Eomth through the corners of his eyes. He looked at Krono-Kroman finally and a fake smile showed on his face. Sintrei wondered what was going on between the two Gradii. There was something there that he did not understand. "I hope so," Kroman replied. --- They returned to the top of Maekis a few hours before daybreak. Ransu had insisted that Kroman stay for the feast. Kroman wondered about that, to a Gradius there was a feast every night. He hadn’t seen Eomth once again, he wanted to speak with him once before leaving but Radell had said that Eomth was the only one who looked like he didn’t belong there. The horizon was lined in hues of pink and purple as the silvery clouds flanked it from either side. Kroman could hear birds chirping loudly, he recognised most of the calls to be territorial. A male telling a female where the nest was, a female telling the male that it was her turn to hunt. The owls had retired already, there weren’t too many here but Kroman could usually spot one or two hooting nearby. There was a calm breeze in the leaves so in all it seemed like a glorious orchestra of sorts. Sintrei walked back to the village, leaving Kroman on the hilltop. Everyone knew that Krono-Kroman of Straasfore loved to spend nights in Elvindore atop Maekis. But tonight, the Sorcerer-King had other plans in mind. He raised his sceptre once again and closed his eyes. The first time that he had done this, ten years ago, it had hurt, but now it was a part of him. He seized control of all the Energy around him. It felt like a wind gushing through him, trying its best to throw him away. But he had to stand against it. So he stood. The Energy pushed. He pushed back. And when the Energy slowly began to relent, he threw open his eyes and released the Sceptre. The rod flew from his hand and turned to light. It became part of him, entering him through his chest. He felt the pain but he had long accepted it. His pupils dilated till his entire eyes were black. His hair stood on end and a purple dome encased the ground where he stood. Like water being drained out of a wet cloth the colour of his hair turned to a bright crimson and then turned to white. He brought down his hand and the dome burst open, unleashing a tremendous amount of Energy. But the Energy did nothing to the trees or to the grass beneath his feet. In fact, every living thing seemed to revel in its sudden increase. And as the last horrendous streams of Energy died down, the Sorcerer raised his head slowly and whispered, "Raas mien to sacremente." It wasn’t the same sort of transformation that his ancestor had undergone sixty years ago. He wondered if it was different for every Sorcerer. His eyes returned to their normal size but he knew that the pupils would be black nownow. He had never felt more alive than he had when in this state. He had no limits to his power. He felt that he had power enough to turn back time itself. « Are you drunk on power, Kroman? » He smiled for an instant and felt a warm aura surround him. He had always linked this aura to his ancestor’s presence. Memlus Arelus could speak to him whenever he was in this state. At times he had often transformed only to feel the aura, feel like he was being comforted. But Arelus had not spoken for ten years. « Grandfather, why did I have to agree to whatever it is that Merlock wants? » He asked, though he had wanted to ask so many more questions. The aura trembled for an instant, a feeling of secrecy was hidden in it. « Because Merlock is like a brother to me. A hundred years ago, when I escaped to the Midlands, I was saved from starvation by an old Wizard. His name was Ematandi. He was the greatest Wizard to live on this world. His power and knowledge rivalled that of even the Warlords. Merlock was his first student and I, his second. We trained under Ematandi for several years and in that time Merlock became very close to me. I still speak to him sometimes. » Kroman was surprised that his ancestor could speak to another person from the afterlife. Merlock is the only being to be able to traverse between the Three worlds without Alsurm’s Key. Arelus replied. After a moment, he continued. Do what he asks of you, Kroman. He has his reasons and besides, he has promised that no harm will come to Straasfore in the next five months. Five months should be more than enough for you. "Five months?" Kroman said out loud. He could feel his ancestor’s aura change. Memlus Arelus was smiling. « Well, it isn’t that hard. But you might make it complicated if you let your guard down. Go and find the Key so that you can retrieve the Crown, Kroman. Do what he asks of you. » Kroman nodded and released the Energy stream, instantly returning to his normal state. Since it had been quite some time since he had used that form, he was tired. He sat down on the soft grass and rested for a moment. He was soon lost in his thoughts as he fell back and went to sleep. ---