FARHAYVEN: VENGEANCE (42 page)

     “All right
!
Cute wolf, then
!
” said the minvian.

     Spirit growled even louder.

     “All right
!
Sorry
!
Sorry
!
You are a fierce wolf
!
I am sorry
!
I owe you a debt too, wolf, for saving the prince,” said Minvian Farhan to Spirit, not sure if his words were understood.

     Spirit calmed down a little. Apparently he understood, much to Minvian Farhan’s amazement.

     Minvian Farhan walked back over to Prince Patrum.

     “Your Highness, we have a carriage for you. This way please,” said the minvian as he gestured to a black carriage similar to the one the prince had travelled in earlier.

     “Let us proceed, minvian.  My
guests
will be joining us,” said the prince.

     “Yes, Your Highness. This way please,” said Minvian Farhan, leading Prince Patrum, Ray, Clover, Lance and Spirit to the other carriage.

     Minvian Farhan opened the carriage door. Prince Patrum boarded the carriage. Then Ray, Clover and Lance boarded. Then suddenly Minvian Farhan blocked the doorway. Spirit growled.

     “Umm, Your Highness, what about the wolf
?
” asked the minvian in an unsure tone.

     “The wolf is welcome in the carriage, Minvian Farhan, just like the rest of my guests,” clarified the prince.

     “Understood, Your Highness,” acknowledged Minvian Farhan as he stepped out of Spirit’s way.

     The white wolf boarded the carriage and jumped on Lance’s lap. The minvian closed the door and went off to attend to the proper handling of his dead comrades. A quarter of an hour later, the black carriage, with the escort of Minvian Farhan’s pond, started their journey towards Fallsene City.

     Prince Patrum turned towards Ray.

     “Elementhar, I did not catch your name,” said Prince Patrum.

     “Name _ mine of this is Ray Iddell, and this is my novice, Lance Arman; and my companion, Spirit the White Wolf. Sister _ mine Elementhar of her, you already know, Master Elementhar Clover Genox,” said Ray in a tone of casual politeness.

     “You are very skilful, Master Iddell. As a matter of fact, you all are. Have any of you considered working for the kingdom and for the government
?
” asked Prince Patrum.

     “Elementhars _ we are of them, and are required to be apolitical and therefore are not allowed to work for any king or government,” replied Ray.

     “But you helped us at Fort Eastguard, did you not
?
   That was you, was it not
?
I have read the battle reports. You helped us once, why not help us again
?
” asked the prince.

     Ray shook his head slowly and firmly.

     “Situation _ that was a different one of this, for I was forced to help the soldiers at the fort because if they had lost, my apprentice and my wolf companion would be in severe danger; so as you can see, I had no choice,” explained Ray.

     “Yes, I understand that. You care for your apprentice and your companion, but do you not care for the people of Eastern Falls, or for the entire Free Falls
?
  Although you lived in isolation, but surely, deep down inside there must be some feelings for them. Are you really that cold and unemotional
?
Perhaps you are more similar to a soldier than what you might think
!  Help
me help them
!
Join me, help me form a pond of Elementhar warriors, this way we could repel the Serpentians once and for all. We could remove the fangs and the poison from the serpent and never be threatened by them again. Being an officer in the kingdom’s military has its benefits as well. You would have at your disposal considerable resources and support in your hunt for the Shadow Deathmerchant Clan. Forget not, these assassins are criminals in the government’s eyes as well; and their capture or eradication is also on our agenda, especially now that they have tried to assassinate me,” pleaded the prince.

     Ray shook his head again. Clover looked down at the carriage floor, refusing to commit herself.

     “Laws _ours of these are very clear,” stressed Ray.

     “Very well, then. But I know that you are no longer truly part of the Grand Order of Elementhars. The High Council has failed you. Why do you still follow their laws
?
  I urge you to reconsider my offer, or more appropriately, my request,” surrendered the prince.

     “Think _ I shall do of this of your request, but know this, first of all, I am
still
a member of the Grand Order; and secondly and most importantly, the Law of Elementhars is not a law of the High Council of Elementhars, it is the law laid down by our founder, Pioneer Elementhar Nova Vanguard and it is
not
easily put aside,” explained Ray.

     Clover was quiet. A part of her wanted Ray to say yes. The part of her that was,
is
a Genox. She could be his apprentice and assistant. She would be in the ranks of the military just like the rest of her family. To make her parents, uncles, aunts and cousins proud of her. To stop being the black sheep of her family. That would be like a dream come true. Yet the part of her that was an Elementhar forbade it. What Ray had said was true. The Law of Elementhars was to be respected and obeyed at all times, even though it may have seemed strange and the reasons behind it were unknown or not easily understandable. Besides, the discipline of an Elementhar had already been fused into her soul. Ray’s dilemma was, in a way, her own dilemma as well.

     Lance was not even listening to the conversation, he was too busy wiping the blood off Spirit’s face and fur. Spirit seemed to be enjoying riding in the carriage, a gigantic novelty for a wild wolf. And it felt good to have all that sticky dried blood wiped away from his face and fur.

     Finally, Ray excuses himself from the conversation with Prince Patrum and goes to sleep. His body is tired and so is his mind. The prince does not mind, for he lays back and goes to sleep as well. With closed eyes, Ray’s mind drifts back to that fateful night. And just like the night before and the other nights before that, his mind always drifts back to
that fateful night
.

THAT FATEFUL NIGHT

     The heat of the bright midday sun causes Ray Iddell to sweat profusely as he walks the lonely path leading up to the top of a hill. It is the
26
th
Day of Fourth Month of Wet Season
in the
Year 1185 of the Known Era
. As he reaches the top, he is greeted by a wide circumference of hedges broken only by a pair of open, large iron doors. He looks up at the gate that is before him and smiles. He is finally home.

     Ray had been travelling by foot for almost a month. He could have ridden a horse to get back, but chose to do a Travelling Patrol instead. Master Calnen had recommended it, saying that it would teach Ray patience. So Ray complied. His feet felt sore, as did the rest of his body. Yet as he took the final few steps through the open gate of Monune Ruby, he felt neither exhaustion nor pain. He felt fresh instead. He felt invigorated. Somehow, being back at Monune Ruby after being away for almost a year had recharged his soul.

     He approached the porch of the main building. There was a master Elementhar sweeping the floor, no doubt cleaning up the monune in preparation for the celebration. He also saw many others scurrying around to carry out their chores. Realising that they were very busy and preoccupied, he decided not to distract them with his presence. He was about to head for the living quarters when the Elementhar who was sweeping the floor looked up and noticed him.

     “Back _ Ray Iddell, you are of this
!
Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this, and welcome home
!
” greeted the master Elementhar.

     “Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this, Thunder Humbold
!
Good _ it is of this to see you, too
!
Things _ how have of these been since I was gone
?
” greeted Ray in return, offering a bow.

     “Things _ of these, for the most part they have been the same, except master’s health is failing slightly,” answered Master Elementhar Thunder Humbold after bowing in response.

     “Master _ of him, why is his health failing
?
” asked Ray.

     “Master _ of him, his health is failing due to exhaustion and old age; for he seems to be travelling a lot these days, often convening meetings at Monune Grand, meeting the High Elementhars in private or meeting government officials in Fallsene City,” explained Thunder.

     Ray’s curiosity was sparked. He had not heard anything about this when he was at Monune Brown Diamond.

     “Why
?
” was Ray’s simple question.

     “Issues _ certain of these have arisen. Worry _ do not of this at the moment for you must be weary from travel, and most likely thirsty and hungry too. Food _ there is still plenty of this left in the mess hall,” answered Thunder.

     “Hungry _ I am not of this, for I am overjoyed to be back; but I must admit, I am surprised to see that you are still here; for I thought you had decided to leave the order so that you can get married and start a family,” said Ray.

     “Issues _ as I have said, there are of these,” said Thunder.

    Suddenly Ray felt a hard slap on his shoulder.

     “Slide Moltox
!
Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this, old friend
!
” said Ray as he turned around and lightly punched a large, well-built Elementhar in the arm.

     “Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this, old friend
!
Arrive _ when did you do of this
?
” asked Master Elementhar Slide Moltox, smiling.

     “Arrived _ I did of this just only,” answered Ray.

     Slide looked at Ray with an eager expression.

     “Tricks _ well, of these, did those Earth Elementhars teach you any new ones
?
” asked Slide.

     “Tricks _ yes, they did teach me a few of these, and I shall show you one right now,” answered Ray.

     Ray drew in a deep breath and started moving his hands in a series of horizontal circles as though he was gathering something towards him. Suddenly dirt, dust, dead leaves and broken branches from all over the monune began to pile up in front of him.

     “Cool
!
Sense _ it makes of this, for organics are definitely of the earth element,” remarked Slide.

     “Arrive _ why could you not do of this sooner
?
Sweeping _ you would have saved me one whole morning of this
!
” commented Thunder while giving him a funny look.

     Ray and Slide burst into laughter and so did Thunder. Pretty soon, other Fire Elementhars began showing up, attracted by the sound of the loud, uncontrollable laughter. All of them, including Feather Wilzen and Cutter Merrin, welcomed Ray warmly; for he was one of their own whom they had not seen for almost one full year.

     After much effort to politely excuse himself from the crowd of ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ surrounding him, Ray finally arrived at his room. It was dusty, for it had been kept untouched for almost a year. But he did not have time for housekeeping. He wanted to see his master as soon as possible, both as a sign of respect and also because he was concerned for his master’s health. He set out to the bathroom for a refreshing and long overdue shower. He wanted to be more presentable when meeting his master.

     Half an hour later, Ray was walking up the flight of stairs at the main building. As he stepped onto the third floor landing, he heard loud, dry coughs coming from one of the offices. He stood in front of the office of the High Elementhar of the Order of Fire Elementhars and knocked. There was a series of coughs before a hoarse voice beckoned him to enter. Ray entered and bowed to the two occupants inside.

     “Back _ Ray Iddell, you are of this
!
Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this and welcome home
!
” said the elderly man who was seated behind a large desk as he got up and reciprocated Ray’s bow.

     “Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this, Ray Iddell
!
” added the other occupant in the room, who was seated across the desk from the elderly man, as he too got up and reciprocated Ray’s bow.

      “Nature’s wisdom _ may you have of this
,
Master Ridge Santlyn, Senior Rock Dencon
!
Back _ it is good to be of this,” replied Ray.

     The elderly man, Grand Elementhar Ridge Santlyn, gestured for Ray to sit in the empty chair next to Master Elementhar Rock Dencon. Ray sat himself down next to his senior, who was in his late forties.

     “Training _ of this, how goes it with the Earth Elementhars
?
” asked Master Santlyn.

     “Training _ of this, it goes well, master; for I will finish my final year after this and will be back home this time next year a Master Earth Elementhar,” answered Ray.

     “Good
!
Help _ we shall be needing yours of this soon, Ray, so the sooner you graduate and come home, the better. Issues _ certain of these have arisen, and some of them rather controversial; for our world is at a crossroads and decisions need to made and executed,” said Master Santlyn.

     “Serious _ it sounds of this, so what is going on
?
” asked Ray curiously.

     Grand Elementhar Santlyn let out a series of dry coughs. Both Ray and Senior Dencon looked worried.

     “Issues _ the first of these is the integration of the Elementhars into the government; and as you know, we Fire Elementhars and the Earth Elementhars vehemently disagree to be integrated; but the Wind Elementhars are arguing for it, saying we would get better support in our war against demonkind,” explained Senior Dencon.

     Ray looked confused and surprised. The Law of Elementhars was clear on this issue. This question should not have arisen.

       “Integration _ of this is forbidden by Pioneer Vanguard
!
Issue _ it should not be of this at all
!
Why
?
” expressed Ray.

     “Integration _ of this, there
are
some merits; for example, we would get government funding and military support; and also we would get a chance to influence the Fallsian way of life via our representation in the Council of Ministers. Belief _ it is a widely held of this by some of us that Fallsians have strayed from nature’s wisdom,” Master Santlyn pointed out.

     “Funding _ of this, I can understand; but to influence the Fallsian way of life is neither our role nor our responsibility. Work _ of this, it is of the Receivers to do so, not us, Master Santlyn,” said Ray.

     “Agree _ we do of this with you, Ray. Adamant _ the Wind Elementhars are of this of integrating with the government; and Master Whisper Nurten and the Water Elementhars firmly support the idea as well; so we will have to work hard to convince them that they are wrong,” said Master Santlyn.

     Ray nodded his head in agreement.

     Master Santlyn let out another series of cough. He seemed to look very frail somehow. It was as though he had aged ten years in the space of one.

     “Issues _ the second of these is that we suspect that there is a demonic society in existence,” said Senior Dencon.

     “What
!?
” expressed Ray in total surprise.

      “Evidences _ there are of these to indicate that this demonic society does exist; and that they exist in hiding, waiting for the right time to strike
!
” explained Senior Dencon.

       “Be _ but it cannot of this, for demons are not intelligent enough, or stable enough in character to form societies
!
” said an unbelieving Ray.

     Ray was dumbfounded. All this while, the concept of a demonic society was never even thought of, let alone suspected to be in existence. Demons have always exhibited violent and destructive behaviours, even towards their own kind. Demons had been known to kill each other over disputes involving ‘hunting grounds’. It took him a while to even grasp the full extent of the concept and its implications.

     Ray looked at Master Santlyn, then at Senior Dencon and then back at Master Santlyn.

     “Investigate _ how do we do of this
?
” asked Ray finally.

     “Investigate _ to do of this, we shall have to send an expedition into Forest of The Lost, for we suspect that that is where this demonic society would most likely be hiding. Expedition _ the cost of this would be expensive, both in finance and manpower,” answered Senior Dencon.

     “Integration _ of this into the government, now you know why there are some Elementhars who support the idea. Integration _ if we do of this, we will be considered a government entity with full access to its resources, including the Fallsian Military; and we can train them in Elemental Sorcery and use their help in destroying the demonic society if and when we find it,” Master Santlyn pointed out.

     Ray shook his head to express his disagreement.

      “Integration _
but
if we do of this, we are also obligated to support the government and the Fallsian Military in many matters
not
pertaining to demon hunting, such as wars or civil unrest; and these go directly against Pioneer Vanguard’s wishes and it will also distract us from our own, true responsibilities,” he protested.

     “Right _ you are of this, but as you can see, the argument to integrate or not is a close call either way; and this has sent us into turmoil,” said Senior Dencon.

     Master Santlyn started coughing again and Senior Dencon got up to pour him a cup of herbal lemon tea to sooth his throat. Senior Dencon turned and looked at Ray.

     “Issues _ besides those which we have already discussed, there is another,” he said.

     “Issue _ of this, there is another
?
” asked Ray, surprised.

     Apparently a lot had happened in the one year since Ray was gone. It was the Grand Order’s policy that novices and visiting masters were kept out of matters not directly pertaining to their training. This was done so that they were not unnecessarily distracted from their studies. Therefore, the Earth Elementhars had never discussed any of these issues with him.

     “Issue _ there is one other of this; and that is of the Independents,” said Senior Dencon.

     “Independents
?
” questioned Ray in surprise.