บท 20: Pact
By the time Osric arrived at the Grand Hall, he had regained his composure. Although he had been scared, the only reason that was possible was due to the fact that the owner of the voice had been Ancestor Kabir.
The subtle pressure it carried wasn't something he could ignore.
That said, he wondered why his attention was needed. Or more appropriately, the fact that the Ancestors had even deigned to request his personal attention when they could have sent an Elder just like they did with Elder Adrian.
One needed to know that Ancestors took themselves as though they were above all others, and in several ways, they really were. As such, they wouldn't pay special attention to those that weren't at their level of power.
For example, despite the importance Seina's Talents deserved, Ancestor Kabir aside, the rest hadn't even deign to come out when she awakened. Even then, Ancestor Kabir had only been present because Seina was his descendant.
Thus, Osric's shock over the sudden importance they placed on him was not surprising.
But, what he didn't know was that he had underestimated his existence, or more specifically, his Talents. If he had known Ancestor Kabir had actually wanted kill him just because he considered him an obstacle to the progress of the Fahren Clan, then he would have been more shocked.
Even then, this shock would only pale to the next if he was aware that the other Ancestors had all stopped him from doing so.
Osric walked through the luxurious passageway of the Fahren Clan Grand Hall, taking each steps with practiced ease.
There were many Halls in the Fahren Clan territory, but none could hold a candle to the Grand Hall that was the rumored home of the Ancestors. But, considering that Ancestor Kabir has personally requested for his presence in this same Grand Hall, Osric didn't think it was a rumor anymore.
The Ancestors dwelt here, or at least, appeared to.
It didn't take Osric a minute to make it to a huge set of doors gleaming with the dreamy allure of Dark Edge Ore and gold.
He took a deep breath and proceeded to push the doors. It just so happened that he didn't even need to. The doors opened silently themselves before his hands could even touch it.
Osric raised an eyebrow, but thought nothing of it. There were no shortage of Treasures with awareness of their own.
Without hesitation, he walked past the doors, and almost instantly, they silently closed shut. Osric though, was already oblivious to this. And that was because, he seemed to have arrived in a room with a size that was disproportionate to the total size of the Grand Hall itself.
No, calling it a room was selling it short. It length seemed to extend to infinity, and its width dwarfed the total size of the Awakening Coliseum. As for the height, Osric suddenly looked up. He couldn't even begin to measure it. No, it was more appropriate to say he couldn't even see its ends.
In addition, the perpetual day that the whole Plane was plunged into by the radiant golden clouds didn't seem to affect this place. A thick black fog pervaded the air, which gave one the feeling as though one was staring at the endless darkness in its gaseous state.
And just amidst the black fog, Osric could make out the faint flickers of three light. To the left was a silver light, to the right was a crimson light, and at the middle of both floated a purple light that felt almost illusive.
Osric seemed to realize something at this point. Whatever this place was, it was most definitely an important part of the Fahren Clan. In fact, he wouldn't even be surprised if this place was the so-called Ancestral Grounds of the Fahren Clan.
But, he felt that was far-fetched. The Fahren Clan wouldn't dare invite someone who was unrelated to them to such an extremely significant place, right?
'In any case, it appeared the Ancestors do not dwell in the Grand Hall. It is just a facade… or more accurately, it is just the entrance, no, one of the entrances to the real place they call home… which is here.'
Osric took a deep breath and… waited. He had no where to go. To his front was an endless mass of black fog. To his back, where the huge doors should have been, was yet another endless mass of black fog. Hence, he couldn't even return if he wanted. But, he doubted the Ancestors who invited him here would allow such a thing. So, he could only wait.
However, he didn't need to wait for long. Several silhouettes suddenly appeared from the black fog. Silhouettes, because he couldn't see their appearances. However, he could easily tell their genders by their figures.
"You are here."
The delicate voice of one of the few females among them sounded.
Osric could only nod. Of course, he was here, and he had no doubt they already were aware of his presence since he stepped into Grand Hall, but he still answered anyway.
"Yes,"
"Since you are here, you should be aware why we called you, no?"
Osric raised an eyebrow. Of course, he had an inkling, but he felt it wasn't probable. There was probably no way the Fahren Clan would recruit–
"Good. So what is your answer to that?"
Osric's eyes flew wide, then narrowed. It appeared the Fahren Clan did intend to keep him amidst their ranks. And although, this meant little, as he had already made up his mind to start from Mortal World, he still felt it wasn't a bad idea. However, with the Oath binding them, how was that supposed to be possible?
"You need worry about such things. Although the Oath Shackles are powerful, they aren't all-powerful. There are still loopholes lying in wait to be exploited."
With the senses of the Ancestors present here, how could they not see through Osric's worries. It could even be said that, before them, Osric was as naked as the day he was born. They only needed a slight change in his expression and they already knew what he was thinking.
Osric, on the other hand, furrowed his brows. When he thought about it, he suddenly understood there were indeed several loopholes to exploit.
For one, the context of one's words placed an important role on an Oath. For example, he had clearly stated he relinquished his position as a member of the Fahren Clan, but never did that meant he had severed all ties with them.
This could almost be likened to a man who divorced his wife. Although they had divorced, that didn't mean they couldn't converse if need be. It was just that, the wife wouldn't dare call herself the wife or bear the surname of the husband anymore.
Hence, the Fahren Clan could recruit him again without the fear of the Oath Shackles. But in truth, the Oath Shackles only slightly pressured the Fahren Clan despite binding them.
It was Osric who relinquished his position as a member, and as such, it was he who will face the punishment if he really dared to call himself one of them.
The only part that greatly concerned them was that they also didn't dare call him one of them, or they risk getting crippled.
"Although, you can never be called a Fahren in this lifetime, we can however, form a Pact."
Osric was immediately stunned.
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