章節 101: ' Hope or Threat ' Part II

This is officially the 100th chapter of this Fanfiction!!! Thank you for all those who have followed and supported me so far!!!

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POV: The Watcher part II

About two minutes of details and reports later...

"I'm afraid he might... he might again..." Ramas pointed with his gaze to Zick's arm that concealed a deep scar, referring to an escaped incident that occurred over a year ago.

Zick stopped Ramas' words with an instant warning, which Ramas immediately interpreted with the clear message: [We are not alone]. The wrist of Zick's trusted sworn shield moved in a flash, promptly sliding a blade across his hand. But Zick quickly raised two fingers to signal a [There is no danger].

"Go right ahead, Chai. You're welcome to join us." Zick turned to a point on the bow's pier seemingly without any audible or visible presence.

The spectrum of light swung and a tall, well-proportioned figure, young, with long straight raven black hair, imperial shining golden tunic, rings, bracelets and necklaces of pure Valyrian steel with magical stones set on each accessory and most conspicuous of all, a black obsidian sphere atop an imposing stirrup a foot longer than his wizard's head, made of the same dark steel brimming with arcane symbols on every inch, The King in the Yellow, the Chief Sorcerer of the Confederation of Wizards, and Supreme Lord of Carcosa, openly showed himself to the duo with an eerie, embarrassed smile on his face.

"How? How in the name of magic did you manage to sense my presence! Damn it... four years of research just to rework the light spectrum curve, not to mention the absence of sound, smell, or body temperature! Do you know how much work this spell took, Zick?" Asked the sorcerer with deep curiosity and frustration.

"Ahahah! No, no, the invisibility and all the high factors were remarkable, no doubt about it, but I'm afraid the salt particles in the air shifted a bit too abnormally. I still consider this a commendable achievement, my friend. Our Ramas here did not notice a thing. Am I right?" Ramas bowed respectfully to the newcomer.

"That is so. Oh, great Chief Sorcerer. Praise and honour to your work, mighty Archwizard Dug of the noble Chai dynasty." The wizard seemed to appreciate the praise and granted a respectful nod to Zick's companion.

"Take your leave, my boy. We will resume our chat later, leave us alone for a moment please." Ramas promptly snapped bringing respectful greetings before retreating.

"You may be frail and only a few breaths away from eternal rest, The Watcher, but your abilities remain frighteningly disturbing. I've been trying to get my hands on a Scarlet Eagle specimen for decades. When I think back to the waste of resources and ingredients those imbecilic newbies wasted on the ritual!"

"I'd be a waste of resources then?" asked Zick mischievously pretending to be offended above all words.

"No! I d-didn't mean..." the sorcerer tried to awkwardly take back the implied offence directed at his longtime acquaintance.

"Ahahah! I'm only teasing you, my friend. Don't worry, I'm not offended. As for the 'few breaths' left, I don't think you and I have the same yardstick on the passage of time." Chai sighed imperceptibly with relief-not that The Watcher missed it.

The Lord of Carcosa was a being of enormous power, cruel, ruthless towards his enemies, tremendously contemptuous of life forms he deemed useless or inferior, but he was also a lover of art, respectful towards any artist, and an extremely dutiful individual on etiquette and good standards of behaviour that a true emperor should always display.

Chai Dug was the sixty-ninth God-Imperator of the Yellow Dynasty of the Golden Empire of Yi Ti. His rule, which lasted nearly a century, began at least five hundred years before the Conquest of Aegon.

Zick still recalled their first grueling, long-winded meeting, when the former emperor painstakingly made sure to recount nearly every glorious event Chai accomplished during his long reign. That, and the fact that the Sorcerer had just come back from a very long research session, meant that the unfortunate but patient Zick ended up hearing the same stories over and over again...

"And by the way, yes, thank you for the compliment. I always like to keep myself in shape.

Sometimes the Gentleman still tries a few 'stage appearances'. He always remains a resourceful individual who never bores me. Ahahah!" stated Zick as he thought back with amusement to their last meeting.

"Speaking of the Faceless Men, I hope you'll forgive me for our little detour to Braavos. I'll take this opportunity to deliver the ingredients agreed upon with the House of Black and White and to glean some magic ink." The King in The Yellow.

"A no, no trouble at all, my friend. I mean, we were going to have to stop for supplies in Braavos or Lorath anyway, right? We've got plenty of time before the celebrations." The Watcher reassured gently.

"Good. I'm really curious to see the 'Fearsome Titan' with my own eyes."

Before continuing the conversation, Chai uncorked a bottle of jade, drinking its contents.

"I thought you were done with that unhealthy blue mixture. It was you who told me that your master had fried his brain with the essence of evening shade," Zick scolded jovially.

"Nah, that was an outright lie I profiled you before I discovered your true abilities. Of course, you might as well have told me at the time that you were lie-proof-you would have saved me a lot of embarrassment." Chai walked confidently to the man's side.

"Ahahah! And miss out on the fun? No thank you, lies and stuffed songs are the new pastimes in today's world. So what were you drinking just now?" asked Zick curiously.

"The 'true warlock wine' is a formula we keep well hidden in the tower. That blue swill they drink in Qarth is just a substitute mixed with ordinary black tree bark. It will be a few more centuries before the 'sorcerers' of Qarth realize that they are drinking horse piss as opposed to the real elixir. Ah, you pathetic traitorous leeches." The House of the Eternals was the only unofficial embassy of the mage confederation allowed beyond the established borders.

There was bad blood between Carcosa and the House of the Undying. Before the peace treaty, sealed and signed over a thousand years earlier between Oldtown and Carcosa, the wizards of Qarth exploited the Chaos of War by forging secret alliances with the Iron Bank in exchange for position and privileges.

Had they not had Braavos and the Valyrians to have their backs, the former Chief Sorcerer of the Confederation would have long ago turned Qarth into a necropolis. It had been centuries since the House of the Undying had tried in vain to get back into the good graces of the Confederation.

"Anyway, I only take a few sips when I go outdoors, believe it or not, I might... mmm... be a "little" waning in memory and lucidity after a research session. The elixir helps energize my temples a bit." Explained Chai belittling his past condition during their first meeting.

"No, no, I almost wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it, my friend." The wizard cast a glare at the impertinence displayed by that unashamedly ironic tone. Few would still have the audacity to disrespect the Lord of Carcosa, but Chai let it slide, probably thinking it was a proportionate response to the rudeness shown by the Mage just now.

"Your honest assessment of the face? Do I have the appearance of a respectable Northern nobleman?" Fortunately, the sorcerer had several illusory spells that concealed his true form...

"Mmm... believable, maybe I'd add a few wrinkles and bags around your eyes, you're a tad too young for an experienced noble scholar of magic. And... speaking of looks, your dress and stirrup, Chai."

"No! I refuse. This is the robe passed down from over sixty-nine generations of Yi Ti emperors! It is my symbol of prestige! You assured me that I could show up with my real name and title. I am proud of my nickname 'The King in The Yellow'!" Roared the wizard with an indignant face.

"I'm just asking you the courtesy of not drawing too much provocative ' attention ' to yourself. Both the suit and the stirrup are a clear indisposed symbol towards Oldtown.

I would like to remind you that I acted as guarantor for this visit and gave my word that there would be no problems during the entire period of your stay across the borders.

It is their territory, my friend. Even the Titan would feel dislike." Replied the Guardian calmly and rationally.

"Mmphf! Those traitors must always remember that Carcosa is a force to be feared!

Fear and strength are the true glues to peace. It is my duty as Chief Sorcerer to always show the power of the Confederation of Mages. I have already come to you by stripping my Twelve Shields of their Valyrian steel." Chai retorted.

"And for that I am grateful, my friend, but... I would say that your Gargantuan flagship and the association's thirty best war galleys are already a sufficient demonstration of defiance and strength. Don't you agree?" The Watcher.

"And how was I supposed to transport all that gold and all those precious texts in your opinion?! Opportunity makes the man a thief! I'll never trust the countenances of Braavos or those foul grey rats!"

"Lord Leyton is a man of word, and it has been centuries since House Hightower ensured that every indent or letter of the treaty is adhered to. I remind you that I am a guarantor for both sides, and distrust of Oldtown is a distrust directed toward me as well." The Sorcerer returned to a more controlled state realizing that he had crossed the line a little.

"I offer my apologies. And be it... no stirrups or robes."

"And..." Zick cast a look that implied a missing part.

"... No magic in public outside of parlour tricks."

"And..."

"Phew... No provocation or conflict with House Hightower, the Creed, the Citadel, or any other dirty Andalus. No unwarranted acts violate the treaty and the ancient laws of hospitality, not by me or any other representative of the Mage Confederation. Satisfied now?" The sorcerer accepted defeat with dignity. Zick in return smiled amicably at the remarkable diplomatic effort shown by Chai.

"But in return... I have your word for a meeting with the Tallhart child?" the Sorcerer added shrewdly.

"Yes, I will recommend a meeting, but not without the consent of my ward and parents." The sorcerer nodded with a small, victorious smile. And with a satisfying retort he continued with a:

"And..."

"Yes, yes, I will ask Duncan for a meeting in private for your research. Do we have a deal?" Zick bit his fingertip before offering his hand. Chai reciprocated the gesture by letting out a drop of his very precious blood by scratching his thumb with the very sharp nail of his index finger. "We have a deal."

"I seal this pact in the name of Love, Beauty, and Magic." The Watcher.

"I seal this covenant in the name of Love, Beauty, and Magic." The King in The Yellow.

'Oh, what joy, and this detail is resolved as well...perhaps shortly I can finally refocus on my pastime,' hoped The Watcher inwardly as he shook Chai's hand. But another small drape of worry remained in the strings of his heart.

"Feed my curiosity, please. Earlier... I admit I rudely overheard part of your conversation with your follower. You were concerned about your heir, am I correct?" The Archwizard asked politely.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Duncan was the subject in question..." sighed Zick slightly.

"Is there anything I could do to help dispel your anxieties, my friend?" The King in The Yellow asked.

"Not much, but I thank you for asking. I have reason to think that at this time my ward may be in a dangerous situation that may overtax his limits, if we may say so," summed up Zick.

"Is this about your technique that you didn't want to teach anyone, [The Closing Gates] if I'm not mistaken? I still remember the day you refused to teach it to my swords... but I still don't understand why."

"You remember well. I had almost given up on the idea of passing on that technique until the day I first met that boy... "a nostalgic smile formed on the man's face.

"Why? What did that child have that made you change your mind?" The Sorcerer asked.

"A great desire and a will harder than the steel you wear. Ahaha." The Watcher.

"Will...mmm... You even discarded Tristan, the most talented fighter Carcosa has ever known, citing the very insufficiency of will. Pain alone cannot be the obstacle for that technique then." Evaluated the wizard.

"No, you have deduced correctly. It's not just the pain. Even I'm not sure I could wield that technique to its full potential if I had the physical ability to do so. The [Gate Locks] can break the barriers that limit a man's potential. If unchecked that technique could unleash a brutal and savage force that cannot be tamed.

Pure, insatiable frenzy.

My father only touched that limit once and nearly went so far as to hurt everyone he cared about..." Zick admitted, remembering the day Vharro refused to develop beyond that technique.

"I see... Uncontrolled power is just a double-edged sword for yourself and those around, I respect your decision, but tell me something: what did that boy say to you back then when you asked him your usual question?" Chai asked.

"Ahaha. That he wanted to make the world a better world." Zick replied with hint of nostalgia in the tone of his voice.

"Making the world a better world? It can mean anything or nothing. I've lived long enough to say that an individual can certainly improve the world around him, but the 'real world'...will never change, Zick. You shouldn't encourage him to go down that path."

"No, he could... It's a very unlikely goal with countless obstacles I know, but if I had to bet, I'd put my money on him.

I believe that boy has a power yet unknown to this world, something other than love, beauty, or magic...but just as powerful," Zick explained.

"And that would be?" The entity who had lived for several generations asked with reasonable scepticism.

"Hard to explain. He's brilliant, gifted, and sometimes even gives me the idea that he can read the future of all of us...but that's not it. You would have to meet and talk to him first to understand." The wizard did not seem satisfied with the answer, Zick tried to elaborate further.

He leaned back comfortably against the boat's rail and scanned the expanse of water as far as the eye could see with a serene face, and went on to say:

"When you're near that boy, you feel an overwhelming urge to follow him and help him down whatever path he chooses to take...

No matter how treacherous, scary, ideally unfamiliar, or irreconcilable it is, you feel an irrational desire to support him with whatever you can give. 'Spur others on to give their best'... there... perhaps that's a crude definition of what I mean." The mage pondered carefully at those words and followed his companion's example by scanning the horizon in front of them remaining silent for a few moments.

"If what you say is true, the balance of power will be irrevocably awakened and react: [If you push the forces of the world, the forces of the world will react by pushing back], was one of my master's first teachings..."

"A wise teaching. Yes, the world will soon react, whether you want it to or not, it is inevitable," The Watcher replied with surrendered concern.

"So you are aware of whom you are supporting, Guardian of Love. You of all people, the staunch supporter of peace and harmony." The King in The Yellow peered more earnestly than ever at The Watcher and waited impatiently for the answer.

"Yes, I am aware of that. I know what could generate...

That individual could become the greatest Hope or the greatest Threat in the Known World."

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End Chapter

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