Sen's eyes were closed yet his conscious moved freely through the space he was in. Around him was a village in shambles, fire and smoke covering the vicinity. In a single file line were people all on their knees and heads facing down. The number of heads stretched through the space as though never ending. They were motionless and behind them were chains. The chains were made of some golden energy pulsed after an interval.
At the middle front of the people was a old lady. Sen knew her.
" Miss Chin. "
He said trying to reach out to her. Something about that situation was sickening nostalgic. Even with the max of his efforts he tried
but couldn't move.
Then one by one the people from his far right started falling silently as blood pooled around them. Their numbers thinned as it approached the center. A thick smell intoxicated the air. Sen was too familiar with it. His heart raced already anticipating the outcome.
" I'll be the only one left."
The time interval between falls started to decrease , more and more people falling. Their faces pale with their eyes all staring at their horrified observer, Sen.
The number had dwindled down the last fifty or so people. Sen's mind raced echoing over and over as the falls neared miss Chin.
" No! No! No! Noooo!"
Suddenly Sen's eyes opened wide as he frantically sat up. His breath hitched , heavy and shallow. He stared forward looking at the illuminant runes that lit the room unable to shift his gaze. Sen had not noticed it but the rune on his right hand pal glowed brighter with every deep breath he took.
" It's just a dream … it's just a dream." He thought trying to calm himself with a sigh.
He looked around trying to make sure that it was only as dream. His eyes drifted to the window at his right.
The moonlight peered through the open window to the side of the room creating a shadow of the swaying curtains in the window. The night was quiet with a few hoots here and there. There near the window pain stood a figure . It's form was dark, eyes had a silver hue staring at the panting boy on the wooden bed. It had no shadow and It's size
was about the same as Sen but Sen didn't care for that.
He took a short breath then let it out, then a calm, cheer strived sickly tone he said.
" Welcome back."
Sen stood from his bed dragging his feet towards the window and the creature. Ever since he came to after the incident , he had the same dream concurrently. And every time he woke up the shadowy figure was there. The first time he had the dream the figure was no taller that a banzai pot but now
it had grown. At first he was scared of
it pushing back almost falling over the bed but it let out a hum , similar to the one he had heard during the incident, and it was welcoming and took all his worries away immediately. Thanks to it the nightmares gradually became more
bearable.
Sen sat next to it at the window. They stared at the moon as it's rays showered on the peaceful town. Sen's face bathed in the moonlight. His eyes drooped no longer cheery.
" You were there , weren't you?" Sen asked the figure.
The figures eyes didn't sway from the moon. It had no mouth but managed to communicate to Sen through hums that some Sen never really understood. The figure didn't hum. Sen looked at the null faced figure as it stared into the sky.
" I know you think am not ready but… " he paused thinking back to the first time the figure appeared as he told it what had happened.
" With or without your help, I'll find her. "
The calming night breeze faded faster than ever before. The horizon was painted in hues of gold and orange as the sun rose. The first sun rays hit Sen's eyes and the figure besides him started dissipating. Sen's eyes , tired from no sleep, glossily wavered as his night friend disappeared. He had failed yet again to gain any information from it other than the fact it's humming saved him while he was in the incident. He knew that it was the first clue he had to
the lady of the Golden scales and he had to somehow find a way to make it talk.
As the last fragments of the figure slowly disappeared Sen heard a knock on his room door. He was still in the medic hall yet to be
discharged. After the meeting with Trojn and Lothor , Sen overheard his grandfather and Trojn talking.
" He'll have to stay here for a while. We need to observe him more on the changes he has due to what happened."
With that Sen realized that he was all alone in his fight to end the lady of the Golden scales. He couldn't trust anyone for support and disappointedly not even his grandfather.
Sen lazily turned his head to look at the door. It was his grandfather. He first looked at Sen's bed then turned to the window.
" Morning Sen, what are you doing over there?" He asked letting himself in. He walked to a drawer near Sen's bed dropping a bag filled with what Sen guessed as breakfast then walked to the window Sen was at.
" Nice view you've got here. " He said as they looked into the horizon. At the far end they could see a crater. The vegetation around had died out looking like a desert in the middle of a meadow. The crater was Salur.
Sen didn't responded.
His hands wrapped around his legs trying not to shiver from the cold breeze and his head faced down.
" Am going to leave town. " he said with finality.
A few seconds passed and silence was all that answered Sen. He slowly raised his head looking for his grandfather. He had walked towards a potted shriveled plant at the corner of the room. He reached to it's leaves that were dried out as though it's life had been drained from it.
After a while of observing the plant he spoke.
" Listen to me Sen, Arcane is more than just power to be wielded and commanded. It's one's life force and essence of being." He paused for a moment.
" It's the embodiment of your Self, your emotion, thoughts actions and will all directed and manifested by the energy that flows within us all." He said extending his hand to the withered plant beside him. His hand suddenly glowed silver as the withered plant became more erect, it's leaves
greener by the second. He stopped then
looked at Sen.
" To have full mastery of the outcome your arcane you must understand yourself , understand the path you want and the path you choose and what obstacle that are ahead." He said his tone more strict and firm.
" Answer me this Grandson. Are you sure of that this pathis what you wish to take?" He said a step away from Sen. He eyed him down as Sen looked up at his towering figure.
Sen's eyes wavered. He had never seen his grandfather lik this before. His gaze grew more intense, the calm of his words contrasting with the force of his presence. In his heart he felt something unsettling. A flame that burned every time he remembered the incident and dream. The blaze flared on more and more since he came to with the only mild sooth his time with his nightly friend. He flinched at his words, but his anger remained. Sen clenched his fists as he opened his mouth.
"I don't care about what's in front of me," he spat, his voice venomous. "I don't care what it changes. I'll find them. I'll make sure it feels the pain they caused… "
" even if it means I lose myself in the process."
Suddenly something in the room seemed to shift. It radiated out like a massive, invisible
pressure. The very air was charged with invisible, cold, unyielding power. Every particle in the room felt like it was bending. Sen knew very well who the source was. He glared at his grandfather trying his best not to fall to one knee.
" Then get ready to defend your path." Sen's grandfather said as the pressure in the room grew.
" I'll be your first challenge. "