“Wait, you were the ones who helped us when the monsters attacked the village a month ago, weren’t you?” The master and his disciple exchanged glances before the master replied.
“Yes...”
“I knew it! I recognized you! However, we’d thought you’d moved on.”
“We were gone for a time, yes. But how did you know that?” asked Kezthrem.
“Well, we sent a messenger to ask for your help a week ago.”
“Our help?” exclaimed Glaide. “What for?”
“We were attacked again, actually.”
“Again? But how did that come about?”
“Well, I think the monsters have taken note of our village. It’s big enough to have become known, but we still don’t have enough trained soldiers to defend it properly.”
“Nonetheless, I don’t see much damage,” observed Kezthrem. The other man’s smile lit up as his reply came.
“That’s because we were aided by the elves.” Even the master of Iretane showed surprise at that answer.
“How is that possible?” he murmured.
“We could hardly believe it at the time,” the guard gushed. “We were barely keeping the battle outside the walls of the city, and just when we were about to be overcome, we saw a cloud of arrows coming toward us. The sky blackened with them, and for a moment, we thought they were aimed at us. But instead, they struck our enemies with deadly precision, decimating their ranks. Then, magic took its turn. Bolts of lightning were falling everywhere, accompanied by balls of fire and shards of ice, filling the battlefield. The monsters tried to take flight, but even then, we didn’t have to make chase. A few yards further, we could make out silhouettes covered in resplendent armor who hacked them to pieces. Unfortunately, we never got a chance to thank our saviors. When the battle was over, they disappeared over the horizon.”
“So you didn’t even see them up close,” concluded the boy, a bit disappointed.
“Glaide,” murmured Kezthrem, who still didn’t seem to believe his ears, “you have to understand that nothing like that has happened in centuries. The simple fact that elves showed themselves at all, and especially with such direct action, is absolutely incredible.”
“But they’ve been helping the temple regularly, if Ralon can be believed.”
“Because that place is situated close to their territory, and because they and the monks have maintained a connection through many, many years. Here, though, it’s different. Though they live spread throughout the forests of the Known Lands, the elves, like the dwarves, have not gotten involved in the affairs of men since Dzen’s victory.” A moment of silence surrounded the small group. The import of that intervention began to take on meaning for the boy: it meant that things really were changing.
“But why now?” he asked. “Nothing has particularly changed...” His voice froze in his throat then. For a moment, the face of Ydref flashed before his mind’s eye, along with his words, “Starting today, I will tell every man, woman, or child that I meet that you have come.” In a flash, the young man understood all of it. Kezthrem’s previous disciple had kept his word, and it seemed that the elves had so discovered that the Destroyer lived somewhere near this village.
“Baras’ attempts to eliminate you, and the words of Ydref seem to have begun to have their effect,” announced Kezthrem, who seemed to have come to the same conclusion as his student. “It’s pointless now for you to try to hide your identity. From this day forward, in the eyes of all the peoples in the Known Lands, you’ll have become the Destroyer.”
“Of course,” murmured the guard, seeming to come to that sudden realization himself. “A protector and his magg announced that a new Destroyer had been born. They said that he lived with a man to the east of here. How could I have failed to make the connection?” With that, the man grew silent, and carefully looked over the boy in front of him. Glaide noticed that different emotions seemed to flash across his face the whole time, as if his feelings and thoughts were moving at such high speed that he couldn’t even grab onto one. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He seemed lost in the emotion of the moment, unable to express himself, and the young man realized that the soldier was trying to make sense of the idea that he was standing face to face with a myth. Before him stood not just some teenager, but the guardian of the future of their world, a symbol of hope, and the reincarnation of a legendary warrior who had died five hundred years before. Glaide smiled and tapped the soldier on the shoulder.
“Hey, are you okay?” The main seemed to regain some semblance of control, and dropped to his knees in front of the boy.
“It is an h... an honor to... to meet you,” he stammered. “I would never have imagined that one day I’d have the privilege of meeting such an important person as you... We’ve heard the story of the Destroyer for so long, but I should have realized that was why the elves helped us. We stand before the dawn of a new era...”
“Calm down, my friend,” exclaimed Glaide. “And get up, please. There is no reason for you to sit there staring at my feet! And for the moment, there is no ‘new era’. There is nothing particularly special about me, and the elves still live in hiding.”
“But all of that will change,” the man assured him. “You will lead us to victory. Baras will be defeated, and the world will once again live in peace.” The young man felt self-conscious in the face of the man’s confidence. How could this man predict his success, when he didn’t even know him?
“Destroyer,” declared the soldier with a great smile, “everyone knows that our village owes its existence to a young man who crossed paths with our caravans, and who asked them to turn back to this place. I am sure that, when the magg and the protector announced that a new Chosen One was here to fight Baras, the ones who were in that caravan knew that they were speaking of you. I think they’d love to see you again, and our leader certainly would, more than any other.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” replied Glaide. The memories of the meeting this soldier had brought to mind were soothing to the young man. The people who had brought him to Kezthrem, and who had interred the people of Rackk... The evening he’d seen their wagons and their campfire, he’d little imagined just how important they would become to him.
“Let me announce that you’ve come,” the guard said then. “The whole village should know that we’re receiving a visit from the Destroyer!” With that, the man took off at a run.
“This is what you represent to the inhabitants of this world,” Kezthrem declared simply. Glaide could hardly believe it. Though he had often been told that his title was synonymous with hope, he had never imagined just how true that was.
“How can a simple word hold so much power?” he asked himself, unable to doubt that the man had blind faith in him. For a moment, the young man imagined the same scene playing out again and again, first in one village, then gradually across all of the Known Lands. Was it possible that all of humanity would follow him just because he was the Destroyer they were waiting for? And if, as he expected, he chose to declare war on Baras, would they fight by his side?
The idea was more than he could comprehend. Without really thinking about it, he’d always assumed he’d be walking alone into battle, but he realized now that he would have many men by his side, and perhaps even elves, and dragons. “And who knows whether, in the end, the dwarves might join the party as well?” he thought to himself.
“Events are coming to pass,” Kezthrem announced calmly. “The elves have made an appearance, but I doubt this is anything more than one isolated action. You still have much more to accomplish.”
“I know, master. But now that I realize that others will stand with me, I feel more prepared to move forward. I still have to do everything I’ve planned to do. I have to find my friends, so that the four of us can move forward together. However, I’ll have to be unobtrusive. Ydref may have given this rumor wings, but it is important that Baras not get his hands on me, or I’ll no longer have the freedom to ac
t as I must. Even if I am the Destroyer, it’s still up to me to decide how to live my life. I’ll fulfill my obligations the way I think I should.”
“And that is your greatest strength,” agreed Kezthrem. “Where you come from has made you a being who will make decisions that may seem strange or unpredictable, and who will act in the same way.”
Their discussion was interrupted by the return of the soldier. Another dozen of his fellow soldiers accompanied him, all of them freezing in place for a moment when they saw Glaide. The sight brought a smile to the lips of the young man, who understood that they were desperately trying to comprehend that they were facing the Destroyer. Finally, they dropped to their knees and greeted him as with one voice.
“Our lives are in your hands. May you bring peace to this world.”
“I’ll try,” replied the adolescent with a laugh. “Now, stand up!” The soldiers did so, and the guard from the gate spoke.
“Our leader knows of your arrival. He’s waiting for you in the village commons. Please follow us, and we will lead you to him.” With that, the group began to move. Glaide and Kezthrem found themselves surrounded by the soldiers, and for a moment, the young man tried to decide if he preferred entering the village with an escort like this, or more quietly, like he had up until then. He had no answer, and decided in the future, he’d just have to try to alternate between the two!
Chapter 34
THE farther into the town they went, the more inhabitants fell into step with them. No one spoke, and the boy wasn’t sure if everyone around him even knew who he was. After a walk that, though short, had managed to gather half the villagers, the group stepped into the commons. Glaide recognized the place instantly; it hadn’t changed one iota in the past month. It had been the first place to be built, partly because that was where the tavern was to be, and partly because that was where Gelden’s home was to be built. The older man was already there when they arrived, surrounded, more-or-less, by the other half of the villagers. Glaide thought the man looked a bit pale, but the mere sight of him filled him with joy anyway. Gelden stepped up onto a small platform then, to make himself seen and heard above the crowd, and as soon as he took his place, the people grew silent.
“My friends,” began the man, “you know that this village owes its very existence to this young man, who led us to return to these welcoming plains to build our town. For some of you, though, he is more than that, because he shared a table with us, and escorted us when we were just beginning to come to know him. But beyond that—and it is with great pride that I announce this to you—we can also claim to have met the Destroyer! Yes, the one that the magg and the protector told us about is here, before us: Glaide is the Destroyer!”
His declaration was first met with complete silence, then, as people slowly seemed to realize just what the older man was saying, a murmur began to rise up, growing strong and stronger, with the voices blending together and growing into an impressive clamor. Men, women, and children began to chant the name of the young man.
“Go to Gelden,” Kezthrem whispered in the ear of his disciple. Glaide did, moving toward the dais with an uncertain step, while all around him, faces filled with admiration followed him. As he arrived in front of the older man, the two shook hands warmly, and the adolescent felt his throat tighten with emotion. Then, he turned to the villagers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is I who should be thanking you. You showed me where to find the man I was seeking, you offered me meals, and you provided me with company during a period of great solitude. I will never forget this village that I saw being born, or its inhabitants with their invincible perseverance. Today, it is your achievement that surrounds us, and you can be proud of it. I will do what I can to make sure that it endures, and to bring an end to the reign of Baras.”
His declaration was met with jubilation from the crowd, and unable to believe that he was at the origin of all of this, Glaide gazed around at the faces marked with an indescribable joy. Some cried, while others seemed to be trapped in the processing phase of it all... but everywhere, he saw hope and a will to go on. “They’re feeling exactly what I felt when I saw the chimera appear in my world,” he thought. “A strange mixture of incredulity and joy before something fully real but that still seems impossible because of how much we had hoped for it in the past...”
In the midst of the general euphoria, he remembered what he had learned at the temple, and with a strong voice, he declared, “Tell everyone that the Destroyer has returned. But do not forget to add that it is Aras that sent me, and that it is in his name that I act. You are some of the last men to remember that, five hundred years ago, your god did in fact play a part in the victory of the first Destroyer. The fact that everyone else has forgotten this has given strength to our enemy. All of the Known Lands should know, however, that Aras has not abandoned them! They should put their faith in him, because today, the brother of Baras offers you his aid.”
The young man stood there as everyone cheered. Deep inside, however, he felt as though he wasn’t exactly speaking the truth, because he had yet to see any sign of the god manifesting himself. But he had also heard from the mouths of Ralon and Koeris that Aras’ power came from those who worshipped him, and that that was the key to making the rain fall once again. He’d been told that his mission was to destroy Baras, but he counted on being able to do even more with his name. What good would it do to get rid of the God of Evil if the rain did not return? What good would it do for him to fight if the peoples did not become allies once again? Just as the young man hoped to bring the elves and the dwarves back into the open and end the incessant internal quarrels of the barbarians, so he hoped that bringing back the human’s faith in their god would be a vital part of reaching a final—and above all, definitive—victory. “This world has lost its way over the last few centuries, and it needs to find its way back to what it was five hundred years ago,” he thought. “Have we, on Earth as well, lost our way over the years of our evolution?” He decided it was time to conclude his speech.
“A new age is coming. We live in an incredible era that will see the people once again reunited. But for that, you have to understand the past, and tell it as it was. Novak the Liberator was not the Destroyer, as so many think. He brought his knowledge and helped this world learn to defend itself, but it was not he who confronted Baras. It was one of his companions, the first master of Iretane, and the ancestor of the master who teaches it today.” At that, all eyes turned toward Kezthrem, though he kept his own gaze fixed on his disciple, who turned toward the man and with a powerful voice declared, “The first Destroyer was named Dzen.”
Glaide couldn’t be certain, but he thought as he revealed that name, he spotted a glint of appreciation in the eyes of his master. Did this man, a solitary recluse, nameless, who had lost his family and his magg, perhaps want the truth about his ancestor to be known to everyone? It seemed like just compensation after the terrible set of events that had led him to be the master of the most powerful—and yet, the most misunderstood—technique that existed, and whose goal over the centuries had always been to instruct the one who would be known as the Destroyer...
“How many other men had to suffer the same solitude and arbitrary sacrifices as Kezthrem?” the boy wondered sadly. “How many others have spent their lives teaching Iretane because they failed in their mission as protector, all while knowing that among their disciples was one who would surely take up the flame after them? And in exchange, what did they gain? A forced anonymity that passed through the ages because they had the only weapon that would let the Destroyer go into battle, and help the world survive. Yes, master,” he thought. “They need to know that it was Dzen who held the title of Destroyer, and that you are the one who taught me to fight, because those are the things that will decide the final battle, whether it be a victory or a defeat...”
The cheers of the crowd did not continue for long, however; they stopped abruptly as Glaide saw Gelden bend over double, as if struck
by some intense pain. Almost immediately he began to cough, and didn’t seem to be able to stop. The adolescent caught him so that he wouldn’t fall.
“What’s happening?” he asked, alarmed. The man’s face was contorted with pain, and the coughing fit seemed unwilling to pass. A man and a woman approached and helped the adolescent transport the village leader into a chair, where he sat down heavily. He finally appeared to catch his breath, but he still couldn't speak. Glaide didn’t know what to do, and as the woman quickly instructed some of the others on how to help, the man pulled Glaide aside.
“Destroyer, your coming has filled our hearts with joy, but unfortunately, the health of our leader casts a shadow over this day. He is very sick, and we know that his days are numbered.”
“Wh... what?” stammered the young man.
“To be honest, it is a miracle that he has survived this long. He constantly said that he would not go until you had returned, and it seems that he has kept his word.”
“No, that can’t be...”
Kezthrem arrived then, and the man explained the situation to him, as well.
“He has already lived a long life,” he added, “and he has seen many things. But I think that he knows now that our future has been secured.” His words fell on deaf ears, however. In mere seconds, the boy had seen his joy transform into dismay. He could no longer think, because all that he could see was the image of Gelden’s face contorted with pain. Though he still lived, the boy understood that within days, the illness would certainly have its way.
“He fought for me, to see me. He wanted to see the coming of the Destroyer in his lifetime.” Kezthrem took the boy by the shoulders then, gazing deep into his eyes.
“Glaide, Gelden is dying, but has held on, waiting for this day. He knew that the people he led here would be able to go on without him. But he is still here! Today is likely the last day you will spend in his company, so do not let it be invaded by mourning.” The boy shook his head as if to wake himself up.
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