Intersection, Within the Palace of the Barbarian Lord
Magma was seated upon his throne of authority, his mood a much improved one from the last time when he heard of his sister's death. Next to him was Rasa the Wise Flame. However they weren't the only ones here. Although Waska was nowhere to be found, almost every Elder was here before them. And in their midst was a beautiful woman covered in dust kneeling on the ground. As she spoke the looks of the Elders grew grimmer and grimmer. Ugly expressions overtook the faces that were formerly filled with a genuine lack of interest. And they began to speak amongst themselves.
"If what she says is true, then we must strike ourselves"
"Yes. Based on her report this boy is too dangerous to be left alive."
"To think that a Pseudo Nightmare would be able to take on an entire team stronger than him and force a Nightmare to retreat."
"It's unbelievable"
"Yet scary at the same time. He is so young. Who knows what he might become when he is older."
"And that is why he must die"
"I don't think it would be that easy"
"Why do you say that?"
"The Ancients. They clearly ambushed them to whittle down their numbers. Which means they knew of the boy's abilities and had been monitoring him for a while."
"Do you think he is affiliated to them? You think he's an Ancient?"
"Yes. After all, we all know how those monsters nurture their talents."
"If that's true then this boy is proof that their methods are better than ours. Maybe we should revise our own methods?"
"Well…that may be true. How do we go about that anyway?"
Rasa's brows twitched in annoyance when he sensed that the Elders were going off topic. And he saw it fit to shut them up.
"Silence!" Rasa's booming voice shook the Elders out of their personal meeting and reminded them that they were in the presence of their Lord. They wondered how their Lord was taking this news and cast their eyes to him. Yet what they saw was a still calm Magma. They expected that he would be simmering with rage after hearing Chichi's report. Yet he was very still. And it wasn't a fury that was hidden in a false sense of calm. This was genuine stillness that was born from a lack of worry. He was deep in thought, as if there was something else that Chichi said that they had missed. Or as if there was something he knew that the others didn't.
An old woman who had been quiet this entire time cast her eyes onto the man seated on the throne. She had known him since he was a boy, and was aware of his character inside and out. Even when others couldn't read his mood, she could. She sensed that there was something amiss. She squinted her eyes and surveyed the empty space to the Lord's left – the space that was meant for Waska the Mad Flame. Her eyes flashed with a strange light, and she approached the Lord.
"What is it Teacher?" Magma asked when he sensed Elder Miriam approaching. For the first time since Chichi entered the hall, he had cast his eyes onto someone else.
"If I may be so bold to ask, where is Waska the Mad Flame?" Elder Miriam asked, her hunched posture not an indication of her respect for her student – not that she didn't respect him – but a characteristic gifted her by her aged spine.
"So you noticed," Magma smiled slightly and said. How could he not see the look of expectation in his Teacher's eyes? Just like she had spent so much time with him, he had spent a lot of his time with her as well. Just as she knew him, he knew her.
"Rasa asked him to keep an eye on the situation in case anything went wrong. It was unwise to put all our faith in Ivor after all. Trusting a deeply scheming man like him is the epitome of stupidity." Magma stated slowly, and the faces of several of the Elders eased into relaxed expressions. If Waska was there, then everything would be fine. Elder Miriam's eyes flashed with an immense amount of satisfaction and expectation. The boy who was now a man had learned well. And soon the one responsible for the death of her grandchild would be groveling at her feet. Oh how she was going to make him suffer.
There was one more person who was shaken by the news that Waska had been dispatched along with them. Chichi had her forehead pressed to the ground this entire time. Yet when she heard Lord Magma's words she couldn't stop her body's reaction. She instinctively lifted her head, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion. And within these swirling emotions were several questions she dared not ask.
"Are you surprised?" Magma of course wasn't going to miss her reaction. She was kneeling right before him after all.
"I can see that you have many questions," the one who lorded his authority over the Barbarians frowned and said.
"I dare not harbor such thoughts Lord Magma!" Chichi exclaimed, terrified by the frown that her actions had brought to Magma's face.
"Waska was asked to follow you at a distance and not interfere. No matter what happened to you, his goal was to get the boy and nothing else." Magma went on to explain things anyway. It wasn't difficult to discern the thoughts of the warrior kneeling before him.
"If you succeeded then that was that. That meant that Ivor, for the first time in his life, had made an honest bargain." Magma continued. Yet as he spoke, Chichi felt a chill consume her heart and threaten to swallow her whole. Her entire body screamed in fear and pushed her to run out, yet her reasoning reminded her that there were many old generation Elders like Elder Miriam around. Each was more than a handful, much less the entire group. She wouldn't be able to escape even if she tried. Not to mention the two powerful Barbarian men staring at her like she was nothing but prey. She was trapped!
"But you failed," Magma calmly uttered, yet his words caused a huge change in the Palace Hall, for the aura of the one who stood beside him – the one called the Wise Flame – flared and danced for all to see. This aura was as strong as Waska's, if not stronger. And it wound itself around Chichi like an iron vice, buckling her to the ground.
"Your entire team failed. When you made your escape there were only two remaining – Camila and Nasir. And who even knows whether they have been able to stop the boy by themselves or if Waska had to intervene. You must be punished. Ideally your punishment would be death"
When Chichi heard her Lord speaking of her death so simply, her heart clenched. She knew that this was most likely going to be her fate, but knowing didn't make the process any easier. She had to accept the cold reality that was she was a Barbarian. And in Intersection, her life was worth as much as the missions she failed. The ones she had completed – in distinction or not – mattered little. Only the ones that failed mattered. For those determined your fate. And hers was currently heading in a direction she didn't want to see. She was headed to the reaper of souls. And boy must he be delighted to see her, the one who brought him so many others during her long, war-filled life.
"However it would be unfair to take your life since it is unclear whether your team did succeed or not."
"Elder Glass," Magma called out, and one of the elders from the old generation stepped out. His aura was mountainous, and his posture was as straight as a rod. If not for his long grey hair, none would have identified him as old.
Chichi's relief from hearing that her life would be kept for a little while longer disappeared when she heard the title 'Elder Glass'. She knew that name. Who in Intersection didn't?! He was the most powerful Elder in Intersection, possessing the strength of a peak Pseudo Phenom and the personal guard, well former personal guard, of the former Barbarian Lord – Magma's father. He himself had guarded Magma for a time until the boy had grown into a man and had created his own team. It was only then that he stepped down. Yet none dared to underestimate him. For he was Magma's second teacher! It was he who groomed Magma into the warrior he was, and most of Magma's fighting techniques were created by this man's hands.
But he was famous for another reason. After Magma's father gave up his position, Elder Glass refused to call out the name of another but him as his Lord. So he cut off his own tongue! He was a man famed for his loyalty, and in Intersection the name Glass was the apex of fidelity. He was man worthy of the title 'genius', and everyone knew this. In fact, if it wasn't for his desire to retire from a life of war and focus on exploring the mysteries of the world, there was no way Magma would have indisposed him from his position as Protector. Because of his vagabond nature he was rarely around, so Chichi wasn't expecting to hear that name.
"Take her to the Sweepers," Magma ordered. Yet his tone was unusually soft when he spoke to Elder Glass. Although he didn't call this man teacher because he dared not to, he still valued and cherished him. And though his training had been barbaric and tough, it was that very training that made him who he was today. He hated him when he was a child, yet as an adult he loved this man very much.
*Nod*
Elder Glass nodded his head and easily lifted Chichi off the ground and onto her feet. He pointed at the door, his intentions clear. Chichi dared not question him. She shakily walked past the door with the most powerful Elder behind her. Their destination? The Sweepers: a prison for the prisoner of the Lord.
The Elders stared at the door for a short while, watching as Chichi was escorted out of the Palace. Then they returned to business, discussing several important topics with the Lord whilst they waited for news from Waska. It was several hours later when Waska the Mad Flame finally made an appearance. Yet when he came without the boy, each person's expression grew grim.
"What happened?" Rasa asked seeing Waska's disheveled countenance. No matter how strong the boy was, there was no way he would have been able to deal with Waska.
"She came!" Waska screamed, his composure lost.
"Who came?" Rasa asked the question they all wanted to know.
"Ivor's Master! That accursed succubus – Ashera!"