I looked the older man in the eye, and I wanted answers. The older man noticed that my greed for knowledge was very high. "The high council also takes some victims to their executions. These executions are broadcasted globally so that everyone can see how cold-blooded, cruel, and ruthless the high council is. These beings are anything but empathetic and ready for all cruel things," the old man finally replied to me in a quivering voice.
Shock and the feeling of uneasiness came over me. The thought that my brother was still among the living and could be executed remained in the back of my mind like a germinating virus.
"When do these executions take place? If it's happening globally all over the world, I should have heard about it. So why don't I know about it? Couldn't these beings reach my homeland? Is that why they attacked the wiped-out city of Marlorvina?" I asked mockingly, filled with anger and immense curiosity.
I saw the older man give me a blank look and become tenser. The tension of this situation was almost unbearable. Still, this older man gave me no answer. Even though there were only 10 seconds of silence, they felt like decades.
"Because they knew that one of the residents would possess the green, shimmering Merthyl Crystal, which is also called the Power of 1000 Souls. That's why they went out of their way to spare Marlorvina from these public executions. I have seen many people, even babies, tortured and murdered in cold blood in front of their parents and relatives," the old man finally replied with a deep sigh.
I finally understood why my brother had given me that necklace and why he had told me to escape. He knew they would come to find this weapon and take it into custody, and I didn't believe him. After all, he trusted me but for what? I am to blame for the extermination of my homeland, and I must carry this burden until I can take revenge for all of them.
I looked at the older man and took a deep breath in and out. "How does this weapon work? What do I have to do to use it against the high council?", I wanted to know curiously, staring at the green crystal of my necklace like a psychopath, feeling the rush of blood. The older man shook his head as if to tell me now that I was far too childish and that I should refrain from rash thoughts.
The older man grabbed a strange kind of dust, which was right next to him in a stone bowl, on the sandy ground and scattered it all over the fire. I eyed the fire, slowly changing its shape and color, gaining contrast. An image formed of a young, tiny woman who possessed the same crystal as me but used the crystal as a kind of stone of a ring with the same green merthyl crystal.
The fire could not show the young woman's face for unknown reasons, but other individuals could be seen along with their faces. This woman seemed to be in a market, and as it appeared, she was buying food. She was very adapted to the crowd in terms of clothing. For this reason, I would have to look for her ring on her ring finger if I wanted to go looking for her soon.
I looked at the older man eagerly for an answer. Before I had even completed the question I wanted to ask him in my mind, he beat me to it. "You must take this road north. Remember, east is where the sun rises, south is where the sun is at its peak, west is where the sun sets, and north is where you never see it. That way, you will not get lost. The city where the woman you are looking for is located is called Altravessa." No sooner had the older man finished speaking than I replied with an affirmative nod and watched as the fire imploded and went out.
The older man stood up and walked a few steps past me. He stood on the horizon with his back turned to me and remained silent. It seemed that he sensed a tension in the air in the distance and knew that a terrible event would soon be underway.
"It's about time. It would be best if you left now. There's no time to lose. Every second you spend now counts as much as human life. Whether you like it or not, you will be the one to free this world or bring it to utter ruin." After the older man finished his sentence, he turned his head and threw me a smile that I forgot ages ago in this darkness.
It was the smile of hope and conviction. "You will make it, of that I am convinced. You are still young and very impulsive, and you will gain a lot of experience and learn on your journey. My task is at this moment completed." Before I could even throw a word out of my mouth, the old man began to disappear along with his smile and dissolve.
I didn't understand anything anymore. This man who had saved my life, what or who was he? A human being? A ghost? Am I supposed to save the world? This older man seemed to have a lot of faith in me. Who, besides me, has the slightest possibility of stopping these tyrants?
I looked at my Merthyl necklace. I knew that my journey had just begun.