Lucas Bane stood within Hieron's Domain. Hieron hovered slightly above him. The two floated in the skies talking.
"It has been almost two millennia since the two of us have talked seriously. I see you, William and Victoria have taken on alternate forms within the Book Of Jo-lan" Hieron said.
"You should understand why we did that Hieron. The Phoenix Clan looks up to the progenitors of the Clan. To be able to evaluate our successors objectively, we had to take forms that would allow them to lower their guard and be their natural selves. If their actions were to be guided solely by the respect they felt for us, then we couldn't really evaluate them objectively now could we Hieron?" Lucas asked.
"I would expect no less from the progenitors of the Phoenix Clan, I would expect no less from you my old friend" Hieron said.
"I've come because I have a request to make of you Hieron" Lucas said seriously.
Hieron sighed.
"I suspected as much. You and I usually communicate through our telepathic bond. For you to show up personally…there must be a very serious reason" Hieron said.
"I had to show up personally Hieron because the request I am about to make will be a particularly hard one for you to grant" Lucas said.
Hieron remained silent.
"I would like for you to reassume your role as the Phoenix's consciousness and awaken once more the nerves of the Phoenix" Lucas said.
"Lucas, you better than anyone should know why I hid myself within the Book Of Jo-lan and allowed no one to wield my power for almost two millennia" Hieron said.
A look of grief came over Lucas' face.
"I do Hieron. In the battle against Souryu that occurred many centuries ago, the first generation of the Phoenix Clan was very valiant in battle and their comradery sustained the unity of the Phoenix. However, over time, they forgot that the source of their strength came from their bond with God and the Psychorages as well as with one another and began to pursue their own ambitions. These actions were what created the conditions that facilitated the rise of Souryu once more" Lucas admitted. "Like you Hieron, I too have been watching over the actions of my clan from within the Book Of Jo-lan. Like you Hieron, I too haven't forgotten" Lucas said.
"You ask me to reawaken the Holy Class Of Rune Knight in all the Phoenix Clan but…you know what that means don't you Lucas?" Hieron asked.
"I do. The Holy Class Of Rune Knight is a class that can only be awakened by the one that serves as the consciousness of the Phoenix. It is a class that grants enormous power" Lucas said.
"Do you recall the source of that power Lucas?" Hieron asked.
"Yes…it is the power of unity experienced at a deep telepathic and emotional level" Lucas said.
"Then you also know that it is a double edged sword" Hieron said.
Lucas remained silent.
"Usually, a human only merges consciousness with a Psychorage when necessary so the two are separate entities under normal circumstances and one entity when the human wills to awaken that bond. That also implies that the mental and emotional strain to both parties and the potential harm is minimized. However, you know very well that this is not the case with those that share the Holy Class Of Rune Knight. Once the bond is established, it is permanent. The two parties can never be considered two separate entities but that also means…you know what I am getting at don't you Lucas?" Hieron asked.
"Yes, the nerves of the body transmit impulses from the senses to the brain. Impulses that carry both the feelings of pleasure…and pain" Lucas said.
"Indeed, what is felt by one is felt by all. That is what I meant by the fact that the Holy Class Of Rune Knight is a double edged sword. The power of Rune Knight is magnified with every addition to the bond but so are the feelings of pleasure and pain" Hieron said.
Lucas nodded.
"You and I in particular Lucas have had to carry the feelings of regret for centuries. We have also had to carry the nostalgic feelings of comradery the first generation Phoenix Clan shared. I promised myself never to reawaken the Holy Class Of Rune Knight ever again" Hieron said with a regretful look on his face.
"Yet you did and not just once but twice, in Edgar Fencer and Harry Bane. I've always wondered why" Lucas Bane asked.
"In Fencer's case, to the ordinary eye, he was a weakling. He had almost no raw offensive power. Neither did he have influence. Yet he dared to confront Innovain's schemes knowing full well how powerless he was. His battle against Apollo for two years and his drive to never quit reminded me of my own battle with Souryu that lasted two years. I shared a fraction of my power with him even without his conscious knowledge and I have not made my presence known to him just yet. In Harry Bane's case, he was always immature and quick to get into senseless fights. His history gave him no choice other than to eventually become a pawn of Souryu's however he rejected history. In Avalon, everyone cowered in fear under the rule of Asmodeus and Anubis, who was Souryu's third general, symbolic of Death. The boy was fully aware that to face Anubis would be to confront Death. By confronting Anubis, he confronted not only the present fear but the fear of his fate. The boy forged a history for himself, changed the present and faced the fear of Death to open the path to a brighter future. In your case Lucas, you tended my wounds, you a powerless human dared to care for Souryu's archnemesis when even Psychorages cowered under fear of him. In essence, I sensed that you, Edgar Fencer and Harry Bane…had nerve" Hieron said. "I am not completely against the idea of reawakening the Holy Class Of Rune Knight Lucas but I will not do this hastily. For now, I will continue to observe the present Phoenix Clan and if they meet my expectations, the Class shall be reawakened and its power released" Hieron said and disappeared.