FARHAYVEN: VENGEANCE (133 page)

     Serene and Rod gave up trying to convince Thorn to save himself. They spent a whole afternoon chatting away and reminiscing their days together at Fort Eastguard.

     Meanwhile, Ray and Clover were busy supervising the move to Fort Elementhar. As Ray was busy packing up in his office, Dawn entered. Her presence caught Ray by surprise. He though she would still be in the infirmary for at least a few more days.

     “May I speak with you, Ray Iddell,” requested Dawn.

     “Yes
!
Sit _ please do of this,” invited Ray as he pointed to a chair across his desk.

     “Why did you save my life
?
” asked Dawn.

     “What
!?
” uttered Ray in confusion.

     “Back at The Lair, when I was contaminated by dark energy, why did you save my life
?
Why didn’t you just let me die
?
I was of no further use to you at that point. Why did you do it
?
” said Dawn, clarifying her question.

     A long silence ensued. Ray was surprised by her question. Then he realised that being an assassin, Dawn thought in an entirely different way than how he did.

     “Sacred _ an innocent’s life is of this, and that was why I chose to save your life,” answered Ray.

     “I don’t understand,” said Dawn.

     Ray nodded his head while being immersed in deep thought. He had anticipated this problem. She had not been raised with the knowledge of Reception, he realised. Therefore, basic morality was absent in her.

     Leaning forward, Ray took in a deep breath before forming an answer.

     “Beginning _ when it was of this of time, we living beings had no knowledge of anything, except that we knew we wanted to keep on living; as such, two choices became available to us. Choices _ of these, one was to kill to live, but as a consequence, we too would be killed by others so that they could live; and this is known as the ‘
kill and/or be killed
’ choice; and the second choice was to live and not kill, then hopefully others too would choose not to kill us to live, and this is known as the ‘
live and let live
’ choice. Choice _ the ‘
kill and/or be killed
’ of this is destructive and is therefore deemed to be evil whereas the other one is constructive and deemed to be good. Knowledge _ as time went on, we have acquired new ones of these, and we now know that we are all sinful beings and that we are given time to repent and to clean our souls of our sins; for this is the purpose of life; in essence, life is time given to clean up our sins and rid our souls of evilness, and not for the purpose of seeking happiness or other such rubbish. Sacred _ life has become of this, for life is time given for every soul to salvage itself; and killing is the stealing of the time this was granted. Just _ thus, it is
not
of this if we kill. Innocent _ those lives are of this if they choose not to kill, and non-innocent are they who choose to kill. Remember _ you must do of this that life
is
sacred; and other beings’ right to live, including that of the animals,
are
sacred as well. Sacred _ since innocent life is of this, I chose to save your life so that you may have the chance to repent and cleanse your soul of evilness,” answered Ray.

     Dawn was very confused. She had never heard of such a thing before.

     “But if life is sacred, why do you kill
!?
” asked Dawn.

     “Choice _ of this, every living being is given such but is accountable for it as well; therefore, those who choose to kill deserve to be killed whereas those who choose
not
to kill do
not
deserve to be killed; therefore, it is the application of the ‘
kill and/or be killed
’ and the ‘
live and let live
’ choices. Kill _ I do of this only in necessity to achieve justice and nothing else and I do it in accordance with the law of these two choices, and this law is known as the Law of Cause and Effect, Law of Choice and Consequence, Law of Retribution and other such names,” answered Ray.

     “So you judge them, then. You judge the people whom you kill
!
” asked Dawn.

     “Yes,” was Ray’s simple reply.

     “What right have you to judge them
?
” asked Dawn.

     “Judge _ I have the right to do of this to them because I do of this to myself as well, therefore I shall judge and be judge, and it is still fair and it is just and it is in perfect harmony with the Law of Retribution,” explained Ray.

     Ray’s answer confused Dawn even further.

     “But I have killed
!
Why then did you save me
?
Why did you see me as an innocent
?
You should have killed me instead
!
” argued Dawn.

     “Killed _ you have done of this, but your life was in danger when you were trying to
save
the innocent members of your clan, therefore at that moment, you were
saving
and not killing; and therefore, you deserved to be
saved
and not killed
!
” answered Ray.

     Dawn did not understand Ray’s logic. Is there a difference between killing to kill and killing to save
?
How does justice come into the equation
?
Why is justice so important anyway
?

     “Thank you for your answer… and for saving my life,” said Dawn as she stood up, bowed, turned and walked away.

     “Welcome _ you are of this,” said Ray as he returned the bow.

     The next morning, Serene and Rod approached Ray in his office. Clover came in as well, curious as to what her cousin was up to.

     “Element _ Orgavian Iddell, what is it of this of the human bone
?
” asked Serene.

     “Earth,” answered Ray.

     “Element _ if the human bone is of the earth one of this, then you can use you skills to heal Minvian Sayson, can you not
?
” asked Serene again.

     “Mean – you do of this that I should manipulate the earth element in Rod’s shin bone to make it rejoin
?
Thought _ I had never done of this to do this before,” said Ray.

     “Done _ can it be of this, master
?
” asked Clover.

     “Maybe,” answered Ray.

     Ray asked Rod to sit on a chair and rest his right leg on another chair in front of him. Closing his eyes and focussing his mind, Ray ran his hands above and over the cast that wrapped Rod’s shin. It took him a few tries, but finally, Ray managed to sense Rod’s shin and the point where it was severed. The bone was already beginning to heal, but only slightly. Using his soul energy, Ray manipulated the earth element of Rod’s shin to make it mend and fuse, so that the bone was one whole piece again. Rod let out a controlled groan as he withstood the pain. A few moments later, it was done. The pain was gone and Rod’s shin bone was one whole piece again. Rod had wanted to remove the cast, but Ray forbade it. He told Serene to take Rod to the infirmary and ask for the healers to evaluate the state of the bone. Serene and Rod got up and left almost immediately. Clover went with them, more out of curiosity rather than concern.

     Half an hour later, Serene, Rod and Clover returned to Ray’s office. Rod’s cast had been removed. There was still some pain when he walked, but only mildly. Ray could not believe it. He could not believe that he had done it. And further more, he could not believe that he had not thought of it in the first place. Then the four of them went off for breakfast together.

     It was an extremely busy morning on the
10
th
Day of Sixth Month of Dry Season
as Ray and the Sollenthars helped Minvian Sky Proest and 3
rd
Pond, 3
rd
Lake, 1
st
Ocean relocate the former clansmen of the Shadow Deathmerchant Clan to their new home. Eclipse Menox organised her followers, which comprised mostly of women, children and a few old folks, into groups based on their respective villages of origin. They then loaded whatever little belongings they had onto horse-drawn carts that would be driven by Sky’s subordinates. The Sollenthars would tag along as security escorts.

     As they were preparing to leave, Dawn walked up to Ray, bowed and extended her hand forward. In her hand was a furled-up document. Ray took the document, removed the ribbon and unfurled it. The contents were so unexpected that Ray had to read it twice just to be sure. The document stated that Dawn had been given a full and unconditional pardon by King Patrum, and that she had been given the rank of suvian and that she had been assigned to the Royal Elementhar Lake under Ray’s command. Clover, who was standing beside him, gasped in surprise when he showed it to her.

     “How
?
Why
?
” asked Ray.

     “I asked the king for it. I convinced him that the Fallsian Military needed to develop the skills and knowledge of assassination as a tool of war. And I offered to teach these skills, for a price. I wanted to be assigned to you, Ray,” answered Dawn.

     “Reason _ what is it of this that you chose to be assigned to me
?
” asked Ray, still confused.

     “Because you saved my life, and you’re the only one I trust,” answered Dawn.

     Clover’s curiosity was sparked.

     “Reason _ but what is it of this that made you choose to convince the king in the first place
?
” she asked.

     “I wanted my skills to be used for goodness, for a change. And now that the Ten Betrayed Villages have reintegrated back into Fallsian society, the safety and security of Free Falls will affect us as well. The Serpentians are a real threat to us. The Aridytes are a nuisance, but a deadly one just the same. The Fallsian Military needs to have its own assassins if we are to stand a chance to survive. But I’ll not serve under anyone else. I don’t trust them. I only trust you
!
” explained Dawn.

     Ray stood speechless. He had never expected this to happen. Neither did Clover. Then finally, he nodded to Dawn and handed the document back to her. She bowed and excused herself. Ray and Clover bowed back, and then turned to look at each other with a slight expression of puzzlement.

     A few moments later, Ray and Clover realised that there were three Ordered Elementhars walking towards them. One of them was a face Ray had not seen for many years. It was Funnel Polt. The three Ordered Elementhars walked right up to Ray and Clover, took in a deep breath, and then exhaled, and in doing so, their entire bodies erupted into flames. The three flaming figures then bowed, and stayed in a bowed position; waiting for Ray and Clover’s response. Ray and Clover set their own bodies to flames as well and then returned the Ordered Elementhars’ bow. After the exchange was over, they restored their bodies to normal.

     “Blessings _ do we have yours of these, Master Ray Iddell
?
” Funnel asked.

     “Blessings _ you have mine of these, Master Funnel Polt
!
” answered Ray.

     “Remember _ you do of this of me, Ray
?
” asked Funnel.

     “Remember _ I do of this of you, Funnel,” answered Ray.

     “Remember _ I shall make my novices do of this of our family, and of our memories, Ray; on this you have my word
!
” promised Funnel.

     “Gratitude _ you have mine of this, Funnel,” responded Ray.

     “Gratitude _ no, it is you who have ours of this
!
Farewell
!
” said the three Ordered Elementhars in a unified and unemotional tone, set their bodies to flames once again, bowed, restored their bodies to normal, turned around and left.

     Ray and Clover set their body to flames, bowed in response and then restored their bodies to normal and watched the Ordered Elementhars as they left.

     “Fire Elementhars _ master, of us, are they the ones who were selected by the Grand Order to restart our order
?
” asked Lance as he and Spirit strode up to Ray.

     “Yes,” replied Ray.

     The Fallsian sun shines brightly overhead in the cloudless sky as Ray mounted his horse.  He feels elated in a certain way. The Shadow Deathmerchant Clan has been destroyed. The Chessmaster has been identified, and vengeance and justice has been done upon him. Ray’s quest for vengeance has been completed. And now, his order will be restarted. He has just given his blessings to the three Elementhars who are tasked to do it. He knows that one day soon the Order of Fire Elementhars will come into existence once again; and that the teachings of his master and the masters before him will continue to survive. He also knows that he will never return to the Grand Order, for the feeling of betrayal and disappointment that he feels towards them can never be forgotten. But at least with this, the Grand Order can be whole again, and it can be whole again without his involvement. This way, there is closure for both him and the Grand Order and both parties can now learn to heal old wounds. This is a true and final parting of ways. And it is a parting of ways without animosity. A final and clean cutting of the bonds, so that each may go and grow as each sees fit.