FARHAYVEN: VENGEANCE (39 page)

     Clover’s face lit up like the sun.

     “Prime Guardian _ you are of him
!?
Original Vanguard Manuscript _ of it, was it with you all this while
?
” asked Clover, excited and surprised beyond belief.

     “Yes,” answered Ray.

     Ray retrieved the manuscript from his backpack.

     “Original Vanguard Manuscript
!
” said Clover in part surprise, part amazement.

     Ray nodded his head in affirmation.

     “Real _ is it of this
?
” asked Clover disbelievingly.

     “Yes,” answered Ray as he offered the book to Clover.

     Clover took the book from Ray. Her heart skipped a beat or two. She was excited beyond words. She held the book up and examined its every detail. Then, releasing a small amount of her soul energy and focusing it at her palm which she had placed over the book, she opened it. She flipped through its pages eagerly with the expression of someone finding a cave full of hidden treasures.

     “Original Vanguard Manuscript _ does the High Council know you have of it
?
” she asked.

     “No
!
Know _ they do not do of this, for I have kept it a secret until now
!
Thought _ theirs of this was that the manuscript was destroyed when the assassins burnt down my monune. Reveal _ I am doing of this of its existence to you, Clover, just as what I had done to Lance. Die _ I may be of this at any time, at the hands of thieves, assassins, Serpentians or even our own Provincial Guards, so I wanted to make sure that the both of you know of this book’s existence and keep it safe in the event of my death,” answered Ray.

     Both Lance and Clover nodded their heads. Ray’s explanation made sense.

     Clover handed the book back to Ray, who wasted no time in wrapping the book up and returning it to his backpack.

     “Massacre _ what happened after the event of this
?
” asked Clover.

     “Massacre _ after the event of this, I had approached the High Council to seek justice and revenge for my order, but they had refused, saying that it was up to the government to deliver justice and not them,” explained Ray.

     “Impossible _ it is of this, as that would mean that the High Council itself has broken the Law of Elementhar Administration
!
” said Clover disbelievingly.

     “Impossible _ it is of this, but unfortunately, it is true
!
Pleaded _ I had done of this with them for weeks, but I was told to shut up, join the Order of Earth Elementhars and forget about the whole thing
!
” explained Ray.

     Clover was shocked beyond words. But Lance became curious.

     “Do _ what did you of this after that
?
” asked Lance.

     “Do _ of this, I left Free Falls for 15 years, in part out of disappointment, in part out of disgust, in part to search for the Order of Mind Elementhars so that I could ask for their help in seeking vengeance and in part to search for someone who could finish my training in the earth element,” answered Ray.

     “Mind Elementhars _ did you find of them
?
” asked Clover.

     “No,” answered Ray, shaking his head.

     “Master _ did you find one of him of the earth element to finish your training, master
?
” asked Lance.

     “Yes. Master _ I did find one of him and I had managed to complete my training in the earth element; and I also found Spirit,” said Ray as he pat the white wolf on the head.

     Clover looked at Ray curiously.

     “Back _ why have you come of this, Ray, after all these years
?
” she asked Clover.

     “Back _ I have come of this to force an ultimatum on the High Council at the Grand Conference
!
” answered Ray.

     Clover kept silent. She could guess what Ray’s ultimatum would be. It would tear the Grand Order apart, or at the very least, cause a number of Elementhars to lose confidence in it. But she understood the reason why Ray had to do this.

     Ray gave Clover a reassuring smile. Clover’s return smile was one that expressed understanding.

     “Story _ that was mine of this, now tell me yours,” said Ray.

     “Story _ mine of this is a little less complicated, and it begins with me joining the Order of Water Elementhars at Monune Sapphire six years ago. Graduated _ I had of this of the water element three years later. Monune White Diamond _ a year after that, I went to of this to master the wind element, which took me two years to do. Returning _ upon doing of this to Monune Sapphire, I was sent out on missions to hunt demons with my brother and sister Elementhars, but I found my skills lacking. Skills _ as a matter of fact, it was not just mine of these, but everyone else’s as well. Killed _ many of my brother and sister Elementhars were of this, and so our numbers began to dwindle,” said Clover.

     “Skills _ of these, how can this be lacking when you master two elements
?
” asked Lance.

     “Curious _ I am of this too, for most demons are Tertiary Demons and handling them should not have been such a problem,” added Ray, who was impressed that Clover took only two years to master the wind element when it should have taken at least five.

     Clover drew in a deep breath. From her facial expression, Ray knew he had trigged something unpleasant.

     “Skills _ of these, ours were lacking because the water element part our copies of the Vanguard Manuscript were missing certain spells. Survived _ I had of this mainly due to my mastery of the wind element, but my brother and sister Water Elementhars were not so lucky,” answered Clover.

     “Be _ how can it of this when all the Water Elementhars’ knowledge and experience are written into your copies of the manuscript
?
” asked Ray.

     “Fire _ there was one of this at Monune Sapphire one night during my second year there, and all of our personal copies of the manuscript were destroyed. Manuscripts _ our current ones of these are copies of a sample kept at Monune Grand, but this sample was not updated for the past two hundred years
!
” explained Clover.

     “Lost _ you have of this of two hundred years of knowledge and experience
!
” concluded Ray.

     “Unfortunately
!
” said Clover.

     Lance felt confused. There was something to Clover’s story that did not make sense.

     “Vanguard Manuscript _ how is it that all your copies of this get destroyed in the fire
?
Copies _ of these, what about those that belong to the Water Elementhars who were not at Monune Sapphire at that time
?
” asked Lance.

     “Vanguard Manuscript _ all our copies of this were destroyed because we were all in attendance at the funeral of our leader, High Elementhar Whisper Nurten; and in our deep sorrow we failed to realise that a fire had ravaged through our living quarters and our library, destroying everything,” explained Clover.

     “Suspicious _ it still sounds of this
!
” said Ray.

     “Suspicious _ I felt of this as well, so I examined the burnt rubble of our living quarters, and found the smell of oil in the charred wood,” said Clover.

     “Sabotage
!
” concluded Ray.

     “Sabotage,” agreed Clover.

     Ray shook his head in disbelief. First, his order was massacred, and then, the Water Elementhars were sabotaged. Who is this mysterious enemy that they were facing
?

     “Save _ is there anything you manage to do of this
?
” asked Lance.

     “Save _ nothing much did I manage to do of this, only my sword,” answered Clover.

     “Do _ what did you of this after that
?
” asked Ray.

     “Nothing _ we did of this for many years, for what could we have done
?
” answered Clover.

     “Chosen _ by the way, who has been of this to replace Master Nurten as High Elementhar
?
” asked Ray.

     “Master Ambience Waycress,” was Clover’s simple answer.

     Lance shook his head in confusion. There was still something that did not add up.

     “Here _ how is it that you are of this
?
” asked Lance.

     “Months _ two of these ago, I had an idea that if I could find the Original Vanguard Manuscript, I could replace the missing knowledge of our copies, and so I went to Monune Ruby to search for it; and of course, I did not find it. Missing _ the manuscript has been of this for 15 years, so I knew my chances were slim, but I felt I had to try, and so, that was what I did. Fraudster _ I came across of him on my way out, masquerading as an Elementhar and cheating gullible villagers of their coins. Chased _ I have tried to do of this of him, but he has always managed to give me the slip. Followed _ finally, I have managed to do of this to him here and confronted him,” answered Clover.

     Lance was getting more confused.

     “Original Vanguard Manuscript _ but how can the finding of it replace the missing knowledge from your copies
?
” he asked.

     “Original Vanguard Manuscript _ the finding of it can do so because it has been sorcerised by Pioneer Vanguard to record and duplicate any entry by any Ordered Elementhar into any of its copies, thus functioning like a library. Copies _ however, ours of these are only common books which do not have such ability; and only the original has it,” explained Ray.

     “Saying _ you are of this, master, that if I make an entry into
my
copy of the manuscript, it will appear automatically in the
original
copy, but will not appear in anyone else’s copy,” said Lance, seeking confirmation.

     “Correct _ you are of this,” confirmed Ray.

     Lance nodded his head. Everything has become clear to him. Then a curiosity arose in him.

     “Water element part _ master, can I access of this in the original manuscript
?
” asked Lance.

     “No. Access _ you cannot do of this of the parts which contains the elements you are
not
trained in, so those parts will be locked by the manuscript’s metal cover and even if you managed to unlock it, the pages of those parts will appear to be blank,” answered Ray.

     “Know _ how does the original manuscript does of this of the elements that I am trained in
?
” asked Lance.

     “Know _ it does of this by sensing the form your soul energy takes when you release a small amount of it on the manuscript’s cover,” explained Ray.

     Evening came and the quartet sat by a large bonfire after a wholesome dinner. Spirit was yawning widely while Ray was checking on Lance’s progress with the copying of Lance’s version of the Vanguard Manuscript. Clover was busy reading the original manuscript and then copying the missing spells and information into her own copy. By nightfall both Lance and Spirit were asleep, but both Master Elementhars were involved in deep discussion.

     “Vanguard Manuscript _ this copy of it belongs to a brother Water Elementhar of yours, Wave Soltude,” said Ray as he handed Elementhar Soltude’s copy of the Vanguard Manuscript to Clover.

     “Dead _ is he of this
?
” asked Clover.

     “Yes. Found _ we did of his body in the forest between Greentown and Timberstock, killed by a demon,” answered Ray.

     Clover fought to keep her emotions in check. Teardrops were rolling down her cheeks.

     “Batch-mates _ we were of these, and good friends, too. Family _ his of this was rich and famous, and was part of the royal court. Banished _ he was of this from his family for he fell in love with a girl that was not of their choosing, and when she took her own life because of her own family’s objection, Monune Sapphire was the only place he went to that offered him some kind of solace. Isolation _ perhaps it is the monune’s of this that comforts him, away from the Fallsian public’s glaring eyes. Inform _ I shall do of this of his death to my order and to his family in Fallsene City,” said Clover.

     “Sorry _ I am of this,” offered Ray.

     Clover nodded her head. She was too sad to speak, for fear of crying.