Chapter Three: The Battle of the Ages (Part Two)

"Savasen, why would you give up the position of Governor, which was within your grasp, to pursue theology?" A warrior clad in golden armor leapt through Savasen’s window and landed before his desk.

Savasen regarded his impetuous disciple with resignation, his bright eyes reflecting a hint of helplessness.

"Taldarin, you mustn’t be so disrespectful in front of your teacher," a second young man in armor hurried in from the doorway. He admonished his friend, then turned and bowed apologetically to Savasen. "Forgive us, esteemed teacher. Taldarin is merely concerned for you, he meant no harm."

Savasen smiled ruefully. "Aton, as your teacher, do you think I don’t understand you?"

Aton rubbed his smooth forehead and curved his blue eyes into a sheepish grin. "Heh, I was just worried you might be feeling down." He grabbed Taldarin, who seemed poised to speak, and quickly continued, "But looking at you now, teacher, you’re nothing like the rumors say. Not only are you not despondent—"

Aton paused, closing his eyes in an attempt to better articulate what he sensed. "You actually seem to radiate a sense of enlightenment and liberation."

Savasen smiled, resolving his students’ confusion. "I never wished to assume the role of Governor of the Empire."

He laid down his book and sighed softly. "From the moment I was aware, the Empire has waged endless wars year after year with the Blood Tribes of the West. Countless lives, countless blood, have fallen in this interminable conflict."

Gazing into the distant sky, Savasen continued, "From youthful ambition to feeble old age, my father poured his life’s work into pursuing peace for the continent. Yet, instead of achieving it, both sides developed ever more deadly weapons, escalating the horrors of war."

He seemed entranced by the ancient tree outside his window. "Whenever we invented a new weapon, the enemy soon unveiled a similar version, as if some invisible specter stole all our innovations. This has long plagued the Empire’s leadership. Now that the Fang King’s abilities have been exposed, the hunt for traitors has paused, but I sense this peace is only temporary. If the matter isn’t resolved, worse calamities will follow."

"Even if the Fang King can absorb souls for their memories and power, as long as our technology advances, we can easily defeat him. I doubt his intelligence can increase—if it could, why wouldn’t he invent weapons himself?" Taldarin broke free from Aton’s grip, glared at him, and rubbed his wrist.

"Exactly, teacher. No matter how powerful the Fang King is, he can’t withstand our burgeoning technological might. Over a thousand years, he’s gone from unmatched dominance to barely holding his own. This proves our progress can suppress him. So why—?" Aton shrugged, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked to Savasen, peering curiously out the window.

Savasen turned to his disciples and shook his head. "It’s not so simple. The Fang King himself is not to be feared, but his powers could trigger catastrophic disaster."

"His powers?" Aton and Taldarin asked simultaneously.

"Yes, his powers," Savasen replied, fixing his gaze once more on the old tree.

"But teacher, I don’t understand," Taldarin said, studying the tree and shaking his head, while Aton seemed lost in thought.

Savasen narrowed his eyes. "Just as you said, the Fang King will eventually be outpaced by time. But the force he represents could very well lead our civilization into extinction."

At this, Savasen closed his eyes as if glimpsing a dark future. "The Fang King’s evil powers have always lurked in the mist. The warriors of the Blood Tribes may possess strength beyond ours, but that can be explained by individual talent. The Fang King is different. Since the battle centuries ago, he hasn’t fought personally. We assumed, like my father, he too had grown old and frail."

Opening his eyes, Savasen calmed his emotions. "But this time he reappeared, and we discovered how wrong we were. The Fang King had not aged or weakened; he was stronger than ever. Single-handedly, he breached our fortified camp, slew the heavily guarded engineer, and escaped our encirclement. It was incredible."

"Teacher, I disagree. Perhaps at first, we feared his power, but now the Fang King dares not face our army head-on. His night raid merely caught us off guard, and he fled before our forces could close in. That proves he’s not invincible," Taldarin insisted, clenching his fists, recalling his role as commander during that battle. The Fang King’s successful attack haunted him, prompting him to analyze the enemy’s power and train his troops in night patrols, vowing that should the Fang King return, he would never escape again.

"No, Taldarin, my dear friend, I think I understand what the teacher means," Aton said after a long silence, as if grasping Savasen’s deeper intent. "I believe, teacher, you fear that someone within the Empire might attempt to learn the Fang King’s power?"

Savasen turned approvingly to Aton. "Exactly, Aton. The Fang King, for all his might, is just one man. But his power can be replicated. I worry that someone among us will seek to learn it, to imitate it."

"Teacher, you mean the Fang King’s evil power? How could that be? Who would think of slaying others to prolong their own life? We are not the Fang King," Taldarin protested, staring at Savasen in disbelief.

"Yes, Taldarin, we are not the Fang King. We may trust that others won’t covet such evil, but what about everyone else? Will they always hold to that conviction? Once the seed of doubt is sown, it will eventually erupt. If the Fang King realizes this, he will surely spread his method far and wide. Survival is the most basic instinct. If even one person crosses that fragile boundary, the world will plunge into chaos. Our people will suspect one another, turn against each other, kill each other. In the end, we will all become the Fang King."

Savasen pointed to the old tree outside. "Life, like the falling leaves, returns naturally to the earth. Yet some, some force, can seize this power and break the cycle, extending their own existence. If this method spreads, disaster will be inevitable. The whole tree will wither, and none will be spared."

Using his psionic ability, Savasen brought a leaf to his hand and let it hover. "So I’ve been pondering how to prevent this dark future. The gods, so far, are the only answer I’ve found."

Aton and Taldarin stared, dumbfounded. "The gods grant us unparalleled psionic power, allowing us to communicate and, for the strong, even move objects by thought. I wonder if we can make our psionic power even greater without resorting to killing innocent lives. That’s why I joined the Academy of Divinity and apprenticed myself to the High Priest. This is the fruit of my recent efforts." Savasen condensed the leaf into a green sphere and set it orbiting around Aton and Taldarin.

"But teacher, aren’t the gods mere legend?" Aton held Taldarin back from poking the sphere and tried to calm himself.

"Yes, I once doubted their existence too. But after apprenticing under the High Priest, I learned many incredible things. One artifact convinced me the gods must exist, and that the Fang King’s evil is surely the result of some demon’s seduction." Savasen dispersed the green sphere and, ignoring Taldarin’s disappointed look, led his two disciples to his desk.

From his robe, from book recesses, and desk compartments, Savasen retrieved three different keys. With his disciples watching in astonishment, he approached the bookshelf, pulled out a certain book, and the shelf creaked until a hidden passage was revealed.

Savasen gestured for them to follow. Once all three entered, the bookshelf returned to its original spot and the wall closed behind them. Before the outside light vanished, the passage was illuminated by faint glow—its walls were inlaid with luminous pearls.

Guided by this light, the trio reached the end of the passage, where a massive bronze door stood before them, carved with countless unknown patterns. The door had three flower-shaped slots, and at its center, a huge transparent gemstone.

Savasen inserted his three keys into the slots, pressed his right hand to the gemstone, and a pale blue light flashed. The keys spun of their own accord, and the door slowly opened.

He led Aton and Taldarin into the chamber. They examined the room: it was not large. On the left were shelves of books made from bone and paper, ancient records preserved through ages. On the right were shelves of strange instruments, relics of a bygone era. But most captivating was the pedestal at the center, with a box radiating blue light.

Savasen closed the door, approached the pedestal, and beckoned his disciples forward. "Aton, Taldarin, do you feel it?" he asked, pointing to the glowing box.

"Yes, teacher, I can feel it—there’s a powerful force inside," said Aton, who had sensed something unusual about the box since entering.

"Indeed, teacher, I feel it too. What is it?" Taldarin asked as he stepped closer to the box.