Chapter 5

After seeking counsel from the Great Golden Dragon, Maranu realized that he could pass on part of his powers to worthy successors. However, Rhuknor warned Maranu that he could only use this ability sparingly, that humanity as a whole was not yet ready for such a rapid evolution. For this reason, Maranu could only select a thousand individuals out of the roughly hundred million humans of the colony’s population which represented all that remained of humanity. Afterwards, Maranu’s ability to gift the power would diminish, and Elemency would only pass on through hereditary means from then on. Out of all the sentient races in the universe, humans have one of the shortest lifespans because we are the youngest species and the last to discover the power of Elemency. However, it also became known that humans can breed exponentially faster than almost any other race in the cosmos. For most of the denizens of the universe, the phrase ‘breeding like humans’ makes a lot more sense than ‘breeding like rabbits’. So, it was possible that even with such a small number, humanity could rebuild its population within a few generations ... as well as increase its sum of Psionic Users to unprecedented levels.

Ryan wasn’t sure he heard that right. “I’m sorry, could ya run that one by me again?”

Zand’s face remained stoic as he said slowly, “I need you to listen very carefully, Ryan. Before we can resume, I must know the depths of your resolve. There is a high probability that this training could prove life-threatening. Knowing that, knowing that if we continue, it may not only spell the end of your ambitions, but of your very life ... are you still willing to go forward?”

Ryan locked gazes with Zand. In the much, much older man, he saw a depth of knowledge and power that went beyond agelessness. Zand’s green eyes possessed a fortitude that Ryan could only guess at. He knew from the first moment that Zand was testing him, gauging his every word and action. Ryan knew that Zand meant what he said ... that this training could very well mean his death. Even if Ryan said yes, he knew that Zand would also judge the quality of his response.

Hesitating only briefly, Ryan sucked in a deep breath. “From the way everyone’s been acting, I kinda figured it might boil down to this. But still, that doesn’t change anything. I knew right from the start, ever since I looked him in the eye ... if I was ever going to stand a chance against that thing that killed my family, then I had to give it everything I had, that I might even have to lose my life in the process. That’s fine. I’ve already decided that I have to kill that Dark Creature no matter what. This is a necessary step to attaining that goal. If I wasn’t willing to risk death now, how could I ever face him?”

Zand said nothing as he stared long and hard into Ryan’s eyes, assessing him in every conceivable way. Ryan met Zand’s gaze unflinchingly, showing nothing but his unwavering determination. As they regarded each other, Ryan could feel something inside him ... a presence. Ryan knew that Zand was not only judging his physical response, but his psychological response as well, searching his mind for any sign of doubt. These were the eyes of a being that transcended human innovation. The timeless eyes of a being that had lived and grown for untold centuries. Ryan knew that Zand was at least a millennium old, but for some reason, not even a thousand years of history seemed to be enough to encapsulate the enormity of this man ... this entity whose very existence seemed to predate creation itself.

Zand slowly turned his back on Ryan, his posture remaining stiff. “Very well, then. I shall give you a taste of what you seek. When you stand before him, it will feel a little bit like this. If you can, keep your eyes on me and try not to fall.”

Ryan didn’t know what Zand meant at first, but then he felt that presence again. No, it wasn’t like before. This was so much more potent. When he felt Zand touching his psyche before, it was a light, pleasant sensation. This was amplified to blinding levels. It was less a presence and more a pressure ... like the gravity had been turned up by a million. Ryan heard a loud buzzing in his ears, but he knew there was no sound. When he tried to keep his focus on the back of Zand’s white head, his vision became blurred as if reality was being distorted. When looking at Zand’s head made him feel dizzy, he shifted his focus to Zand’s white cape, but that too looked hazy as if warped through a glass prism. Sweat started to drench Ryan’s whole body. The room’s temperature hadn’t changed as far as Ryan knew, but he felt like he was broiling inside an oven for some reason. Knots formed in Ryan’s stomach. He would’ve called it ‘butterflies in the stomach, but it was more like a swarm of angry wasps on steroids. It was similar to how flying sometimes made him nauseous, but he would’ve gladly taken a trip in a rocket without seatbelts instead of whatever this was. Ryan’s breath came out in ragged gasps as breathing became more and more difficult, then a searing pain suddenly enveloped his heart. He clutched at his chest as his heartbeat skyrocketed, wondering if he was having a heart attack. He tried to do as Zand said and remain standing, but he found himself going to his knees as the pressure grew too great. He at least didn’t fall down completely, but it took every ounce of his willpower to keep himself from faceplanting. He at least tried to keep his gaze on Zand, but the Prime Minister’s body seemed to be growing brighter ... blindingly so as if the man had turned into a sun. Eventually, Ryan had to avert his gaze, bowing his head as he feared going blind just from looking at Zand’s back.

It was all too much. The brightness, the haziness, the feeling of vertigo, the buzzing in his ears ... it was just all too much. Try as he might, Ryan couldn’t force himself to stand as his whole body remained frozen by something. Ryan soon realized what this feeling was. Nothing in the room had changed. Nothing in his body had changed. Zand hadn’t done anything to alter anything about himself or the environment. It was Zand himself. He was revealing himself to Ryan ... revealing a snippet of that awe-inspiring power he held at bay. Ryan understood. Zand wasn’t doing anything to him. He was just afraid. No, more than afraid. He was terrified to the very marrow of his being. Ryan’s instincts could now perceive Zand for what he was ... a supreme predator that could devour anything that he set his gaze upon. If Ryan were to liken it to something, he would say it was like a mouse that stood face-to-face with a lion in an open field with nowhere to hide. The lion’s opened jaws were only inches from the mouse’s head. The mouse could try to run, but what would be the point with the lion’s toothy maw so close to clamping down on its morsel?

This is just like that feeling from before ... that dread that took me the moment I looked into the Dark Creature’s eyes! Panic started to take root in Ryan’s heart as he feared that Zand might not stop whatever it was that he was doing. This is it! I’m going to die!

When his head lowered even further, the pressure lessened. The buzzing in Ryan’s ears vanished. His stomach stopped doing cartwheels. His vision cleared up as the godlike aura that surrounded Zand seemed to ebb. Struggling to get his breathing under control, Ryan just sat there kneeling with one hand on the floor to keep himself upright. He shivered for a moment, realizing that he truly had come close to death. It wasn’t just the fact that it was Zand, a supposed friend that had brought him to that point. It was that there was absolutely nothing he could’ve done to stop it. He couldn’t summon the will to stand, let alone fight back.

Zand turned back around, offering a kindly smile that seemed so misplaced on such an all-powerful force of nature. “That is roughly what it’s like to stand in the presence of a Vessel who has the intent to kill you.”

Still breathing heavily, Ryan whispered, “Did you ... did you use some kind of telepathic attack?”

Zand shook his head. “There was no telepathy involved. I simply flared up my psions ... or more accurately, I stopped suppressing my psions for a brief moment.”

A moment? That felt like hours!

Zand slowly knelt until he was eyelevel with Ryan as he leaned his elbow on one knee. “Now you know why I had you store your Psionic Armor. Those extra psions helped bolster your resistance against my psionic presence. You should consider yourself fortunate to be alive right now. If a Pureskin without any psions to protect them had been in this room, they would’ve been erased from existence down to the last atom. Even many weaker Psionic Users would similarly find their lives snuffed out. The fact that you didn’t fall over entirely, or even sick up for that matter, is a testament to your willpower and strength. Well done.”

Ryan tried to give a weak smile, but all at once, he found his hold on his stomach wane as he leaned forward and threw up. Huge globs of green vomit spewed from Ryan’s mouth to spill over the pristine crystal floor. Ryan put his hands to the floor to keep himself from falling over into his own barf. If Zand was at all perturbed by Ryan’s loss of bodily fluids, he didn’t show it as he simply patted Ryan’s back good-naturedly. Suffice it to say, Ryan felt humiliated. He figured that whatever test Zand had meant, Ryan had failed it on every possible metric. As Ryan observed his own bile, he noted a lot of corn in the mix despite being unable to remember eating corn.

Zand also seemed curious about Ryan’s diet as he observed, “You eat a goodly amount of protein, but you seem to crave carbs too much. I’d suggest less ramen and more vegetables in your dietary habits.”

Ryan groaned as he leaned back on his hands and wiped his messy mouth. “A prophet and a dietitian. You’re like a walking fortune cookie, you know that?”

Zand shrugged. “I have been accused of meddling a tad too much at times, I do admit. Tis the curse of every busybody.”

Amazingly, Zand actually poked a finger into Ryan’s barf, prodding the gunk as if it were a fascinating specimen for a research experiment. Ryan’s jaw hung open as Zand swirled his finger around and around the goo for a few seconds, and then all at once, the puddle of vomit vanished entirely in a puff of white mist.

Zand seemed to sense the question on Ryan’s mind as he said, “Light Elemency has many applications. It can be used to form solid constructs, but it can also be used like antimatter under certain frequencies. Like Shadow Elemency, the light can also destroy matter. The difference, though, is motivation and intent. Light Elemency can only be wielded by someone with pure intentions without bloodlust, whereas Shadow Elemency usually comes from a place of self-satisfaction and narcissism.”

Ryan pointed at the place where his vomit had vanished. “Will you teach me how to do stuff like that?”

Zand’s gentle smile returned as he said, “Yes. And much more if you survive.”

The Prime Minister then stood up and pulled Ryan to his feet. As Ryan stood, he knew his training was just beginning. Despite Zand’s foreboding statement, Ryan could feel his Saurian blood boiling at the prospect of the challenge. It had been a long time since Ryan felt excited about learning something. It kind of reminded him of his first days as an Elemental.

That grim expression returned as Zand said, “Now that you have felt a sliver of my power, do you understand what you are up against?”

Ryan exhaled as he nodded hesitantly. “I ... I think so. The guy I’m after ... he’s like you, right? A Sacred Vessel?”

“I told you on Black Star that the time would come when we would speak of him. That time is now,” said Zand ominously as he waved a hand behind him, causing a chair made of white crystal to appear as he sat down.

A similar chair appeared behind Ryan, and he sat down, grateful for the excuse to get off his fatigued feet for a few minutes.

“Your adversary goes by many titles. To most who know of him, he is called the Desolate One. To a few privy to his true origins like myself, he is dubbed the Sacred Vessel of Corruption. To his followers in the distant Forbidden Galaxies, he is known as the Dark Dragon Lord of Shadows.”

Ryan leaned back, recalling something from that horrible day. “The Dark Dragon Lord, huh? That’s like the bogeyman of the whole universe. I remember from my history classes; the Dark Dragon Lords once nearly destroyed the Tarrus Empire centuries ago during the Black Dragon Wars. Is this the same guy?”

Zand shook his head. “No. That war was perpetrated by the Dark Dragon Lord before the current one. That time was known as a Reckoning. There have been many throughout the ages of the Tarrus Empire. Each one nearly brings the universe to the brink of annihilation, and each one is always brought about by a different incarnation of the Dark Dragon Lord. We are steadily approaching another Reckoning as the current Dark Dragon Lord grows in strength, only I fear this one may be the last the universe can suffer.”

Ryan closed his eyes and sighed as he said quietly, “Just tell me his name. I deserve to know that much.”

At first, Zand didn’t answer. Ryan wondered if the man might not respond when he suddenly said, “Zorron T’Vacor.”

Ryan jerked back. That name. There was something about that name. “T’Vacor? That ... that sounds like a Saurian name. Grafael’s family name is T’Macor. Is there some kind of relation there?”

“Not of the familial kind, but you are right in your other assumptions. The Dark Dragon Lord is a Wingless Dragon ... kin to both you and Grafael.”

Ryan grimaced, disgusted that Zand would use the word ‘kin’. Having even that much association with the Dark Creature made Ryan sick to his stomach.

Zand’s gaze shifted downwards as he folded his hands in front of him. “To be more precise, he is a Reptilian ... the last of his people.”

Ryan’s eyes widened in recognition. “Reptilian? I heard Tork talk about those guys. They ... they were cousins of the Saurians, right?”

Zand nodded approvingly. “Correct. The Reptilians broke away from the Saurians just as the Saurians broke away from the greater Dragon community. Their people valued knowledge over warfare. They were renowned scientists and philosophers, credited with some of the greatest technological breakthroughs of their time.”

The way Zand spoke of the Reptilians, he sounded like he admired them. However, something else he said had Ryan curious. “You said he was the last of his kind. How did that happen?”

Zand’s eyes remained downcast, his face despairing as he said, “His people, the Reptilians ... they died because of a mistake of my predecessor. A very costly mistake.”

That made it sound like the Reptilians had been killed off by a Prime Minister. But why would one of Zand’s predecessors commit genocide? “So, what exactly? Did the guy decide to destroy the universe to avenge his people, or something petty like that?”

Zand sighed deeply as he rubbed his hands. “Not precisely. Though petty might be the right word, Zorron’s tale is a ... long and complicated one.”

“Complicated?” scoffed Ryan. “It almost sounds like you know the guy personally.”

Zand then looked up to face Ryan, and that familiar steely gaze returned to his green eyes. “I will tell you more of his history when you are ready to learn more. Consider this an incentive for you in your training. The more you progress in your studies, the stronger you’ll be ... the closer you come to facing him. You will have to learn about him, there is no question about that. A hunter must always be apprised of his quarry. However, it will not do to tell you too much too quickly, especially considering you are nowhere near the level you need to be at to even stand in the presence of a being such as he ... let alone kill him.”

Ryan growled, feeling his anger rise up as he almost stood from his seat and demanded Zand tell him everything there was to know. However, he kept his rage in check as different questions sprang to mind. “You said he attacked my village because my dad was the Sacred Vessel of Balance. Tell me, what did this Zorron hope to gain by doing that?”

Zand’s gaze went downcast again. “If I’m being honest, I’m not completely certain of Zorron’s goals in that attack. I know what most of them might’ve been, but there are still some unknowns. I believe he was intending to take you captive after he killed your father. It would’ve been most lucrative, to have a Child of Destiny in his clutches. He could’ve made you his student, training you until you were strong enough to become a Sacred Vessel of Balance yourself. Such a pawn under his control would undoubtedly tip the scales in his favor against me.”

Ryan scoffed angrily. “As if I’d work for the asshole that butchered my family.”

Zand shook his head slowly. “You think you would’ve had a choice, Ryan? You think you would be able to resist years of conditioning and brainwashing under the lash of the Dark Dragon Lord himself? Had he raised you as his own, taught you to fear and worship him as his other followers, you would be under his thrall just like any Mystic.”

Ryan wanted to object and say that he would die before breaking. But as he thought of it, he realized that Zand was probably right on that count as well. “Alright, so he wanted to use me. I get that. What’s there to be uncertain about?”

A frown pursed Zand’s lips. It didn’t appear that Zand was angry, just slightly displeased as if he had recalled something distasteful. “Well, there is the fact that you are still here. He might’ve stopped his attack short when he sensed my presence, but when I arrived on the scene, it seemed that he had the chance to take you ... but he didn’t.”

Now Ryan did stand up as he exclaimed, “What?”

Zand continued to frown as he brought his hands up to his mouth as if in contemplation. “Tell me something, Ryan. What exactly do you recall of the attack?”

Ryan felt like he’d been punched right in the gut. He didn’t really know why since it was only natural for Zand to ask a question like that. “I ... I remember seeing Zorron, at least, I’m pretty sure it was him. I was running to the escape pod with Mom. We didn’t know where Dad was, but Mom said that my safety came first. Then he called me by name. The next thing I knew, I was on Tarrus. I never knew why we had escape pods in the village, or why ours was programmed to lead to Tarrus. But now, I guess it makes sense. My parents were in that village because they were hiding from him. They probably set the escape pod to take us to Tarrus to get to you in case of an emergency.”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed to slits as another thought came to mind which darkened his mood further. “They set up that escape pod to get to you. That means you were supposed to protect us. Why didn’t you?”

Zand gave Ryan a sad smile. “I would have. However, I was previously engaged. Zorron also arranged for the royal family to come under threat at the same time as his attack on you. The nature of the threat against the royal family was one that required my direct intervention. If I had left to help you and your parents instead, Éclair would be dead right now ... her and many, many other people besides.”

As soon as he heard Éclair’s name, any anger Ryan might’ve felt evaporated. His throat went dry as he said, “If ... if that’s true, then I ... I don’t want to say that the lives on Toramirese are worth less than hers. But ... but I know how important Éclair is, not only to you personally, but to the future of Tarrus. If that’s the case, then thank you. I’m glad you saved Éclair.”
Zand’s eyes went wide with astonishment as he said slowly, “You really mean that, don’t you? You have every right to hate me for choosing her life over your family’s. How can you...”

Zand trailed off as he drew in a deep breath. He almost looked near the point of tears now. “That’s all you remember? You don’t actually recollect seeing your parents die?”

Ryan drew in a sharp breath, feeling like crying himself as his voice broke a little. “I ... that’s all. He said my name, and then I blacked out. Why? You don’t think they could be alive, do you?”

“No,” replied Zand with finality. “They are both gone, that much is certain.”

Sniffling a little, and wiping a hand over his eyes, Ryan asked, “So ... so what do you think he was after? If he had the chance to capture me, why didn’t he?”

Zand shook his head with a grunt as he went to his feet. When Zand stood, both crystal chairs vanished into puffs of white mist. “Speculation is moot at this point. The only thing that matters is where we go from here. The Dark Dragon Lord is an existential threat, not only to you and Éclair, but to every sentient lifeform in the universe. Possibly even the multiverse itself if he manages to defeat me and establish his dominion over this realm.”

Ryan rubbed his head in exasperation. “Okay, you seriously need to stop bringing up that multiverse crap. One universe to save is enough for me, thank you.”