Chapter 32: An Exasperating Conversation

Uzman stared at the man who was dressed as a high-ranking noble uncomprehendingly. The practice of appearing from thin air was jarring, but he was inured to it having seen at least two Masters at the Academy use the technique. What surprised Uzman most was that he could not see any aura at all from the man making it hard to judge his level.

Jingo recovered first. “Eh, you have us at a disadvantage as you seem to know us, Sir,” He said inquiringly while trying to keep his tone polite and mask his apprehension.

“Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Battal, I am a sort of troubleshooter.”

“How do you know my name; what do you mean by saying you were expecting us? Are you a wizard?” Uzman asked his questions rushing over one another.

“All in good time, all in good time, hmm,” he answered. “For now, we need to leave or be embroiled in a fight with these creatures.”

“How are they working together? They seem organized like an army,” Uzman continued, unperturbed.

“So you have noticed, that is the work of Portia, a very devious foe that you should hope never to meet.”

“Where are we going, and why should we go with you?” Uzman asked noticing that Battal had managed to evade all of the most important questions.

“To my home. You have to come with me because you have no choice, really. Unless you would prefer to stay here and face off against those creatures.”

Jingo remained silent, glaring at Battal. He was a man of few words. In this case, he made his feelings known through the glares he kept sending Battal.

“Let me put it in another way. Why are you here?” Battal asked looking at Uzman.

“Because I activated a portal stone which brought us here,” he answered skimming the truth.

“That is not the entire truth, is it? If I was to provide you with another portal stone would you go back to your realm?” Battal asked going straight to the heart of the matter.

“Of course not,” Uzman answered indignantly, his exasperation at the situation coming to the fore. It was apparent that Battal knew more about them than he was willing to share while expecting Uzman to put all his cards on the table.

“I know, you wouldn’t leave before you have achieved your objective. I just need confirmation to ensure that I am not mistaking your reason for being here.”

Uzman looked at Jingo who was listening keenly to the exchange. They had agreed on a truce when they were under attack, but he could not bring himself to trust the man.

[Ah, I see,] Battal said in Uzmans mind communicating telepathically. Uzman was startled out of his skin. His eyes went wide as he comprehended what had just happened.

[You can speak freely, I have created a sound barrier for your friend. He will not hear anything you say.]

Uzman was mystified to the point of his jaw sagging open. He formed words to answer, but his mind refused to cooperate. Battal was showing too many tricks too quickly. Steeling his resolve he decided that Battal would have to be more forthcoming to elicit more information from him.

“I have been chased around, battered, and nearly died on multiple occasions. You, on the other hand, have too many secrets without providing any information. You are obviously very powerful and we are thankful for saving us. However, you need to throw me a bone; sort of, give me a reason to trust you.”

Uzman noted that Jingo had drifted off to stand a few meters away when it became apparent that they needed some privacy. This showed a high degree of maturity and perceptiveness. The soldier was starting to be an enigma to Uzman, displaying characteristics that were at odds with his expectations.

[That is a fair observation. In these parts, my name usually suffices as my bond. However, were I in your position I would behave similarly. I suppose it is a sign of wisdom to keep information about yourself secret.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[Let us see. Unless my information is erroneous, you would be Uzman; the last of the blood of dragons in your realm. You came here through a portal stone granted to you presumably by the last Guardian of Tanga in the hope of awakening your blood.

“Am I right so far?” Battal asked with an arched eyebrow. His blue eyes gleamed in amusement complementing his supercilious smile. It was the experienced haughtiness of someone who was always right.

“Again you continue spouting facts about my life without giving me any reason to trust you. Your information is correct, but it does not mean that you have my best interest at heart or that we have the same motivations.”

“Okay, I will trade you questions. You and I are the same-, to an extent. I am a Wizard as you may have guessed. Where did you get the portal stone? Battal asked.

“And here I thought you were all-knowing. I was beginning to think you were a god; messing with me. I received the portal stone as part of the legacy of the Fire Dragon Clan through a pendant. And I came to this realm hoping to awaken my blood,” Uzman answered. “How did you know we were coming and can you help me to awaken my blood?”

“Those are two questions. I will answer them in exchange for two of mine,” Battal grinned. He seemed to be enjoying the exchanges even though it made Uzman more irate.

“We have very strong seers. A seer or diviner at the Soulcrafter realm can read threads across realms. However, they have been known to be fallible. I also can travel across realms and observe events that interest me. I have the ability to aid in awakening your blood though I cannot do so directly since I have negligible dragon blood myself. I would rather you went about it the old traditional way for reasons that will be manifested in time.

“My turn. Would you know what exactly happened to the former Guardian? The information I have is incomplete. And to my second question who has been training you?”

Uzman grinned. The phrasing of the questions allowed him to ‘one-up’ the annoying man.

“Yes, and I have been trained by a soul-bound book,” Uzman answered.

Battal looked at him raising his eyebrows and waiting for further elaboration. Then smiled and chuckled.

“I see what you did there. Well played, darn well played. What happened to Khallid?” Battal asked rephrasing the question.

“He was betrayed when they went to close the rift of Maliel by the Zaibatsu scions. His soul was ravaged beyond repair and he chose to transfer his awareness into a book that has been my teacher.”

Battal remained silent for some time contemplating the information. He had a faraway expression as if seeing into the past.

“How do you know Master Khallid,” Uzman asked drawing Battal back from his introspection.

“He was once my student, and now we must leave. I hope I have answered enough of your questions, for now anyway.”

Battal conjured a chariot seemingly from nowhere and beckoned Jingo and Uzman to follow him inside. The chariot was made of black lacquered wood and was covered in embossed sigils and pictures that seemed life-like. Instead of wheels, it had four glass globes at each corner.

Inside the chariot or lacquered box, there was a large leather seat with spongy cushions for sitting. These were covered with green embroidered cloth. Battal was indeed a person who liked to enjoy the finer things in life. There was no covering over the chariot allowing the passengers to enjoy a bird’s eye view as they traveled.

The chariot rose in the air and sped away from the wide river. Within a few minutes, it flew close to the large fortification wall that rose around 15 meters high. Instead of moving into the large town that was visible inside the wall, the chariot angled east and continued past the town.

There was no denying that the Dragon realm was way more advanced and more prosperous than Tanga. Uzman could see expansive estates, beautiful courtyards, and gardens. What was puzzling was the lack of small houses for workers or servants. It was as if the town was set aside for people who were wealthy.

“Are all homes similar to those in the town? Jingo asked voicing the question that was foremost on Uzman’s mind.

Battal chuckled. “You will soon realize that Tanga is a backward village as compared to the Dragon realm. The land here is around five times the size of Tanga. This is what is known as a tier 3 world due to the energy density. You will be able to grow and become stronger faster. The only disadvantage is that time here moves faster than in Tanga.”

“If I may ask, what tier is Tanga; and would you mind telling us more about other realms and the kind of people who live there?” Uzman asked.

“You will have to learn more about the world if you are to rise enough to be worthy of your name. Tanga is a tier 1 world. This means that it is one of the worlds with the lowest density of energy. Additionally, it is harder to become stronger hence the lack of cultivators at the Soulcrafter level. The lower the tier, the easier it is for forces of the Deep to thrive as people are more susceptible to greed.” The answer raised more questions than those it answered.

“Where does the energy come from, and given that we have already seen stronger demon beasts here than in Tanga, doesn’t it suggest that people here are as greedy as those in Tanga.” Uzman queried, his natural curiosity kicking in.

“That is enough for now, if we start rehashing the basics of the mystical arts now, we will never finish.

The chariot started losing altitude when it arrived at a large estate that was several miles from the town. Instead of a fortress wall, the estate was surrounded by a luxuriant hedge made of twining vines. At its center was a big house that seemed to be made from one seamless rock. There were many statues carved into the walls depicting various creatures. The level of realism was something to marvel at as the carved statues seemed to emerge from the wall.