Akihato instantly obeyed. He stood up and followed the old Zosara through the gardens in silence. It wasn’t until they arrived at his workshop and were inside the dusty, cluttered shed that either said a word.
“This is an unfortunate discovery, Akihato.” Okan summoned light with the flick of a switch. His attunement was air. He had found ways of translating that magic into electricity, a technique many air Zosara had adopted and used for themselves or even sold their services to other Zosara who wanted to make their lives a little easier.
“Mujona...” He snorted. “I’ve not heard that name spoken in decades. Not since I obtained the rank of Onzara. Normally, I wouldn’t be allowed to tell you this, but under the circumstances, it is going to be necessary...”
Akihato frowned, his concern rising. “Who was Mujona? What could he possibly have done to—“
“The story goes that Mujona was a promising pupil,” Okan interrupted him. His face was cast in shadow as he turned and moved toward the back wall where there was a row of cluttered workbenches. “Gifted, powerful, and firmly attuned to chaos. He was nearly unstoppable. No other Zosara could stand against him, for he could drain their power and take it for his own. As such, he grew swiftly in might and nearly brought destruction to the entire world. The Conclave itself suffered irreparably.”
The old man stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. “It is because of Mujona we have become so secretive. He attempted to unite us and the common folk by allying himself with Emperor Qinsuto, but it turned into a blood bath instead. The Emperor betrayed him, using the knowledge he gained from Mujona to train assassins for the express purpose of hunting down and killing Zosara; the Circle of Shadow they called themselves.”
Shaking his head, Akihato took in the information like a blow to the gut. “Obviously, something happened to stop the Emperor and Mujona both, or the Conclave wouldn’t exist at all.”
“Yes,” Okan nodded slowly as he began to mix and pour various substances together. “When Mujona learned of the Emperor’s treachery, he mounted a one-man assault against him. Even his elite assassins were no match for a chaos Zosara. In the end, Mujona obliterated Qinsuto and claimed the Qin Empire as his own.” He stopped talking, focusing entirely on whatever it was he was brewing.
Impatiently, Akihato waited for him to continue, knowing full well the story had not reached its conclusion.
Finally, when he was pouring the final concoction into a glass vial, Okan picked up where he had left off. “Mujona’s rule did not last long. The remaining Conclave, of which there were only three Onzara, banded together and devised a plan for overthrowing Mujona at long last. With the aid of a Taiku woman who had become one of Mujona’s most trusted consorts, they poisoned him...”
“Poisoned?” Akihato frowned. “With what exactly?”
Okan turned from the workbench, leaving the vial sitting there behind him. The contents were a cloudy violet. “The poison did not kill him. Its purpose was to strip his considerable power, to drain the magic from his soul, and leave him as an ordinary human. This was the only way they could make the world safe again and slowly begin to repair the damage he had wrought. Regretting her treachery, the heathen woman dragged him out the nearest window, killing him as well as herself.
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“With no leadership, the Qin Empire shattered into fragments, becoming a divided land ruled by barbarians and warlords. As you know, a few have risen to power, but none have ever managed to claim the title of Emperor in the last 800 years.” The old man shrugged. “Curious, isn’t it?”
Akihato nodded half-heartedly, his mind whirling with everything he had just learned. There were so many tragic details and so many new questions that had been raised as well. The chief of which he spoke aloud, “Yes, it is curious... But even more curious is how it’s possible I have never heard this story. How could such a significant event simply be forgotten?”
“On purpose,” Okan assured him, flicking his glance back to the workbench. “The Onzara forbade discussing or recording the events. Only the three of them were permitted to speak of it and only in order to present the tale as a warning to each new generation of Onzara. Breadcrumbs were left, like in that book of yours, to bring curious Zosara to us. Generally, it’s someone who stumbled upon the name, and we simply brush it off as poor record keeping. But in this case...”
Okan reached for the vial, which by now had completely changed into a clear liquid. “You are destined for greatness, Akihato.” The abrupt shift in conversation made the young man frown momentarily, but he did not interrupt. “I know someday you will join me as an Onzara. Leadership and nobility are in your blood just as magic is.” Okan’s expression turned sorrowful as he held out the vial. “But leadership is a heavy burden... After Mujona, we can’t afford to take any risks. Chaos Zosara are far too dangerous, to themselves and to the entire world.”
Akihato could only stare at the vial for a long, unblinking moment. The weight of what was said took several seconds to sink in, and when it did, an expression of horror captured his features. “Master, you don’t mean...” He shook his head. “She’s just a girl; she means no harm to anyone, surely she deserves a chance to—“
“To tear the world asunder? To further destroy the Conclave before it has had a chance to recover from the last tyrant?” Okan furrowed his bushy brows and shoved the vial into his former pupil’s hand. “I get it; this is ugly business.” His voice was especially stern, the same unbending tone he used when Akihato had misbehaved as a student. “But it is necessary. Many come through this school. Some are simply not capable of wielding the power of magic, whether due to aptitude or temperament. The Masters have always faced a hard decision in dealing with such students, and we afford them all the chance to thrive before taking such drastic measures!”
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Akihato couldn’t tear his eyes off the potion in his hand. “What about me... Did you face that decision with me?”
Okan looked momentarily taken aback, but he quickly shook his head. “Of course not! You simply needed to be taught discipline, and once you learned it, you were the best apprentice I ever tutored.” He put a hand on his shoulder. “Never doubt that.”
The younger man heaved a sigh. “This feels wrong, Master... She’s being punished for crimes she had nothing to do with!”
“I know.” Okan looked suddenly very old, as though the weight of this decision had increased his age by a hundred years just in the last second. “But that’s how it should feel. That is how we keep such a decision in perspective, how we prevent ourselves from taking it too far.”
When Akihato didn’t answer right away, Okan added, “This will be better for her as well. It will give her a chance to be free of a magic that will sunder her soul. Without it, she’ll have the chance to live as an ordinary woman. You are protecting her from a dark end just as much as you are protecting the world. Do you understand?”
Akihato tightened his grip on the vial, wishing it would shatter in his hand, wishing he could refuse the order he’d just been given. “Yes, Master Okan.” He once again felt like a foolish little boy. “I understand.”
But I don’t like it...