……….
“Summoning a Spirit Wraith against my bridge, clever. You took quite the risk though, what if I couldn’t heal you?” The Ancient voice suddenly sounded closer. Before Zilan could even blink a round mass of pure white light the size of a small ball appeared right in front of him. It then morphed into a robed figure whose skin appeared like some sort of glass, blue energy mixed with a white shine could be seen through his glass like skin. It was circulating in an odd rhythm and despite the distance between Zilan and the figure, the faint ‘swishing’ sounds were clear and audible.
Looking at the strange figure before him, Zilan could not help but stare. The other party was also looking at him and those gentle white eyes of his made Zilan feel a certain warmth and trepidation at the same time. It was weird seeing such an obviously powerful and unique looking life form however, no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t recall reading about anything like it in the Book of Path.
“Akili…you mentioned Akili. So all this time you already knew who I was?” Zilan’s surprise towards his appearance quickly subsided as he remembered the Chairman’s words.
“Things are much more complicated than that. Sit.” The Chairman casually waved his hand and two seats as well as pot of tea and two cups were conjured. “We..I knew of your existence even before your birth but I only came to know of your identity and the fact that you were here a little while ago.” Explained the Chairman, it seemed like he had a lot to say and it was difficult for him to put his thoughts in order.
“How?…Before my birth?” Zilan was flabbergasted. The way he looked at the Chairman had an added layer of fear.
“Be calm. It was Akili, he told me about you. He had calculated it, somehow. He often spoke about how you were going to change everything, he was also often saddened by that fact. He didn’t wish to have you carry all the burden but alas even if his abilities were unlike anything I have ever encountered, he was still not strong enough. Such was his Path, is what he used to say.”
Zilan didn’t know how to react to the information he was receiving so he just kept quiet.
“It doesn’t look like you know much about Akili.” The Chairman remarked as he poured himself a cup of tea. “Let me tell you the little of him I know. He was not strong, in fact he had no cultivation whatsoever and his potential as far as using the innate ability of the scorched, from his own description and from what I later came to learn was pitiful. However, his intellect was something beyond frightening. As long as you could conceive it, he could create it. Comprehending the concepts of the Universe was nothing to him.” The Chairman smiled. “Enlightenment occurred almost with every breath when it came to him.”
“I remember one time I told him a few stories of the abilities of his Ancestor, Zaum the All Seer. A month later, he had created a device that mimicked those abilities to an extent. He called it the Scorched Fate Ring. It was only one of the many inventions he created over the years.”
“Unfortunately, he was limited in every other aspect. No matter how intelligent he was, he was unable to challenge the Heavens. Sigh~ it pained him greatly that he could do nothing about the things that were going on in the Universe and it pained me to watch as I felt the exact same way.”
“Akili’s descendants were mostly the same as him, some could cultivate but their strength did not meet the standard which is why it is quite surprising to see that you have overcome a hurdle that even he could not. Akili would be proud.” Said the Chairman.
Zilan stared hard at the Chairman before saying, “After Akili passed why didn’t you offer his descendants help. You are clearly capable of it.”
“Appearances are deceiving. In my current state, a single strike from Mungu is all it takes for my existence to come to an end. Once upon a time, yes, I could have done something but by the time I came here.” The Chairman bitterly smiled, memories of the past clearly haunted him. He sighed, “Besides, Akili ordered me not to. I owe him my life and I would have gladly protected his descendants even at the cost of it but Akili said that for the future to be different from the present, for you to become what the Scorched required, things needed to play out naturally. He even went as far as to warn me saying that should I interfere great calamity would befall upon me.”
“Is it fate?” wondered Zilan.
“I doubt it. Akili spoke of the Universe often almost like he could see its plans. It was frightening at times listening to him.”
Zilan sucked in a cold breath, the man known as Akili was just unfathomable.
“What about you, how did you meet my Ancestor?”
The Chairman put his cup down and stared at Zilan. “It’s a long story but before we get to that I’d like to make something known. You risked your life to get here which means your conviction is unquestionable which in turn also means that you are worthy of me giving you the thing you seek. However, I have my own selfish reasons for testing you and leading you here. Just as you desire something from me, I desire a promise from you.”
“What’s the promise?”
“I would like you to kill someone. Not now of course, once you’re strong enough and don’t worry he is an enemy of yours as well, a direct subordinate of the Heavens, one of the Chosen ones [Heavens’ Children]. Promise me that should you ever get the opportunity, you will spare no effort in slaying him and I’ll give you what you seek.” The Chairman’s voice was sombre, the white in his eyes grew electric and the surrounding environment trembled as if an eruption was coming.
“You have my word.” Zilan did not hesitate in his answer. He understood the value of what the Chairman was offering to him thus even though he still did not know the full story, he still agreed. In fact, it didn’t matter what the Chairman asked of him, he would still do it.
Hearing his answer, the environment went back to normal and a smile formed on the Chairman’s face. This was a genuine expression of joy from the bottom of his heart, something that he hadn’t felt in a long while. The more he looked at Zilan, the more he remembered Akili, only Zilan was not as charismatic.
“Thank you.”
After the matter of the promise was settled the conversation became much more relaxed as Zilan was not as tense.
“Why did you create the Alchemy Association?” Zilan asked a question that had been bothering him for a while.
“Out of necessity, plus it was a dying friend’s final request.” The Chairman said.
“How do you know Gnagus Najua Yote Kuhusu Dawa?” asked Zilan again.
The Chairman this time thought for a while before finally facing Zilan and saying, “We..no..I…apologies I’m not used to referring to myself as ‘I’ even though it’s been so long. Anyway, instead of asking so many questions it’s better if I just told you my story. It should help you better understand what it is you’re getting into.”
