Crown Prince's Warning

Elion's heart skipped a beat when he heard Zevan's suggestion. 'Have you lost your mind, Zevan? Chronomancy? Is it even a feasible solution?' He bellowed in shock. His body trembled every time he thought about it, especially since the process was utterly dangerous, and anyone who tried it had not stayed alive even for a moment more to speak about the experience.

Chronomancy or the alteration of time was one of the hardest types of magic possible and not just in the kingdom of Meadel, but even in the entire world of Azuvar only a few handful of people could do it. 

In his entire lifetime, Elion had come across only two people who possessed the power of Chronomancy. While one of them had died the moment she had used the power, the other had gone missing long ago and he did not where they were hiding currently.

Elion's expression changed when he thought about the first person. A pang of pain hit heart. But he overcame it quickly when he heard Zevan prattle.

'I know, Master. I know. That's why I was preparing for the second plan you came up with. We have no other choice but to cast the Soul Avenge Spell.'

"Elion, where are you lost?" King Harald berated the man who had not responded to any of his questions for quite some time. Elion seemed to have gone into a trance for quite some time and nothing he did or said had gone to him.

"Your Majesty, I was wondering if there was any other method we could use in this situation," Elion replied and glanced at Zevan which Prince Jarett noticed. His forehead creased into a frown and a strange notion entered his mind.

"Did you find anything?" King Harald looked at him hopefully, only for it to extinguish when Elion shook his head.

Harald sighed as he sat defeated on his throne. "Elion, contact the other warriors and sorcerers patrolling the kingdom borders and try to find out anything related to our warriors' deaths. Let us see what response we will get first." He ordered, his eyes downcast and lost. "I will try to find other means to handle the situation in case we were to fail. The court is dismissed."

King Harald departed from the courtroom and one by one all the people in the room too exited. 

Zevan did not miss their words of discussion. It was too loud to ignore. But he disregarded them and approached his Master who had not moved a step from his place.

"Master"? His voice brought the man out of his stupor. "Is everything fine?"

"I am just worried, Zevan." Elion sighed and rubbed his forehead in agony. "I just hope we do not lose any more people."

Zevan just nodded slowly in understanding. He did not know what to say in the predicament they were in.

Prince Jarett was the last to leave the courtroom. But before leaving, he made sure to examine Zevan for a few moments which neither Zevan nor his master missed. There was something odd in the way the prince was looking at them.

With a frown, Zevan looked at his master thoughtfully. But all he got in return was a shrug from him. 

"I do not know what is running in his mind. He seems to be conniving a plan and I am unsure what he wants." Elion explained while he collected himself. "I am unable to read his thoughts. He must have activated the power to control his thoughts. Shall we leave now?"

"Master, please go ahead. I will be right behind you in a moment."

Despite being suspicious, Elion did not probe further into his matter and departed from the courtroom. But the moment he stepped out of the room, he halted immediately when he saw the Crown Prince waiting by the door.

"Master Elion." Prince Jarett greeted him with a wide smile.

"Your Highness," Elion smiled back at him while he became cautious at once. The Prince waiting for him was highly abnormal and he did not know what to make out of it.

"May I have a word with you in private? Please follow me."

Without waiting for his response, Prince Jarett started walking, forcing the old man behind him to follow him. It was not a request but an order and Elion had no choice but to obey it.

Elion followed the Prince to a smaller room some distance away from the throne room. Even though he was highly dubious of the Prince's intentions, he did not show it on his face and remained composed.

"Please close the door after you, Master Elion." The prince instructed and Elion did as he was told.

"Is something the matter, Your Highness? How may I be of service to you?"

"Master Elion, I have something to ask you. I hope you will answer me honestly."

Elion became vigilant at once. There was something peculiar about the Prince and his behavior. But he could not point out what. Prince Jarett seemed vicious all of a sudden. His eyes revealed a strange kind of brutality he had never seen before and this discovery stunned him.

"Please, Your Highness. Ask away." Elion still entertained him, waiting to see what he wanted.

"I sense that Zevan has unleashed some powers. Would mind revealing what they are?" 

Elion noticed the Prince looking at him carefully while his fingertips rubbed across his left wrist. He was well-versed with the Prince's habits and he understood what this action of his meant. 

The Prince was expecting an honest reply from him and if his answer was not satisfactory, someone would get it for sure. As to who that someone was, Elion did not have to think twice. It would be his favorite disciple and as to how his disciple would get it, he knew it too. 

Although Zevan could easily crush Prince Jarett with the powers he had, his disciple was currently remaining low. So, if he and the Prince were to spar, Zevan had no choice but to embrace defeat. The Prince would not be that merciful with him and hurting Zevan was the last thing his master had in mind. 

"Yes, Your Highness. Zevan now has the power of telepathy." Elion revealed one of the many powers the young man possessed which only he knew about while the others did not.

"When did this happen?" Jarett questioned, his eyes filled with interest.

"Just a few days ago."

"But?" The prince prompted when he realized that there was more to it.

"But his powers are still weak. He can only use telepathy if the other person allows him inside their mind. Otherwise, his power is useless." It was the truth though and Elion had no qualms in revealing it to the Prince. They would learn about it sooner or later anyway.

The Prince started chuckling all of a sudden, his voice sounding utterly sinister in Elion's ears. The old master felt cold sweat trickling down his spine while his heart thudded madly in fear. He could not decipher why he was so mortified in Jarett's presence. Something was wrong. Something was utterly wrong.

"I see." Jarett nodded to himself. "Is there anything else? Does Zevan have any other powers that I do not know about?"

"No, Your Highness." Elion lied with a straight face and watched the Prince narrow his gaze immediately. Though scared of his wits, the old man maintained his stance, not cowering in the presence of the powerful man.

"I hope you are not lying, Master Elion. Otherwise..." The threat was clear and Jarett smiled at him suddenly, hiding his deviousness while he donned a mask of innocence. "I can sense when someone unleashes a new power. If I find out that you are lying to me, do not blame me for being rude."

Jarett tilted his head, his eyes gleaming in wickedness before he walked out of the room.