Not This Time

The fight between Aelira and Zhavros made it clear that those two were on a level far above mine. But, on the other hand, I felt a sense of calm knowing they would be key players when the time came to face that despicable being.

The afternoon went by similarly, with some skirmishes between us, testing and honing our skills. Everyone seemed satisfied with their progress.

In his wisdom, Eldrek suggested that we take a break to eat something before moving on to the strategic part: discussing the most effective method to proceed in our mission.

We sat on the ground, eating our provisions. I took advantage of the moment to ask Aelira directly.

"Aelira, what was it like, the battle against that being? Could you share some details you think are important for this moment? Maybe we could gain something useful from it."

Aelira grew thoughtful for a moment. Nymira, sitting beside her, looked at her cautiously before speaking.

"Did you really face it, Master? It must have been awful..." Nymira whispered.

Aelira nodded with a serious expression. "It was," she replied, her gaze fixed on some distant point. After a brief pause, she began to recount her experience.

"That encounter was a massacre. Many warriors from all races had come together to face him. I, along with other Aasimar, were on the front lines. Everything pointed to us having the advantage that day. We were a formidable army..." she paused, her eyes beginning to shimmer with held-back tears.

"But... that being... it was as if he was always one step ahead of us."

Silence settled over the group as we listened.

"He and his army of creatures attacked us from strategic points, constantly throwing us into disarray. We never managed to find an opening. Little by little, everyone started falling... until we reached a point where we were cornered, forced to retreat."

Aelira stopped, clearly affected by the memories.

Lyris, sitting nearby, took her hand gently. Nymira, on the other side, embraced her, offering all the support she could.

"I'm sorry, Aelira. What you went through must have been terrible," Lyris said, her voice soothing.

Aelira nodded, visibly moved, but made an effort to pull herself together. She wiped away a rebellious tear and, with determination, continued.

"What I can conclude from that battle is that, at that time, no one had the opportunity to organize among the different races. There was no prior planning. Due to the urgency of the moment, the leaders of each race gathered quickly and decided to attack. And that was our mistake..." she paused, pressing her lips with a hint of bitterness.

"No one thought we would need to stop and plan in detail... after all, we were supposed to be strong enough."

A feeling of unease settled over me, as if my stomach had clenched upon hearing her words. Arrogance and haste had doomed that formidable army.

"How powerful was this being?" I dared to ask, aware of the importance of understanding our enemy.

Aelira looked at me and shook her head softly.

"I didn't fight him directly. I only saw him from a distance... tearing through the other warriors, using chaos to his advantage. I realized something important: he disorganized us to such an extent that we never managed to confront him directly. He kept me and my fellow Aasimar away from the main battle. Perhaps if we had been able to face him, things would have been different…"

We fell silent for a while, each lost in thought. We were facing something much larger than we'd anticipated, and hearing Aelira's story only reinforced the need not to make the same mistakes as that past army.

Lyris spoke up, her face showing doubt, as she looked over at Zhavros, who, unusually, looked serious.

"Zhavros, weren't you in that battle?" Lyris asked.

Zhavros, still serious, glanced at Eldrek for a moment before lowering his gaze to the ground. "Yes... I was there," he replied, his tone as somber as his expression.

"But I was there as an observer."

"Observer?" I asked aloud, clearly surprised. It wasn't the response I expected from someone like him.

Zhavros nodded, maintaining the same expressionless tone.

"Yes, I was stationed at a distance, observing how the battle unfolded... alongside Eldrek."

At that moment, all eyes turned to Eldrek. Even Aelira, who seemed to be still processing what Zhavros had said, asked him with some disbelief:

"Were you there too, Eldrek?"

Eldrek nodded slowly.

"It's true," he said, his voice grave but calm.

"Zhavros and I were there, as observers. The reason we were in that position doesn't matter now; it wouldn't change what happened. But what is relevant is that, seeing how it all ended, we made a pact."

The tension in the air grew as Eldrek continued.

"We promised each other that, one day, we would reunite to face that dark being. Each of us went our separate ways, preparing possible scenarios, seeking ways to defeat him."

Eldrek paused, reminiscing, as we watched him in silence. Then, his eyes settled on Lyris and me.

"Many seasons passed until one day, you found me," he said, referring to when we met him in his hideout.

"And it was then that I saw the opportunity to resume what I had promised. During all that time, I had been developing ideas on how we might confront him. You gave me the chance to put those plans into action."

"Wow, this makes me realize that this conflict has been brewing for much longer than I ever imagined," I said thoughtfully.

I couldn't help but notice Zhavros; there was something in his expression that made me think recalling that event affected him more than he let on. Perhaps he too had gone through difficult moments in that battle.

After finishing our meal and discussing possible strategies, Aelira approached me in private. Her expression was calm, but there was a firmness in her voice as she spoke to me.

"Darius, I think we should take this moment to refine your skills," she said, looking directly into my eyes. "If you really want to use the chaos within you effectively, it's wise for us to work on it. I have some ideas on how to proceed."

I felt a mix of excitement and concern. "Yes," I replied, nodding slowly. I didn't want to waste the opportunity, but doubt clung to my chest. I didn't know if I could master it in time without losing control. The last thing I wanted was to repeat what had happened before.

We moved away from the group in silence, when suddenly, Nymira came running over.

"Can I come with you?" she asked, with a mix of excitement and curiosity.

Aelira answered kindly. "Not this time, Nymira. I need to help Darius with something important, and it's better if we're alone so he can focus."

Nymira lowered her head, a bit disappointed and embarrassed. She nodded silently, but Aelira, with a soft smile, encouraged her.

"Why don't you go bother Zhavros for a while? What do you think?"

Nymira's eyes lit up immediately. "Yes! I'll do just that, Master," she exclaimed before running off with her usual energy. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her leave.

"You've changed quite a bit," I commented, turning back to Aelira. "It shows that you've settled in well with the group."

Aelira looked at me for a moment, with a kind expression. "Thank you for helping me," I added. "I really appreciate this opportunity."

But Aelira replied firmly, her tone unyielding. "I'm not doing this just for you, Darius. I need everyone at 100% for the plan to work." For a second, her gaze hardened, hinting at the pressure she felt.

I nodded, understanding the weight of her words. "Alright," I said, clapping my hands together in a gesture of motivation. "Let's get to work."

I knew it would be a challenge, so I couldn't fail. Not this time.

We moved away from the group, heading into a more secluded part of the hill. I must admit, I felt anxious. Aelira stopped and turned to me, her expression serene.

"This training will consist of two parts," she began in her calm voice.

"The first part will be introspective. I'll guide you so you can start feeling the chaos within you without losing control. The second part will be more active, where you'll apply chaos in motion. But, let me be clear: if you don't pass the first part, you won't move on to the second."

I nodded, feeling the pressure of her words. I knew this wouldn't be easy.

"It won't be simple, Darius," she continued, her tone graver. "You'll likely face difficulties, and your determination will be key to pushing forward. If you're not willing to give it everything, we should stop right here."

I looked directly into her eyes.

"I'm willing to go on, no matter what," I replied with conviction. I couldn't afford to fail, not now.

Aelira observed me for a moment, assessing my response, before nodding.

"Alright. Then let's begin."

She asked me to sit on the ground, legs crossed, hands resting on my knees. I closed my eyes, trying to focus as I listened to Aelira's soft voice guiding me. I felt her hands gently on my shoulders, bringing me a momentary calm.

"Breathe deeply, Darius. I want you to focus inward. The chaos within you, although you weren't born with it, is now a part of you, but you must learn not to let it control you." Her voice was like an anchor, keeping me grounded.

"Let it flow, but only to the point where you can keep it under control."

I took a deep breath, feeling a dark energy begin to awaken within me, slow, turbulent, and dangerous. It was as if it churned just beneath the surface, waiting for a chance to break free.

At first, it seemed manageable. But little by little, that darkness began to expand. In my mind, images distorted.

Everything was blurry: figures, shadows, faces of people and creatures I had harmed when chaos had taken over. The same scenes from my previous failure repeated like an echo.

I felt the chaos energy start to materialize around me. The air grew denser, and I heard Aelira muttering something softly. I couldn't hear her clearly because my mind was enveloped in that darkness.

"Darius, stay focused," Aelira said, her tone firmer. "Don't lose control."

But it was too late. I felt the chaos spill over, as if something dark and tangible was trying to break free. Shadows began to surround me. The very environment seemed to respond to the chaos, distorting. My muscles tensed, and for a moment, I felt like I was going to lose everything again.

I knew that if Aelira weren't there containing the chaos with me, I couldn't do this exercise. Her presence was the only thing preventing my magic from completely overwhelming me.

"Enough!" Aelira exclaimed. I immediately removed my hands from my knees and collapsed forward, gasping. I had lost control.

"Breathe," Aelira said, in a tone of calm that seemed almost out of place for what had just happened. "It's alright; this will take time. Let's try again."

I nodded, though I still felt weak and shaken. We tried again and again, each time trying to go a little further without losing control. But there was always a point where the chaos inside me became too strong, too unpredictable. The hours passed, and the sky began to darken.

I was exhausted, my body and mind at their limits. I could see the concern in Aelira's eyes, but also determination. She had extraordinary patience.

"Darius, I think we should stop for today," she said softly, though there was a hint of worry in her tone. "I don't want you to exhaust yourself to the point where you can't continue tomorrow."

"One last time," I replied, feeling an almost stubborn determination. "It's strange, because I feel like at any moment it spills over, making it impossible to contain, but I think I'm starting to understand it better. I'll try one last time."

Aelira looked at me, assessing my insistence, then nodded. "Alright. But if I see you're about to lose control again, I'll stop it immediately."

I closed my eyes again, feeling the weight of fatigue in my body. In that moment, I reached for my pendant, the one I always carried with me, and held it tightly. I felt a slight warmth in my chest, as if the pendant was giving me a boost of strength, of stability.

I took a deep breath once more. This time, the chaos flowed within me, but somehow I felt more grounded. I let it out, but kept a firm hold on it. I kept it in check.

Gradually, the chaos tried to spill over as before, but this time I didn't let it. I felt the dark energy fluctuate, trying to escape my control, but I contained it. Aelira continued guiding me, but this time, the effort didn't feel as overwhelming. I stayed centered.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I felt the chaos stabilize, sensing it flow through every corner of my body. My breathing calmed, and a sense of accomplishment filled me. I opened my eyes and turned to Aelira with a wide grin.

Aelira watched me silently for a moment before nodding slowly. "Well done," she said, though there was a note of caution in her voice. "But don't get overconfident. This was only the beginning. You'll need to practice it every day if you want to maintain control, until you no longer need to and truly become one with the chaos."

"I understand," I replied, now knowing I could do it. "I'll practice whenever I can."

Aelira nodded again. "Tomorrow we'll move on to phase two. But for today, let's rest."

I nodded, feeling a small spark of satisfaction within me. For now, I had taken a step forward, and that was what mattered.