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Unspoken Oblivion by Jaded Catalyst

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 “You are about to meet one of the most powerful and intelligent Elzians with the exception of the king. His name is Hadwin and he was King Lorand’s chief advisor in the war. After Gaia had fallen, Hadwin became very low key. He calls himself a scholar and considers the library his own, although it consists of more Gaian work than anything else.”
 
 “What does he have to do with us?” Roselyn asked.
 
 “Nothing. Because you’ll be using the library and training grounds, you’ll run into him anyways. I might as well introduce you to him, but you don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to. You guys will be fine without him. Hadwin may be wise, powerful, and experienced, but everything he says is rubbish. I have no respect for this man. You can form your own opinions in a moment, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you felt the same way.”
 
The gears in Azura’s head began to turn. Although she hadn’t said much since the day before, she had been thinking many things over. “Hold on a minute, Jay. If Hadwin was around at the time of the war, he would have to be over a century old, right?”
 
 “Actually, more than two. The war was not a short one.”
 
 “Right. Well, if you and Broderick were around during the war and weren’t ‘reborn’ as you say the rest of us were, then how did you two get here? You said that Elzians are long lived but you didn’t say anything about humans.”
 
Jay stopped at the question and her eyes darkened. A seemingly endless silence passed by as the girls awaited Jay’s answer. When it came, her voice was soft and her words heavy. “You’re right; Broderick and I have survived from the very beginning without having fallen into Death’s embrace. We both achieved this through different means, but it is nothing you must concern yourselves with. Focus on your training for now.”
 
She continued walking without looking back at her companions. Her answer was far from satisfactory, but they knew further questioning would do little good. It wasn’t long before they found themselves before another set of large double doors.
 
 “Elzians really seem to like making these huge double doors,” Kaelin remarked dryly.
 
As the doors opened, the girls were greeted by an Elzian dressed in fancy, if not tacky, robes. A thin golden circlet held back his silver shoulder-length hair. Green, cat-like eyes were the only sign of his age and a large grin was plastered on his face. “Welcome to my grand library,” Hadwin said, opening his arms wide. He kept his eyes fixed on Jay, as if the others didn’t even exist. “It is an honor to have a Gaian walk these halls after so long, and I believe a reintroduction is in order.”
 
If it had not been for what Jay told the girls about him, they would have found his words sincere. However, they found themselves much less trusting of him simply because of his eyes. They were too emotionless and fixed on Jay, as if he were afraid to let his guard down in front of her. ‘They’re snakes,’ Broderick had said, and now the girls began to understand what he was trying to say. Although they knew little of the Elzian’s etiquette, the understood that the one of lower rank should introduce themselves first.
 
Neither Jay nor Hadwin said a word.
 
It was a mental duel and with every passing moment, the smile plastered on Hadwin’s face seemed less sincere. Jay seemed much more at ease and kept a blank face, calmly waiting for Hadwin’s introduction. She judged the scholar as being an arrogant coward unable to hold his own in both physical and mental battle.
 
She was right.
 
 “Hadwin Raghnall, former commander of Elzia’s armed and unarmed forces, former advisor to the king, and world-renowned scholar,” he spat with a small bow.
 
With a victorious smirk, Jay also bowed her head, keeping her bow shallower than his. “Jayden Owens, former Governess of Gaia’s foreign affairs and former co-advisor to the king.” To further the insult, Jay continued to introduce the three girls after her, showing that the girls Hadwin had previously ignored were to be held in higher regard than anyone else in the room. “My companions are Roselyn Bretta, daughter of the Resistance’s Assault Commander; Kaelin Murdoch, daughter of the Resistance’s Special Task force Captain; and Azura Torin, daughter of the Resistance’s head underground intelligence officer.”
 
Hadwin sent a cold glance in their direction, his eyes falling on Roselyn last. After a moment of uncomfortable scrutiny, the scholar turned his attention back to Jay. “A pleasure to meet you. Now what brings these esteemed Gaians to this humble scholar?”
 
 “We simply require use of the library and training ground. I only found it proper that they meet an Elzian with such wisdom as yourself,” Jay spat back. “We will not be disturbing your studies.”
 
 “And what if I object?”
 
The growing tension was like a fire in the normally cool room. Neither Jay nor Hadwin seemed to be willing to drop their act, and the helpless girls had little choice but to be silent witnesses to this awesome show of mental combat.
 
 “Then we will find other means to make use of these facilities.”
 
The scholar barked a cruel, vicious laugh, finally dropping his hospitable disguise. “By what means, Owens? Are you going to use your hidden blades on me like you did to our poor entrance guard?”
 
Jay’s only response was a scoff and a smirk. “I don’t need my blades to deal with you.”
 
 “Was that a threat, Owens?” Hadwin was obviously losing the match and Jay showed no signs of slowing her assault.
 
 “What is a threat to a coward? What is a coward but a man who calls himself a war hero but has never seen the darkness of a true battlefield? What is a coward but a man who calls himself a scholar simply to avoid telling the king of the severity of their sister world’s plight? I don’t need threats to deal with a coward.”
 
 “You will lose, Owens,” growled Hadwin, defeated. “You have done nothing but lead your kind into oblivion. Humans have not changed, I see. Call me a coward and train here all you wish, but know that your efforts are in vain. Gaia will fall once again and all the suffering caused will be because of you.”
 
With those final words, Hadwin retreated into the far depths of the library. Jay had won them another battle, but the girls had even more doubts about winning the war. “Is that true?” demanded Roselyn. “How big of a role did you play in the outcome of this war, Jay?”
 
An intense fire burned behind Jay’s eyes. It was the same spirit she had shown during the battle, and now it struck fear into the hearts of the three young girls. This was not the Jay they once knew; she was a stranger to them and their trust in her began to waver. The human Jay was slowly drowning in a sea of shame. Its only hope for escape was to retreat into the furthest reaches of Jay’s mind, allowing the warrior to resurface. Bitter shame and regret was the human’s weakness, but the warrior knew no such thing.
 
The warrior knew no shame and had no regrets of its past mistakes. “It’s nothing you have to concern yourselves with,” was its only answer.

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