43 Farewell (2/2)

The body of the winged serpent was coverd with blood and it had lost many of its scales, where Vidio's Staff had hit it. The serpent looked exhausted and Vidio still had many tricks up his sleeve. The beast was covered in burn marks.

”Your excellency, don't you think the creature to be far too weak?” someone asked the Episcopus, raising an eyebrow to such an easy test.

”Oh, I'm afraid my old bones are not what they used to be. Have I picked too weak a creature? Should I have sent one of your young men to capture one for the test?” sneered the Episcopus.

Blood curdled in the veins of those around him, when they heard the Episcopus stifled laugh. That man was no fool; there had to be more to the story. Even those that a moment before had observed the fight with a bored look, now were focusing on it with renewed interest.

Vidio too had a very bad feeling regarding that whole business and wished to end the test as soon as possible.

Vidio stopped. Even though he had just ordered another glass of wine, his throat was getting dry and his eyes burned.

”And then? Why do you keep stopping?” asked Helial impatiently. That old pig was thinking for sure about some other waitress.

”It turned into a Dragon.”

”What?!”

”The ruined scales started charring and turned to ash, replaced by black-bluish ones. The legs became ten times stronger… but aside from all the physical changes, the Aura was the most terrifying thing. In front of me there was one of the lords of the skies… not even Lightning Dance, my strongest Technique, managed to take me to his level.”

Helial noticed that there was something wrong with Vidio's face. The face muscles of the Master kept contracting, in order to hide the true feelings behind those words.

”Once the third test has started, the Mana Congregation dictates that one cannot withdraw. One has to die: either the creature or who is taking the test…”

Vidio smiled a half smile at Helial.

”But Dragons”, said Helial hesitantly, ”are definitely superior creatures compared to everything else… What happened next?”

”We fought hard.”

”And then?”

”And then I won.”

All the big wigs of the Congregation, including the Episcopus, were staring at him in awe, a hint of horror in their eyes.

Covered in black and red, Vidio was standing next to the corpse of a huge Dragon. The frightening creature had a hole as big as a grown man's head right in the chest. His heart had shattered. There was no trace of life left in him.

The Master, however, although gasping, was leaning unsteadily against his chipped Staff. His hands, and actually the rest of his whole body, was shaking.

Thump

The gazed was fixed on those men, who looked back at him with hatred and spite.

Vidio's sight became blurred, his eyes full of tears. A faded figure appeared in front of him. A vision… that hair, those curves…

A warm tear rolled down Vidio's cheek and fell to the ground.

Plop

”HERESY!”

”Farewell, Cori…” whispered Vidio.

Vidio's story was fragmented and incomprehensible at times. Helial could not understand how his Master had managed to win. But the man was silent now, unable to go on. It was so out of character for him.

”I'd better go”, said finally Helial, while Vidio kept staring at the bottom of the glass he was holding.

Vidio did not reply or move.

The boy pushed the chair from the table and stood up, heading towards the exit together with the few mercenaries left in the tavern.

Vidio looked up at Helial's back and his eyes filled with tears one more time, after twenty-five years.

Master for one day, father for a lifetime.

”Cori, I think I have found a son. Are you still waiting for me? I'll come back. He will let us be together.”

A naïve and pathetic smile crept across Vidio's face, while tears streaked his cheeks.

There is a sort of bliss in tears…