Chapter 400 The Oath (1/2)
Arran feigned mild curiosity as he looked at the white disc the Governor had placed on the table before hih he already knehat it was, it would not do to let his host know about that
”What is this thing?” he asked, trying his best to seem neither too interested nor too confident
”It's an oath disc,” the Governor replied ”An artifact supplied by the church, to ensure that those ear allegiance to the Imperium are bound to their oaths”
Arran raised an eyebrow ”That sounds like est,” the Governor said with a chuckle, though his eyes carried a hint of warning ”And doubly so if there is any truth to it”
”Then I will speak no more of it,” Arran replied As casual as the old ested that the words were not to be taken lightly ”But what am I supposed to do with this… oath disc?”
”You hold it as you speak your oath” The Governor motioned for Arran to pick up the disc, then continued, ”Now, you must swear to betray neither the Imperium nor its secrets”
”That's all?” Arran asked with a frown that was only partly feigned ”There are no special words?”
The Governor nodded ”The exact words you use don't h, you will be bound to the same oath that binds us all Once you've done so, you will be a Ranger”
Though Arran kept a calm expression, he felt a stab of worry at the Governor's words If the oath disc required sincerity rather than any specific words, chances were that it wouldn't work for him
After all, he fully intended to betray both the Imperium as well as its secrets
Yet with the Governor watching, he had no choice but to try and hope for the best To refuse would be as good as announcing that he opposed the Imperium, and as friendly as the Governor appeared, that friendliness would not last long if he believed Arran an enemy
Arran took a deep breath to steel his nerves Then, his expression calm despite the concern in his heart, he said, ”I swear not to betray the Imperium or its secrets”
As a wave of cold ee of relief From the look of it, the disc required only words, and not intent
The cold spread through his body like a ripple through water, and as it did, Arran's relief vanished in an instant, terror quickly taking its place
When he had sworn the Shadowflame oath, his Sense had been so underdeveloped as to be useless, and he'd had little idea of as happening But now, he could see exactly what effect the oath had
The shout his body — Shadow fused with soether formed a seal
That the disc would place a seal on hi Arran had already expected Some sort of seal would be necessary to bind him to an oath, after all And that a similar seal already existed within him should not be a problem — seals could usually overlap without issue, even if they were virtually identical
At least, that's how it should work
Yet as happening noas entirely different Rather than the oath disca second seal, Arran saw that even as the second seal was created, it began to ed, he realized that they were creating a wholly new one
Though he did not know this new seal, he recognized traces of Master Zhao's seal in it — but also a shocking ay And instantly, he realized that if the seal was completed, all that poould be unleashed at once
There was no tiathered as much Shadow Essence as he could muster, then slammed the mass of Essence in between the tendrils that were still trying to link together
Briefly, the two co forces remained at a stale to bind together while Arran used his full insight into severing and his control over Shadow Essence to stop theh the seals were, the assault lasted only a moment, then suddenly subsided Unable to compete with Arran's vast reserves of Shadow Essence, the strands of Essence sloithdrew, the power that had driven theh of relief The attack had been short-lived, but no less dangerous for that Had his Sense been but a hair weaker or his strength in Shadow just the slightest bit less, he suspected he would be dead already
When he was certain that the attack had ended, he carefully removed the mass of Shadow Essence he'd forced between the two seals, wary of another assault Yet to his relief, none came It seemed that with the power that had driven the attack spent, both seals had settled in place
”Are you all right?” the Governor's voice sounded ”You suddenly went pale”
When Arran looked up, he saw the old man stare at hied ”The sensation discolanced at the smooth white oath disc, which now lay on the table It seely dropped it — and possibly saved his life in doing so
”Are you certain?” the Governor asked ”I felt…” He fell silent, though his broas creased in a deep frown
”I am,” Arran replied, his tone firmer now ”I just need a moment to steady lasses on the table, concealing the trelass in a single gulp, and as he felt his heart slow, he breathed another deep sigh
That the Governor would have felt so was no surprise As well as Arran could conceal Shadow Essence within his own body, the sheer amount he'd draas all but impossible to hide completely But with the oath disc's Essence h to convince the old inate froer concern was the oath disc itself Arran knew for a fact that the attack was no mere coincidence, no unexpected interaction between the two seals
Rather, it had been a trap — one laid with care and cunning, and crafted with a mastery of seals that far surpassed his own considerable skills
As for the purpose of the trap, Arran had no need to guess Without a doubt, both seals had been created by so both oaths The only question that reht be
”Show hts ”The right one”
Arran did as the old ht hand, he saw that the inside of his wrist now carried a se that mirrored the small black flame that remained concealed on his left wrist
The Governor spent a h your reaction was unusual, it appears the oath took, nonetheless” He raised his eyes to face Arran ”You should have warned ic before”
Arran looked at the old ic? I never—”
”Save it,” the Governor cut him off ”Someone with your talents would not join the Iain power, and solect so obvious a path Even I cannot deny looking into it in er years” A small smile briefly crossed his lips, as if he recalled a distant reater risk than you realize in co that path do not survive their oaths”
Arran was momentarily surprised at hoard the Governor was, but then, he recognized the truth Now that he was also bound by the oath, the old man could speak freely
Yet at the saes who spoke the oath wasn't their progress in ic, but the trap that lay concealed within the seals
”Nohat?” Arran asked hesitantly Though it see on the accusation, to be discovered as a e still caused him no small amount of worry
”Before we continue,” the Governor began, ”I would urge you not to speak to anyone about thisthat path It has only a single destination — the church's dungeons And for all the terrors the Desolation holds, there are few as frightful as the inquisitors' tools”
Arran gave an eic”
”Good,” the Governor replied, the hint of tension that his expression still carried finally easing ”With that taken care of, and with you sworn to the Irant you some of the answers you seek First, what do you know of power?”
”Power?” Arran looked at the man in confusion The question was so broad as to be impossible to answer ”What kind of power?”
A sood question, even if you stumbled upon it by accident What kinds of power do you think exist?”
This tiic” He briefly paused, then added soe, I suppose Or skill”
The Governor nodded in approval ”That's closer to the truth than you ht realize,” he said ”Many types of power exist, yet all of them stem from but three sources”
Arran considered the old ather several large portions of meat and bread on the plate before him Then, he asked, ”So what are these sources?”
”The first of theht before you Soh I dislike the phrase It is the power of our world itself — the power that forms the basis for Body Refineainst its enemies”
Arran raised an eyebrow ”Don't those bloodlines get their power from the Gods?”
”What are Gods but those who have attained ather sufficient strength, does that not make them Gods — in truth if not in nah he still knew of the Darian church, it was enough to understand that what the Governor had said bordered on heresy
He gave the Governor a studious look ”A dangerous thing to say”
”And doubly so because it is true,” the old man replied ”But the truth is what it is, and the power of the lowliest Body Refiner is no different from that controlled by the very Gods our priests revere The only thing that separates them is the aht as he pondered the Governor's words Though he wasn't certain whether he agreed with the man, he couldn't help but be reminded of Crassus, whose power had reached such a level that he could change even his own shape
Unnatural as the ability seeic played no part in it Rather, it was a power that could be said to stem from the world itself
Finally, he asked, ”So what's the second source?”
”The second source of power,” the Governor said, ”is knowledge Not the knowledge one finds in books and tales,of the very nature of reality”
”Enlightenment,” Arran said
The Governor sth, then knowledge — true knowledge — is the lever that allows us to turn that raw strength into true power It is the whetstone that sharpens the blade, the eye that guides the arrow Even the single step you've set on this path will increase your power rilledwith some surprise that he'd already finished over half the food that stood on the table — then asked, ”What lies at the end of the path?”
The old hed ”That is a question I cannot answer, for it is a destination I a But I can tell you that the road is as rewarding as it is long With time, you will find that reality can not just be seized but also shaped As for the marvels that lie beyond that…” A wistful smile crossed his lips ”Perhaps your luck will be better than h the Governor's thoughts were on the end of the path, Arran was far , and how to take that step ”How?”
”I cannot tell you that,” the Governor replied ”As it is, your co Even what little I told youyou to a path that brings only confusion”
”I' to take that risk,” Arran said
”But I am not,” the Governor said ”For now, you would do well to focus on strengthening your coround”
Though the old man's tone was friendly, there was an unshakable firmness to it, and Arran understood that the man would not be persuaded to say more