“So what is the problem you’ve found?” Shigeru asked, after a short, uncomfortable pause. “Is it likely to affect the world?”

“Definitely,” Samuel said, his face grave. “And it’s worse than it sounds. Attos isn’t finished.”

“Attos!” Bora Bora spat, stiffening. “What is that irritating mortal up to now? Didn’t he learn his lesson when I beat him out of Zaban?”

That must be the war he’d heard about recently, Eric thought. It had gone on for just under two years, with the last year being an intense military movement on Tyrman’s behalf. The Kingdom had sent a huge army to Zaban’s rescue, engaging in several devastating conflicts to push the Attosian forces out. It had been a difficult excursion, as the invading troops had already secured a foothold, and had fought tooth and nail to hold their position. It had taken the efforts of nearly the entire military, as well as Bora Bora himself, to force them back to their own land.

“It doesn’t seem like he has,” Samuel answered him. His violet eyes seemed troubled. “I can’t tell what he’s up to. I went to his castle last week to try and spy on him, but he’s been busy with meetings and has magical wards on the entire complex. I couldn’t hear a thing.”

“And this makes you believe that he’s planning something else?” Shigeru prompted. “He could just be speaking with his advisors, to figure out how to deal with his defeat.”

“That doesn’t sound like someone who’s accepted defeat,” Eric said without meaning to. When the others turned to look at him, he offered a half shrug of apology. “I mean, if he’d accepted the loss, wouldn’t his next action be to disband his army back to their homes?”

“He makes a good point,” Shigeru said, bestowing an approving nod on Eric, who felt his spine straighten a little with pride. “This is most concerning news. What do you suggest we do, Samuel?”

Eric looked from Shigeru to Samuel, then back again, his mind spinning. Why was the God of War, the undefeated victor of more than a thousand duels, asking an academic for advice? Sure, Samuel was a powerful mage, and wise far beyond his years, but surely a god had no need for a mortal’s advice. Then again, he reminded himself, they seemed to be old friends, so perhaps Samuel’s input meant more than he thought.

“I’m not sure just yet,” Samuel admitted, speaking hesitantly. “I can’t justify breaking down his door and demanding to know what he’s up to. He technically didn’t break any of our Cardinal rules in his invasion.”

“True,” Shigeru said. “But his intentions are sinister, even after all that.”

They lapsed into a long silence, each thinking through the problem in their own times. Samuel, who had already known about this new development and formulated his own theories, however unproven, studied the faces of his comrades, then looked at Eric. For a brief moment, the mask of calm and cheerful indifference that was so familiar to him had slipped away, and Eric could see a depth of concern there. Concern for his home, and for the world at large. This Attos person must be a terrifying enemy, Eric thought. But they were gods. What could harm them?

“But he isn’t divine,” Bora Bora said, clearly thinking along similar lines. “He would stand no chance against us in combat. I think he knows that. Do you think he aims to skip Zaban? Maybe conquer Welsik or even Nihon-Ja?”

“Nihon Ja is too far to be practical,” Shigeru replied at once. “What is more, the Sanctuary would never stand for it. Master Raveonic and the others would be able to repel him before he gained a foothold.”

“There is a lot to be gained if he takes Welsik,” Enri said, one hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Their craft is legendary, after all. But they are neutral in all wars, preferring to dedicate themselves to the forge. They’d rather work metal than go to war.”

“If Attos invades, they won’t have a choice in the matter,” Bora Bora replied shortly. “They are unused to fighting, and would not offer much resistance. Attos might even be able to seize their capital before we could react.”

“It would help if we had someone to send to Welsik,” Shigeru said. “But that would require time, which you and I cannot afford, Bora Bora. Even attending these short meetings is beyond us.”

“I cannot go, either,” Samuel agreed. “The strange magic that lives in Welsik makes me nauseous, and I’d be worse than an invalid if I went. Enri cannot abandon his post either. The Captain’s office is an important one, after all.”

“What if I went?”

Even as they looked at him in shock, Eric still couldn’t really believe he’d just said those words. He wanted to take them back the instant they’d left his mouth, but realized, to his surprise, that the offer had been a genuine one. Impulsive, yes, but still something he’d be willing to undertake.

“Absolutely not,” Bora Bora sneered. “You’re an outsider, and even if you weren’t, you don’t have the skills needed to take this on.”

Eric clenched his jaw, biting down hard to repress the acid reply that had occurred to him. Striving to be polite, he offered the God of Death a slight bow. “We don’t know that for sure, Lord Bora Bora. I could be useful somehow, I’m sure.”

But to his surprise, the others were shaking their heads too. Samuel in particular raised a hand to stall any further attempted persuasion from Eric. “Not that I doubt you, Eric, but you need to continue training. You could learn a lot from Ehran, and if we sent you to Welsik now, you’d miss out on weeks, possibly months, of good training and experience. It is not a short trip.”

“Couldn’t you teleport me there or something?”

“No,” Samuel said. “As I just mentioned, the magic in Welsik is… different. It follows the same principles of all magic in Ahya, but it is sentient and does not welcome outsiders. Particularly those who aren’t from Ahya. I cannot in good conscience send you to a land that would poison your mind. Maybe later, when I am able to devise some protection for you.”

He made it sound like a wasteland, dominated by chaotic energy. Why did he speak of it that way, he wondered, when there were plenty of healthy, sane merchants that came from the country every week to visit the Milagre markets? And what did he mean by sentient magic? How could magic think and act for itself? But he didn’t argue further, keen as he was to learn more.

“So what are you going to do about it then?” He asked, leaning forward eagerly. “Is there some way that I can help?”

“You can help by passing Ehran’s test,” Samuel said. “It’s the path you’ve chosen for yourself, and it is a good one. Keep to that, and when you’ve learned more, then we can see what uses you can be put to. Patience, young Eric. This will not happen overnight. It could be months before Attos makes a move. Years, even.”

Eric let out a long angry breath, trying in vain to hide his annoyance. He’d been summoned to Ahya to help in this, hadn’t he? Sure, he’d hated the idea at first, but he’d grown accustomed to this new world and even come to love parts of it. So why was Samuel so keen to keep him away from the problem now? He may not be that strong, but he was learning quickly, and his outsider’s perspective might prove to be an advantage.

“I can understand your frustration, Eric-san,” Shigeru said, speaking directly to him now. His voice was oddly soothing. “It is much harder to wait when you want nothing more than to act. But you must learn when to strike. This is not that time. You would only do more damage. If you are to be a help later, you must train up.”

“I… suppose,” he said faintly, his face down and cheeks flushing in shame. It was much harder to be irritated with the calm and serene god before him than the Archmage he knew from his everyday life. “I apologize for my outburst.”

He could hear the smile in Shigeru’s voice as the man replied. “You have a strong spirit. I think you could learn a great deal from my great-grandson.”

“Well then,” Samuel said, bringing everyone’s attention back around. “I know this isn’t much to go on, but I thought it prudent that you all be aware of this development. Bora Bora, could you alert your granddaughter to the potential danger? She will be able to discover more with her contacts.”

Bora Bora nodded at once. “I will speak to her in the morning when she comes to my temple. You should pay me a visit soon too, boy,”

Eric blinked at him in surprise. “You want me to come and pray to you at your temple?”

“That’s what I said. I still don’t think you’re the right one for the job, but if Samuel is determined to give you a shot, I might as well lend a hand. I’ll grant you a small favor.”

“I will, as well,” Shigeru interjected. “Please visit my temple or the altar at Issho-Ni. I will be looking forward to meeting you again.”

The offer sounded much better coming from Shigeru, who wasn’t condescending. He hadn’t made a single negative gesture or comment in regards to Eric since the meeting started. In fact, he seemed to be highly interested in the stranger, either trusting Samuel’s judgment, or perhaps liking something he saw within the outworlder. Either way, Eric offered him a deep bow.

“I will visit as soon as I can, Master Tokugawa, Lord Ciayol.”

The Gods of Death and War nodded silently in reply. Then Bora Bora shifted his shoulders, letting massive tattered wings spread from his back. They looked draconic in appearance, stretching out nearly fifteen feet in length, but had great tears and scars along the thin tissue. With a powerful gust of wind, he was airborne, carried out of view into the sky within a second. Shigeru was not long in following, shooting into the sky, albeit without wings of his own.

“Well, that was fun as always,” Samuel said, returning to his previous light-hearted air. “The other Paragons are always stiff, but Bora Bora seems especially uptight lately.”

“Paragons?” Eric queried. He knew the word well enough with his time in Ahya. “I know Enri is Paragon of Ahya, but what are they paragon of?”

“Master Tokugawa is Paragon of the Body,” Enri explained. “My ancestor is Paragon of the Soul. Samuel is Paragon of the Mind.”

Mind, Body, and Soul, Eric reflected. That order of words seemed to be appearing more often, the more he learned about Ahya. He wondered what the distinction was, and why it was so important to outline? Eric put the question away, certain that he wouldn’t find that answer anytime soon. He shook hands with Enri as the Captain made to leave, drawing his blade and disappearing from view.

“So I’m supposed to just go back to my normal business?” He asked. “Why was I brought here, if you didn’t have any directions or a plan for me?”

“I felt it necessary for you to be up to date with all the facts,” Samuel replied. “Would you prefer to be in the dark until you’re needed directly?”

Eric shook his head at once, his eyes wide. “No, I’d like to know what’s up. Alright, then. If you think it’s best for me to stay with what I’m doing, I’ll do that. But if you learn anything more-.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything new,” Samuel assured him. “I still don’t know why you are needed so badly, but I’m sure you’ll do great things during your time in Ahya.”

With that, Eric’s vision faded completely, and his eyes snapped open a moment later, staring up at the plain grey ceiling of his barracks. Rolling over, he fell asleep again almost immediately, his mind now full of Samuel’s parting words, and the reinforced weight of expectation on his shoulders. For the first time since he’d arrived, he didn’t dream once of his home on Earth. The impending unknown event was all he could think of.