Chapter 160: Farewell

The carriage drove through the path, woodson either side of the quiet road. Zen was in the carriage, Shibi sat on his lap and Wang Ton sat across them. The inside of the carriage was silent. Zen smiled to himself, thinking of how awkward a silence like this would have been at the beginning of this journey with his fatherbut now, it felt more peaceful than awkward.

Zen looked at his father’s hands. They laid on his lap, heavily bandaged and still. “How are your arms, Father?”

“Painful and unusable.” Wang Ton’s sight rested on them. “What’s a metal elementalist withouthis hands?”

“I wanted to ask,” Zen said, “How does metal elementalists work?”

“Ah, because you see me use different elements?”

Zen nodded.

“Metal Elementalists are not like other elementalists.” Ton said. “Fire, water, lightning elementalists can conjure their elements by thought. Even the element closely related to metal, wood, it can use its energy directly through healing and obscure poison arts although most will use wood to manipulate vegetation. With metal, there is no conjuring. Its weakness and strength is that it needs a medium.”

“A medium?”

“Yes, metal elementalists need material to embue with power.” Ton said. “And with that, we can give objects additional properties by making them lighter than usual, stronger than normal, we can even give them additional abilities. You want to create a Fire Sword, than you harvest fire elemental energy and get a good sword. You want a small gourd with seemingly endless supply of water, then you get a gourd and harvest water elemental energy. In some cultures we’re called Fabric Elementalists in others Material Elementalists because our skills are not limited to just weapons. If we have the material, the imagination and the knowledge, then we can create it.”

“Extraabilities, that reminds me.” Zen said. “There is this boy at school who I’ve fought a few times. He has this sword and everytime that sword clashes with mine, it feels likemine gets heavy. He once cut my arm with it and my arm also felt heavier.”

“That boy must be lucky.” Ton said.

“Why’s that?”

“The weapon you’ve described is a Heavenly Treasure.” Ton said. “Its called a Stoning Sword. Few were created and no one other than the legendary blacksmith who made them know how to create them. It is said that whatever the blade cuts… or more specifically whatever the blade of the sword touches become 300 grams heavier.”

“They can create weapons like that! I can’t wait to unlock my elemental powers,” Zen said. “Maybe I’ll also be a metal elementalist cause that would be cool!”

“We’ll see, son.” Ton said as he looked out of the carriage. “From what I’ve seen, there is no ryhm or reason on what elemental power one unlocks when they reach the Master stage of their cultivation but whatever elemental power you get, I’m sure you’ll be grand at using it.”

The carriage stopped. Zen looked around in confusion. “We’ve stopped.”

Another carriage came by from an adjacent road.

“This is where we part ways.” He touched his storage stones than his hand passed over his face, his demon-faced black iron mask appeared. “You’re going to Goixi and I’m returning home.”

“Come on father!” Zen said. “I-I thought we were passed this.”

“We’re not.” He said, his voice vibrating with a tinge of metal behind the iron mask. “I will always do what I need to do to protect you.”

“But I can handle myself and I want to help.”

Ton shook his head. “You won’t be able to. Not the way you are now. Remember what I said about the storm. Keep your head down, get stronger and when the storm passes, Iwill call on you and I’ll expect youto be ready. You think you can do that for me?”

“Y-Yes but you will call me.”

Ton nodded, “Yes.” He touched his storage stoe again. “Here, I have been working on a new mask.”

A red mask with a long nose appeared in his hands. Zen accepted the mask.

“This one is better than the one I gave you last time.” He said. “It can mask power levels bigger than mine. But, it has a filter ability that allows your power level to leak out, depending on how much of it you emit. So you can fool people into thinking you are weaker than you actually are.”

Zen took the red mask and put it over his face. Though it was not black, Zen could tell that it was made of metal, Black Iron that had been turned red somehow. “I understand why hiding your power level completely would be useful for stealth and all that but I don’t understand why you would want someone to think you are weaker than you actually are.”

“You’ll figure it out.” Ton said.”Goodby son.”

Zen looked at his father. The words he wanted to say were on the tip of his lips and they were not ‘Goodbye’. He found it weird how he could say he loved him in the most dire situations but now, in the calm of this farewell, he could not find the conviction to say it. “Goodbye father.” He said, hoping it was enough.

He exited the carriage, Shibi leaping to his shoulder. He looked back as he walked to the other carriage and as the two carriages separated, he could not help but lookback again one last time before taking a breath and looking forward.

“You ready to go back to Goixi, Shibi?”

“Yes.” Shibi said.

“I’ve missed so much.” Zen said. “When we get back, I wonder what will be waiting for us.”