When you walk side by side with death, they always hold your hand - Last Sect Head of the Bleeding Willow Sect

"What?"

The elder's brows furrowed as Alius declined his offer. Never before had they even met one of the village children in person before, and the first person to receive this honor actually dared to defy them!

The face of the elder in the blood red robe twisted with anger, but before he could explode, the head elder, who’s name was presumably Darian, raised a hand to stop him.

Turning back towards Alius, he asked, “Child, why would you refuse? Is your family holding you back? Whatever your trouble, you can tell us.”

Alius has been expecting questions. Ever since the elder had brought him into the meeting room, ever since he had taken the test, he had never planned to join anyone. If things had gone differently during his recent childhood, he would have joined. Only benefits awaited him, even more so now with his astonishing qi talent being revealed. The secrets he now held were too big for anyone else.

Alius paused for a moment before answering the question of Elder Darian.

“Elder, before I join a sect, it is this humble one’s desire to see the world myself. I ask you and the rest of the esteemed sect elders to give me three years out in the world, and when I have seen the world, then I will come back to you.”

The elder said nothing, only continuing to stare at Alius, who was lightly sweating. If the elder refused and made him pick a sect, all of this would be for nothing, and he may even lose what had been his greatest secret.

Time passed, stretching out, flowing even slower than the sweat beginning to form on Alius’s neck. The entire room was warping, swirling around the elder like a galaxy of light. But this pressure was all shattered when the elder broke out into a laugh. There was no buildup, just pure, happy laughter as a child would.

“Good! Excellent! This boy will reach greater heights than me!”

Alius glanced around the room, seeing a faint smile on almost all the other faces there. All except the red-robed elder, whose face will bore a faint scowl.

The white robed old man continued with a jovial smile on his face all the while.

"Not only am I not against your decision, I give you my blessings! Please, before you leave, here's something to protect yourself with!"

Elder Darius presented Alius with a dagger rimmed with gold and indigo hues. The dagger had a bulge at the very tip of the blade, and it was clear that it was not made for combat. Rather, the dagger looked almost holy, it's only purpose being to be admired.

"This dagger was forged by one of our elders who takes an interest in forging. Although it certainly has made his growth slower, he thinks it is quite worth his while to make little baubles as these. Maybe it will help you."

Alius bowed as he accepted the dagger from the elder.

“Elder, in that case, I thank you for allowing me this favor. I will not forget you!”

“Hold it!”

Everyone in the room turned their heads towards the red-robed elder, who had been strangely silent during the jovial outburst from Elder Darius.

The elder paused before his next sentence, seeming to be thinking about his next words. When he spoke, his voice carried a heaviness Alius felt down to his bones.

“This is the very first time we allow a child, moreover a village nobody like him into this room. To stand in front of us should be the greatest honor! Offering him a place with us, an even higher one!”

Visibly fuming, the elder turned back towards the rest of the people gathered.

“Where has your pride gone?”

Lips twitching, he continued, rife with anger.

“The first time someone says no, and you do nothing?”

Elder Darius looked at the scene with a frown, but said nothing. The rest of the sect elders had mixed reactions, some showing faces of contempt, but most had a slightly guilty expression.

“What will you do?”

The red-robed elder stopped at that, his lips collapsing back into a frown as he retreated back into his chair.

Elder Darius drew in a short sigh, but stood once more to address the room.

“Well, I don’t suppose anyone would care to continue after that would they?”

Dragging a hand down his face, he sighed again.

“You are all dismissed. You may go back to your sects, or stay here to watch the children. Do what you please. And Terach,”

He turned towards the elder in red, eyes shining with a cold light.

“I’ll talk to you afterwards.”

____

Well, I’d call that a disaster, but I’m still too scared to talk.

Alius pouted in his mind, but still didn’t speak.

Each and every person that was present in that room gave Alius the feeling that every moment in life was a blessing in itself, in other words, he felt like he was about to die.

So the one thing on Alius’s mind was how to get out of that room of monsters as fast as possible. Ask one of them? Although Alius wasn’t exactly an introvert, the aura he felt in the room heavily discouraged conversation. Almost like the room itself was imposing a threat on all of them.

Inferiors have no place here.

For this reason, Alius knew it would probably be for the best to leave as soon as he could.

Internally crying to himself, Alius wondered how he would get home.

At that time, a sudden shaking came from behind him. A rainbow glow reflecting off the furniture in the room, with its source being the eerie rumbling behind him. A firm hand rested itself on Alius’s shoulder, but right now, it was more welcome than anything.

“Well, I suppose it is time for you to go home. We wouldn’t want to worry your mother now, would we?”

The old voice sounded like a chorus of angels now, freeing Alius from the room, from all the pressure no 7-year old mind would have to handle. A thin veil of luminescent rainbow light spiraled around them, clouding the faces of the other elders as Alius had to experience that crushing feeling of speed again.

Alius would never admit this, but although they all showed human emotions on their human faces, he could sense that they were completely different from the other humans. They all gave off the feeling of death, all except one. The white robed elder, Elder Darius. The one right behind him. And that scared Alius more than anything else.