Chapter 53
Arran followed the man away from the castle . For a time they walked in silence, with Arran following a short distance behind the man he had thought was one of Captain Yang's guards .
Several times, they encountered patrols, but after a wave of the man's hand, the patrols hurried past, almost seeming afraid . With some concern, Arran realized it wasn't him they feared .
"Who are you?" Arran finally asked .
Now that he got a better look at the man, he was certain that he was not just a guard . There was a certain confidence in his manner, bordering on arrogance, that reminded Arran of Lord Jiang and Master Zhao .
The observation filled him with unease . He had joined the man on the belief that he could easily defeat him if needed, but now, he was beginning to suspect that he had gravely underestimated the man's power .
"Call me Panurge," the man said .
The name sounded odd to Arran, as if it was a title rather than a real name . He was becoming more certain by the second that the man was altogether different from what he pretended to be .
"Do you work for Captain Yang, or does he work for you?" Arran peered at Panurge as he asked the question . He was already confident of what the real answer was, but he wanted to see the man's reaction .
"I'd call it a partnership of equals," Panurge said calmly . "Our side — Chaos, as you call it — we aren't big on hierarchy . "
"So you really are on the side of Chaos?" Arran asked .
He remembered what Senecio had told him earlier, and his heart sank as he realized that he had stumbled into a conflict that stretched far beyond what he could see .
"In a way," Panurge replied . "Although it's not so much a side as it is a belief . "
"A belief?" Arran frowned as he considered the answer . "Then what do you believe in?"
"Freedom," the man replied without hesitation . "The Academy believes that this world needs control, and that they are the ones to provide it . My associates and I disagree . "
"Then you're not after power?" Arran asked doubtfully . Even if Panurge's words sounded appealing, he did not trust the man in the slightest .
"My own power is enough," Panurge said . "I do not need to lead others, or be led by them . "
"What about the Herald?" Arran asked . "Wasn't he your leader?"
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Panurge laughed, as if Arran had just told a hilarious joke . "The Herald was tasked with protecting our stronghold from the Academy, but he was no more a leader than I am . " Scowling, he added, "Although I suppose he wasn't much of a protector, either . "
"The man who killed him… he talked about a war," Arran said . "He said that this world was on the verge of being lost to Chaos . "
"Lost to the Academy," Panurge said . "For those like you, it would be a blessing . "
"Those like me?" Arran asked . "What do you mean?"
"People with Realms the Academy calls forbidden, and other magic of the more interesting kind . The ones who are hunted by the Academy for their powers . "
"You know about that?!" Even if he knew Panurge was more than he pretended to be, Arran had not expected him to know this much . By now, he was beginning to think half the world knew about his forbidden Realm .
"Of course," Panurge answered simply .
"What do you want from me?" Arran asked bluntly . Sick of being the only one who didn't know what was going on, he could no longer bring himself to feign politeness .
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"Want? From you?" Panurge shook his head with a laugh . "You have nothing to give me . There is something I could offer you, however . "
"What is it?" Arran asked, instantly wary of anything Panurge had to offer .
"You could join us," the man said . "I could take you beyond the Empire's borders, where you would be protected from the Academy . In time, you might become truly powerful . "
"Why?" Arran asked . "I'm an initiate, barely even worth calling a mage . Why would you be interested in me?"
"Because despite your youth, you have already done some interesting things . " Panurge laughed . "Weak though you are, you're already causing a stir in the Empire . If you manage to master that Realm of yours, this world will surely see some excitement . "
"What if I refuse?" Arran was of no mind to join Panurge, no matter what the man said . Between the lies and the idea of making an enemy out of Senecio, there was nothing in the man's offer that appealed to him .
"Then I will let you leave . " Panurge shrugged . "If you avoid being caught by the Academy, your journey will still be worth watching . But you would be wise to think well before rejecting my help . "
"If you want to help me, why the lies and the trickery?" Arran could not help but ask the question .
Panurge's behavior baffled him — if the man had offered to protect him from the Academy two weeks earlier, he might have accepted the offer . But instead, he had offered nothing but lies and deceit .
"Because that's his nature," a voice suddenly spoke .
Arran turned toward the voice, and he was startled to see Senecio's short figure standing just a few paces away . The old man seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, but although his appearance caught Arran off guard, Panurge merely smiled .
"Senecio," Panurge said . "I wondered when you would show yourself . "
"I killed your pet," Senecio said .
"So I noticed," Panurge replied . "It's why I came, although I arrived just a moment too late to stop you . " With a look at Arran, he added, "But I did find something else that caught my interest . "
"Step away from him, boy," the old man said . "He's more dangerous than you realize . "
Although Arran doubted the latter part — he already thought Panurge had the power to kill him at a whim — did as Senecio said and stepped away from Panurge . If a fight broke out between the two, he did not want to be anywhere near it .
"He has more reason to fear you than he does me," Panurge said . "At least I won't kill him for the crime of existing . "
For several moments they stood in silence, the two men about ten paces apart, calmly watching each other as Arran slowly backed away . From what he could tell, they might attack each other at any moment .
Arran followed the man away from the castle . For a time they walked in silence, with Arran following a short distance behind the man he had thought was one of Captain Yangs guards .
Several times, they encountered patrols, but after a wave of the mans hand, the patrols hurried past, almost seeming afraid . With some concern, Arran realized it wasnt him they feared .
Who are you? Arran finally asked .
Now that he got a better look at the man, he was certain that he was not just a guard . There was a certain confidence in his manner, bordering on arrogance, that reminded Arran of Lord Jiang and Master Zhao .
The observation filled him with unease . He had joined the man on the belief that he could easily defeat him if needed, but now, he was beginning to suspect that he had gravely underestimated the mans power .
Call me Panurge, the man said .
The name sounded odd to Arran, as if it was a title rather than a real name . He was becoming more certain by the second that the man was altogether different from what he pretended to be .
Do you work for Captain Yang, or does he work for you? Arran peered at Panurge as he asked the question . He was already confident of what the real answer was, but he wanted to see the mans reaction .
Id call it a partnership of equals, Panurge said calmly . Our side — Chaos, as you call it — we arent big on hierarchy .
So you really are on the side of Chaos? Arran asked .
He remembered what Senecio had told him earlier, and his heart sank as he realized that he had stumbled into a conflict that stretched far beyond what he could see .
In a way, Panurge replied . Although its not so much a side as it is a belief .
A belief? Arran frowned as he considered the answer . Then what do you believe in?
Freedom, the man replied without hesitation . The Academy believes that this world needs control, and that they are the ones to provide it . My associates and I disagree .
Then youre not after power? Arran asked doubtfully . Even if Panurges words sounded appealing, he did not trust the man in the slightest .
My own power is enough, Panurge said . I do not need to lead others, or be led by them .
What about the Herald? Arran asked . Wasnt he your leader?
Panurge laughed, as if Arran had just told a hilarious joke . The Herald was tasked with protecting our stronghold from the Academy, but he was no more a leader than I am . Scowling, he added, Although I suppose he wasnt much of a protector, either .
The man who killed him… he talked about a war, Arran said . He said that this world was on the verge of being lost to Chaos .
Lost to the Academy, Panurge said . For those like you, it would be a blessing .
Those like me? Arran asked . What do you mean?
People with Realms the Academy calls forbidden, and other magic of the more interesting kind . The ones who are hunted by the Academy for their powers .
You know about that?! Even if he knew Panurge was more than he pretended to be, Arran had not expected him to know this much . By now, he was beginning to think half the world knew about his forbidden Realm .
Of course, Panurge answered simply .
What do you want from me? Arran asked bluntly . Sick of being the only one who didnt know what was going on, he could no longer bring himself to feign politeness .
Want? From you? Panurge shook his head with a laugh . You have nothing to give me . There is something I could offer you, however .
What is it? Arran asked, instantly wary of anything Panurge had to offer .
You could join us, the man said . I could take you beyond the Empires borders, where you would be protected from the Academy . In time, you might become truly powerful .
Why? Arran asked . Im an initiate, barely even worth calling a mage . Why would you be interested in me?
Because despite your youth, you have already done some interesting things . Panurge laughed . Weak though you are, youre already causing a stir in the Empire . If you manage to master that Realm of yours, this world will surely see some excitement .
What if I refuse? Arran was of no mind to join Panurge, no matter what the man said . Between the lies and the idea of making an enemy out of Senecio, there was nothing in the mans offer that appealed to him .
Then I will let you leave . Panurge shrugged . If you avoid being caught by the Academy, your journey will still be worth watching . But you would be wise to think well before rejecting my help .
If you want to help me, why the lies and the trickery? Arran could not help but ask the question .
Panurges behavior baffled him — if the man had offered to protect him from the Academy two weeks earlier, he might have accepted the offer . But instead, he had offered nothing but lies and deceit .
Because thats his nature, a voice suddenly spoke .
Arran turned toward the voice, and he was startled to see Senecios short figure standing just a few paces away . The old man seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, but although his appearance caught Arran off guard, Panurge merely smiled .
Senecio, Panurge said . I wondered when you would show yourself .
I killed your pet, Senecio said .
So I noticed, Panurge replied . Its why I came, although I arrived just a moment too late to stop you . With a look at Arran, he added, But I did find something else that caught my interest .
Step away from him, boy, the old man said . Hes more dangerous than you realize .
Although Arran doubted the latter part — he already thought Panurge had the power to kill him at a whim — did as Senecio said and stepped away from Panurge . If a fight broke out between the two, he did not want to be anywhere near it .
He has more reason to fear you than he does me, Panurge said . At least I wont kill him for the crime of existing .
For several moments they stood in silence, the two men about ten paces apart, calmly watching each other as Arran slowly backed away . From what he could tell, they might attack each other at any moment .
