“And what of you?” asked Aadi, looking at the woodcutter sitting opposite him. Flint replied, “I’ll be going soon, too.” “Where?” invited Aadi and Flint answered, “To peace.” “Where is that?” questioned Aadi. The woodcutter shook his head and smiled gently, “I can’t say.” He waved his hand quickly and continued, “Not that I don’t want to. I can’t. I just know.” Aadi nodded once and said, “I see.” He waited a moment and asked then, “Will you see your family there? Your wife and daughter?” Flint’s smile became wistful, while his eyes shone with a happy eagerness. He said, “I hope so.” He nodded firmly after a moment and added, “Yes. Yes, I will.”
“Good,” remarked Aadi and slowly rose to his feet, “You have waited long enough, I think.” Flint looked at him and shook his head slowly, “Maybe. I can’t be sure. I just know that I want to see them again. Soon.” As if he could read the thoughts behind Aadi’s eyes, the woodcutter said, “You were looking forward to meeting your father. I know. I took that away from you.” After a brief silence, he added, “There were others, too.” Aadi breathed deeply and let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t…” he began, but stopped almost immediately. He composed himself and continued, “I can’t forgive you. Not after everything that has happened. I won’t wish you ill, though. My enemy is dead.” His eyes bore into Flint’s.
Aaron didn’t flinch. He didn’t divert his eyes. He returned Aadi’s steely gaze and nodded firmly. “I can accept that,” said the woodcutter and an instant later, asked, “How many are there?” Aadi shook his head and blurted, “What?” Flint asked again, “How many bodies are there? How many dead will you be carrying home?” Aadi thought for a moment and said, “Four. My father and best friend go without saying. In addition, there are those two hunters. Their families will be waiting for them, I suppose.” Flint cocked his head and wondered aloud, “Hunters?” Then, he shrugged and said, “There were many.” Not another word was said betwixt them for a few minutes.
Aadi looked at the woodcutter and wondered what was going through his mind. Flint hadn’t asked him that question casually; he was sure of that. He didn’t seem like the type to engage in idle conversation. There was a warmth beneath that serious demeanour that Aadi could have appreciated, in another life, another time. But here and now, he’d settle for just fine. A gentle, eventless ending would be just fine. A peaceful reunion with his family; that was something Aadi looked forward to. Zehra would be worried sick about him. “Mum,” he mumbled as his thoughts wandered towards hearth and home.
“Family is the most important thing a man has,” said Flint, interrupting his reverie. Aadi looked at him and Flint continued, “Treasure yours. No matter what. If I could have protected my family, I’d have done absolutely anything.” Then, the woodcutter paused and lowered his gaze briefly. He added, “I guess I did, in the end.” He shrugged and Aadi thought he saw Flint shiver slightly. It was a minute gesture, one that few would’ve noticed. “Enough of that,” said Flint subsequently, with his characteristic firmness, “It’s time.” “Time? For what?” asked Aadi and then, he noticed the cottage walls begin to fade!
He glanced down to find the floor shimmering. When he looked up, he saw the roof fading, too. All around him, the furniture and décor were beginning to disappear. The grass, trees, and sky were starting to vanish. Aadi felt like he was losing his balance, as his feet appeared to be standing on both a dark void and a wooden floor at the same time! He forcefully turned his eyes to the woodcutter, only to see Flint dematerialising. Aaron had a small smile on his face. It was the only expression that broke his otherwise stern features. When he spoke, his voice was a welcome but faint whisper.
“Thank you again, for saving my family. I can’t help you carry your dead home, but I can make it easier on you,” said Flint. He raised both his arms. Aadi noticed that the Unflinching’s metal gauntlets were missing. The woodcutter’s arms were bare and slowly disappearing. “Take my gauntlets and use them. This power will vanish, but what little remains in them will help you,” said Flint and added, “I can but offer this benediction. I bless that when the last of your dead has been buried, this power shall return to peace. Let it ease your burdens till then.” Aadi simply gazed at Aaron Flint. As the woodcutter faded entirely, the son of Viraat Tell sighed and mumbled, “Go in peace.”
“Go where?” an all too familiar voice asked and Aadi’s eyebrows shot up. “Ember!” he exclaimed and the magic stone, which had helped and guarded him till now, said with a matter-of-fact tone, “You succeeded.” He nodded and replied, “Yes. Flint’s gone.” In his mind, Ember nodded, “I noticed the change. Open your eyes.” It was then that Aadi observed the darkness around him. He hadn’t given it much thought, since he had traversed such a void to reach the blood facet’s memory. He hadn’t realised where he was yet. In fact, his limbs felt tight too, as if they were clutching something and bunched together.
“Where am I?” asked Aadi, slowly opening his eyes. “Back in the cave,” replied Ember. His hands still clasped the stone and its gentle blue and purple hues greeted his eyes. He knelt on a knee even now, the same position that he had been in when he entered the blood facet’s memory. His eyes adjusted to the intermittent sunlight in the cave. The blood on the cave walls was nowhere to be seen. The crimson dome, which had blocked the light in the cave, had disappeared. Not a soul moved and it was deathly quiet.
Aadi rose to his feet slowly. His muscles felt old and his bones seemed to creak, but he wasn’t hurt. Ember said, “You have been affected by a lot of magic power. That takes a toll, especially on beginners.” “Does it get better?” asked Aadi, stretching his limbs gingerly. He felt Ember shrug in his mind, “It differs from person to person.” “Glad to hear it,” he replied and took in his surroundings. Everything was as he had left it. “Did I really leave?” thought Aadi, comparing the cave he stood in to the cottage and its surrounding forest. Ember answered, “What you have experienced is now your memory. You have been conditioned by it. It is real for you.” “But not for others? Not really?” asked Aadi and the stone replied, “Perhaps. The conditioning determines the memory and in turn, the reality.”
Aadi didn’t ask anything further and turned towards the place where the Unflinching had fallen. Flint’s headless body lay in the same position on the ground, a very short distance away. The blood that had pooled around the body had mostly disappeared, however. As Aadi observed this, Ember said, “The dark facet of his soul used his blood, even after he died, to fuel its power.” “Then was its power limited to how much blood Flint had?” mused Aadi aloud. The stone replied, “Yes. As far as we were concerned, though, no.” He glanced at Ember in his hand and raised an enquiring eyebrow. Ember said, “Power is utilised towards the attainment of a goal. There is always a definite aim in mind. Otherwise, that power would be severely weakened.” “If it had exhausted all of Flint’s blood in due time,” asked Aadi, “would his blood facet not have lost all its strength?” Ember replied, “Over the course of time, yes. In the time we confronted it, no. Purpose sustains all things. Desire fuels power, too.”
Aadi knelt beside the Unflinching’s body and reached for Flint’s hands. He asked Ember, “How does desire drive power?” The stone replied, “The stronger the desire, the stronger the concentration. Concentration is vital in gathering and channelling power. It creates conditioning and as I have explained before…” Aadi finished for Ember, “…stronger the conditioning, stronger the memory. That memory becomes reality.” The stone nodded in Aadi’s mind and he felt it observing his actions. “Why are you removing the Unflinching’s gauntlets?” asked Ember and he replied, “Because Flint asked me to.”
It was Aadi’s turn to feel Ember’s enquiring gaze and he decided that showing was better than telling. He inspected the metal gauntlets thoroughly and then, slipped them on. They were larger than his hands. No sooner had he worn them than he heard Ember exclaim, “Oh! I see.” Aadi didn’t, but he didn’t miss the next instant either. The gauntlets began to shrink in size. A moment later, they fit his hands perfectly! Aadi flexed his fingers and found the pair to be comfortable. Ember asked, “Can you feel it?” Aadi replied, “They feel great.” In his mind, he felt the stone roll its eyes. “Can you feel the magic?” asked Ember again, this time with a hint of irritation in its voice.
Aadi said, “You are becoming uppity, I see.” Before Ember could reply, he added, “Yes. Yes, I can sense a warmth in these gauntlets. They are Flint’s parting gifts.” “What for?” asked Ember and Aadi said, “To take our family home.”