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I looked up at Mizak and knew he wouldn’t understand what I was going to say. He was the High Priest and therefore devoid of any ties made by Jian or Jian lovers. His white robes brushed against the floor as he walked towards me. I bowed to him. “Nuin, I saw you leave the ship. What words has Elixir Foin spoken to you?” He asked.

“Actually, Mizak, I went to see Portra Neju.” I replied and held out my right hand. “He gave himself up to our service, to provide protection to the Last Chance.”

The look Mizak gave me was nothing short of contempt. I felt such hate coming from his eyes. “You got protection from a Jian lover? A failed Priest?” He asked and spat. “What have you learned from me? What have you learned from me? Was it to walk into damnation? Was it to fail at your task? You are my heir and the Voice! You’re a leader and it’s not fit for you to damn yourself like this.”

I sighed and raised up my left hand. “He is a strong man with power.” I replied. “He can protect us when we ourselves can’t.”

“I will not see myself protected by a Jian lover!” Mizak yelled. “I will not! I refuse! And what was the deal you made to him? For he wouldn’t work for free.”

“He didn’t make any insane offers.” I replied. “It isn’t anything that would make me do something against my honor. He won’t know if I have done what he asked or not. I would not shame myself by becoming a Jian lover.”

Mizak nodded and went and picked up a wine bottle that was on his desk. Candles were all around the edges and the middle was onyx. The wood was that of the tallest tree in the Temple of Sola. It was a rescue that was extraordinary to say the least. Though, rumors said, it was not Mizak who had removed it. He held up the bottle and two wine glasses appeared in the air, I grabbed one and the other went to the desk.

“I know you wouldn’t disrespect Foin that way.” He replied and poured me a glass. “You wouldn’t disrespect Foin or his heir that way. I know that in my soul. Whichever way you choose I’m sure that the best interests of our people will be at the forefront of your mind.” He then poured himself a glass. “To Elixir Foin and his heir! May the Jian lover die!” I raised my glass but felt guilty for raising ‘arms’ against Neju. He wasn’t a man I particularly liked but I didn’t feel the need to damn him. Mizak and I then cheered.

“What stories do you know of Jian?” I asked. “You have lived a long and eventful life; you must have something to tell.”

Mizak sat at his desk and sipped his wine. “Yes, I have much on the subject to discuss with you.” He said. “You know that Jian is a false god, a shamed god. Such a shamed god that the other gods abandoned him.”

“Abandoned him?” I asked, surprised.

“You think the stories of Jian are false?” Mizak asked. “How could they be false if all the other gods abandoned him? They left him for the sole reason of trying to stop their destruction. He had been destroying the gods in secret; it was Elixir Foin that caught up to Jian.”

I nodded. “So Foin is the hero.” I replied. “But, if he so caught Jian, how is it that none of the gods exist today?”

“Because things were too far gone to stop.” Mizak said and threw down his glass. He waved his hands over it and a ruby in glass formed from it. “Things had to start anew but Foin locked Jian up like I locked up the ruby. Nuin, free the ruby.”

This was a test and I relaxed my mind, I knew that I would be faced with an impossible task. Feeling around with my mind I saw that many tiny spells were around it but one spell that bound all of them. It had been awhile since I had been faced with such a challenge. I stood still for twenty minutes before finding the binding spell. With a wave of my hand the glass disappeared and there was just a ruby in Mizak’s hand.

“Well done, Nuin, very well done.” Mizak said and handed me the ruby. “Take this as a gift. Jian was locked up like that ruby but with more complicated spells. Jian could look out but couldn’t affect anything. He could watch his plans being foiled but couldn’t work any of his magic. Unfortunately, Foin wasn’t in time to stop all of Jian’s disasters.”

I nodded. “I need to leave now, Mizak.” I replied. “I want to check on Nixar.” He nodded and let me leave. I handed my wine glass to him before I exited his room. So that was the truth of Jian? A traitor god that had tried to destroy the gods? I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t believe it. I couldn’t think of Liam being fooled that way.

I walked to my room and went to what I called the front entrance. The ‘front entrance’ was just a small room with two cots on either side of the room. Liam was in one of them and smiled at me. “Pal, I’m glad to see you!” He said and hugged me. “What did Mizak do? Nothing bad, I hope. I remember some of your earlier lessons.”

“Nothing bad.” I replied. “This ruby was a gift from a lesson I just did. I think Mizak will be watching us through this. Do you have a towel I could borrow?” Liam nodded and then brought back a dark green towel. “Freshly washed.” He said and then I covered the ruby with the towel. I spoke some words and put the towel on my bed. “His eye won’t be able to see, his ear won’t be able to hear.”

“Pal, I think you’re going all paranoid yet again.” Liam said and laughed. “You are the person Mizak trusts the most, I doubt he would turn against you.”

“I made a pact with Neju and Mizak is suspicious about that.” I replied. “He would send something to watch over me. Not even the years I spent with him would dim that suspicion.”

“You need some time to relax.” Liam said. “Come, let’s go to the garden.”

Author’s Note: Another talking chapter. I wanted to show the two viewpoints. You have Neju who worships Jian and Mizak who hates Jian.

Description
I looked up at Mizak and knew he wouldn’t understand what I was going to say. He was the High Priest and therefore devoid of any ties made by Jian or Jian lovers. His white robes brushed against the floor as he walked towards me. I bowed to him. “Nuin, I saw you leave the ship. What words has Elixir Foin spoken to you?” He asked.

“Actually, Mizak, I went to see Portra Neju.” I replied and held out my right hand. “He gave himself up to our service, to provide protection to the Last Chance.”

The look Mizak gave me was nothing short of contempt. I felt such hate coming from his eyes. “You got protection from a Jian lover? A failed Priest?” He asked and spat. “What have you learned from me? What have you learned from me? Was it to walk into damnation? Was it to fail at your task? You are my heir and the Voice! You’re a leader and it’s not fit for you to damn yourself like this.”

I sighed and raised up my left hand. “He is a strong man with power.” I replied. “He can protect us when we ourselves can’t.”

“I will not see myself protected by a Jian lover!” Mizak yelled. “I will not! I refuse! And what was the deal you made to him? For he wouldn’t work for free.”

“He didn’t make any insane offers.” I replied. “It isn’t anything that would make me do something against my honor. He won’t know if I have done what he asked or not. I would not shame myself by becoming a Jian lover.”

Mizak nodded and went and picked up a wine bottle that was on his desk. Candles were all around the edges and the middle was onyx. The wood was that of the tallest tree in the Temple of Sola. It was a rescue that was extraordinary to say the least. Though, rumors said, it was not Mizak who had removed it. He held up the bottle and two wine glasses appeared in the air, I grabbed one and the other went to the desk.

“I know you wouldn’t disrespect Foin that way.” He replied and poured me a glass. “You wouldn’t disrespect Foin or his heir that way. I know that in my soul. Whichever way you choose I’m sure that the best interests of our people will be at the forefront of your mind.” He then poured himself a glass. “To Elixir Foin and his heir! May the Jian lover die!” I raised my glass but felt guilty for raising ‘arms’ against Neju. He wasn’t a man I particularly liked but I didn’t feel the need to damn him. Mizak and I then cheered.

“What stories do you know of Jian?” I asked. “You have lived a long and eventful life; you must have something to tell.”

Mizak sat at his desk and sipped his wine. “Yes, I have much on the subject to discuss with you.” He said. “You know that Jian is a false god, a shamed god. Such a shamed god that the other gods abandoned him.”

“Abandoned him?” I asked, surprised.

“You think the stories of Jian are false?” Mizak asked. “How could they be false if all the other gods abandoned him? They left him for the sole reason of trying to stop their destruction. He had been destroying the gods in secret; it was Elixir Foin that caught up to Jian.”

I nodded. “So Foin is the hero.” I replied. “But, if he so caught Jian, how is it that none of the gods exist today?”

“Because things were too far gone to stop.” Mizak said and threw down his glass. He waved his hands over it and a ruby in glass formed from it. “Things had to start anew but Foin locked Jian up like I locked up the ruby. Nuin, free the ruby.”

This was a test and I relaxed my mind, I knew that I would be faced with an impossible task. Feeling around with my mind I saw that many tiny spells were around it but one spell that bound all of them. It had been awhile since I had been faced with such a challenge. I stood still for twenty minutes before finding the binding spell. With a wave of my hand the glass disappeared and there was just a ruby in Mizak’s hand.

“Well done, Nuin, very well done.” Mizak said and handed me the ruby. “Take this as a gift. Jian was locked up like that ruby but with more complicated spells. Jian could look out but couldn’t affect anything. He could watch his plans being foiled but couldn’t work any of his magic. Unfortunately, Foin wasn’t in time to stop all of Jian’s disasters.”

I nodded. “I need to leave now, Mizak.” I replied. “I want to check on Nixar.” He nodded and let me leave. I handed my wine glass to him before I exited his room. So that was the truth of Jian? A traitor god that had tried to destroy the gods? I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t believe it. I couldn’t think of Liam being fooled that way.

I walked to my room and went to what I called the front entrance. The ‘front entrance’ was just a small room with two cots on either side of the room. Liam was in one of them and smiled at me. “Pal, I’m glad to see you!” He said and hugged me. “What did Mizak do? Nothing bad, I hope. I remember some of your earlier lessons.”

“Nothing bad.” I replied. “This ruby was a gift from a lesson I just did. I think Mizak will be watching us through this. Do you have a towel I could borrow?” Liam nodded and then brought back a dark green towel. “Freshly washed.” He said and then I covered the ruby with the towel. I spoke some words and put the towel on my bed. “His eye won’t be able to see, his ear won’t be able to hear.”

“Pal, I think you’re going all paranoid yet again.” Liam said and laughed. “You are the person Mizak trusts the most, I doubt he would turn against you.”

“I made a pact with Neju and Mizak is suspicious about that.” I replied. “He would send something to watch over me. Not even the years I spent with him would dim that suspicion.”

“You need some time to relax.” Liam said. “Come, let’s go to the garden.”

Author’s Note: Another talking chapter. I wanted to show the two viewpoints. You have Neju who worships Jian and Mizak who hates Jian.