Arkarian

When I return to the main chamber, Dartemis is waiting for me.

"My son is really something, isn't he?" he says, smiling. I stare at him intolerantly before turning away to look at a machine to his right. The Magician sighs and gets to the point.

"This mission cannot go on. We have the remaining members of the Order to deal with. We can't just sit around reading books."

"And we can't lose Ethan."

"He'll live," Dartemis says so coldly that it makes me wonder how it must be for him, separated from his soul-mate, watching her live with someone else. "Arkarian, I will speak to you as a Guard to a Guard. It will offend you, and it should."

"I'm listening."

"I respect that Ethan is your friend. But you need to keep friendship out of the Guard's business. Believe me, I do not want Ethan to die. But I also do not think it's necessary to go on with this. Firstly, we have no solid proof that anything will happen to him."

Alright, gut feelings and intuition are not solid proof, but they've done wonders for us in retrieving the King of Veridian.

"Secondly," Dartemis continues as though he has not heard my thoughts, "what you want directly contradicts the purpose of the Guard. You want to overthrow millennia of principles for one life. Arkarian, the Guard guards history. We cannot change it whimsically every time we are dissatisfied with it. Even if we had the proper equipment, we can't do it. Even if there was a chance of succeeding, you are morally barred from doing this. You know that."

"I do," I reply flatly.

"It is against your Oaths, Arkarian."

I shrug. "It is so."

"Lastly, the Guard has other very important things to deal with."

"I'm not disputing that. I know that we need to rebuild the Citadel, and I know members of the Order still remain loose. But do we not owe it to Ethan as friends, or colleagues, if you insist, to try and save him?"

"Arkarian, life is what we may want for him."

He says no more, and I understand. Leaving me in utter, desperate confusion, the immortal gives me a curt nod and disappears from my sight.