Confrontation
I rode on the back of Shaun's bike. All the special powders and spells the Old One had given me were tucked safely away in my belt. "So that's where you were, Slade." Shaun said.
"Yeah," I replied. "Master, how do you know the Old One?"
Master looked at me. His eyes stared through his black and orange mask. "He was a Masked once." Master said. "A very powerful one too."
"But. . ."
"But he didn't want to fight in such a devastating war. He was a peace-loving fellow. He left the Masked and took up learning about sorcery and magic instead."
We rode out of the forest and came back to the city. We drove down streets and finally came to the alley. We took the elevator back down to the training hall. "The Masked council is waiting to hear from you." Master said.
Once Shaun stepped out, Master closed the door and we went up a couple floors. "What does the Masked council want from me?" I asked.
"I don't know exactly what they want from you, but the way they asked for you means it can't be good." Master replied.
The elevator doors opened and we were standing in the presents of five other Masked masters. They sat at an arced table to form a half circle. As I stepped out of the elevator, Master placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Slade, be careful. Every Masked in this room is older, wiser, stronger, and more experienced then even myself. Don't do anything foolish." He then stepped back into the elevator and left.
"Slade." The Masked sitting in the middle called to me. "Step forward." I did as I was told. "I am Master Kinchi, the highest-ranking Masked master in the world. I'll get right to the point. Slade, you are very powerful. Your friend Shaun and your master tell me that you have progressed faster than any other apprentice before you. They say that after only two years as a Masked, you were experienced enough to go against a Scath assassin and win."
"I only won because the assassin happened to be my mother." I remarked bluntly.
"Yes, and that must have been hard on you." Master Kinchi said. "But I believe that your power is making you arrogant and hard-headed. This last mission you went on proved my point. I'm sorry, but I might have to suspend you."
"What?" I exclaimed.
"You will be suspended from the next mission that your master will go on. That is an order. You are dismissed." Master Kinchi glared at me.
I sighed. "Yes, sir." I stepped back to the elevator and left back to the training hall. Once I got out, Shaun and Master were waiting for me. "I don't believe this."
"What happened?" Shaun asked.
"They suspended me from the next mission!" I exclaimed. "Because they said I was too hard-headed."
I stomped off and went to the archives. At the front of the archives was the mural that told of the legend of Azar. The glass display case beneath it held the three Rings of Azar. Each ring was labeled for the particular ring that it was. But I walked right past the rings and came to the large area filled with books. I remembered something I had seen back here.
I thumbed my fingers along the spines of the books. Passing books like the Book of Narl, the Legend of Rorick the Wizard and Malcior the Dragon, and the Words of Egasning the Strange. But none of these books meant anything to me right now. I finally found the book I was looking for. I pulled it off the self and read the cover. The True Master, it read.
"What are you doing?" I looked and saw Shaun standing in the hallway.
"What do you mean?"
"I know the Masked council suspended you, but you have to go with it."
"They suspended me from a single mission." I said. "Not confined me to my quarters." I placed the book on a table, flipped it open, and started reading.
"So now you're reading about the True Master." Shaun said. "What are you planning?"
"What?"
"You are planning something and it has to do with the True Master. You're planning to visit him and learn to be the better warrior." Shaun said.
"What gives you such an idea?" I said. "But yes. I am going to be the best Masked there has ever been, and the True Master will teach me how."
"You were not told to go to the True Master by the Masked council. If you go, they will not only suspend you, they will expel you from the Masked order entirely." Shaun said.
"You forget. In order to expel me, I must fight another Masked in a one-on-one match. So once I come back, someone will have to beat me if they want to expel me." I said.
"You are too sure of your power, Slade. Even if you train with the True Master and gain his knowledge, wisdom, and skill, you will probably have to face Master Kinchi and that's a fight you won't win."
I stood up and pushed the book away. "We'll see about that."