A Dreamer's Tale Chapter 13

They walked in silence for the first few minutes, the Grandmaster smiling peacefully, easy to mistake for a doddering old grandfather if she didn’t know better. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was on pins and needles. Was he going to take away her powers too? Kick her out? What if- 

“I really have been spending too much time out and about, haven’t I?” He asked suddenly. 

“Huh?” 

“Maybe I haven’t paid enough attention to the temple, but I still hear some of what goes on. My Dawn has found a new protege! And it looks like you’re nearly as gifted as she was back at your age.” 

“Really? I mean, thank you, Grandmaster. Dawn has taught me well.” She cursed herself mentally afterwards for being too casual with Dawn’s name and not referring to her as ‘Master Florian,’ but the Grandmaster didn’t seem to notice (or perhaps care) about the slip-up.

“I’m glad. I’ve been worried she was too busy with her own thoughts and ideals to look towards the next generation, but in you she and I see the same thing: hope.” That... was a very odd statement. Much like her talks with Dawn, Elizabeth felt she’d be unpacking it for weeks afterwards and even then might not understand everything. There was something, though, something at the tip of her awareness; she just couldn’t reach it yet.

“What did you do to Fergus? Did you…” her voice trailed off, but she couldn’t help the fear that crept into it.

“Take away his Abilities? No, that’s something even I’m not capable of. Still, the fear and shame planted in his mind will likely stop him from practicing, which will see his skills degrade over time. Even if he does push past it, he will likely never be able to use what he learned here to threaten others,” the ageless man explained. Elizabeth followed him silently for a moment, unsure of what to say to that. It feels harsh, but considering everything he tried to do to me, maybe it’s right?

“How did you know to remove his robes from him? Initiates aren’t given that knowledge.” As the old man spoke, she finally took in the fact that the route the Grandmaster was taking them on was headed downward, not up to his quarters like she might have expected. 

“Honestly, I didn’t know that it would work; I just... felt it. Besides, the crowd was very big; he’d have to know that, and Fergus is far more socially inclined than I, so for him to show up in robes that obviously weren’t his, it seemed odd. When he started showing signs of power way beyond what I knew he was capable of, I figured something was up and guessed it was the one thing different about him. I guess I got lucky.” Tenga laughed heartily at that. 

“Luck? No, you showed passion, cleverness, and drive, something we need more of in the Dream Warriors these days.” They were going very deep down now but didn’t seem to be going out towards an exit as they winded down.

“Achieving balance can be hard, even for me. I know others may venerate the ground I walk on, and I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two in my 700-plus years of being alive, but I can admit to making mistakes. I’ve been too lax- hmm, no, that’s not it; it’s balance. I focused too much on the outside and not enough internally in the Order. Now, I’ve made the same mistake in other ways too and inadvertently let chaos consume the outside world while keeping my little bubble safe.” His eyes glazed over for a moment as he remembered something. “That was perhaps the first mistake I ever made.” 

She wanted to ask why he would be telling someone like her all this, what it had to do beyond the tangential with her duel, but she figured she’d find out the wisdom behind them in time.

Elizabeth realized where they were a second before they actually entered the ‘room.’. The center of the mountain, the Great Tree. 

“This is where it all started. Back, before I fought my first Blade Bonded, it started with a vision, here. A vision of the future made peaceful and bright by us fighting with our own abilities, not stealing strength from the dead. But of course, sometimes our bodies fail us. We succumb to mortal frailties. I alone have survived past them thanks to my Individual ability, the Sands of Time, but immortality it does not make. I knew to make a better world we’d need to rely on each other, on the people, and on Nature itself.” 

“This Tree sprouted from that idea. We keep it watered, made sure to keep the soil for miles around it nutrient-rich, and I opened a hole in the mountain to give it sunlight. And in return, it gives us power.” He pointed over to an Adept tending to the tree who didn’t seem to be paying attention to them (or possibly couldn’t with Tenga’s Dream Walking mastery subtly directing his attention away). 

“The carvings we take off its branches and trunk, they’re turned into our staves, the fibers used to make our robes, allowing Dream Warriors to channel out life energies more efficiently. That is why, despite the differing skill levels, those with the wisdom to be deemed worthy of Adept rank could overpower even a skilled Initiate... in most cases at least.” 

Walking around the Great Tree, he said, “Now, this tree could be used to power any empowered by life energy, even the Forest Witches. Could be used by ambitious and unscrupulous Initiates to cheat and appear stronger than they are. Even could grant untold power to someone who could usurp its energies like a Blade Lord managing to chop it down (though such an event is exceedingly unlikely with only slightly more than a dozen of those cursed blades left). For these reasons, I hope you understand why this is a closely guarded secret.” 

Elizabeth nodded. That much power... she knew it was important; it was hardly called the ‘Great Tree’ for nothing, but it was still shocking to have the implications spelled out. “Why tell me at all, sir?” 

“You already figured out a good deal of it with your deductions; best to not give you a reason to pry further. Also, I believe you’re ready to move on as an Adept.” He paused for a moment, a small smile alighting on his face. “I possibly could have led with that, couldn’t I? Oh well, better late than never.” 

“But- but- I haven’t passed my test! To become an Adept.” 

He put a hand to his chin, as if pondering it. “Well, you did go through a very intense battle, one that forced you to use all your Abilities to win and demonstrated a great amount of skill in each. And I do happen to be a Master that observed it... From this, I can say that you are ready to be an Adept.” 

He chuckled for a moment before stopping to stare directly at her, their walk having taken them all the way around the tree. “Trust me when I say this: as the Grandmaster of the Order, I believe you are ready to become an Adept. Don’t worry about not being ‘properly’ tested; you’ll find that life throws enough tests your way in the general course of things.” 

“I’ll take your words to heart, Grandmaster.” 

“I believe you will. Now, I’m sure we both have other duties to attend to, and you’ll wish to tell all your friends the good news, but I have two last things to ask of you.” 

“Yes?” 

“One, there’s a tournament of sorts that happens once every five years between the different temples. A good way to foster connections and community of the Order throughout all of Engalia. It’s happening in three months, and while for several reasons we can’t have everyone competing in it, I’d like you to go.” 

“Is this a test or...?” 

“No more than anything in life. I just think it would be a good experience for you; I never could get Dawn to go. Speaking of Master Florian, that brings me to the other thing I’d like you to do for me...” He trailed off, and Elizabeth felt dread settle in her stomach for some reason, but his next words ended up being quite mundane.

“Say ‘hi’ to her from me. We never seem to find the time to meet up these days, both of us so busy helping the world. Still, I want her to know I’m thinking of her and fondly remember my former student, even if she’s a busy Master of her own now.” 

Elizabeth nodded. “I can do that.” 

*** 

Elizabeth didn’t go to any of her classes that day, though it seemed like a lot of them were suspended by the shakeup that happened earlier that morning, with many Dream Warriors whispering and speculating on if anything more was going to happen.

She found her friends at different points and told them the news. They congratulated her and said they’d miss her in their classes. Most of them, anyways. Mordrell looked up to her, saying something about ‘that’s the level I must reach,’ and Dalila gritted her teeth and promised to ‘catch up soon.’. The former noble girl definitely had issues with their one-sided ‘rivalry’ she had set up, but Elizabeth hadn’t known what to say to her, or even if she should, since Dalila was polite and even somewhat friendly whenever they talked, obviously using the rivalry as a motivating tool for herself. With her recent advancement though, she worried that Dalila might push herself too far.  

If Dalila was bad, Victor was worse, actively avoiding her as she tried to feel him out. At first she thought she might have just been missing him, but as the day wore on, it was clear he had heard about it and was avoiding her. She’d made some progress with him and his jealousy over his twin, but it looked like she was going to have a lot more to do. Speaking of his sister, Victoria was ecstatic to have another Adept around her age about and gave her some advice on the more advanced classes she might want to attend as an Adept. 

She’d still see the others in some of her basic classes. Calligraphy and mathematics remained the same courses regardless of her Dream Warrior rank. Same for combat, which if anything she’d have to take more of to try to boost her to the next level (as theoretically those classes are open to everyone, but realistically the older Dream Warriors liked to have Adepts and above boosted to higher levels, or at least not have them take those classes anymore), all alongside an even grumpier than usual Victor. Joy. 

It was getting close to the end of the day by the time she headed back to her room when she found a Sleeper waiting there with a set of dark blue robes and a staff, much like the one she used in her duel earlier that day, but made of wood from the Great Tree. 

“Your new uniform,” the Sleeper bowed, passing them off to her as she approached. “You’ll need to move to the Adept quarters soon, but you can take a few days to get ready and pick out the best room you want. Also, I heard that Master Florian had just arrived back,” he said before quickly heading out.

Something about the man seemed familiar, but at the same time, not quite. He was in his late thirties and had long, shaggy black hair. Elizabeth couldn’t place him at the moment, too focused on her new robes and staff, but brushed it off as not important. Darting into her room, she quickly put them on, noticing that they fit perfectly and were actually surprisingly soft and comfortable. 

The staff was good, solid, and well-balanced. She hadn’t been sure what, if any, weapon or kind of staff she’d want in particular, but this one felt like it fit well. Not overtly threatening, but still a good tool to defend herself, if she needed it. In her excitement, it accidentally clipped the bed as it swung around, chipping off a small chunk of the bedpost.

“Whoops,” she said, quickly Fixing the damage. The staff itself was undamaged, the special wood was tough, but more remarkable was just how easily her life energy flowed to fix the damage. It wouldn’t have been a struggle in any case, but with the staff and the robes, it was almost trivial to undo the damage. The kind of power they gave was incredible; she couldn’t wait to show it off to- Dawn! The Master Dream Warrior was back, and she could talk to her about everything that happened. 

When she got to Dawn’s room, she saw the Dream Warrior sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, deep in thought. “Oh, sorry Mas- Dawn, I didn’t realize you were busy. I can come back at another time?” 

“No, it’s fine. Come in.” Her words were slightly clipped, and her face was blank for a second before she tried to smile slightly, which seemed more like a grimace. 

“Ah, you must have heard already. I’m sorry about getting into a fight, Master Florian-” 

“It’s Dawn; you can still call me that, can’t you?” 

“Yes? I- look, I know I screwed up and got into a duel I shouldn’t have with another Initiate. We pushed each other too far, and then the fight was set, with the conditions being that one of us would have to leave to a different temple if we lost. But everything turned out ok in the end! So please don’t be mad.” 

“I’m not angry with you, just upset with something else. You did wrong to get involved, but I’m glad you won- are those Adept robes?” Dawn asked, seeming to fully take Elizabeth in for the first time. 

“Yeah! Grandmaster Tenga said I was ready to be an Adept after I won the fight against Initiate Guiltjoy, or, uh, former Initiate Guiltjoy, since Tenga kicked him out of the Order after that.” 

“What?! But why would he- what is he trying- how much does he know?”" She was talking to herself, mumbling through half-thought possibilities before she was suddenly right in front of Elizabeth. “Tell me everything he did,” she demanded. 

Elizabeth was a bit worried but agreed and told her what Tenga did to Fergus and then what they had talked about afterwards. He had asked her to say ‘Hi’ to Dawn, so this was basically a long form of that, right?

Wrong, as Dawn’s scowl grew with every word. “That...utter...arrogant...bastard. He thinks he’s got everything figured out? Well, we’ll see how he deals with-” She cut herself off, remembering Elizabeth. “Never mind. Whatever he says he’s doing, I’m sure it won’t truly come to pass or help the Order.” 

The new Adept looked at her funnily. “But doesn’t all that mean he wants to help? He’s recognized things are wrong here; he wants to change them, just like you. I get it might not have seemed that way, but he was just-” 

“And what would you know?” Dawn practically hissed out. “Do you think the Adept robes he gave you mean something special? That they and his honeyed words are anything more than a bribe?” She opened her mouth to speak more and then stopped, seeing Elizabeth, who realized she had instinctively reached for her staff. Closing her eyes, Dawn took a few moments to calm herself. “I spoke harshly; you are not to blame for this. But that doesn’t make you correct; despite how he may have misled you, you need to think for yourself.” 

Her words were shocking to Dawn. Why was she speaking that way, acting like that? From such a simple message from the Grandmaster of the Order (a man that, even putting aside his many acclaimed virtues, acted like a kindly grandfather figure), but yet... some things started to make more sense, hearing Master Florian flip out like she was. She’d had a sinking suspicion the conversation was about more than just the surface level he presented to her, but now, with Dawn, she got the next level; it was barely about Elizabeth at all. He said to present a message of greetings to his former student, but the more she played his words over in her head, the more she got that every word was meant for Master Florian as much or more so than herself.

There was more than just that, however. Obviously, there was far more going on between the two of them that she couldn’t see, that she couldn’t comprehend, but the crux of it rang clear to Elizabeth: Dawn was acting against either the Order or Tenga. She wanted to change things up; she disliked being compared to him, so many little details made it obvious in retrospect.

“I think I get some of your suspicion now and what you really want to do, but isn’t that what he wants to do too?” Dawn looked like she was about to spit fire (something Elizabeth distantly noted was a very real possibility when dealing with an angry Dream Warrior), but the young Adept continued. “He’s recognized that things are wrong with the Order and wants to fix them, to change things. Wasn’t that your problem? Or is your problem just with him?” As much as Elizabeth hated to think that way, Dawn being the strongest meant if she did actually overthrow Tenga, as hard as it was to conceive of such a thing, she’d then be the next choice for Grandmaster of the Order. She needed to know why Dawn felt this way. 

“Hmph. He is the Order, to a great enough extent that its faults are his faults; the blame lies at his feet - and it’s been lying there for centuries undisturbed.” 

“He’s not perfect. The Grandmaster has a lot to cover and has been busy with-” 

“The outside world, you’ve already parroted what he’s said.” 

“Then isn’t it possible he just missed it up until now? Have you ever told him your doubts and suspicions before?” 

“Wheel above, no. I’ve kept my knowledge secret for years, decades now. I believe that’s why he’s only begun to suspect me now.” Elizabeth threw her hands up in the air, getting frustrated at how stubborn Dawn was being. 

“How do you ‘know’ he’s bad then? Why are you so willing to believe he’s a bad guy?!” 

Dawn pursed her lips, recognizing that Elizabeth was done with any half-truth deflected answer, and stood up, turning away for a minute. The Adept thought of turning around and stomping away, sure that she could find other people to train her, other connections to make, and even maybe help Grandmaster Tenga in the changes he wanted to and had visibly started enacting in the Order. A memory in her head of Dawn at the capital caught her mind, though. 

The enigmatic master was quite closed off after one got past the bubbly shell she put forth to most others, but Elizabeth knew that she cared. A lot, enough to race halfway across Engalia to help out one desperate little girl calling out for help. She knew that Dawn had trouble connecting to others and remaining friends, and if she had to guess, it had something to do with her paranoia regarding her plans, but Elizabeth ultimately didn’t want to push her away.

After many minutes, Dawn turned around, looking almost surprised to see Elizabeth still there. “Just- just give me a sign, please. Of the proof you have that he’s up to no good. I want to help you, but I need to know.” 

The Master looked tired for the first time since Elizabeth had ever seen, but slowly nodded her head. “There are many things I could bring up. History, how his position has never been threatened or any checks or balances brought in to hold back his power over the many years, people with Individual Abilities or power bases that could rival his own disappearing or not even entering the history books, and how quickly critics that cross certain lines get branded as ‘heretics,’ etc.” 

She started walking around the room, pacing a bit. “The connections I could draw on how he knows so much have spread his reach so far to cover the entire world with his Dream Walking yet seemingly cannot make out the rot and improper culture bred by the very center of his Order. How he’ll make a grand showing of punishing one foolish Initiate, yet not taking any steps to punish the Adepts that must have at the very least aided him in his attempt, because those monks were worth more and could still be used by him.” That was true, wasn’t it? Elizabeth realized. The referee that cheated wasn’t brought up or asked about, and with what Tenga had said about the Great Tree and the Adepts constantly watching over it, someone of a higher level had to be helping Fergus. She could possibly bring that up with him; it might be that the Grandmaster was planning to investigate later, but... a wiggling seed of doubt was planted in her mind now.

“But that’s just extrapolation, things He can explain away. He says he was so busy with the outside world. What was he doing there?” 

“I- I assumed stuff like helping fight Nightmares and dangerous beasts, helping keep the peace.” 

She laughed, something far colder than her usual mirth. “Oh yes, he ‘keeps the peace’ by ensuring no one ever breaks free of his iron grip on Engalia. He spends most of his days away in the royal court, manipulating and controlling the ruling nobles of Engalia to his whims.” 

“How? Surely someone would notice if the Grandmaster of the Order popped by every couple of days or so.” 

She walked over to Elizabeth and pointed at her own pendant. “Did you take a good look at the necklace he wears?” 

“Yeah? It was an hourglass. Wait, is that the item made by his Individual Ability? But that’s just agelessness.” 

“No, he lied about that, or rather, concealed the full scope of it. His real Ability is Temporal Manipulation. He can rewind his body back to when he was young, using that and Dream Walking so advanced it can hardly be believed to fool everyone. And if someone gets close to the truth? He eliminates them, be they peasant... or even a king.” Elizabeth couldn’t help but gasp at that again. It would explain a lot about Dawn’s connection to the Queen of Engalia. 

“You can look into it if you like. You’ll find disturbingly few reports on where the Grandmaster is actually out and about when he leaves Central,” Dawn continued. “I can’t bring ‘proof’ of this to you, but Peragrine has seen his younger self waltzing about the royal castle, playing the nobles just so. It’s an easy game to win, I suppose, when you can see everyone else’s hands before calling or folding, but that’s why I’ve been holding my real hand under the table.” 

The pieces, if Dawn really was correct, did seem to line up. Tenga was the greatest hero in the world and had saved everyone from the Dark Ages! Everyone knew that... but then again, they only knew that from what they read, the histories passed down. For a time controller over seven hundred years old, changing history would be easy. Literally, in some cases. He had to have some limits, though- was she actually considering this?

Elizabeth asked instead. “Doesn’t this mean he knows though? He wouldn’t say those things for me to tell you if he didn’t know,” she reasoned. The older woman just smiled viciously, like victory was in her grasp. 

“The fact that he tried sending that message tells me he doesn’t know. At least not enough, or he wouldn’t have bothered. He thinks I’m just upset, that I only see a small part of the picture, what’s going on here at the temple, and doesn’t know how much I truly hate him.” Her words, calmly spoken, sent a shiver down Elizabeth’s spine. “That tells me that I can win this. I just need a bit more time to prepare, time to gather a bit more help.” She held a hand out to Elizabeth. “You once asked me to help you, desperate for someone to save your town from a monster bent on destroying the minds of everyone you cared about. I’ve watched you grow, and I know you’ll be an incredible young woman one day, and I want to know if I can rely on her help, as I fight an ancient evil that has and will destroy and twist everyone and everything I care about. Can I count on you?” 

The situation, it was all too much; everything seemed to be happening too fast. Which side was right, which was wrong? So much she didn’t know, yet there was one thing she did. Dawn Florian needed her help. Everyone else in the world might believe in Grandmaster Tenga and his deeds, but Dawn was her friend, her mentor, and one of the people she trusted most in the world. If she needed her... 

Elizabeth took Dawn’s hand. “Alright then, I’ll help. Whatever you need.” Then after a moment to take in this simple yet solemn vow, the young Adept scratched the back of her head. “Uh, I’ll probably need to know exactly what it is you do need/what we’re doing. I trust you, but I can’t do what I don’t know.” 

Dawn nodded, her shoulders sagging like a weight had been lifted off of them. “Thank you,” she let out as a whisper, her eyes watering for a brief second, and then those signs are gone, and she said, “There’s a lot to cover on the different people and groups I’m working with, what I have planned. I’ll fill you in, but for now, I need to congratulate you,” and she pulled Elizabeth into a hug. 

“Uh, for helping you?” 

“No, silly. Though I do appreciate it, possibly more than you’ll ever realize. But no, for your victory and becoming an Adept so quickly.” Dawn let go of Elizabeth, and they looked at each other properly. “Despite the fact that, as you already know, getting into a duel with Fergus was dumb and the rank was awarded by Tenga… you did well. I can’t deny you’ve proven your skill and grown into a fine Dream Warrior in a very short time. So take this moment and be proud of yourself... 

Because soon enough, we’ll kill Tenga Hashreem, so we’ve got a lot of work left to do.”