To Walk The Mist

"And if we stay?" Elder Di said through his teeth. He could not believe this was happening. If they left the alliance, there was no power that would take them. His son's glory will never come to pass!

"Then you will sleep." Protector Nkong said.

"For how long?" Elder Di asked.

"Till another patriarch in the line of patriarchs needs you to wake." his answer caused discussions amongst the crowd.

"I will not stay. How can I exist only to serve someone else?" one said and left he area in haste.

"Me neither."

"Let's leave!"

As all these happened, Protector A'miem paled. What was this? How did it get to this? She only wished to force her grand disciple on the patriarch. Why had she ever heard of this law? She had always known that the alliance could only be lead by the patriarch, but never understood the basis for this law. Was this it? A personal army?

"Call the factions over." Protector Nkong said to the old man beside him. Nodding, the protector turned around and returned to the heaven alliance mountain range.

"Where is he going?" Protector A'miem panicked.

"To call together all factions of the alliance." Protector Nkong answered.

"To do what?" she asked.

"They know their duty. The patriarch has no need for us. They must all come back." he answered.

"And they will agree? To give up everything to go to sleep? What kind of sleep?" her eyes narrowed. She had though that even though the alliance disbands, she could rally other factions to form a new power. Even though it would not be a great power, but it will be something. If all the six great factions are called to go to sleep, she would be left with nothing!

"The six factions have sworn their bloodlines to the patriarch. They have not forgotten their oath. If they have, we will hunt them down and kill them all." Protector Nkong coldly declared. One could clearly see he was serious. He turned his cold eyes towards those behind Protector A'miem.

"The protectors have sworn their lives to the patriarch. Are you breaking this oath?" he asked them. They only grimaced. They felt shame that they had allowed Protector A'miem to go too far, causing the patriarch to deem them unworthy of walking behind him. They had been protectors for five hundred years. They understood their purpose much more than Protector Amiem, who has only been for a little over a hundred years. Still, how could they allow the years to muddle their mind? They understood their existence. This was a choice they took.

"We will never break our oath." both of them said, startling Protector A'miem stiff.

Why was this happen? Why was everyone suddenly loyal to the patriarch? Sure she had taken an oath to serve all patriarchs of the alliance and was given the protector's code, but she had not cared to read it. She had not cared to understand the purpose of the alliance, the ties of the alliance to the patriarch. Why would she? When she gave her all to the alliance, the former patriarch still refused to take her disciple as his successor. Instead, brought in some little mountain boy.

"What choice will the elders take?" Protector Nkong asked.

To this, the elders looked away. One did not even need to think deeply to understand their choice. Without bothering to waste his time, Protector Nkong turned to the young ones. His eyes trained at Eh Nam and the young man frowned at this.

"I have been watching your progress, boy. I know that you are only interested in the development of your battle skill. The alliance is the best place for you." the moment these words were spoken, Eh Nam looked at the protector deeply.

"Why?" he asked.

"The alliance is a never dying fighting force. It is for those with loyalty. Not just to the patriarch but to the love of battle and growth through battle. Loyalty to transcend glory and time. It sounds like you." one of the protectors answered.

Protector Nkong turned to the other powers and produced a case. In the case were two feathers the size of an arm. "

"That's..." Lady Mi started to say.

"You can not return that, Nkong." the Ke clan chief frowned deeply.