Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 207: CCVII. The Encouragement

None of the warriors who had witnessed the battle uttered a sound. Everyone was waiting for Dag's answer, trying to metabolize what had happened a few moments earlier.

Gridd looked at his brother, fearful that he could reveal the true nature of his powers, which would cause havoc among his people.

"I don't know yet, Master Dargeon. What I do know is that now I can finally control my strength and I can dose it to my liking. Your shield is certainly the toughest thing I've ever hit, I think I was just lucky... maybe I hit a particularly vulnerable spot..." Dag answered, lying about his dark powers and the fact that, if he wanted to, he could reduce that shield to a thousand pieces, using his full potential.

"So! You said you wanted a fight between Masters, right? Here you are satisfied! Now you know the power of the new Master Of Offense! I advise you not to anger him!" shouted Egill, trying to distract the crowd of warriors, from the questioning expression.

"Through constant training, the brave Thor has increased my powers. You too, never stop studying and practicing, you can reach these levels! The secrets are determination and continuity!" continued Dag, addressing all his Clan companions, who after those words became so fomented that they started screaming again.

"Dag! Dag! Dag!" 

His name echoed within the walls of the Temple as Dargeon continued to look at his shield and Egill walked slowly toward him.

"Come with me, Dag. I need to talk to you" Egill said, inviting Dag to follow him to get away from the crowd.

Dag obeyed without saying a word, fearing he had exaggerated.

They walked away, heading to the library.

Gridd followed them, while Reidar, Karl, and Agnes stayed in the courtyard, waiting. 

When all three of them were inside the building, its doors closed, without anyone touching them, as if by magic.

"How the hell did you do that, Dag?! Under your blows, Dargeon's shield looked like it was made of wood!" asked Egill, alarmed, suddenly turning to him.

"I... I just hit it hard! I didn't think I'd crack it! I'm sorry, maybe I overreacted and..." 

"No, there's no need to apologize! I'm sure he's going to recover from the shock soon... and then, the shield did not suffer irreparable damage, so..." interrupted the Master Of Healing, who began to walk around a table, thinking.

Gridded looked at him suspiciously, while Dag tried to talk to him.

"Your eye... the purple one... I've said nothing before, but now... I'm sure you know more than you say, Dag! Tell me the whole truth, I'm asking you, seriously!" continued Egill, pleading.

Dag was surprised by those words, he never expected Egill to address him in that subdued tone.

"Yes, I know the reason why my eye changed color, but I avoided saying it in front of everyone because I feared it might create panic. As I had anticipated, it became purple after my powers grew..." 

Dag told the story of the Xis to Egill, specifying every detail, especially the last battle, in which he had partially absorbed the powers of that old woman, making his eye definitively different from the other and further amplifying his powers.

"The liquid I can synthesize has an incredible inner gravitational force. I don't know what it is specifically... if it was organic material, drifting from inside my body, it would certainly be very weird. It ignores the laws of physics and chemistry and allows me to do incredible things!" he continued, concluding the story.

Egill sat before the table, looking pensive.

"Master Egill! My brother Dag is not evil, and although his powers are similar to those of the evil creatures we called Xis, his human ego allows him to use them to do good! Think about what benefits it can bring to have such a powerful Master! He will ensure that the Iron Alliance will be respected by the allied Clans and feared by the hostile ones" Gridd exclaimed, meddling in the conversation and trying to reason with Egill, who looked up at her.

"But if everyone knew it, it would be dangerous at the same time. It could attract unwanted attention... I remind you that there are human beings who worship those alien creatures, rejecting our Gods! The Renegades are an example, Dag knows what I'm talking about, he felt it on his skin" Egill said.

"Master, as I said earlier, perhaps it is better that these things stay between us, for now. I don't think it's necessary to let everyone know that an 18-year-old boy like me has supernatural powers and was able to defeat a Xis. I have only one misgiving... and it's not about me..." said Dag, sitting in front of him.

"What is it?" 

"I am sure that the Xis will come back to look for me and perhaps, this time their emissary will be much more powerful than my last opponents. If they found me here, I would jeopardize your lives and those of all the warriors of the Clan" he continued, in a sad tone. 

"That means you have to get even stronger" Egill said.

Dag and Gridd looked into each other's eyes, imagining a different reaction from the Master Of Healing, who initially seemed frightened but had now changed his approach.

He got up and began to head to the bookstores farther from the library entrance.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you something, Master Egill... the Xis are practically immune to our Clan skills. They draw power directly from the Gods and these beings... well, unfortunately, they are much more powerful than the Aesir themselves" Dag continued, sitting at the table next to Gridd.

"I'm sure learning other skills will only be a benefit for you, anyway. Remember that your enemies are not just them. You're the Iron Alliance Warchief, the Clans that will be part of it, they're going to need your help" said Egill, who after climbing a ladder and moving it repeatedly, returned to the table with a pile of scrolls in his hands.