Chapter 12 - Reunion

Upon being instructed by the young crusader, both Pan and Thorin entered the command tent.

 The tent itself didn't look like much, there was just a collapsible table in the center with some papers on top and some chairs around it.

 But the sight of the tall man with a seven-foot battle ax leaning to his side turned the simple tent into a command center.

 Leopold wore full armor of dull silver with red lines. There was a robe in the center fastened to the shoulder pads and secured at the waist with a belt. The chain mail and cloak fell under the crotch and down to the knee. The order's symbol, the white star, was drawn on the breast of the robe. Finally, there was also a silver and red helmet placed on the table, the helmet was all closed and simple in design with only a horizontal opening at eye level.

 "You two can go out," Leopold said and Pan felt the strange phenomenon again, it was as if Leopold was standing beside him, whispering in his ear.

 'How does he do it? Didn't red have to be fire and blood? Or something like that?' Thought Pan.

 After Thorin and the young crusader left, Leopold motioned for Pan to sit in a chair next to him.

 "Ask," he said, noticing the curiosity in Pan's eyes.

 "How do you do that? Aren't you red?" Pan asked in which Leopold smiled silently.

 "The essence and much more than colors can define, the stone of enlightenment only serves to give us an idea, flaw and inaccurate of someone's potential. There are even some cases where it says during the selection that the person has no potential, only for the same person to awaken years later by accident. Why do you think people who take the test at fourteen have to keep taking it until they're eighteen?" Clarified Leopold patiently.

 "I see, so I could learn that too?" Pan asked with anticipation alive in her voice.

 He was already on his way to the Order and didn't intend to be just an ordinary crusader. As Nanna always told him. If you are already in hell, then embrace the devil.

"I'm afraid not, this is a skill developed by me and I am possessive of my creations," Leopoldo replied to Pan's dismay. "But it has similar methods you can learn," he finally pointed out.

 "I'll keep that in mind," Pan said, dissatisfied.

 "Good, but I didn't call you here to give you lessons" introduced Leopold before sitting down and picking up one of the sheets on the table. "It says here that you killed a fallen soldier with the help of an awakened blue one, help or not, that's quite a feat", Leopold then looked at Pan and let the words fall out before continuing. "Do you remember how you accomplished such a feat?" He asked at last.

 Pan was in doubt whether or not to tell Leopold, after the many stories he had heard from Thorin, he noticed that standing out too much could be bad, but standing out too little could be even worse, the weak were used as disposable material and the strong were nourished.

 Pan knew how powerful the Crusaders were and maybe their sensory abilities weren't as absurd as he thought they were.  But he was not willing to risk it, if it was as ridiculous as he imagined, then he was a "threat" to the monopoly of the old families.

 'What a headache.' He thought.

 "Young Pan?" Asked Leopold, already tired of waiting.

 "Yes, right, I was organizing my thoughts," said Pan. "I'm not sure what happened, but one moment everything was normal and the next moment everything seemed to be three times slower to my eyes, so I was able to capture the movements of the fallen and kill him in exchange for my arm" .

 Pan thought it best to tell the truth in parts, he felt the time much slower than just three times, but three times already seemed like a very good thing for an apprentice and as much as there was segregation, he didn't think it was as bad as Thorin said, did not think his life would be on the line if he stood out, and from what he saw, the crusader Thorin had a certain tendency to exaggerate his tales.

 Real life was not a teen romance novel where an organization hunted down and killed a soldier for pride and family. The Order held the human cities under their sway…well, in order, if they simply killed promising soldiers out of pride, the Order would have perished centuries ago. Pan thinks they will be at best a thorn in his side, always trying to make things difficult, wanting to see him strong to fight their battles for them, but never stronger than themselves, but soon they would discover he was a tough bone to gnaw.