Chapter 16: Echoes of Chaos

Kael stepped forward into the fragmenting tower. Aftereffects still crackled about him from a battle with the leader of the Harbingers of Dissonance. Dark energy, once filling the air with tension, was dissipating, leaving a hollow silence as if nothing belonged there. The landscape seemed endless around the tower, bare, reminding all of this region about the dissonance that was to engulf it. Still, Kael knew that was far from being in the book.

It was the leader of the Harbingers that had disappeared into the depths of nothingness with questions being the only things Kael was left to ponder. Now an inevitability hung over him, the understanding that the Harbingers would not stop and that their philosophy of chaos versus order continued to be the challenge to the greatest fabric of existence. And with ominous warnings, an uncanny clarity settled on Kael. He had challenged the ruler and had chosen a path consistent with his leading values. But the question still remained if the cosmos would permit him to walk this middle path or if it would relentlessly push him into the bonds of disorder.

As Kael turned his back to the tower, all in his mind was the village, and soon he would breathe life into, in this case, lives that were connected to this family of Harbingers. He started walking back, set pace, but his mind was elsewhere. The chaotic energy here had not dissipated entirely-but it would probably never fully dissolve-the worse of it could now be calmed. The village would be safe for a little while longer.

The Legacy of the Cosmos vibrated softly in his head. "You handed that fairly well, Kael," it said, its voice lighter than usual. "Though I must say, for someone standing at the peak of existence, you're terribly fond of letting your enemies walk away.".

Kael weakly smiled at the teasing tone. The Legacy had been a constant companion of his, guiding, giving him power, and sometimes commenting. Of all very few beings in existence, it could readily understand the weight of decisions that Kael had to make.

Not everything is settled with the blood of people, Kael said quietly. He kept moving, his voice calm, but in that there was something really heavy; not everything had been settled with the blood of people. Power's not for crushing just to crush, sometimes it's knowing when to let things play out.

It spoke in silence for a moment. "True, but never forget, the Harbingers are not like any other enemy. They do not fade away. They change, evolve, and return with new strategies. You have bought you time, but time is something you will not always have."

Kael nodded slowly. He knew the Legacy was right. The Harbingers weren't an enemy he could beat in a single confrontation. Nothing in his arsenal could do the trick, no kind of hatred, since they were, in a manner of speaking, intellectually opposed to all Kael represented—an insult to the very principle of balance and order in the universe itself. Even not killing their leader had not changed things; he knew their conflict was far from over.

He remained focused on the greatest anxieties of those whom he vowed to protect; that was shifted from his sharp awareness of the greatest possibility against the Harbingers, driving him closer to the edge of the village. Slowly, life started seeping back into it. The families, who had to stay in the houses, step out these days with much care and some children run up and down dusty pathways, making merry as if all that had happened earlier was just a side event. But Kael knew how the adults dreaded it; that was an unsaid thing that clung to them now that the danger was gone.

"Kael!" a voice cut through his thoughts as if it were not there.

As he turned, Kael saw Seraphine running toward him, relief written across her face. The usual tranquil calm with which she carried herself had given way to visible concern, as if her ethereal eyes combed his face searching for a sign of what may have transpired.

"I was worried," she said, her pause taken before him. "The tower energy was. damning. I can feel the dissonance from here. You all right?"

Kael smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, Seraphine. The leader of the Harbingers and I had our talk, but no fighting ensued. For now, the village is safe."

Seraphine's brow furrowed. "A conversation? You let him go?"

Kael sighed, trying to surmise why she was so troubled. "It wasn't about letting him go. It was about understanding what the Harbingers really want. He feels that dissonance is all that the universe needs to grow. He doesn't think of himself as a destroyer; he thinks of himself as the catalyst for growth.".

Seraphine shook her head slowly. "The lives they've endangered aren't any less real for that. Or the damage they've done. Dissonance isn't a philosophy to them-it's destruction, chaos.".

I know, Kael said softly. But they won't stop just because we fight them. We have to be smarter about this. They want to challenge natural order, but that there are ways to approach that in order to deal with it without destroying everything in the process.

Seraphine relaxed a little, but the unease in her eyes didn't fade away completely. "You've always had your eye on the horizon, Kael. And I fear the Harbingers will push you this time, beyond what's sane. They feed on chaos. What happens when they push you to the edge?"

Kael looked back at her placidly. "They won't. And if they try, I'll ensure that it doesn't happen.".

She looked at him for another instant before nodding. "I trust you. Just. don't forget that you don't have to go against them alone.".

Those words hung in the air, reminding him that even if Kael was the most powerful entity in all existence, he didn't have to burden himself with the weight of the universe. He had allies, be they Seraphine or even the Legacy, by his side.

There was the approach by footsteps from behind. Turning, he saw Erasa walking toward him with her usual confident stride but weariness in her eyes.

"The villagers are all right," she said. Her voice would have been calm if it weren't for that exhaustion. "They're shaken, but no one was hurt. We already start rebuilding.".

Kael nodded, pleased with her efficiency. Erasa had proven time and again to be a leader in her own right, someone capable of handling the practical matters regarding the keeping of the safety of the village and its smooth running.

"Good," Kael said. "But keep an eye on things. The Harbingers may have retreated for now, but I doubt they'll stay quiet for long."

Erasa folded her arms across her chest, sternly. "I'll make sure we are ready."

Lifting the weight of urgency off the catastrophe, Kael couldn't help but give a little moment of respite. Even standing next to Seraphine and Erasa, he couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning. The Harbingers tested him but have not yet shown him their hand.

Again, Legacy's soft whisper floated in the head: "You are thinking about the future, aren't you? The Harbingers, the dissonance – all is connected to something greater."

Kael didn't respond right away. He gazed out past the horizon where the sun sat low in the sky. It was warm and golden over the village, but so was the unease underneath. There was something there that hung over everything; the Harbingers' influence couldn't be done with so easily.

"Yeah," he said softly. "I'm thinking about what comes next.".

A stern voice, who's never heard of the Legacy: "You're going to have to prepare for whatever happens. The Harbingers won't let you win so easily. And as much as I like your sparring with them about all these philosophical trips, there's going to come a time when you're going to have to make a choice. You can't live in a world without conflict indefinitely.".

He knew what the Legacy was right in his head. The Harbingers made clear enough that they would tear everything down to its foundations-no obstacle large enough to get in their way. But Kael wasn't going to let them tear everything down.

"I'll be ready," he said, his voice quiet but full of determination.

As the sun sank over the horizon and twilight fell upon the village, Kael turned and began walking back toward the centre of the village. His slow pace spoke of clarity in his thoughts. He knew that the way before him was not one of ease, and yet he prepared himself for what was to come.

So the Harbingers had their philosophy of discord. Kael had his philosophy: one would do whatever it takes to protect balance in the universe, whatever the cost. And he was not going to let anyone, Harbinger or otherwise, get in his way.