Haya emerged from his light to be face to face with old man Tate. Tate sat on his old chair made from old thick wood; it wrapped and breathed as it was a living thing a great tree grew from behind it blooming the greenest leaves throughout Skov.
“Ah Haya how good it is to see you in this dire moment.” Tate said as he held his giant staff.
“I know.”
“Indeed you do. Better than most. I always wondered about you. The middle child of the three yet not related to the two. One wondered the world looking for peace, the other kept away for the sake of peace and you my dear Haya lurked in the shadows keeping peace.”
“What are you talking about old man?”
“Let me finish.” Standing up with the help off his staff Tate continued to speak. “Espex was the single most powerful human I had ever seen. Dypes is a cunning sinister shadow of Espex almost a twisted twin. You Haya I like to think are the balance between the two. You have smarts you have strength and you have skill. So what I ask you now if of great importance. Kill Dypes.”
“What!? Why?” blurted out Haya
“Why do you think he was locked away? Because of his strength? Fool if that was the case Espex would have been locked up with him. No it is his mind. Days after I send him to get medical treatment he tore the souls from tens of people, without a single care. He is more a demon in human skin that Espex was in demon form. How do you think the king got a seal strong enough to lock him up?”
“You?”
Tate just nodded as he walked past Haya towards the centre of the large hall.
“I need you to understand Haya. This is your final mission. I ask you off this as Grand Mage Tate.”
“Why are you saying this? We need to get ready! I will deal with Dypes another time!”
“It’s ok. I have everything planned out. Just listen to an old fool ramble on.”
Haya wanted to protest but he let Tate continue.
“You have stayed by my side most of your life, never wandering off and doing your own thing. It has always saddened me. Do you feel because you are blind there is no point doing such things as wander the world?”
“This isn’t the time to be doing this. Coext is at your front door!”
“Then this is the perfect time to do this.” Looking at his loyal mage Tate looked at the black bandaged Haya and smirked with a sad lonely smile. “Will you please take off your bandages?”
“Old man have you gone crazy?” Panic in the usually calm Haya.
“Please?”
A sigh and a huff exploded out Haya but he did as asked. Unwrapping his black face bandages with his bandaged hands. He revealed his face to Tate. Pale white skin with hair whiter than rice. Eyes dead as snow and a scar from left to right across his eyes. His facial expression was that of uncertainty.
“Ah what a face you have not bad looking either.”
“I wouldn’t now. Last time I saw it I was a child.” Spite in his words.
Tate walked to Haya and placed his free hand on Haya’s head. “Odrzucac!” Light beamed from Tate’s hands and wrapped around Haya’s head. Pain shot through Haya and he screamed out in pain howling in agony. Eyes white open and white slowly started to turn a light peach then a black dot centre grew, then a brown circled it and boom eyes born. Keeping his hand on Haya’s head, Tate looked at the man known as godstep.
“I-I can see!” Haya shouted out. “I see colour I see you! White you’re wearing white! This room is huge and dirty and the chair the chairs moving!” Haya was like a child looking around. Looking at his hands he could not believe what he was staring at.
“Truly magical isn’t it? This is the world in its glory.” Tate said still holding Haya’s head. Then he let go.
Suddenly black. “What happened am blind again!” great despair in his voice.
“I know I spent years trying to come up with a way around it, I am afraid I need to be touching you at all times. It’s useless.”
Haya just looked down at the floor before facing Tate. “Do you remember the name of the spell?” Haya just nodded. “There is one who may be able to come up with an answer well two. One is Glace the green witch the other is Samth.”
“Samth?”
“Yes her taking to magic is godlike. She mimics moves within days and changes them. She may be the one you seek for sight,”
Suddenly the situation they were in was once again in full swing as a large explosion was heard.
“This can wait all this can wait. I need to get you out of here grab my hand!” holding out his arm he waited for Tate to hold it but the old man refused.
“No I must stay.” Looking at Haya and his confused sad face Tate continued. “Do you know I got you and the other two when you were just boys? Young and eager to please. You and Espex always fighting and trying to beat each other. Some of the things you got up to shed years of my life and others I would not trade for all the mana, gold and fame in the world.”
A sudden boom exploded as the hall door swung open and a figure walked in. Blood covered his left arm and he had armour just covering his chest and legs. A blade at his side and a large wooden one in his hands. He had a smirk on his face as blood was staining his face from a wound on his forehead.
“King Coext!” Haya blurted.
“Haya it is ok. I want you to flee you will only get in the way.” Haya turned in defiance to Tate. “Haya its ok I will be fine. I order you to go not as Grand Master Tate but as the man who raised you to be whom you currently are.”
Dropping his guard Haya nodded and before a bubble of white light swallowed him whole and took him away he said a few words. “Who will be forever remembered. Dad.” Then he was gone.
A tear rolled down the old man’s face as a smile was spread across it. “What a good son you are.”
“Hello Tate has been a while.” Coext said as he walked forward.