Chapter 579: Ryun and Anrosh

Chapter 579: Ryun and Anrosh

Gathering

Ryun sat in the rooms assigned to him and his people, his eyes closed and his mind whirling. He was angry, in a way that he hadn’t been in a very long time. Almost debilitatingly so. It was a struggle to talk, because he wanted to roar, it was hard to move, because with every twitch he felt his control of his body slipping. The only reason why he hadn’t lost control so far was because his body wasn’t really him, because his mental capacity was great enough that he could keep a lid on what was boiling inside.

If he was still in his physical body, he would’ve lost the grip on his strength long ago. A single step would’ve shattered the ground, broke the Essences around him and caused the destruction that he felt the need to unleash from within.

The anger he felt was so raw that he felt like his Soul was screaming at him constantly. It was why he kept his side of the bond closed from his partners. Because he was afraid of what they would feel, of how he could influence them.

They were trying to talk with him constantly, and every attempt was an added pressure to his struggle.

He had only ever felt this way once before. And by the end of it, they had called him the World Ender.

There was a fight within him, a struggle as what he wanted to do warred with the responsibilities of who he was now, with the promises he had made, oaths he had given. His Soul was straining under the weight of the struggle, and he knew that he couldn’t keep going like this for much longer.

He had thought that he’d changed, that he had grown, and perhaps this struggle was the proof of it, yet... As it had been before, when Melody died, all he saw before him was death. Only, it was worse this time, somehow, because now he wasn’t just angry, he was also afraid.

They had come for him and his family, his unborn children. He knew intellectually that they didn’t know, didn’t care even. Their attack was a pragmatic choice, part of a larger strategy in a war that served some purpose unrelated to Ryun and what was his.

And yet... That didn’t matter to him.

They had nearly killed his family, killed the children that he hadn’t even had the chance to meet. And that terrified him. Ryun knew that all things had an end, that it was inevitable, but he couldn’t align what he knew to be true with how he felt. It wasn’t the end of something or someone else that had nearly happened, but something that was near and dear to him.

The only reason why they weren’t dead was because their enemies didn’t have all the information. Because they didn’t know the steps that the three of them had taken, the power they obtained. Because Ryun woke up in time to notice, because they were powerful enough to avoid death. To avoid an end.

And that imbalance within him, emotion and purpose, warred against each other now.

He kept his being as confined as he could, compressed inside his vessel, because he didn’t trust himself, and if he was spread out he feared what he would do.

The situation in the Dragon Heart Sect did not help his thoughts at all.

It’s been five days since they arrived, and two days since the gathering had started. The discussion had only served to make him feel even more angry. The fools were doing what fools usually did in situations like these.

Many Sect Heads had died, too many. Those left behind were scrambling, and Ryun was at the edge of his nerves.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and a moment later Anrosh stepped in.

“We’re starting soon,” she whispered, already dressed up for the gathering.

Ryun got to his feet, Scorn rippling around him to garb him in a more presentable outfit, and then he followed after her, heading to the gathering. He didn’t know how much longer he could sit quietly.

Anrosh led the way through the hall where the gathering took place. Their group consisted only of her and Ryun, though they had brought some guards from the sect, they left them behind to guard their quarters. Ryun wasn’t big on ceremony, and Anrosh didn’t think that they needed them, they would only get in the way if they had to fight. Not that she expected that.

“It’s not enough,” Repesh said from the side.

Anrosh glanced at him. “What isn’t?”

“Our response,” he said slowly. “We are leaderless.”

“Hitor was the closest we had to a figurehead leader, and that was for the last war. With him and other powerful Sect Heads dead, I don’t see that changing.”

“We need decisive, quick action,” Repesh said. “These discussions are taking too long.”

“This is how we always were,” Anorsh countered.

Repesh looked over her at Ryun, who turned and met his eyes. It seemed like something passed between them.

“No,” Repesh shook his head. “It is only that too many Sect Heads are dead, and with them their connections. Usually, they would’ve been able to take decisive action. Now we are left with this,” he waved his hand at the gathering. “The survivors scrambling to grow their personal power and respect. They aren’t fighting a war, they are making deals to solidify their influence, trying to grab as much as they can as those on the borders struggle to survive. They are helping, but... we could be doing more. We should be.”

He turned to look at Ryun again. “This is not what honor and obligation is about. They need to be reminded about what it means.”

Ryun didn’t react this time, instead he kept looking down at the gathering.

“If I walk down there now, there will be no discussion, there will be no deal and no pleas,” Ryun whispered slowly, his fingers tightening on the hand-rest—Anrosh heard it creak.

“The strong rule, the rest follow,” Repesh added.

Anrosh looked at Ryun, his body was a frozen statue, no expression, no movement, not even breathing. He didn’t need it, but it was in this moment that it made him feel even more removed from everyone else.

“You’re angry,” Anrosh started. “Everyone can see it, you’ve barely spoken a word since we arrived here. I can tell that you’re holding back. You don’t need to.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about. If I take control, I’ll raze half this world to the ground, I won’t stop until all of them are dead.”

“And so what?” Repesh said harshly. “I’ve lost people close to me in their attack. They made this choice, and we are the Sects. Blood and death are part of our culture, it is ingrained in who we are.”

Ryun turned to look at Anrosh, his eyes flickering in a way that she knew he was asking her a question.

“From everything that we’ve heard,” Anrosh started. “This is a total invasion. They seek to conquer all of the sects. From what they’ve done in the territories they absorbed after the last war, we know how they operate. Their creed, it clashes with Sect culture, with our way of life. If they win the war, our way of life will be over.”

“And you’re willing to pay the price?”

“Once, I might’ve hesitated. But all actions have consequences,” Anrosh answered him.

Ryun turned back to look at the podium, then he sagged, as if all the tension left his body. He remained like that for a few seconds then stood up, and started making his way down to the podium.