Chapter 52: The Balance

"Did you read the assignment I gave you last week Esmerelda?" An aged voice of a forgotten face, from a long since remembered memory rung in her ears.

"Yes I did, but there was something I wanted to ask you about teacher." Her childish voice replied.

"Oh! And what is it?" The aged voice kindly asked.

"The author spoke quite dramatically and sternly about a balance that must be preserved under any circumstance, or else the world would witness more carnage than can be imagined only to achieve nothing, but he didn't say what that balance is, that must be protected."

"Ahhh." The aged voice exclaimed, as he asked "Tell me Esmerelda, do you still remember our lesson on Emperor Azrael the Second?"

"Of course!" Her younger self happily replied, before enthusiastically continuing "Emperor Azrael the Second was the father of our current emperor. He was also known as Azrael the Beloved of Battle, because during his entire three hundred year reign, he never once stopped waging war on our neighbors.

He also managed to double the size of our nation in the process.

And it's said that while the wider world breathed a deep sigh of relief as they celebrated his death, our people wept for days on end, mourning the death of a great warrior and emperor, who many considered to have brought a golden age through military conquest to the Eclipse Empire." She finished with a proud look on her face.

The aged voice happily laughed, as he said "Excellent! Excellent! You have learned well, little one. But did you know that another thing also perished that fateful day when Emperor Azrael the Second took his last breath?"

"Huh? What?" Her younger self asked curiously.

"An era." The aged voice replied.

"An era?" She asked, as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Indeed, an era. An era of ambition. An era of glory. An era of legendary characters, performing unimaginable feats of heroism and cruelty as they danced across blood curdling battlefields, in an ageless war that has long since transcended reality and into myth.

An era where geniuses and monsters were as common and numerous as blades of grass in a vast field. An era where the fate of the world hung on a needle's thread, and could fall into anyone's hand at any moment. The era now known as the Age of Tarnished Steel." The aged voice passionately narrated.

"...I see." She answered with a hint of discomfort, before asking "But what does that have to do with the balance?"

The aged voice fell silent at this question, before gravely replying "Indeed it will, for our entire modern world rests upon this balance, and the moment it tips in any direction, our world we know today shall come crashing down in a wonderful, cacophonous explosion of an apocalyptic scale, where death and misery will be as mundane as clouds in the sky."

A grave and contemplating look appeared on her face upon hearing her respected teacher's words, but before she could explore her own thoughts any further she heard him say "But that doesn't mean it's exactly a bad thing."

"HUH?! How can something so awful not be bad?" She countered hysterically.

"Stagnation is death, my young student." He replied somberly, before continuing "Much like still water, our civilization would turn rotten and putrid if it remains without change for too long.

Yes, it will be a horrid time, filled with atrocities so grand it would make devils weep in despair, but it must be done non the less, for change is the sole constant of our world, do you understand little one?"

"Yes, teacher." She replied.

It was at that moment, even though she couldn't remember his face, she recalled the gentle smile he made that day as he placed his large, rough yet warm hand on her shoulder and said "Even if you forget all that this old fool has taught you, you must remember these no matter what.

If in the distant future you are unfortunate enough to see the downward stroke of change's sword, you must make sure that you never find yourself before it.

And if you're fortunate enough, by some twist of fate, to meet the one who shall wield that fearsome blade, you must promise me to support said figure with all your might no matter how painful it will be, for when the sword of change is drawn, it can never be sheathed again before it's task is done."

"...My lady?" It was at that moment my uncle's concerned voice finally unshackled her from the chains of her memory, allowing a small smile to appear on her lips as she replied "I'm fine Haytham.

And as for your concerns, I won't tell you they're unwarranted, but it's not our job to question the decisions of the emperor after they've been made. Our duty as both his subjects and family, is to simply support him no matter what.

But if you still find it difficult to silence your worries, then I suggest you work twice as hard to not let them come to pass, wouldn't you agree?"

A hilariously moronic expression appeared on his face, as he questions how such an obvious thing had slipped by him so easily, before an involuntary chuckle escapes him at his own stupidity, and replying as he felt alleviated of a great burden "I couldn't agree more, my lady.

I shall endeavor to work a hundred times harder to make sure his plans come to fruition, no matter the cost."

"Indeed, let us do so." My mother chimed, as they eagerly looked forward towards the coming future, regardless of what challenges it will posses.

But little did they know that the very first of those obstacles would challenge them more than they could have ever imagined, as it emerged from an area they could never have expected!