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off someone’s limb, that limb was severed, but that was such a superficial way of looking at things. Who was more powerful and influential to the outcome of matters? The soldier, or the arms dealer? He realized that a Sage had the power to change the world.
    Bastion sheathed his eidolon, for he didn’t want his soul to be outside his body for too long. Not on its first outing. But he certainly had plenty to think about.
    Like the fact that James, the great and powerful, was neither of those two adjectives. He understood that the kingdom was far more fragile than he could ever imagined, and in some ways, it was worse off than ever before. At least in the Stone Era, fear bred paranoia, and paranoia sometimes brought preparation and caution. None of those things existed now. Just blind faith.
    Still, he was in no condition to make a move. More than ever he understood how weak the balance was in matters. Queen Catherine’s way may have seemed foolish, but force did too. He was still young, he decided. He barely even had an opinion on how the kingdoms should operate. But with his new Sage abilities, he would learn in time.
    He forced himself to observe rather than act, and this was just one of the reasons he refused to reveal his eidolon to his mother. Because observation brought far more knowledge to his forefront than action. It was only after extensive study of his mother, and why she attacked him so vehemently, that he figured out the best course of action.
    He didn’t want her to know how much power he had, just in case she decided to exploit it. He didn’t want to maim or kill her by accident if they were sparring either, yet he had to figure out a way to get her to stop. Standing still, and letting her destroy her own eidolon against his—it not only knocked her unconscious and gave him room to escape, but it also made her believe that she was weak.
    It was a common belief that if an eidolon broke, the fault was usually attributed to the bearer—that they were weak willed. By having her break her own eidolon, it forced her focus back upon herself. She would spend the next year or so improving her will and her resolve, instead of concentrating all her efforts on him. She hadn’t seen enough of his power to properly evaluate his strength, but it was enough to get her to stop and think twice before she tried to hurt him again. By the time she realized the truth, he would already be well into the Sage Academy or off on away missions. A truth that he had known since the awakening of his eidolon.
    She wasn’t weak.
    He was just that strong.
     
     

Chapter 4 – Reenactment
    “Are you sure you need to go alone?” Catherine asked him, as he threw the cloak around his shoulders. She was standing by a window, staring up at the stars as James finished getting dressed for the mission in their massive bedchamber. A fire was crackling a few yards away and their bed was neatly pressed and kempt, as much of their belongings were. Sadly, their bedchamber had become more of a way station than a place of comfort and rest.
    James stole a glance at his wife as he fastened the clasp on his cloak. As she moved her head in front of the window, searching for a better view of the stars, her curly locks would bounce in place. He didn’t know why watching them made him smile, but they always did. He really loved everything about her, down to the very last strand of hair. He hoped he wouldn’t be away too long this time.
    “It’s not that far to the Quietus forest,” he grunted, putting on a boot that was smaller than his foot needed. “Especially if I run at full sprint. I could get there and be back in time before dinner tomorrow night.”
    “I’m not worried about you being alone,” she said, turning to face him. “It’s the fact that there’s a killer out there.”
    “There’s no way I’m going to get murdered,” James scoffed, wiping his hands on his shirt. He hadn’t washed his cloak in quite some time. It was long