A Parent's Discipline

The king’s quarters were filled with the sweetness of Da Hong Pao. The tea was a rare, luxurious kind; its subtle hints of nutmeg and cinnamon invoking a tantalizing sensation, akin to the damp, stony cliffs of the Wǔyí Mountains. It was a leaf of the finest make, worthy of a king’s lips.

“Even after a 1000 years, the Da Hong Pao persists. Perhaps this is a bit pathetic to say, but I find much comfort in our similarities. What do you think, Adra of the Fourth Seat?”

Sitting directly opposed to the king was the Great Magician Adra, the Miracle of the Seven Stars. She wore a long, dark-brown wool-blend overcoat with notched lapels and an open front. Underneath lay a fitted burgundy midi with a high crew neckline. It fell just below the knees, creating a sleek, almost formal silhouette. Lastly wore black leather knee-high boots with pointed almond toes.

“Don’t ask me irrelevant questions like that. You know I didn’t come here for jovial banter.”

“Really? But you even got dressed for the occasion.”

“...” Adra shot the king a harsh glaze, signalling her distaste at the unneeded comment. Seeing this, the king hung his head and placed his teacup on his desk.

“My, it seems my social skills certainly need work. Apologies, Adra. Consider it a mere jest.”

“Are you done? Then I’ll get straight to the point. Send me to Urr.”

“Ha…” The king’s countenance shifted into a dejected expression, or perhaps a weary, tiresome, and slightly annoyed expression. “I cannot approve of such a request, Adra.”

“Why? On this route, our frontline won’t last much longer. We severely underestimated their military technology. At this rate, even the Fifth Seat won’t last much longer.”

“I know that.”

“Then why? Why won’t you let me save them? While you’re sitting on your ass drinking some shitty tea, our people are being massacred. Don’t you feel at all ashamed as a king?”

“Adra…” Receiving her hostility in full, King Qiu Han set his cup of tea on the table, his eyes shut with a foul grimace. “There are two reasons I cannot send you to Urr. For one, you are already nearing your breaking point. This war has exhausted you more than anticipated. Do you not notice it yourself?”

“...!” Adra of the Fourth Seat glanced down at the coffee table, shocked by the trickling drops of blood spilling from her nose. In an act of desperation and embarrassment, she covered her nose with a handkerchief.

“Talisman Magic is great indeed, but it comes at a cost. I cannot afford to lose you, Adra, not while your fate still rests in the balance.”

“Fate? Fate, you say? How long must I listen to those idle, senile ramblings, while my soldiers, our people, are being massacred by the dozens? I cannot see this fate of yours, my king, nor can I ascertain the nature of your gift, but even kings have limits.”

“No. They do not.”

“—!”

His voice boomed with an unfamiliar gravitas. He had not released even an ounce of Mang. What filled the air was not the work of spiritualism, but of a frenzied desire burgeoning to the surface after 1000 years.

“You think me a fool, Adra? a senile old man who’s let power get to his head? You are wrong. No, you are not simply wrong, your assumption denotes a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation. I have not lost my way. My path remains clear. The bloodshed, the sacrifice, the bodies of my people — it has served the purpose of the millennium kingdom. All is right with the world. Or rather, all shall be right.”

Adra could not meet the man’s conviction with a witty retort or fierce glare. It was the first time that she had felt such terror from a man. No, that wasn’t it. This was the second time.

“A-Alright…” she stuttered. “I’ll admit it. Even though I don’t have much faith in your ‘foresight,’ I can say that it has led to more victories than defeats. Without it, we may have lost the way centuries ago. And yet…”

“And yet?” The king replied.

“I wish to propose a compromise.”

“Hm…?” King Qiu Han made a puzzled expression, his sour mood replaced with confusion.

“You alone can see the fate of all humankind, yes? I’d like you to tell me more about that ability.”

“Is…that all? It really isn’t much of an ability. In fact, it's something similar to a curse.”

“Is it related to your immortality?”

“...Won’t say.”

“Alright then, what about the ability itself?”

“It's simple, really, though I find it hard to elaborate on your question. I can see the branching fates of all beings, including shura. It is less like a straight line and more of a constellation. Some fates are dim, while others bright.”

Adra picked up the small cup of lukewarm tea, taking small sips with a refined temperament. “I see, so what exactly delineated dim and bright, weak and strong?”

“Well, if we are to continue this conversation, allow me to form a bit of a visual presentation.” The king placed the teapot at the center of the room, opening its center lid. “Imagine the universe, both material and spiritual, as an infinite plane of water. Each fate is but a distinct deviation within the universe. Some are pebbles that bob at the surface, few are boulders that sink to the depths of the world, and even fewer are stars that boil the very water itself, creating fluctuations that rival even that of the Heavenly War.”

“And this war, the siege on Urr, is one such fluctuation?”

“Indeed. I did not make this decision lightly. Such childish provocations could never move me. I am far too old for such games. What I want from Urr is something of far grander importance.”

“So…you sense a great fate there? From who?”

“Who else? Apostle Skadhi.”

Skadhi—Supreme President Urr and the 354th Apostle of Belial. A man of many extremes. A man of both impossible dreams and crushing expectations.

“As it happens, his fate is greatly intertwined with yours, Adra, likely on account of his apostle status.”

“...”

“And it isn’t only him. The Problem Children, with the exception of Atreides, seem to have quite the strong fate.”

“That leads me to my point,” said Adra, putting an abrupt end to the king’s speech. “I want to send in Atreides to assist in the Urr Invasion once more.”

“...Him?” The king placed his hand on his chin, now utterly lost. “What could you possibly do with him? I indeed assigned him to the initial confrontation, and have granted him a leadership position within the Barracks 12D, but he is certainly nothing special in terms of combat power. You would have been better off suggesting your own mages.”

“No, this is the perfect recommendation. You said it yourself, didn’t you? Atreides isn’t especially strong, and it seems like his ‘fate’ is second-rate at best. He’d be the perfect candidate to mess around and assist the brighter stars.”

“Adra, you misunderstand me.”

“And what might that misunderstanding be?”

“That boy, Atreidies…his fate is…strange.”

“Absurdities are a daily occurrence for the Divine Generals.”

“No, this is nothing like you can imagine. It isn’t that his fate is strong or weak. It’s obscured. I may attain glimpses of his fate here and there, but it is nothing more than that. He, within my millennium of life, has been the only person unbound by my gaze.”

“A true wild then, hm?” Adra took another sip of the Da Hong Pao, her cheeks flushed with delight. “My, this tea truly is something. Have you been keeping this from me all this time?”

“It was a given, really. If I shared it with you, you’d likely use it all up in a few days.”

“That's mean!”

“Haha! Excuse me, Adra, my darling daughter. I don’t get the opportunity to talk to many people like this often.”

“Well, if you’re in this good of a mood, would you accept my little proposal? He won’t go with much, and I don’t expect him to make a major difference within the universe’s ocean. He’ll simply fan the flame.”

“...” King Qiu Han lowered his gaze, deep in thought. How long had he contemplated another’s request with such sincerity? Was it the meeting with ancient Ryongs? Or perhaps that certain pact 900 years ago? He could hardly remember most of his life, but there were sparse instances of memories flashing before him, akin to premonitions.

“Very well. I’ll send him to assist Ereth.”

Adra made a mischievous grin, placing her finished tea cup on the coffee table. “Hehe! Knew you’d accept these conditions.”

“Are you up to something, Adra?”

“No no, it's nothing like that. I simply enjoy bullying you.”

“You are lying, my daughter. You nearly urinated on yourself the moment I raised my voice.”

“...You didn’t have to say that out loud.”

Adra, in a fit of anger, stomped out of the king’s quarters with a mix of satisfaction and embarrassment. She had finally gotten through to the man she called her second father, even if she nearly passed out from fear.

Now that that’s done, I’ll be able to provide some help, Ereth.

She had no idea why that boy, that cute, inexperienced child appeared first in her mind. Perhaps this was the protective instinct of an older sister influencing her actions. Nonetheless, she was determined to help him and every human stuck on Urr.

After all, her time was nearly up.