The Master called upon Fulch to use some of his magic. To mask their scents, since the Rhudons were searching for them. Fulch was unsure since he was always told to hide his magic, and the Master was telling him openly to use it in front of everyone. This made Linth ecstatic; he hadn’t seen magic in such a long time. Verdom, who was young, couldn’t believe it. He asked if he truly could use magic, and Fulch nodded. Verdom got quiet and walked away from them for a time. When he got back, he told them it would take about a week’s journey if they didn’t stop a lot.
Fulch was out with Linth hunting, and Lunae thought it best to ask the Master some questions. She felt almost embarrassed by how she had been acting. The power to kill is very potent, and she liked the taste. The air had a chill to it as she looked at the Master who sat by the fire. His brittle bones didn’t like this weather. Lunae contemplated what it was like being the Master of water and what decisions she would have to make. She realized she didn’t give him much grace and had been acting very vile towards him, which she had noticed was affecting him. She came up beside him, and they sat in silence for quite some time. The wind was blowing, making the trees dance their dance. Lunae noticed how different the trees looked here; there were blue and purple colors in the leaves, and with it having two suns, the light was very powerful, but the shadows played their own games.
“It’s beautiful here!” Lunae said, trying to open up communication. The Master looked at her and smiled.
“Fulch’s planet was even prettier before it was destroyed,” The Master said, taking Lunae aback. She didn’t know what to say, so she put her hand on his hand.
“I’m sorry Lunae, for what I did. I just didn’t see another way. I guess that is why the water is calling you now. It has lost all hope with me,” The Master said, feeling defeated.
“It’s okay, just don’t make any more big decisions without checking with the water,” Lunae said, which led the Master to laugh.
“The water isn’t big on talking much, you’ll see,” The Master said, which put Lunae on the defensive. The Master saw this and quickly stopped laughing.
“All I mean to say is the water doesn’t get involved that often; it’s up to us to decide what is best,” The Master said, relieving some of the tension. Lunae accepted this answer to cool down her inner rage. The Master noticed and realized he should say something.
“Your rage will only get worse for a while until you master it; you will kill for the delight of it,” The Master said. Lunae was skeptical of this, but she needed to be sure.
“How do you know this?” Lunae asked. The Master warmed his hands by the fire and contemplated how to say this.
“To take a life is a very powerful way, especially the way we do it. What I should have told you is that we take a part of them, their soul, I should say, into us. The thing that resonates the most is the rage that they feel at the end. It’s like a drug to us Lunae, and we have to learn to separate it from us. Next chance you get, you need to go to an altar and release the anger, or you will become like him,” The Master said, staring into the fire. Lunae was confused.
“Who are you talking about?” Lunae said. The Master had a grim look on his face; he did not want to tell the story.
“My Master’s master, Lannyre, he was an evil man; never listened to the water. He could have stopped the war between your peoples. There were signs. He wouldn’t release the rage and was a tyrant. The water coerced my Master into the temple, and once he was given the water, he was instructed to kill his Master. If you are not careful, you will be taken out if you do not do the water’s wishes,” The Master said. Lunae then became very scared for her Master. What if the water told her to kill him?
“Are you afraid that this will happen to you?” Lunae said. The Master smiled at her, placed his hand on her hand, and sighed, which didn’t make Lunae feel any better.
“The water has let me know that this is my last trip, I will not be returning,” The Master said. Lunae was very upset over this news.
“No! I just got you back. I’m sorry I got mad at you. What can I do?” Lunae said frantically. The Master embraced her and shushed her. Tears were starting to come out of Lunae; she didn’t realize how important the Master was to her until that very moment. Lunae was crying, and the Master was holding her when Fulch and Linth returned. Fulch was concerned and directed Linth to prepare the food while he went over to investigate what was wrong. Lunae wiped the tears from her eyes and just walked away. Which confused Fulch, and he gave the Master a look which the Master recognized clearly.
“You’ll know in due course,” The Master said, which Fulch knew all too well, but this time he wasn’t going to take it.
“No, old man, you will tell me, I’m done just abiding by what you have to say. I deserve some respect,” Fulch said, fuming. The Master sighed, and he knew there was nothing he could say to make this conversation wait until later.
“The water says this is my last trip, I will not make it back,” The Master said bluntly. This took Fulch aback; he wasn’t expecting that. Fulch wasn’t one for tears, but he felt himself welling up.
“Are you certain there is nothing we can do?” Fulch said, praying for some hope. The Master shook his head, and Fulch kicked some wood into the fire.
“Shuant!” Fulch yelled, trailing after Lunae. Linth and the Verdom just stood there, not knowing what to do. The Master caught them staring and sent a water wave knocking them down on the ground. When Fulch finally made it to where Lunae was, she was already done crying.
“We have to save him,” Lunae said, seeing Fulch. He didn’t respond but just came up to her and gave her a hug. Which broke her resolve, and she started to cry again.
“We can’t change the will of the water,” Fulch said. Lunae angrily pushed him away.
“What makes the water god?” Lunae screamed. This made Fulch think. He remembered where she is from, the water holds no significance, and they live just fine.
“It doesn’t, it just makes it powerful. We don’t fully understand its ways, but we must abide by them.” Lunae turned away from him, and she felt the rage inside her grow. Fulch saw this and tried to lighten the mood.
“Just don’t tell the Porpura that the water isn’t god, they’d probably behead you,” Fulch said, not sure how that would go over. Lunae saw his attempt and looked at his face and realized he was as distraught as she was.
“How can you just accept this?” Lunae said. Fulch started kicking at the dirt.
“Because, Lunae, I have grown up with the Master and learning the will of the water. My people rule by the will of the water, and it hasn’t ever steered us wrong. I just have to trust its knowledge, and it can see the future. We don’t know what’s going to happen, we just have to enjoy the time we will have left,” Fulch said. Lunae was getting aggravated with him and how understanding he was being.
“How the fusht can you be so understanding! What is wrong with you!” Lunae yelled at Fulch, and this time it broke him; he started to cry.
“The Master is like a father to me. Don’t you know that this is killing me? But there is nothing we can do about it!” Fulch said, turning away from Lunae.
“I won’t accept it, and neither should you,” Lunae said before walking away. Fulch was in no mood to be around anyone, so he stayed away for the rest of the night.