Chapter 14: Tying Up Loose Ends

“You are not wrong”. General Beking acknowledged General Logan’s point. “And you would have been right in this occasion also, if you did not omit a key issue ... Did any of the places where you found attributes’ deposits have in their vicinity a Godly Law Template?” Then and there she made her case, using a point all of them had to accede to and none could refute.

Not even the question of “how come the ice layer at the bottom of the first Heavy Water Pool looked normal, while those at the second and third pools were being drained” could salvage an ounce of concrete hope. It was obvious. The ice layer of the first pool simply recovered over time, after the Spirit below it obtain sentience and stopped draining it.

“Your Lieutenant General noted only one Heavy Water Pool reacting to the apparition of the Godly Law Template at the Earthly Crater”. Cardinal Northstar said in an unyielding tone that drew everyone attention. Although the opportunity to study the Godly Law Template was Archbishop Silternjan’s, he could still make an agreement with him in exchange for his assistance against the other four. “If we assume that the presence of a sentient Spirit is a product of a reaction to the apparition and treat it as an indication to the proximity of the Godly Law Template, we can deduce whether the whereabouts of the template is at a center of a formation made by the reactive pools or just at the locality of the one your Lieutenant General found”.

“Exactly!” Admiral Hamumni added. “Elder sister Beking, Lieutenant General Hadida and her subordinates couldn’t detect a reaction from all the Heavy Water Pools. The waters of the Down Ocean are filled with just too many anomalies. If Northstar’s former assumption is correct, perhaps we won’t have to deal with the Spirits at all!” Her excited tone revived completely the others’ enthusiasm, all but General Beking and fully revitalized Horn Kikon.

Of the six of them, Horn Kikon, General Beking and Cardinal Northstar required one or two more strides in the understanding of their respected attributes to reach the Mortal Enlightenment state in order to predict their Evolutionary Ascension. For those in their position, unless they give up on crossing the threshold to the Martial Immortal path, stirring the heart was a taboo...

“Hamumni, accompany Northstar and me to examine the Heavy Water Pool in my Luminous Church’s territory”. Archbishop Silternjan requested.

“Hamumni, the Blessed Army has seven pools. We can get better understanding there than in Silternjan’s one spot. Also, it’s better to keep him in suspense instead of giving him quick answer and allowing him to make calculations...” General Logan said with no reservation to either Archbishop Silternjan’s or Cardinal Northstar’s face. He wanted them to forgo any notion of a ploy that may come to mind. The rest of them had not the time or patience to bear any misconduct now that the Godly Law Template revealed an evidence of existence.

“Choose wisely, Hamumni”, Horn Kikon could not stay quiet anymore and since he and General Logan served the same faction, it was fine if the pools at the latter would be checked first.

“Humph!” Admiral Hamumni snorted in disdain, though she was smart enough not to direct it at Horn Kikon whose fuse was currently shorter than usual. “How delusional are you to think that I’ll give any of you priority before elder sister Beking and I?”

“Fine. In truth, it should not be a matter of concern whose Heavy Water Pool you’ll examine first”. Archbishop Silternjan smiled to appease Admiral Hamumni. “If the Heavy Water Pools do make a formation, to pinpoint further clues to the Godly Law Template, you must view not only our pools, but those we disregarded till now outside the territories of our excavation spots”.

“She can also bother with the one reactive pool in my territory and discount your pools entirely”. General Beking’s remark caused the four men to suddenly frown. Naturally they understood the meaning between the words...

As much troubles as they can give her, ultimately, trying to snatch the Heavy Water Pool with the sentient Spirit would be akin to affronting not a run of the mill Heavenly Immortal, but a Mythical Immortal whose strength rivals the powers behind them!

The two women can investigate the latter of Cardinal Northstar’s options and even if it was wrong, only they will know, as well as be ready to proceed accordingly.

“Name the price!” Cardinal Northstar hated to waste time. He was stuck on this planet longer than he initially planned for and under his supervision too many incidents involving His Young Eminence and Sister Iaura took place. The only redeeming quality left in this trip was the Godly Law Template objective.

General Beking stood solemn for a while before answering. She gaged each of the four and from person to person the feeling she gave them grew onerous.

“Two months”.

There was no need for General Beking to be explicit. The words thundered in the four’s ears with full comprehension.

The deal between every one of them resembled Admiral Hamumni’s and her own deal with the General of the Armies.

“His Holiness and Fiend Immortal have promised you a year to study the template; they will not take their words back even if you’ll make an offering to the General of the Armies”.

“Dammit, Beking!” Horn Kikon snapped. “My Year is Mine! I won’t spare a second of it on someone else! Are you conspiring against me?!” His aura would have erupted if he had not learned and was worried about the Spirits in the Down Ocean.

Archbishop Silternjan’s bearing was composed, in contrast to the golden skinned giant of a man, but inwardly his heart ached almost as if it was stabbed repeatedly. He too only had the opportunity for a year of study. The fact that he original represented alone the Holy Palace did not earn him more than what the others received from their leaders and with Cardinal Northstar beside him the deal was still the same. Consequently, unlike Horn Kikon and General Logan, he had no one to share the burden of General Beking’s request. Furthermore, he was not a fool ... Of course he knew the source of Cardinal Northstar’s eagerness to support him, even if they had yet to discuss it. This meant that more than two months of his year were on the line and that was a cost he could not wholeheartedly pay.