Age of Heroes

In one of the caves it would lead to a deep clearing. 

It was like he was transported into one of the large fields on the Saranites plains.

this area had a mystical air around it. 

When he arrives at the so called home of the elder, he saw a place that seems to only appears in faeries tales.

In the middle of this clearing there is a lake, with clear water and fishes jumping around.

There are white clouds above the lake and a tall tree on the middle of the lake. 

On the middle of the lake there is a patch of land and it is on that patch of land that there is a tree reaching the ceiling of that cave

All of it seems to fantastical to be true. There is even clouds on the cave of the ceiling. There were so many question in his mind at that time

How could a clouds appears in such a closed area? There is no sky above that tree only the ceiling of the caves. Then how could such cloud be formed?

How could the tree rose so high when there is no sun? How could the water be so clear and how could there be so many abundance of life?

There is green grass, flowers and trees. There is butterflies and bees. There are small creatures playing around. 

Most of the ground surface of the Grand Temple is paved but for the other channels most of them I not paved and one would walk on the cold hard ground of the cave

But while there are the occasional cave plants that is unique in the New World sprouting its leaves, it would be nothing like what he saw. 

He basically felt like he is in a field of flowers with grass standing tall and sturdy like one of the fields in the Saranites plains. 

All of it seems to not make sense. 

Like this area is a world on its own.

The apprentice then said to him that the elder wanted to meet him. he of course asks some question of why the elder wanted to meet him

But like Varnikar, the apprentice priest did not know anything. He just knows that the elder had noticed him on the second day.

And he was given order that if on the next day, that he comes again to pray from the break of dawn to the evening, he was supposed to escort him to this area.

Hearing this Varnikar is quite shocked and he had his own deduction. This elder might also have the wisdom of Orhan

He fears that his identity has already been seen by that elder. 

But he did not sense any ambush that is hidden. 

After all, this place while seemingly appearing to be mystical, it is also very open and one could easily see if someone is hiding a group of people to ambush him.

The apprentice then told him that the elder is waiting for him in the hut. 

The hut is on the patch of land on the middle of the lake. Varnikar at that time thought that he had to swim to it. 

But as he come closer to the bank of the lake suddenly stones began to emerge from the bottom of the lake and floated on the water forming a long trail of floating stones from the bank of the lake to the patch of the land in the middle.

Varnikar then walk on these stones and reach the middle of the lake. 

It was then he met the elder and the elder told him that he saw a vision that he would come to seek guidance in the Great temple.

He also knows that Varnikar is a man of the Shadowlands and eases him in saying that he did not summon him because of his identity but because he had seen what he could be

The elder told him that he was destined to meet Asrana and his task, his quest is to guide Asrana.

When he asks whether he would meet Asrana before he died, the elder did not answer him but says that there is not only one way to meet.

The elder was very vague in whether he would meet Asrana in this life or will he met him after he died.

Varnikar himself is not confident that Asrana would appear in his lifetime. But words of prophecy must not easily be believed.

Just because the elder said that he would meet Asrana is not a confirmation that he would meet Asrana before he died.

Asrana is a godly figure with many stories and lore and prophecies all around. 

Some said when the soul die, for the devout of Asrana, the secret of the Heavens would be opened and one would see the face of Asrana so that the devotees would not die in regret not knowing the face of the figure that they have worshiped for generations.

Meet and see in the language of the thirteen tribe could sometime means the same. So, the elder could also mean that he would see Asrana 

And as he is a devotee of Asrana that would also means he could see Asrana when he is in the throes of death. The elder did not assuage him of such thoughts.

But the elder did say that as it is Varnikar task to guide Asrana, it is then his task to guide him. 

Like him, he also saw a dream, a dream of a person who would pray three days in front of the statue of Asrana and that this person, whoever it is, is to be guided by him

So, the elder guided him, taught him all of his knowledge, of the stories of the ancient lore and of the secrets of the Great Temple among others.

Varnikar stay at the Great temple and delay his return to the Shadowlands, soaking up the knowledge that the elder is bestowing upon him

That is where he learns the ancient lore. When the elder is near his death, Varnikar was asked to return and to prepare. 

It is then he returns to the Shadowlands, and gathers the tribe around Vernium and form a great War Horde.

He was then recruited by the nobles of Vernium and become he High Lord of Maroth, and is known as a great warrior among the warriors in the Three Kingdoms.

But even after all of those years studying ancient lore, the one thing he could not do with all of his knowledge it is that he could not identify Asrana. 

But he does know that Asrana would have no equal when he fights a mortal.

As he was blessed to be the strongest man of his tribe and maybe arguably the strongest in all of the Thirteen Tribe, Varnikar believes that only Asrana could best him in a fight.

He wonders whether this man in front of him is really Asrana. 

His thoughts wander too all of these old memories as he tries to ascertain whether Arial Vermont, this noble leader from a foreign land is Asrana.

So, it could not be helped then that in Arial eyes, this old man seems to look at him intently instead of trying to attack him.

Arial himself did not attack Varnikar. He too has his own consideration. 

Instead, he said

'Great Warrior Varnikar. Do you need rest?' hearing this Varnikar simply said

'Do you want me to rest first?'

'Let it not be said that I take advantage of you after fighting my great general. If you lose, I don't want you saying that I first exhausted your strength and then taking advantage of you.'

'I will have no such complaint. All it takes to deal with your champion was one punch. It did not use much of my energy'

Arial smiles and then said

'If that is the case, then I would begin'

He did not have to declare himself. Everyone already knows who is.

The moment he said that a powerful energy burst out from his body. 

The wind blowing around him seems to be diverted toward other direction, like two opposing wind stream colliding with each other.

The grass beneath his feet sways left and right like it is about to pull itself up toward the air. 

Arial unleashes his inner energy. 

And because he has the essence of lightning, there is a trace of arcs of lightning in his eyes, flitting through.

Varnikar could easily see that this is martial arts of the Ming people. 

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