Chapter 7: The Responsibility of a Leader

Yemon and Zurame didn’t move.

Their eyes were fixed on the figure standing between the doors, as if

the world around them had ceased to exist for a moment. There was no

hurry in their gaze. No exaggerated surprise. Only that silence that

belongs to those who reunite after a long time and don’t quite know

where to begin.

It was the first time they had seen him in a very long time.

Behind them, the young ones exchanged glances without saying a word.

Eldren was the first to speak.

-No one ever told me my father had another brother -he said, with an

expression between astonishment and confusion. He turned his head toward

Heliya and Naiden-. Did anyone tell you?

-No -Heliya answered.

-Neither did I -said Naiden.

-Why had they never mentioned it? -Yuzo asked, eyes wide open.

Mozir crossed his arms, thoughtful.

-We’ll have to find out.

Joshido observed the scene in silence for a few seconds. Then let out a

brief laugh.

-Well. This family is full of surprises.

The two guards, who had been listening without moving, processed all at

once what they had just understood. They exchanged a glance and stepped

forward with an expression that mixed firmness with something that

resembled embarrassment.

-Forgive us -said one of them, tilting his head slightly-. We didn’t

know you were relatives of our Supreme Leader.

-Don’t worry -Jojiro replied calmly-. You’re doing a good job.

The two guards straightened at the same time. Something in their posture

changed. A contained pride they couldn’t fully hide.

Nokio observed the doors from top to bottom with an attention that had

nothing casual about it.

-They’re not just doors -he said-. They conceal what’s behind them…

and they’re covered in electricity. Anyone who touches them will receive

a powerful attack.

Jojiro, who had already taken a few steps forward, stopped without fully

turning.

-Always paying attention to the small details -he said, with a faint

trace of approval in his voice.

Then he turned toward the group, hands still behind his back.

-Follow me. I’ll take you to the grand hall for a more private

conversation.

And without waiting for a response, he began walking between the doors,

toward the interior of the Lightning Territory.

The Lightning Territory looked like nothing they had seen before.

As they followed Jojiro, the young ones couldn’t help turning their

heads in every direction. Along the path stretched different work

stations, active and noisy, where male and female beings worked with a

concentration that left no room for distraction. In one they forged

weapons, in another they built armor, in another they assembled

equipment whose function wasn’t easy to guess at a glance.

Nokio walked in silence, but his eyes never rested.

What caught his attention most wasn’t the activity at the stations, but

the material they worked with. Crystalline, with a transparency he

hadn’t seen anywhere else. He stopped for barely an instant when he saw

it, and when he observed how that material absorbed the thunder element

without resistance, something in his expression changed.

The same expression he made when he found something he still couldn’t

explain.

The young ones stopped on their own, curiosity stronger than the desire

to keep walking, when they saw two forgers finish a sword. Jojiro

observed them stop without saying anything. He didn’t rush them. He

simply waited with his hands behind his back, like someone who already

knew in advance that this was going to happen.

The forgers’ movements were precise, coordinated, the result of hours of

practice that needed no explanation. When the last blow fell on the

metal, one of them set down the hammer and extended his hands over the

blade.

From his palms, electricity began to flow.

The sword absorbed it in silence, with a naturalness that was almost

unsettling, as if the metal had been waiting for exactly that.

The forger took it, held it for a moment, and then pointed it directly

at his companion.

-Let’s test it.

The companion took a small step back.

-Be careful -he said-. Don’t go overboard this time.

The forger didn’t respond.

He thrust the sword forward, and a thunder discharge shot from the

blade, hitting the companion with a force that sent him flying several

meters back before he could react.

The young ones opened their eyes at the same time.

Mozir didn’t blink. His senses had caught something the others hadn’t

noticed: the exact force with which the discharge had shot out, and a

faint smell that lingered in the air after the impact, almost

imperceptible to anyone…

But not to his nose.

-It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have one of those -said Eldren.

-I want one too -Yuzo added immediately.

Joshido looked at them both with a calm that had nothing of

indifference.

-It’s interesting -he said-. But none of us need to use weapons like

that.

As they moved forward, at the center of the territory something rose

that took the breath away.

A gigantic tree of an intense green, whose branches extended so widely

that its shadow covered almost the entire area. Beneath it, some forgers

rested between shifts, lying on the ground without hurry.

Suddenly the young ones froze.

Between the work stations advanced two colossi. One made of earth, the

other of wood, each carrying bars of crystalline material they were

bringing to the forgers with a slowness that had nothing clumsy about

it, but deliberate.

-What are those things? -said Heliya, unable to hide her surprise.

Yemon responded calmly.

-They are colossi. Each one made of a different element. Any living

being with a good mastery of their element can create them.

Joshido observed them in silence, without moving.

It wasn’t just the size that impressed him. It impressed him to know

that it was possible to create them, that sufficient mastery of an

element could reach that. And then he thought of his own metallic

blades, of how they had retracted when he needed them most.

He still had a long way to go.

-When I fully master wind I’ll make many of them -said Eldren, with a

certainty that left no room for doubt.

Zurame looked at him with her usual kindness.

-I’m sorry to tell you this, but with the wind element and the water

element it’s not possible to create them. Although they can do other

things.

Eldren didn’t change his expression.

-It doesn’t matter. If no one has done it, I’ll be the first.

Naiden looked at him sideways.

-You have a lot of confidence in yourself, Eldren.

Eldren let out a small laugh.

-I’ll be the best wind user.

Yuzo couldn’t take his eyes off the colossi.

-Wow… I’d love to have one.

-Yuzo! -said Mozir-. We have to learn an element to reach that level!

-Yes, let’s do it! -Yuzo responded immediately.

A little further back, Nokio observed the bars of crystalline material

the colossi were carrying.

Where do they get it from?

He kept it to himself, as he did with everything he still couldn’t

explain.

After several more steps, Jojiro stopped.

-We’ve arrived at the grand hall.

Before them rose a structure made of the same material as the giant

doors. Metallic blue with white and dark gray details, wide and solid.

Around the structure, seven columns stood surrounding the building like

a silent guard.

Upon entering, the first thing that caught attention wasn’t the size,

but everything inside it. The floor combined earth and wood with an

elegance that didn’t seem casual. Weapons of all kinds hung along the

walls alongside armor that spoke of what the Lightning Territory was

capable of creating. The wooden columns supporting the ceiling twisted

around themselves with an organic shape, like roots that had decided to

grow upward.

At the far end of the hall there were four thrones.

The center one belonged to Jojiro.

To his right was occupied by someone they hadn’t seen until that moment.

Amiria.

Jojiro’s wife.

Of tan skin, slender, with a defined face that conveyed serenity. Her

long brown hair fell naturally. Her light blue eyes observed the group

with a calm that resembled her husband’s.

Beside Amiria, another throne occupied.

A young male being. White skin, short light brown hair, light blue eyes.

A small scar above his right eyebrow, and in his right ear a small light

blue earring that didn’t go unnoticed.

Renir.

The son of Jojiro and Amiria.

And to Jojiro’s left, the fourth throne.

A female being of white skin, slender, slightly tall. Long black hair

that fell with its own weight. Light brown eyes that observed with a

calm that needed no effort.

Zianya.

The other daughter of Yemon and Zurame.

The doors of the grand hall closed.

The sound was final, as if the outside world had been blocked on the

other side.

Jojiro didn’t wait.

He approached his parents with quick steps and pressed his forehead

against theirs, a gesture that needed no words to say what it said.

-I was worried -he admitted, with a voice that for the first time had

nothing contained about it-. Everyone in the Lightning Territory heard

the explosion.

A brief pause.

-I wanted to deny it was our old home. Convince myself it was something

else. Until a messenger from the Shadow Territory arrived and confirmed

what I didn’t want to hear.

The territory had disappeared.

Only rubble remained.

Before silence could settle in, Zianya rose from her throne.

She crossed the hall with quick steps and repeated the same gesture as

her brother, her forehead against her parents’, with a warmth that

contrasted with the firmness of her face.

-I’m glad you’re safe -she said quietly-. And it makes me very happy to

see you again.

Amiria approached after, with that serene calm that characterized her.

-It’s good to see you -she said-. After so long.

Jojiro breathed slowly and looked at his parents with an expression that

carried something close to guilt.

-Forgive me for not greeting you sooner -he said-. I had to stay firm.

Control my emotions in front of the inhabitants.

Zianya and Amiria turned toward the group until their eyes landed on

Nokio.

The greeting was cordial. Correct. But nothing more.

Nokio had never been to either of their liking. His methods were too

strange, too difficult to decipher, and that unsettled them in a way

neither had managed to put into words.

Nokio, for his part, didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn’t

care.

-Well -he said with a relaxed smile-. You’re still the same since the

last time I saw you.

Zianya and Amiria exchanged a quick glance.

Then they smiled at him.

A kind smile. Correct.

Somewhat uncomfortable.

Nokio kept smiling as if nothing.

Jojiro turned toward his son.

-Renir, come here. I want you to meet your grandparents.

Renir rose from his throne.

He walked toward the group with a calm that had nothing of timidity. But

when he stood before Yemon and Zurame, something strange happened.

He ignored them.

It wasn’t carelessness. It was deliberate. His gaze passed over them as

if they didn’t exist and fixed on a single point.

Joshido.

Zurame didn’t react. She smiled with her usual warmth.

-Hello. I’m your grandmother. It’s a privilege to meet you.

Renir blinked. He turned his gaze toward her, and something in his

expression changed. The seriousness remained, but the gesture that

followed was one of genuine respect. He greeted Zurame, then Yemon, with

an inclination that didn’t seem forced.

Yemon observed him in silence for a moment.

-Physically you resemble your mother -he said calmly-. But your presence

and character are your father’s.

Amiria nodded with a soft smile.

-He’s a promising young being -she said to Yemon.

But Renir was no longer looking at any of them.

His eyes had returned to the same place as before.

Joshido.

Eldren noticed. He leaned slowly toward his side and murmured in his

ear.

-He won’t stop staring at you. What did you do?

-I didn’t do anything -Joshido replied in a low voice-. I don’t

understand why he keeps looking at me like that.

-Be careful -Eldren murmured-. From what I can sense… he’s strong.

Joshido didn’t respond immediately.

-I sense it too.

The atmosphere among the two young ones and Renir remained suspended in

something that still had no name, but that everyone in the hall could

feel.

It was Zurame who broke the silence.

She turned toward Jojiro, Zianya and Amiria with a calm smile.

-The young ones accompanying us are part of our family -she said-. And

these three -she pointed to Heliya, Naiden and Eldren- are the children

of your siblings.

Jojiro and Zianya exchanged a brief glance before speaking.

-And our siblings? -Jojiro asked-. And little Lizena?

The silence that followed was clear enough.

Yemon and Zurame exchanged a glance. It was Yemon who decided to speak.

And he spoke.

From the beginning. From the outsiders’ arrival at the Intellectual

territory, the condition he set, the years they lived in peace. Until

the day everything changed. The destruction of the territory. Those who

fell. Those who disappeared.

Jojiro, Zianya, Amiria and Renir listened without interrupting.

Without moving.

The news of Haito struck them first. Their oldest brother. The one who

had always been there. Dead. And Sakira, his wife, had died a few years

after they left the village, without either of them having been able to

know in time.

And there was still more.

Of Zaidan, Kurami and little Lizena there were no traces. None. And of

the territory’s inhabitants, no one knew for certain if any had managed

to survive.

The grand hall, so imposing and solid, suddenly felt too silent.

Jojiro took a moment to find the words.

-What do you plan to do? -he asked Yemon.

Yemon looked at him.

-Before answering that… I need to speak with you alone.

Jojiro nodded without hesitation.

One by one, the rest filed out of the grand hall. The young ones,

Zurame, Renir. Only Yemon, Jojiro, Zianya, Amiria and Nokio remained

inside.

Outside, the atmosphere was lighter, but not entirely.

Zurame was with the young ones, speaking with that calm of hers that

made everything feel solvable. Renir was nearby, in silence.

Watching Joshido.

Always watching Joshido.

Joshido held on as long as he could. Then he turned directly toward him.

-Do you want to say something to me?

Renir didn’t respond immediately. He let a moment pass, as if

considering whether it was worth spending the words.

-I’m just observing -he said at last, with a calm that had nothing

innocent about it- how pathetic and insecure you are.

-Why are you telling me that? -Joshido replied, irritation creeping into

his voice-. We just met.

-It’s obvious at a glance -said Renir-. How fragile you are.

Joshido clenched his jaw.

-Fragile are you -he replied-. And this territory that depends on a

material and one element to be relevant.

The silence that followed lasted exactly one second.

Heliya, Mozir, Yuzo, Eldren and Naiden looked at each other with an

expression that mixed astonishment with something close to concern.

A small smile appeared on Renir’s face.

His presence changed.

It wasn’t something visible, but something felt, as if the air around

him had suddenly grown heavier. He positioned himself with one leg

forward and the other back, and in a natural movement drew his sword,

wide, of a dark gray that didn’t reflect light.

And he lunged.

It was so fast there was barely time to process what was happening.

But he didn’t arrive.

Zurame didn’t move from her spot. She raised no weapon, made no visible

gesture. She simply increased her presence.

And that was enough.

Renir’s movement stopped abruptly, as if he had collided with something

invisible but completely real.

Just with her presence, he thought, unable to take his eyes off Zurame.

She’s on another level.

Zurame looked at him with a calm smile on her face.

-That’s enough -she said softly-. Please lower your sword.

Renir hesitated a moment. Then, with a tension he couldn’t fully hide,

he sheathed his sword and stepped back.

Joshido was still processing what had just happened.

He hadn’t reacted in time. He hadn’t even seen Renir’s movement. If it

hadn’t been for Zurame…

He didn’t want to finish that thought.

Renir looked at him from where he stood.

-I didn’t really want to attack you -he said, with a calm he had

recovered too quickly-. I just wanted to scare you… and show you the

difference between you and me.

Mozir let out a slow sigh.

-Make sure you never anger Zurame -he said, with a conviction that

needed no further explanation.

Yuzo swallowed.

-Now I understand why the Grand Intellectual gets nervous when she’s

like this -said Heliya.

-Thank goodness she’s on our side -Naiden added.

-Making her angry -Eldren muttered, shaking his head- is a horrible

nightmare.

Zurame listened to all of them with her usual calm. Then she turned her

gaze toward Renir.

-Can you explain your behavior toward Joshido?

Renir didn’t respond immediately. For a moment it seemed he wasn’t going

to say anything.

Then he felt Zurame’s gaze.

It wasn’t a normal gaze. It was the kind of gaze that traversed any

defense without effort. And upon feeling Zurame’s presence, he felt a

chill run through his body.

Renir gave in.

-I heard him -he said-. When he looked down on the hard work of the

forgers.

-I never looked down on the work of the forgers -Joshido replied

immediately.

-Don’t deny it -said Renir-. I heard you when you said none of you need

a weapon like that.

A brief silence.

Zurame turned toward Joshido.

-Is what Renir says true?

Joshido didn’t hesitate.

-It’s not true. I didn’t mean that. I said it because all of us have a

substantial weapon or stellar ability… and for me that’s more than

enough.

Renir listened.

And didn’t change his expression.

-That may have been your intention -he said coldly-. But what came out

of your mouth was disrespect toward this village. And I won’t allow

that.

The silence that followed said everything.

Inside the grand hall, the atmosphere changed all at once.

Jojiro frowned slightly.

-It seems Renir has already gotten himself into trouble.

Yemon exhaled calmly.

-Don’t worry. His mother will handle everything.

Zianya glanced toward the doors for a moment.

-Mother’s presence is still just as intimidating.

No one contradicted her.

Jojiro let a moment pass before turning toward his father.

-What did you want to talk about?

Yemon didn’t respond immediately.

And then he did something none of them expected.

He knelt on the ground.

Jojiro, Amiria and Zianya went still. It was the first time they had

seen him like this. The Grand Intellectual, the living being who had

always stood firm no matter what had happened, with both knees on the

ground and the weight of the world visible in every line of his face.

-I failed everyone -he said, with a voice loaded with sadness and

frustration that found no outlet-. My children, the inhabitants. What

kind of leader am I? What kind of father?

Nokio watched from his spot without saying a word.

All this time you stayed strong for the sake of the young ones, he

thought. You and Zurame alike. You are to be admired.

Jojiro tried to find the right words.

-You are the Grand Intellectual -he said.

Yemon interrupted him before he could continue.

-Grand Intellectual of what? -His voice held no anger. Only the weight

of something he had carried too long-. My village was destroyed and I

could do nothing. I don’t deserve to be called that.

A brief pause.

-I am simply Yemon, the miserable.

Zianya took a step toward her father.

-Father, you are not! -she said firmly-. You have always been our

pillar. The leader to follow.

Amiria nodded immediately.

-What Zianya says is true. You always know what to do, even if the

decisions you make aren’t to everyone’s liking.

The silence that followed lasted several seconds.

Yemon listened. And slowly, carrying the weight of everything, he began

to rise.

-I brought the young ones here for one reason -he said once on his

feet-. I want the Lightning Territory to be their new home. Until

everything is resolved.

Jojiro looked at his father with doubt.

-What are you planning to do?

-Nokio and I will leave -Yemon replied-. To search for the young ones’

parents. And to find Kurami and Zaidan.

Jojiro’s eyes opened slightly.

-You can’t leave and abandon our mother here. And abandon the young ones

too after everything they’ve been through.

Yemon didn’t respond immediately. His eyes rested for an instant on the

floor, as if Jojiro’s words had touched something he already knew but

that hurt to hear out loud.

-Nokio and I made this decision before arriving here -he said at last-.

It is my duty. It is my responsibility.

A brief pause.

-And the young ones will be fine. They are stronger than they believe.

Not even they know how strong they are.

Zianya looked at him for a moment.

-Does Mother know?

-Not yet -Yemon replied-. But I’m certain she’ll understand.

Jojiro exhaled slowly.

-When do you plan to leave?

-Right now -Nokio replied.

Jojiro couldn’t contain himself.

-You can’t leave right now! -he said-. You just arrived. I can’t imagine

how much what happened affected you… but you can’t make a decision

like this letting your emotions control you.

Yemon looked at him steadily.

Without hesitating.

-Son, I can’t keep wasting time. We don’t know what condition they’re

in… or if they’re still alive. I couldn’t save the territory, but if

there’s a chance to save them, I’ll take it.

Jojiro observed him for a moment in silence.

Then let out a small laugh.

-You and I never had good communication -he said-. But what I do admire

about you is that you always stand firm in your decisions.

A brief pause.

-Do what you have to do. I’ll take care of the young ones… and of

Mother.

They came out of the grand hall.

Zurame was outside, talking with the young ones with that calm of hers

that needed no effort. Renir was apart, in silence.

Yemon approached her slowly.

-Sweetheart, Nokio and I…

Zurame didn’t let him finish.

-I know. You’re leaving, aren’t you?

Yemon looked at her for a moment.

-How do you know?

-We’ve been together a long time -she said with a calm smile-. I know

you so well I know the way you think.

Yemon smiled faintly.

-I don’t want to leave. But it’s my duty. It’s my responsibility.

Zurame raised her hand and touched his face with gentleness.

-I understand. I feel the same as you… but right now my duty is to

stay here with them.

A brief pause.

-Take my anger with you. Show the guilty ones who you really are.

They looked at each other for a moment. Then they pressed their

foreheads together in silence, for a few seconds that needed no words.

-Don’t take too long -said Zurame.

-I’ll do everything possible to return soon -Yemon replied.

When they separated, Zianya waited a moment before speaking.

-But do you have any idea where to go?

Nokio responded with his usual calm.

-We’ll visit some planets where we might find information.

Amiria frowned slightly.

-But how will you get there if you have no transport?

-I know a living being who has a ship -said Nokio-. And that living

being owes me a favor.

No one asked further.

Yemon and Nokio said goodbye to everyone, one by one. And when they

began walking toward the giant doors, no one moved. They simply watched.

In silence. While the doors opened slowly to let them through, and then

closed behind them with the same slowness, as if the Lightning Territory

itself wanted to hold them back one more second.

Until nothing remained.

Only the closed doors.

And the silence they left behind.

Yuzo turned toward Zurame with that curiosity of his that couldn’t

contain itself.

-And what will we do now?

It was Jojiro who answered.

-You’ll stay here. I promised Yemon I would take care of you.

A brief pause.

-But you won’t be simple guests. You’ll be new inhabitants of this

village. I’ll train you to grow stronger and learn everything we do

here.

The young ones listened in silence.

Heliya was the first to react.

-Fine by me. I have no complaints.

Mozir clenched his fists, with an emotion he didn’t try to hide.

-Perfect. I want to grow stronger.

Naiden observed his hands for a moment, as if searching for something in

them he couldn’t yet see.

-I’m going to give my best.

A faint smile escaped Joshido.

-Good… I’ll be the strongest of all.

Eldren placed his hands behind his head with a defiant calm.

-I want to strengthen my element. And learn to create weapons.

Yuzo was excited, though some doubt showed in his expression.

-I hope the training helps me control my speed.

Renir made a gesture of annoyance.

-Me… train with beings weaker than me? -he said-. What a waste of

time.

Zianya looked at all of them with a calm that didn’t hide what was

coming.

-Jojiro, Amiria, Zurame and I will help you sharpen your skills. Don’t

expect easy training.

The young ones had no idea how hard it would be.

But Zurame, Jojiro, Amiria and Zianya knew it very well. They had to

strengthen those young ones. In case the enemy came back to attack.

Time moves forward.

Some take advantage of it.

Others stay waiting for the perfect moment to make their move.