A New Path - Chapter 226

Amell stood on a cliff of the island that overlooked the southern beach. The sand sparkled beautifully in the blazing sunlight and the beach seemed to stretch endlessly. And it was not wrong to think that. The island’s beach would be the first thing you will see when you arrive no matter what direction you come from. To get on to the actual island, you would have to scale the massive cliff-wall that served as the first test for the brave or unfortunate souls that would end up here. But to this day, that still hadn’t happened. The only outsider to step on this island was Gildarts, and of course Jugo if you considered teleporting onto the island itself. And Gildarts wasn’t technically an outsider.

Amell looked out over the ocean and observed the dense mist around the island. It had been one of the first things that he created after terraforming this island all those years ago. He was inspecting one specific part of the mist and that was because in just a few seconds the first-ever outsiders were about to arrive, and he recognized two auras among the people approaching the island. There were eight auras in total. And a few seconds later, a flying ship pierced the mist. It was a very large black-coloured ship and it quickly approached the island.

Amell stood between anger and excitement, and all his emotions were brough about by the leader of this ship. The ship had docked at the beach and a group walked out of it. They were eight in total, but only seven seemed happy to be here. Amell recognized the eight-person, the one that looked a little beat up and tired. “Jugo,” Amell whispered. He felt his anger rising inside of him, but he ignored it. The rest of the group was a mixed bunch, some kids, some teenagers, and one old man that looked to be in his seventies or eighties.

The group was walking towards the island with excitement showing on most of their faces. The old man leading the group glanced back at Jugo and asked, “Boy, I need no words, just a nod. Is this Paradise Island?” his voice was cold and distant, clearly displaying that he didn’t care about Jugo at all. Jugo said nothing and made no movement at all. He refused even though he knew what would follow if he refused to answer the master of this group.

“HEY! Master Hades asked you something, you better answer him you bastard!” A young boy with long spikey yellow-coloured hair and strange eyes yelled in Jugo’s face. He raised his fist to punch Jugo repeatedly in the face like so many times before. But, this time was different. His fist stopped mid-air, but not by his own choice.

“I would highly recommend not doing that here.” A powerful voice echoed out around them suddenly and it freaked out the blonde boy, “W-Who are you?! Where are you, you bastard!?” Nothing was heard after that, the beach was just as quiet as it was when they arrived. That silence held on until the voice sounded out again. But this time it was much closer, “Who knows,” Amell had appeared behind the group where Jugo and the yellow-haired boy stood, but no one could move their bodies so they couldn’t see who was talking to them.

“What’s going on? I’m scared!” A young-looking boy that was a little too big for his age called out in genuine terror. Master Hades that this group called the old man was someone Amell knew since a long time ago. He sighed out and said slowly. “I recognise this voice. I just can’t place it, who are you? And do we know each other?”

Amell easily removed the binds holding Jugo, and before the boy could even feel relieved, Amell placed a finger on his forehead and put him to sleep. He carefully walked away a bit with Jugo and placed him on the sand and commanded the sand to form an igloo around his body. He then walked back to the group again and slowly he passed them to walk up and stand in front of them all. “I would think so, Precht. Are we not guildmates still?” Amell said calmly while looking at the shell shocked expression on the second guild masters face.

“Amell! You are alive! Where have you been all this time?” Precht said while fighting hard not to let his jaw hit the ground. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There were two absolutes on the continent of Ishgar, and those two are Amell, The First Saint. And The Black Wizard Zeref. These were two wizards everyone knew about. And it could be argued that Zeref’s fame had piggybacked off Amell’s because the reason Zeref is so feared and famous now is that people are still constantly arguing who between the two is the stronger wizard. Amell is looked up to like an icon of what makes the perfect wizard, and Zeref has become the source of countless nightmares and horror stories. But nowadays, Amell has faded into more of a historical piece as very few still believe that he is alive.

“That’s information you are not entitled to. But enough about me. Tell me about yourself, when did your heart turn dark?” Amell tone wasn’t that of asking, it was that of commanding. Precht’s kids behind him didn’t like how Amell was talking to him and it showed on their expression.

“What do you mean I’m not entitled to?! Who are you to keep that from me? Weren’t we comrades?!” Precht said sternly. His tone was anything but submissive.

Amell pointed at the overweight kid behind Precht and spoke slowly, “For each time you dodge my questions, one of your own dies!” the kid started screaming in pain, but that didn’t last for a long time as Precht’s voice rang out. “Don’t kill him! I’ll comply, for now!” the screaming disappeared and that kid fell down unconscious on the ground.

“I would be glad about the fact that you still have humanity. But the sad thing about this is that if these kids didn’t carry precious magics you wouldn’t care if I killed them all.” Amell’s sad tone came out again, and he lowered his finger.

“What magic is this? How are you controlling us?” A little girl behind Precht asked cautiously. Amell looked into her eyes and immediately the little girl started losing her ability to breath. Sweat started running down her body and her body went weak. ‘S…S-So p-powerful!’ She yelled in her own mind because she completely lost the ability to produce any sound after locking eyes with Amell.

Amell looked away from the girl, giving back her freedom. “There is always someone stronger than yourself. Remember this, for it might save your life one day.” Amell turned his focus on Precht again. “Now, I believe you had something to tell me.”

“Amell, I found the truth. After a lifetime of searching, I finally found it, and if the price is my humanity, then so be it.” That was all he chose to say, he didn’t elaborate on any of it.

“The darker the magic, the further from the truth you will find yourself. And in turn, the more maddening the sense of power will be. There is no secret truth to magic, Percht. At least none you can comprehend in your current state.” Amell said directly to Precht with little to no emotion now in his tone.

“What are you saying, Amell? Comprehend what truth? What have you found?!” Precht’s speech got a little more intense, and his tone changed from calm to a little hazardous.

“That’s not for any of you to know. Most of all, your time on this island is over, and you are not welcome to return. For doing what you did to Jugo, I would normally kill you, but for old time sake, I’m just going to let you go with a warning. Do not come back here!” Amell snapped his fingers and everyone except Precht fainted on the spot.

“Amell, how are you connected to this island? What is this place? You can’t keep this knowledge for yourself!” Precht yelled quickly as he felt his consciousness slowly slipping away from him.

“Maybe one day you will know. It will all depend on how you choose to live the rest of your life. Now, go home!” Amell’s voice drifted through the wind and Precht was finally knocked unconscious. Amell breathed out a tired sigh, “It’s always sad to see old friend succumb to madness.” Leo came walking behind him in his human form.

“Leo, take them together with their ship and deliver them all to Ishgar,” Amell commanded the sand to carry Jugo behind him. “I will be in my castle should you need me.” Amell started floating after that and him and Jugo disappeared beyond the cliff towards God’s mountain.

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End