“That’s not because Baba Yaga has lost her original drive, but because it’s in the nature of non-Guardians to put themselves before others.” Zagran said.
“Wait, aren’t you the Guardian of Might? You spend your whole time training and fighting. What exactly do you do for others?” Scarlett asked.
“You could say the same of all Guardians.”
“Do you see any of them going around and helping people like the heroes of the bards’ tales? No. What we do is to inspire others and provide them with what they need to achieve their potential.” Zagran replied.
“Okay, now you lost me.” The Sekhmet at first had been annoyed by her host’s riddles and at the idea of wasting precious time eating.
Yet the food that the chefs had prepared was delicious and the more she ate, the better she felt. Even the voices in her head became muffled until Scarlett could barely hear a white noise.
“Tyris helped Lochra Silverwing to share her knowledge, bringing a golden era for magic. Leegaain taught people like Milea, who didn’t use their powers to rule, but to be chosen as rulers.
“Back when the Gorgon Empire was plagued by the slave collars, it was I who made sure that the mage with the wits to build a device that could free the enslaved mages ended up serving the idiotic warmonger that ordered her to create the spell that is now known as Clean Slate.”
Zagran referred to the Forgemaster that by following his master’s orders had crafted an artifact capable of disabling other artifacts, slave collars included. It had been only thanks to her that mages had stopped being slaves and the Gorgon Empire had become the most advanced magical power on Garlen.
“What?” Scarlett dropped her dumpling in amazement.
“We Guardians are not heroes. We don’t go around saving people randomly. We are the ones who set the domino tiles so that the right person can trigger the change.” Zagran conjured a hologram that showed her fellow Guardian the ripple effect that Silverwing, Milea, and the nameless Forgemaster’s actions had triggered.
One person in the right place and with the right mind had changed the lives of billions of people.
“Back then, I intervened because without free will there is no self-improving. Slave collars go against everything I stand for and whenever someone starts mass producing them, I make sure that’s the last mistake they make.” The Garuda said in outrage as her skin turned silver due to the Life Maelstrom she released.
“That’s why you and Salaark don’t like each other!” Scarlett pondered those words. “She believes in absolute unity whereas you strive for absolute individuality.”
“Correct.” Zagran nodded. “While she tries to keep all of her children in her nest and teaches them her ways, I kick mine out of this house as soon as they learn the basics so that they can found their own path.
“Salaark rules her turf with an iron fist whereas I let people do what they think best.”
“How did that pan out?” The Sekhmet said with a sneer.
“According to my children, I’m a horrible mother. They want me to give them coming of age gifts like Leegaain, or at least to allow them to stay here as long as they want and learn from me by imitation, like Salaark.
“I, instead, think that there’s no teacher like necessity and hard work. As for my turf, before the plague, it was split in dozens of small countries eternally at war between them.”
“So you are a horrible ruler as well. The food is good, though.” Scarlett said moving to a juicy steak.
“I’m no ruler.” Zagran snarled. “If people abuse their freedom, is none of my business. They are all adults who either ignore their responsibilities or fail to keep in check those they have chosen to make important decisions in their stead.
“What’s the point in free will if it has no consequences?” She showed another hologram depicting how all those too weak or stupid to survive had been wiped out by the plague.
The survivors of Jiera depicted in the images were slowly and painfully learning to put aside their differences, be them about their respective races, homelands, and personal beliefs.
At the same time, the people living in the other continents of Mogar had destroyed all their own so-called “deterrent weapons”. After seeing what happened when a single idiot pulled the trigger, the people had started to fear their politicians more than the enemies.
“Ripple effect, huh?” Scarlett said, obtaining a nod in reply.
“One last question before going to bed.” Suddenly, the huge responsibility weighing on her shoulders gave the Sekhmet a massive headache, making even the voices feel like a pleasant distraction.
“If white cores are cut off from Mogar’s will, then why do they get summoned as well during tribulations? What’s the point in showing them important events if Mogar has no control over them?”
“Because white cored people are still engrained in the world energy. They are the apex of their race and the closest thing to a Guardian that a living being can become. In a way, you can consider their potential akin to that of a whole race comprised by a single person.” The Garuda said.
“White cored people are usually individuals that cause one of the ripples or that develop their skills because of it, making the change reverberate through time without stopping. Even those who achieve their white core simply due to their outstanding talent, like Baba Yaga, can produce a ripple just like Guardians do.
“She altered the balance of Mogar by creating the undead race, replacing those too weak or conceited in the natural order of things. Mogar summons the white cores during important tribulations to let them know that a change is about to happen.
“The light pillars that appear every time an Eldritch, a new race, or a tribulation happens aren’t just a light show, but the milestone of a new power. It’s the duty of the old ones to adapt or be replaced. No one is indispensable.”
“A race comprised of a single person? Isn’t that exactly what Lith is now?” Scarlett replied.
“No, it’s different. Lith is the name that he received from his human mother while Tiamat is that Mogar bestowed upon him. He will spawn Demons just like you will spawn Sekhmets. You two will be able to pass down your powers to your respective heirs.
“A white cored individual, instead, is someone who has reached a state of individual evolution due to achieving enlightenment. Their powers and abilities are not passed down to their offspring.
“This and the fact that a white core cannot be influenced by Mogar is the reason why they don’t receive a pillar.” Zagran said.
“I’m sorry, but your explanation doesn’t apply to the white cored Lich. What ripple can possibly cause someone like Aylen who spends centuries holed up in her lab?” The Sekhmet felt drowsy, but her curiosity was stronger.
“Do you know that she’s the Maker of all Liches?” The Garuda said while dismissing the waiters and pouring Scarlett a glass of Red Dragon.
“Maker?” She echoed.
“Her children aren’t born as Liches because reaching such state requires a mana crystal, but they are still born as hybrids whose mana core can freely turn into a blood core and back, making it easy to split.” Zagran replied.
