Free The Legendary Warrior (Book 5) by Julius St. Clair Page B

quite noble in their intentions. It’s this Seeker of yours that worries us all. He is to take over your Allayan Order soon enough, and from what I’ve heard whispered in gossip, that will spark the beginning of the apocalypse.”
    “Oh, I believe that whole heartedly,” James laughed. He suddenly stopped at the foreign sound coming from his belly. It had been so long since he had been amused. He had forgotten about his troubles for a moment. “Well,” he said, turning to Shin. “Perhaps there is something to your prescriptions after all.”
    “You Allayans never believe me,” he mused as they caught a glimpse of the Allayan Order headquarters in the distance. There was a small group of villagers heading inside. James turned to Shin.
    “I would like to talk again at some point, if that’s okay with you.”
    “Certainly,” he replied with a small nod in the Sage’s direction. “It was my pleasure.” James let Shin go ahead of him as he decided to stand outside for a little while and let the villagers find their desired seats first. There was no guarantee he could stay long, and he wanted to make sure he could make a quick exit if need be.
    “Ah, this is a first,” Seeker said from behind him, placing a clammy hand on his shoulder. “A Sage attending the Allayan Order’s sermon. My, my. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
    “I hope you’re not the one speaking today, Seeker. Because if you are, I’m going to have to leave.”
    “Oh, no. It’s not really my thing. Although I guess I’m going to have to get used to it if I plan on taking over in the future.”
    “I’m sure you’ll have no problems doing that,” James muttered, remembering how Seeker had rallied the village into accepting Lakrymos as their King over Catherine. “I’m sure you have little problem getting whatever you want.”
    “Don’t be so bitter, Master Sage. At the end of the day, we’re all still Allayans. We must be mindful not to hold grudges against our family members.”
    “Whatever you say,” James grumbled, walking away from him and into the headquarters. The people were already seated and Master Torill, the Order Master, was standing with hands folded before them in the front. He was scanning the crowd, making mental notes of who was there and what problems he may have to address. His eyes stopped for a second on James, but he tried not to draw too much attention to the Master Sage. He continued his scanning as James closed the fragile door behind him. The lights from the candles all around them cast shadows around the room, and the congregation was eerily silent as they sat on the wooden benches in the middle. Although there had only been a small group going inside earlier, it was obvious that many had arrived to the sermon early as it was a full house. James had no choice but to stand.
    “The Sages of Old,” Master Torill said, raising his voice for all to hear. “Or the Sages of Yesterday, if you prefer. Perhaps the Sages of Legend. They have many names, as you can surmise, but regardless of their titles, their mission is clear and unwavering. They desire to lead us all into a greater era in this life and the next. Lakrymos, our esteemed and honored King—he came like a messiah when we needed him most, to save us from the evil Yama, coming to take our souls like the dreadful Thorn. We can find peace and comfort in knowing that the wisdom of Lakrymos is upon us. That he has come back from the dead to lead—”
    James zoned out and closed his eyes, deciding to take a quick rest. He was surprised by how quickly he nodded off, and he actually had to catch himself on the back of the bench in front of him before he fell. The family in front of him turned back to chide him, but then they gasped once they saw who had interrupted their listening. James put a finger to his lips, asking them to be quiet, and they obeyed. The two little girls sitting next to their parents continued looking back at him, but they didn’t