Convergence (The Beginning after the End, #5)

by TurtleMe

“However, knowledge without understanding is but a sword stuck in its sheath.

“Mm, you always seem to come back alive anyway,” she shrugged, focusing her attention back on Sylvie.

Was telling them the right decision? What did they think of me now? Did they still think of me as their son, or would they inevitably grow distant…?

Poor Art

I turned around, my chest aching and my head throbbing with an intensity I had never experienced before. Humans… no matter how powerful we had the potential to be, we were still so fragile.

“Arthur, please. Your expression is frightening—unbecoming of someone as kind-hearted as you. I cannot begin to understand the gravity of the battles that lie ahead of you,” she said, “but do not fall back to your old ways. As you well know, the deeper you go into that pit, the harder it will be to climb back out.”

“I’ve always found it amusing, the preconceptions people have about age and intelligence: The older someone is, the more wisdom he or she should possess, and the more intelligent someone is, the more logical he or she should be. Pair those two traits up, and the intelligent senior should be cold, calculating, shrewd… don’t you agree?”

“As I was saying, emotion—the heart—constantly clashes against things like validity, efficiency, utility… anything logical. That’s what gets us hurt or even killed, yet we can’t seem to help it. It lessens us as individuals, but makes us greater as a group.”

So don’t dwell on the ‘what if’s—let’s just try to accept what’s happening around us.”

My body still trembled, but whether it was from the lethal wound in my chest, the excitement of my future prospects, or the anticipation of being under skilled mentors, I couldn’t say. I had a feeling it was a mixture of all three.

His eagerness is contagious.

I didn’t want to stoop to his level by being offended, but I had to admit the boy seemed to have a knack for pissing people off.

I’d never had the chance to indulge in this feeling—this satisfying sense of victory over a cocky kid when the adult unexpectedly sided with me.

Arthur is finally acting his age.

As I taught him, I constantly felt a sense of excitement, awe, and pride welling up, emotions that I did not even feel toward myself.

This arrogant brat. If it weren’t for the restrictions Kordri had placed on me, I would’ve painted the grass with his blood and tears.

He's totally pissed.

While I wouldn’t normally condone bullying, especially not someone younger than myself, as I looked down at the sorry state of the brat, I gave a satisfied grin. “Goodnight.”

“The control over time, aevum; the authority over space, spatium; and the influence over all living components, vivum,” Myre recited. “These are the three components that make up aether.”

“The best treatment for an injury is to prevent it from happening in the first place. So if you don’t want me to injure you, prevent it.”

Now, strip and resume battle.”

Poor Arthur lol

I know it wasn’t the best course of action, but there are people I consider more important than anyone else, including myself.”

Well, familial bonds and mates are important, even for asu⁠—” “Wait, what? ‘Mate’? Tess isn’t a mate.” “Oh? From what Windsom told me, and judging by your reaction, I was sure that her importance to you went beyond mere infatuation. You two haven’t yet engaged in carnal intimacy?” “No! I haven’t engaged in… Look, this is beside the point, Wren.” I could feel my face beginning to burn as the asura pondered his miscalculation.

I'd never think that "mate" would be used in this novel lol

“It is my selfishness as your grandfather that makes me want to keep you safe and away from harm, regardless of how much of an asset you may be in battle.”

Virion takes best supporting character.

“You describe him as if he’s some all-powerful, inhumanly charismatic hotshot without a single flaw.”

A hill of corpses loomed high above us, and a lone man sat atop it. His arms rested on the hilt of a thin, teal sword. It shone dimly beneath a coating of blood, apparently from the body of the orc the sword was embedded in. Scattered around the foot of this mountain of carcasses were more bodies—orcs and gnolls—some frozen, some burned, others simply bisected.

He wasn’t even staring directly at me, yet I could feel the pressure of his domineering presence weighing down on my very soul. Every fiber in my body screamed at me to run away, to get as far as possible from this man.

Then she uttered a single word that left me more overwhelmed than the man sitting on top of the mountain of corpses. “Art?”

Tousled, shoulder-length auburn hair contrasted with his bright eyes, which seemed composed—casual, almost—even in this situation.

Tessia and Arthur stared at each other for a brief moment, and I thought I even saw him give a faint smile, but neither of them approached the other.

“Jealousy is what you feel when you worry someone will take something you possess. Envy is longing after something someone else has.”

Nice to meet you, and thank you for taking care of my friend. I know she can be quite a handful.”

Without the blood covering most of his face, it was safe to say Arthur was indeed the enemy of all single men. His features were sharp, but not overly so, with a subtle charm that went beyond just the textbook standard of ‘handsome.’ His reddish-brown hair was long, as if he hadn’t gotten a proper trim in years, but it only served to highlight the untamed, wild quality he had about him.

“It’s been a while, Tess,” Arthur finally said. “I missed you.”

Ugh my heart

Art’s warm hand gently touched my arm, and part of me marveled at how large it was. I had known him since he was shorter than me, but now, the simple touch of his palm filled me with a sense of safety. I felt… protected.

“Take care of her until I return.”

AAAHHH