Shadow

Sensei, Part 2

Ashkiri Temple

"Yes." Sensei responded. "Shadow, you and I know that you will win the fight. He could have just made you Shadow but you need to know and understand the cost and value of your ascension and you said it yourself, nothing short of permanent death will make me retire.

The same can be said about Master Dusan al Ghul and he wants you to finish what you started. You are the second man to bring him to death's door after his father and the only man who he truly needed saving from.

Before you arrived, Master Dusan's goal was to be better than his father in every way and to one day seek and challenge him to a duel for control of the League of Assassins. It just so happened that you arrived a day before he went to Nanda Parbat to issue his challenge.

After your arrival, Master Dusan decided to postpone the challenge and focus on training you. When you almost killed us and afterwards surpassed his expectations and began to make suggestions to make the Guild better, he found someone better than his father and it wasn't himself.

You've proven to be better than Master Dusan and before you arrived he was certainly better than his father in every way except maybe one, since they never fought after he left the League of Assassins to forge his own path.

Now that Master Dusan's father is gone and his chosen successor never intended to become Ra's al Ghul and gave up his right to lead the League of Assassins to live a normal life, Master Dusan doesn't have much to live for but one final battle, a battle every warrior wishes for when thinking about retirement.

True warriors don't die of old-age in their beds; they die in battle against a worthy challenger who will become a legend in their own right. When a legend falls another rises."

Qaramzi el Zal began to understand why Dusan al Ghul wanted him to shadow the new Ra's al Ghul before their duel. Dusan kept a very close eye on his father and the League, it was most definitely one of the reasons the Guild was still unknown to the League and at least a step ahead.

And now he wanted Qaramzi el Zal to shadow Ra's al Ghul Malcolm Merlyn to learn everything he could before their duel so that he too could be at least a step ahead of the current Ra's and the League.

"I understand." Qaramzi el Zal said, truly understanding. "What I don't understand (he came close to Sensei and whispered) is why you haven't told your grandson the truth. Why you would rather die with him without telling him that you're his grandfather, Ra's al Ghul. لا تموت كرجل مليء بالندم. *Do not die as a man full of regret*"

With that, Qaramzi el Zal left a frozen Sensei in his private training room, wondering how he knew that he was the Ra's al Ghul who preceded the late Ra's al Ghul and was also his father and Dusan al Ghul, Talia al Ghul and Nyssa al Ghul's paternal grandfather.

John Digger's House

John Digger watched his sleeping daughter in her equally sleeping mother's arms on a sofa from the doorway of the living room and he couldn't help the peace he felt in his heart.

They were his light in the dark world he sought to make better for them and he couldn't imagine what he would have done if he lost them and if Sara and he lost Lyla, but Oliver made it possible for him to feel the despair of losing her and he didn't know if he would ever forgive him for that.

But now wasn't the time for such thoughts, they were safe and Lyla already informed John that Sara needed nappies and he intended to buy them and return before they wake up. He wanted to be the best husband and father he could be, after all.

Laurel Lance's Car

Stuck in traffic, Laurel Lance took the time to think about her relationship with her father. Since he helped the team save the city, and Oliver, she knew that she got through to him, at least for now, but since he relapsed Laurel intended to help him sober up again, hence the Police Department was her destination.

With Felicity and Oliver no longer around, she knew that they, John, Ray, Thea and Laurel, needed Quentin's cooperation and assistance to protect Starling and for that to happen he needed to be sober to be able to keep his job and position.

Aside from that, Laurel needed her father and she wasn't going to lose him to alcohol, not after Sara died. And so she planned to take advantage of Quentin's will to stay sober early to ensure he doesn't relapse again.

Ashkiri Temple

Although there was still the question of how Qaramzi el Zal knew about his true identity, Sensei found himself knocking on Dusan's bedroom door. And when he was let it, he closed the door and stilled himself.

"We need to talk, Master Dusan." Sensei said, not willing to die as a man full of regret.

"Yes, we need to talk, الأب الكبير. *grandfather*" Dusan al Ghul agreed, surprising Sensei. "Don't be so surprised that I know. You took me in after I left Nanda Parbat and the League all those decades ago, and you furthered my training and shared with me secrets only a Ra's al Ghul would know.

Your counsel is why the Guild managed to stay unknown to the League and the world even as we began to embrace modern life and technology. You are the reason we stayed off the grid before we came here, freed Enchantress and brought her under our control.

I always sensed there was more to you than a well informed illusionist and martial artist from Vienna but it wasn't until Qaramzi el Zal almost killed us that I found out.

Let's just say genetics leave quite a clear trace and the fact that the Lazarus Pool water didn't work on you until the ritual made things clear.

Thank you for what you've done for me, without you I wouldn't have surpassed my father where it mattered and a legacy to leave behind."

Dusan closed with a deep respectful bow, one of a student thanking his master and Sensei returned it, feeling like he finally redeemed himself from all that he's done, especially what he did to force his son to join the League of Assassins and become his heir and successor.