The Life I Gained From Dying

Chapter 53 - Departure

"I figured you'd come looking for me eventually, but I didn't think it'd be this soon."

"You seem to be getting by just fine." Kaden stated as he watched the old man plant seeds in a garden.

"Just tryna keep myself busy any way I can. Got so much time on my hands now, wish I could give some away."

"Only 'some'? With how long I heard you've been living for, you should be able to give away more than just some."

"Haha! You're only looking at what I had, not what I have. Never mind that, I know you didn't come down here to make small talk with a former elder of Aestus. What's going on?" Alexander asked as he stood up and faced Kaden.

"Former? I thought they said that you were only suspended." Kaden commented.

"Yeah, indefinitely. There are certain... prerequisites they want me to complete before I can regain my seat in the council."

"I'm sure they aren't askin anything too crazy from you."

"No, but I was thinking. I've held my seat for decades now, and during that time, I've seen the village change in many ways, mostly for the better. Something I've come to realize is that when you keep old people around, you get stuck in their old habits. At some point, we have to evolve, and you need the youth for that to be possible. I think Claire understands that perfectly."

"So just like that, you're giving up your seat?" Kaden questioned.

"Yhup, just like that." Alexander answered as he walked through the garden. "Anything else?"

"... You knew that they were going to attack the village?"

"... How would you react if I said I did?" Alex asked while looking back to Kaden.

"..."

"... I didn't know, not until the mixed blood delivered that message."

"Mixed blood... Jayson?"

"I knew that the light source inside of Aestus was the Phoenix, but what could I have done with that information?" Alex stated as he began to walk again, with Kaden following behind him this time.

"You could've warned people that this might happen."

"The Phoenix is the most feared creature amongst these people. How do you think they would've reacted if I told them it was so close all this time? And it isn't like they were going to abandon their home once they found out. People aren't bothered by what they don't know, Mr. Adams "

"That's... fair." Kaden replied after thinking about it.

"I think you're asking the wrong questions here by the way. You should be trying to figure out how did a young person like Kajar found out where the Phoenix was sealed."

"Well, what do you think?"

Alex stopped just before a wooden shed and turned to look at Kaden once more.

"I don't know." 

"Alright, Unc, this has been very helpful." Kaden replied sarcastically. "Thanks for your time."

"Hold on a moment." Alex exclaimed as Kaden was beginning to walk away. "Why are you so interested in all of this now?"

"... In an hour or so, me and a few others are leaving the village to travel to Ventus. The elders are gonna need their help if they even wanna think about retaliating against Ignus."

"Ha! Of course they would."

"Anything you could tell me about Ventus? Anything I might have to watch out for?"