The Wrong Road Part 1 Through 16

The Wrong Road Taken Part 10

Stepping to the front, and center of the stage, I closed my eyes waiting for the inevitable to happen.
Standing there sobbing with tears running down my cheek, I stood waiting.
A second later I felt a hand on my shoulder turning me around.
When my eyes opened, I found myself staring into Asahi's face.

Taking me by my arm, he led me away from the stage towards the rear exit.
In a daze Asahi led me out of the tent, and into the back yard.
Pulling a pair of overstuffed cushions from a couple of chairs.
We sat crossed legged facing each other.

"Luke what troubles you, why are you willing to throw away this gift that nature has given you?
There is so much talent within you it's hard to envision anybody voluntarily asking to be blocked."

"Asahi don't you see what I have done, I and I alone was responsible for the death of another.
This is something I can not live with.
It's better if I don't have this ability, that way I could never again hurt another.
As it is I will never lose the sight of Sylvia as she lay upon the table, the life gone from her body."

"Luke Sylvia made up her mind that you were not fit to be a member of this group, and as such she decided that the way to end this was to prevent you from attaining any amount of skill in the arts was to force a block on you.
In her madness she failed to consider your untrained talent, along with the fact that you, and those on the stage were about to be attacked, an attack that for all appearances was intended to kill you and those atop the stage.

It was your body, and the "water" within you that automatically defended you.
This was not a spell creates by you for the purpose of defending yourself.
If you ask my opinion, you had nothing to do with what happened.
As a matter of fact, if I felt that you had a hand in this or had crafted that spell, my attitude would be entirely different.
In fact I would have led the call for you to be blocked, and expelled from the body of practitioners.
So think about that for a bit."

Sitting there my mind spinning with Asahi's words, I tried my best to fit that into my view of the events that transpired.

Deep in thought, my mind turning over this new train of thought, I did my best to turn this news into something I could use to absolve myself from the burden I now must carry for the rest of my life.
Deep into my self abasement, I was yanked back to the here and now by my name being called.

Turning, I saw Lucretia, Keiko, and Simone and a fourth person behind them walking up the path.
As they came within a few yards of where Asahi and I sat, the fourth person became visible from behind the three, it was Sylvia.
Shocked to my core, my mouth hung open, and my brain decided to freeze solid.
Lucretia, and Keiko sank to the ground sitting on either side of me, and pulling me into a bear hug between them.

"What the fuck is going on, how is this possible, no offense Sylvia but I killed you!"

"Well Luke you can see that I am very much alive.
Although I will admit what you hit me with did hurt like a mother fucker."

"Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on!"
Turning towards Asahi, I spied a smile cross that ancient face.

"Luke do you remember that I told you that everything is a test.
That we were here to not only for you to meet other practitioners, but to see if you were of the right stuff to hold such abilities.
Well this was also a test.
Sylvia volunteered to play the role of scorned practitioner in order to set the mood.
We needed to see how you would handle the worst aspect of unrestrained power we could create.

Sylvia was never in danger, we arranged the entire scene as part of a test.
There was a dozen people there surrounding Sylvia with a shield to protect her from pretty much anything you could throw at her.
As it is what you threw at her was something we had not encountered before.
Even with our massed shield you managed to knock Sylvia unconscious.
Which is why her fake death looked, and felt so realistic.