Chapter 7  Trial of the Sapphire Warrior

 

“Pépére… I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

 

Many years ago, during the Deportation of the Acadians from Nova Scotia, the Glaive of Ceruleus and the Cards were hidden by the Poirier family. The weapons were lost for generations… until Saphir’s long dead grandfather came to him in a dream, and revealed their location. Saphir never knew if it was truly his grandfather who told him, or some other being just taking the form of his grandfather… but it didn’t matter. He had the weapons… he became the Sapphire Warrior for the Poirier family…

 

And now… his grandfather is standing in front of him… and the conversation is not going all that well…

 

“I am telling you… that you have betrayed your heritage… betrayed your family.”

 

“But…how?”

 

“You have associated yourself with murderers. A school full of children… a single eight year old girl in a church… any number of people in an office supply store… they are evil… and you have taken the side of evil.”

 

“No…” Saphir shakes his head, “no… they’re not evil. They’ve done more good in the last two years than our family has done since the Deportation! Sure… they’ve made some mistakes… but they are good people!”

 

“YOU HAVE BETRAYED YOUR FAMILY!”

 

“NO!”

 

“YES!”

 

The old man circles round Saphir, his wrinkled face is angry.

 

“The Poirier family stood for honour, and respect. Our weapons and powers were used for the betterment of the world! At least... it did until you came along. Now... now we are nothing... our Sapphire Warrior collaborates with the enemy.”

 

“You have to understand... Pépére... they’re not evil! They have helped me do more good than I could ever have done without them.”

 

“Does the honour of your family mean nothing to you?”

 

“It means a great deal to me...” Saphir stares right at the old man, looking directly into his eyes... “If my family has a problem with the good that I’m doing... then it is they whom have betrayed the family name.”

 

The old man looks shocked...

 

“You... DARE... to insult your family in such a manner!?”

 

“If they think that I am dishonouring them by saving the world over and over again, then I’ll insult them as much as I want! See... they’re being REALLY STUPID! I was raised hearing the stories of the Poirier who negotiated the first peace treaty between the demons and humans in Canada. I’ve heard stories of the Poirier who fought against the Undead army during the Children’s War. Stories about the Poirier who lead the attacks against the demonic armies used by the American government during the War of Eighteen Twelve.

 

And I get a great amount of satisfaction from the knowledge that, one day, my descendants will hear stories about me... the Poirier who fought against Joseph and his Apocolypse Incorporate company... the Poirier who risked his life to defend the Earth from the God Jove. And there are a hundred other stories that will be told of me... of the good deeds that I have done... and each story will tell how it was only through my work with the Dragoon Warriors that I was able to do so much!

 

If I am defying the will of my family... if I am bringing dishonour upon my name... then I welcome it... because if I had worried about honour, I wouldn’t have been able to do the things I’ve done.”

 

The old man backs off. He takes a couple of steps away from Saphir, and looks him over, curiously...

 

“You would bring shame upon your entire family... rather than give up ties to this group?”

 

“I would rather know that I was able to help a lot of people, than be stuck worrying about my family honour.”

 

“Even if it means innocent people will die... sometimes needlessly at the hands of your so called friends?”

 

“Hey... if I thought I could save every single person on this planet... if I could make it so nobody had to die because of the acts of evil men... if I could somehow find a way that people did not have to be sacrificed for the greater good... I’d gladly do it that way. But, as it is, when you’re talking about saving the entire human race... sometimes people get sacrificed... and sometimes they die needlessly. It’s just how it works when you’re not limiting your concern to as small a place as just Nova Scotia.”

 

A smile spreads across the old man’s face...

 

“I believe... that your family would be proud of you. Congratulations, Ryan Poirier... Sapphire Warrior of the Poirier family. You have passed your trial...”

 

His grandfather fades from view. As Saphir looks around through the white Plane, he sees Justin staring at him.

 

“Were you watching that the whole time?”

 

Justin shakes his head...

 

“No... I just caught the end of it. I was having a nice talk with Joseph.”

 

“Well... this place is just lovely, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah... we should plan our next vacation here... relive all those past mistakes we never want to think about again...”

 

“Speaking of mistakes... where’s Brad?”

 

Justin nods off behind Saphir, who turns to see Brad... but no the Brad he knows... this Brad is old... very old... like, over a hundred. He can only barely stand... he’s leaning against something, which they cannot see, for support.

 

They do, however, see the young girl talking to him...

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

“So... yeah... that’s pretty much everything that’s happened since you died.”

 

Crystal is sitting right next to Ryan on the desk now. Her fingers are intertwined with his...

 

“That’s quite a story... you killed a lot of people to find information about me.”

 

“Yeah... I did.”

 

“Did you really torture some of them... like that last librarian?”

 

“Yup... flaming hand on his chest...”

 

“And... you still think that you’re a good guy?”

 

Ryan laughs...

 

“You know as well as anybody... I’ve never claimed to be a good guy. I’m just a man doing a job.”

 

“Ryan... would it really be so bad? We can be together...”

 

He doesn’t respond... he just turns his head away from her.

 

The thing is, he’s considering it. He did everything he could to try and save her... but he failed. Now, he’s getting a second chance to have what he lost. He could be with her... for as long as he wants... and all it would cost is the lives of a few unworthy humans. She’s a god... a real, live god... powerful... she can give him everything he would want... as a matter of fact, she can give him the only thing he really wants.

 

He owes it to her... doesn’t he? She gave him power... his magics... lightning, fire, ice...

 

Doesn’t he owe her something... his service is a small price to pay. Is it really that far of a stretch? She’s right... it’s not like he hasn’t killed people without reason... there are quite a few people whom have died because of him... more than most people even realize.

 

And, what’s that phrase... ‘peace through tyranny’. If Jove rules the world, there will be a united front against all the demons and other various evils that want to try and wreak havoc. He could lead the charge against all the evils that threaten the human race... he could become something which he never dreamed possible... a hero.

 

Jove could give him the power he would need... and all he has to do is help her rid the world of the unworthy. He’s done worse... at least there’d be an actual reason to kill these people...

 

And then there’s the whole thing about it being Crystal...

 

And all it would take is for him to switch sides...

 

Not really all that great a cost...