Of Heroes And Villains (Book 4) by Julius St. Clair

received a report in a while.”
    “They haven’t called an official meeting in months,” Arimus sighed. “I believe that a few of the ten are meeting in secret to discuss the future of the Order.”
    “Oh, that sounds wonderful.”
    “They are quite crafty.”
    “That they are,” James yawned. “You sure you’re okay with the exposure route? We can go stealth if you like.”
    “No. No. Not at all. We can get everything done quicker this way. You have your eidolon taking notes?”
    “Yes I do,” James said proudly. He didn’t reveal the palms of his hands, but he knew Arimus trusted him. Arimus nodded and took a step forward, toward the heart of the forest.
    “At least this way we can continue talking,” his mentor said. James followed right behind him. “Tell me, do you feel that if you were in charge of making life-threatening decisions, you would become a better Sage?”
    “I already told you,” he grunted, leaping over a cluster of thick roots. “I’m not even sure if I am a Sage at this point.”
    “Well, would making those kind of decisions help?”
    “I have no idea. Not that I’m itching to make them.”
    “They are necessary in the heat of battle, but it’s still a gut reaction. Nothing wise about it.”
    “What are you saying?”
    “That it’s not the quick decisions that determine how wise you are. For example, you chose exposure. It might seem like the best plan at the time. But for all we know, we could be walking right into a trap. Perhaps the Quietus have gotten stronger than you over the years, or they have gotten better at their stealth. What did you base this entire decision on? Just the fact that we can do it quickly, and that you can ‘observe’ with your eidolon while they are observing us. That is all. It is very risky.”
    “So…,” James trailed off, beginning to sweat. “It was a bad call?”
    “The future will let us know,” Arimus replied with a grin that James couldn’t see.
    “Then what makes me wise?”
    “You must train yourself to become tuned into the world around you. You must go beyond observing. You must understand why something is the way it is. You will quickly find that there is nothing being performed without reason. Everything we see, hear, feel, touch and smell, are results and consequences—decisions made by our ancestors. Decisions that we are still feeling the result of today. You must think long term, James. Not just the immediate. Of course, this is harder than it seems, because there will be times in which you only have a split second to make that decision. However, if you train yourself. If you steel yourself and learn, it will get easier.”
    “Is this what you came up with in your spare time?” James chuckled.
    “I would be lying if I said that Ashalynn and I didn’t spend long nights deep in conversation. Since I don’t have to worry about the Kingdom as much, I have time to dwell on matters. It has been very soothing. I realized that whether you act or not, a decision is always made. But they don’t have to be. You can know, in almost every situation, what the right course of action is. Don’t just act on whims. Remember that in the face of opposition, a person’s first inkling is to run. That’s how people are destroyed.”
    “It sounds really hard.”
    “Just keep practicing. Understand that what you say and do has long lasting effects on everyone. You can only become wise through practice, and practice comes through a willingness to strive for more, and at times, sacrifice. You may not think of yourself as a Sage now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t act like one.”
    “Hmm,” James considered his mentor’s words as they continued walking. Arimus brushed his hand against the bark of one of the trees he passed.
    “It’s amazing how quickly they healed and regrew from the damage we caused.”
    “Hopefully, they won’t be damaged again,” James replied.
    “Picking up anything?”
    “Nothing. No wildlife. No