The Western Lake

I can feel it my heart

I can see it in your face

I can feel it my heart

I can see it in your face

over there...

I pulled him back just as he dashed forward, his eyes filled with rage and intent, malintent. As my arms held him back, he frowned, angry, bewildered, like I had committed the most illogical he'd ever witnessed. They questioned me, his eyes did, grey, swirly, just like mine. There was so much to learn, so much more to teach, and yet so little time.

"Why, why."

It was not a question, but a demand. 

I placed a finger on my lips, closed my eyes for a second, looked at him and gestured skyward. Hesitantly he followed. Once we were up above, I could feel his eyes darting back and forth at what was happening and back to me. He needed to know, did he really?

"Master...."

I sighed and looked him in the eye.

"We must just watch."

Rage filled his eyes, a slight tear edged its way past him, I could feel it welling up, angry, sad, conflicted. 

"You're going to just watch and, and do nothing?! What's come over you?"

"Nothing. This is just how it must be. Tonight, for once, it must be as such."

"Your'e going to let this happen? It cannot be so simple a descison that such madness would come from it. They will destroy h....."

"And so they will, Merkain, and it will not be the last. Our purpose is to watch, to maintain..."

"How can you speak of purpose? How can you when you let such things happen? You could've done something tonight, you could've and yet you did nothing, and made me watch, me. How can you speak of purpose after what happened to her, after you just let her....."

The grey in the my eyes vanished as it turned dark to draw him in as I looked into him in warning.

"Never, never, mention her." 

He was terrfied and he should've been.

"I am sorry, I did not think." 

"You are young Merkain and that can destroy you if you let it. Tonight...We're meant to outlast everything, there are times when we must, we must simply, watch. To endure Merkain, that is our purpose."

I patted his shoulder as he tried to understand amidst the bloodcurdling screams and cries for mercy.