22 the VEIL of TRANSITUS (1/2)
”You're late, again!” shouted Kayzar almost grunting, standing up to greet her sister which he spotted from afar. He is in a small patch of forest within the Nilad Plains, south of the Palace. He's been sharpening his twenty-piece dagger set in order to escape boredom which he hurriedly abandoned seeing the glimpse of her on the horizon only to find out that she's just walking, taking her sweet time, to get to him. This frustrated him even more since he's been there for more than an hour.
”I'm sorry,” she said catching up on him, flinching as she grabbed her left arm with a tightly wounded kerchief. ”I didn't think I would end up rather preoccupied this morning.”
”Are you wounded?” he asked concerned as soon as he saw a dab of blood escaping the kerchief's end.
”It's nothing. I'm fine. I fell off the stairs. It's nothing really.”
”You fell?” he said snickering to the idea, ”A Daomagar fell from the stairs and got wounded? Really? Do you really think I'm that daft?”
”Shut up,” she shouted mad pushing him as he tried to get near to look at the wound, ”It's nothing. We're behind schedule. I have so much to do so let's just focus on my promise and be done with this already.”
He knows blood. He can smell it. He doesn't know why but he can. This peculiar innate ability appeared when he was just a child and it gradually intensified making him literally locate any injured person bleeding out near him. This secret hidden skill, that only he and Karus has, gave him the chills making him anxious and nauseated whenever he's in close proximity to any injured person. This unpleasant feeling of disgust transformed into fixation, and that in turn made him fear it.
His fear of its lasting smell made him proficient in detecting it in his enemies. He came up using pins and daggers laced with poisons just so he can neutralize his opponent's movements without resorting to a bloody and tiresome encounter.
He knows he needs to get rid of it to feel better. The sooner he rids off that nocuous smell that affects both his mental and emotional state, the better it is for him to stay and focus all his attention to her sister.
He smiled and pulled his knapsack. If she doesn't want to tell what happened, it's probably humiliating so he left her be. It's not a good thing to get on her bad side, with her arm punching attitude and all. He pulled a small vial on the side and threw it to her fast which she caught on quickly.
”Just pay me back at the north,” Kayzar smiled successfully hiding his stifling frustration on her wound.
”Good luck with that,” she laughed as she applied the White Angel Solution to her large wound, ”Mother froze my bullions for having shady deals in the black market. You might have to get her permission for you to access my account.”
”That's what you get for sneaking into places you shouldn't be. You are a Princess after all. Being there would besmirch the Limor House.”
Liv just smiled. She wanted to berate him that she doesn't care besmirching the Limor House, but she knows better. Artemus has been a glowing example of nobility and honor in the House of Limor and although his brother Sarram and his sister Prodea, together with almost all of their known relatives, have been tarnishing the name of Limor longer than she is, generalizing all of the Limors to be selfish, petty, and rude is unwise. She respects her stepfather Artemus, who treats her like his own, so she doesn't want to get out of line. After all, her stepbrothers are kind, generous and polite noble princes fit for their titles too. She doesn't want to add harm and make them feel any worse than what they have already suffered from their immediate relative's hands.
”You ready?” Kayzar posed snapping Liv to attention.
”Yes!” she shouted now feeling alive and well. She stepped back ten feet making sure he's paying attention and then continued, ”Now what I'm about to tell you Kayzar is top secret. Are you sure you want to continue? Because if you do, then there's no turning back.”
Kayzar's blood rushed with excitement hearing these words. He nodded enthusiastically as he moved slowly a little closer putting all his attention to her. Liv pulled her hands in front of her stopping her from getting near and then she continued.
”I want you to know that from all our brothers you are the most special. You're one of those, what they call, fast learners here in Nagozul. Actually, you are practically the fastest fast-learner given your current state.”
”Tell me something I don't already know,” he smirked almost impatient.
”Why do you think is that?”
”It's because I have Wind as an innate element making my special personal attribute to become twice as attentive as other people. Are you going to lecture me on basic stuff or are you going to reveal your secret?”
”Patience brother.” She moved away further three steps and pulled her long special pitch-black dagger. She then twirled drawing a perfect circle around her.
”Is that a summoning circle you're writing?” he posed seeing her write obscure markings in the earth.
”What do you think it is?” she smiled waiting for his reply which confused Kayzar even more.
”It looks like you are trying a summoning circle. But the markings are all weird, almost as if it is from the ancient times. The characters are completely unreadable and unrecognizable.”
”Why do we write summoning circles in the earth again?” she asked while writing a complicated series of markings.
Kayzar grew annoyed of the basic questions she's been throwing at her. He knows she's just buying time etching on the ground, but he humored her anyway. ”We write a formal request to Mother Earth for her powers so as to grant our spirit the energy to awaken her, summoning her might, directing all her energies to our will.”
”Ah! But are we really borrowing Mother Earth's powers?”
Kayzar's face revealed a slight irritation with Liv's elementary questions but still, he responded, ”No, we are borrowing Bathala's spirit. Since the rivers of life underneath the earth contains some of Bathala's spirit, we have associated Earth as an entity having a vessel and a soul like us mortals. We called this entity our Mother for she nurtured us to live here in her bountiful lands which Bathala has provided for us.”
”Exactly,” she replied moving away from the circle almost happy.
”Where are you getting at here?”
”Just get in the circle,” she commanded jumping away to avoid ruining the etched markings on the ground, ”I've spent hundreds of hours practicing that painstakingly hard summoning circle.”
He hesitantly walked towards her and then jumped to get right in the middle of the circular art, carefully placing himself without ruining the markings that she made.
”Now what?”
Liv pulled a small shiny silver pearl bead in her jacket. She knelt praying something in the old tongue and then easily squished the lovely pearl she is holding like a dried-up walnut.
The runic circle just blinked a faint light for three times and then there was nothing. Kayzar stood there still confused with what's going on till he burst out asking.
”Hey! What are we doing here again?”
”It is complete,” she whispered standing up, ”Now we can begin.”
”Begin what? What's with the failed attempt for a summoning?”
”You'll soon find out.”
Kayzar grew ever anxious seeing her keeping information from him. He was about to say something, but he was interrupted.
”So! The top secret! You ever wondered why you and your brothers can become both Nagozulian and Daomagarian all at the same time?”
”Really? Another question?”
”It's rhetorical now. Try and keep up.”
Kayzar just scoffed now getting really annoyed but she just let her continue.
”You can possess the powers of both Nagozul and Daomagar because something weird is in your blood. This is why you are being trained in secret by your father. In your blood lies the hope of Bathala's lands in the future...”
”The prophecy...” he interrupted knowing fully where she's going at.
She paused for a bit smiling devilishly seeing Kayzar beating her to her point. ”So, you know about this prophecy?”
”Yes,” he smirked lying, securing an understanding that they both know the same thing, thinking she might divulge more information on that premise later on.
”Well that will shorten up my time to discuss things to you... So, you know about your Yagisivian blood too?”
Kayzar was surprised hearing those words from her. He tried his best to hide his shock, but Liv's surprisingly great observation skills managed to read him through like a book.
”I guess that's a no. Well... No matter. It is the only logical reason why you five have the powers of Nagozul and Daomagar. Nagozul's bloodline does not mix well with Daomagar's, so the only logical assumption as to why is it so is that you five have been born with a mixture of blood coming from Yagisiv Haya.”
”That's impossible! We have no Yagisivian Relatives! And even so, father is a Nagozulian and mother is a direct descendant of Daomagar. There's no way.”
”True. But King Dogal a thousand years ago is from the Limor House.”
”King Dogal? But he doesn't have any brother or sister?”
”Correct again. But who knows? No one really knows that because they are literally stripped from the family tree. The seers made sure of that as they burned all available records pertaining their lineage. They even tried to cover-up history as if the great Elven Rebellion never happened, describing his rule as a peaceful and bountiful age.”
Kayzar smiled as if laughing, ”Because of that historical alteration, the commoners now knows that the Elven Rebellion is a myth and just a story. I find it funny that the seers can do almost all things possible to spin the truth and make the impossible possible, and vice versa, thinking that they're saving a lot of people the trouble of grief and all that gloom. That makes me laugh every time.”
”And also,” Liv added, ”let's not forget that some secret journals have insinuated that Dogal's first commandment after being King prohibits any member not related to their direct line to live inside the Palace, so no one can verify if he indeed had a child. Maybe his Yagisivian blood became recessive that it only appeared today to your father and in turn to you five.”
”Recessive? What's that?”
”It's a thing in a theory about offsprings that's so complicated you wouldn't understand even if I try. Let's just say it lied dormant in your blood only to be awakened in your generation.”
”Have you been reading Dal'Gur's medical journals?”
”Well yes... But that's not the point here! The point here is that because of your special blood and your special innate element, you, Kayzar, possess the most powerful utilization of Yagisiv Haya's Concentration Abilities. Because of the amplification of your innate Wind element, you have the most potential in being the greatest from you five.”
”The Pilfering Eye,” Kayzar murmured growing shock trying to absorb her every word.
”Right on point Kayzar. Impressive as always, you really know your Yagisivian history in spite of your humiliating grade marks in your studies at the Palace.”
”Yes... I can only grasp an inkling of the idea because of the limited supply of Yagisivian texts on the Palace's library. We know the Yagisivians have many powerful eye techniques that they use in combat but because they have been so secretive with their skills, we can only name a few. The Pilfering Eye gave me quite an impression, but I really don't know its extent.”
”There is none,” she replied almost happy with excitement, ”You can mimic the moves of the people around you and seize it to become yours. It only requires one to focus and devote their full concentration on the person performing the technique and then they can capture anything! Anything! And since you are a Wind Blower with an Amplifyer that amplifies concentration, you can become anything!”
Kayzar smiled wide with this idea. He always wondered why Narra is so persistent in making sure he is attentive in every technique he's performing. Now he knows why. Narra knows that they are mixed with Yagisivian blood and tries very hard to conceal it from them. They have been activating the Pilfering Eye subconsciously the whole time. This made him chuckle a bit now figuring why he's the only one mastering all Daomagarian Skills without any single effort while they push hard to continuously learn everything in countless sets of repetition, especially Reus who's been too impossible. Narra's been harshly training them four to activate the Pilfering Eye subconsciously so that they can adapt to every life and death situation. That's why he's been pushing them too hard to the brink of death by exhaustion. Now he knows a part of their father's plan and what they can do in the future.
”I've got to tell this to Karus!” he shouted now revealing his both excited and concerned face, ”I've got to tell this great news!”
”Unfortunately,” Liv stopped frowning with her happy face diminishing slowly, ”you can't.”
”Why not!?”
”You see, while you are in that circle, all of the things that I have said, that you heard, can never reach any other ear aside from me.”
”What!? Well that's...”
”If you do try,” she said continuing, ”Your body will be torn apart and will be reduced to nothingness. A silent implosion if you will.”
”WHAT!?” he angrily shouted jumping back a few feet away from her and the apparent cursed summoning circle.
”Well I have to tell you that in order to teach you the Shadow Step and the Phantom Bite. It is top secret information that only a few selected souls know about and I don't really have the clearance to divulge the information, let alone know it.”
”I appreciate the talk, Ate-Liv, but I don't really follow the reason why you would sacrifice killing me in order to do that! You could've just trusted me! I would've done anything!”
”Exactly! I asked if you would be ready to do anything to acquire my special skills and you answered yes so you don't have no right to scream at me like a little girl after I have made some painstakingly impossible measures just so that I can reveal that information to you without compromising you and our brother's security or your path as one of the Chosen Ones. You should really be thanking me!”
”Chosen One? What does that mean!?”
”I have said too much,” Liv paused with serious eyes, ”Either get inside the circle and let me teach the techniques or you could go home to the north. Your choice. Either way, I'll understand and respect your decision.”
Kayzar's eyes that are being lit with fury eased up as he moved closer to her and into the center of the summoning circle once more. He knows there's nothing he can do but to learn the technique now that he's under her enchantment. There's no reason to fight her in this situation, after all she just wants to protect him and his brothers - that he is sure of - so he calmed down and smirked trying to give her the signal to continue.
”Now pay close attention...”
Liv stepped gently to the left and then disappeared. It is broad daylight and what she did is practically impossible to copy, he thought. She just disappeared as if ripping the space and then closing it all the way again giving off an effect as if the space became a moving blanket eating her whole body into nothingness. Kayzar tilted his head analyzing what happened and then, after a few seconds, she appeared again on the same spot as if she didn't even move at all.
”So, that is the Shadow Step... the one used by the Notorious Yiv.”
”Yes, we've traded some secret thing in the black market. And this is what he gave me in return from his humongous debt.”
Kayzar just smiled as if without confidence to her statement. She just ignored it and continued.
”Did you see what happened?”
”No. I didn't...”
”Focus all your attention to me. To my every outline. To my every move. To my every shadow.” And with that she disappeared again and reappeared three seconds later a further left.
”You see anything?”
”No,” he whispered quite hesitant and slightly humiliated, ”All I see is a sudden slight vibration from all of your body giving off a slight increase in air pressure all around your location.”
”Exactly! Now you're catching up.”
”What is it? Tell me the nature, the core principles, and I will master it.”
”When trying the shadow step, you must focus all your body to vibrate fast performing the Great Dash, applying it to every minute particle in your body. This should be done to a certain level of frequency so as to place your vessel in the void, between this physical realm and the spiritual realm, making you an Immortal Spectreunbound to the normal chronological placement of this world.”
”WHAT!? Liv? Seriously? Where's this technical talk coming from?”
”Hey!” she shouted almost grumpy, ”Don't try mocking me for reading Dal'Gur's Scientific Journals. Because of his works I can try explaining this to you without actually making you do it till it kills you for you to feel what is expected for you to do this.”
”Okay, okay. Jeez, I'm really not used to you spouting weird jargons.”
”Well, he's the one who proved our techniques with his weird mathematics.”
”Well if that's the case, then it will be really impossible for me to perform it in three obvious reasons.”
Liv was confused crossing her arms followed by furrowed eyebrows awaiting his explanations which he then continued enumerating his argument.
”Number One. I didn't know you can apply the Great Dash to your whole body. Sure, Karus explained it to me that one can apply it to one's limbs to perform numerous skills such as the Thousand Blade Dash like he did on...”
”Wait,” interrupted Liv looking concerned which baffled Kayzar, ”He finally performed the Thousand Blade Dash? They pushed through with that?! That's impossible! Even I can't do that!”
”Seriously? You can't do that? You can do the Shadow Step, but you can't do the Thousand Blade Dash? I thought you could easily apply the Great Dash to every part of your body.”
”Yes. But there are intricacies in the Dashes that hinders people to master every technique. The Shadow Step requires only complete concentration and full control of one's vessel whereas the Thousand Blade Dash requires more. It is necessary to acquire both concentration and an unreasonable amount of energy and muscle force to maneuver his vessel delivering powerful blows while at the same time controlling his vessel not to be torn apart in the process. That's why the Thousand Blade Dash is one of the three most ultimate skills of the Great Daomagar himself. It is really that impossible and only seven have been able to do that in the history of the Holy Lands - the seventh person died in his first try.”
Liv turned to thinking with much worry in her eyes. Kayzar noticed this and asked. ”If it is that so impossible, why are you feeling a bit glum instead of being excited? I for one feel a bit ecstatic ultimately proving that we really are twins. It's like we're one extremely improved mortal separated during childbirth. I'm the fast-learner amped with mind-powers and he's the brute self-powered tank with an endless supply of energy. Together we are unstoppable.”
”Yes. I feel that too. That's why he's dangerous,” she murmured being lost in her thoughts almost forgetting Kayzar.
”What'd you say?”
”Oh. Nothing, please do continue with your dilemma.”