Chapter 5: V
"Wrong! Move a little to the right then move your left foot an inch forward." Gohen instructed with a strict face as he guided me to the proper stance of this routine we've been practicing for a few days.
I have never imagined I would be put in a situation where I would train my body in ways I only read in ancient books and novels.
The moment that I have regained much of my strength, was able to get out of bed, and walk comfortably, Gohen started to wake me up early in the morning and make me jog with him around the territory of the Engleits, the territory that we are staying for now.
After that, he would go and attend his business with the Lord of the Engleits and would have to leave me with Zane, where she would teach me how things work in this world. Then back again to training my body as we do this martial-arts-like training, the one that we are doing right now, in the afternoon.
Night time was usually spent in a lot of book readings as they have to make sure that I cope up with common knowledge and the places that I should take note of.
The next day after that is spent the same except that Zane will be the one who will teach me. What she teaches though is what interests me the most - Spells.
"Good, that's it. Keep that stance for 20 minutes and we'll call it a day." He said as he joined me by doing the same stance under the light of the setting sun.
"Don't forget to take long breaths and feel the energy in your body nourishing your every muscle and bones." I closed my eyes as I tried to exactly do what he had just told. "It's a good way to practice." He added.
If this was a few days ago, I would have laughed at the very idea of feeling energies inside your body. It wouldn't make sense and would sound silly for me. I'm used to living a normal life, after all - a life that is governed with logic and of science.
That was until he showed me what it meant.
They call it "Internalization". Gohen guided me on how to feel the energies flowing in my body by "stimulating" those energies with his energy so that I could feel them first hand. According to him, doing it alone would require some time compared when another practitioner shows how it works.
He would lessen his "stimulation" after each energy completes a cycle, and once I got the hang of it, I can now internalize without the use of outside help.
Zane and Gohen were so startled and amazed at how easy it was for me to sense the energy they were talking about. They have attributed it to my strong Spirit.
Based on how I understand it, the energy flows like how your blood flows in your body, only that it starts at multiple points instead of just the heart.
When you absorb the energy of this world, it goes to the different points inside your body. Then these points would circulate it on a specific path and the energy would leave "impurities" and plant them to your muscles and bones and make them stronger.
What is amazing for me though is how these multiple circulation doesn't go against the flow of the other but instead they would harmonize and take a common path until they part ways to take the route back to their starting points.
The points that I have are concentrated mostly in my arms, my legs, my feet, and the few others were scattered around my body.
Maybe that explains why muscles in the limbs are stronger than that of the belly?
Shaking my head, I focused back on properly executing my stance and shrugged off the idea.
When the energy reaches a certain point of purity, it can now be stored inside these points and wouldn't need to be circulated again. These pure energies are what they call Mana, funny right?
It's like playing an RPG game which I used to play often when I was very young. Well, I'm still young, but you know what I mean.
Mana, which is stored in each point of the body, can be used in many things, and one of that is to power the Spells that we've learned.
The more you train your body, the more you can absorb impurities and make the process of strengthening your body much more efficient, and as you absorb more impurities, the quality of Mana that you store improves which will in turn improve the effectiveness of where you will use it as well.
It's very easy to understand the logic. It's like killing two birds with one stone by just training your body.
According to Zane, not everyone has the ability to store Mana and use them according to our will due to various reasons. The previous Kael was one of such people as he doesn't have the Spirit to harness Mana but has an excellent body that could store them.
The memory of the time they've explained everything to me is still clear and even after a few days of experiencing these things, which are only seen in movies and branded as myths on Earth, I couldn't still bring myself to believe that all of these are real.
"Lower your stance." I heard Gohen say as he lowered his own stance.
I sigh and do the same.
I remember that three days ago, I was never this eager to explore this world. Although I have an adventurous personality, I am also very cautious except at times where things I discover gets me so curious and excited that I tend to do something foolish.
I have promised to never do the same thing again. I'll try and be more careful this time as this world still remains mysterious and an unexplored territory for me.
"Breath in." Gohen took a deep breath.
I did the same.
"Breath out." He said after he exhaled.
Three days ago when Zane put a Spell of Beguilement on me which calmed me down, I had a much better time thinking clearly and accepting the situation I am in.
The moment they went back to the room, they brought better food than the one they previously gave me.
I haven't finished eating the one that they've given me previously so I dined with them and waited for the time where they will introduce me to the situation that I am currently in, hopeful that they will give some light to the number of questions that I have in mind.
"Try this, it tastes much better." Zane suggested as she put a piece of roasted meat on my plate.
Without thinking it over, I pierced it with my fork and swallowed it whole and was startled the moment I realized what I just did.
Without giving me the chance to ask how she was doing that, she asked,
"So? How is it?"
Without giving it much thought, I quickly replied,
"It's delicious."
How does she do that? That thing that keeps on making me say what's on my mind.
How does she do that?
That thing became a mystery for me until I was introduced to it in the next few days.
"Stop teasing him, Zane." Gohen interrupted while eating his food.
"Oh, but it was fun and I was able to know that the food I cooked is delicious." She replied and winked at me.
I was left dumb as I couldn't figure out what they were talking about. Shaking my head, I began to ask.
"So, the thing is..."
I didn't finish voicing my question as Zane hurriedly waved me off and said,
"Let's talk about that later. For now, let's just enjoy and talk only about the food I prepared."
Zane stressed out that she was the one who cooked our meal with satisfaction in her voice.
Gohen just nodded in reply to what she had just said and continued to eat.
"Okay." I replied.
I am still not used to the change in my voice. I was used to that deep and husky voice that I used to have rather than this childish and undeveloped one, although I would admit that it sounds charming but still...
"Have more of this." Zane made me eat another piece of delicacy and, like before, I didn't think twice and ate it.
"It's delicious." I replied before she could ask.
"Good child." She procured a smile and resumed to eat the food on her plate.
"So, how old are you really? Please don't tell me you're a spirit of an old hag." Zane asked just as I was drinking a glass of water after I finished eating.
I almost gagged at the unexpected question. I quickly set aside the glass of water to let out a few hard coughs.
After I recovered from it, I looked at her and asked,
"So, you already knew?" I said in disbelief.
"Well, you acted differently when you saw Gohen." She stated. "The previous Kael is so close to Gohen that he calls for him whenever he is awake. We became suspicious at that point. Then I asked you those things and you admitted to it, so we knew." Zane explained it briefly as if the question did not interest her, it was clear that she was intentionally making her explanation short.
"So are you an old hag?" She didn't wait for me to contemplate on what she had just said and asked almost instantly after she explained
With an expression of urgency written on her face, she waited for my answer.
"Uh, no?" I replied as it came to me that the matter of me being an old hag is more important to her than everything else.
"Oh, thank the Gods." She breathed a sigh of relief.
She ACTUALLY breathed a sigh of relief.
"Zane." Gohen interrupted again as he wiped his mouth with a cloth.
"Sorry, I was just taken away." She said and was just about to say something but she noticed that the atmosphere turned a little serious.
"Okaaay. Well, I think it's better if Gohen explains all this?" She said as she pushed the responsibility of explaining to Gohen.
Gohen took a big sigh, looks at me, and with a serious face, he asked,
"So, where should I begin?"
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