Chapter 6: VI
The atmosphere in the room turned still and silent as Gohen looked straight at me. At his side is Zane, who's trying to remain silent as best as she can.
"First, I want you to accept that everything you see is real, no matter how unbelievable things might look for you." He started to say.
He paused for a while to get a reaction from me.
I simply nodded in response to let him know that I understand and let him continue his explanation.
"You must've learned of our names already but I want to formally introduce ourselves, I am Gohen and this is my wife, Zane."
Away from Gohen's sight, Zane waved her hands at me and mouthed a "Hi!" the moment Gohen mentioned her name.
She was quick to recompose herself back to a serious state when Gohen turned to look at her.
He didn't continue to talk afterwards but just returned his eyes on me, waiting for me to say something. It took me a moment to realize that I have the floor.
With a flustered voice, I introduced myself as well, "I'm Mikhael Goldstein, 25 years of age." I briefly stated.
Gohen nodded in response.
I read their reactions and there is not much of a change on them, they must've already guessed my age.
"Oh, no problem then." The jolly voice of Zane sounded out. "That's not too old for a 12-years-old. You'll get used to it." Zane added with a smiling expression on her face.
Gohen sighed helplessly and ignored the interruption.
"You are now known as Kael Doshium, the only son to an old family whose territory lies in the East. We are currently in the territory of the Engleits located in the West as we have to keep you safe. The Engleits promised us a sanctuary in their land until the threat in your territory dies down.
"East? West? Like Europe? Asia?" I asked. Somehow, I got a feeling that they we're talking of a different place. It shouldn't be possible for people in the Medieval Era to traverse continents in a matter of days.
He must've been startled by the unfamiliar terms I have said. A crease formed between his eyebrows.
"What's Yurop, Eisya?" With a confused tone he asked.
I was still left startled even though I have expected them to be unfamiliar with these terms.
The continent of Europe should be pretty known to the people in the West, especially people who are literate, which I expect Zane and Gohen are. Medieval Asia should also be known by then, although not by much, the fame of Genghis Khan should've made the term known to every territory in the East.
"Oh, it's what we call the East and West continents." I replied.
Zane, after hearing that, has her eyes wide for a moment before she turned to Gohen and asked,
"Could it be that he is from a different time?"
Taken aback by her guess, Gohen entertained the idea for a moment before shaking his head and replied,
"No one touches time. Even the Great Archsiudus wasn't able to touch the mysteries of time."
"Then it's related to space?" Zane asked once again.
"It should be, but even so, for an artefact to pull a Spirit from another world..." Gohen thought for a moment.
"Don't mind it for now." He said and took a big breath to recover from his flustered state and resumed his explanation.
"What you must know is that, we have been tasked to keep you safe and transport you out of your family's territory, the Doshium." He said.
"Why?" I asked.
He paused for a while, contemplating on what he will say next.
"Kael is born with a very weak spirit but with a very strong body, this makes him sickly as his spirit wasn't able to cope up with the strengthening of his body. He would spend most of his time sleeping and as he grows old, the duration of his sleep becomes longer and his waking moments shorter."
He paused again and tried to recompose himself back to his previous state when he noticed that his voice started to sound sad as he said those words.
Once he recovered, he resumed to tell the tale,
"When he reached the age of ten, his situation has gotten worse. He would barely stay awake for an hour and would sleep again for the rest of the day. Just a few months ago, Kael could barely maintain the waking state for half an hour before he had to go back to sleep again. When the Lord of the Doshium, your father, was certain that it would only be a matter of time before Kael wouldn't be able to wake up again, he had to make a decision."
He took a breath slowly to calm himself and said,
"At the time, since Kael is the only son, when news arrived to the people that your father ruled that there will be no one in your family who will succeed the name, those people became ambitious and even got the nerve to fight amongst themselves who will acquire the surname of Doshium." He said the last phrases with contempt and disgust in his words. "The Lord is still alive and yet they have the audacity to act disrespectfully."
Surnames are acquired? It must have been an old way of saying that means to be the main household, but it made me intrigued.
"Surnames are acquired?" I asked.
Gohen closed his eyes and must've been trying to recall a past event. A moment later, he opened them, and looked at me with eyes that told me that what he would say next is an important matter.
"It is acquired, yes, but it doesn't mean that you'll obtain the true meaning of that surname just by acquiring. Remember that a surname is also the name of the land, it represents its honor, dignity, people, and all the way down to its way of living. Acquiring a surname without honor is just another form of robbery, there is nothing to gain from it and it will never be truly yours. That is why, never sully your surname and only bring it honor." He said with an unexplainable conviction in his voice.
"So, anyone can have two surnames?" I asked.
I saw Gohen's eyes glinted for a moment as anger and disgust flashed on them.
"That is nothing to be proud of, and it only brings shame." He considered for a moment, then asked, "How would you view a person with two surnames?" He asked.
I thought for a moment and then replied, "Well, I would assume he took both of his mother's and father's surname?"
He shook his head and said,
"That doesn't happen here. There is only one surname in a territory. Having two surnames to your name means possessing two territories as well, which tells how greedy and dishonorable such people are. A surname is both a privilege and power. Not everyone can have a surname. Even me and Zane don't have one." He gestured for the both of them. Then the tone of his voice sounded cold as he recalled a person while he spoke,
"That is why that nameless and ambitious man shamelessly pressured your father day by day, subtly making him look like an incompetent Lord in front of others." He clenched his fist as he remembers the face of the person he's talking about.
He paused for a moment, and as if relieving the past, his voice sounded helpless and full of sorrows,
"After some time, rumors spread that made people view your family not worthy of the surname. That's why your father made a desperate decision."
He pointed to the pendant hanging on my chest and continued,
"With the help of that ancient artefact, he searched for another Spirit that could cope with the strengthening of Kael's body, only that he didn't expect that it would take a long time. It is fortunate that Kael's body is able to sustain itself without a Spirit."
He showed an expression of helplessness and of worry on his face, making it look as if he was there when these things were happening.
"Your father can't do anything about the growing tension amongst his people because he needed the support of the others to buy time for you to wake up, but that wasn't enough time. So your father decided to get you out of there the moment things start to feel off."
He looked at me and was expecting that I had questions in mind.
"How do you all know this?" I asked.
He was silent for some time before saying,
"Both of us are your parent's...", He paused as he searched for a word that best describes their status, "your family's old friends, we are Immortal Constructs capable of withstanding the trial of time. You will know more about this later, you'll have to learn what's important first."
"You're immortals?" I exclaimed when I heard him say.
"We'll explain that on our way back home." Zane commented from the side.
Gohen agreed to what she had just said. I did not pursue the matter, unwillingly, and just nodded my head in response.
"So, why me?" I asked after some time.
Surely there's a reason why I'm the one chosen among all the billion people back on Earth
"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that, you'll have to ask the Lord of Doshium for an answer."
I was startled when I heard his answer. I was just beginning to get used to this feeling that he has all the answers to my doubts.
Well, that makes sense if they're only friends of the family. No family would divulge all of its secrets to a friend after all.
Suddenly, I felt my heart race and my breathing started to hasten and become deep. Sweat started to form on my back and forehead.
A panic attack?
How could I have a panic attack?
What is happening?
I heard Gohen say something and the next thing I knew Zane was leaning her body towards me and patted my head.
"There, there." She said and went back to her seat.
"The Spell was just wearing off. I have reduced it this time so that you won't be too dependent on it as you adjust." She explains.
A nervous air escaped from my mouth. The feeling, before Zane did that thing to me, still lingers on my body. I calmed myself down and controlled those lingering feeling then turned to face Gohen and asked,
"My other body...did it die?" I stuttered as the feeling from before and now started to mix, leaving me unable to properly recognize it and deal with it.
"No, your spirit is only pulled out from your body, but I must inform you that a body is weakened without the nourishment provided by the spirit."
"So, I could still get back as long as my body is still alive?" I asked immediately.
"I'm sorry, I don't have a clear answer for that as well. The Lord of Doshium should know an answer to that." He replied.
I thought for a while and sorted out my feelings and all the information that I have just obtained. Once I felt that I understood the rough outline of the situation I'm in, I asked,
"What should we do now?"
Gohen contemplated for a while before saying,
"We wait for news. We've already sent a message that you have woken up. Once we get a reply, we'll immediately head back, and then you'll have your answers from the Lord of Doshium himself."
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