Bab 9: 09: Lifeblood
"What are you doing? Put your clothes back on!" Rowan almost shrieked like a girl; his head turned to the side while his face was now the colour of blood.
"What's wrong, darling?"
"It's nothing. Just… just quickly put your clothes on." It was the first time he's met a girl like her. Though he wanted to reprimand her for such bold actions, he restrained himself. He could only shut his eyes tightly.
"It's done. Come on now. Let's go to sleep."
Rowan sighed a breath of relief. He slowly turned around and saw Kalliste already lying on the bed. Despite the simple clothes, she exuded the grandeur of a supreme goddess, lost in the realm of mortal. Not even a tiny flaw could be seen.
"Darling, what are you waiting for? Come here."
It was her melodious voice that brought him back to reality. Something that he could not resist. But before he lost himself in paradise, he shook his head and hastily went to bed.
"Good night, darling. Sleep tight."
Rowan's heart almost jumped out of its ribcage, and his whole body froze when she suddenly kissed him on his forehead. Her lips felt so soft against his skin. He did not expect something like this.
For what seemed to be an eternity, he lay on the bed, unmoving.
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"Darling, I can't sleep. Could you tell me something intriguing about this place?"
Rowan, who at the moment was trying to sleep, opened his eyes. "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know about magic!"
Rowan chuckled as soon as he saw her expression. At that moment, she appeared and behaved appropriately for her age.
"Alright. You must be attentive as I explain to the best of my ability."
When she nodded, Rowan adjusted his position. They were now facing each other.
"In our world, all humans were born with an energy called lifeblood. Our main life source. It was divided into three parts, but my knowledge was still lacking, so I could only share with you what I learned from my studies."
This got Kalliste's attention. The book only mentioned two, not three. She stared at the boy attentively.
"The first was known as mana. All Mages utilised mana, the physical manifestation of nature's elemental forces, to manifest their abilities. However, only a selected few have the capabilities to use mana. When a child reaches a certain age, he or she must undergo a series of tests in order to know to which he or she belongs. If a child was born with mana, then he or she must enrol in the Mage Academy, where the gifted children learn to use certain types of elements. However, there were some special cases wherein a child was born with dual abilities. The first known person who possessed such greatness was the founder and first Emperor of this Empire. Emperor Mallus Bassilius Credia. Not only that, but he also reached the 12th inner circle. The apex of mana users. A thousand years passed by, but none of his descendants inherited this ability."
Rowan paused for a few moments as he stared at the girl in front of him. Even the freckles on her face could not hide her heavenly beauty. Looking at her, he knew that he had to do something. He quickly sprung up before speaking.
"Come. Let me show you something," he said as he held her hands to help her up. He then stretched his palms. Not a second later, he felt powerful energy that passed through his veins.
Much to Kalliste's surprise, a mixture of black and red flames suddenly engulfed Rowan's hands. It grew bigger and bigger until it was half her size. However, it disappeared before it grew even more.
Meanwhile, Rowan huffed as he caught his breath. Though his energy dropped low, the smile on her face made it all worth it.
"Darling? Are you alright?" Seeing the pale face of the boy, Kalliste almost panicked. She quickly clung to him.
"I am fine. Do not worry." Though Rowan was on the verge of collapse, he fought through. He gently patted the girl's head before taking a deep breath.
"I only demonstrated it for you to see. Do not worry about it. Now where was I? In order to generate and manipulate nature's forces, mana required great concentration and focus. However, this type of power could potentially deplete the user's mana, leading to low energy or even death. Only with years of intense training and experience would a mana user last in battle. The great wizards who reached the apex are also able to transfer their mana into someone else. Though it was possible to learn the other elements outside of the natural-born one, it required tens of years of intense training. This was the reason why most mages only focused on mastering their own elements and increasing their inner circles."
"You kept saying inner circles. What's that?" Kalliste could not help but ask. Her brows met in the middle, and her face contorted in confusion.
"Inner circles refers to the mana rings that circulate around a mage's heart. The higher the number of circles, the stronger the mage. In this generation, the blue tower master was known to be the most powerful. He had reached the 9th inner circle and mastered two types of elements," Rowan paused. Seeing the drowsy face of the girl, he smiled.
"This will be all for now. It's time to sleep." With that, Rowan gently patted her hair.
Kalliste noticed that Rowan was whispering something in the air; however, she could not understand anything. It took a few moments before she suddenly felt a strange energy that unexpectedly erupted inside her. Though it was not painful, her eyes suddenly felt heavy. She blinked a few times, trying to stay awake, but her small body was a traitor. Before her visions darkened, she still heard the words that Rowan whispered.
"Sleep now, my Kally. You would understand tomorrow when you wake up." Rowan slowly laid her down before sleeping next to her with him holding her hands tightly.
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The next morning, Kalliste woke up feeling something strange on her body. Rowan's tight hug trapped her, nearly suffocating her. After a few struggles, she finally got out and slowly made her way out of the room. She was welcomed by an amazing smell of grilled meat, which she inhaled deeply.
"Hmm. It had been far too long since I smelt something like this. I almost forgot its taste."
"Oh, you are already awake… oh my."
Kalliste's brows furrowed slightly when Amy suddenly stopped midway.
"What is it, Lady Amy? Is something the matter?"
"I suppose you should first visit the mirror to find out." Amy giggled as she pointed to the small mirror on the wall.
Out of curiosity, Kalliste walked towards the corner. When she saw her reflection, she spaced out for a bit. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw a young boy, about her age and size. The boy's hair reminded her of an aged mahogany. Rich and deep, with subtle hues of gold and auburn. With each stride, the strands danced to the wind's choreography. Meanwhile, his bright, green eyes speak to the heart of nature. The promise of spring. Of fresh wands of grasses and the gentleness of nascent buds.
"Who are you? Stop it! Hey!" She tried to yell at the reflection, but it yelled back at her. A sense of déjà vu suddenly washed over her.
"I believe you should reach out to your brother. He might have something to do about it. How sweet," Amy said as she stared at Kalliste with almost sparkling eyes.
Kalliste, on the other hand, quickly ran upstairs and barged into the room. She found Rowan preparing himself for the day. She didn't have to say anything; she just stared at him.
"Did you like your new look?" Rowan asked with a grin on his face.
Kalliste did not answer. Instead, she contemplated. She returns to the mirror and stares at her new appearance.
"But why brunet and green eyes? I hate brown." Kalliste frowned. Rowan's reflection was visible from where she stood. He was grinning as he looked at her.
"I think it suited you really well. Well then, would you like to go for a walk?"
As soon as Kalliste heard that, her spirits suddenly perked up. She quickly turned around and walked towards the door while looking at Rowan.
"Sure! Let's go now, darling."
Seeing her reaction, Rowan chuckled before standing. He held her hands tightly as they walked down the stairs.
"Come on, kids. It's time for breakfast."
The two saw Amy and Mazzak already at the table.
"I apologise. Since I'm unfamiliar with your typical diet, I had Mazzak grill some wild alligator meat. If you prefer fruits, there were also some loquats available."
As soon as the words escaped her lips, Rowan felt his stomach suddenly turn upside down. His hands instantly covered his mouth as he forcefully stopped the bile from coming out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Kalliste stood frozen in place. Her face paled at what Amy said. During the war, food and water were so scarce that they only survived by eating whatever was available. However, she had never eaten an alligator's meat. Nor she wanted to try it in this life.
"What's wrong? Was the food not to your liking?" Seeing their expressions, Amy could not help but ask.
"Oh, it's nothing, lady Amy. Thank you for the food, but we're not really that hungry, right, brother?" Kalliste stated, slightly nudging the boy beside her.
"Oh, if you say so. But at least have a bite. Gator's meat is really juicy and tender. You might like them. Come on. Just one bite."
Their faces grew even paler when they saw Amy walk towards them with a plate of meat.
"I apologise, lady Amy. But we really are not that hungry yet. Plus, we already made plans to explore this place if that's alright with you?" Kalliste stepped forward in order to block Rowan from view. Given her advanced age, she frequently overlooked the fact that she was also a child.
"Oh. Is that so? Alright. However, I advise you not to venture into the woods. There are a lot of wild animals in there."
"I would keep it in mind. We should go now. Come on, brother."
Amy could only sigh as she watched the children run towards the door.
"Do not worry about it, Amy. Maybe human children just don't eat these types of meat. I would hunt something better for our dinner tonight," Mazzak stated while hugging his mate from the back.
"You're right. I just miss our son. I hope that he is doing fine right now."
Mazzak sinply nodded without responding as they watched the children disappear in the distance.
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As the two walked around the village, Kalliste couldn't help but admire the place even more. The village looked graceful. The houses either had tatchet, yew, or willow wood rooftops.
In the middle of the village stood an old, vibrant tree that looked almost magical. It was surrounded by a small pond full of different fishes.
'This place was really a paradise!'
According to the book, this lost paradise used to be an extended part of the Macaram Mountain. A village surrounded by dense thickets and titan mountains piercing through the sky.
However, after this place suffered destruction twice in a row during the first great war, it suddenly vanished without a trace.
'A place like this ought to have a lot of hidden tunnels, which they probably used for emergency exits, as well as great ambush positions.'
Kalliste carefully scanned the whole area. She could not help it. During the first year of the war, the survivors found a haven in a small hidden valley near the foot of a mountain. However, they were so preoccupied with terror that they forgot one important detail. They only realised it too late when the machines cornered all of them.
It was a huge mistake that claimed the lives of all the survivors.
Kalliste sighed at her own memories. That event was the turning point of her life. The beginning of her bloody journey.
She sighed. 'It was all in the past. I had a new life now.'
Rowan's grip tightened, bringing Kalliste back to reality. She immediately turned towards him but was met with a smile.
Even without opening his mouth, she instantly understood what the boy wanted to say.
"I'm fine. I'm just appreciating the beauty of this place," she stated. She struggled to conceal the intense feelings that started accumulating within her.
"Look, Kally. The villagers!"
Rowan's sudden gasp caught her off guard. Looking in the direction of Rowan's pointed fingers, she saw a lot of the villager beastmen.
They were now standing in front of a busy marketplace. Different species of beastmen crowded the entire street. Some had bunny ears, others had tails and cat ears. There were also those with elephant ears. Some could even transform into a hawk, eagle, or owl. Their numbers made the street narrow.
She stared at them, speechless and in awe.
She also observed the various types of shops that were situated on both sides of the road. The vendors had all opened their doors, knowing that the impatient and violent beastmen, who literally piled on top of each other and yelled and shouted wildly like mindless beasts brawling for prey, would destroy them.
On the other end of the street parked some tattered waggons that were full of either fruits or vegetables.
The loud clanging of metal and iron got her attention. That was when she noticed a few smithy shops on the other side of the street. Despite its lack of crowds, the place maintained its prestige in the village.
"Come. We still had a lot to see."
She only nodded when Rowan gently guided her out of there.
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After a while, the two finally reached the end of the village. From there, Kalliste gasped at the enthralling scene in front of them. In a distance, she saw a castle, the main attraction of Feral Sanctum Village. Its rooftop was already galvanised steel. The stone veneer walls had huge holes and were almost pulverised, while it was surrounded by a murky and bleak atmosphere.
'So, this was the mystical palace.' In the past, each time she read the book, she would try to imagine what this castle looked like.
'Who would have thought that I would see it in my own eyes!'
Baston Citadel. It served as a symbol of the village from a distant past. Chief Davey, the most powerful beastman in history, reportedly constructed it to safeguard all beastmen amidst their race's purging. Despite its current state of ruin, that location would serve as the most secure location when the war break out in the near future.
Kalliste gave out a tired sigh. 'War,' she thought, 'I am already too old for this.' She knew that only her body, not her mind, had changed.
"Would I once again witness the horrors of war in this second life?"
"What was that? Did you say something, my Kally?"
"Oh, it's…" She suddenly stopped midway when a loud sound of a bell unexpectedly echoed all over the area. Next thing they knew, they noticed that all the beastmen were suddenly running hurriedly in one direction.
"What's going on?" Kalliste questioned herself as she turned to Rowan.
Rowan, in return, just shrugged. "Come. Let's find out." He grabbed her hands and ran with the others.
They soon saw a large group of beastmen gathering near the gate. Because they were only children, they had to fight their way to the front. Having a small body, Kalliste was almost overwhelmed by the crowd; however, Rowan did not let go of her hand and guided her towards the front.
"Is what you said the truth?"
It was the first thing they heard upon stepping out of the crowd. Standing in the middle was a beastman with black feathers attached to his shoulders.
"You thought I was lying? Why don't you go outside and see it for yourself, then?" he shouted.
Kalliste narrowed her eyes. His expression was one of panic and fear. His body trembled, and his breath was heavy.
"What is going on here?"
An old man with sharp, onyx eyes abruptly interrupted the conversation. The crowd instantly made way for him.
Kalliste stared at the old, bearded man; however, her heart almost jumped out of her ribs as soon as she heard what the man with feathers said.
"I'm telling the truth, chief Elduin. Not only was an enormous size of the mountain destroyed, it was now a massive graveyard of a thousand monsters!"
Hadiah
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