Fazere, his legs shaking but still able to stand with the help of his walking stick, quietly analysed the three boys. They sat in a row on the clean grass, all cross-legged and their hands placed in unique positions while meditating.
Amin appeared calm and collected as usual. Small, flickering bolts of electricity surrounded his motionless body. Karim appeared very much the same as Amin. Though he too was surrounded by his element, fire, its presence was not as prominent. Still, it slowly warped around him and emanated lightly from his body.
Hamid, on the other hand, did not look the same as Amin and Karim. In fact, rather than emit the usual essence of frost from his body, the only substance leaving his body was a fair amount of sweat dripping from his forehead. He lightly groaned without realising. He must've been struggling, but Fazere couldn't figure out what was happening. Watching and admiring was the only thing he could do.
"It's happening again, hmmmm…" Fazere whispered to himself, a concerned expression plastered on his face.
Suddenly, Hamid's twitches became more extreme. Fazere became increasingly worried, but knew that intervening would defeat the point in the meditation. He had to let Hamid confront whatever was making him suffer.
As Fazere struggled to watch on, Hamid began to hear Fazere's voice in his head. Visions of the four Blood Links that lay in all Hakimi descendants flashed in his mind as he replayed the meaning of each one, hoping it would help him find the answer to mastering his Second, or perhaps unlock his Third.
"The heart bears four distinct chambers, each serving its own purpose, driving the blood within our bodies…fuelling every action we take…every word we say, and empowering us to live, move, and conquer every foe that threatens us…
…Without it, we are nothing…just meaningless, defenceless weaklings, incapable of achieving anything…
…Each chamber of the heart holds one special Link…a small cluster of Godly blood that, when unlocked, fuels a potent yet similar ability to thrive. As more of these Links open, the stronger, faster, the more indestructible…the more godly one becomes…
…Each Link grants a Hakimi descendant a new, daring capability, bestowing them with the potential and strength to destroy thousands with ease…
…Inherently divine, the nature of these powers are 'blessed' with limitless possibilities. But to wield them, they must be effectively learned, studied, practised, tamed…and put into action…
…Upon breaking into a Link, one only begins their journey down the path which the power grants. If you are to gain what the Link truly offers, you must master it by further understanding what it entails and whether your body is ready to accept such great power…
…The First Blood Link is located in the right atrium, and is unlocked at birth. It symbolises the beginning of a Hakimi's relatively short yet prosperous life. From birth, Hakimi children are more sapient than ordinary human babies, and are able to partially tap into their powers and learn their respective way of life from the day they are born. As a result, not only are Hakimi children fierce, they are dangerous, developing into chilling warriors from a very young age…
…The Second Blood Link lies in the right ventricle. It is the first true challenge for a Hakimi child. It can be unlocked by achieving some form of mastery over oneself and the powers you possess, simultaneously having come to terms with your position in this world as a Hakimi. Without this, a Hakimi cannot become the man they need to be. A Hakimi who fails to reach the heights of this Link…is a failure…
...The Third Blood Link resides in the left atrium, demanding complete mastery over the blood within and the emotions it creates. It can only be achieved through unlocking access to the pulmonary channel and taking the Dark Journey it guides you upon. While the Second Link symbolises the awakening strength of a Hakimi, the third challenges a Hakimi to prove their enduring mental and physical fortitude…
…Those who embark on the journey down this wretched path must walk into a void of nothingness, blind to what lies ahead. Even when the passage feels as though it is turning and telling you to go back, you must continue forward…and find your way to the light at the very end. Yet once you reach the light at the end, it is not the light which you see…it is the abyss. An abyss forcing one to look not only within themselves but at themselves; forcing them to question if they are ready…to be written into history…
…The Fourth Blood Link sits in the left ventricle, and—"
A lightning bolt jumped from the sky. A volcano spewed out fire. A blizzard furiously cut through the air.
Then Hamid woke up.
"Ahhh!"Hamid screamed as he fell onto his hands and knees, the sweat now dripping from his head like a waterfall.
Amin and Karim stood above him, having already successfully completed their meditation. "I told you he needed forever," Amin said, turning his back to Hamid out of mild disgust. Karim looked down at Hamid, holding his laugh very effectively.
Fazere moved toward Hamid as quickly as he could, crouched down and placed his hand on Hamid's shoulder. "What's the matter?"
Hamid, still on all fours, looked up at Fazere, his face overly distressed. "I…I don't know. My…My body…it feels so tired."
"Do you need another break, Hamid?" Amin asked, being a little more considerate of his tone this time.
"You can always sit out from now on, if you want," Karim said, sounding like he genuinely cared.
"Stop it! Hamid…by my count, you took around 15 minutes to complete your meditation. Amin only took five minutes, while Karim only took eight. Tell me, why can't you at least do it in ten? Why?" As Fazere cried out to Hamid, he grabbed the top of his shirt, pulling Hamid close to him and looked more desperate than ever before. Suddenly, Fazere, in what Amin and Karim could only assume, regained full control of himself, letting go of Hamid and began speaking more softly.
"Why do you think this is?"
"Because…because I'm pathetic. I just can't focus properly. I can't stop feeling…distracted."
Amin pulled his head back and shook it before interrupting. "Wait. How do you know how long it took me to complete my meditation? You weren't even here when I started."
Karim leaned over to Amin, whispering into his ear, "I told you, Amin, he only says this to seem wise. It's like we've always said, he's actually crazy. To tell you the truth, I don't see why father bothers to keep him around."
As Karim continued in Amin's ear, Amin, having been staring into the distance, realised something out of the ordinary was taking place.
"Hey, why is there so much smoke over there?"
Karim threw his head up to see what Amin was talking about. Believing he had correctly figured out what was happening, Karim eagerly announced, "Bandits! It must be bandits stealing from people! We should go and help!"
Amin and Karim giggled together, bumped the side of their fists and, without a second thought, Karim began to skid down the hill.
"No! What do you think you are doing? If your father finds out you went there, I will be a dead man!"
"You saying that makes me want to go all the more," Amin responded. But before he started to follow Karim, Amin spoke to Hamid, urging him to go with them. "Come on, Hamid. Stop crying and come with us. It's not like he can do anything to stop us."
Fazere looked over at Hamid as Amin jumped down. He didn't say anything to Hamid. He knew there was nothing he could do. It was inevitable that the boys were about to see a part of the world they never were supposed to. Not yet, anyway.
Hamid got up, wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned away from Fazere. "Sorry," Hamid said apologetically as he left Fazere alone at the top of the hill.
As Hamid disappeared, Fazere didn't try to get him to come back. He didn't shout. He didn't plead. He didn't do anything.
The only thing he did was place his right hand on his face and…smile.
Hamid ran as fast as he could toward where the smoke was rising from, lagging behind the other two but desperate to make some ground before they reached the village. Soon, Hamid finally caught up, but not because he had outpaced the other two. He did so because the two had been standing still for quite some time, examining the village in front of them. As Hamid drew closer and reached the edge, he, too, was starstruck by what he was greeted by.
This place was nothing like the Inner Capital. It was nothing like how their father or anyone else had described the villages or towns outside of the capital. Unable to fully gauge what they were looking at, their eyes darted across the scene, observing various sights they were far too unfamiliar with..
The village's floors were bare, lacking any grass or greenery and the houses scattered around the area matched the colour of the filthy ground. Doors appeared barely functional as almost every one was laced with holes, while some had almost completely fallen off their hinges.
Rather close to them, however, was a man whose skin largely matched the colour of the ground. Not because of the tan of the sun, but because he, from what the triplets could understand, had been sleeping on the floor. The bucket beside him, which was filled with vomit, confirmed their suspicions, and the smell flowing from it mixed with the unbearable smell of the entire village.
As they looked around, the triplets realised he wasn't an anomaly. Each person they saw had been muddied by the grounds, revealed by the fact that their clothes were torn, leaving parts of their skin exposed for all to see. It was rude, they thought, but considering everyone appeared the same, they knew something was off.
They all looked visibly disgusted, and Hamid, for a short time, debated with himself whether they should even step foot into such a place.
"This place…it's awful. How does a place like this even exist?" Karim said, perplexed.
"Why would anyone want to live here?"
"Let's follow the smoke, that must be where the bandits are. We have to be quick!" Amin remained focused on their mission, though his senses couldn't quite ignore the smell that seemed to permeate wherever you moved throughout the village.
Nearing the source of the smoke, something caught the corner of Karim's eye. A young boy, around the age of the triplets, had snuck up on a woman and reached into her pocket. Karim caught him taking a small bag of money, before slowly moving away undetected. Angered, Karim alarmed everyone around them as the boys sprung into action.
"Hey! Give that back to her!" Karim howled.
"Let's get him." Hamid commanded that the boys all jump towards the boy, immediately catching him and holding him to the ground, his face pressed into the mud.
"Well, that was easy," Hamid said as he chuckled to himself.
The boy pleaded as the triplets kept him held to the ground, but were quickly interrupted by the very woman the boy had stolen from. Her accent was thick and the triplets had a difficult time understanding everything she was saying.
"Errick! Are you stealing again?" She tutted, shaking her head before trying to signal to the triplets to let him go. "What have we said? In the end, your mother always finds out and makes you give it back. So stop doing it, okay?"
Amin, Hamid and Karim looked at each other, confused. They expected something more after what they had just done.
"Aren't you going to thank us, lady?"
"Wait a minute, guys, look around," Hamid cut in and grabbed Amin and Karim's attention. "Why does no one care at all?"
The triplets got off the boy, allowing him to get back to his feet. He dusted himself off and bowed to the lady, an obvious troubled worry in his voice. "Sorry, ma'am. I just couldn't resist it this time. I won't do it again. I promise." With that, the boy left, skipping away without a trace of fear or regret in his body.
"Wait, so he isn't some kind of bandit?" Karim asked.
The lady broke into an obnoxious laugh, her mouth exhibiting an unsettling lack of teeth. "Bandit? Don't make me laugh. Even I would be able to take him down. I wouldn't worry 'bout 'em. He does it all the time."
Karim and Hamid turned to each other, making faces which could only mean they were equally as confused. Amin, still focused on their mission, questioned the lady, hoping to find answers. "So, what's with the smoke? Why is something in this village burning, and no one cares about it?"
"It's a ceremony. We do it every week. If ya have never seen it before, I'd go and check it out. It's a sight to see for sure. The celebration…well, protest even…represents our village's unity as people, showing what we all hope to one day topple." She cleared her throat before doing some questioning of her own. "Who are ya boys, anyway? You're clearly not from around here, are ya? Your clothes are too fancy. Oh, and we sure as hell could use you as guards around 'ere."
Hamid stepped forward, "Well…we are the Prin—"
Amin lunged forward and grabbed Hamid's mouth. "It doesn't matter who we are. We came here to see the 'ceremony', that's all. As you can see, we are very excited. Thanks for letting us know a bit more about it."
Amin dragged Hamid away as Karim followed. Amin was evidently angry and Hamid seemingly knew he had almost made one of the worst possible blunders. "I can't believe you almost told her who we were! What did dad say about revealing our identity to random people?! How can he expect us to protect ourselves in war if we can't even protect ourselves against harmless nobodies?"
"Sorry, I won't do anything like that again."
Karim had disengaged from the conversation, distracted by the fact that they were now closer than ever to the source of smoke. A crowd of people surrounded the source, making it impossible for the triplets to see beyond them. Most of the people in the crowd were far taller than the boys, and some had hoisted others onto their shoulders for better viewing.
"I can't see. Let's get closer," Karim suggested.
They all split up to make their own ways through the crowd, but remained close enough to hear each other over the loud chants and cries of those in attendance. They all made their way through, Amin and Karim sieving through quickly as they pushed people out of the way without any remorse.
"Man, these people all really stink!" Karim said under his breath.
Hamid, however, was more polite. He apologised as he tried to pass through, gently brushing past people so he could make his way to the front.
But as Hamid got closer and closer, he could see, through the gaps left by the people, that Amin and Karim had already reached the front. They both froze, and from what Hamid could only assume, had taken a somewhat defensive position. From the side of their faces it was clear that their mouths had fallen open.
Consequently, Hamid dropped his polite approach and charged through to the front, yearning to see what the others already had. But as he reached the front, he was met with something that didn't make sense to him.
"What…what is that?" Karim nervously said.
"Is that…a crown on its head?" Amin asked, his voice stumbling as he spoke.
The sight was as terrifying as it was confusing.
There, towering above Hamid and his brothers were burning haystacks. But it wasn't mere haystacks that were being burned. They took the form of a humanoid. A humanoid with wide shoulders and what they could only conclude was an intimidating face.
Its crown, its face, everything was drowning in flames, decaying right in front of their eyes.
Hamid couldn't look away, and winced as he spoke.
"Is that supposed to be…father?"