Shouts of power and the clashing of weapons filled the grand martial arts auditorium, warm crystalline beads of sweat rolled of endlessly from the students that practiced their capabilities against their fellow classmates as their azure robes stuck to their bodies.
Gerald and Harris watched their fellow classmates partake in the grand martial art exercise, sweat pouring down from their being's as they sat down with warm sweat dripping from their person's like rain, tired and listless they were.
"hey Gerald about that day, do you think our techniques are also like that?"
Panting and exhausted, Harris spoke as he took a large gulp of water from the water skin he had received from his brother Gerald.
"Why ask this all of a sudden? I thought you of all people would want to forget about such things yet you ask me?"
Turning his head lazily, the plump Gerald faced his best friend as he received the water skin Harris had passed back.
"I know, I know and believe me I want nothing more than to forget that day... but, you said we students might be deployed to the war in the west which I told you was unlikely but the desire to express my technique warped my sense of reasoning. So I just wondered, if I expressed my Sul de Van technique now would it also have a physical representation like Sashah's, Typhoen's techniques after all we haven't really used our techniques since the entrance exam."
An indirect question filled with texture and expectation which Gerald regarded as he turned to look ahead, facing his drenched classmates that sparred with one another.
"You know how my Guillotine technique works, right?"
Weakly nodding, Harris spoke, confusion catching his eyes as he relaxed and massaged his tense shoulders
"You basically just make sure that each of your enemies is completely dead."
"That's right, every time I have used my technique I wouldn't see the ambient En take the shape, form and characteristics of my technique but when we saw those three, despite them being told to only activate their techniques, the whole ambient En within the room turned and resembled their techniques becoming the physical manifestation of what was in born. So I think it had to do with something regarding the way-"
"Fool."
The incredibly aloof voice of Alderen broke the conversation Gerald and Harris were having eliciting confused expressions from them. Sweating and tired, Alderen took a seat with them taking a fresh water skin from the assortment of water-skins that rested beside him. Chugging the cool liquid, he then spoke taking a break from his animalistic chugging,
"Fat fool, what's your expression?"
Not feeling insulted in the very least, Gerald spoke, confusion laced in his answer.
"Liquidator."
Giving a snub look towards Harris, he to also spoke,
"Benefactor"
"And I am a supreme commander. Look fools, from the moment you received your expression which is the totality of your innate technique that is when you became able to fully utilize your technique and its qualities manifest."
His tone unbearably proudful, his expression incredibly aloof yet, truth was found in his words as he once again chugged the cool spring water from the water-skin he had taken from his side like a parched desert. The now enlightened boys both turned to look towards each other, shock painting their expressions as now a lot of things had now made perfect sense regardless of who told them, it all now made sense.
Rising up to join the training classmates, Alderen left the two so-called-fools alone, his steps light and his posture straight as he walked staidly like the supreme commander he was.
***
Having savored the scrumptious meal, Ingrid sat there dazed, her heart content, her mind wandering in the maze of random thoughts that revealed themselves to her free imagination. Solarya and her father having had long left the dining hall leaving Ingrid to herself as she sat there alone and in peaceful silence, her mind buzzing with random thoughts, one of them being,
'I wonder Grandfather, I wonder if you really exist in another world. Maybe you aren't dead but just sleeping waiting for the day- no, Grandfather is dead... and he isn't coming back. Sigh.'
Rising up from the elegant dining chair, Ingrid wandered about the dining hall her mind occasionally wandering back to the same thought,
'Might Grandfather be alive?'
Though she would disperse the thought by the sobering reality of her personally witnessing the old man's death and by her own hands bury him, her mind stubbornly returned back to that same thought... but,
He was dead...
and she knew it so the occasional thoughts that tried to disprove that where met with the same sobering reality of her actions.
Cruel but nonetheless true.
"Ingrid, its time to go."
Solarya's staid voice broke through the reverie that Ingrid had cast herself in as she quickly answered back, her amber dress swishing about as she broke out in a light run.
***
"You're in pretty bad shape.."
A voice echoed in the deep darkness.
"Ooh, you won't answer, haha, but that's alright besides I came here for a completely different reason. Listen well old friend and think about my words, I know a lot of things have happened in the past but in this very moment just listen... What if you could go back home?"
The question was meet with a thorough silence, the pitch having remained strangely still as though it had lost it eternal purpose. Silence, silence, silence
"Wow that's pretty harsh, I thought your species always wanted to return home but now that you don't want to answer me, I can't help but feel as though what I learnt from the Sage be as a lie but the Sage cannot lie hence though I feel this way I know that your species wants to return home, right Rujir?"
The voice that had spoken to the still pitch continued his one-sided speech as though something in the deep darkness cared enough to hear his words.
"The Sage mentioned something to do with the Star scrypt hidden, so I decided to go look for it and would you look at that, there it was right in front of my eyes but as you know, deals aren't made sure unless there's an equal exchange of services so, to guarantee my words I will tell you the location of the star scrypt if you vow to me that you will help me in my endeavor."
Again he was met with silence, as though death had settled deep within the pitch then, rays of white light laced with strange growls and screams filled the darkness, resuming the war.
"I'll take that as an yes. The location of the star scrypt is in the island of Kuvastr, northern east of the great school Rivaegerlon, across the strait river Aben that's where the star scrypt resides."
The lights gained a new shine as more and more of the inherent brightness emitted by the star beast grew threatening to extinguish the darkness that had tried so hard to claim its radiance.
"But before we go there I need you to first recover from your injuries then help me accomplish my goal. Oh you want to know my goal but for me to first tell you you must be well enough to hear my words so for now, just recover. Don't worry, its not something incredibly difficult to do or infinitely complex even I know beings like you have their limits so, take care."
And just like that the stranger's voice that had echoed through the darkness, disappeared into oblivion.