Ben was over the top of the world. He knew what it was. It was not mere infatuation caused by change in hormone levels. No. It was something deeper. He could feel his aura stirring. Something deep within him pulling him towards her. He did not know if she felt the same. But he knew that if he ever had a soul mate, it would be her. He did know when he reached the camp.
He suppressed his emotions. If not, he knew he would be teased by everyone, including Azurbaan. He entered the camp. Along with Mahaansh and Vishok, another person was also there. He had a bald head and a prominent beard. Azurbaan, who was normally haughty, was sitting by Vishok like a little kitten, looking at the man with a terrified man. Ben looked at Mahaansh and Vishok. Both of them had a look of reverence towards the man.
He turned to look at Ben and smiled. Despite his immense size and imposing aura, he had a calm face and serene eyes, as if he had attained liberation from all suffering. The person saw a trace of confusion in Ben's face. So he said, " Hello, I am Iravaan. I am a caretaker of this forest. I just came to meet up the people in charge of this section, to clarify certain things." He paused there. He then continued, " That is when your teacher told me about you. I just wanted to meet a future martial monarch or entity."
Ben: Thank you for the compliment, sir. I honored you think so highly of me. I am still learning and there is a lot for me to learn.
Iravaan: Indeed there is and learn you must. There is no place for complacency in life. That is especially true when you dream of ascending the martial ranks. Without persistent effort you will not go far on this road.
Ben: I will keep that in mind.
Iravaan: Implanting of martial seed early will only give you only a little bit more time. In the long run, it might not be much. Be wise about your choices and build a strong foundation. Higher the number of floors, more deep the foundation of that building should be. Remember that you and your martial seed are no longer two different organisms. You should grow synchronously. Resonance between you and your meridians should lead to harmonious growth and you must ultimately become singularity, a unique being with a deep martial path.
Ben: (In a confused look) I did not quite understand that…
Iravaan: You will understand that soon. You will learn about what I said in a structured manner soon. Till then keep my words in your mind.
Telling this he turned to look at Mahaansh and Vishok. Mahaansh said to Ben, " Ben we have some matters to discuss. You may take your leave." Ben did slight respectful bow at all of them and went to his part of the camp.
Mahaansh erected a barrier around them. Azurbaan was outside and he was quite happy about it. He straight away went to Ben, as he was terrified of Iravaan.
Iravaan: " Ha, your beast companion is cute. Feels like I myself should get one."
Vishok gulped. He had not seen Azurbaan terrified of someone like this. He had stood in front of martial entities. But none were able to subdue Azurbaan. He would always act mischievously at least if not haughty.
Mahaansh: " Senior, you must have guessed the reason I asked him to go.
Iravaan: Well, if I am not wrong, you want to know about 'slaughter intent'.
Mahaansh: Yes. I could not thoroughly grasp it.
Iravaan: Mastering intent, especially conceptual intents is difficult. Many people take wrong approach to it.
Vishok: I did not understand. What does that mean?
Iravaan: Let us take slaughter intent itself. Slaughtering literally means to kill to a large group of people brutally. In case of animals it may be butchering them. Some people knowing the strength of conceptual intents try to master it. They most likely will think that to attain this, one should slaughter endlessly in large numbers without any considerations. But that is wrong. It is the 'intent' that is important. If done correctly killing one is equivalent to killing a 100. But if done without intent, even if you slaughter a million, nothing will happen. Do you get me?
Mahaansh: I can understand to a certain extent. Though not fully.
Iravaan: It is not easy. But it is not difficult either. You will get there in due time.
Mahaansh: Thank you. I will try my best. Senior, though my student is young, I think he is ready to know about the '3 Core Principles'. Why did you not explain it to him?
Iravaan: There is a reason why I am the protector of this forest and you are a Martial Teacher in the school. You are qualified and trained to teach. He will understand everything in due course. (looking at Ben), I can see that the boy has decent potential. His aura is disciplined, something seldom seen in such a young person.
Mahaansh: Indeed he is disciplined. Though not explosive, he has shown a steady growth.
Vishok: He has good grasp over his emotions and is steadfast and stable.
Iravaan: That is good. Stability is indeed good, but too much of it can lead to stagnation and then rot. Guide him well. Also, inform me if you find anything unusual.
Mahaansh: Yes, we will."
Saying this Iravaan left the camp. He was so fast that Vishok and Mahaansh did not even sense him leave. It was like they just blinked their eyes and they were not there. Iravaan appeared outside in his Sharabha form, scaring away any animal near by. Even plants reacted to his power and shriveled.
His took to the sky. His senses scanned the entire forest. He was not a huge fan of this military exercise. Just like he predicted, there were infiltrators coming in. They were there for various reasons. But he was worried about one particular one which he sensed. Something ancient, something about which he had only heard in legends.
He sensed blood. Not smelled or seen it. But sensed it as an energy, as an aura. Not the kind seen in animals. But the kind seen in intelligent species. A sinister stinge.