The evening sun was creating long shadows, painting a black and white picture in a serene blue lake. There was a mysterious clearing a couple hundred strides away from the lake.
A lotus, with ten clear and almost a hundred unclear petals, was at the center, made from sword gashes on the ground. This piece of art was created by sword practice.
On the boundary of the clearing, Sharv was reading the unnamed diary under a large banyan tree near the lake. His calm black eyes danced on the bottom of the page.
[Oh my memory, I wrote all this and haven't told you the main reason for your journey.]
'I know it's the trial grounds.' Sharv immediately thought, but smiled weakly after turning the pages.
[Yes, you know it's the Forest of Death. But do you know what you will do there?]
'You understood, even an emotionless one like me, huh?' Sharv's lips twitched just a little.
[The goal is to obtain the Epic of Soul. All our people go there for the same reason. Epic of Soul, as you might know if we have talked about it, is the guide of your path to power. Without it, grasping real power is almost impossible. Even becoming a Sovereign has less than a ten percent chance without it. Epic of Soul will be the prize of your trial. The better you perform, the higher your attunement is, and it will all result in a more unique Epic of Soul.]
"Hmmm, Epic of Soul ... nice name." Sharv murmured, turning the pages.
[Today, for the first time, I have seen your real attunement—attunement to the Primordial Paths of Destruction. And…and…I don't know what to say. You were the strongest I have seen you, believe me, but… the devastation. Huh… Sharv, in future, please control yourself and always restrain and refrain from using that power. We Keepers are supposed to preserve…and that…you can understand the rest.]
"Haa, so even my father feared that." Sharv looked upwards, away from the diaries. "Well, it was you who named me Sharv…the one who destroys."
But then he heard rustling leaves on a tall tree. Kant was here.
"So you marked your territory already, huh?" Kant joked, looking at the lotus engravings.
"Welcome, welcome. But you're wrong." Sharv put the diary aside, an amiable smile on his lips. "I am just a guest here, practicing my sword. The territory belongs to my friend, Vyaghra."
"Who? You made a friend... here...?" Kant couldn't hide his surprise. But to his shock, a large tiger came out from behind the tree. Kant shot up from his sitting position to standing, his sword out. The tiger, though, looked at Sharv and just growled in a low voice.
"THAT'S YOUR FRIIIIEEND?"
"Yeah," Sharv agreed with a sigh. "Sit down, both of you," he added, patting the tiger's head. The tiger sprawled out nonchalantly, but Kant, this time, maintained a distance and kept his guard up.
"You see, when I came here yesterday, I found Vyaghra sitting under the same tree. I understood it was his territory, so I asked him for a stay. And he asked for a one-strike duel and some guidance if I won, as, according to him, I was strong. And here I am, after the duel," Sharv explained.
"He speaks?" Shockers never ended for Kant.
"Not like us, but if you can understand, he can talk through Prana."
"Can all animals do that?"
"Not necessarily. Only those with higher affinity or sentience—I don't know the exact criteria—can."
"Ohhh," Kant said exasperatedly, as if he had gained the ultimate knowledge.
"Well, whatever. I came here to talk about the plans." Kant now sat comfortably as the tiger was already almost asleep.
"You see, the city knights have been mobilized, and the security has been increased since your battle."
"Are they coming to the forest?"
"No, just in the city."
Sharv pondered for some seconds and then asked, "Do you know when your base commander will come?"
"I have heard he should be back by tomorrow."
"Then come and take me to the base after his arrival. How are your injuries, by the way?"
"If I didn't know better, even I wouldn't believe I was injured," Kant said, flexing his healed arm. "I came here with some other questions."
"Ask away."
"Hmmm," Kant nodded as if thinking what to say. "What is your name, the real one?"
"You know both of them."
"So you are both Ari Mardan and Sharv? How? And…why?"
"Because I am a Keeper. We are given different names by our loved ones depending on the traits they like about us." Sharv moved a little back, supporting his back on the Banyan tree.
"That seems…right." Kant was reluctant in accepting it, but it was clear to him that Sharv was not lying.
"Anything else?" Sharv questioned, observing the reluctant look on Kant's face.
"Oh, yes." Kant came back to reality. "May I know why your chakras change color?"
"Am I right to assume that neither you nor your grandpa had watched many powerful people fight?" Sharv asked absent-mindedly, drawing a lotus on the ground.
"Eh?" Kant was surprised. "Well, I don't know about my grandpa, but I surely haven't."
"It was obvious." Sharv nodded, still engrossed in his drawing. "Any person who has higher attunement to a Primordial Path will have changed Chakras. And…"
"Wait a little… What is a Primordial Path?" Kant had a very confused look on his face.
"Hmm?" Sharv looked at his face with surprise but answered nonetheless.
"Every power and path in existence is a subsidiary or a form of five basic paths."
Sharv extended his right hand, creating a knife of brown color, which hovered above his hand, pointing downwards.
"Creation"
The knife fell, cutting his hand a little. A few drops of blood fell on the fallen leaves. But a silver shine covered them, and they kept moving like mercury.
"Preservation"
Kant looked at it with surprise. But in front of his eyes, the knife disintegrated to nothingness.
"Destruction," Sharv spoke again, which attracted Kant's attention to his hand. The cut on it healed instantly.
"Graciousness. Now look down," Sharv said, pointing to the blood drops. Kant followed and noticed that the blood drops spread over the leaves, forming a chain around, and slowly the leaf turned lifeless and crumbled.
"Restraint." Kant's eyes widened. He never expected this to be the last path.
"These are Primordial Paths. And each soul has a special attunement to one of them. Now do you understand?"
"Yes," Kant smiled, "Thank you for enlightening me. So what can I do to increase my attunement?"
"You can't. That is only possible if you formed the first five chakras. It is better if you awaken them, but that's not easy."
"So that info is useless to me, huh." Kant sighed, "Forget these serious talks. Why did you draw that beautiful lotus?" Sharv looked towards the clearing where some peacocks had come down and
inspected the new gashes for food.
"Oh, that is my signature move, which I have been developing for a long time. It is not
yet what I want it to be, but I think it can be used after a few more sessions of practice."
"That looks like a fascinating move. Impressive."
Kant admired but then stopped to think.
"Let me warn you before you ask any other questions." Sharv said, looking at Kant's thinking face, "We Keepers are hunted down because of the secrets we know. Attunement is one of them. You know that is not common knowledge in the outer world. So ask more secrets if you can keep them or… if you are ready to be hunted down."
"I am really grateful for letting me in on that secret but won't probe further." Kant tried to stay serious, but his jolly side slipped out. "You know I really want to live. I haven't even married yet."
Sharv looked at him like one looks at a mischievous child. But Kant was in his flow. "Rest up. I'll come back tomorrow." Sharv just nodded and then looked at
Vyaghra, "We are alone again. What do you say? Should I show you the technique one more time?" To which Vyaghra just growled.
"Whatever you say, then why were you observing intently when I was practicing?" Vyaghra turned away to save his face, and Sharv moved to the clearing to practice.
*****
In a golden office, the familiar duo of the city magistrate and the shadowy spy man were discussing future and current plans.
"Marut," the magistrate said, "All four ward chiefs are on high alert, and knights are up for patrol duty. I will go to District headquarters tomorrow for the emergency meeting. You will have to handle everything here and keep it under control. If something extraordinary happens, follow the protocols and ensure your safety. We need information in any condition."
"As you command, Magistrate." The shadowy man vanished after saying this, leaving the magistrate rocking back and forth in his chair.