The next year followed the same routine reading in the library whatever book Zafikel gave him always with the promise to actually teach after he had read these first but that promise never actually came to fruition. After his time in the library, he would train with Luna beating every fundamental of swordsmanship into his head literally.
Their mock duels often left Ratella in a state of agony and covered in his own blood and bile.
After his proficiency with Exacublir had gotten to a suitable level for Luna, they moved onto another weapon practicing with both in their daily training sessions.
The year of training had allowed Ratella to move Exacublir in fluid and controlled motions cleaving through the air. His other weapon of choice being a lance although not speaking to him the way Exacublir did. It was suitable for the boy, his proficiency with his nameless lance had yet to reach the level it was with Exacublir but he was ever hopeful that he would one day surpass Luna.
The first set of books he received from Zafikel were vastly bigger than what he'd expected, taking him a while to actually get through their contents, often having to track down Zafikel to ask what a word meant stripping the boy of his precious reading time.
The book about Edicts piqued the boy's interest, excited about whatever one he would gain once he reached fifteen. There are eleven edicts in total each having their darker counterpart.
These eleven consist of Plasma, Time, Memory, Stars, Moon, Sun, Nature, Control, Creation, Light and Space. Their listed powers and various effects on a targeted person aligning with their names.
The next book Ratella tackled was about Devils and Fallen kind. Everything he needed to know was embedded with its pages; although riddled with mysteries he eventually conquered the book despite his many trips to Zafikel for help.
Faravos, home to all Devils and Fallen angels. A mixture between a barren wasteland and a desert, devoid of any forest or plantlife.
Faravos like Kathoros is made of many floating islands overlooking the surface world, the two biomes being an even split through the country.
Faravos is divided into four much like Kathoros' Dominions but these divided areas are called Realms.
There are four realms each having their own monarch, these are forbidden from inferring with each other but the fight for territory has been ever present between the realms. Although in recent years they have joined as one with the goal of destroying Kathoros.
Faravos is a strict meritocracy valuing strength and power above all else. Full blooded Devil or Fallen it matters not to the Horsemen or the Ruling Bodies which make up their ranks.
Devil physiology and anatomy mirrors Angels but with key differences. Devils will have horns attached somewhere on their face and pitch black wings. Fallen are similar to Devils but not completely the same. As their motives and personality twist and darken due to tragedy or a loss of belief, their wings will darken considerably turning pitch black and gaining a newfound power often causing their darkness to engulf all goodness left within their hearts.
Primordial Darkness is the complete embodiment of sin and malice passing down a sliver of his power to those he deems wicked enough.
At the head of Faravos' military are the four horsemen of the apocalypse embodying Death, Famine, War, and Pestilence.
All harbingers of future calamities.
Below the horsemen are the seven deadly sins each commanding a legion of high and lower sphere devils and fallen. Their might is a perfect match to each of the virtues calling Kathoros their home.
That about summed up everything that Ratella found interesting about the two books, its other pages detailing the long history between the two warring collections of islands but he found its contents rather boring.
As he read the history of Devilkind, his mind would twist with confusion and a latent anger boiling under the surface of his brain. For some reason unknown to the boy he was able to distinguish the lies from the truth written upon its many pages.
Its contents were riddled with lies and plastered with all sorts of slander regarding the Devils.
He had once mentioned it to Zafikel but got no clear answer.
"Zafikel, the books you gave me on Devilkind history are riddled with lies."
"How would you even know that?"
"I don't know, I can just sense that most things written upon it are a pure and unbridled fabrication twisting the truth. It causes a deep held anger to swell in my mind."
"Mhm, maybe it's your Edict rearing its head slightly but you aren't at the age to receive one. Perhaps this is just that said power showing itself although shackled it still has an effect." said Zafikel holding his chin in deep thought, his wings keeping busy behind performing miscellaneous tasks.
"You aren't exactly wrong about books being full of lies. How else would the choir control the masses into focusing their hatred on a single point but you can't tell anyone your suspicions. Much like the Devils, the Choir has also stained their hands with anyone who would threaten their authority. Remember this always.
"But the choir is supposed to embody purity and everlasting kindness."
"Don't think too much about it, you'll be alright you are a Seraphim after all." said Zafikel, his face twisting into a somber expression looking truly remorseful about the state of the choir turning his face away, avoiding eye contact with Ratella.
"Compared to the Devils, the Choir are saints. Please don't let my own beliefs ruin your own." stated Zafikel but his words rang out hollow.
Ratella nodded his head, doing as Zafikel said and pushing the thought to the back crevice of his mind forever looming in his subconscious.
"Go read that book I gave you on the Choir."
As Ratella was walking back towards his nestled corner, he heard a book drop slowing his pace to investigate.
"Dammit, why can't I just shut my mouth for once." whispered Zafkiel just loud enough for Ratella to pick up some parts of his sentence.
His slack jaw and expansive knowledge being his downfall.
Ratella quickly hurried back to his corner not wanting to be discovered and further problems to arise from his eavesdropping.
The said book held the mysteries he had been wondering about the Choir.
Seraphim are the overarching rulers of the Kathoros and the mightiest of all angels born on its lands.
Dominions control all the lands of Kathoros and are responsible for its citizens with the express purpose of allowing the angels to prosper.
Virtues are commanders of Kathoros' angelic military responsible for defense and leading assaults into Faravos.
Powers make up the main army of Kathoros, every soldier being categorized into a single attribute and assigned a four man team with each attribute filling their ranks.
These categorized attributes are as follows: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom.
He also discovered the nicknames given by the public to the Seraphim.
Luna was designated as the Radiances' Blade.
Zafkiel was the Aurelic Sage, and Michael, Tyrant of the Boundless Light.
"Tyrant of the Boundless Light." repeated Ratella letting the name roll off his tongue.
In his opinion it was an awesome nickname but it brought questions into his mind on whether the Imperator's personality was as cruel as his nickname suggested.