by Philip Read
It’s completely different to Om’s who becomes a cool collected person with a heavy presence but whom you can still have an intellectual conversion with. Ava just becomes an animal that’s out for blood and won’t be satisfied with anything less. Her speed is doubled and her stamina is admirable but she loses almost all her defensive capabilities which would be a clean death against a superior warrior, her vitality is off the charts though and the damage she can take before found down is inhuman. I’ve since then challenged 3 more Tribesmen in my curiosity and experiment and they all have different berserker rages but the common trait so far is increased power, speed, aggression and vitality.
Except Om, when Om went berserker we actually had a conversation instead of fight so I’m not exactly sure how much more physically enhanced he is in that state.
All the Tribesmen have different specialties as well. The is one named Gaia who is just a powerhouse with the axe and shield, having the basics in aura down and has a spirit ability, spirit cleanse. Then there is Asger with his love for the spear and his aura honing abilities, then Ava who devastates with her pole-arm, has the aurastabilize ability, auraenhance ability and can release her raw chakra out when she fights. Then there is this Sachihiro kid.
The Barbarians aren’t wholely human anymore for whatever was done to them many generations ago. They are mostly human and have all the biology of a human but their blood has certain markers that are usually found in beasts and lack some markers usually found in normal humans. They are now a species of human that is unique by blood to the rest of humanity and they are so much closer related to orcs than is initially obvious by just observing them.
When I first started looking into this Sachihiro kid I was fascinated by him and his people. I can’t use examine directly on him without him knowing about it because of his spirit shielding, a skill that is apparently common amongst the barbarian people known as Seers. A type of shielding that prevents passive magical, chakra, or psionic examination dead in it’s tracks.
But which he is yet to develop into that stage of speciality. The kid has other abilities that no one seems to be aware of as he keeps them under wraps like he likes to do that pole-arm he keeps on his back. Spirit oppression, a skill he used in his spar with Volvox that oppresses his opponents spirit and psyche planting doubts in his opponents sapping their mental strenght and spiritual strenght. Spirit cleanse, a skill that cleanses all illusionary magic and outside influence that’s been placed on him from an external source, even letting him endure a conversation with Cyrus without any noticeable discomfort. Spirit sense, an ability that let’s him sense the spiritual energy of the people and creatures around him almost like everyone else senses aura. And all this I know through Shea, the only person he has of yet willingly let examine him deeply enough to sense some of his abilities.
The kid’s spiritual energy is so much stronger than a person of his age and power should be, and spirit energy isn’t something you can just train into having high levels of. It usually comes with age or just naturally depending on the person. I’ve been watching them following my regiment for the past 20 days now and I think its time I met the kid in person. And it’s definitely time Ragnar started his Awakening..
*
I walk to were they’ve been meeting every morning and they are already here getting ready to go collect herbs for Swasha and Isis.
“No need for that today.” I say coming smoothly into their view and senses. Ragnar grunts in surprise at my appearance but calms quickly, Silo already has a dagger out and is slightly crouched, Sachihiro doesn’t seem to have been startled at all at first glace by then I notice the colour of his eyes has specks of silver that are slowly fading, interesting.
“I’m Zaraya, who might you be?” I ask him as we clasp forearms in a warriors greeting, he feels the throwing needles strapped to my forearm but doesn’t comment.
“I’m Sachihiro of the Norse Tribe of The Barbarian people. It is an honour to finally meet you Master Zaraya.” He says with a slight bow of his head.
I nod and look at the other two men. “Ragnar, its about time you Awakened. Head to the meditation building and see Grandmaster Watson, she should have everything prepared I will be there shortly.
“Silo, it’s to the scholars for you, Master Raven would like a word, then your day is yours to do as you see fit.” They both nod and leave immediately and I’m left with the tall handsome young man with the many hidden talents.
“So why have you been looking for me Sachihiro?” I ask as I loop my arm into his and we start walking towards the southeast exit.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” He asks and I give him a look for that one.
“I’ve been looking into you, wondering why you’d want to meet me.”
“Did you come up with any possibility?” He asks smoothly as we walk through the morning crowd of the compound.
I don’t think I’ve had a conversation like this in a while, I expected him to be a bit flustered actually not interrogating me. We talk for a little while as we leave the compound and walk deep into the mist and the woods. “How is Asriel doing?” I ask as we’ve already established how this young man would even know about me.
“I haven’t seen him in something like 4 to 5 years but last I saw him he was well. I mean we were both still traumatized at the time from going through the forging but he was as well as he could be.”
“Yes, these soul weapons of yours are very interesting concepts. I can actually feel that all your weapons except the dagger in your boot are spirit bound to you. How did such a young man gain such wealth?”
He tells me of the events that took place with his people as we sit on a fallen tree and continue our conversation, he even mentions a deity that blessed him with the blessing of tongues which he subsequently had his children receive. He talks of Asriel and how his training began with him. Honestly the Asriel he talks about I can hardly recognise, but then again I have been away many years.
After his story he surprises me by kowtowing to me trice, “please take me as your disciple.” He says with his head to the floor humbling himself to me.
“Why?” I ask genuinely surprised.
“I want to be the best possible self I can be while archiving the most with my training and ability. Besides, I want what you have, I want to Awaken as my best possible self and Awaken as you did, with the Universe or whatever directing me instead of my own short sighted perceptions or lacking imagination limiting me.”
“I see…” I say trying to think of that, very selfish reasons. “I will have to think about it, I already have two other disciples besides Ragnar at the moment.”
“I will be going home in a few months, please take your time in making a final decision.” He says as he gets off the forest floor.
“Whats the other reason for wanting me as a Master?” I ask because I can see there is more to it than that. My truth sense, a psionic ability tells me so.
He grins, “because you are an Ascendant.” He says conspiraciously. There’s a slight moment of silence between us.
“Let me look at you.” I say and immediately his shielding disappears an he is bare before me as I use Aware Examination on him.
*
Sachihiro van Damage
Blessing of Tongues
Class: –
Specialty: Master Swordsman, Expert Axeman, Justus Spearman, Justus Unarmed combatant.
Health: 99%
Mana: —
Stamina: 100%
Vitality: 100%
Endurance: 100%
Strength: 100%
Agility: 100%
Perception: 100%
Reaction: 98%
Resistance: currently 0
Willpower: 100%
Inteligence: 100%
Wisdom: 100%
Spirit: 80%
Soul: 64%
Ether: 70%
Abilities: Berserker Rage Curse, Divided Soul
Skills: Spirit Sense - justus, Aura Sense
- novice, Spirit Shielding - expert, Spirit Oppression - novice, Spirit Summoning - novice, Spirit Cleanse - justus, Spirit Aura - justus.
Examining someone in this way isn’t an exact science and there is absolutely no way to accurately quantify someone’s affinities and abilities in a way that simplifies a person. Which is why everything seems to be a percentage to my mental perception. He is 100% healthy with 100% vitality for his body, but it doesn’t mean he has more vitality than say I do when I’m at 50% vitality.
Even at 50% vitality I could still endure more damage that he could at 100% but he would be as healthy as he can be before taking that damage while I’d already be raggered.
He is also closer to Awakening that I initially thought with an ether saturation of 70%. Divided soul must be a result of the soul weapon and that 64% soul an estimate of how much he has recovered since the forging. Souls can take many years to recover from injuries so it’s no surprise that after what 5 or 6 years he’s still recovering. I’m surprised at how quickly he’s recovering in fact.
“You’re an interesting specimen Sachihiro van Damage.” I say taking my hand off him.
“You know, you’re the second person to pluck my full name out of the air without me telling them.” He says with a question in his voice.
I ignore that remark and look at him in the eyes, “Alright Sachihiro, I’ll take you on as a disciple.”
Chapter 57
Asriel
I am perched on a rock outcrop on the southern continent of Sandaria on a mountain in the kingdom of Sandoria. I’m thinking hard about my companion along on this trip down to Pangaea, and not my companion Yami or the boy Joseph but the passenger on this trip Kazimoto.
I try not to look at him every other second but if I thought he was a monster before I don’t even know what league to place him in now.
I feel absolutely nothing from where Kazimoto is, no aura, no chakra, no physical presence, no scent, no sound, nothing. The man is like a figment of my imagination the only sense that even perceives him being my sight. He could disappear at this moment and I wouldn’t be sure of whether he was really here or not without confirming with Yami.
Yami himself is very unhappy and keeping well away from the uncanny presence of our tag along on the way down south. Kazimoto apparently has never travelled before outside of the exodus of his people from their underworld lands up to the surface and the Hidden Valleys. I was surprised when he first requested to travel with us and I honestly saw no reason to object to an extra sword arm in case of trouble.
Kazimoto disappears for hours or days at a time in this silent way he does that leaves no trace of his presence even on wet soil. Yami started the grumbling the second day out of the Hito settlement about not being able to scent my friend, a phenomenon that was really giving him the creeps for some reason.
When we reached the Tundra and Paradisum we were met with diplomatic meetings and messages from Hara to take down to the Conclave. Messages not urgent enough to warrant magical dispatch but also too sensitive to be sent using a courier or a spirit. We decided it would be best if I kept the kid Joseph with me and after a few days of rest were he kept nicely sedate and Kazimoto made his second long disappearance. As we left we eventually realized Kazimoto was traveling with us again and Yami’s grumblings started all over, I didn’t even know Monkeys ever complained about anything.
When we travel we spar and we train and so Yami and I were training for something like 10 hours every night with the staff, sometimes involving the kid other times not but Kazimoto never failed to critic us. It was especially frustrating to Yami who is a grandmaster leveled staff wielder to be taking criticism from a human who wasn’t even carrying a weapon around. There ensued a friendly sparing match between a staff wielding Yami and an unarmed Kazimoto.
Its wasn’t a long matchup, and once Yami regained consciousness and set his broken jaw he wanted to go again and this time had his arm was broken. He got the message after that and took the critic with less gnashing of his teeth.
Kazimoto eventually even started teaching Joseph some unarmed combat moves, admonishing him on his dependence on the one weapon to face all foes, his spirit possessed arm. Joseph is a very quiet kid these days but ever watchful and his ears are wide opened. He was amazed by the sight of the city of Paradisum, it still amazes me too when I see it especially knowing it wasn’t there some 9 years ago.
The dwarves are very quick builders and with the amount of manpower they had and the magics of the fae and their city design plans, it was always going to be a city to rival some of the most beautiful cities on Gaia and it does. The city is built in so many different types of designs yet everything matches and compliments each other in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing.
The diversity of the population adds to the otherworldly feel of the city with it’s oneness with nature, and it’s magical feel. Almost every single brick layed down throughout the entire city is individually warded and enchanted for strength, protection and self-repair.
I steal a glance at Kazimoto out on a cliff further up and to the left. I’m not used to being unable to feel someone with a passive spacial awareness that’s always on now. The little insights the Beautiful Madman keeps giving during training are very helpful as well and my connection to my beautifully made celestial steel and iron toya has never been deeper.
I sometimes have trouble believing the soul within my toya is part of my own. My toya just seems so old and accomplished, so sure of itself and content in its existence, so much wiser than I am. Definitely took the best parts of my soul for sure, not even sure that’s how soul forging works but thinking that makes me feel better.
I have never had such a hard time keeping track of a person, I wish that enigmatic man Gorr was at Paradisum when I passed there so he could have a good look at Kazimoto and maybe tell me what he sees. I wonder what the sidhe in the city made of him, he is obviously very powerful so they definitely felt him and he felt them when he entered the city. Maybe that’s where he disappeared off to when we got to the city, doing the equivalent of the powerful sniffing each others ass’ as they made sure no one started anything.
Kazimoto is also different from when I knew him while I was at the Hidden Valley of Honshu, he seems more composed now and I haven’t even seen him eat anything let alone take a drink. He only speaks mind to mind these days, I don’t even remember what his voice sounds like. He seems sane, content, happy, and it creeps me out a little. His soul must be complete though, that must be why he is as complete as he seems, he must be a complete being again, I wonder what his zanpakutō looks like.
I stand and signal that I’d like to go down to the city far in the distance down below, I’ve never really had a chance to explore the Sandorian kingdom and we have some time.
I’ve already made a report about what Joseph said and our progress with the Tribes and the Hito that Hara as the official ambassador to the Tribes magically sent on ahead. Kazimoto nods and fades where he is only to start appearing already walking in stride before he is even completely gone from his previous position.
*
We stalk down the mountain and into the woods at a respectable pace. The boy Joseph the only thing keeping us from increasing the pace and racing around the woods in our travel. Kazimoto looks like a happy kid when he runs, letting his clothes billow in the wind like the flattering of birds. Unlike the three of us who swing our arms when we run he just bends forward and holds his arms out at his sides like he expects to fly off at any moment, I probably wouldn’t be surprised if he could fly.
It isn’t long before we sense people within the forest and slow down to a walk again. There is a town up ahead a few kilometers away and as such the are beautiful private cabin homes out here in the middle of the forest scattered around. We are in what in known as Central Province so all the poor Sandersonian were pushed out of here long ago. We pass some very big cabins, some with interesting designs and guards visible out front, these Sandies are an intere
sting bunch indeed.
Kazimoto also seems to think so because he walks up to the door of one such cabin while we watch and knocks on the door for some reason. There is a silent exchange with whomever opened the door before he is let further into the home.
“Don’t wait for me I’ll catch up.” He projects to our minds and we shrug and continue walking. The aura coming from the house is quite pleasant, homey with a hearth blessing or something.
We continue on and eventually reach the Town, a town without a wall or a palisade to further indicate how much more peaceful this continent is than Pangaea. Though it helps that this province is in the middle of Sandoria and far from any front lines or foreign attack. The economy on this continent is very stable and circular, in a loop in a way as it has very little influx from foreign coinage.
They provide and pay for everything here in a loop that keeps everything stable, trading with the Maori and the elves of this land but having very little to do with the Highlanders and the Tribes. Travel has been opened for the Sandies to visit the Tundra and the Tribes to visit Sandoria but the Tundra is too far away for most citizens to travel to with any reasonable expectation of surviving alone, and tribesmen that travel down here are mostly looked upon with scorn, fear and hatred.
The few merchants that have managed to establish trade between the exotic north and the rest of Sandoria are already making bucket loads of silver and gold marking up products found in Paradisum in bulk. We get a few stares as we walk through the street but it’s mostly people looking and kids pointing at Yami. I gues Monkeys are not a common sight here.
We don’t even get to the center of town before being approached by a slave asking that we be guests in his Master’s house.
We graciously accept and follow the half naked man with beautiful tanned skin around the town for a while, a town that is larger than it seemed from out on the cliffs most of it well hidden in the forest.
We walk into the woods and through a quiet area before reaching another one of the many luxury cabins just outside town. There are no yard markers or gates at any of these houses so we just walk up on the front lawn and the slave opens the door with a bow.
