What were rituals? What was their true purpose? How did they work? Why did they work? How did the ancients learn of such techniques? Did the gods themselves teach them to the mortals? Or is this a mortal knowledge to pray to the gods?
So many unanswered questions and those that were answered were rely assumptions.
But no matter how nonsensical it might appear to the mages who claid to be Scholars of the Arcana. It did work, and as long as you fulfill certain requirents, even a mortal can conduct such rituals.
One of the most common forms of ritual was the sacrificial one.
"It seems impossible." This tree was too huge and from the small tributes around the tree, it would seem that it was also worshiped by the locals. So cutting such a tree in thirty minutes felt wrong to him.
Of course, the biggest issue was its thickness. Even with his Apprentice Knight strength, he understood well enough that this request of his master was not easy to accomplish.
"Then make it possible. This is your test and an important part of the ritual. So breathe and set your focus straight, the mont you swing it, you can’t stop until you fell the tree in under thirty minutes."
"So psyche up, it’s a test and an important requirent."
Complaining won’t do him any good, Crow understood that things might not make sense or at least not at the mont considering he didn’t know what kind of bloodline this was, to begin with.
However, the world is confused about how such rituals ca into existence and why they work. One thing is certain, each step in a ritual is a kind of calling toward a greater existence. Considering it is a letter address of a powerful entity, but instead of a physical address, it is much more esoteric.
And then, with the first strike, the lips of Max started to move.
"Oh the Tree of Thousand faces, born to the dead desire, son to the Maitreya and filled with childlike vigor, I beseech ye to witness a new birth."
A prayer to the dead god, which Crow heard, but he didn’t let it affect his action, his hands remained steady, his mouth sealed shut. He didn’t wish to act frivolous at the mont, for this ritual was done for him and he can’t be certain if his word might break the ritual or not.
That’s how it happened, Max kept repeating the prayer while Crow maintained his form, while cutting the tree like an emotionless machine.
He didn’t know how long it went on, Max’s words kept repeating in his head and he had lost count of how much ti he had left or not. As for checking the stopwatch in his pocket? He didn’t take such a foolish step.
Even a single second counted with a tree so thick and old.
The older a tree gets, the drier and thicker its bark becos, and if not for the Axe he specifically requested from the old man in the shop, this ritual would have beco much harder.
’Fast, I can’t waste this opportunity... His abilities are too wonderful to ignore.’ Before long, his focused eyes turned completely blank, and his labored breathing started to stabilize on their own.
He was possessed at the mont, there was nothing in his eyes besides the tree and the axe with which he intended to cut it.
Would he succeed?
I think he should, considering his palms were bleeding out of nowhere, then soon this bleeding extended to his arms, then to his shoulders, and before long, his whole body started to bleed.
"Oh soul of the Tree with Thousands of faces, watch as the new cuts down the old." Then with his words, even Max’s body started to bleed. A confusing ceremony that didn’t seem to make sense on the surface.
Just what was happening? There were no wild forces at play here. Even if a powerful mystic were to witness such a scene, they would be rendered confused and restless over such an oddity.
If there were truly no forces at play, then why would such a scene happen?
Or the forces at play were so great, that it was impossible for the mortal mind to comprehend?
Even I struggled to see through it, to see what it was that caused such a phenonon. This was too archaic, too old for to fathom. Lacking any calculation or magic circles that were in the realm of understanding.
And as I can’t understand it, so will Remira, who, like a hound, was looking for the sign of Farhad. So her chance of reaching this place was very much low.
Of course, it all depends on Farhad.
*****
"You intend to stop ?" He spoke to the rats that followed him like a madman. But the rats didn’t respond at all. They kept following him and soon, a few of them walked ahead, without ever giving any response.
"Lead ?" He questioned, but with a loud explosion, his eyes turned toward the village.
A village that was illuminated with a bright light, he was very much familiar with. "She ca?" He wondered, then smiled.
There was no need to consider that it could have been so other Radiant Knight, that explosion was too familiar to him, those flas too recognizable. "Looks like you got so competition," he spoke to , making wonder if he would choose to go back and et up with Remira.
No matter how I tried to break through with the help of Owl, Farhad had made his intentions clear. He doesn’t trust and would join up with Remira as fast as possible if the chance ca. All in an effort to take down.
And that chance was just right in front of him, just a few hundred ters would all it take for him to et up with her, a distance he could cover in a matter of seconds. But he didn’t.
He just cut his finger and let a drop fall on the ground. "Co here, captain." He spoke while his steps never paused.
Leading a path for her to track him through should be enough. For now, he needs to find his sister.
"Now, show the way as you intended." Although he didn’t know where the rats were leading him. Knowing and my intentions, he probably ca to a certain conclusion.
A correct one at that.
I intend to lead him to his sister, the only way he won’t stumble on the location of the ritual and cause so problems.
A proper win and win for .
He is distracted with his sister and Remira is distracted with dealing with him while ensuring that the village is evacuated safely.
*****
"What sort of fool did this?"
"An annoying one. A blessed one of the first knights. She is soone you can’t face at the mont." Carp said while eying the light in the sky, he was just a few steps away from Remira and if not for hiding his aura completely to the level that he had turned mortal, Carp would have long been caught by her.
In the case of Vegal, he didn’t need to go to such extres. He just looked at Carp, the ugly captain of Team Two, and said. "Your kind should have a way out, isn’t it correct?" Going with the evacuates? He was no slouch to make such a gamble. There is a high chance that he will be noticed one way or another.
The only way out is to follow these bastards. Of course, he didn’t dislike them as much as one might expect.
That is, besides one thing. "That is correct, we know a way out of this place, a safe way. But as you know, nothing cos free."
"I am already giving you the keys to decipher the stolen text."
"I might be ugly, but I am not stupid. That is sothing you ought to give for a prior transaction. This one requires a new one."
Vegal turned silent.
What else can he give these people?
He had given them the precious blueprints that he held and soon he would even give them the encryption code. So what else can he give them?’
"After our transactions are over, I will work for Yethel for the next 10 years." Service was the only thing he could provide these people.
What is better than the blueprints and the research notes?
Of course, it’s the man who made those things to begin with.
And it would seem that his words worked, as the eyes of Carp went blank for a mont before he spoke. "Of course, the contract can be completed later, for now. Let’s take you out, old man."
******
Do you know the best way to scare out a rat?
Just push so smoke in their burrows and that’s it.
Soon, one will see a bunch of them run out in a bid to hide once again.
That was the hidden plan of Remira and why she didn’t move after causing mayhem in the village.
With her at the center, she felt each movent and motion in the village, she saw where the dwarves ran to and where so of them hid in confusion.
Leaving only two figures, who were moving in a different direction than expected.
But she still didn’t move, although those two figures attracted her attention, she knew never to rush things. All she did was give the two more attention than the rest. While her nose picked up on the sll.
"Mortals, both of them." She said while catching the whiff of others in the village one by one. Looking for a single clue in between.
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