They head to the temple. On their way the bright blue sky begins to dim. John sees this and stops to watch. The Grand Elder stops and sees John in a daze.
Grand Elder: John. . . . JOHN! What are you doing?
John: you don't see this?
The Grand Elder, confused, looks up and only sees clouds. There weren't clouds there before. Within, John sees five figures running across the shadows of the clouds. Light flashes an ominous green as the cloud forms a swirl. The Grand Elder saw this as a storm. An omen. John sees the five figures as balls of light as they fall to the earth in different places of the world. The storm continues on over the desert horizon and disappears.
John: ��� what was that?
Grand elder: what are you looking at?
John:. . . I don't know. It looked familiar though? Maybe?
The grand elder says nothing and takes John to the temple. There, John is placed in a room filled with books and a podium with a locked book on it. It read The Thirteenth King.
The grand elder takes the book and hands it to John.
John: what kind of book is this? And why does it have a lock?
Grand elder: it's an ancient script handed down through my ancestor for quite some time. However no one has ever been able to open it, due to one rule: only those of the Alfathers decent my lie eyes upon this script.
John: so... Why hand it to me?
Grand elder: to find someone who can open it. I wanted you to leave for this search sooner but your studies are still far from done. No thanks to some arrogant elders.
John: wait. I can leave now?
Grand elder: not until every book in this room is studied. I know you're a quick study, so let's see how far you can go before setting off. Not only will you read every book in this threshold but you will also practice every passage. I want to see progress everyday from here on. Until then, you are not to leave this room. I will provide you with all other necessities. Understood?
John is a little downhearted. Knowing he is no longer able to see the outside for a while frightened him. But the grand elder doesn't seem to be giving him any other options. But why him exactly?
John: . . . I understand, grand elder. Before you go. Why am I doing this instead of your grandson?
Grand elder: because he is not my grandson. He was adopted by the village just like you. The only difference is you are like me, you're born from witches blood. As such, I am obligated to hand this village to you being the only one left in the area, despite not being born here. This desert has been under our protection for centuries, but the world outside has changed and considers this place the end of the earth itself because of us. That book, you will be guarding it with your life. I'm going to get you food. Best get to your studies.
The grand elder leaves John in the large, dim room with nothing but the book for company.
John looks to the book for a while, enchanted by the intricate dara knot design on the cover. It's lock was a celtic knot of gold and amethyst.
Cat: you can open that, you know.
John lifts the book over his head and finds the two-tailed-cat sitting at his feet looking up at him.
Cat: you don't need to study those books individually either. You have enough power to just sweep the place of every knowledge in here with a single thought. And you can do the same with that book.
John: what?! Me?! No no no no. That'd be a little...
Cat: over the top because you're a so-called "wicked"? So is that elder of yours, but he can't see me, can he? If you can see a celestial of Shaltar, then you can open it, no problem. Simply command it, and it shall be.
John: ... "Only those with the Alfathers blood can read from this script."
John holds the book out in front of him and focuses on the lock. He is still like a statue. Moments later, the grand elder returns with a boy and a basket of food only to find John exactly where he left him with the book. Frustrated, the elder drops his basket and stomps towards John. Suddenly, the book in John's hands flies open fluttering through the pages. The books around the room shoot off the shelves and encircle them in a sphere and their pages flutter through as well. Once every book had reached their end and shut, they fly to the end of the room on to the floor. The book in John's hands flips backwards and locks itself back. The book falls to the ground. The room is eerily silent.
The grand elder is paralyzed in shock. The boy that was with him dashed out the room screaming. Finally free from his loss of words, the elder speaks.
Grand elder: ... J-John?
John looks at him blankly.
John: what?
The elder didn't know where to begin.
Grand elder: what...? How...? ....ah... Are you... Alright?
John: I'm fine. Little lightheaded, but fine.
Grand elder: the book opened... That can't be right. You're a... A... Uh...
The grand elder looks at the book. The lock had new colors: peridot and bloodstone.
Grand elder:... The Orpheus. Son of the Alfather. ... You?!
John: wha?! Me? Me what?
Grand elder: how did you open this?!
John: I don't know!! Ask the cat!
Grand elder: what cat? There's no cat in here!
Cat: get the stone chip from the book cover. That's my tablet.
John does as the cat says and grabs the stone from the cover. A heavy fog covers the floor revealing the orange and black feline on John's shoulder for the elder to see. It was bigger than how John usually sees it.
The grand elder staggers back in horror. He couldn't believe his eyes. But sure enough, the large cat had the Leo sign on its shoulder. It was the beast of the abyss just as the legends tell.
The cat looks a little different though. It was skeletal and fleshy as if mummified. John, however, saw a normal cat with fur.
John: Grand elder? Are you alright? You look pale.
Grand elder: stay back!! Don't touch me!!
John: wha...?!
Cat: Leave him. How he sees me is different from how you see me. There's no point in saying otherwise.
John: ...But he can see you, right?
Cat: yeah now he can.
Grand elder: are you talking to it?
John: uh! Don't worry! He can't hurt anyone!
Grand elder: but you can. You have that power. You are the son of the alfather. How is one of us a son!? What did your mother do?!!
John: ... My mother?
The grand elder rushes out of the temple.
John: wait!! What?! Do just leave me like that!!
John chases after him. Once outside John can hear the elder talking to himself as he struggles down the hillside.
Grand elder: what have I done?! I made a terrible mistake!! What have I done? Why couldn't I listen to the madam and just leave him alone?!
John: GRAND ELDER, STOP!!!
The clouds force the winds to pick up, causing sandstorms and twisters to form around the village. Everyone was inside locked away in their bunkers safe from the raging winds. The grand elder was getting tossed around and hit with large debris. John rushes to his aid.
Cat: I said leave him!! He is only in the way!
John: are you stupid!! Why would I leave him like that? The man was the only one to treat me normally!
Cat: up until recently! He sees you as a monster now! Not an equal!
John: I was never his equal.
John recites a wind chant repeatedly until he reached the elder. He grabs him and holds him tight. The elder was dizzy from getting hit from all the debre.
John: why aren't the spells working?
Cat: because you don't need them! You have me!
John: there's no book for you!!
Cat: you are the next king! You have the power to command that's all! Use your new authority! Command the winds! Like you commanded the book!
John tries it. He looks to the clouds and soon the wids slowly die down. For some reason it wasn't enough, like another power was controlling it. He keeps trying. But it stops budging. Soon he becomes irritated and screams to the clouds.
John: GOD DAMMIT!!! STOP ALREADY!!!
A pillar of air rushes from John into the clouds and breaks the storm. The winds die out, the twisters vanish, and the debre stops flying. Everything came to a complete stop. John is out of breath. The grand elder was holding on to John for dear life until he realized what happened. He jumps from John and falls to the ground.
John: whoa! Are you okay, grand elder?!
The grand elder saw the cat again. This time it didn't look like death was on John's shoulder. He is now confused.
Grand elder: wh... What just happened?
John: you were about to get blown into a building, so I stopped the storm.
The elder is still dumbfounded, but simply accepts it out of guilt from running earlier. John helps him to his feet as the villagers come out of hiding. No one but the two knew what happened.
Grand elder: get your things and go. You shouldn't be here. You never shouldn't have been here. You... Understand, don't you, John?
John:... Yeah. I understand.
The next morning, John had his things ready to go. Everything was back to the way it was. The elder had the smithy make new clothes for John and the farmer gathered cooking items and food for him. He was ready for his journey.
The cat sat on John's packed bag.
Cat: I never would have guessed that it was possible to actually change someone's point of view of you.
John: yeah. You'll be amazed at what effort can do.
Cat: yeah okay. So what kind of effort will you put into hiding that new accessory on your tailbone?
Confused, John looks behind him to find a long red fluffy tail ripped through his pants. He panics and tries every way to get it off while the cat sat laughing at him. Finally John gave up, grabbed his bag and walked out the door.
John leaves the village for the first time. The grand elder had told him to find more stones like the leo and that there will be twelve of them throughout the land. His journey begins to find these stones and find the answers to all his questions for what he is.