Kai and Damien arrived home after a long day at the Capital, the breeze had grown stronger over the past few weeks, and winter seemed to be on the precipice.
Damien felt a chill through his body as the heavy breeze hit him, but he wasn't concerned by it at all, his attention was diverted to the young boy walking besides him.
Kai hadn't spoken a word during their journey home, he'd been oddly engrossed within his own thoughts.
"What's been on your mind son?" Damien asked with a hint of concern.
Finally, Kai broke from his thoughts, and turned to Damien.
"Father, how likely is it for Theodan to become the next King of Leventis?" Kai asked without a moments hesitation.
"Well that's an odd question, I thought you didn't concern yourself with the politics of the Kingdom… What was it you said, it's all too monotonous."
Kai didn't react to his father's attempt to lighten the mood, he was still waiting for a reply to his question.
Damien narrowed his eyes, his concern deepened, but when he noticed no change in his son's demeanour, he sighed and spoke straightforwardly.
"Well, unlike King's of the Kingdom, Princes and Princesses do not share the same status, barring that which they hold as long as their parents are the rulers… It's an odd system, but it makes sense when you relate it to the foundation behind the Kingdom.
Power, and strength… Its indoctrinated in the minds of the people, the strongest shall rule. That's why the Leventis Trials exist, it's what determines the strength of all those who dare to be King.
And while the current King may be the strongest, that may not necessarily mean their heir shall be the same… So, in the case of Theodan, born with a weak constitution, he holds little chances in succeeding in the trials, and thus may never even get the chance to challenge for the right to become the next King."
"What happens to House of Lambros if Theodan fails to become King?" Kai asked as he processed his father's words.
Seeing his son in such a pondering state, made Damien suspicious but he continued to explain.
"Well, if Theodan were to fail, I'm afraid it wouldn't fare well for his house, they may even be demoted to a Minor House of the Kingdom if they cannot be represented by a strong warrior, regardless of their resources…
The previous King belonged to the House of Vestar, and while Lord Ceres, who at the time was referred to as Prince Ceres, is one of the best refiners and warriors of the Kingdom, he couldn't hold a candle to Eris Lambros.
You should've seen it Kai, when Eris Lambros defeated King Romain Vestar and officially ended the rule of the then Royal House Vestar.
A young Eris boldly claimed the title of the King, in front of all the Lords of the Kingdom, something of this fashion hadn't been done before. It would also explain why the Vestars despise the House of Lambros. But not only the Vestars many noble households, especially Major Houses, who had their own eyes set on the throne, were troubled by the change in power. It didn't take long though, for the new King to suppress everyone into subservience.
In the end everyone conformed as if this were always the way things had been. Thats the value of strength in this Kingdom, but, I'd argue it takes more than just strength to achieve what King Eris did."
Damien took a pause to let his son digest his explanation.
"After Ceres lost in the Trials, the House of Vestar remained a Major House thanks to his strength, but they nonetheless lost their royal status and essentially control of the Kingdom.
In Theodan's case the result may be more dire. Those patiently waiting out King Eris's rule, perceive the young prince as an opportunity to retake what they feel is rightfully theirs. I truly feel for the boy, and the pressure that lies on his feeble shoulders."
Damien sighed as he recalled the history of the Kingdom, and the current predicament faced by the young prince.
"Father… would you say King Eris would do everything in his power to overturn the outcome of his son and houses's future?" Kai finally looked to his father, his eyes were dead serious, as if he'd been wanting to ask this question all along.
Damien looked into his son's eyes, he couldn't discern what was going through the young boy's mind, but he replied honestly.
"As a King I expect he would hold the interests of the Kingdom above all, even his own house. But as a father… and this may come of my own biases as well, I would say it's not entirely impossible that he'd feel differently."
Kai felt a chill down his spine as the cold breeze swept past him once again. He finally felt like he had understood something. He wasn't entirely confident with his hypothesis, but everything seemed to connect.
Before Damien could ask any questions of his own, the two arrived home. Tressa was waiting for the two at the door.
After noticing his mother, Kai's seriousness disappeared, and he walked towards her first, leaving a pondering and confused Damien behind.
The next morning arrived swiftly, Damien awoke early, but he couldn't find his son in his room or anywhere in the house for that matter.
He held a worried expression, but could only sigh in disappointment.
'I hope he's doing okay with everything that's happened of late, it's a lot for a young boy like him…'
Meanwhile, Kai had made his way to the pastures of the village once again, he rushed to his usual spot, and looked around to ensure he was truly alone.
He quickly sat himself down, and began collecting his thoughts. A lot had been brought to his attention as of late.
'King Eris… The war with Leon… The opportunity Theodan mentioned… His intention to perform at the Leventis Trials… The mysterious chant Theodan shared with him out of the goodwill of his heart… And finally the fabled Immortals… Its all connected.'
Kai took a deep breath as he began to understand the events that had been transpiring in the backdrop of Leventis. But, more importantly the value of what he held in his hands.
The young boy looked down at the series of parchments in his hands, the oracular chant, the mention of spiritual energy, the idea of storing it within one's dantians rather than assimilating it within their bones, or muscles or even skin.
'I-If I'm correct… I truly have the chance to become… an Immortal.'
A conflicted expression appeared on the black haired youth's face.
'Theodan trusted me with this secret, even if he didn't tell me the whole truth, he shared it with me in the hope of helping with my refinement…'
The conflict in his eyes only deepened the more he thought of the matter. But soon the scenes of his duel with Ian Grier, his father's encounter with Anton Grier, the history of his family, Uncle Martin's family, all began appearing one by one in his mind. Even Theodan's own predicament itself concerned Kai.
His hands wanted to let go of the chant, but his heart refused.
'I want to, I need to, even if it is for Theodan's sake I have to… I don't desire power, I don't desire to rule, all I want is for all of them to be happy.'
The conflict in Kai's eyes began to slowly subside, and determination began to take its place.
'Even if it takes my all, I'll do whatever is necessary.'
Kai stabilised his thoughts, he sat in place for a while, as all his concerns, all his worries began to fade to the back of his mind. For now wasn't the time to think, now was the time to do.
He carefully removed the piece of origin fragment and cupped it with his hands. He sat cross legged and slowly began the breathing process.
Eventually soft whispers could be heard from the young boy's words.
Time passed… One cycle, two cycles, three cycles, four cycles, five cycles, six cycles… On the seventh cycle the wave of exhaustion had reached an unbearable amount, but the boy persevered, he pushed himself once more.
Soon, a slight suction force began to permeate from his hands. He could feel a faint energy being sucked out of the origin fragment.
The energy travelled all the way through his meridians to his dantians, eventually settling in the dantian situated within his abdomen.
For now seven cycles seemed to be his absolute limit. The boy fell on the gentle grass as he recovered his senses. He felt like passing out right away, but he held himself in check. There was a slight remnant pain in his body, especially his meridians.
After closing his eyes and feeling his body, he felt a minute difference, almost like a warm-cold sensation was flowing through him. It was starkly similar to the sensation he had been familiarising himself with since he obtained the origin fragment.
But it wasn't enough.
A few days passed as such, each day Kai would arrive at the pastures and exercise the chant, each day forcing himself to absorb the essence of the origin fragment.
A few weeks passed as such. Kai had been attending his regular training sessions, he'd been tending to his duties at the house, and even been helping out at the Keep when he could.
His training with Illinor had evolved too, he had learned a lot more when it came to one on one combat, moreover, the Knight seemed to be pushing him even more after his duel with Ian.
But, much to the Illinor's surprise, Kai didn't mind, in fact, he pushed for more, trying harder than he had ever before.
Theodan still hadn't attempted to contact him, it was odd, but Kai understood the prince had been struggling with his own concerns.
Every day, without fail Kai would make his way to the pastures and attempt to absorb from the origin fragment.
A few days ago, Kai noticed the fragment had begun losing its silver hue, as if the world energy stored within it over the countless years, had been drained. Of course, he understood what had led to this, but rather than be disappointed, it was a welcome site.
'It seems to be working.'
Today, the boy sat in his usual position, and prepared himself once more, he was about to try something which he couldn't even consider before, perhaps it was reckless, but he needed to make progress no matter what.
One cycle, two cycles, three cycles, four cycles… Seven cycles… Eight cycles!
"Argh!" Kai exclaimed as he felt a stinging pain in his meridians, he fell flat to the ground with no control over his body.
A pulsating pain could be felt all over his body but he held on, despite wanting to pass out immediately.
A few minutes passed, eventually the struggling youth felt his eyelids close in on themselves, no matter how much he pushed himself to stay awake…
Night had begun to spread, a colder breeze began to flow around the area. The lush pastures, did little to impede the cold.
A few sheep could be seen grazing around the area. They were done for the day, and heading back promptly.
As the cold wind swept past the area again, a young boy who'd been lying in a secluded area of the pastures, felt his eyes open.
"Ah! I slept, I slept for too long!"
Kai attempted to pick himself up, but his body felt close to paralysed, he barely budged.
"Argh!"
The pain could still be felt in his meridians. The boy struggled in place for a while, before falling flat onto the grass again.
"Damnit, I'm late… I was reckless."
After a while of trying, Kai finally calmed down, beginning to accept his situation. In all his struggles, he had been panicked and anxious, not paying attention to anything around him.
His eyes began to become teary, he had failed again, fallen to the dirt once more.
'Why, why can't I just succeed for once!'
As the moments passed with Kai lying motionlessly, night fully began to emerge, the last hint of the sun had disappeared from the horizon.
Kai breathed deeply, the anxiousness hadn't disappeared, and he felt slightly afraid as well, being stuck like this in the dark, with no one coming to help, for now he was on his own.
He finally began to slow his breath, instead of focusing outwards, he began to look inwards.
'What exactly went wrong?'
He scanned his meridians, which had been hurting for a while now, but nothing stood out to him.
However, what felt odd was that within the dantian situated at his abdomen, he felt an extremely faint sliver of something.
Almost as if a thread was floating within, it was so feeble and faint, that if he didn't use all his focus he wouldn't detect it at all.
'This must be it, it must be… world energy… no, not world energy… spiritual energy… stored within me, not assimilated!'
A small smile appeared on the young boy's face, if he could jump right now, he would, gleefully. But the predicament of his paralysis remained.
'Damnit, why must it be now of all times… perhaps eight cycles was overdoing it.'
The night became darker, and only the moonlight remained, the breeze had turned colder, but Kai could not be concerned with it despite him feeling the cold on his skin.
"Arghhh!"
Kai moved his body ever so slightly once more, he'd been pushing his limbs to move every few minutes for hours now.
And while his progress was minute, he was slowly regaining control over his body, the only problem was the pain, it would worsen each time he would move.
He'd experienced much when it came to pain, especially as of late, but this time it felt more, like his insides would collapse if he moved.
But he continued onward.
'Mother… Father… They must be worried sick… I must get home…'
As he felt his body tremble, Kai felt a sleepiness drown over him.
"Arghhhh…"
The comfort of the grass could be felt on his face, as the young boy passed out once more…