"Let's not dwell on the depressions of an old man, shall we? Tell me, David boy, have you drunk the gifts in your room yet?" Sahul waved his skinny hand and changed the topic of their conversation.
"I'm afraid I haven-
"You should do so as soon as possible. Great stuff...made by the best alchemists of Al-Kimia University, the best alchemical school within the Pentalogy. It will speed up your training and fructify your progress."
'So that's how they train us in 49 days.'
David was just about to ask further questions to the wise wizard when he perceived, at the corner of his vision, a shimmering sunray from the east that illuminated the entrance of the library.
"I apologize, Sir Sahul, but my mentor has organized a meeting at sunrise, I may need to go."
Sahul shook his head and replied, "Go…go, boy David. This old man moves from the library to the bar and back again if you need anything."
"My sincere thanks," David bent his body as a polite gesture and departed.
In quick steps he made his way back to his room, searching for the wooden crates. Indeed, within the two large wooden crates, he counted forty-nine vials of a clear brown liquid.
Taking one out, he broke the glass seal at the skinny end of the vial and gave the liquid a whiff. An alchemical stench of alcohol, herbal medicine, and wood assaulted his nostrils.
David pinched his nose and brought the vial to his lips. In a swift gulp, he drank it all. His cheeks twitched for a second from the unpleasant taste. 'Unpleasant but bearable.'
He felt no difference in his body or psyche, nor did he have the time to. Making sure his attire would ease his training, he exited his room and ran towards the main boulevards when he sorted it out.
The sun was still but a slit in the eastern sky, fortunately. His lips lifted upwards, and he prodded at his sigil for the location of their meeting.
'It's nowhere too far.'
Thankfully. Their meeting took place within a building near an empty clearing south of his location, a few hundred steps away. Soon, the sun would rise, and Gomorrah would be plunged into darkness once again. Thus, David hummed and observed the sunlit towers and institutions, marveling at this wonder in the sky.
On top of him, a thick cloud cover concealed most of the continental landmass of Megiddo in an off-white tone.
And in front of him, a familiar place presented itself. A long, oval racing track. Besides the track, there was a small rectangular building, likely an abandoned warehouse.
And this inconspicuous structure was the site of his meeting with Amran. A menacing iron door blocked his entry into the warehouse. Not meaning to creep at the lady, his eyes still drifted towards the small windows above him, from which a dim orange hue polluted the darkness of the cold concrete floor.
David knocked, and his bang echoed on the metal door.
And so, he stood there waiting. But no one came to open. He remained in front of the door for five minutes without any answer from the other side.
David scowled, 'Late on the meeting she was the one to arrange.'
"Enter."
Followed by a pang, the metal door clicked and opened into the insides of the warehouse. David paused, his eyes seeing into the insides of the structure. Candles had been arranged on the ground in a pentagram formation. Below that, a circle of black ink displayed esoteric symbols similar to those on the stone platform, mysterious and mystical.
His pupils de-focused on the background and peered into the foreground. Amran was wearing the same togas as yesterday, but there was a change in her attire. No green eyes or snickering lips greeted his sight into her face, but a thick green veil and a white headcover.
"What's with the veil?" David asked, wondering why she had changed her attire.
As if he spoke to a wall, no voice replied.
Instead, Amran ordered him solemnly, "Stand within the circle and move no more."
"As long as you're not cursing me-"
A metallic reflection appeared near his eyeball, causing him to shut up. Sharp and long, a silver dagger threatened to blind him the moment he moved forwards a single centimeter.
"Earthling, you may speak as you wish, but I thus may act as I wish in response. Praise, but do not call the rituals of my ancestors sorcery or witchcraft. It's unforgivable."
David sucked in a breath. Amran locked her veiled face with his and likely glared at him behind that cover. After a moment of silence, she lowered her dagger, making him breathe in relief.
"May I still ask what the purpose of this ritual is, Lady Amran?" Knowing her, she would ignore him and coerce him into following through.
'She's not closed to the idea of bringing me harm, as shown by her tactful behavior yesterday. I won't submit so easily to a potential trap.
"It's a way to bring out your hidden talent. There isn't much, but we had an agreement. I'll train you today as if you were a prized student of mine, but you'd better forget about this arrangement if you fail to meet up to my expectations, Earthling."
'Not a hint of emotion or hesitation within her voice.'
Maybe she was laughing at his naivety under that veil of hers, however.
"Climb the hill to see if it is a mountain."
David sighed and acquiesced to his destiny. Walking towards the circle, he crawled so as not to smudge the ink formation or the candles.
"Stay standing but move as little as possible. This will be quick."
With her foot, Amran shut the metal door behind her and paced towards him. She halted at the boundary formed by the candles and began chanting.
In a loud and passionate voice, Amran began chanting in an unknown language, "Man jaddaa wajada, man zaraa hasad, wa man yajtahid najah."
Then, she crouched and grabbed a wood kettle. Her feet tapped on the floor, and she threw a burning liquid at him as she moved around the circle.
In an instant, light began dancing in his retina. Solid objects separated into prisms of different colors, superposed on each other and making sense only through his attachment to sanity.
His hearing blurred into indistinct muffles. Somehow, he thought he could hear groans coming from all directions, but Amran was but an after shadow now.
"Quintessence…From which can be…For pain…Listen to me…"
David wiggled around, nauseated. Now, there were entire gaps in his hearing.
"To bring out what may be…and strengthen what is…"
His blood grew heavy, and that was the last thing he saw or heard.
His body fell, not collapsing onto the hard ground but on a softer surface.
…
David opened his eyes. He laid down on his back and looked at the ceiling.
'What's that?'
A sound, quite clear, originated from behind him. Rhythmic, hoarse crying.
"Are you alright?" David glanced at Amran. Her veil was moist from the ongoing tears.
Amran stopped crying. In a dry voice, she whispered, "It's the magic. In the past, love was the medium for our rituals. And there was plenty of it."
She paused, recovering her breath. "Now it's pain. No more love to go around, we bear the pains of the world instead, to bear the children of the universe."
"Do you see, Earthling? This is your fault. You come here claiming to eradicate pain, but when have you helped, if not fanned the flames of our anguish?" Her whisper turned into a speech and then into an exclamation.
David listened, silent.
"Do you know why Heaven is eternal?" He spoke.
"Hell's eternal too," Amran sneered.
"Hell's a bit of a stretch. It's quite warm in here, but not as hot as the flames of the sinners."
"Keep silent."
And thus, he did.
After a moment of deliberation, Amran kicked him out of the warehouse and asked him to wait outside. Fortunately, it took a little time before she emerged from her hiding.
Showing her face now, her light smile and vibrant eyes hid that she cried a short while ago. Not pressing her any further on the subject, he asked, "Lady Amran, what does your training consist of?"
Her eyes slid down his body, pausing on his calves. "Your physique is deplorable. Run. Don't stop until I tell you to do so, Earthling."
"Run?" David flashed her an incredulous look.
That was it? That was the special training? Running?
The way she glared back at him advised David not to exhibit any further contestations. Instead, he shrugged and made his way to the racing track.
…
"Phew…" The life of an office worker had done wonders for his stamina and running. After a single loop around the track, David slowed down to catch his breath.
"Tired already?"
"No-
"Spare it. You were talkative enough, patronizing me on the pains of Megiddo. I'll show you one of those pains."
Bad omen.
Amran placed her right hand on the ground and moved her lips. The concrete floor cracked underneath her, and black tentacles sprung up from the cracks. Under the gaze of a wide-eyed David, the tentacles latched onto the surface and used it to propel a wider body from underneath, a true incarnation of terror.
In an instant, a nightmarish creature appeared in front of him. A terrifying mash-up of many animals, the tentacles extended from the torso of a decaying horse. The legs of the creature were sharp eagle talons and its head was that of a black raven. If the chimera wasn't terrifying enough as is, a hundred eyes were spread over its entire body, each moving its red iris independently and in disharmony.
"Catalpa's children-chimeras. The goddess's monsters are weak and unintelligent but are a force reckoned by even the greatest of wizards. Do you know why, Earthling?"
"The chimeras make no sound, leave no footsteps, and have no heartbeat. When they reach their target, their acidic saliva melts a prey's brain before it can react and protect itself."
Amran chuckled.
'Evil woman.'
"Now run, and if you stop, you'll know what's catching up to you. I won't let it kill you, the Guild wouldn't be too happy about that, but I'll let the summon have its fun, alright?"
The salivating chimera stood in place, staring at David's every movement with its hundred eyes. Amran swung her hands, and the monster's talons moved in a flash, propelling it towards him.
David clicked his tongue and began running too. His legs and feet ached, and his lungs burned, but he didn't stop this time. When he did stop to breathe once, his pupils dilated as the silent predator announced its arrival.
Sweat streamed down his body.
(Your Physique has improved to Rank: F+)
(Your Agility has improved to Rank: F+)
Not even having the time to appreciate this pop-up, David sped up since he felt like he could do so and continued running while Amran watched him amused.
Darkness fell onto the Upside-Down Tower, as lanterns replaced the 'rising' sun. Never before had David run this much.
In the start, it was unbearable: exhausting his frail bones and body, and with not much reward. The monster looming behind him did not help much.
Soon, helplessness transformed into confidence. The predator that once reached two steps behind him was now at least six steps away.
Finding liberation and freedom within the running, the pain blurred away and another 'p' replaced it – passion.
Amran furrowed her brows.
Unfortunately, the highs of athleticism would soon decay. His stomach rumbled, his tongue begged for water, and his unfit feet protested in greater pain.
David halted. He exhaled polluted air and inhaled the clean air of Gomorrah. A black flash appeared beside him. David somersaulted to his side, dodging the black shadow.
Fuck, he had forgotten about the chimera.
Just as his mind spun around with possible escapades and evasion tactics, the chimera blurred away. It stopped moving, and from its highest extremity, it withered into dust, then into thin air.
"That's enough for this morning, David Bergstein. I don't wish to be unfair. I'll leave you to eat and drink plentiful before we finish for today."
"Thank you, Lady Amran."
'Thank you for the monster, Lady Amran.'
Guessing his thoughts, she smiled and commented, "We used to do the same."
"What? Summoning monsters to scare you into running?" When in Rome, act like the Romans.
"No. Our teachers dressed up as strawmen and chased us around until we were exhausted. It worked. Four-year-old girls ran faster than you in no time."