Together they stared at the screen for some time, Samuel realized that unlike the white and black patterns, this didn't seem like it was on repeat no matter how hard he stared.
"I wonder if this is a machine that allows you to magically spectate far away... Like a vision spell or something?" It was the deduction that Samuel came too until he got a better answer.
"It is like magic!" Shakkai replied all happy.
"Not magic..." Alsian's voice suddenly made them both freeze up. Samuel slowly turned around and Shakkai started running and jumping up and down in panic.
Until she was suddenly stopped in the middle of a jump she was frozen in time with a single "Daagh!" Which made Alsian roll his eyes.
"So this is the little shadow realm creature you have bonded with!" Alsian nodded and Samuel opened his mouth, "You knew?" He slowly asked.
"It's not uncommon for mages to make pacts or deals with familliars or creatures from other realms. Every powerful mage can probably sense her presence somewhat."
"Anyway sorry for coming in just like that!" Alsian held up his hands and the Stop Spell ceased and Shakkai fell to the floor since she had been mid jump. One could only hear a "Bleugh" as she hit the floor.
"I knocked like three times and when you didn't respond I asumed something bad was up... So I was just checking!"
"Also that thing!" Alsian pointed at the television. "That thing is almost purely technological. From the little I understand about it all, it has something to do with invisible waves in the air they like to call 'radio waves' connected to big towers."
He waved his hands around, "From my viewpoint its magic, but that is not correct. So the science people have informed me multiple times..."
"It is all ancient technology left behind by our ancestors and their enemies at the time. Imagine leaving this planet and travelling among the stars, apparentely that is what they did back in the day."
Samuel scoffed, "You're kidding right? That just sounds like an awful fairytale..." His words brought a big smile to Alsians face. "All myths, fairytales and legends have their basis in reality."
"Anyway... To clarify what you are seeing on that television! Is what they so far have managed to restore, that is a picture that is showing you what is currently happening out at that building!"
Samuel stared at him for a while before closing his mouth and nodding. "I figured it was some vision spell thing, but well I wasn't far off I guess!" He once again pressed the black button and suddenly the television stopped its picture and the wall closed up again.
"So what is the plan?" Samuel asked, completely having forgotten what they were doing there because of all the new amazing experiences he was having.
Alsian unbothered by Shakkai's full presence sat down on the bed while she hid on the other side of the bed. "Well, the meeting of the clans will happen... You can represent house Xaxiaz or you can come as an aide to house Chronoz!"
"That choice is yours!"
Samuel considered his words for a while but realized he had to ask. "But house Xaxiaz has been gone for thousands of years I heard! Wouldn't anyone have a hard time believing it or not even allow it?"
"Good questions, but you already know that they can do a bloodline test for everyone to see! Also the rules of the ancients etched into law dictates that all bloodlines must be respected and treated as equals." Alsian responded and looked out the window.
"The major clans hold more respect for sure, but inside that chamber... Everyone is equal as a child of mana. Our ancestors were adamant about standing united as builders and creators of things."
"They wanted unity and all kinds of things in that direction!"
Samuel looked at him, "How do you know?" He asked.
"It's all there! In that building... All the laws and what they aspired to be. It was a great piece of the puzzle in my wish to find out more about them. But I never truly understood exactly what happened." Alsian looked sad for a moment
"If there is one thing you can learn from all those whom study this place, it is that most of them have many theories and ideas about what happened."
Samuel joined him by the window and stared at the large city. "What will knowing the truth mean?" He quietly asked.
Alsian put a hand on Samuels shoulder and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "It will mean knowing our history and what truly happened! To learn what happened so long ago, it will also help us learn if there are any threats out there... Threats that would still be around that were capable of defeating the children of mana."
A slight chuckle escaped Samuels lips, "This and that, here and there. I am also interested in what the future can bring now that I have seen all this!"
The fire that never died had started becoming lit again after being dimmed out for so long.
"Perhaps the children of mana in the past lost because of the reason you spoke about, if they were builders and creators more than warriors and suddenly another race of warriors came along."
"If those warriors dedicated to creating weapons and dangerous things opposite to peaceful builders.. I can truly understand why our ancestors lost!"
"I reccomend you get some rest and eat something!" Alsian tapped his shoulder again, "Both of you!" He quickly threw a glance at Shakkai and gave her a nod.
The two did as instructed, they both had some food to eat while not speaking much. Samuel was contemplating a lot of things, Vazmarx had gone out into the town to explore on his own.
But Samuel decided against it for now, not feeling like going about and exploring just yet. Alsian dropped by to leave an official document.
It was a document describing everything regarding the meeting, the meeting could last up to a week with breaks in between the days.
Samuel read through it a few times to understand it. It was meant to begin tomorrow much to his surprise, it had been moved forward.
He made his decision for what he was going to represent.
After that he decided to get some rest and lay down on the very soft bed, Shakkai decided to sleep at the bottom of the bed, unlike most times where she lay in dark areas she lay in the open.
Samuel quickly fell asleep.
As they lay resting a spectral figure phased through the doorway and watched them sleep for only a moment before turning around and leaving once again.
Samuel was sleeping soundly without knowing.
Sometimes not knowing was a bliss, so the spectral figure thought to itself as it was leaving, the young man had no idea how correct his assumption had been.
The children of mana were not warriors or warmongers. They had been peaceful explorers and builders, that had traversed the stars in search of knowledge and friends.
But they had found nothing but hostile humans and other races that drove them to near extinction with their powerful weapons and overwhelming might.
The children of mana had an advantage on the ground, but when fire rained from the skies and entire worlds burned - there wasn't much they could do.
Simul Acri whom was the first soulbonded to Alsian felt the other ones presence and quickly moved to intercept. Atop the building the spectral figure sat on the edge.
"What were you doing?" Simul quickly asked and the figure jerked and in an instant turned around, it stared at Simul for a while before pointing its finger at itself.
"Yes you!" Simul responded with a sigh. "Whom else would I have been talking too?"
The figure slowly sat down once more and crossed its legs. Two long horns protruted from the forehead, but the visage was completely spectral.
"You belong to Chronoz! But you are dead like me? A spirit like me? No! You are one of the poor pitiful children bound to an object when you died are you not?" The figure spoke with its voice coming from every direction.
This time it was Simul that jerked back, not having expected the sudden shift in attitude she simply nodded after a short while of silence.
"You poor child, no one deserves to be locked away for eternity into an item like that!" The figure once more looked out over the city, "As for what I was doing... I was simply looking at something that reminded me about the past."
The figure slowly raised both arms towards the sky. "You are young so let me tell you!"
"When the humans first came for us... All the bloodlines wanted a peaceful way out, a peaceful answer was never going to work. But in their naivety as peaceful builders they refused to see it."
"But not the Xaxiaz, the ones that were designed for fighting by the great mother. They were designed to be guardians and protectors, so when the first invasion happened... the Xaxiaz responded!"
"Brutality and rage, the curse of the blood of Xaxiaz. So relentless in their defense and will to protect the other clans... So much so that the other bloodlines shunned them and turned their backs on them when they were needed the most!"