INDEX 444 D.A. Lanuarius 20.The Dilapidated City
Blair let one of the Injured men escape, not out of pity or sympathy, but as a strategy, a calculated act,
"A wounded Dog always returns to its home," Blair whispered, passing through corners and dark alleys of broken buildings ransacked with beggars, and squatters who were abandoned, some were small lairs and self-proclaimed territories of hired killers, or drug dealers...
"A hellbent, city indeed," Blair sighed.
After almost hours of stalking and Hiding, Blair reached what He was looking for.
Peyton's men led Blair at the Southwest end of the Dilapidated City, where a caravan of Large tents, horses, and carriages was found, a stash of coins, and crates of gold, scattered. It was a small trade center, it was Peyton's domain...
"Help...Helpp... Call Spealt— or Pryor!!!!" The Injured Man shouted.
One of the onlookers, Lesnon, recognized the person, "Aren't you Jaxz? Peyton's Men, the one who went after the Horror, one of the beggars, was mumbling about earlier?" He asked, "What happened to you? Where's Peyton? Customers are already piling up waiting for Him."
*Found you...
Jaxz gritted His teeth, visibly limping and bleeding from one of His arms. He grabbed Lesnon's collar as He stared intensely through His eyes.
"Shut your shit, and just CALL THE OTHER QUILLS!!!!" Jaxz shouted in Lesnon's ears, making him push Jaxz to the ground,
"What's your damn problem, shouting like that in front of customers? He argued.
Their commotion caught someone else's attention. "Enough," He said,
*Heavy, calm breathing....
"What are you babbling about?" He asked.
"Oh, sorry, Sir, Pryor, it's just this guy, one of Peyton's men, kept shouting at me like some paranoid shit. He's scaring the customers away," Lesnon replied...
*Stretching.... Pulling....Manifesting....
Jaxz quickly crawled as his strength leaves His body, "Peyton's—dead." He cried, "He's coming!!!"
*"See the Unseen, Cleanse the Unclean"... [Cloud Piercer]
*SKWRIIITTTTTTT
.
.
.
Earlier...
INSIDE THE CLOCK TOWER
"Right, maybe I can find an answer here, about the Author, or the History of this world," Rylee whispered, as He rummaged through book after book, collecting those that looked significant, and placing them right on the Study Table...
"This reminds me of when I was studying for my Exams, skimming through my notes, reviewing, not because I fear I would fail, but simply because I loved recalling my lessons,, He thought.
Remembering that—
Rylee admits to himself, "To be Honest, I didn't study medicine to cure or help people like others, it's just one of the most fascinating topics for me, the Human Body, call me unsympathetic, I call myself a fanatic, knowledge-driven, Realistic."
Rylee proceeded to read the books as He planned, with high hopes of maybe finding something useful.
[A guide to manifest: seeker's volume]
Page 4: "Introduction to Manifestations: Our power to see the unseen was granted by our creator, the Authors...."
Authors? Rylee questioned, "So there isn't just one but many of them?"
Page 16: How to start: "Manifestations are done via two ways, one by imagining an image and projecting it into reality all on your own; Unlike Blinds, those that wasn't given the same power, we who had peeked, had the ability to imagine and project them into reality."
So that was what Blair meant when he said Blind, it seems like not everyone in this world really has the power granted by the Authors... Rylee blurted.
"But like others, who struggle with arts and certain skills, we also sometimes struggle, based on our own mastery, that's why we have another option:
"Talk about struggle, huh, I guess not only on Earth but even here there is still a gap between the skilled and talented," Rylee thought, while reading...
Manual Assisted Imagery: Tarot cards or those alike that carry images can help us manifest, see image at the back...
External Phonetic Association — turn to page 23.
Charms and Elixirs—turn to page 55.
Page 23: External Phonetic Association: Using a Manifesto or Grimoire filled with instructions on how a manifest can be formed, through a linguistic approach, helps us... Try this simple manifest.
"O' Water, like of Sea, of Ocean, and Ice, cold like of Winter come, combines to form snow, and frost, start at small of crystalline like paper, in front, a feet forward....."
This should allow you to make a simple snowflake fall. If you fail to do so, it's alright, you're still a seeker, most can still try until up to a month, otherwise you might be Blind, turn around and get a life or touch some grass, you ambitious commoner.....
[The King's Landing: A memory of our Ancients] Along the Northwe— the page was torn, its other side stuck to the other probably out of old age, or being unchecked...
"What a waste, it sounded like a geography book," Rylee sighed...
[Lenguas Domini; Entry 154]
INDEX ??? D.A. Augustus 7. Levuss, hailing from the south, believed the origin of our power is by understanding it, but Nesmeree, as religious as She is, argued that its source is belief, Noch on the other hand kept saying that as long as you feel it, you can start manifesting, we are at a block here, a dead end... I'm starting to lose hope, maybe we were wrong, maybe...
INDEX ??? D.A. Augustus 27. We have finally mapped it out, after 4 years, we understood it. Now... the words, the what they were trying to say, we are all wrong but also right at the same time...
"This looks like a journal?" Rylee realized.
INDEX ??? D.A. Decembri 11.This should let us have the audience right?, We must reach the highest point nearby, it might just work...
Audience? with whom?
INDEX ??? D.A. Decembri 13.Tonight, finally tonight this is definitely gonna work, Noch is already drawing the prompt, I was preparing the rest of the blood...
INDEX ??? D.A. De—We hid it in the box. My son, I will make sure to deliver this to you, make sure to never open the box, keep it safe, hidden... We were wrong, they didn't want contact, Avril died already, she betrayed us, she thought... No, it doesn't matter anymore now.
What?? I must know more... I don't understand, Rylee seemingly flustered, skimmed through each of the pages, but one after another were simply blank, most were just torn or ridden with stains from being neglected in the corner of the Library...
But what caught Rylee's attention was what was written on the back
Signed by: Levuss Avril, Dmtri Noch, Nesmeree, and Glavus Blair.
"This journal, does it perhaps mean— the box that was left to Blair?" Rylee pondered, staring at the box beside the Table...
Should I open it?
It seems stupid and counterintuitive, as the journal clearly says, it mustn't be opened, however—
I've already been tortured and transported in this twisted world, what worse can happen... death? That would probably be a lame escape, in the end, curiosity got the best of me.
"Fortis Fortuna Adjuvat." Fortune favors the Bold, Rylee spoke in self-encouragement.
I run my fingers along the grooves of the Box, by its metal hinges, and the lock...
I steeled my nerves and opened it,
Was it an artifact?
A weapon?
I wondered as I slowly opened its lid, as the lock cracked open, and the hinges loosened, a shift of whispering air gushed away, like a call, its presence felt ominous and ungentle.
Inside were torn papers that looked like a manuscript. Words were written in it in red ink, looking closer, it seems to be a dictionary or some sort, half of the part was written in English, the Other half written in what I can only distinguish as Latin.
"The language of the gods, Marketh the end of thei—"
As I continued to read word per word, my head ached and my vision blurred, Another Memory the Author have engraved, unlocked in my Head, the Pain was penetrating, as if my head was about to be split open, images surged back and forth, like a saw gnawing at a wood, Knowledge poured, and weighed heavy.
A memory, a truth, a record of History, but unlike written on books or spoken in lore, these men didn't create an artifact, but rather it was knowledge unfold, of how Men, learned the language of gods, with the stake of their lifespan, deciphered it and used it as a catalyst, a bridge to call forth the Authors, to gain the same authority, to ascend.
But it didn't grant them the audience they envisioned, but the Authors turned against them, and rather than approval or praise, in their foolishness, in their lofty ambitions, and their selfish desire, they were judged, and the retribution of heaven descended.
Black liquid stained the sky, it was as thick as Ink, and darkness enveloped the heavens above, and in the middle of the day, the night sky emerged, the Black Sun was born, then—
In that instant—
It....
Exam week is tomorrow, why not study again just for fun???
"Why am I seeing this?" Rylee Asked.
[Memory Burn Threshold: 33%]
[Anxiety Levels: 47%]
Rylee... Rylee!!! Sleeping right in the middle of my class???
What if the World is blue rather than green? Green right Mitochondria is the powerhouse, right, and Intercranial aponeurosis will— wait, I forgot to draw that one landscape, No right— where was I? Ah, studying right.. Pomodoro, where's my phone, timer??? Timer 20 20minutes? 30?? what?? Someone's knocking!!! Right, the egg I was boiling an Egg...
[Memory Burn Threshold: 52%]
[Anxiety Levels: 69%]
Shit, my mind, I need to focus, focus, The pen, ohh like a needle right?? No, I need to see why it's 2 am already? No, it's still early, we have time, dark, but why is it dark, right fire, need light, manifest? How to manifest again?— right imagine—then project, no, not working still dark...HUH BLOOD WHY AM I, IS THIS THE HOUSE?, NO IT WAS KAMRYN?!!! WHAT IS THAT, WHAT ARE??!!! BLAIR BLAIR...
"The world feels shifting, undivine. Is this reality or memory, as the world shattered, images mix with my vision?"
I reached my hand to a small wooden chair, but it wasn't there. I fell down as I touched what seemed to be empty air. Was that a hallucination?
I need to find Blair... How...where are you?!!, Blair.. BLAIR!!!, He's not in the tower, I must see, I need to See Him, right, Blair, Human, life, Heat... Look for Heat.. LOOK, "My power still managed to obey my will in that fraction of a moment" [Thermal Recognition]—
There with the People?? Many many other people... I need to get—
AUGHH, LEVUSS... GLAVUS BLAIR, BLAIR?! RIGHT, NO MY HANDS, WHY AM I TIED, WHAT IS...
[Memory Burn Threshold: 88%]
[Anxiety Levels: 94%]
That moment, Rylee's mind became confused and twisted, into reality, and memory faded, converged, and diverged, his thoughts projected inward...
My body responded to my unconscious will, obeyed—like a machine following its directory, its primal command... survive.
.
.
.
*SKWRIIITTTTTTT
Another arrow flew and hit its mark, imploding the body of its target inwards. Blair's accuracy was on point. The Men who had gathered were now reduced, after all, they were shot with an invisible attack, something unseen...
Some were scared, the Newbies, the young, thinking it was some spirit, a haunting, that killed the Men, for each death cannot be seen, only heard, for each death comes a warning, a screeching scream, loud and staggering as it danced through the air
Blair stretched His final shot, "Breath in, Breath out, Precise and fast."
His fingers trembled as His hand aimed, 5 o'clock, 46 degrees South...
Then, He let go, sending another Compressed Air materialized into an arrow
[Memory Burn Threshold: 46%]
*SKWRIIITTTTTTT
"Another one dead," Blair said, but my arrows aren't enough anymore; all that was left are those that can defend and avoid. Pointless shooting is unnecessary anymore.
"What should I do?" Blair pondered, "Right, cleanse the unclean, fight them head on." He concluded, as He rushed through the Plaza...
In front of the rest of the Armed Men, surrounded by onlookers, with the children visibly terrified, but the Adults taking it as if it were something common, after all, in this forgotten part of the city, in this unlawful land, fights like this tend to break out.
Blair slowly descended from the cliff above, using woven Air on his soles to cushion his fall.
"Is this a child?, All this time, what was killing us was— a child?" One of the Men Spoke, but Blair ignored...
Blair Arched His back, posed like a runner preparing for a marathon, "70% Air Pressure,"
Most of the Men are unskilled, just decoration and large weapons as gravitas to their looks, to make them look veteran.
What came next?
Blair propelled his body almost instantly, closing the gap between His fist and the man's abdomen, [Pressure strike]
*THUGGED
A sound shattered in the Air, the target,
Blood vomiting, the Heart stopped beating, and the Lungs stopped breathing. It wasn't destructive, however, Lethal.
30 degrees, 6 o'clock
[Foresight]
Blair dodged A sneak attack and responded with another strike. To Their Face, Blair was moving excellently, exchanging evasion using propelled air, and short-range pressure strikes, to long-range cloud piercers,
It was enough to thin the crowd, but it was inadvertently ineffective against someone specific, like how a bow was enough for a fawn but not for a bear.
Two people, A Man, face covered with beard, fairly muscular but not Huge, He Had a long decorated spear in His Hands, and had his upper and lower body covered in armor similar to a rusty knight's armor. He looked more refined and skilled than the brute earlier, probably a demoted templar or knight.
The other was a Woman, huge-breasted, face brimmed to the rim with makeup, wearing what I can only assume as a Brothel woman's outfit, she had a black thorned whip in her right hand, she didn't seem to be as skilled as the Man.
[Memory Burn Threshold: 55%] Each sudden blow and each drawn-out concentration wore Blair down as his head started to ache from the continuous dodging and attacking. It was evident
He's getting tired, as His attacks are slowly weakening, and His speed diminishing.
"I acknowledge your strength, specially as a child, pity we Had to Kill you" The Man Spoke, "But unlike Peyton, who seems to be missing the fun, I am not a barbarian, this beautiful woman on my side is Spealt the Fame, and I am Pryor the Power, Peyton whose still missing is the Money, Lucky we were Here in His turf to witness such an amazing display of Prowess." He added.
"So tell us, young girl—" Spealt layered the conversation, while looking at her nails, as if it really didn't need her attention, that this was just something useless, and that her presence wasn't really needed, and was only for the image...
That word lingered in Blair's head, plucking a generational-long irritation..."I am not a girl," He screamed in his guts. Blair didn't let her finish, unconsciously, out of a fit of anger, again accelerated His body and Shot Her with a Pressure Strike, directly, leaving her Jawless body, dragging itself down the floor.
In that same moment—
Blair failed to realize that He was not the only one who acts quickly and reads others' movements passively,
Pryor's Blade almost grazed Blair's Shoulder, but again, Blair mistook it and fell for a faint. A sudden devastating Blow, Hit Him on the side, folding him like a paper, sending Him flying across the floor, like a ragdoll rolling around, Blair managed to reduce the Damage, but it proved insufficient.
[Memory Burn Threshold: 83%]
Blair knelt down, struggling to stand, "Move, I must cleanse, the Unclea—
His breathing was harder and deeper, and His hands trembled,
Pain surfaced on his body, and dizziness began to hit; it was Fatigue...
Pryor, the skilled swordsman that He is, wasted no time, seeing a downed enemy, one must act quickly, for Hesitation is Defeat...
Pryor stretched his body like a bow pulled to precision, bending his posture. His hand gripped the handle tight, readying his footwork, preparing to add the finishing strike...
Right by Blair's final moments...
"I was arrogant and overconfident....His power had given me momentary strength, and I overused it."
My lord, Rylee...save me... please save me..."
Or was I wrong, Wrong to assume he'd be there to always save someone so feeble?"
Right, when a tool rusted too quickly, it shall be disposed of, a dog without fangs is a dog without purpose, maybe I had failed, failed Him, and was Useless all over again...
The Air was silent, the breeze stopped, and the whistling of the winds quiet.
All hair on Blair's body rose, and an unnerving presence lingered.
Then, a Brief moment—in the Blink of an Eye, the World became dark and abyssal, unreal and intangible...
But it wasn't just Blair, Pryor even, His attack halted, and everyone on the Plaza was struck with an uncanny feeling.
Tear fell down on His eyes, it wasn't of Fear but of Reverence, for this darkness was familiar, this abyss cradled, it was philosophical...
Blair Bowed and Knelt again beside his lord, but now, not out of fleeting pain or fatigue, but out of respect.
*DING!!!... DING!!!!... DINGGGG!!!!
"A bell tolled—deep, hollow, unholy, One... then another... then again. With each chime, the world shuddered."
"Blair," He Spoke, His Master, His Lord.
He walked into the Middle. His Hand caressed Blair's Head. He was different, Silent, cold, menacing, sure, but unaware..
Inside Rylee's Head, clashing thoughts blend his memories with his manifest, conjuring his thoughts.
One greedy thief, seeing a newcomer on the ring of vultures, tried to stab Rylee on the Back, aiming a small makeshift dagger out of glass and wood, but as He got close, His eyes began to bleed, as he let out an agonizing scream..
It staggered the bystanders, confused, what is this being that has come? Some Onlookers whispered: How? He didn't even turn around...
Those who stared directly shouted as if their sight was distorted and their views had changed, "It was a Demon!!!, it was the advent of a god."
"Whispers of People, gossip running around,
Crazy!,
Lunatic!
Psycho!
He Dreams, He say?—No stop, stop, you don't need to judge me, you just don't understand, I'm just different.—In this world ruled by Author— You and I are the Same—Even if it cost the blood of others— Don't...Don't Look, Don't LOOK AT ME!!!" Rylee's memories flashed back, unorganized, Psychotic, and Delusional.
For a moment, Rylee's Memory resonated upon his heart, his surging emotions and belief in dreams, aligned... and in his mouth, words were spoken, words that carry weight, of emotion, of belief, and understanding.
His words were slow, divine, and magnificent; it felt distorted, but clear.
[Redde... aspectum... tuum ultimum] Render your gaze. Final
[Memory Burn Threshold: 94%]
[Anxiety Levels: 99%]
Then soon follow—
Each violent gaze,
Each innocent look,
Each mischievous eavesdrop, everyone unknowingly, fell into madness, and in front of their faces are Sigils of Blood resembling an Eye, peering into the soul, reaping the mind, like an All-seeing god.
*GRAHHH— *RAGHAHHHHHH
Screams flooded the plaza...
The others that was watching as the nightmare unfolded, realized, and closed their eyes, as if they were sewn shut, they stood trembling, petrified, as everyone, some even by their side, broke down and agonized in excruciating pain, but they dared not move.
"Do not look, do not move, like a living statue, a prey, just waiting, for everything to be done, everyone to die." A horror soon would be whispered for centuries
This time, Rylee's very thoughts didn't project into reality, but rather everyone's reality was dragged into His.
As His converging thought was shared, No—Forced and fed into the Minds of those that stared, amplified by His uncontrollable power...
Rylee then stared directly into Pryor, His Iris gleamed red, piercing Pryor's eyes, as His head, erupted in violent manifest, it was random and painful, but He cannot contest, He just stood blankly as His face malformed, Fingers grew, blades erupted, blood shoot, His teeth multiplied and protruded, He became an abomination, a taxidermy of every distortion.
"Now I see, He's not just a Man, this is Rylee, This is My lord, the benevolent Demon, the Wrathful god, the Clairvoyant King, He Who must not be Seen" Blair murmured as He looked around on his bent down head.
It lasted an Hour, Blair's Legs were tired, but He stood for His Master.
On the other side of Rylee's head, the dread and delusion, that blurred reality, grew stronger and stronger so Much that even Nicaisse was being dragged along, in both pain and confusion...
"Snap out of it, Rylee, I still need you, as you need me, I cannot let you run amok, not right now, right now that we've been found."
Then that moment—
Expergiscere~wake up
A single word erupted out of Rylee's Mouth... waking him up, and those that was crazed men, became a Husk of a person they were, an Emptied shell, Dissociative, Psychotic, Their eyes gazed into oblivion into nothingness, refusing to blink, they were reprogrammed to the very core, a program to fear, their own thoughts, afraid of their own memories.
INSIDE THE CLOCKTOWER, A CERTAIN EFFIGY GRINNED
FURTHER, THE SOUTH A CERTAIN SOMEONE DESCENDED.