A Witch's Rage (2)

Ed stared at the ink stream before him and then looked away. His eyes trained at the Baju valley in the distance. Ignoring the tree, he decided to start from the beginning. Just like he had done with the Fu clan forest, he stretched his being till it touched a branch at the Edge of the valley. The next moment, he was standing there. He looked down at the valley from its Edge before stepping in. He is not sure what he would want from the valley, or how the valley could be of use, but he first needed to understand why it was there to know how to enter the Tomb on the ink stream.

As his steps led him deeper, he found that the weight of the valley deepened. He was not sure where it felt but it seemed heavy on his being. He had to pause his steps to take a breath. The valley seemed to be covered in fog at that moment; he could not seem to see more than three feet ahead. This confused him, as it was clear at the Edge. He took another step and he felt himself so heavy, that his foot dropped to the ground heavily, yet not a sound was heard.

At that moment, he frowned. He stretched his being around himself and could not only feel the piece of the valley around him lighten, but also merge with him. He frowned at this. He had remembered how it felt to hold up that old man's mountain. It was heavy, but light on his being that it manifested as a giant feather. It was to fortify his mind so that he does not lose himself in the years in the light realm. But something about that situation felt like the Baju Valley; the weight. When he did not resist the weight, but instead, sort to become one with it, it felt heavy, but light.

"Martial skill?" he seemed to ask. He had seen many martial skills being used. But he himself does not really use them. All the martial skills are imbued with a type of energy. The astral feeds the emotions. It acts as the basis for all skills created.

"Law?" Ed wondered. It has to be. The martial skills he had used seemed to be fed by astral energy, but had traces of a law in them. If he was not sure that there was no way that mountain was related to the Baju valley in its odd energy, he would not have considered this. To understand them, to use them, is to instil the law of weight. It has to be.

He stretched farther till he discovered that his being had a limit. Only then did he stop and look around the valley. He could see much clearer for miles. Still, more than half of the valley was still covered in fog. From his height, he could only see the fog for the rest. He wondered how his being could have a limit. He thought the being was a soul. Back in his world, he had talked ineptly with a Wood Shar and this matter of soul came. It is not possible for soul to have limits. That was completely out of the option.

Since he could not figure it out right now, he decided to see what holding a piece of the Baju Valley meant. He flexed his muscles, ready to test it out. As his muscles stretched, the ground rumbled, making him pause. He had wished to try descending the law imbued with his energy, he had intended to try to form a martial skill but did not expect that the law was completely merged with him. He wondered if he would have the same effect on his body. He notices that like the Fu clan forest, the trees seemed alive, but not in the same way. They did not morph into human-like forms, but he could tell they were alive. They shook and moved without wind. They seemed to bend towards him. He wondered if he could give life.

No. When he was young he was always told by his mother that trees had life. They were very much living. Just without a complicated mind," they just grow," Is what she had said. His mother may not have been wrong. so what had he just done? If he was not giving life, then what? What about the rocks in the Fu forest? He was utterly confused.

At that moment, he felt movement outside his core. Two people had stepped into the cave where he dwelled. Others would not have been able to tell in the midst of cultivating, but he could. His mind could be in many places at once.

He opened his eyes to meet Nti Anem and an older man standing before him.

"You woke," Nti Anem said.

"I was never asleep," Ed answered.

"True," he turned to the older man who stared affixed at Ed and introduced," This is the Fu clan head,"

"He has come for his son? You agreed to this?" Ed asked.

"A deal has been struck," Nti Anem said.

"What about the eternal fire?" Ed asked," If we take it, he will die,"

"He understands this, at least give him the body," Nti Anem said and the clan head paled.

"No. You agreed to give him to me alive," the clan head said.

"True," Nti Anem sighed dramatically, "How will we deal with this?" he said.

"The... the eternal fire, you can get one too," the clan head forced out.

"Oh? People can just get one?" Nti Anem said. One could not be sure whether he was truly surprised or not.

"There is a map. I can give it to you. The fire can only be taken by those with the will. My son only got a lower flame. Please do not take it from him," the clan head said.

"So you still held such a card. Were you preparing for when your clan comes out of seclusion?" Nti Anem asked.

"You will not take his fire, will you?" the clan head asked.

"You made this deal, it must be profitable," Ed turned to Nti Anem.

"Oh, I got a good battle for you and arranged another that could turn into full-blown war and have you hunted across the light realm. It is a good deal," Nti Anem said.

"There is something I must try," he answered seriously and Nti Anem frowned.

"Do you need the fire removed? This fire was useful to me since I can get a purer one; there is no need for me to get the one inside him. You want to remove the fire?" Nti Anem asked. He seemed to be asking Ed, 'even if the boy dies?'

Nti Anem felt a slight chill at the thought that ran through him. the dashing prince that worked for the good of his kingdom had started to fade. Fighting and killing a lot of people is not the same as wanting to experiment with his death. He knew from that request that Ed wanted to do something with his dead form. He is not one that is pure and has not used a person as a lab rat, but he did not expect it from the boy.

"You object?" Ed asked.

"I object!" the clan head shouted in rage. To this, Nti Anem snapped his finger and the clan head became mute. He tried to speak but no sound came out. Even the sound from outside could not reach his ears. They too had been blocked.

"You have something in mind?" Nti Anem asked.

"Yes, I wish to create life," he said and Nti Anem frowned.