witch

The blue sky was filled with fluffy white clouds, the suns rays piercing through them, providing warmth and light to the world. A lad draped in a rough linen shirt and black trousers stood intently observing him with a small bag in his hand.

His visage was that of blonde short hair, and well defined jaws, lee was an orphan who worked as a shepherd for the towns tycoon, the locks. Being a shepherd meant he didn't have much time on his hands, and would spend whatever little time he had with Louis who was perhaps his guilty pleasure.

"Hmm, the problem seem to just grow" Louis who sat on a brown wooden bench, which could be seen all around lohim- a testament to the goodwill of the locks.

"Yikes!" Lee recoiled back, "For something to be a problem for you, it would most likely be a death warrant to another"

Louis didn't really understand lee's comment and simply dismissed it as idle chatter, "How the hell am I supposed to avoid people who could show up anytime?" Louis eyes glanced around the street, hoping to not spot a not so auspicious trio.

Lee rubbed his blonde hair, his eyes riddles with confusion, "Why would you what to hide from someone?.. last time I checked, people hide from you"

"Really?" Louis exclaimed, "I thought they buried themselves... Tsk tsk. Gotta get better"

"And just like that I lost the appetite to listen to your problem" lee turned around and took a couple ateps from Louis, but then made a stop,"If you really wanted to hide, then just do that. Their is no shortage of buildings to hide in lohim" after that he walked out.

"Shepherds never get any rest" Louis nodded in pity, _but that's a good idea, I should probably go to little rabbit's house. I could wait it out there"

With that louis left the bench, he proceeded with caution taking numerous detours through the buildings and alleys.

Along the way, Louis relied on his knowledge of the town and certain points to mark out where in the town he was. He slid behind walls, crawled through benches and even hid in trees. Soon he reached a narrow alley, which required him to slid through. He then heard the sound of voices,

"Frank, why do we need to hide in this village? I hear the locks are planning something big. Perhaps we should take this chance and join in, maybe even receive something good"

_Frank? Isn't that the name of the young chief? What's he doing here?_ Louis remained silent, his breath muffled and controlled - an attempt to mask his presence.

"Calm yourself Dunn, do you really think the locks would accept us? they already have everything they need or want. What more could they ask for?"

"Ask for? You know I do have my specialty as a warlock? That can be worth something" Dunn's voice carried in it a sense of pride,

" Ask yourself" chief frank continued, "When compared to the Adelia, who is the better one?"

"Ah... " Dunn seemed stunned, "Yes I guess she is. But if we seek out the luminous missionaries and tell them we found a real witch outside the nine Orthodox channels, then surely they would take care of her, and we can prove our worth to the locks"

The black haired frank dressed in a red coat cursed, " do you happen to be an idiot?.. if we reported Adelia to LM, then don't you think we ourselves would be in jeopardy,"

_ seriously? Does everyone have powers except me?.. gosh I must have missed the party_ Louis mused inwards, but still he felt burdened by the realization that Adelia who he had always teased, was actually a pretty powerful beholder.

He wasn't swayed by the term "Witch" used by the fellows. He knew that it was simply a term used by beholders to define themselves, witches were for females, while warlocks were males. And with that louis had again assimilated a part of the Teaching.

Dunn seemed not to mind the insult, as he patted down on his suit and said, "I guess so.. oh. Perhaps we can just leach off the benefits once it starts?"

_Now that's not good. What the hell is happening to the town?_ Louis grew ever more curious, combining that with the abnormalities he had been experiencing, it just didn't add up. _a wise man once said, never ignore a coincidence, unless your busy, in that case always ignore a coincidence_

Louis listened but unfortunately, chief frank and Dunn didn't speak anymore and simply departed from the spot.

After which Louis equally departed, his destination changed from Adelia to the sunlight cathedral in the village square.

Along the way, Louis noticed that same parts of lohim had gas lamps - courtesy of the lock family, _caring for the sheep to better slaughter them_ Louis mused inwards.

Soon the golden cathedral appeared, with an emblem bearing the image of the sun within the arms of a caring MAN on it's outer wall.

At that moment, the cathedral's was empty with not a single devotee inside.

Louis walked into the cathedral, looking around the numerous rows of seats arranged on both sides.

His reason of venturing into this place was to hopefully contact the LM, and as a consequence, inform them of the things happening in lohim.

Standing on top the podium, a tall figure dressed in white robes, his blonde curly hair fluttering ever so slightly. His perfectly chiseled jaw and narrow shaped eyes created a sticking intoxicating beauty to his visage.

He was, priest Cedric oswin of the sunlight cathedral, the only Father in the Church and a known benevolent man who even allowed someone like the bazel to sleep in the church.

Standing on the mundane podium, his hands remained clasped with his knees bent, eyes closed as he muttered in a low but yet audible tone,

"During the pre genesis, a time before the breaking of the first silence, "I" awoke from the darkness as the all encompassing life, HE was the idea and execution of existence. After "I" emerged, HE built the universe around HIM and existed in it's center. Soon time passed, and "I"  grew in need of companions, as such HE split HIMSELF into fragments that took form in the universe,

The first the sun, the earth, the sea, and other conceptual forces. Our radiant sun God was the first to exist, HE is the force of radiance and the father of all life. Oh praise the Sun!."

_The creation story?_ Louis though not a full devotee of the church, he and every child of lohim knew of the creation story,

A tale that involves a Singular Being who awoke from chaos, and became the universe, and also the various fragments known as the GODS.

The Radiant sun GOD became one of the influential churches in the world due to the Holy books agreeing that HE was the first of the fragments to exist, and beared the title "Father of all life"

Louis not wanting to disturb the father's prayer, walked slowly without sound towards a sit on the left side of the church.

Soon after, he equally clasped his hands together and bowed slightly - imitating the persona of a devout worshipper.

Soon after the Father had finished with his prayer and stood up slowly from the ground, turning around he saw a devotee with his head bowed and deep in prayer. A smile curled up on his face as he muttered inwards, _Praise the sun and bless the devout_

The father walked down the podium, his steps gentle and controlled - careful to not disturb the devotee deep in prayer.

Arriving before the young lad who seemed to not notice his presence, priest Cedric sat closely towards him in silence, his mind buzzing with thought, _isn't he the town trickster? Did he finally bring himself to the sun? Oh that would be marvelous. I will personally hear his confession if he decides to make one_

Louis realizing the father was now sitting next to him, he gently raised his head, blinking repeatedly, afraid that the father would notice the grogginess in his eyes. After all he did sleep off.

Unclasping his hands, Louis turned slowly at the father and spoke in a calm tone filled with regret and shame, "Father will the sun forgive me?"

Cedric was momentarily stunned but managed to compose himself, "Indeed child, the sun is the eternal radiance of this world. Anything can be cleansed by the sun, even your sins"

Louis paused for a moment before speaking once more, his tone still filled with regret, "I have witnessed something terrible and fear that it might be more so if left unchecked"

"What is it that you have seen?" Cedric asked,

Louis remained silent as he rearranged his thoughts, "I have seen true evil and wonder if the church can cleanse it" louis deliberately spoke vaguely, hoping to not implicate himself when the time came.

"Evil? Child their is evil everywhere in this world, many would strive to fight and eliminate it but will further fall into its grasp, only the forces of the divine can truly end them, but yet at the face or such perils you are to do your part and live the rest to God. By the words of the Holy saint Leah, "God helps those who help themselves"

Louis stared blankly at the father, his thoughts laced with mockery, _Are you daft? Am talking about getting the LM to destroy the things not good in lohim and your telling me to do it myself? Goodness, I need some air_

Cedric was startled by the blank expression on Louis's face, "Is there something wrong child" he asked, his voice filled with compassion.

"I am alright father" Louis responded, "I have seen what it is I am to do"

"Then praise the Sun for HIS grace" Cedric raised his hands to the air as he spoke,

Louis equally did the same gesture,

After that, Louis continued with idle chatter with the father before he noticed that the sun had gone done noticeably, "Look at that, how time flies when your with the sun"

Cedric smiled at his words, "Indeed the sun might go down every night but it never truly disappears"

And with that louis bid farewell to the father, his resolve Steeled, _heh I went to get help but ended up being the help_ he mused inwards.

Louis was no more regarding over getting help from LM, he was to do it all by himself,

With his hands I'm his pockets, he slid through the alleyways and corners, making destination to his house, _Am gonna do it all myself, get beholder powers, discover and stop whatever is going wrong in lohim... Nobody is touching my stage, it even fits with Miss pisces command. First I get home, sleep and read the book in my dreams, perhaps their is a cultivation manual inside it? Though I would like to pick my own boon after considering some, I don't really have the luxury or the time to do so.. so right now? Anything would do,

_hopefully their isn't any monster inside the plains this time_

Reaching his broken down shack, Louis crept in and slid into his sofa, eyes closed and brain rested, he was ready to fully integrate himself into beholder society,

_hope all goes well.. as if_

....

Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the usual booming sounds of cannons and guns, the ground filled with countless blurry figures engaged in combat.

Standing atop his lofty ship, louis stretched his hand out and on it, a book appeared, seemingly out of thin Air.

Louis sat crossed legged untop the ship, his hand on the very edge of book threatening to open it.

Louis took in deep breaths and calmed his mind, and with a swift turn the book's first page was made visible.

The paper was white in color, and the writings were in crimson red, _I ask again, is she trying to scare me?_

And like that Louis read, knew and understood.

Boons are named cultivation manuals bestowed as knowledge by deities, over the many genesis this knowledge had been written down and turned into manuals that dictate how to gain that power. Each boon contains a different power, with its own uniqueness that differs from the rest- but regardless each boon mirrors the power of the deity from which it came from.

Channels are the means of identifying which boon comes from a specific God, as a channel corresponds to the deity themselves. There are a total of 12 standard channels, but only 9 are recognized and the rest are treated as heretical forces, reason being the nine Orthodox channels corresponds to the nine Orthodox deities.

The radiant sun, silent night, twilight God, God of wisdom, Goddess of harvest, lord of seas, Monarch of Death, God of crafts, and southern continents Goddess of beauty and origin.

This beings are not the only deities that exist, their equally exists secret existences that can grant boons, but such beings are considered outside the 12 channels and are riddled with perils far greater than that of the normal boons.

The various Orthodox churches have their own beholder organizations, such as SK of the silent night or LM of the Radiant sun. This teams handle any outbreak of beholder powers that might threaten the public or reveal of it's existence, they also keep the other churches in check.

Their are nine generational levels in a boon, with the peak 9 being the point where one attains immortality and unfathomable power.

But attaining such power comes with its risk, one being losing ones humanity. Every boon fundamentally possess a corresponding race, when a beholder loses their humanity they cease being human and turns into the corresponding race, but not before losing their minds, soul and body, turning into a completely different entity.

Another is the risk of being consumed. Beholders would always have to expand a great deal of strength trying to control their boon, if not, the boon feeds on the human, ending their life.

Third the risk of crystalization. This happens mostly when beholders either fails their tribulations or gets infected by secret existences, they lose their minds and their blood crystalizes, living them in an ending agony.

The last, the risk of separation. This is a part of the law of attraction and separation, with separation meaning that the boon gains an identity and separates from the host, living it vegetable.

Louis swallowed a chunk of saliva as cold beads of sweat formed on his head, he was starting to wonder if giving up was an option, but fortunately he wasn't one to easily change his mind.

Reading through the book, Louis discovered that their was indeed a mention of a channel and boon, but surprisingly it wasn't from the 9 Orthodox channels.

"What's the emperor channel? Is it the other three heretical channels? But it sounds impressive." Louis read down the last few lines which contained the manual itself,

And the name of the boon was, The black priest!