The book about acupoints led a lot of desires into her heart. To her newfound knowledge, there were quite a lot of them, with countless variables and usages.
As far as she understood it, they were points of interest in the human body, involved in many forms and sections. They involved blood circulation, muscle tension and relaxation, and in some ways also organs, but Sarey wasn't that far into the book to know much about it yet.
As for the involvement of energy, it wasn't as detailed, since 36 didn't give her the direct copy, but his lower standard version, which he made with mortal's language. In this way, 36 limited her knowledge, and giving her the true immortal book wasn't ideal. For the start, 36 told her little about it and that was all he could muster within himself.
What was energy and where it did come from? The spark? That would be it.
It was akin to a whirlwind, vortex, and shimmering foggy region which could manifest inside of a person. This was a Spark that she knew about, with mysteries and legends surrounding the term, and the ones who were enough to have them.
While he was at it, 36 explained to her further terms and the cases of different names. Some called it a Core, Energy Heart, Soul-energy, and so on. No one was wrong to say that, since it all involved the same thing, which couldn't be changed.
The core was the energy itself, which was never changing from the moment of its creation. The universe had its own mind, making the energy core of many kinds. Planets, moons, and stars had untold amounts of quality of the energy. They were all in the space of the cosmos, undergoing nothing but floating in the depressingly large and empty space.
The Energy had also had one peculiar thing. It was flowing from the central core of the universe, which was the Central Region of the Universe. From there, it would be reaching distances that one could not even imagine, but the quality and quantity would be slowly dwindling.
Sarey was quite shocked upon hearing it all, but a few days had already passed since then. She didn't even imagine it was so a large and encompassing thing... Alas, for her, the energy was still a very fascinating, yet far-reaching topic.
As for the source of the Acupoint and its effects on the energy? Acupoints could affect the Spark to increase in density, mass, the magnitude of quality, and even its uses.
36 explained it as a way to insert needles into the human body and move the flowing energy in the body further and faster. The effects of the Spark would improve dramatically, making the cultivation many times stronger and faster.
That was a core idea that Sarey was kind of nervous about. 36 didn't tell her why he was telling that, but she was a clever girl. Once a day, she will work around it for the sake of Allan.
Nothing else of importance was there from 36. He left her the book so she could get it to her head in small doses. Too many of his words would cause more confusion than good, and mortals weren't the kind to take the world of energy lightly.
The book that she had for a few days left no small doses of expectation. Though everything was getting dragged on, and as for today, it was not as pleasant a day as much as she hoped. Just these small moments of careless actions of a youthful nativity when she let the day be a day in Allan's presence, left her angrier. It went toward Zigmund and the things which were happening around him.
Handling the book in her hands, Sarey was sitting beside sleeping Allan. “I swear, if the Tricloud alliance's involvement with my father is anything negative, I may as leave him for his fate,” Sarey promised to herself once more, not paying much attention to the reading as much as she would like. Although, her promise could eventually be forgotten, or she would betray it herself. The state of her relationship with Zigmund was more questionable with each passing year, making it apparent that it wasn't great or terrible.
In recent times, Allan's involvement could be called a catalyst to everything, but nothing much would help, even if he was not present. It was the strings of fate, which moved in a direction that was hardly finite, or certain. Not many would understand it, as the living wasn't the kind to see past the curtains of fate.
Some would even say that Allan was a key to a better future for Sarey, but it could be a talk of a madman who did not understand any better. It was the case of knowledge, luck, and fate.
For example, monks in the mountains can spend their whole lives in meditation and fasting, underway nirvana, and living a simple life. Knowledge would not come to them, or some of them would be fateful enough. Who knew, since fate could be indifferent to everything, but change the fate of a few lucky individuals?
For the sake of the higher power, one needs to experience and know about the whole area of the world before he could even be called a knowledgeable person. Years would go by, and one could be slowly called a master. In better circumstances, of course, where one was living life to the fullest, with a plethora of luck and power.
Sarey had a long way to go, but her gaze on Allan never let the shimmering eyes of wonder be one bit weaker. She wanted to know about his word, his talent, and perhaps even go to his world as well. She hoped for it as time went on, making it more like a dream than anything else. It was a reason she was focused on the road to strength since she hoped for the Spark. Allan had a high chance of it after her careful consideration, so what if she could follow him behind, making a path for herself?
It was speculation, but it all may as well be the honest truth that she held dearly in her heart. Years could be spent awakening it, trying to make it into reality, but she wouldn't stop. When it could be reached, or opened? Maybe it will open up a door to a completely different world.
This was at least what she believed and hoped for.
Such hope and wonder will come with her to another day, which would end with the sleeping Allan, and wondering Sarey.
Zigmund, on the other hand, was long past his bath and made his way to the office as well. Tightly clenching his fist in his office, he treated an open wound aside his chest. The ripped part of the rib, as well as blood and meat, were visible from it.
“Ouch. Ouch. That hurt.” He moaned in a small dose of pain, clutching a needle with his free hand, and hoping to solve this soon. Still, It was anything but a bit uncomfortable. In the end, it was a price he was willing to pay for his stupid mistakes.
“Oh. Oh. That brat!” He swore, pulling the needle through the skin in order to stitch it together. “I swear I would wish to pay him back for this, but never mind that. I don't think Sarey would be happy about it. It was my mistake of underestimating him, so serves me right. It directly bites me to the ass instead. Great.”
Earlier in the spar, he was more or less wide open with a crisscrossed arm around his sword, hoping to defend. The force he felt as well as the point of that shaft left everything in shambles, which surprised him quite well. It was the toughest attack Allan had ever performed, and he was the cause, as well as the training dummy to go along with it.
The tip of that staff with its metallic reinforcement added quite some mass and firmness to the wood. Adding to it the effective motion, Allan's struck with a much more powerful impact than it should have been. It penetrated his defense, destroying the sword with it, and glided to his body. In the end, while he was at it, or by sheer conscience, Allan also twisted his wrist at that moment, furthering the damage in a simple second in the impact.
Such an attack did the present wound that Zigmund had.
It left some impression on him. That, he will gladly acknowledge, but it would be nothing that he couldn't manage in any normal circumstances. In fact, he had much worse times in the past anyways, so what problems would a boy have?
One time, Zigmund even had a severed limb, which almost caused his death. But even with that, nothing changed, as he went along the way with one less limb to worry about. Attaching it later after finishing the mission was given. Establishing and healing the hand was a regular thing in the military. Once he was finished in that land that he once knew, he never wanted to meet that place ever again.
Scowling all that he could, he continued with the treatment. After being halfway done, he couldn't help but glance at the one particular box on his shelf. It was opened, revealing a few pouches which were in clear-looking silk material. Inside were glittering pills of unknown value or effects.
He watched with some intent but shook his head in a few moments. “Nah. Nah. They are a keepsake for my daughter. Freaking mistakes. I swear I will make up for this one day.” He cursed, as he wanted to finish the stitching. While he was at it, he also added some alcohol for a better environment. A few drops to the wound, while the rest went to his throat. It was a simple time with not a simple day.
From time to time, he cursed for his own mistakes, but also faulted the Dias and the undeniable case of the Tricloud. Zigmund held no high regard for the future, yet the past came back from the dead. He was unsure what general Embody wanted from him, but it must be nothing good since the war already came.
“Shit... Tricloud... Allan... Past...” He cursed as the night moved on.
Time was always relative, like every day, and the night was unchanging like the day.
It was for everyone, apart from a group that was yet to leave, nor care about the night all that much. They were waiting at the night of the day in the streets of Griontesse city.
Dias and the rest had already changed into normal clothes with bags that hid their weapons. They all waited for the next caravan, which would move out in an hour. It was an express with high expenses since it wasn't that good traveling at night. However, such expenses were something Dias had to consider. In fact, he did end up purchasing quite a spacious carriage this time around.
Dias was awaiting on the bench for the arrival of the caravan. Aside from him was Roseanne who was resting her head on his shoulder, but didn't sleep.
They were already waiting on the sidelines of the street for some time. At least it was a clean part of the city, with a nice bench and with a calm night above their heads.
“What do you think of him?” She asked all of a sudden, unmoving her head from his shoulder.
“Who do you mean?” Dias asked.
“Zigmund Troutman. Who else?”
“I better not guess. Since he is involved in the past Tricloud Alliance, a lot of things could go strange.”
“Like being an immortal?”
“Perhaps...”
The pair stopped talking as quickly as they started. The topic was not to their knowledge, nor it was something easy to guess.
Each of them had their respective thoughts and worries, which went with them. Roseanne did not forget the involvement of 2 kids who went to the same location as them. There were no such coincidences in the world, but she was already not carrying about the mission. She still wondered if the hooded girl and the blind boy had anything to do with them or the mission they had. Not many people would be crazy enough to invade another person's property. That was common sense, and those were the mountains.
“There was nothing in the region apart from this cottage and a few smaller ones throughout that part of the forest. And that boy, he was quite strong... As if he was an unmoving mountain when I tried to threaten that girl. I wonder if we will meet again in the future if they were truly involved with us... or... Is it something with Zigmund Troutman?” Roseanne wondered but didn't voice it out loud since she didn't want to bother Dias with it.
Wondering about work was her mild entertainment, and the current mission put a lot of questions into her mind.
Alas, everything had to wait in the scope of wars, and the current situation was more serious than ever before. She had no time to dig deeper into this topic and before she wanted, the pair disappeared into the forest.
Exposing them to the Dias would lead... to more complicated results and they did not seem to be bad people as well.
She simply acted as if nothing happened and indicated to the brothers to do the same. As for the Rengiward, unlike Dias who could have some idea after the situation in the restaurant, he held no regard for the pair of kids. Roseanne found nothing strange about it, so she already dismissed this whole situation as a whole.
She had no choice but to do what she thought was right and ignore them. Roseanne never talked about it to Dias and she had no plan to change it.
The rest of the group was waiting in the open restaurant on the streets. Peon, Pier, and Rengiward found their missing spark and enjoyed their time around a table with some beer and satisfied bellies. They were laughing, joking, and awaiting the next course of the journey. Out of the tree, it was Rengiward who was most happy and glad that no one else was questioning his integrity. He did nothing wrong per se, but not many rights as well.
This was a brief time in his journey, and hope for a better life under the light of the Tricloud Alliance. Although the war enveloped the region, it could be an opportunity for him to get to a position where he could stand firm and beyond just the regular merchant who had some deals in many parts of the continent. Hell, that in itself could help him.
The contacts were highly regarded in the merchant world, and the political world was no different. It was important to know what went on behind the scenes and Rengiward would be able to do a lot of stuff. Although, he had no way to know what went further... much further behind the scheme of the Tricloud, or even the involvement of the entire war, or the planet itself. Could it be something good? Bad? Sinister?
There was no compass of good and evil in his heart. The tip of the compass could make circles and move to one side whenever Rengiward found the right time.
Now, he had to keep going, never stopping until the mountain would stand in his path. Perhaps he would stop at that time, circle it, or become an even bigger mountain that would shake the smaller ones.
Only time would tell.
As the laughter and time moved into the distant skies, so did the night. Before the residents had time to sleep in the summer night, a new light beamed through the horizon for a brand new day.
On this morning, same as the day before or the day before that, breakfast was the most intense and healthy way to start a day.
Sandwiches, scrambled eggs, and a few sausages were left on plates around the table. Sarey was a morning bird as usual and felt like it as well.
A good night's sleep left her in a good mood, unlike the topics of the last day. She prepared a whole breakfast for the whole house, including Zigmund. In this way, she was long plotting a way to start Zigmund's form of punishment.
She waited as she was finishing the last pieces of scrambled eggs and Allan and Zigmund came to the kitchen at the same time. Both appeared a little groggy, but it was nothing strange.