"Prison?!" Armad asked in frustration. He wanted to lash out at Babara but something occurred to him. "If I am in prison then you are in prison too."

Babara smiled, revealing his elderly face and wrinkles, which made Armad wanted to respect him. "You are right. If you are in prison then I am also in prison. I told you earlier that I explored half of the wall, right? Well, it wasn't the wall. We use talismans provided by the international association of fortune tellers to bring children here for training. The talismans create a replica of this place, or at least as exactly as some of us remembered it, but we were never here. This is my first visit to this place."

Armad raised an eyebrow in confusion. "If you have never been here then how do you intend to get out?"

Babara bowed his head in such a way that Armad couldn't read the expression on his face.

Time passed slowly, it was getting darker and the cold was sipping into his bones. And then Babara fell to his knees, his head looking down in submission.

The first thing Armad thought was that it was too cold for the old man or maybe it was a stomach ache that made him kneel. But then the man pulled out a long knife from his pocket and cut his palm with it until it bled. Then he used the bloody hand to take his staff.

Now, Armad didn't know what to think.

"I, Babara Bayajidda, pledge allegiance to the king of men and djinns, Armad Wilberforce the third."

If it weren't for the strong belief and determination Armad perceived in Babara's voice he would have taken it for granted. But he didn't understand what the man was saying.

"What is going on? You are embarrassing me. If this is one of your training methods then it doesn't make sense."

Babara took a deep breath and bowed his head, saying, "this is certainly not a trick. I, Babara, have left my title as the king of fortune-tellers and have returned to your side to help you become the third Wilberforce. I hope you will accept me."

"But why?" Armad frowned. "I don't want to be the third. And I don't even know what that means."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

Babara replied calmly as if he'd already expected Armad to say that. "Being the third Wilberforce is not something you can choose even if you want to. It is something that people will see in you and acknowledge, as I now believe that you deserve the title. As I told you earlier, Wilberforce the first, Aldaima Wilberforce, and Wilbafos the second, Eyriyon Wilberforce, were the first people to fight against the jinzidal and Amri doctrines. For a long time now I hate the trading of the weak as slaves, but the fortune tellers association didn't want to quarrel with the jinzidal and Ururu. They believed no victory would come out of it. So I have chosen to follow you to fulfill my dream of abolishing the slave trade."

Armad took a deep breath. Babara was still kneeling in front of him and he didn't even know how to respond. It was just sudden and unexpected, and it didn't make sense to him. "You can't just drop your title as a leader of an organization and come back to my side. Do you have that much trust in my ability?"

Babara started with a smile which later turned into laughter and after a while he paused. "Surely just like any other Wilberforce, or Bayajidda, or Ururu, or any of the descendants of Kings, you'll have a special Bend to call your own. You all have it. But the truth is the only reason I pledge allegiance to you is your goal to destroy the jinzidal.

"Don't forget there is a boy who was born with a talent like you and a member of my tribe - Ikenga O Bayajidda. You've met him. Of course, Ikenga has the strength to get my loyalty and respect but his purpose is not the same as mine. He can use his bloodline ability, the king steps, but you can't use your Wilberforce bloodline ability yet.

"When you learn how to use your Wilberforce bloodline and get a Bend to call your own, the power you will have will determine whether you can fight Ururu and the jinzidal Kings. I, Babara, have relinquished my position as the king of fortune-tellers and pledge allegiance to you without knowing what power you will have."

Armad listened to him. Earlier, Babara told him that there was a Bend even more powerful than cross over - of course, it was difficult to believe at first. Babara explained to him that each tribe had its set of Bends. And these Bends came from certain special individuals in the tribe who were able to awaken unique Bends to call their own. This didn't mean others wouldn't use it, but anyone who used it would be copying from them and would never reach the full power of the Bend. Such Bends had always been more powerful than cross overs when used by their creators. Only that people didn't know about them because of their rarity and how the elites intentionally hid the knowledge.

"The Locust created by Hidaya and the Wilberforce Sword Dance of your grandfather is an example of these Bends. They weren't just any Bends." Babara had explained. "Another example is your title of Al-yaya and the ability it might give you."

Another way to see it was the awakening people underwent didn't just awaken their pol. No, it also awakened other abilities in them that wouldn't be apparent in the beginning or that must be trained to be realized.

"I'll help you awaken a Bend you can call your own and learn how to use your eyes and bloodline Bending," Babara said.