“Cauu auuuw” Kinoya couldn’t even complete his intangible protest before coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“You are not helping. If you don’t answer me I will kill you.” The old man thundered again.

‘How the hell I can talk with so much pressure?’ With his life on the line, he moved his finger, rather than his mouth.

“What are you doing? Trying to draw a magic circle? Stop it or…”

‘F*ck you, just kill me…’ Even his thought began to get messy but he succeeded with sheer willpower.

“What is this? Caaan’t Breeath? Can’t breath?” The old man mumbled the deformed words twice before he understood the meaning, but it was effective. Kinoya could feel the pressure on him reduced to a certain degree.

Blood and dust made a mess in his mouth, Kinoya couldn’t care less. After taking a few lungs full of air, Kinoya spoke, “I was running away from the boar and came across this place."

"And you dragged your problem to my courtyard?"

"I was not intended to but I was at my limit and my leg gave away. I looked for someone at the hut but no one there. I tried to look here but something dragged me in. And I was in the middle of the battlefield."

An awkward silence followed. With the little movements he could make, Kinoya saw the frown on the old man face. Unexpected to the expression the pressure on him has vanished in a blink.

“Tell me in clear detail.” But the old man’s voice didn’t improve.

“I was hunting a horn…”

“Tell me when you entered the dome.”

“I didn’t intend to trespass but as I tried to peek into this place a strong attraction force enveloped me and…”

Kinoya continued without hiding anything. It was not like he had something to hide. The old man didn’t stop him and listened to the story with care, until the end.

“Come here.” Surprising to Kinoya the old man asked him to come to the talwar.

‘I thought that was an important weapon.’ Kinoya was confident about his assessment of the talwar and was also sure that, the talwar was the source of illusionary reality.

“Touch it.” At the old man order, Kinoya couldn’t help but give a confused look at the old man.

‘I understand that you don’t worry about me stealing the talwar but I am not very fond of touching such a dangerous thing.’

“Grab it.” the tone turned more commanding behind him. Though reluctant, all Kinoya could do was to grab it.

One second. Two seconds.

“Nothing is happeni…” Kinoya couldn’t complete his words before his words got wrapped.

*Clank* *Clank*

*Ahhh*

*Nihhh*

The similar but unintended sounds returned to his ears again. The cavalries were still fighting behind him. He was standing in the middle of the dead body dump with the heavy talwar in his grip.

The infantries were still 50 meters away and will reach him soon but Kinoya couldn’t take another look at the Talwar in his hand. A very simple talwar with nothing fancy and Kinoya couldn’t tell otherwise…

‘The secret lies with this talwar.’ Kinoya was sure of it but he didn’t have the time to explore it.

Next thing he checked was his body. The grip felt normal, no pain at his shoulder nor the ankle. He exhaled all of his worries and the grip on the hilt tightened.

30 meters…

15 meters…

5 meters…

2 meters…

He swung his talwar without a single ounce of hesitation nor he spoke those embarrassing words but it missed.

“Could it be another illus…” The intended words never came out and he was thrown in the again with a kick in his chest.

‘It is real.’ though he had known it he had no time to respond. If he didn’t move he would have died under other feet. He couldn’t stabilise himself before he had to swing his talwar to protect his chest.

Knees were weak, the stance was loose and due to lack of strength, he was fell on his bottom. Alas! He didn’t get any chance to redeem himself this time. A blade ran straight through his chest even before he could look at the face of the soldier.

The view in front of him returned. The old man was standing a few feet from him and the talwar was there too.

“So I died?” Kinoya asked looking at the old man.

“Is that how people of this generation respond to their death?”

‘Should I have been more dramatic about it? But that was just an illusion.’ Kinoya was not sure how should he react at the old man’s words, ‘Or maybe because it wasn’t my first time.’

“That was just an illusion? Wasn’t it?”

“Was it? Maybe it is if you think so”

‘What is with all this mystery?’ Kinoya couldn’t help but frown, “I should take my leave.”

When Kinoya tried to stand on his legs he felt how weak he was. He had extinguished his limit when he was running away from the boars, then the pressure, that almost crushes him, made him weaker. Even if there is no wound on him, the illusionary reality of the battlefield had forced him towards the mental exhaustion.

“Who told you to leave?” The words of the old man came to him as surprised but it wasn’t unexpected. He barged into the old man’s area, had observed his treasure and now tried to leave.

“Shouldn’t I leave?” ‘Or do you want to silence me?’ Kinoya didn’t dare to voice his worry but added, “I won’t tell anyone about the talwar.”

The old man was stupified for a moment before he broke into hysterical laughter. “Do you think I am hiding that talwar?”

“Are you not?” He regretted it the moment he asked. The old man shook his head but didn’t answer. And the silence followed.

Kinoya didn’t dare to ask anything and the old man didn’t talk. He had no idea how long it was, before the old man spoke again, “It looks like Varytita has chosen you.”

“Varytita? Gravity?” Kinoya had no idea what the old man meant by ‘Varytita’ but he knew the meaning of the words.

“Yes. It is the name of the talwar.” the old man’s sounded distant.

‘Magical weapon with consciousness?’ Kinoya didn’t ask, yet the old man answered, “The so-called ‘illusion’ you had relived is its memory.”

“Not just consciousness but also memory?” Kinoya had failed to hide his surprise.

The old man was waiting for such expression and he continued with a bright smile on his face. “Rather it was the memory of its previous owners. Those were the fight ‘Varytita’ had lived through. I am not sure the war you had experienced was a part of my time with it or not but it felt like it was the final battle with the Roginian kingdom.”

‘Roginian kingdom?’ Kinoya shook at the name. It was the kingdom that had breed him. He had read about it in the history book. How the great Crownen empire had abolished and destroyed the evil Roginian kingdom at the very early years of development.

‘Evil?’ It might be, nevertheless, Kinoya was more interested in it. Apart from it, he was more curious about something more. He couldn’t help but ask, “How old are you?”

The old man looked at him with curious eyes but didn’t answer. Kinoya tried to reason his curiosity, “The battle with old Roginian empire ended 10th empirical year, and you don’t look that old.”

The life expectancy of this world was a lot higher than the earth. Many people are almost a hundred and fifty in the city of Arviga. But it was surprising to see a person so fit who was already over a hundred.

“Don’t you know it is disrespectful to ask about one age?”

“Are you a maiden?” The regret came too late. He was already on his knees with the pressure pushed him.

“You are not my disciple.” the old man didn’t look at him as he spoke.

‘When did I ask to train me?’ Kinoya was more restrained this time, ‘Wait a moment, I can ask him to train me. That will better than useless hunting’

The old man didn’t miss the sparkle in Kinoya’s eye, “No matter what are you thinking, it is useless. I have no intention to train you. You reek of blood. How can a child have so much blood on your hand?”

Kinoya looked straight into his eyes but didn’t answer. He had no intention to ask the old man again. He couldn’t wash off the blood on his hand, neither he can speak about it openly.

‘I can ask sister to give a master to train.’ The pressure had already vanished as Kinoya stood up and walked towards the door.

“Yet Varytita choose you.” Kinoya’s foot came to a stop. “I am not sure what have you done before but you suitable, so…” Kinoya turned to find the old man still hesitating to complete the sentence, “So as your predecessor, I will teach you.”

“Varytita? Means the talwar? It chooses me and you used it before so you are going to train me?” Kinoya asked to confirm it.

“Yes.”

“But why? That makes no sense. You don’t want to do it but because of the talwar, you are forced. If that is the only reason, then I reject.”

“What?” The old man couldn’t hide his amusement anymore. “Do you have any idea what are you rejecting?”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to learn from you who isn’t even willing?”

“That is not yours to decide. Your fate was sealed the moment Varytita chooses you.”

“It doesn’t matter who choose me, but I make my fate.”

“You can’t. This is not your fate we are talking about. It’s the fate of Empire we are talking about. You are chosen to be one of the ni…” The words of the old man came to an abrupt stop. He sighed before he continued, “I won’t teach you any of my technique or anything, it will be the basic. On the day you pull out the sword from the ground you are free to go.”

“I only need to pull out the sword and I am free to go?” The frown on Kinoya’s face had grown deeper, yet the old man nodded in amusement. He walked to the talwar and grabbed the hilt.

Looking at the out of focus eyes of Kinoya the old man just shook his head and left the dome. The darkness enveloped again.

************

Empirical year 95

"Something is not right." The man dressed in full armour moving on the war steed moved closer to the general and whispered.

The general, Korai Dhanman, was the one-star general of 3th regiment. It belonged to 17th corps of the empire.

The 17th corps was part of one of the independent corps of 50,000 soldiers not under any army or front. It consisted of one 20,000 men legion and six 5,000 men regiment. The 17th corps was headed by 'The Red General' Akai, a 3-star general.

Korai was one of the generals, who were present from the birth of the corps. He was better known for his defensive attitude. Contradictory to the all offensive status of the 'The Red corps'.

Korai nodded his head as he looked around. The path through the forest was littered with the bodies. Bloody spots were all over the places.

It was a well-known trade route and used by most of the merchants. So it was quite natural that there will be bandits around. Even then they usually avoid doing such a bloodbath in open.

"They do not look like any merchants, rather…"

"They are the bandit. Could these be the infighting?" Korai thought for a moment, "Send some men to check." The first armoured man soon sent a lieutenant with his 50 men platoon.

"Secure the perimeter." With the general's order, the soldiers move into action. Not all of the army was cavalry. There were infantry and archers too. There was also come of civilian present there but their number is not more than 500.

Soon enough the scouting party had returned and the report compelled Korai to move towards the bandit base. But by the time Korai reached the base, it was already over.

There stood a boy, dyed in red with a big talwar in his back.