The Arcane Trickster

CHAPTER 9 - SPIRITUAL DOOR

Derwyn had a gentle smile as he noticed the blood driping from his wirst, in the end, the two had won. He wasnt ashemed of admiting defeat as he was proud of their performance. Derwyn walked towards Asahel and put his wirst near his face, Asahel thought that he was trying to help him get up, horever as he looked closer, he too noticed the small cut.

Asahel felt relivied, his efforts were paid off, a feeling of hapiness washed over him. His entire body hurt, but he didnt mind and tried to sit down. Its only after the spar finished that he and Reynald noticed their mother watching them.

The two ladies had a proud look on their faces, the boys performance was a great spectacle ot them. Merthia saw that the spar had finished and ran towards Reynald. He held him and caressed his head.

-” Oh my Little Reynald, look how hurt you are, Let’s go inside so i can clean your words.” Merthia was emotional as she saw her only son so injured.

Derwyn sighed as he saw how his sister treated him, this was the reason that Reynald was so undisciplined, he looked at Lucia who was starring at Asahel with her eyes full of emotions.

-” Hey, get up, you should go talk to your mother.” Derwyn have his hand to Asahel and held help him walk towards his mother.

Derwyn knew that they would have a emotional conversation now, so he decided to over the kitchen to drink something after the long spar.

Lucia and Asahel were left alone in the backayrd, he felt a little awkeard, he didnt know when his mother arrived, but, she must had watched much of the fight.

-” Hey i won that, did you see?” Asahel exhausted and his voice was weak.

-” Of course i saw that, what a explendid spar you had, i’m proud of the man you’ve become Asahel.” Her mother eyes were full of emotion as she patted his head; “ And I’m surre that your father would too if he was here.”

Asahel felt happy by the compliments, he always hated not metting expectations, and especially the espectations of his mother, the most imporant person to him.

-” I’m not sure about that, Father didnt look like someone who appreacited battles.”

-” Thats were you are wrong, while he was never the violent type he always admired strong people. he knew that sometimes people need to stand up for themselves.” Her mother continued. “ And besides that, i’m not proud of how strong you’ve become, but hoiw hard you’ve tried.”

Lucia words made Asahel even more emotional, he wanted to keep talking for more time, as he wanted to enhoy the time he still had with her before travelling to the Army Examinaiton, but Lucia told him to go rest.

Asahel laid down on the backyard with eyes closed, he was remembering eveything about the spar, from the initials bouts that ended badly to the mystical feeling he felt; he was lost in his tought when he heard footsteps approching him,

-” Hey, did you learn a ability?” Derwyn asked as he got closed.

-” Wait, when that happened?” Reynald was shocked as he heard what Derwyn said.

-” Right at the end of the spar, i sundelly felt a small oscilation of spiritual power comming from him.” Derwyn was staring seriously at Asahel who looked confused.

-” I dont know, i just felt strange and time seemed to slow down.” Asahel didnt really understood what happened, so he couldnt be sure.

-” You never cultivated right? There is something called “Spiritual Door” that resides in your spirit when you awaken, inscribed in this door there is a diagram that we call “Kabalah”, this diagram repsent your current skills.” Derwyn explanaiton made the two youths confused.

-” In my spirit? How can i see my own spirit?” Reynald. of course, was the most confused one. “ Do i need a spirit mirror or something?” Reynald guess made Derwyn dumbfounded, by his face its was likely that he was seriosly considering what he said as somehting smart.

-” No, you just need to meditate, some people find it quite hard, but, there isnt too much trouble in that.” Derwyn didnt let his nephew babblering derails him and continued to explain how to meditate to them.

Derwyn took his explanatio slowly as this was the first time hey heard about it, and soon enough, the two youths tried to comunitcate with their “Spiritual Door”. They meditated for about an hour and nothing happened, reynald soon gave up and laid on the floor as he waited for Asahel to finish.

Reynald was bored after a few minutes of waiting, and tried to chat with his uncle, but, with just one gaze from him Reynald shut up, Derwyn had a serious face as he waited for Asahel.

Asahel kept trying for a few more minutes, yet, nothing ever happened, as he was about to give up he remembered the feeling of something litting up inside his mind, and tried his best to recollect this feeling.

As Asahel remembered this feeling, a blinding light came to his mind, at first he even forgot that he had his eyes closed, but, before he could question himself anymore about his light, a huge stone door appeared on his vision.

Asahel looked around and he didnt find the familiar backyard, but a complete white plane, only the stone door in his front exited here. Asahel walked towards it and noticed something inscriptions on the Stone door.

Two diagrams adorned the door, one in each side of the door, Esahel studied the diagrams carefuly, each diagram was composed of ten circles, nineteen of them were blank, but the first one of the left side was glowing with a lime green light.

Asahel appreached the door and tried to touch the circle in the diagram, the door was huge, he didnt know its height but its was taller than most of houses. As Asahel approached the door and focused in the circle he levitaded towards it.

Asahel felt in awe with the feeling, it was almost as if his body didnt exit, as he raised his hand he sundelly noticed that his body wasnt made of flesh, but, this body was completely white, as if he was only energy.

He oberserved his current body a little more. -” Is this my soul? What a magical feeling.” 

Asahel finished observing his body and returned his atettion towards the inscriptions, he touched the lit up inscription and information started to followe towards his mind. “Battle Focus - Normal Skill.” Asahel was confused at first, but, soon he finally understood how the Spiritual Door worked. “Each of this circles represents a Skill slot? Having dual classes is such a cheat.” Asahel was euphoric as he noticed how lucky he was.” So this Skill acelerates how fast my mind words, it gives bonus to concetration too.” He kept anlyzing the information he just recived from the door. “ I can activate it by focusing during combat, but its require willpower and stamine for its effects to stay activaded.”

Asafel confirmed Derwyn suspicion, he wanted to go back to tell him what he learned, but, he noticed that he didnt know how to. As he was anxiously trying to go back he felt sensation in his face.

As he felt the touch, the white plane that surrounded him started to shatter, and voices came to him.

-”Hey dont touch him! Just because you couldnt do it, it dosnt mean that he cant too.”  Asahel heard quietly talk Derwyn, it was as if he was afraid of waking someone up.

-” Trust me, he must be pretending´, how can he enter this state so easily?” Reynald voice was higher,  Asahel could feel a tinge of jealousy from it.

When Asahel openned his eyes Reynald jumped with a smile in his face. -” See, i was right he was pretending” Reynald didnt want to believe that Asahel could enter the state so easily after he failed.