Back at the hamlet there was a small gathering of young nobility in a large and furnished hut. Most of whom were destined to be future clan leader or at least on of the higher upside of the Ashuwa tribe.
The conversation they were having revolved around a once unassuming wandering youth that stumbled his way into the hamlet only a couple of days ago now.
Most of the talk was mostly about the mental breakdown they witnessed not too long ago and the sudden arrival of Yara who helped the youth to calm down.
Two particular nobles were having a more in depth conversation about the matter. Each young man were sitting in a small room that was sealed off from observation using a talisman that Safari had on him.
"So Safari truthfully, what did you make of what happened back there? I mean the way I see it he may of caught on to what was going on and did anything to disengage from the pressure we were putting on him." Banji asked casually.
"Well it's hard to say if it was more intentional or maybe some kind of survival mechanism that black resorts to when pressured or a true mental breakdown we witnessed. I mean after it all happened when he got done speaking with with princess Yara he seems to be better then ever. Oh and we can't forget when we first got here the hamlet just suffered an attack by a small horde of two faced hyenas." Safari spoke while meditating.
"Yeah I don't think I can forget that scene even if I tried to. But now it makes me wonder if we could get him to join us during the graduation ceremony and become a part of the tribe."
"Hmm maybe. He shows he has at least a decent aptitude and of course with that the room for growth but let's be honest Banji we know next to nothing of his origin, hell im certain black isn't his real name in the slightest." Safari opens his eyes for the first time during the conversation. For a moment they flashed red.
"You still trying out your new art? You know your only supposed to have one officially after the ceremony." Banji says smugly.
"The ceremony is more of a formality then anything else when it comes to our class and you know it. However speaking of the formality who do you think is going to get first place between me and Yara?" Banji thinks for a moment on Safari's question before responding.
"Well from what I know it mostly comes down to aptitude so honestly its a coin toss between you two. But why does it really matter to you? Don't forget that either way the Ashuwa clan has always been the guiding force that leads this tribe." Safari snorts in response to Banji's statement
"Like anything else in this world that's bound to change. If not today or even tomorrow, then one day it will, for one day is all change will need." Safari finishes his small speech with determination reflecting right back at Banji whose taken slightly by surprise.
"Safari seems to have been stimulated.Maybe coming out here wasn't so bad after all." Banji thinks to himself.
Meanwhile back to Mashallah home Malcolm is currently practicing with Yara on the basics of mysticism one needs to establish when they reach the first realm.
"So your saying that I have an above average aptitude then?" Malcolm asks while he's on the floor of the living room meditating with Yara standing over him with a white pearl in her hand.
"That does indeed seem to be the case." Yara says while the pearl hovers above her hand slightly with a slight glow to it.
"So this child here seems to have at least some amount of aptitude but what im curious about is way are you giving him this much attention sweetie? After all you should know the difference between your two's positions and how this will fuel the animosity of those that want to either harm or use you." Yara's mother says to her internally
"Of course I know mother but there's something about about this guy.. I can't put my finger on it but I need you to trust me on this ok?" Yara said almost pleadingly.
Yara's mother exhaled tiredly. "Ok sweetie I'll trust you. Just don't forget to be ready for anything and pass the upcoming ceremony."
"Yes mother." Yara responds quickly while at this moment she's brought back to reality by a knock that was coming from the front door.
Malcolm hearing this and seeing Yara in a slight daze got up from the ground and walked to the door.
"Who is it?" Malcolm spoke with a hint of authority.
"I am a mystic warrior sent by the clan to help elder Mashallah with guarding princess Yara. By any chance does she happen to be inside?" A young man's voice reverberated through the door.
Malcolm looks towards Yara who gives him a nod to let the messenger enter.
Malcolm opens the door to let an unassuming middle aged man inside who wore a yellow robe with black stripes along the sleeves. He also exuded his second realm aura without hiding it in the slightest.
He only glanced at Malcolm with a hint of distain before looking at Yara with warmth and respect evident in his gaze.
"Forgive me for the sudden intrusion princess Yara." The man spoke plainly.
"It's fine with me uncle Tanzu but im not the one you should apologize to. As Yara finishes speaking she nods in Malcolm's direction.
The man Tanzu finally turns around to look at Malcolm's figure and gives him a cold gaze. Malcolm gives a similarly cold gaze back to the man.
"No need for an apology, in truth this isn't my humble abode in anyway so if you wanna apologize. Apologize to grandma when she gets back." Malcolm speaks rather jovially and almost playful.
Yara gives a slight smile while Tanzu narrows his eyes at Malcolm with a dark glint shining for a moment before it's concealed.
"So you're the one that's been staying at elder Mashallah's rondavel since you've arrived at our outer periphery yes?"
"Yeah that would be the case, didn't think y'all would pay mind to a little vagabond like me popping up though. Malcolm said causally with a mock expression of humility as if to further bring down his own status in the eyes of Tanzu.
Tanzu for a moment in time stood with an expressionless face before saying.
"We pay mind to any passerby young man but nevermind that." He says while looking back at Yara.
"We need to discuss the recent beast attack that occurred here not long ago." Yara casts a quick look at Malcolm and mouth she was sorry before she responded to Tanzu.
"I agree uncle Tanzu. Have you talked with the others before coming here?"
"Of course. That was the first thing I did after arriving. Banji and Safari seemed to have gotten the personal accounts of the villagers, however im afraid those accounts won't be enough to tell us how it started."
Malcolm leaned against the wall and crossed his arms while listening to the discussion.
"Damn she really is the princess of the Ashuwa tribe and grandma turned out to be someone powerful to." Malcolm thinks inwardly to himself.
A flash of a sharp light appears in his eyes. He watches the discussion go on as he really begins to ponder on the potential prospects he could possibly achieve in this new world.
His hands while still crossed clenched tightly as Malcolm for a time imagines himself as a grand protagonist like a few certain fictional characters in whatever shows or movies he watched a long time ago.
From the bottom of society they were born into the world and from there these characters crawled and clawed their way to the top of the peak where in the end they could look down at every hard fought step they took and finally smile in satisfaction at their success.
This type of progression through life has always captivated Malcolm from a young age till now at his only slightly older age. However life on earth had a way of quelling and dampening one's imagination, especially the life that Malcolm has lived. It was neither easy nor hard, neither good nor bad and neither boring nor exciting.
The life of a ghetto man is at once filled with thrills and excitement and at another gloomy and dull. There often lacked true balance. So then Malcolm did what humans often can only do in this environment, adapt.
Yet with this adaptation it left Malcolm with a deep inner longing, no longing isn't right.. hunger, a deep near bottomless hunger that could only be born from the inner heart. A hunger for strength, for freedom and to be unrestrained in any endeavor Malcolm pursued.Yet often the inner heart much like a loving partner is neglected and used to justify the most heinous actions people take.
All at once the most heinous thing one can do is neglect oneself. To neglect oneself is not to know oneself, not to love oneself and for a long time Malcolm didn't know nor cared to try to do either because to him there was no point.
Yet now that inner heart is calling out to him, pleading to him to take this chance in time to make a change to this. With what he has seen so far in this world of mysticism and now with his large increase in power this change might be able to bring him to true self mastery.
Here the outsider stands in a world full of unknown variables and countless mysteries. Here he stands with strange yet oddity familiar people who's only source of familiarity is skin color. Here in the present he has no clear purpose, a true vagabond he has become. Yet with the blank slate tossed to the winds a new chapter can be written and his inner estuary can at last be cultivated and thus his own potential.
Malcolm closes his eyes, entering the depths of his mind to look further inward.
Malcolm similar to what he was doing earlier begins meditating while standing up. An image of his body forms in his mind and in this image he pictures his spiritual energy flowing through his body like blood. Finally he forms the image of his spiritual core located in his abdomen.
"From what Yara said I just need to begin with slowly gaining control over all of the spiritual energy in my body. Although I can control the energy within my spiritual core with no problems, the rest of energy in my body lays dormant for now. Then only after this can I start to increase the spiritual capacity within my body by in taking the spiritual energy of the atmosphere and refining the energy to be under my control.This might be worth something after all." Malcolm thinks to himself with a wide smile concluding the inner meditation.
As Yara and Tanzu finish their conversation someone came to the rondavel to inform them that Mashallah and the teacher have returned. At this news all three of them move out to rendezvous with everyone.