Sifting through documents, Leolyn gasped under the night's cold. Snow had not managed to touch Vestelle with its cold hands this winter. Even so, the nights were cold, this one especially.
A tax increase. A man earning a hundred Bronze Claws would now have to remit forty Bronze Claws to the monarchy. Leolyn gasped. "I did not permit this. Neither was I consulted," he muttered to himself.
Vestelle had taken the liberty of increasing taxes on Dornwick. When Leolyn confronted the Queen, she replied with silence most times. Other times, she would tell him it was not yet time.
Four days ago, Leolyn asked the Grand Archiver of Dornwick to give him documents pertaining to Vestelle's governance of Dornwick since his father died.
It took the Archiver the better part of a day to gather and present the documents to Leolyn. And since then, Leolyn had studied them to find out the happenings in his supposed kingdom.
They betrayed us for Vestelle. Now, they're suffering more. Fools. Leolyn turned over a page that seemed to have annoyed him greatly. The next page was no better. Therein was listed several things Vestelle would receive as a form of tithing every month. Livestock, agricultural produce and raw materials.
I have to do something about the tax. Leolyn covered the book and picked up an envelope from a very dark brown table. The table was not the only brown thing in the room. Other furniture and even the colour of the room was a shade of light brown.
Twisting his chair and turning away from the table, Leolyn gazed at the door expectantly. He was growing a beard that made him look more handsome and older. And as he had expected, a knock disturbed the silence in his room.
"Your Highness. Schader is ready to receive you," a loud but docile voice said. "Tell him I'll be there soon," Leolyn replied. Leolyn wore a red military-style coat to the training yard.
It's about time I got started. Leolyn had never tried to use his divine trait since he acquired it from Fenris. Leolyn felt some hesitation from using the divine trait. But in the end, for him, it was a means to an end. An end he would love to see come into fruition.
As he walked through the brightly lit corridors of the palace, he was greeted by both servants and soldiers. In the last weeks, Leolyn had melted into their hearts. Many of them already looked at him as their future King Consort—though there is the problem of them almost looking like a different race of humanity entirely.
The training yard was equipped with different weapons from different regions of Vermachor. It was similar in size to that in the Imperial Palace. Its green grass had a unique beauty about it, a beauty allowed only by the dim light of the area.
A neigh of a horse disturbed the night's silence and temporarily pulled away Leolyn's attention to it as he entered the training yard. The training yard was built just behind the stables, so it was not out of place to hear the neigh of horses.
In the middle of the training yard stood a well-built man. Black of hair with a beard that almost covered his lower face. He had green eyes that were visible in the night's dimness. He wore a black leather breastplate on top of a robe split like riding skirts. His long and free hair reached his waist.
"I would have stonemasons build you a house there, should you desire. The wind travels in the dark, future Prince-Consort. And my wife waits," the tall Vestellan said, blankly. Leolyn was taken aback. Leolyn quickly rushed to open the gate and entered.
"Good evening, Your Highness. Let us begin." Leolyn was foreign to the use of divine trait. After his father's divine trait was "passed on to him" Leolyn studied heavily on divine traits. Their origin, nature, activation process and the art of Cession.
They were here this night to turn theory into practice. "I have instructed many lads half your age. But never have I instructed someone of your age, especially with your standing." Leolyn removed his coat and revealed a shirt underneath.
"I am ready, Juilin," Leolyn called out. "Follow me," Juilin said as he gestured Leolyn to a spot, his long hair swaying in the process. There was a wooden chair lodged there but it was not Leolyn who sat on it. Juilin prided himself as the best instructor in Vestelle.
He taught many children in Vestelle by using a strong arm. It is unlikely he does the same to Leolyn. But their relationship would solely be teacher and student. Not a relationship of equals. Outside this ground, Leolyn might hold sway, but the training yard was Juilin's realm.
Leolyn stood at a military-style at-ease position. His legs leaving a small but considerable gap between each other. His arms were linked together at the back of his waist with his palms facing the outside. "Tell me about the origin.... or rather.... what is your origin of divine trait."
Leolyn paused before speaking. "Divine traits originate from the god, Alabath. They are a gift to us, his people," Leolyn replied as every child would have done. "And yours? You were eighteen years without blessing. Now, you stand amongst the blessed. How did it come to be?" Juilin asked curiously.
Leolyn hesitated. "My father...." Leolyn told him everything about how he came to possess it. Though he left some parts of the whole, he never once uttered a false statement from his lips. Juilin was left in shock.
"Here in Vestelle," Juilin started. "There are very strong and very unique divine traits. Perhaps that Fenris could trace his ancestry here." Juilin shifted his seating position. "Now, tell me about their nature." Leolyn didn't hesitate this time. "They are intricately mixed or linked with lifeforce," Leolyn answered.
Juilin pondered for a while. "Perhaps you will learn more about their nature in the future," he said, candidly. "If you survive, that is." Leolyn gave Juilin a questioning look. "Why is that?" Leolyn asked. "Divine trait is granted from death, boy. It grows with your lifeforce. They don't fight each other. It is like a spear thrust into a sheath," Juilin yawned.
"But for you....? You have not had time to be one with it or it be one with you. Your lifeforce protects you, boy. Your divine trait is like a spear in your system. Do you expect your lifeforce to let the lonar ar do as it pleases?" Juilin tugged his beard.
Leolyn was visibly upset at something. "Don't call me a boy," he said angrily. "You forget yourself, student. Even if you were not, I'm easily twice your age, remember? We don't age as you do," Juilin said admonishingly.
"Don't worry, your lifeforce is that of kings and great men. Your father a king, your mother a princess. Perhaps you would survive." Juilin tugged at his hair. "We would continue," Juilin said, sharply.
Juilin spread out his arms. "How do you activate it?" Juilin asked. "By moulding your will with your lifeforce then moulding that with the divine trait," Leolyn replied. "Good. Without being able to transfer your will to your lifeforce or.... mould it as you say. There is no point in even attempting to mould lifeforce with divine trait." Juilin clapped.
Juilin removed a pipe from his pouch and lit it with a match removed from the same pouch. "You will not speak of this. Finally.... how do you understand Cession." Leolyn made a small smile. "Cession is losing something to have something. It is a negotiation that happens between the divine trait and the user," Leolyn answered.
Juilin nodded happily. "Your first statement was better than none of the children I've instructed, but it hits the nail on the head. Give me examples of Cession." Leolyn pondered before answering. "When someone makes a barrier stronger inside to hold what is inside from breaking through. In exchange, the outside becomes very weak. In cases like this, there is most likely a fixed strength the person's barrier can have. Changing the conditions means using Cession. But this is just a normal use of cession," Leolyn said in a speech-like manner.
Juilin finally stood. "Now activate yours. You already mould your will with your lifeforce to fight. Now mould them with your divine trait," Juilin stopped. "What is even your divine trait?" Juilin asked. "I don't know," Leolyn responded. Juilin nodded in a disapproving manner.
"I won't ask why. Just do what I told you to do." Leolyn was somewhat of a future weapons master. He was not only capable of using the sword to great efficiency—but other weapons as well. And while he used them, he reinforced his body with lifeforce to increase his speed and strength among others. So, to him, moulding his will with his lifeforce was easy.
Leolyn jumped a great height to show that he passed the first stage. For the second stage, moulding both the combined lifeforce and will with divine trait, he closed his eyes in concentration. However, nothing happened.
Juilin looked at him, albeit sadly. "It hides within your lifeforce already, fool. Find it and compel it to your wish." Leolyn continued to focus. The more he concentrated, the closer he got. Until he came against a great pain. Leolyn shouted in pain and opened his eyes.
Juilin looked at him, smirking. "You chase a treasure, one too painful to gaze upon. You're closer. Close your eyes and find that pain. Within that pain lies the treasure." Leolyn closed his eyes again and continued searching. Searching for something with something where that thing resides.
Mixed with his lifeforce already was something that was not there. When Leolyn tried to tell it what to do it replied with pain. Pain like a spear thrust into the heart. Leolyn didn't falter; he accepted the pain and filled his lifeforce with his divine trait.
He felt powerful, filled. It was like an empty space which never existed until now was filled. He gazed at Juilin. He could feel something, see something. He didn't recognise it by feeling it or seeing it but he could say it for what it was should he want to.
Another thing was that he now knew exactly how his divine trait worked in detail. And so, when he glanced at Juilin again, he could tell that the man possessed a powerful ability, one that allowed him to remove all obstacles. And yet, Leolyn was granted something that could possibly fight against it.
Juilin smiled. "I see. What is it?" Juilin asked curiously. Leolyn refused to answer. Perhaps he could now understand the whole secrecy his father had regarding his divine trait. "I won't say." Leolyn smirked. "But I will say this. I most likely won't win. Nobody wins when we fight." Juilin laughed out loudly. "No, I would win."
Leolyn took one step forward. "The ability to remove all obstacles. Very powerful. Something to rival even the strongest in the world. Something that could grant you victory against them." Juilin looked surprised. He had never told anybody the specifics of his divine trait.
"You yourself could be the obstacle I choose to remove," Juilin said, plainly. "There are conditions and limitations regarding divine traits. I'm not a fool." Juilin laughed lightly. "I am of the blood of Vestelle. Stronger in lifeforce than most of my kind, talk less of Velecorians."
Leolyn's assured face didn't change. "Aye, you're strong in divine trait and lifeforce. But I am certain there are conditions to its use." Juilin also didn't seem bothered. "It is good that the Queen has more powerful allies. But should you falter, I would remove you from this world and the wind will cease to caress your face."
"I don't doubt that you could. And I have no interest in betraying my future wife. But I'm fervently sure that I could beat someone who could remove all obstacles," Leolyn said then paced towards the exit.
Emon would be finished against someone like him. Leolyn turned to shoot one more glance at Juilin who was now sitting down and tugging his beard.