2 Who are you?

Mane looked at the towering mountains before him and felt strangely at peace. He walked forward and sat upon a chair-shaped rock which oddly enough, was placed before the 5th mountain. He sat there for about 5 minutes listening to their whispers. He did not understand the language they spoke but he could make out some common words- Sam, hunter, gods, emperor, the eternal, asteroth and ushaki. He had no idea how he could understand those words so he reckoned that they wanted him to hear just that. Mane was a patient boy. He waited until the voices died down before he spoke. "I want to ask a question". For about 30 seconds there was no reply but Mane knew they heard and understood him so he did not speak out again. "Hehe, he wants to ask a question", spoke the voice from the 6th mountain. "Should we allow him", spoke the voice from the 9th mountain. "He should be allowed. For he is us and we are him", this time it was the voice from the 3rd mountain that spoke. Mane looked at the mountain with surprise on his face since the 1st three mountains had never spoken. "Ask", replied the 1st mountain. Mane looked at the mountains. He felt as though the 1st three mountains had higher statuses than the others- a though they were the rulers of this space. For when they spoke, the other mountains went quiet. "What are your names"? It was the 2nd mountain that spoke this time, "That is for us to know and for you to find out. We will each tell you a riddle. When you understand the riddle, you will know that mountain's name, and you will understand that mountain, live the life of that mountain and be that mountain". Mane looked at the 1st mountain and said, "Are you really mountains". "You know the answer to that question don't you my dear boy". Mane smiled at the answer that the 1st mountain had given him. It was an innocent childlike smile that caused the mountains to feel more affection for him. However, Mane could feel that the 2nd mountain- which spoke with no emotion laced to its words- loved him more than the rest. But to the statement that the 1st mountain made, of course Mane knew the answer to that question. He knew that the mountains were in fact cages. Until he could break those cages apart, there was no way he would be able to see the entities trapped within. "Tell me boy, what do you know about us", the 1st mountain asked. "I know that you- the 1st- like to call me boy and seem to include some playfulness in your voice. The 2nd seems to love me more than the rest. Though the 2nd speaks with no emotion and seems cold, she is softer than the rest of you. The 3rd seems to be the most intelligent, the 4th is the most reserved and speaks very little. The 5th is proud, aloof and speaks as though it is above the rest. The 6th is the most talkative and the most jovial of the bunch. The 7th has a sharp presence to it, as though it could cut anything apart. The 8th has a smell of herbs and seems to be the most serious amongst you. The 9th however, seems to be the youngest since its words are laced with immaturity". "Hahahaha, you are indeed intelligent. To think you will be able to know us so well. You indeed have the analytic ability of the 3rd", the laughing voice came from the 6th mountain. Though the mountains had no faces, Mane could feel their every emotion. The 3rd mountain seemed proud of the complement and said, "Did I not say he is as smart as I am". "Now we will give you clues concerning each of us and you will have to comprehend them to understand us", the 8th said. "Now now, we rarely get to see Mane. Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of him? Do you have any more questions my dear boy"? , asked the 6th mountain. "I do have another question. Can you speak to me without me appearing here"? "Yes you can my boy. As long as you will it, your thoughts can be heard by us. And we can speak to you. Even when you are awake", said the 1st. "Yeah, we have been waiting for you to ask this question", it was the 6th who spoke this time. "So how do I will it", asked Mane. "I think you know the answer to that question child", replied the 3rd. Mane stood up and declared, "I declare on this day, that I am you and you are me. My thoughts shall be your thoughts and my voice, your voice". The ground trembled and lightening flashed across the sky- as though acknowledging his words. Mane sat down satisfied and said, "How come you are all trapped in the mountains"? "It is due to that damned bloodline of yours. They restrain us". Mane looked a little surprised since it was the quieter 4th mountain that spoke this time. "What do you mean by they". "You will understand in due time", said the 6th. "Why did you refer to me as she? Why do you think I am female", the 2nd that had been quiet for so long finally spoke up. Mane smiled and played with his hair as he spoke, "Although your voice seems a little husky, it is fairly easy to deduce that it is not deep but pleasant to hear. Your affection for me is due to my young age and you think I am cute. I know this because whenever I smile you seem to like me more and I feel some impatience from you- as well as some frustration. The frustration is because you can see me yet not touch me and the impatience is due to the fact that you cannot wait to be free and hold me close". The mountains were quiet for some time before the 3rd spoke, "To think your deduction skills where this high. It seems you got your mother's intelligence too". The other mountains hummed in agreement and were silent for a while until the 6th broke this delicate atmosphere, "However, he's got his father's good looks and innocence". The other mountains agreed with his statement. "You have met my parents"? Mane asked with uncertainty and doubt in his tone. "No my boy. Your parents have met us".

Mane was sitting on his bed thinking of what the mountains told him. His parents had met them. He knew that no wielder had the power to invade another's consciousness except a special family in the Northern Empire. However, that family had a flaw- they had no fighting capabilities. His parents however, were strong. Uncle Jake once told him that they could flatten any one of empires if enraged. He had thought his Uncle was exaggerating the facts. At the time he laughed since Uncle Jake was a straight forward man- not a boastful one. The words of the 1st confirmed Mane's suspicions- his parents were not of this world. He had read in a library book that there were countless other worlds and realms but had rubbished the idea since he thought that it was ridiculous. Mane sighed in frustration when he remembered what the 1st said after he asked for clarification. "It's not time to know yet boy". He shifted his attention to something else- the clues each of the mountains had given him were profound and intricate. After a full 3 hours of contemplation he had no results. "Thinking of the riddles boy", asked the 1st. Since the other night he could communicate with the mountains freely. "Don't think too much about them boy. Special circumstances and situations will bring you enlightenment on what they mean". Mane nodded in understanding and decided to prepare for class.

"Bloodlines vary in nature and attribute. Most bloodlines differ from each other. However, children from the same family tend to develop the same abilities due to this very same bloodline. The thing about bloodlines is that when they develop in a family, that family will continue to possess the abilities pertaining to that bloodline even after countless millennia. Unfortunately, the amount of abilities or the power of the abilities that a descendent of a family bloodline can inherit will depend on the density of his or her bloodline. This is the normal bloodline awakening that I'm sure you are all aware of. The uncommon bloodline awakening is the fusion of two bloodlines- the new awakening. This refers to the awakening of a bloodline that is different from the bloodline of a family. Under normal circumstances when a child is conceived, there are two bloodlines present in that child's body. However, as the development of the fetus continues, the feebler bloodline is overpowered by the stronger one. The feebler bloodline is referred to as the recessive bloodline and the stronger one is the dominant bloodline. Though at times the child inherits the feebler bloodline, the probability of this happening is one out of 4. However if the bloodlines are of equal rank the probability of the child inheriting any one of the bloodline is one out of two. This is what makes the new awakening a rare case. In this case, the two bloodlines fuse together to co-exist and produce a more powerful bloodline. An example is the fusion of two rank 3 bloodlines. This is not a simple case of 3+3=6, but a case of a 3×3=9. However, for this occur there are many underlying conditions. One of them being that the bloodlines should be of equal rank. However, the higher the rank of a bloodline the lesser the possibility of a fusion. Another condition is the condition of luck. No, you did not hear wrongly. Yes-luck. For every thousand bloodline fusions, only one can make it out alive. Hence, children who undergo the new awakening are one in a quadrillion. The most common possibilities that can occur are either death or the child being born without any bloodline ability. For bloodlines, under normal circumstances, the child is born with the bloodline but that child's abilities awaken when he/she is eight or nine years old. This is because the body is not strong enough to withstand the backlash of the awakening before the said ages. We all know the bloodline ranks- rank 1 to rank 12. The first three ranks are referred to as the lower ranks, the next three ranks as the middle ranks, the ranks 7, 8, and 9 as the superior ranks. For instance, the Royal family of this empire possess rank 9 bloodlines. However, the last three bloodlines have been long extinct from this world. They are referred to as the legendary bloodlines. There are tales of bloodlines that are even more powerful than the legendary bloodlines- the improbable bloodlines. Some call them the immeasurable bloodlines since their power is inestimable with our current technology. The reason they are referred to as improbable is due to the belief that the bloodline itself is an impossibility".

Mane was dosing off to the beautiful sound of his class teacher- Mr Aikens- droning on about bloodlines. He had read all that the man was talking about in the library and silently swore to himself to spend time in the library rather than to come to class. "Sir so what you are insinuating is that even a ranking orb cannot measure the power of the improbable bloodlines?" the speaker was a little boy with brown hair and big brown eyes from the royal family of the Western Empire. Mane did not know his name but he held some level of curiosity concerning the kid. "Well according to legends, they cannot. But these same legends speak of equipment capable of measuring improbable bloodlines known as ranking scales. These equipment are said to be very bulky, towering over seven feet and as heavy as a ton. Even bloodlines that provide their users with great strength like that of the Eastern Empire's royal family cannot destroy them. Then again, improbable bloodlines may just be old wise tales that parents tell their children so that they never become arrogant of their abilities", Mr Aikens replied. "I do not believe that these tales are false Sir. The world is vast with many unknowns and many forgottens. And I also believe that you trust in these tales too", the little boy spoke with a smile on his face that looked too innocent to be considered as devious but good enough to be considered as a teasing smile. "Oh, why do you say so kid", Mr Aikens asked with a hint of surprise tinging his voice. "Though you mentioned that they are just tales, there was only confidence in your voice- as though you were certain of whatever that you were saying. If this reason is not enough, just think of it as a hunch". Mr Aikens laughed out loud when he heard the boy's analysis as though he was pleased with what the boy said. Many of the students looked confused since they could not understand the conversation between the duo. "Such terrifying analytical power. And so young too", remarked the 6th. "Indeed, but I think our boy can do even better", the 1st commented with unwavering faith in Mane's abilities.

Mane was fully alert ever since the two turned the lesson into their own 'private' chat. He was impressed at the boy's comprehensive abilities. "I do not think that Mr Aikens is just a class teacher". "Why do you say that boy", asked the 1st. "Well his temperament is that of a superior. He was not fazed at all when a person of royalty asked him a question. And to top it all, he showed no favouritism to the boy by fawning all over him. I dare say that this man is an expert at the peak of this world. And as for that boy, he is now worthy of being my friend", the class had resumed as Mane was giving his opinions on his teacher. "Mane is indeed very similar to you, 3rd", the 2nd spoke with a chuckle. The 3rd gave a soft grunt of approval.