25 Arash - Blessed

Arash's eyes widened in shock as he saw a sapphire giant standing above him. The upper part of its body was missing. Grey ash shifted around its missing upper body, bellowing a deep, guttural roar towards the blue mist that relentlessly chased after it. Arash pushed himself up with his right arm and found himself sitting in the middle of deep crater; its surface was made up of smooth mana stone. Small dunes of finely grained mana stones were present all around him. Realization dawned on his face as he saw the shifting grey mist in the sky. 'Where is the purple one?' Arash looked around and found nothing but empty air.

He once again heard the sound of the horn, but this time it was closer. Arash looked at the lip of the crater and saw a group of men sliding down the crater. They were rushing towards him. "Blessed!" Arash blankly stared at the them as the men got closer and closer to him. Arash could see their glistering armor of mana stone, constantly shifting as they moved closer to him. He had always wondered why the mana stone killed their kind, while it protected theirs. Arman always that the blessed were under the protection of their gods.

"What about our gods?" Arash had asked the old man. Like always, he had answered with the same bitter smile which he wore when the answers eluded him.

"Hey Boy! What's your name?" One of the blessed asked him.

Arash had never seen a blessed before, all he knew about them was from the stories from the miners. Only a select few had the honor to meet them in person. They were supposed to be giant hulking masses of mana stones, who were cruel and hard like the mana stones, but seeing one stand before him, he knew how wrong the stories were. The blessed that stood before him rose to a startling height of seven feet with long slender arms and a lithe body. A translucent armor of blue crystal gleaned on his body, he barely wore any clothes. A supple black leather was wrapped around his lions, but other than that he stood as naked as the day he was born. "Arash" he said as noticed that the blue armor didn't covered their whole bodies. There were tiny slits on their joints which enabled them to still move easily.

"Look at his eye..." One of the blessed said. "How is he still alive?" He picked Arash with ease as he inspected the crystallized eye. "Strange!"

"Must be a half-breed"

"Half-Breed? I would like to see a nameless wretch who could take one of ours."

"Then how is he alive?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Hey boy, how do--" Startled by the sudden influx of the blue mist; the one holding Arash threw him away. All of them stood awe-struck as they saw blue mist drilling back into his eye. Arash

screamed out loud as he landed on his broken leg.

"Deo, have you seen anything like that before?" The one who threw Arash asked the one standing at the back of the crowd.

Deo was a short lean fellow, considering the giants standing beside him. He coldly stared at Arash; surprise flashed across his face as he saw the composed look on the boy's face. "Ezio,I don't know what it is, but I am sure out little slave here knows what it is." Deo nodded towards Arash. "Don't you?"

"Speak up! What was that blue mist?" Ezio spoke in a tone that came from a lifetime of being served and obeyed.

"Is anyone else alive?" Arash asked.

Anger flashed across Ezio's face as his left hand turned into a sword. Just as he was about to end Arash's life; Deo parried his sword with one of his own.

"What is the meaning of this Deo?" Ezio asked as the blue mana armor gained more mass.

"Nothing, I am just curious about our little friend here. He is different. Different from any other I have seen."

"Different how?" Ezio frowned.

"He isn't afraid of us?" Deo smiled as he studied Arash. "Every Nameless I have seen grovels before me. But, this one stares right back at me. Like we are equal."

"Equal?" Ezio snorted. "I can end him without--"

"Did you see anyone else? A little boy." Arash cut off Ezio as he stared evenly at Deo. He knew what cutting off a blessed meant, but being in a state of perpetual detachment had made death seem insignificant. His thoughts were clear and his actions certain. Whatever little chance he had for living were in arousing the interest of Deo.

"See? What did I tell you? He isn't afraid of us." Deo beamed as he heard Arash's words, but his smile soon curdled as he saw Ezio attacking Arash. His body turned into a blur as he appeared in front Ezio.

"Get out of my way Deo! This wretch needs to be taught a lesson. He dares to disrespect me. I will not have my honor tainted! Not in front of my guests, never!"

"Are you going to kill the man who killed a Ruh!" Deo raised his eyebrows as he nodded towards the crystallized giant.

"Kill a Ruh!" Ezio scoffed. "Deo, who are you kidding, this thing can't kill a Ruh! Even with our strength we might be able to drive him away rather than kill it."

"Yes! He can't kill the Ruh! But what about you, Calix and Damen. Mighty warriors killed a powerful Ruh!. Think about the honor it will bring you and to your families."

"What about you?" Ezio asked with a frown as his hand turned back to normal. Killing a Ruh was a great honor for a blessed and none can claim to have killed a Ruh as big as the one standing before him.

"Me! you know I don't care about such things. Spare him and you three can have the honor of killing a Ruh!"

"What if he talks?" Dame asked with caution.

"Who are they going to believe a slave or three upstanding blessed like you?" Deo said with a sly smile.