XCVIII. The Demonstration

"You told me about the Xis, many years ago. You told me they were allies of humans, who had saved us from extinction. Why now are you considering them as enemies?" asked Asa.

"Because growing up, I started thinking with my head and no longer under their judgment and their rules. On Earth, their word is an absolute law, no one can oppose them. Our lives don't matter to them... before being shipped here, another child, less fortunate than me, was classified as an 'error' by the Temporum and they killed him, just as they exterminated all male humans! They are not benefactors, they are shameless murderers!"

"And why didn't Temporum allow that child to continue living?"

"I don't know. There was something wrong with his blood, in his genetic code" Dag said.

"Genetic... code? What is it?" asked Asa, ignoring Earth's scientific terms.

"Nothing, mother... forget it. There are too many mysteries related to that car. Even when he judged me, the result was not convincing".

"What do you mean? What happened?" continued Asa.

Dag during his years at Jernhest, he had spoken only roughly about his past, trying to forget what had happened to him on Earth.

"When I submitted to the Temporum, it established that my blood was not 100% Norse. There were two other very small fractions: one Roman and another Unknown. Are you sure I never told you?" said Dag.

"Of course I am, I would have remembered for sure. What do these things mean? Isn't your blood completely Viking?" asked Asa, trying to understand.

"Let's say that's the case".

"And where does it come from then? Roman? Is it part of another planet?"

"It's one of the 6 Pantheons. The planet of the Roman people is called Aeris" Dag said, remembering every detail by heart.

"So... if the blood of each human being comes from the two parents who brought him into the world... means maybe one of your parents belonged to that planet, right?" she continued.

"No, that's not how it works. There are many variables, even generations before my parents may have changed my genetics".

"I'm sorry, Dag. I'd like to help you understand more, but I don't know anything about all this stuff. I'm just a stupid Viking woman..." said Asa, looking sadly down, on the table.

Dag got up and hugged her: "Don't even say it as a joke. You're the best mother I could ever wish for".

Asa reciprocated the embrace and clutched Dag tightly.

"Show me the powers you told me about. I want to see" she said.

"Are you sure? I can't control them perfectly".

"Let me see".

They both left the farm. It was still afternoon and the sun lit up the hill.

Dag walked away from Asa, stopping in front of her about ten yards away.

He opened his arms, stretched them down and closed his eyes, trying to concentrate.

The gray smoke began to come out of the pores of the skin of his arms.

When enough came out, Dag clenched his fists, intending to turn it into the fluid.

Slowly, the gas condensed, dripping on Dag's arms in the form of black liquid.

"Don't stop! Go on, Dag!" shouted Asa, who was attending the scene.

As the fluid floated around Dag, a wild hare passed in front of him, unaware of the danger.

Dag, without opening his eyes, sensed the presence of a living being near him and stretched out his arms in the direction of the hare.

Immediately the fluid enveloped the rodent, which began to fidget. After lifting it from the ground, Dag clenched his fists further, turning them toward his chest.

The black liquid around the hare suffered a rapid compression, shattering the weak bones of the victim trapped in it.

After imploding, the hare turned into a spherical mass made by flesh and bones.

Dag opened his eyes, focusing his gaze on that sphere, which was slowly undergoing a process of sublimation, turning into a gas, which moved in its direction.

The gas quickly slipped into his nostrils and the black fluid was absorbed by his skin.

Dag lowered his head when he swallowed the gas from the hare, of which there was nothing left.

He looked up at Asa, who had his eyes wide open.

"But how... how is that possible? Did you swallow it?! That dark liquid... where does it come from? How can you make it float?!" she asked, incredulous.

"I don't know, I just do it. It's something that comes from within me, it's part of my body and it follows my commands" said him, who suddenly felt an irrepressible desire to eat the grass under his feet.

The essence of the hare had been absorbed and with it, also its animal instincts.

"I can do it on other human beings as well. Or beings of any kind. My fluid compresses their bones and their flesh and allows me to temporarily absorb their strength and their vital energy" Dag explained.

Asa was still in disbelief and standing in the same position, with her hand in front of her mouth.

"Through this process, in the past, I have been able to empower myself and defeat enemies much stronger than me. And not only that: as I explained yesterday to you and Eirik, assuming the magenta blood of the creatures controlled by the Xis, I can further enhance my powers and my five senses" he continued.

Asa approached him, touching his arm, to make sure it was of a "human" consistency.

"Before, as that grayish gas entered your nostrils and mouth, you opened your eyes to me. And I couldn't help but notice a detail. I would recognize your eyes among a thousand others, I admire them with love since you were a kid. I know their every shade and reflection perfectly. Your right eye... well, it just wasn't 'yours'" she said.

"What does that mean?" asked Dag.

"One of your eyes, for a few seconds changed color. I can't help but notice, I'm your mother, I know you like the back of my hand. While the left remained light blue, the right turned purple, even for a little while".