The troubles of two old men

The Heck is this Silent treatment ? Are you treating me like a child and giving me a timeout? Old Bastard you better start talking fast (needless to say who was thinking these thoughts, Me? no, it's Harridan.)

Yet, the old man was positeively frantic and was avoiding eye contact with Harridan. A nice catalyst to the already panicking Harridan.

Harridan's nervousness grew by leaps and bounds on seeing the silence of the examiner. He quickly drew his claymore and pointed it towards the master examiner.

A huge symbol of a sword almost thrice as big as the sword itself glowed in the air. Harridan obviously restricted the size of the manifested symbol to a quarter of its original intensity.

It was a phenomenonal representation of the intensity of his vigor.

" What did you guys do with my son? Speak !!"

The master examiner remained in a pokerface expression and was unfazed by the display. Any other person would have been petrified at the sight of such a huge manifestation of vigor.

Vigor was what was like the factor which measured the potential of a person and the Strength of their blessing. Some people also called it as the Benediction Manifest.

A normal blessing never even forms a Benediction Manifest it just glows on the mark on the person themselves.

If it manifest outside of their body is worthy of a lifetime achievement award.

A manifestation of that size deserved a monument to be erected in it's honour.

This old man was mocking him which he wouldn't do it if he knew the truth. He looked at Harridan and cleared his throat and snapped his fingers.

"Awesome Benediction manifest but don't you need to do something first. By the way you are obviously overreacting. You are a hundred years too early to be talking to me like that. Atleast pay me first, You musclehead!" the old man seemed to think.

It was then that Harridan realised that he had yet to pay the fees?

Harridan groaned and without lowering his sword gave three silver coins to the old examiner. He brought the hands in a clean arc and acquired them and swept them into his sleeves.

"Money is everything to you guys isn't it"

"Mister you must have a little more faith in our services. Nothing is wrong with your son" he said politely and he quickly avoided eye contact again.

"Pah!" Harridan expresses his frustration.

"Old fart! your words and actions don't resemble each other". He wasn't lowering his sword but his benediction manifest had faded away.

My sword alone is enough for the likes of you guys , Harridan thought.

However, the frantic nature of the old man subsided not one bit. Instead of persuading the tensed and jumpy Harridan he began looking at the corners of the room one by one.

It was as if he was practicing eye exercises before an eye checkup because he didn't want to wear glasses and be called glasses boy.

The examiner was relentless he looked as if he was expecting something else from Harridan.

"Damn!" Harridan relented and lowered his claymore, quickly sheathed it and spoke" Old Sir! this boy is my only son, my only family . Please do tell me what you know". He was finally at the edge.

"You can believe my words, Young man. Nothing is wrong with your son. The blood acquiscence is complete. However the current situation of your son is a little complex, if I have to be a honest with you" said the Examiner nodding his head as he spoke.

Harridan had an incredulous expression on his face. The examiner's face however remained stoic.

The examiner old man began to speak again.

"A complex problem always doesn't have to be a bad one. Nothing is wrong with your child it's just that the mark is in such an odd place and the mark itself is odd and will not be visible to the untrained eye. It really is truly Odd . A Odd condition. Super Odd actually. Thereby I termed it as a complex one."

"No more, NO MORE ! Don't keep up the suspense any longer!" pleaded a nerve-wrecked Harridan. He was on the verge of killing that old man but he had to wait for the sake of his son.

"I'm sorry Young man, Harridan. Unfortunately I am not an expert in rare signs and conditions so I have summoned someone who is a real expert in that field here" replied the unfazed old man.

He was putting professional poker players to shame a true . A pro at what he does except that blood acquiesceing a child for money was a crime in itself but who will he complain to, the Emperor ? Then wouldn't he be the one who will be at the recieving end of the punishment?

"So have you been stalling this grieving gentleman ?" a loud voice echoed through the corridor.

An emaciated figure walked through briskly through the blood-red tiled corridor. It was an old man who was old as old could be. He wore a green grey garment that was decorated with dark olive borders and a pattern of cream lines ran through his garment.

He deeply contrasted the environment he walked through. It looked as if the hallway was slowly swallowing that figure. Harridan was fighting off a chuckle.

His head was wrinkled like a dry fruit, making it extremely hard for Harridan to distinguish his expression which he had deduced from that guy's voice to be an apologetic yet enthusiastic one.

Until this moment in his life Harridan hadn't seen such a frail figure walk through with such a brisk pace. If he was at his right mind he would be so astonished to even speak.

"Hello! Young man! this old man calls himself Gurnam , Gurnam Avasti is my name. Pleasure to meet you "spoke the old figure.

The old man who was doing the examinations before was very modest and humble unlike when he was performing the last stages of the blood acquiescence. He seemed to be outranked by the other old man.

Then he began to frantically search for the cause of his visit. Finding the child cloth-wrapped in a table. He quickly began inspecting the child and muttered an "Aha!"

"This child of yours is fortunate. He has been blessed by a God, Though I am not sure which one. I think, I only know his Mark's name but I am sorry I can't say which God has blessed your child but the fact that your child has indeed been blessed stays true, Praise the Holy Esah!" that old figure, Ahem!... Gurnam Avasti spoke briskly as if he was announcing the recovery of a patient to good health.

His speech however, had put Harridan at ease. "What's the mark called?"

"Your son bears The Holy Circumpunct* . A Thin line around the crown and a barely noticable Dot in centre of his left iris. Beautiful ! ." replied Avasti.

Harridan was getting tense"I can see that I am asking you what is the meaning behind it?"

Avasti felt that his reputation had been placed on the line. He took a glance at the old examiner and thought "This is what you called me for!?" and then he began to confront the aggrieved Harridan

" A dot, dead centre, within the perfect circle. It actually One of the very first specimens in recorded history. Marks usually don't have such a simple manifestation. It's usually an elaborate inscription and not a simple perfect shape and symbol like a weapon or an animal spirit or something concrete like a mountain, river or an ocean But your son has something so simple as the circumpunct So....."

"God! these academic types are the hardest to deal with , Do I Look like I came for a lecture, Old timer?"

"So... it is not the mark of one of the great trinity? " enquired Harridan.

The great trinity was three gods who ruled the cosmos united as Esah, The Zenith* . Harridan had the seal of one of the great three gods, Biophora the Destroyer. It looked like a sword and it was not on his body but outside it ,as the Benediction manifest.

The other two gods of the trinity were namely Osmodius and Imobium.

"One being elected to be blessed by one of the great three at birth is simply a false rumours propagated by beguilers and knaves.

First blessing never comes straight from the trinity it comes from one who is ruled by the trinity, a lesser god. Then they are elected and then passed to greater gods.

There is a clear heirarchy. Sometimes there occurs Eight to Ten Blessings from lesser gods before being blessed by a god of the trinity. You seem to be blessed by Lord Biophora from the look of your manifest. You should know this better

I am blessed by Faro the immense a god serving just below Osmodius so I too know these things." the old examiner explained in a matter of fact tone.

"I was blessed by Biophora right from the first " interjected an offended Harridan.

Avasti now began to think that the young man before him was making things intentionally difficult for him.

"But it took me some time to form a Benediction Manifest " Harridan continued.

He saw that Harridan was an Manifester* , A guy who has manifested his vigor, The Benediction Manifest. The size of it was awe inspiring and he himself was amazed that the other old guy had managed to hold his own with this guy all this time.

He could wipe the floor with him but if he was atleast as strong as he thought he was it was going to be a task of insane difficulty and risk. If he was actually blessed by Biophora. Then he would possibly be able to kill each and everyone within the Lyceum without breaking a sweat.

As the weight of the situation gradually sank in to both the old men. They shivered unconsciously. They were currently fighting the sensation to run away from that place with all their heart.....

This guy is probably the General Killer Harridan.

How foolish of them to accept anyone who had money as a customer now. They could be tried for Treason and Fratrenizing with the enemy.

"How will I know which god has blessed my child ? How do you know for sure that it is not a curse? You yourself said that the mark was odd." Harridan inquired again.

Harridan was impatient to get out of there but that doesn't mean He couldn't leave his son with a new problem because of it.

Avasti replied shiveringly "It's easy as soon as he learns to speak the very first thing he would say is the Invoking chant of the god ot goddess themselves and then he'll learn more chants as he grows up."

"Goddammit! Tell me something I don't know. The very first thing a person speaks after being given the blood acquisition is the Mantra or the dumber way of calling it the invoking chant after which a manifestation of the blessing will occur either in the person themselves or around the persons body if he was a heavenly genius. I also know that The farther and larger the manifestation the greater the power. I am asking you if there is any way to know the god who blessed him right here and now!"

Harridan was determined to have his way if he can but alas He was proficient in the way of the warrior and wasn't much learned in the way of the gods. He had to rely on others for that cause.

The old man was putting a false gusto and spoke despite Sweating profusely"Not unless I can talk to gids themselves!

I keep telling you young man, If it was a famous deity I would have told you the name right now. There is no safe way for your son to show the god who has blessed him.

Since it is like this the rest is all up to your son and I know for sure that it isn't a curse because curses are always in the part of body that is easily visible.

Eyes can be closed shut remember?" he finished despite wiping sweat off his forehead repeatedly.

"So he has the mark of blessing from an unpopular god ......"

"Yup!" replied both the old men in unison.

"and He is fine and not cursed......"

"Yup!" replied both the old men in unison.

Again.

Awkward!

The old Examiner spoke hurriedly after "Although it's nothing special, couldn't say that It is useless though"

Harridan looked at Avasti and said "Couldn't you have found a more popular deity to look after my son , Thats what I thought I paid you guys for ?"

Avasti was a clever man he knew that Harridan had already accepted the situation and He was just asking that question for namesake. He looked intently at the old examiner. He exchanged a nod with an understanding look in his eyes.

Something felt off for Harridan.

"Forgive me good sir. I trusted my apprentice to handle your son. Despite learning under the tutelage of the great Gurnam Avasti, she never learns to do things right. Hey you there come here and prostate yourself for your crime!" The old examiner called out a female who was in the immediate vicinity outside the room.

She must have been somesort of a subordinate to these old men.

That woman was obviously ashamed prostating before anyone other than her parents, god or husband was a taboo and she was asked to so precisely that by her superiors.

You can imagine how her state would be.

Harridan noticed this. He noticed that a scene that was uncalled for was happeing before his eyes.

"You old Idiots! You know that it's not in your hands the god who blesses a person will be the same no matter where they get blessed. I was angry with you but why the heck do you apologise for?" Harridan asked infuriated.

The two old men looked at each other and sighed. They conceded defeat. You just can't please this man with words.

An awkward silence ensued.

*Waaaaah* Scared by the noise baby Yuse started crying.

Harridan ruffled his pockets, found a pouch, gave it to the old man with respect that thoroughly contradicted his earlier outburst and took the child back in his arms, bid farewell and walked away without saying another word.

"Anywhere but here" Harridan thought to himself.

Glossary:

Circumpunct- a symbol of a circle around a dot.

Manifester- a person who has a Benediction manifest and has broken the restrictions of the seal.