Chapter 11: Back to the Basics

After leaving the hall Zaria took a stroll around the Sanctuary. He treaded the magnificent mountains, swam in lakes with crystal clear waters, listened to koels sing, basked in sunlight, enjoyed the nature.

He was tranquil in that moment.

By this time, evening had arrived with the sun setting like a hot iron ball drowning in the sea of fire.

Zaria’s eyes were emitting a strange ash gray light. If someone was present to see them, they would be captivated just by looking at them.

He breathed in the air and slowly exhaled.

“I see it now. There is energy in everything. In trees, in rivers, in birds, in sunlight, in the air we breathe. The sounds animals make also have energy. The ground we walk also has energy. That book contained the method to open one's eyes. Not the eyes with which we see but the ones with which we can feel. Every type of energy has a form which differs from the other. No two types of energies are same but at the same time they are all but the same. The world is a complex machine with each part necessary to make it work. Each element has its natural counter. The essence of the world was described in a single phrase - No one thing is absolute. Only this is absolute!”

Zaria was extremely shaken by these words when he had read them. He felt enormous admiration for the predecessor who had written that scripture.

He found it hard to imagine the kind of person who could transform such mysteries of the world in such simple words. It was beyond his ability to picture the life and experiences of a shura who had, after all his life going after strength and striving for the apex, concluded that there was no apex!

What must had it felt like to realise after reaching the zenith that the world is upside down and there is no zenith in the first place!

As his understanding became more deep and more profound, his surroundings also started changing magically.

Gossamers like streaks of energy started attracting towards him like vapours from burning incense.

Meanwhile, Zaria kept breathing in and out as he felt all kinds of energies gather around him. He took them in and tried to understand their nature.

A red mist gradually gathered around him as all the energies rotated slowly in a spiralling motion.

He kept inhaling the mist. He completely lost track of time.

The mist slowly started to flow into him and gather in his Mooladhara Chakra.

It formed a vortex like formation and started spinning with slightly increased velocity everytime Zaria inhaled the red mist.

He focussed his consciousness on that vortex in his Mooladhara Chakra and directed all the energies towards it.

He could feel his body become just a bit stronger after every revolution of the vortex. It was not a significant increase but if it kept on revolving for a hundred, a thousand or tens of thousands of time, then these small changes would add up to a tremendous amount.

He couldn't even make a guess how strong his body would become at the end of it all. He just knew that he was becoming more powerful with every passing breath and soon he would most likely cross the threshold of human capacity for strength!

He was thrilled! But he didn't lose focus and kept on absorbing the energies while understanding their nature.

The vortex in his Mooladhara Chakra kept spinning. The mist which had gathered around his body grew thicker as well which, in turn, was inhaled by him. The vortex inside also grew larger and larger.

Days and nights kept passing by. Zaria kept repeating the breathing process.

After a very long period of time had passed, the vortex stopped growing larger but the process was not over yet.

The energy in the vortex started getting denser as it crazily spun and absorbed the surrounding red mist. The red mist, at this point, started shrinking and became increasingly thin like a hazy veil of red cotton tendrils.

-----

One month flew by.

Zaria was still sitting on the same spot. A couple of koels were perched over his shoulder. Some weeds had found there way to his knees. His hair also became a bit longer.

However, his face had become more refined.

He was not a handsome boy and was rather average looking before. But now he looked quite elegant and charming.

He slowly opened his eyes. The birds chirped and flew away.

He stretched his neck and stood up. He looked a bit leaner but his eyes exuded confidence and power!

He stretched his body and crackling sounds emerged from his stiff bones. He took a deep breath. He felt alive. He examined his body with a cursory glance.

“I guess I have opened my Mooladhar Chakra. I wonder which stage I am at.”

He felt powerful, indeed, but he didn’t know how powerful he actually was. Perhaps he was only at stage one of Mooladhar Chakra or maybe he had bypassed it in one fell swoop to achieve a higher stage of opening. He could not be sure.

He did not think any further about it. He knew he would eventually come to know, anyway. What he needed to focus on was to keep getting stronger to stand at the summit of Mt. Yoddha. He was sure of one thing that he still lacked plenty to achieve that.

He looked at the place where he was sitting just earlier with reminiscing eyes. This place had forever taken a special place in his heart. He smiled thinly and then left resolutely.

----

The whole Sanctuary was enveloped in excitement and nervousness. Only six weeks were left until the annual reshuffling examination. Everyone was busy fine tuning their mindsets and upgrading their knowledge and equipment alike.

Only those in the provisional classes were unaffected by all the commotion.

Provisional class was the most basic and rudimentary one. Its purpose was to expose those in the youngest age group of the Sanctuary to the basic principles of martial training along with their academic studies in general.

Just a few years ago, Zaria used to attend this class too. He had a lot of bad memories associated with it. Though, he met the Princess for the first time there too.

Zaria went back to the mountain peak where his provisional class used to be held. As all the grades’ classes were suspended until the annual reshuffling examination. Only provisional classes were being held.

He had a particular reason to come back here. He needed to learn combat skills.

The provisional class students hadn’t opened their Mooladhar Chakra, but still they are given a basic training of combat to let them get used to it at an early age. It included hand to hand combat, evasion techniques, countering skills, and other self-defense maneuvers. Zaria had already studied them. What he wanted to learn were the principles of energy utilization in actual combat. He had given it up before as he thought of it as unnecessary. Now, however, was different. Not only was he interested in learning it, he was capable of applying it too with his own energy.

Lost in his thoughts, he arrived only some distance away from the place. A class was being held as usual.

Zaria patiently observed as dozen or so students were learning self defense techniques from a young man. He looked like someone in his twenties. Zaria raked through his memories and recognized him. His name was Vasu. Zaria was not in his class but he had seen him sometimes. He also heard that he was quite an eccentric character. He liked to fiddle with theories and sometimes taught his students his own versions of them. This had put him in troubles with his seniors a number of times. Zaria didn’t have any prior impression of him though. He was indifferent about it.

The young man instructed the students from time to time. Sometimes he corrected a student's posture while sometimes he demonstrated himself. At first Zaria didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It seemed just like a routine class of self defense but suddenly a flash of recognition came to his mind. Now he started paying attention to what he was doing.

He was startled by what he found. The young man was instructing the students in a very unusual way. He taught one thing to one student and another to other in the same situation.

When Zaria tried to comprehend the reasoning behind his action his eyes started twinkling.

That young man was instructing each student according to their respective body structure and weight!

What he taught them was like a customised training regime for each individual and it was working like a wonder.

Zaria even thought why wasn't he in his class during his time.

At this point the class ended. Vasu dismissed the class and was arranging his things to retire himself for the day too. He suddenly felt something and squinted his eyes to look in the distance. He saw a young boy coming towards him. He frowned slightly.

Zaria came up to him and greeted with his head bowed a little and hands pressed together. He said.

“Master, would you be interested in teaching me.”

He had made up his mind. He would learn martial combat from him!