The Legend of Azhakkstadd

CHAPTER XXXVII : NO GRADUATION

-Ashtan-

            The whole crowd went silent all of a sudden when the elders started the ritual not long after. The only sound that's present in the whole area is loud whispers of our elders in chorus that were almost inaudible for us to hear. 

            As a respect, we all sat silenced and calmed ourselves and paid our attentions toward them who are chanting their incantations that relates to the ritual they are doing right now. We were all reverently sitting down on our chair waiting for them to finish their rituals while we offer silent prayers to out Gods that the ritual will be successful. 

            I have no idea about enchantments, rituals, or anything connected to it. Since we are not allowed to perform such things, only the Siogas, Sahirs, and Ordos are the ones who knows about it and be able to do it. It's been banned in our world since... I don't know when, all I know is that we aren't allowed to do it. 

            None of us attempted though because we all know how dangerous it is. We may not know what'll happen if we do it when we knew nothing bout it. Our elders were given the authority to perform rituals but they are limited though, the only incantations that are allowed for them to perform are those that are basic and necessary.

            They kept on chanting with their heads bowed down and arms on their lap. All those performing the ritual sat on specific corner of the magical circle where I think they were assigned to. I don't know why. It took several minutes for them to sit at the magical circle that they sat on while chanting indistinctively before it glowed so bright before us. 

            It glowed in different colors in which I don't understand what it implies or whatever. I just thought they're doing well. Besides it was all light colors and it's so pleasant to watch... so I don't think I should be worried at all.

             It was so bright but enough for us to see what's currently going on in there. I think that's normal, after all this ritual is about blessing us for more strength and power in the future, plus they did not react against it. At least it's finish.

            After a few minutes, the light gradually and slowly subsided showing those men doing the rituals. They all stood up carefully and left the magic circle which was then followed by other men throwing and splashing water all over it, as it eventually got washed away.

            It then vanished from the ground as if it never existed, only tracks of wetness was left all over the place.

            "Chief, ambush!" I heard someone shouted from behind us probably coming from the entrance of this field. I turned around to see what does that mean. Gosh! it's burning! What's happening? The entrance of the field is burning as if it exploded... but why didn't we hear anything? 

            "Hey, what's going on?" I heard someone exclaimed, I know it's Kurezma with her curious and alarmed voice. This is a serious situation, what's going on?

            After some few minutes the crowd started to panic as some shouted in fear and some ran for their own safety. As it sank to us, everyone started to shout and ran for their lives making the whole area a mess. Screaming out of fear and shock went all over the whole field while people came running towards different directions away from the fire. 

            No one knows where to go since the fire is on the entrance and it's the only way out.

            I got bumped by some random people trying to run away but I didn't mind whoever that was, my eyes automatically went searching for Kurezma who were just standing here with me but suddenly disappear due to the commotion. I can't see her! Gosh! Where is she? I can only see people running around with fear in their faces.

            "Don't just stand there! Run to safety" I heard someone shouted at me as he approached me. I recognized him, he's the General for the tribe’s army "Faster" he continued and ran towards the direction of the fire

            I started to move my legs towards the opposite direction where the fire started but I still scanned the whole area looking for Kurezma. I can't see her anywhere, where is she? I hope she's safe

            "Aaaaahhhh! Look out!" I felt a strong force pushing me that made me fall to the ground, I looked at Kuzma shoved something to the ground to prevent it from hitting me "What are you doing?" he asked... what am I doing? why can't I think straight? I don't know what to do...

            People continued screaming loudly that started to hurt my ears. Their voices are so loud that it corrupts my mind and they are everywhere I don't know where to look, my eyes started to hurt. I can hear people crying and calling out names of someone. Everything went unfathomable, my mind can't keep up. 

            Heavy footsteps were getting louder and louder as people continued running around while others tried to fight to stop the havoc. The thunder started to rumble wildly exposing a very loud bang to the ground that caused others to cease raging for a while. 

             Objects fell grinding on each other as they break hitting the ground below them. Fire blasted all around the place causing heat and irritating feeling towards me as it consumes everything that it passes through. The fire went dangerous and destructive as it continued hitting objects and some areas. 

                The loud noises were so defeaning that kept on banging and blaring which exploded simultaneously as it seemed to be an unending suffering. The whole place went exploding each second that passed. Trees and walls fell as they get hit, even the stage that was used earlier doesn't look so stage at all.

              Others started groaning, growling, and yelping out of force and pain trying to defend themselves from instant death as clanging of colliding swords and clattering of broken things came crashing continuously creating chaos complementing the collapse of clarity by the callousness of the culprits who are attacking us.

            "Ashtan!" I then again heard someone calling me. My weightless and out of the world thoughts turned to the person who called me

            "Kurezma? Gosh! Thanks God Malikstar, you're safe" I woke up in a daze and quickly approached her to ask what happened to her and to check if she got hurt or whatever

            "Where were you? Shouldn't you be helping us?" she immediately asked as she motioned her face pointing somewhere

            "What?" i uttered out of nowhere as I saw people fighting the attackers in big black hooded cloaks, same as those who attacked us before. But now, they're not just using fire, but also dark energy balls or something, I'm not sure. 

            There are black figure fighting alongside with them causing so much destruction everywhere. I also noticed some of them lying dead on the ground as well as some from our side... this sucks...

            We are being attacked.

            We are being attacked again by the same people who attacked us before and now it's even worse.

            "Ashtan" Nazif's voice called me from behind, I turned to him as he tossed my sword towards me. Right, my sword.... I caught it and gripped it tightly as I ran towards the attackers

            "Please keep safe Kurez" I shouted while running pertaining to Kurezma

            I swung my sword with great force as I encounter some of them. That's for interrupting our graduation! I caught their attentions drawing some of them to me, shocks! it's time for some action. Except, it's one versus many. I swung my sword again, shoving the away from me. 

            I should be extra careful now, this isn't just a simple sparring during training where everything is at ease and I don't even have armor on. I jumped towards one of them and quickly stabbed him in his stomach and kicked him to the ground. 

            I rolled over as they ran towards me then immediately hopped up with a kick when one of them got nearer. I grunted loudly as my feet drastically met the ground. I swung my sword again and blocked someone's sword preventing it from slashing me. I pushed him hardly causing him to step back and grabbed the chance to s***h him. 

            He fell to the ground bleeding from his chest.

            I stopped.

            This is my first kill.

            Is it right to kill? Isn't it bad to kill? I'm doing this to defend my tribe, this is what I've been training for... right? Am I a killer now?

            I snapped out of it as I felt a sharp object slicing my arm.

            "Oww!" i exclaimed as I saw someone from my right whose sword has blood on it. I glared at him and struck him with lightning. Killing is evil, but it's not when you're killing the evil. 

             I am defending my tribe anyway, and they started this, they didn't think twice when they gate crashed and killed innocent people. Sometimes we have to stand bravely to shut off evil forces around us, but we have to deal with it in the right way. After all, we should not kill. 

            "Take this!" i swung my sword hardly hitting two of them that immediately took their precious lives away. I raised my sword above and started to produce such thunder through my sword. I made sure that it's that powerful and lethal... 

             The electricity that flows through my sword now resonates very loudly and terribly. In a flash of thunder, all those men in big black hooded cloaks dropped to the ground lifeless.

            "Woah!" Aisha exclaimed not far from me together with some gasps from other people. The surrounding went silent for a moment then followed by ooh's and aww's that went all over my ear. I didn't mind all of them and walked straight heading to one person left standing.

            Of course, I kept someone from them alive in case of interrogations ahahaha you know, to ask who sent them, why they attacked, and so on and so forth. I grabbed his cloak before he could run away or just vanish into thin air. 

            I held him tight and pulled him towards our principal who were still standing near the stage where he was sitting a while ago. I could hear this guy's breath heavily, I could sense his fear of being left alone, and anger maybe because I killed his colleagues.