On the next day of the Conclave that had been called because of the high priest and Mrs. lagrange…
"The allies and potential partners of the Shepherds of the Golden Horn should be on their way now, my son. We are looking at current and future leaders of the world's most supported religions. If even one of the groups that we do not have ties with is interested in assisting our plans, the day can be seen as won," Masih Sr sat down in front of his son with puffy eyes and yawned.
"I'm sure you are right, but shouldn't you focus on sleeping when you have the time father? You look exhausted... ", Aaradhya stared at the high priest's crow's feet and felt a sense of kinship. He was familiar with sleepless nights due to work and the high priest nearly didn't sleep with all of the meetings that he had been in between the end of the first day's festivities and now. Aaradhya could also see just how much silver stubble his father usually shaved away every morning.
"You even forgot to shave this morning. That unkempt appearance is unseemly for the face of this covenant. Take care of yourself more," Aaradhya reminded his father.
"Forgive me, my son. I'll delegate and focus on my health if this happens again," Masih Sr bowed his head with a sigh.
"You have nothing to apologize for. I said it as a semi compliment. I'm impressed with you father. To organize the summoning and secret arrival of several dozen world famous leaders in under 24 hours… In short, you've gained even more of my respect," Aaradhya let go of one of his father's hands and balanced on a foot as they walked together.
"Thank you for being proud of me but I must admit that what has been achieved was not through my effort alone. I received a lot of help from many in the flock. You may not be surprised to know that some of the more mundane members are more vital than the elders on the council...", Masih Sr lowered down to a crouch as he held his son's hand to help him walk. This morning, Aaradhya decided that he would learn how to walk with his stubby legs.
"I'm not surprised at all. Without question, many of the fools currently on the council have reached that point where they are coasting along on the hard work of others. It was like that in my company as well," Aaradhya paused and stroked his chin with a scowl unfit for his physical age.
"Very true. You shouldn't have to worry about those individuals soon enough. I will handle everything and exceed your expectations even more," Masih Sr gritted his teeth and looked forward with staunch resolution.
"With matters of your success, I have little doubt... ", Aaradhya took a step away from his father and slightly let go of his large hand. The duo slowly made a lap around the stunning courtyard that was in his private abode.
"Father, do you think I am odd," Masih Sr paused at the question and met his son's deconstructing gaze. The two sat down on a stone bench for a bit and enjoyed the scenery. White Petals fell from a flowering tree while fish bobbed in the crystal pond that churned due to a small waterfall.
"It depends. What are you referring to," Aaradhya shook his head with a small frown. He couldn't tell what his father thought as it seemed the man learned to contain his thoughts and conceal them from the tether.
"It's very difficult to get a read on you when you use that expression father. As for what I'm referring to, my current strength. It suggests that I am much older than I should be," Aaradhya tried to stand up by himself to continue their walk but stumbled. His father was right there to pull him back up and gently set his son's feet to the courtyard stone.
"I see. On that matter, I have not put much thought into it. Now that we've taken this moment. As your father, I find your development to be something somewhat concerning. As your Priest, it isn't surprising at all. You are our lord, which makes you better than every mortal bar none. Not to mention you are your mother's son, it makes sense that you are exceptional," Masih Sr said.
"Ah. So you are saying that you overlooked my state as a matter of fact in consideration of your oppositional viewpoints," Aaradhya turned back to his father with a small smirk.
"I guess I did. Yes," Masih Sr turned his head away with a bright expression. The stone cold facade that he wore moments earlier melted away.
"I guessed as much. I am odd but considering my status, the oddity is to be expected," Aaradhya summed up.
"Indeed," Masih Sr nodded along.
"You should know that I've also estimated my body to be 25 to 40 months old. If I'm in the correct ballpark then my Rest is going to have to be used as a last resort rather than a safety net," Aaradhya raised his head and continued walking with his father's assistance.
"I'm sorry my son. I'm not following," Masih Sr said. The meaning of Aaradhya's thoughts transferred just as Masih Sr would receive his lord's intentions but that didn't mean they could 100% speak to each other all the time. Aaradhya, in this instance, forgot to close his thoughts off and said more than he needed to. After deliberation, the champion of Death decided that if anyone deserved to know his secrets it would be the person that he was permanently tethered to.
"Ah yes. You would be lost unless I explain it. First, I have an ability called Eternal Rest. It is also called Death's Sleep or the Night's Embrace, but the general idea of the skill is to prevent my death in even the most extreme cases. For this, assume that someone shoots or stabs me or there is a solar flare so violent it cooks the entire planet in mere moments. Instead of going to the grave, I would enter a sleep where my entire being would regenerate. In that state, I cannot be killed, but the tradeoff is, I cannot act to ensure that I am revived or experience anything in the world around me. It would seem that my skill also allows my body and soul to age. Which would explain the odd growth," Aaradhya revealed the Eternal Rest perk to his father.
"Is it possible someone could keep you in a fatally wounded state and prolong this restorative sleep? Say, by burning your magnificent form for a period of time," Masih Sr connected some dots. He was always unconvinced on the matter of the previous twelfth elder.
"Possibly. Why do you ask," Aaradhya shrugged. He didn't know if that would work or if there was a damage threshold but it was likely the case since the very same thing happened to Wilfred.
"You were attacked by our previous twelfth elder just as the lost souls started to become a concern for the flock. I couldn't understand why but if he knew about your abilities, it would make sense why he tried to burn you to death. As for where he could have learned of this information. I haven't a clue, which makes me concerned," Masih Sr took the chance to express himself.
"Hm. I can think of a few people he could have learned something from. The only issue is the timing, but for now, let's leave looking into it alone until we can investigate further. Tell me what else is on your mind, I can see how pensive you are," Aaradhya balanced himself to keep from falling.
"If you continue to age beyond what your body could withstand, would you die or be reborn once more", Masih Sr asked.
"I assume my soul would automatically transfer to someone I have a tethered connection to. As you understand, it would be a vessel closest to my person," Aaradhya stared at his father.
"...", the two walked around the sand garden and mini forest in silence. An hour later, a boy in a Hawaiian leaf print shirt and flip flops rushed in and stopped himself behind the father and son duo. It was the youngest guard that Aaradhya woke up to see guarding him just the day prior.
"Kanjan, what is it," Masih Sr waved toward the kneeling child and let him speak. At that moment, Aaradhya sat in the center of his garden and closed off in his mind to read Don Marimo's autobiography. He was mostly unaware of the situation, but one eye slowly squinted open as he barely listened in on his father's thoughts.
"Excuse my intrusion but there may be a situation. I had the day off and enjoyed myself at the Golden bell festival but...", the kid passed the high priest a stack of polaroid photos and a camcorder.
"What am I looking at here," most if not all of the photos were taken by members of the flock who enjoyed a wonderful beach party arranged by the entire cult's upper echelons. The background details in most of the photos were shaky but it was clear that the people in the photos enjoyed their time. Nothing stood out.
"Wait...", at first glance everything looked normal.
"Is that....", the high priest flipped through the images then played the video on the camcorder. It was of a volleyball game that took place right beside the water but that didn't catch his eye.
"In the ocean...", In all of the polaroids and the camcorder video, there were background characters who wore skintight black swim gear and scuba tanks on their backs.
"... I hope I'm wrong. This can't happen now. Not when we are so close to actually making some progress," the high priest's thoughts raced at light speed.
"Oh my. Those are not my thoughts...", Aaradhya perked up. He stared at his father to get another glimpse into his mind but nothing of the sort occurred again as the middle aged man cut off his connection to his lord.
"I wonder, do my thoughts slip through as well when I am agitated? Hm. No, rather it seems my intention can't even get across to my father if he isn't focused on me. He must be in an agitated state so severe even his soul trembled," physically, Aaradhya could see a vein on his father's forehead nearly double in size from the stress of his own thoughts.
"It's likely that we have intruders. They are either assassins sent for our arriving guests or more dedicated journalists who are trying to infiltrate the island," Masih sr's thoughts entered Aaradhya's mind. Death's champion raised an eyebrow as he focused on his father's and Kanjan's conversation. It was much more interesting than reading about a man's favorite and most common breakfast meals. Masih Sr finally resolved to speak after a few tense seconds as he caught the same scuba wearing individuals in the background of the polaroids.
"Find and put an end to whatever plans they have," the high priest thought. It echoed in Aaradhya's mind as the old man cleared his throat.
"Contact the party managers and Anila and have the festivities come to an end. Have Mrs.Lagrange issue orders to our forces to scour the island and fortify the homes of our flock. Above all, do not alarm our arriving guests so have Vasuman speak with the security details of those that are arriving or are waiting for pickup. We must hastily make these preparations with precision and secrecy. Now go...", Kanjan nodded at his orders and rushed out of the room with long strides.
"Prath...", Masih Sr continued exactly five minutes later. He remained disconnected from his son for the most part as his thoughts became chaotic. From a servant's entrance that Aaradhya didn't notice beforehand, an old man walked out. He was the same old man that stood beside the high priest when Aaradhya woke up in a glass coffin.
"I have already received a detailed report. Vasuman is headed to the military camps of our guests to inform them of the security breach before our men make any final fortifications," the old man coughed and forced himself not to double over. Aaradhya didn't see the blood at all since the old man covered his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Anila has also set out with our surveyors the moment I received a call about the strange outsiders," the old man put the bloodied piece of cloth away and tilted his head upward and around very slowly. The old man cleared his throat with a loud grumble and patted the high priest on the shoulder a few times too many.
"It would seem as though you are a bit too comfortable with me Prath," the high priest controlled his facial expressions with some difficulty. He tried not to look worried about the man but it was difficult seeing how pale the grey haired old man was. Aaradhya paused his reading and side eyed the old man with a look of displeasure. In the same manner that he couldn't focus when around his two maids, this old man had an aura about him that made it impossible to activate soul sense.
"There is something going on in the spiritual world or in my mind," Aaradhya guessed but he had no way to confirm his suspicions. Instead, he completely put aside reading the autobiography and focused on the old man.
"Forgive my intolerable behavior, my priest. I just can't contain my excitement. You and our lord will finally make the changes this covenant and world need...", the old man turned Masih Sr around and pushed the father and son duo towards the door that he came from. The maids that Aaradhya felt uneasy around were waiting there as if they knew this would happen and smiled when they caught Aaradhya staring. The one with the short hair chuckled and the other with long hair shyly looked away with sleepy eyes.
"Aaradhya. I am proud of the man you have become in spite of how the first elder has forced you to live. Continue to be strong but don't harden your heart in the future", Aaradhya Masih Sr paused, suddenly unable to read the guard that had raised him since he was a boy.
"Are you okay," Masih Sr scrunched his face as he addressed Prath.
"I am fine. An old wound is acting up," Prath waved away his high priest's worry.
"Now get to the safe room. We don't want to risk our lord's safety," Prath pushed Masih Sr through the servants entrance and coughed hard into his handkerchief.
"The exaggerated cough, the excessive patting, and the long winded goodbyes... Is the old man dying? Or is death an option. If so, why? Obvious answer, the intruders are assassins as father guessed. And if they are, I would certainly be their target. So are they having me leave because this room is a target. Is this old man planning on taking out whoever comes for me," Aaradhya frowned as his father carried him away. The maids stayed behind for whatever reason, which only further heightened the unreasonable discomfort that he felt all the time about those two.
"They know something! Father, whatever is happening, those two maids know about it," Aaradhya noted that the more open of the two maids winked at him as she pulled a thick metal chain and padlocks out of her clothes. Where she stored them, he didn't know since it looked like magic as they just appeared in her hands.
"They probably do. Those two were with the outsider who showed up to save you. They were instrumental in getting you out of the temple," Masih Sr nearly sprinted down the steps that were illuminated by small lights reminiscent of tealight candles.
"Hm. Then the stranger could only be one of those three. My bet is the one who knows the ins and outs of this world better than any other, the author. On that note, are those two maids' hidden characters or is something else at play ," Aaradhya frowned and simply took in the new scenery with a heavy heart. Masih Sr entered the main servant paths without hesitation as he put distance between himself and the old guard Prath.
A massive stone and gravel field stretched far off into the dark in nearly every direction. Lamps dropped down from the sky like suspended stars. Gargantuan beams of metal and stone interwoven with a network of countless catwalks and platforms, expanded up all the way to the inside of the mountain peak.
" This is... Wow... this is the service area is it not," Aaradhya stared up into the dark and almost felt as if he were staring at a night sky. The entire inside of the mountain had been excavated and artificially reinforced. Masih Sr bounded off toward a wall and pressed his hand against its surface. After a few moments, a passage opened and revealed a steep downward incline. Going down, Aaradhya could only describe the sight as a…
"Father. I know about the art of excess but all of this, is it not too much," the high priest looked up one last time, through the mountain, and wiped his still wet tears. Wordlessly, he opened an already unlocked vault door at the end of the hall.
"Father? Hm, he can't hear me in his agitated state. Or worse, are you ignoring me father," Aaradhya frowned and watched as maids and butlers swarmed like bees around their queen. The swarm parted ways for an older woman who passed notes here and there.
"Mrs. Lagrange, If I do not make it past today. Please take my son and live comfortably. The accounts and homes I had Prath set aside in the event of my untimely demise are all on this note," the priest took off and locked the vault behind him. He didn't spare a glance at his son as he left the lord in the hands of the head maid as he excused himself.
"My lord, please take care of yourself as I deal with the fools that would intrude upon our island so discourteously," Masih Sr spoke out loud as he left to join the potential chaos.