Silak practically sprinted home, carefully cradling the stone pot—Gahumdagat's gift. 'I hope father and mother are back', he thought, a smile blooming at the idea of them being done with the council meeting.
A few minutes later, the warm glow of his well-lit house peeked through the trees. "Are those father and mother? Why are they standing outside?" he murmured, quickening his pace.
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A couple of hours earlier, the scene at the Rajah's house had been different.
Rajah Bayani and Dayang Iskra had returned from the council meeting an hour ago, immediately searching for Silak. He should have been home from his cultivation by afternoon, as always. Given the recent strange activities in the forest, Iskra couldn't shake her worry for her youngest son.
"Bayani, can you send someone to the library to fetch him? If he's not home by now, he's probably lost himself in reading his books again," Iskra suggested.
"Our son is smart, Iskra. He knows not to venture beyond the barricades until he reaches the silver stage of corporeal refinement realm." Bayani tried to comfort her, but her worry lingered. "Tell you what, let's wait outside while I send someone. Will that ease your mind?"
"Yes!" Iskra shot up, a relieved smile finally gracing her face as she hurried to the front of the house.
"Alright, let's get some fresh air and admire the night sky," Bayani said, his tone light as he followed her out.
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At Present
"Bayani! Look! Could that be our son? He's not coming from the direction of library, is he?" Iskra wondered aloud, her brow furrowing slightly.
"As long as he's safe, that's all that matters," Bayani replied. "You can ask him later to set your mind at peace."
"Well, we can talk about it later. Come on! Let's see what he's holding." Iskra tugged her husband forward, intending to help Silak with whatever large object he carried—not that he truly needed it.
"Father! Mother! It's good you're both done with the council meeting! I have so much to tell you!" Silak practically vibrated with excitement, his smile infectious. It was impossible not to grin back.
"Why don't we continue this over dinner?" Iskra interjected smoothly, already taking the stone pot from him and carrying it inside.
"Don't tell me I didn't warn you, son. Your mother was truly worried earlier," Bayani whispered, nudging Silak. "You'd best apologize and appease her right away. Off you go!"
Silak's excitement fizzled into a tremor of unease. He'd completely forgotten to leave a note! "I didn't mean to leave without a word. I'm sorry! I was planning to go to the library, but… something happened."
Rajah Bayani's brows creased, but he didn't press for answers. 'Best to ask all my questions later, with his mother present. Just in case.'
"It's okay. We'll discuss it over dinner. Your mother will likely have questions of her own."
"Okay, Father, let's go!" Silak rushed ahead, unable to contain the secret bubbling within him: he was a bronze-stage warrior at six years old!
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As they settled down to eat, Iskra began, "Your father mentioned you had something to tell us?"
"Yes, Mother. I apologize if I worried you and Father earlier," Silak said immediately, hoping to pacify her. "I was about to go to the library after realizing you were busy with the council meeting. But on my way to the library, I heard a noise—a noise only I could hear."
'A noise only he could hear?' Bayani and Iskra exchanged puzzled glances.
Silak continued after a brief pause, "After thinking about it, I decided to follow it, and it led me right to our tribe's guardian beast's cave dwelling!"
His parents listened intently, their expressions shifting between surprise and growing concern, a multitude of questions forming on their faces. But they patiently waited for him to finish.
Bayani turned to his wife. "I'm sure you have as many questions as I do, but I suggest we bring this up to Elder Shardani first given that it has something to do with our guardian beast. What do you think?"
Iskra considered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, let's do that. But I must look inside the stone pot first, so I know what we need to prepare tomorrow." She gestured towards it.
"I agree with Mother," Silak affirmed, excitement and curiosity warring on his face. "Senior Gahumdagat said Mother would know what to do with it, and that I should mix it into my bath after my cultivation sessions." He relayed the instructions precisely.
"Okay, let me grab it and look inside first, just to be safe." Bayani conceded, standing to bring the stone pot to the table.
He opened the cover but was unprepared for the savage aura that exploded outwards!
Whoosh! Sss…
"Ugh. Is this… blood?" Bayani muttered, before his eyes widened in sudden realization. He stood there, frozen in shock. 'No, the guardian beast isn't even in its best condition right now. Why would it give its essence blood to our son? This isn't simple blood at all!'
Iskra and Silak looked over after recovering from the initial impact of the raw energy that exploded outwards after the removed the seal.
"Father? Is something wrong with Senior Gahumdagat's gift?" Silak nervously asked, seeing his father's stunned reaction.