Malcolm followed slightly behind Yara, making sure to maintain a proper distance of at least 6 meters as they walked around the city.
Earlier he was too preoccupied with the fight that he hardly paid any mind to the look of the city around him. Once again he felt inwardly amazed at what he saw.
All around him were large houses built from a mixture of clay, straw, and sand. Many of these houses were interconnected with one another, like an ant colony. They were shaped in an oval with many of them being over 2 stories high. The road that Malcolm walked on was hand paved soil that felt surprisingly comfortable to walk on barefooted. Further in the background he could see the full scale of the palace. It stood tall enough to nearly reach the heavens. It was structured almost like a massive bronze spear that had a total of five prongs. Each prong by itself could be their own small city. Compared to a metropolis back on earth it wouldn't win out in terms of horizontality. However the vertical hight of this palace reached was out of Malcolm's imagination.
After looking over the architecture Malcolm started to examine the people around him.
Now that he observed, everyone seems to be walking barefooted. Yara herself being no exception. Many residents wore a mixture of colored robes with a few ornaments now and then. The people here exuded an earthly flavor, rich with color and life.
Everyone so far seemed to be living comfortably, or at least more comfortably than those at the hamlet Malcolm stayed at.
Everyone they passed by paid respects and love to Yara who paid it back with a cheerful innocence only a sheltered princess could embody. Elders bowed their old spines with Yara returning the gratitude. Women both young and old gave true compliments to Yara's beauty. Boys and men would speak formally with many of them even offering gifts that Yara politely declined.
Malcolm slowed down and kept a further distance as to make himself seem like someone who happened to walk the same way as Yara.
"Strange," Malcolm thought while also splitting some of his consciousness to inspect his body once more.
He could feel that superhuman strength slumbering in the depths of his skin and flesh. Silently waiting for the time until it's called upon. But one thing caught his attention. After the pathieite consumed Esi's spiritual core, Malcolm felt as though he grew just a sliver stronger than before.
His mind moved like lightning as his thoughts seemed to be clearer than before. Malcolm felt as if perhaps his mind had elevated into a whole new plane that he can't quite compartmentalize yet. He had been trying for a while now to look for that wisp of cosmic energy only to end up empty handed.
"Damn, where'd it go to?" Malcolm frowned slightly at the lack of knowledge he had in general about this mysterious power.
Malcolm felt a gentle stream of wind blow into his ear. For a moment he didn't regard it until he suddenly heard Yara's voice.
"Are you always so tense?" Malcolm stopped walking and narrowed his eyes slightly at Yara's back. He hands were clenched into fists in the pockets of his robes. It had been this way since they left the arena.
"Nah... just when I'm somewhere new is all. And ain't that grandma's art, when'd you pick that up."
"Around a week after the hamlet attack. Now do you mind answering a question I have?"
Malcolm started walking again as he frowned a bit harder now.
"Go ahead."
"Ok. What do you plan on doing while you're here?"
Malcolm gave it some thought as to what Yara might mean by here exactly before responding.
"I don't know to be entirely honest. I was lost long before I ever came here. I guess I'll settle in for a while then probably head on my way after a good amount of time."
"Hmmm, ok. Well... while we're walking a might as well point out some of our Ashuwa tribe's grand wonders."
Yara for awhile acted as a true guide as she telepathically showed Malcolm various structures, buildings and statues that depicted the myriad of different geniuses and merits of the long history of the Ashuwa tribe.
After around an hour of traveling and touring Yara stopped suddenly, Malcolm stopped a few steps behind her. A slight annoyance burned in his heart for being so close to Yara.
In front of them there was a large building that was larger than many of the homes Malcolm had seen so far. It was made of earth and clay. It was mostly dark grey in color. The structure looked similar to Mashallah's rondavel except enlarged by over 50 times. The gate entrance by itself was over ten meters tall.
The area seemed to have been spaced out quite a distance from the city palace. Even so there were a myriad of lush gardens, trees, and bushes inside the gate. It gave off an authentic and peaceful air.
"Nice place." Malcolm said while Yara stepped forward to knock quietly on the gate. The knocks came in a sort of rhythm that Malcolm thought could be a signal for something.
Not knowing what, he tensed up and prepared himself for any surprises.
"Be easy child." A familiar elderly voice made its way into Malcolm's ears as the gate opened up.
"Oh, Grandma, Is that you?" Malcolm relaxed himself slightly but still vigilant inwardly.
"Yes. I've already heard the news of the duel you had with that Ojo boy and how it went. You really ought to be more careful now, you just got here." Mashallah lectured while someone came to invite in both Malcolm and Yara.
"Oh! Sasha how is auntie treating you?" Yara spoke cheerfully as Sasha who was now dressed in a purple tribal robe smiled slightly if a little despondent.
"As well as she always has, If only." She nearly chokes up into tears but Yara stepped forward to comfort her.
"It's ok, you're safe now." Yara comforts her for a minute before Sasha shook herself slightly before regaining her composure.
She then finally looks at Malcolm.
"Who is this if I may ask?"
"Oh that's brother black. I know he looks different now but-"
Smack!
Sasha ran forward and slapped Malcolm's face hard enough to break her own hand.
Malcolm simply stood still and took it head on, after all he couldn't even feel it.
"You! You're still alive you bastard! Was getting my father killed by that Aba scum not enough for you?!"
Yara went to stop Sasha but Malcolm waved at her to stand back.
He looked Sasha deep into her eyes before speaking.
"So you're one of the survivors from the hamlet then." He said as more of a statement than a question.
Smack!
"Damn right! I saw you when you created that catastrophe! You would've killed us all of it weren't for Elder Mashallah! Maybe old Maurice was right! You'll be the death of us all!"
Sasha cried out as tears fell down her face. Her eyes were red like two blood white diamonds, rough but hardy in feeling and texture.
Even without his enhanced senses Malcolm could tell exactly how and why she was feeling this way. But in truth she couldn't harm Malcolm anymore than he had already harmed himself.
"What do you want?" Malcolm said calmly.
Sasha scrunched her eyes into the deepest scowl possible.
"What. I. Want?" Sasha spoke with a air of eerie danger in her voice.
"Hmm, this girl's kind of noisy. You ought to just eat her to end her pain brother."
The pathieite whispered as Malcolm could subtly feel an intrusive instinct creep itself into his mind.
"You might as well go for a bite. Do it, you know she'll taste good." Malcolm shook his head slightly as he steeped back from Sasha.
"Sasha! Calm yourself, now!" A loud and commanding Mashallah appeared right before everyone and faced down Sasha with a stern expression.
Sasha opened her mouth but after a short pause choose to say nothing more and walked away clutching her shoulders. Yara started walking after her but Mashallah stopped her with a hand and shook her head.
"Leave her be, for now we all have much to discuss." She gives Malcolm a look to say follow her.
Malcolm only silently followed behind the old and young pair. The three of them wandered the lovely scenery to find that in the large mansion stayed the survivors of the hamlet.
Yara and Mashallah greeted as they made their way through the crowd who were almost exclusively women and children. Malcolm for his part merely blended himself through the people until he caught back up with the two as all three of them entered a secluded room.
It was a hollow grey space with nothing except three red folded blankets in the middle of the room that formed a triangle. In the center of these blankets there was a candle surrounded by a few plants which were also surrounded be a small chalk circle. Mashallah guided everyone as they each took a seat on the blankets.
For a long minute only the sounds his own breathing could be heard as Malcolm grew increasingly nervous and anxious as to what could happen here.
He glanced at Yara to see her seated on her knees with her eyes closed. A dignified air could be felt emanating from her as she meditated.
Malcolm could feel the ambient spiritual energy being slowly drawn towards her in an almost tangible wave.
"That girl... she has a super grade aptitude." The pathieite said in slight wonder.
"Yeah that would be the case. But don't go getting no bright ideas now." Malcolm said in a slightly dark tone.
"Oh heavens no, of course not. If I'm not wrong I would go as far as to say she might be a good margin stronger than you."
Malcolm narrowed his eyes slightly at the comment.
"Really now?"
"Woah now brother don't get too mad right now, the old lady's watching you like an eagle." The pathieite chuckled slightly as Malcolm made eye contact with Mashallah.
She lifted a finger towards the candle in the center and in the tip of her finger, a spark of fire was lit. This sparking finger tip made contact with the candle and lit it alight.
["Formation Art: The Truth Shall Set You Free."]
Immediately a bright white fire emitted out from the candle. Said fire spread itself into several wisps that made contact with the many plants gathered. These plants slowly started to burn from their edges.
This produced a fragrance that surrounded everyone in the room. Malcolm smelled it and felt puzzled. The fragrance made contact with his nose but for the life of him he couldn't smell anything.
The pathieite in the meanwhile was stirring around in a frantic pattern. Then it became still, still enough that if Malcolm wasn't looking closely he would've thought it had died.
"Now Little Black, I'm just going to ask you a few questions ok?"
Malcolm nodded obediently as his mind moved a mile a minute to think of any plausible answers he could give to any compromising questions.
"The first question I have is what is your real name child?"
Malcolm in response closed his eyes for a long moment.
During the pause he could feel a quietly mounting pressure build up inside of his body.
"So that's what this is." Malcolm opened his eyes with a determined acceptance of the situation.
Mashallah while maintaining the formation had also sent her spiritual into Malcolm's body to inspect him from top to bottom. Truthfully she had done this many times throughout the week of Malcolm's coma but just like then and now, there were no results from this inspection.
"Hisspiratual core is gone.
There's appears to be no other force in his body, but that can't be right."
Mashallah narrows her eyes slightly.
Malcolm sat there in silence, letting the pressure build up to a point he felt like he was going to explode.
"Child, just tell me your name. Why let yourself suffer like this? It's just a name." Malcolm's eyes and nose started to leak blood out profusely.
He held that stony expression on his face. Still he was, like a kind of onyx construct.
Yara's body started to shake slightly. But she held her posture firmly.
Malcolm felt his ears start to bleed out blood as well. Soon his mouth followed. But Malcolm didn't care his mind was focused on a distant feeling he felt before.
Slowly that transcendental feeling started to supersede even his base instinct to live. All the weight of the past and worry for the future became trivial before this feeling.
Malcolm focused his attention on his mind and consciousness. Particularly in one section at the vary back of his mind.
Slowly an energy could be felt making itself known. It was only a tiny wisp, but this mere fragment in an instant sent out its silent aura to permeate through Malcolm's entire body and soon the pressure he felt was building up was lifted.
The formation fragrance still entered his body but its pressure was now made null and void. Even with Mashallah watching Malcolm's body inside and out she couldn't see any change.
"So that's how it comes out, good now that's another ace I got.
Malcolm thought as he rose his lips to form a slight smile before speaking.
"Just like before when I met you grandma, you can call me Black." Mashallah narrowed her eyes harshly as she noticed the formation did nothing to Malcolm.
Yara inwardly breathed a sigh of relief while Zola's eyes widened for a moment before she put a hand to her chin and closed her eyes.
"How did Malcolm lie blatantly in Old Shallah's formation and not suffer any backlash? Just what are you Malcolm Brooks?"
Zola sighed deeply and shook her head.
The pathieite could hide itself well enough to avoid Mashallah's methods for now due to its own developing skill and adaptation. But also the cosmic energy's aura also moving to cover over the pathieite to further conceal it.
"Amazing. This energy is unlike anything else in the world. Not even this old bat can see a thing."
The pathieite wiggled around slightly in excitement and joy over its decision to form a blood pact with Malcolm.
Meanwhile Malcolm himself was feeling calm. An extreme almost alien calm, like the way some men may feel when tragedy strikes them. Distant, and seemingly unfettered by the affairs of this defiled earth. The mind is many things but simple is a far off as Malcolm is from planet earth. Yet now he felt he like he reached even further than that.
To where he wouldn't know, what he could see he didn't glimpse, how he felt he couldn't say.
That vast universal omnipotence almost dragged Malcolm mind away to a higher place his young mind could not comprehend.
"Dammit, c'mon now nigga. No time to get pulled away, think about something."
Malcolm had to force himself back to reality through sheer willpower. The immensity of said will had been hardened and tempered after the fight at the hamlet.
Everything only happened during the short pause between Mashallah next question. Malcolm came to his senses in time to hear it.
"How did you not only produce that fifth realm level art? But also survive the explosion and emerge with this new appearance."
Malcolm with blood leaking down and around his face frowned slightly before speaking.
"So you can ask multiple questions then huh?"
"Just give an answer little Black."
Malcolm sighed before looking up at the ceiling with a light of mystery and ambivalence shining in his eyes. He relaxed his body as he put his hands behind him palm first on the ground and leaned back.
"To be honest... I don't really know. Or at least I don't know enough about the mechanics behind it all to tell you honestly."
Malcolm sighed slowly, as though he were carrying the weight of an ancient covenant made long before any soul knew the true measure of heaven and the burden of earth.
Heavy was the solitary road on the self that resided in such conditions.
Mashallah looked at those eyes for a long time. Silence was often the loudest thing in these kinds of settings.
"His posture is relaxed.
His eyes are calm.
The heart beats have slowed down from earlier.
It seems Little Black becomes more calm the better he understands even a disadvantages situation.
This is not the behavior of someone inexperienced in soft conflict."
Mashallah thoughts were moving like a storm as she assessed Malcolm behavior and mannerisms.
"Elaborate," she said.
Malcolm smiled slightly before responding.
"Well, when I fell into that art of mine believe it or not, I really thought that was it for me.
I don't really now how to explain it but... I figured that something of that level wouldn't discriminate based on who created it.
But strangely when I fell into it, nothin' happened.
Then that little bastard flew at me like a mosquito, only his ass wanted more than just my blood. We had a fight... a hard fight, then after that my art landed on the ground and everything went black for me so I can't say anything more on that."
Malcolm spoke calmly and clearly with enough sincerity that Mashallah could only sigh with resignation on the matter and move on.
"Ok then, one more question then you can finish the rest of your city tour. Where are you from Little Black?"
Malcolm put a hand to his chin that still leaked blood and sat with an exaggerated thinking posture before responding.
"Earth."
Yara's body almost shook violently but she suppressed it and kept meditating.
"...You mean... the ground earth?"
"Of course grandma, the very earth itself."
Malcolm patted a spot on the ground that formed a small pool of blood. With no hair on his body he looked like an ink baby with that wide smile he was giving.
"Where anybody else comes from. No matter the point of origin, all things are born from this soil, and shall return to it one day to."
Malcolm sighed deeply with a sagely demeanor unbecoming of his age.
"Damn I really am full of shit. Well at least after this I can actually take a break and see what's going for real." Malcolm thought hopefully.
Mashallah sat in silence for nearly an entire minute straight before blowing out the candle light, ceasing the formation art.
She stood up and gestured Malcolm to stand up as well.
Mashallah looked at the young man who only looked back with eyes that hid many secrets. But yet there was nothing malicious either in those black eyes, they were pure like any child of the sun.
"Come here." She beckoned Malcolm with two weathered but gentle fingers.
For a few long moments Malcolm stood there with a blank look on his face before he made his way over to Mashallah. She took a small white rag from her sleeve and moved it towards Malcolm's face.
He reflexively moved his head away and rose a hand to take the rag for himself. Mashallah shook her head and silently beckoned him once more. Frowning with an almost childlike poutyness at the circumstance he was in, he came close and realized one thing.
"Damn grandma's kinda tall ain't she?"
Indeed she was for Mashallah stood at a height of 6'3 while Malcolm had only gained another inch since his body was reconstructed, making him 6'0 in height.
The old eartly woman smiled slightly as she looked down at the young man and gently wiped his face. Malcolm fought back against the intrusion must like a cat receiving a forceful bath. But after half a minute he fought back less and less until he silently accepted the situation.
"I... I don't need this."
"Yes you do child, more than you know."