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Chapter 12 - Maskborn

Maskborn is walking along Hightower street. The street is not enlightened. Dark, full dark. Hardly had a man could see an object in this darkness. There is no lamp post standing in the street. The street is pure silent. Even a dog barks here, the sound resonates here for five seconds. There is no man passing by this road. Red moon is not shining brightly like it did yesterday. It likes the moon has entered into its another cycle. 

Maskborn looks up at the sky and sighs in a relief, "I wish I could have power like Dragon!" 

In his voice, there is a feeling of regret not for getting power like Dragon but more than that. It is hardly possible to tell from outside. He looks around the surrounding. 

He goes through the buildings rest beside him. All are now in deep sleep. There is no sign of man there. 

Maskborn increases his speed out of fear. He realizes his abilities very well quickly. He is not looking around anymore. He starts running this time. 

"I was the man who never wanted to get out of my tiny house at night. Now I am running in this street." Maskborn mutters in his own thoughts. "You can be strong, Cahir," he utters. 

Cahir stops in front of a tiny shape of house, not enough to call it a building. It actually survives every light. The walls are made of uneven stone sheets and old wooden planks are nailed in different times. During the day, the light leaks through the stone crack on the rooftop. The roof trembles softly, stone sheets clicking with each other. On stormy nights, the sound becomes unbearable. Rain does not fall on the roof; it attacks it. Each drops sound like thrown gravels. 

Cahir steps in the house unlocking the rough and broken wooden door. The door has a big and wide crack in the middle. The house consists of only two rooms. One room is for living and cooking where another is too small to live. There is stored ranging from all necessary items to unnecessary. 

Floor is barely stone made, mostly muddy. When it rains heavily, the ground becomes damp and cold mud pushes upward through the surface. A clay stove sits near through the wall. The smoke cannot fully escape the room, so it stains the ceiling black. Over the time, the smoke polishes the beams into a dark glossy color. 

The house looks fragile from the outsiders. It is the place that refuses to collapse despite everything. 

Cahir stops in front of a tiny rectangular shaped bed, after lightening the lamp pouring hot kerosene in the lamp. He rubs his eyes, not sweat; it is a teardrop. 

Cahir squats down beside the bed and responds in a crying voice, "Ellisa, I am now going to cure you gaining power." 

There is no reply coming from Ellisa. She is in trance, lying like she is in coma. She only blinks a while. Cahir stands up and goes to cooking place for preparing food for him and his elder sister. 

Ellisa is two turnings elder than Cahir. She fell into severe fever three turnings earlier. Though she came around after one sept and two lights, she lost her power of listening and hearing. 

Alicient, mother of Ellisa and Cahir, died long before illness of Ellisa. Till then both of them shifted to Hightower street. They rented this house on five Hellicon five turnings ago. It was the amount onlyleft for both of them. 

Hightower is one of the poorest sectors of Minisio municipalities. The daily income of people living in this sector is highly possible to cross three Vellin. 

Ellisa left her education for Cahir, seeking for a job in Minisio Tobacco Farm. There she worked three-fourth of the light. Despite working hard, Ellisa highly used to earn two Vellin. Ellisa was a meritorious student in her time. She completed her elementary education. 

Cahir was still a high school student in Hightower Alexander High Sect. After illness had devoured Ellisa, Cahir left school and went outside to search for job in a farm. Still he didn't earn much to get medicine for his sister. 

Cahir takes out a loaf of bread from a basket and halves that. Then he breaks it in another half from that portion. Yet he couldn't halve it in equal way. He feeds it to Ellisa while he takes another. Every time Cahir is feeding the bread he is thinking all the stuffs about today's meeting. 

He recalls Maester's last words about rules and orders. He is thinking how he can join in officials. He can't understand what to do in short period of time. He can't even get a job of sweeper at the church or temple lest he should think of entry to the official. 

He is thinking of joining Church of Eternal Thoughts. He has power of mental ability. He can use this power to enter him into the church. He is feeling sleepy thinking all these. He folds a torn bed sheeton the ground which was kept in a small trunk under the bed. 

He turns off the lamp watering. Then he falls in deep sleep. 

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Aeries puts off his dress after turning on the lamp and the fan. He then sits down on his reading table. He thinks everything from the starting of the sect. Suddenly a knock has blown from the main door. 

"Who is there?" 

No reply is coming from outside. Aeries utters again in a shouting voice still there is no response. Again a blow of knock comes. Finding no other way, Aeries opens the door. 

Aeries sees a tall man wearing a formal black trench coat wearing a badge of the face of white tiger in the chest. He is less taller than Aeries. He has a suspicious look on his face. He is wearing a black hat. He is looking like a detective. He steps into the house without inquiring any permission and sits down on the bed. 

 The unknown man breaks the silence introducing himself, Captain Duke Walter. 

Aeries asks, "Any help?" 

"Do you know Varion?" 

Aeries confidently replies, "Yes, he is my best friend." 

A thought just hits Aeries' mind Varion has no trace since he went to meeting. 

"Do you know where he went?" 

 "To the sect." 

"Then where did he go?" 

Aeries actually didn't know whether Varion went to his house or not. Aerion replies, "He dropped me in front of my house and then said he had a little matter outside. I don't know much more than that." 

"We got an emblem showcasing his name beside the Minisio Traders shading with blood. We presume he was dead." 

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