Limits

I continued on with my training until late in the evening. Before I went to sleep, I wanted to have another stab at the 3rd diagram. I knew I was missing just one small detail in order to completely modify it but somehow I couldn't find it. I already tried modifying other elements of the pose that seemed right but it didn't bring the desired results.

I wrecked my brain about it but there was nothing. 'Nothing…. with all my knowledge in the Art of Medicine, there is nothing I can find. How is that possible? I checked all the hidden muscles and whatnot but it doesn't seem to be that. If it's not about muscles, then what?' I thought. I didn't know what I was missing. It seemed correct but my instincts were telling me there was something missing.

The more I looked at the pose the more I was convinced it was not about muscles or posture and position. It was something else. I was going along those lines and suddenly a thought came into my mind 'Aura! No, is it even possible?'. Aura was something that I learned how to copy from different people. This was also part of the Art of Stealth. It was the skill I created, I was trying to figure out how to be less visible and blend in more with the crowds. Copying the aura of the people that were common on the streets was what I figured out.

I thought about it more 'Does the further diagrams need aura in order to complete them? Something like the domineering aura, or calm aura?'. I went through my memories and tried to remember the name. 'Hmm, if I remember correctly, the pose was called "Warrior's Step Breaks The Opposite Army". What type of aura would that be then?' I thought.

If my guess was correct, then the moment I add aura to that diagram, it would become complete. The problem was, which aura. I studied the title and thought about it hard. 'Domineering seems most appropriate, as if I wanted to dominate the whole army of people.' I thought about it and my aura started to change. I tried to create an aura that would fit the description. Domineering and absolute, as if saying "The world shall bow when I take a step".

My aura intensified and finally I released it. There was no explosions or sounds but the mood around me changed. I felt like I was the owner of this world, as if the stuff around me had to bow in front of me. The feeling of giving an absolute order "Bow, or get trampled on!". I stood up and tried doing the pose. 'Right leg forward as if I was making as step. Left leg stays behind, with a slight bent. Arms straight alongside my body but not lose, tense. Hands lifted upwards. Left hand's palm facing the ground. Right hand's palm facing the skies. Eyes closed and head leaning forwards a bit' I thought as I positioned myself into the pose.

The pose was completed and the aura of dominance was filling the air. When I opened my eyes, "Whoosh!" it was as if the wind pushed the grass, leaves and small stones around me backwards. The area became quiet, as if the land was barren and completely absent of any life. Complete silence. I stopped and smiled while saying out loud "It worked! The 3rd diagram is completed. I have finally managed to modify the 3rd diagram and now only two are left from the Strength Manual".

I was very excited but at the same time I already knew 'It's good that I have it modified but I can't use it yet'. I couldn't use the 3rd diagram yet because it used the hidden muscles from the 1st and 2nd modified diagrams. Therefore, this was a follow up diagram, not one I could train at the same time like the 1st and 2nd. I also noticed how much stress it puts on my body, even though I stayed in the pose for a short while. 'I have to master the 1st and 2nd diagrams in order to be able to practice this one. This is probably the reason why Rand and Senty had issues with the Strength Manual. Of course, I modified it and it is now much better but the 3rd diagram already required an aura. If they only trained the unmodified pose, the effect would be almost nonexistent' I thought.

I didn't know for how long Rand had this manual and trained using the poses but from what Dina said to me, she was a small girl when her parents died. 'It means that Rand didn't get very far with understanding this diagram. Maybe he tried asking Nick but because Nick hated the whole village, he didn't help him modify it. Or maybe he never showed it to Nick and thought that practicing it will make him stronger than Nick' I thought.

Whatever it was, the past was the past. I had to focus on the future and now was the time to enter my dreams again, to face the dark figure and the Ancient Language. I laid down in my makeshift bed from animal skins and closed my eyes. The moment I opened them again, I was already in the dream.

I thought 'Right, it's time to test out some things'. The dark figure in the distance started talking as usual while I tried to compile a sentence in the Ancient Language. After a while, I had my sentence constructed and said it out loud.

"Korak Lei Fer?"

I asked "Who am I?" and the next moment the dark figure stopped talking and replied "Lak? Lak Lan Therak Devorak" and then continued on with the speech. I was happy that the dark figure actually answered and with something else at that. I tried to dissect the sentence. 'Lak means "you" so the dark figure asked "You?" and then continued "You are" using the words Lak Lan but I do not know those last two words. I only know they would refer to a person, so the dark figure referred to me twice somehow but what type of words are they?'

I didn't know. I tried thinking of possible solutions but nothing came to my mind. I couldn't find any similar words in human language or at least similar that would make any sense. I decided to try a different sentence. I had limited amount of sensible sentences I could create so I asked.

"Rei Lak Ki Peris?" and I jumped into the air.

The dark figure stopped again and said "Ze, Kiq Thes Therak Reles" and the dark figure started talking again. I wondered 'How is it possible for it to answer anyway? If I learn the language, can we just talk like this?'. I tried to decipher the words spoken by the dark figure again. I asked the dark figure "Can you do this?" and jumped into the air. 'The answer it gave was probably "No" so the word Ze would mean "no" in that case' I thought. The dark figure then said something familiar. I already knew the word Ki but this was not the word Ki but Kiq instead. 'Did it have some kind of relationship?' I thought and pondered over it. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I forgot again where I was and the dream soon ended.

'I need to figure out that last sentence. I already figured out one word and I think I will be able to figure out at least one more. I just need to focus on it'