CHAPTER 85: BLOODLINE

Thalso removed his sword from the floor and walked back to his place, normally this time.

Kaedros noticed something strange. Despite the metal-on-metal contact, Thalso’s steps made no sound.

He touched the shallow cut on his cheek, feeling the warmth of his blood. His Dragon body was already starting to heal it.

"How do you do that?" Taria asked Thalso. "How can you move like that?"

"Because I have the essence and the technique that make it possible," Thalso replied flatly. "And a lot of training. A lot."

They all sat cross-legged, entering the Flow position. A lesson was coming, they could feel it.

"What do you think makes someone a powerful warrior?" Thalso asked. He didn’t wait for a reply. "The answer is simple, the amount of mana in their core."

He let that settle.

"It might sound too basic, but that’s the line between the strong and the weak. People chase complex spells and advanced techniques... but those come after. They are secondary."

"Listen carefully. Techniques and spells come second. The real power lies in the core, how much mana or essence you can command. That’s the foundation."

He crossed his arms, eyes behind the helm locked on them.

"In the face of true power, fancy techniques crumble. A basic fire spell could burn down a city if fueled by enough mana."

Kaedros, Rauk, and Taria were silent, processing every word.

"That’s why the first focus of any serious wielder should be core expansion. The bigger your core, the more mana you can circulate... the stronger you are."

"Generally," Thalso added.

Kaedros’s brow furrowed. "’Generally’? So it’s not always true?"

"No. Some are born with what we call Bloodline powers, innate abilities passed through heritage. They don’t need massive mana to cast powerful effects. But they often require age or progression to awaken."

Bloodline abilities, Kaedros thought bitterly.

His own Bloodline had turned into a curse rather than a blessing. It made him weaker.

He looked up at Thalso. The question that had sat on his mind for a long time rose to the surface. "Is there a way to... remove a Bloodline ability?"

Thalso turned sharply, surprise evident even behind his helmet. "Remove it? You have one?"

Kaedros hesitated. Should he admit it? Would there be consequences?

But then again, what did he have to lose?

"Yes," he said slowly. "I have a Bloodline ability. I want to remove it... if that’s possible."

Taria wasn’t surprised. She’d learned to stop being surprised by anything Kaedros did. Too many secrets surrounded him for her to keep reacting every time one slipped out.

Rauk, however, gasped. His eyes widened at Thalso. So that’s why he’s so strong?!

Bloodline power/traits were rare. Having one was considered cheating, like getting four abilities when others got two... or three, at most.

"Hmmm," Thalso grunted. "I didn’t sense it in you. Maybe it’s a weak trait... But I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Nyra."

"Ask me what?" came a smooth voice from the center of the room.

Nyra was floating again, fur shimmering black and white. Several brown-covered books floated beside her, written in languages they couldn’t read.

"Is there a way to remove a Bloodline ability?" Thalso asked.

Kaedros held his breath.

"Of course," Nyra said, settling beside Thalso. The books hovered and arranged themselves into neat rows. "There are several ways."

Kaedros exhaled in relief.

"Why?" Nyra asked sharply, ears twitching. "What are you planning?"

"He’s not planning anything. He wants to remove one," Thalso clarified.

Nyra still looked suspicious but turned to Kaedros. "Why? Bloodline abilities are usually gifts. Why would you want to remove such?

Kaedros sighed. "Not this one. It’s limiting."

"Ah!" Nyra’s eyes sparkled with realization. "That’s why some of your spells are weak. They’re... copies. I’ve noticed. I do have a fix for that, by the way."

Kaedros blinked. "Really? Then how do I remove it?"

But Nyra wasn’t listening to him. "I have one too, you know. A Bloodline ability."

"Your third eye?" Taria asked, managing not to sound too dry.

"That... and this cat form." Nyra flicked her tail proudly. "They’re connected. Some reflective... bloodline... heritage nonsense. Anyway."

Kaedros stopped listening for a second. A sudden, dark realization struck him.

Was his human form tied to the Bloodline Trait too?

It made a disturbing amount of sense. Humans were weak physically, especially at the start. His Trait weakened him... so maybe that was why he had a human form.

His eyes narrowed. Come to think of it, why did he have the ability to turn to human? Was his because he was human in his other life? Or because the Dragon queen....

"...This third eye can see through illusions," Nyra said. "Even the ones made from real elements. I see through everything. That’s what it does."

"And the cat form?" Rauk asked.

"Stealth," Nyra said smugly. "Cats are natural observers. Combine that with the third eye and I can see in all directions. Makes me a great spy. Cute and invisible. Who wants to kill a cute cat, right?"

She paused. "Well... except for that one time. Mass hunt for people with Bloodline abilities. That was not fun."

"There was a mass hunting of people with Bloodline abilities?" Taria asked.

"Yes," Nyra purred in reply.

"Why?" Kaedros asked, even though he already had a few ideas about why such a thing would happen.

"Because people are greedy," Nyra said, her voice darkening with the weight of memory. "They found a way to trap Bloodline abilities and started conducting experiments on them."

"How is that possible? To trap a Bloodline ability? How?" Kaedros demanded. His heart was racing. Was this the way to rid himself of his own Bloodline Trait?

"It’s possible. A lot of experiments were conducted back then, all aimed at discovering how to extract and manipulate Bloodline abilities," Nyra answered.

"Nyra..." Thalso began, but she shook her head.

"A lot of people with Bloodline abilities were killed during that time. At first, they couldn’t take the Bloodline, so the early victims were used only as test subjects," she said, her voice low and stained with shadows of the past.

Taria looked at her with hesitant sympathy. "I’m sorry you had to go through that."

Thalso snorted, and Kaedros raised an eyebrow at the reaction. Wasn’t Nyra opening up about something painful from her past? Why did Thalso sound amused?

Nyra blinked slowly at Taria. "Go through what?"

"Um... the experimentation? From those who were hunting people with Bloodline abilities?" Taria replied, surprised at the question.

"I didn’t go through anything," Nyra said brightly. "I hunted them. The moment I found out they were targeting Bloodline carriers, I went after them. They called me the ’Bloody Cat.’ It was one of the most fun times of my life. I killed a lot of mages." Her sigh was filled with nostalgia, as if reliving a fond memory.

Taria stared at her, stunned. Bloody what? She had thought Nyra had been a victim, not the other way around.

Kaedros hadn’t expected that either, and he nearly laughed at Taria’s bewildered expression. Still, he wasn’t entirely surprised. He had long accepted that everyone in the Castle was dangerous in some way.

"So you were killing those who hunted Bloodline users? That must’ve been dangerous," Taria said, trying to make sense of it. If Bloodline users were powerful, then the ones hunting them had to be just as strong or stronger.

"Yes. I killed many and nearly put an end to the experiments." Nyra’s voice held a sharp edge now. She glanced at Taria. "I’m not weak, child. They gave me trouble, but in the end, they were no match."

"You said ’almost’ ended it. What happened?" Kaedros asked.

If it were possible for a cat to frown, Nyra would be doing it. "The experiment succeeded. Much to my disappointment."

Kaedros flinched. So there really is a way to remove Bloodline abilities from the body? It was the exact outcome he had been hoping for. But something in his expression must have betrayed him, because Nyra’s eyes narrowed.

"I gathered some people and hunted down anyone who knew how the experiment worked," she said.

"But why?" Kaedros asked. "I know people were hunted for their Bloodline abilities... but if the experiment succeeded, isn’t that a good thing?"