"Attention, you are to meet in the lobby for education this evening, We hope to see you there."
The rest of the group was scattered around the suite. Everyone pretty much keeping to themselves. After my time with Zalika no one other than Sekai interacted with me. Everyone pretty much kept to themselves.
One by one everyone trickled down to the lobby. Just as much as during the day the city was still bustling with activity. Not long after everyone gathered our van pulled up. As we filed in I took my seat in the back and to my surprise Femi followed and sat next to me.
He gave off no friendly energy; expressionless he sat down looking face forward without looking my way. Sekai made eye contact as she got in the van. She returned my look of confusion with the same look. She just shrugged her shoulders and sat up front with Sanna.
No words were spoken by the professor on the way back to the palace. She was in deep thought. It was quiet in the van with a few whispers here and there. I stayed facing the window looking on as the now darkened city started to brighten up with streetlights.
"I do not know if you were paying attention before, but my name is Femi. It is nice to meet you." I turned my head towards him to see him bow his head slightly. Despite his demeanor he seemed very polite, so I decided to reciprocate.
"Nice to meet you as well, I am Rahjah" I held out my hand for a shake, he took it but made sure to give me a strong grip. I made sure to equal the force of his grip but my smile subsided. "Based on your grip I assume you didn't sit next to me just to exchange pleasantries. What's on your mind?" He stared at me for a bit before answering me. He seemed to be analyzing everything about me.
"What's your analysis of this situation? Of the information given to us so far?" I wonder if he is testing me. He is wary of me for some reason. He may just be an intense guy and nothing more but to be sure, let me play the fool.
"Strange situation to be monitored to this extent just to learn about each region." He gave me a look of disappointment and turned his head away.
"There is no need to play the fool, your facial expressions give away your true thoughts all the time. You know the real meaning of this excursion just as much if not more than I do. You gave that away as soon as I asked the question."
I stayed silent, I didn't want to confirm that he was right until he revealed his intentions. "Well, it doesn't matter the best man will win regardless." Win huh, yea there was no need to take what he says to heart. Him and I aren't interested in the same things.
"I'm sure they will, I don't know what you mean about winning but I will root for you regardless." He scoffed at this and we spent the rest of the ride in silence. When we arrived at the palace he got out with his back towards me and refused to look my way.
We were led to the back of the palace, where instead of a courtyard that my home back in Sierra Leone has, there was a massive prayer circle bathed in moonlight. The roof was drawn back mechanically, the humidity that filled the room created a fog obscuring most of the room.
Queen Mariam sat down cross legged in the middle of the prayer circle and motioned us to sit around her. We all filed in, circled her, and matched her posture. Once we all settled, she started speaking and explaining what we were doing here.
"I do not want to waste your time with unnecessary information, so I will tell you the crux of what we will be doing in my kingdom. My kingdom is the center of religion in this empire. Religion drives some of the policies in the empire as it does for any government in the world. However, we have a variety of religion freely worshipped in the empire.
Christianity and its different sects, Muslim, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are the main religion seen in this empire. All have power here and some may argue that they are one and the same. Regardless, we respect all as long as they hold respect to those that came before us. That's where our spirituality comes from and in turn that's the heart of our empire.
So, while in my kingdom you will study every religion to a point of understanding. Once you understand each religion you will in turn understand each citizen in the empire even if only a little."
Queen Mariam went on to explain the basics and origins of each religion. The room listened intently, not wanting to give the air of disrespect. For me this lesson was rather boring. With the queen being my aunt, I've heard this lesson and the advancement of it for years from my own mother.
My personal view of religion was broad to be honest. To me, all religion has similarities that has a base of morality of how to act. Not one religion has made such an impact on me that I would follow its practices. What is true that religion isn't spirituality just the practices that surround it.
As the lesson started to wrap up the Queen started rise to her feet. We all stayed seated and waited to be dismissed from the prayer circle, but the Queen's face told me that she wasn't finished with us.
"Now, you all have the blood of royalty flowing with you. That is not to say every citizen in this empire doesn't have that same characteristic. Only when you reach this level of government and research do you understand the benefit of a millennia of blood mixing and why this fact was once taken away from you."
I was perplexed about what she meant by this but the air around her started to change. Until their was blueish glow around her. The air around her started to vibrate like she herself were a sound amplifier.
With every second of thumping you saw in the air, the vibration started to grow little by little to the point we could also feel the vibration of the air. It was really like bring near a giant speaker with no sound. After observing the air around, her I started to notice her eyes.
They slowly started turning a lighter color with every second that past. Her expression also felt like she was getting further and further away from us as the vibration got stronger and stronger. The longer she performed this phenonium in the room, the stronger the blueish hue got.
The moonlight seemed to grab onto her until she blinked, and everything stopped. The air was still again, her eyes were their original color, and the moon light was now bathing the whole prayer circle like nothing had ever happened.
There was a pause and the Queen exhaled, I looked around to gauge everyone's reaction. Amara looked confused, Sanna looked intrigued, Sekai looked sleepy, Zalika had a look of hunger on her face, Femi looked upset, Imari had a quizzical look, and Talib just had an absolute look of excitement on his face. Calmly the Queen spoke again.
"I'm open to questions, which are in my limit to answer." Talib was first to interject.
"Does this mean we have superpowers? Biologically speaking, this is impossible. To even affect matter not even connected to us." Queen Mariam looked up as if searching for something in her brain.
"No this is not a so-called superpower. We are not special like I said before, regular citizens have the capability to do this as well. Only the knowledge that its possible and training to control it is needed. Otherwise, you would never know that it was there. People could very well have this capability outside the Empire, but it's never been witnessed by us so far." Femi spoke up next with a calmer look, but he still had a scowl on his face.
"So, is there a reason we're only seeing something like this now? I've never seen my father do something like this in my life."
"King Chike is very skilled in what is called Focus. The more skilled you are the less telltale signs you see when it is active, not saying that you'll never see any sign. Being as proud as him that action would be wasted on a child, if you did know of it I would be surprised because there's nothing you can do with it before now." Femi took the opportunity to further a point.
"Then is that to say, that you're not very skilled in this thing called focus?" Queen Mariam chuckled
"The opposite, after the Queen Mother I'm probably the most skilled. You younglings need to perceive what's in front of you right?" I was starting to get annoyed, everyone was missing the obvious question.
"Excuse me Queen Mariam but what exactly is the application of this? Talib mentioned affecting matter around us, so is this a form of what they call telepathy?" she stared at me for a minute and hesitated to speak, as if to choose her words properly.
"It can and cannot be something like telepathy. Focus can manifest in diverse ways for different people. It's a part of your spirituality. It can grant wisdom, strength, agility, perspective, or even clairvoyance. It might even manifest into something we have never seen before.
You can manifest multiple or just a singular talent. It's all about a person's innate abilities. For example, Zalika would probably believe she is far above anyone in this room in pure combat ability and no one has the basis to disagree with her." Zalika smirked as no one, not even Femi protested that proclamation.
This meant that the leaders of our government were the one watching us or they had this information prior to our spar. "In reality, because of Focus she's constantly an inch away from death because I am in the room."
Instantly, Zalika's murderous intent filled the room, and I was painfully reminded how much she held back in our sparring match earlier. The next moment however there was abnormally loud clap, Zalika's head moved to the side with a large handprint on her cheek, and her intent dissipated.
"Do not forget yourself child, you are far removed from home, there are predators the like you have never seen in this world. Do not disrespect your family in front of a Queen." Queen Mariam, to my eyes had never moved or changed her posture.
The only difference I could perceive was her eyes returning from being a light grayish blue back to her normal dark brown irises. The room was in shock. "We will end our lesson here, you are dismissed. You are free to do as you please the rest of your time here, I do wish to see you here tomorrow for the next lesson." As if anyone would skip tomorrow after that.