"On the contrary, it will take you five intensive years to get to that level. If at all that will happen, just one punch won't give you that victory. You'll need more skills," Bren lectured Akib as he bragged.
Akib was short of what to respond. In a flash, Bren had reached him.
"Return what's mine," he said, holding the staff.
But Akib reacted quickly by launching toward his leg. He wanted Bren to fall, but Bren pushed his leg forward to block Akib. Bren gave a shout of pain.
"Arrrrhg!" he cried, holding the place of the climax.
Akib's kick didn't come by surprise because Bren had envisaged he had reliance on it and that he would use it. But the pain was of concern. He felt acute pain which transcended his systems at once.
Within the short time, as soon as he left the couple, he had encountered so much more than Bren could imagine. Akib was getting stronger by the day, and there was no doubt his style of fighting too was unique.
Akib ran towards Bren to punch his leg repeatedly, at least to weaken him further. Bren brought forth another staff from his side. This he aimed to hit Akib on any available location so far as it would keep him off. Akib managed to bring in his staff in between, causing a loud metallic sound. The two staffs clashed! Akib had succeeded in blocking his sudden throw.
With this development, Bren knew defeating Akib would be by chance. He decided to change the method, and he was going to apply sorcery. Akib wasn't literate in sorcery, but he wasn't threatened. Since he had done this before and had won, he felt this should be a repeat. He determined to make meticulous calculations while Bren did his thing.
Maybe Bren had forgotten how he lost his staff. He raised his staff and threw it into the air. While the staff ascended, he recited his strange words to invoke some powerful forces.
"Kolen-btu hargun-dia ellen-idte!" Bren said.
This had been used before in the presence of Akib. His manner of approach was different this time. He lifted himself up to meet the staff in midair. To Bren's amazement, he got hold of his new staff and wrestled with the spell which he had evoked at it. The wind became violent, and the environment was disturbed with the dust, which became visible in the dark.
"What is this?" Bren said, watching the battle taking place with his staff, the wind, and Akib.
"How could Akib wrestle with the wind? Could he be the chosen?" Bren wondered.
Akib had the two staffs in both hands, and his weight was suspended in the firmament.
Then another thing happened. The glowing light from Eskamay returned in full strength, and the whole place was lightened. The light from the building was sight-blinding. Even the dust from the surroundings had a glowing appearance. Eskamay was opened with a gush of glowing lights.
"Eskamay!" exclaimed Akib.
Akib was lowered to the ground, but nothing was more important to him anymore than getting into Eskamay. He began to run towards the entrance. When Bren saw what he did, he felt the need to go after Akib. So, he ran, limping after him.
The door to Eskamay was awesome, with hugely made structures reaching the skies and golden bars. There was a sharp difference between the inside and the outside look. With the light appearance, everything would be beautiful on the inside.
There was a man at the entrance. Akib could remember him very well, but he didn't know why he was there. That was the man who visited him and mended his staff. He seemed to be waiting to receive him and was even urging him on. Akib heard within him, saying, "Hurry up, boy, the gate will close."
He discovered that the second staff was slowing him down. He threw it off. Truly, the gate was closing as fast as it was opened.
"But it should still be opened," Akib thought.
Akib knew the gate should have been opened for a purpose, and he didn't know why it was closing when that purpose had not been achieved. Maybe it was only to show that Eskamay was truly real and that the building should be held sacred.
Whichever reason it may be, he would force himself inside. He made more effort, which favoured him. Narrowly, he crossed into Eskamay, and the door jammed.
Bren also reached the door, but he could not gain access through it. He put his hand on the line of the closure to see if he could pull it apart. Then, the appearance of the door line disappeared until he could see no more trace.
Bren was disappointed and frustrated. He bent down and took his staff.
"Akib, I want you to know that anytime I set my eyes on you, you're setting your eyes on your worst enemy. You will never have a better enemy waiting for you," Bren said.
"My son will not return the way you see him going, I can assure you of that," Grandma Betty spoke from behind.
Bren was shocked to see Betty with Maron standing there. They had come to see Akib, but they only met Bren giving his last words.
Bren dared not banter words with her because of her status and powers.
For real, the assumptions about this house of power and influence had been set straight. As this news would go round, the belief in its real story had come to stay.
"Maron, we have to go. I hope he made it and returns while I live," Betty said as she led the way home.
Akib found himself before a large body of water, which could be called the Atlantic Ocean. At the point of entering, he thought he was seeing a hard surface, which should be land with its usual environ. But he was just at the bank of the water as he stood.
There was a small boat which was going ahead in the distance with some people inside. They were just taking their leave.
The face of the water had a sparkling reflection. Akib remembered that before he got to this side, it was night period, and here, the sun was rising, which explained they were experiencing daylight. They had spent the night, and the sun was heralding a new dawn. With this, daytime in Eskamay was not the same as in his native land.
Orchards of different shades and heights made the area remarkable. He looked around to see if there was anyone he could speak with, but he was the only one there.
But within some seconds, three boys emerged. They wore serious looks. They must have come for the same purpose as him, but they appeared too serious. He understood that the boat he saw leaving was the only one available to convey passengers over to their destination.
Here, for the boatman, everyone went to the same destination, and he didn't need to ask them about that.