Limits

Finch was shocked, when he heard that question. He replied "You don't know how?". I replied "I only know that they exist. I don't know much else about them". Finch slapped his forehead, and said "You are unbelievable. I will do that for you". I nodded, and said "Just make sure that they can't reveal it in any form. Whether it's writing, talking or anything like that". Finch nodded, and said "Alright guys, I will explain how we will proceed''.

All people turned towards Finch, and waited for the instructions. Finch said "Each one of you will prick their fingers. You will then drip a few drops of your blood into a bowl. When all the blood is collected, I will speak the conditions. When everyone is happy, they will agree, and the blood pact will be completed". Finch then took out a large bowl made from metal, and placed it on the ground.

One by one, ever villager whether small, big, young or old, dropped their blood into the bowl. Finch and others did the same, while I just stood there. Someone asked "What about Nex?". I replied "If I do this, I will not be able to teach my successor. Besides, I'm the creator of it, and I know its value". The people nodded, as this only seemed logical. Besides, other Wintersteeds did this as well, so they had no reason to doubt me.

Finch then said "By the power of our blood, we promise to keep Nex's blood purifying medicine and strength improving medicine a secret. We agree, to never reveal this to anyone, or speak with one another about it. No means of communication, are allowed to reveal anything about the medicines. From this point on, we can only refer to it as The Medicine. For if we don't comply, may our blood run dry, and our bodies disintegrate. That shall be the punishment for breaking this pact!". All the people nodded, and some sort of Formation inside the bowl activated. The blood started disappearing, while bright red coloured beads travelled through the air, and entered every person's body. Soon, the Formation stopped working, while silence filled the area.

Finch said "The blood pact is completed. When you want to retrieve The Medicine in the future, just come by my place. I will provide it for you". All people nodded, and were about to leave. I stopped them, and said "Wait. You guys showed your loyalty, and concern. This should be celebrated!. Let this day be the day, where our whole village united, and agreed to do something. We may have our differences, but today, we are all equal. Today, shall be the day of Savala Village!".

The people looked at each other, and then cheered. Finch said "Not a bad idea. Let this be the day for all the people. This will be the new tradition, of our Savala Village! TIME TO CELEBRATE!". I knew that some people were outside of the village, but I wasn't worried. These people knew nothing about the medicine, or the events that took place. They could later take the blood pact too, or would never find out. We partied that day, and cheerful atmosphere spread throughout the village.

The next morning, I told Finch to bring some of his trusted people. I didn't want to make a huge even out of this, so I asked him to do it quietly. Finch agreed, and went to fetch a few people. When Finch returned, he brought the strongest people, I encountered inside the village. Aron, Gerond, Howard and few other people were there. They were a bit confused, probably because Finch didn't explain.

I said "They younger generation received the medicine from me. But they need to grow up, before they will be able to take full advantage of it. You are the backbone of this place, therefore you will receive the same benefits. I hope that in the future, some of you will be able to break through to their Inner Limits, and protect the village if such times come". The people gathered looked at each other, and Aron asked "You want to give us this medicine too?".

I nodded, and said "Yes. I will ask each of you a question. After you answer, you will receive your medicine as well". The people gathered nodded. I asked them a simple question. "At what stage of Limits are you currently?", was my question. It came as no surprise, when each of them answered the same thing. They were basically in front of a wall, that blocked them from reaching the Inner Limits. All of them tried to break through already, but none of them managed that.

I examined everyone, and distributed the Zenith Blood Yarn Extract to them. I said "You can drink it now. I will help you out, if something goes wrong". The people nodded, and drank the Extract. I said "Sit down, this will be painful. If you can't make it, I will help you guys". They all sat down, and waited. They didn't have to wait long, but to my surprise, these people weren't weak. Of course they took much less than Finch, but my guess was, that even if they took a bit more, they would still try to bear with it. These people were not young anymore, and they had their pride to uphold. 'There was no need for my concern, they are strong willed individuals' I thought.

After about two to three hours, they were all exhausted, but none of them fainted. I smiled, and said "Congrats, your blood has been purified. This should make it easier for you to break through, although it will not guarantee it". They nodded, and rested a bit. I said "You can try to break through just like that, or visit Finch in a few days, to receive the second medicine. It will improve your strength, and maybe even allow you to break through to your Inner Limits".

When they were all rested, they stood up and said in unison "Thank you!". I shook my head, and said "I thank you. You all deserve this". When they left, I asked Finch "Anyone else? People like guards and so on? I still have a bit left". Finch nodded, and replied "I can bring a few more people. How many should I bring?". I thought about it, and said "I only have enough for like seven people. So not more than that". Finch nodded, and headed outside, to collect more people.

He returned with exactly seven people. One of them was the guard called Ian. He was the guard who brought me to Finch's house, when I first arrived at the village. None of them were as strong as the previous batch, but they were all past their Half Steps. I handed them the Extract, and said the same thing. If any of them had problems, I would help them out.

This time, some people had problems. I helped them out by using my ice powers, and they managed to pull through. This lasted only two hours. They received smaller quantity of Extract, compared to the people Finch brought first. Some fainted, while others barely stayed conscious. I let them rest properly, as had something to say before they left. When everyone woke up, I said "Come back here in a day or two. Finch will give you the second medicine, which will increase your strength". They all nodded and thanked me.

With my Extracts pretty much exhausted, I sat down in a chair to relax a bit. I turned towards Finch, and said "Make sure you are rested tomorrow…". Finch stopped me, and said "I know. You worry too much. It's you who should rest". I smiled, and said "Yea, perhaps you are right". I didn't do anything else for the rest of the day. I simply relaxed.