"Now," Kaelyn said as she moved a piece of her hair to the side, her soft voice echoing through the chamber. "While ancient languages are called ancient, they are only called that because they differ in structure from the official languages—following an ancient structure."
"So while most ancient languages are ancient, there are some that came rather recently, like in the Eon of Peace, that are also called ancient because of their structure."
"In that case, the structure they follow is an ancient pattern used in the Chaotic Eon and the early Transitional Eon. It was like this because using such a pattern made it more effective to turn your body ethereal and cast spells—offering more protection from the mysterious beings of those eras. It is funny, since ancient languages originated from mysterious beings."
"Though, ancient languages are very dangerous to use, especially for non-Celestials. Using them without caution or supervision risks a mutation."
"How do you use it with caution?" Astra asked in a stoic voice.
"It's simple." Kaelyn responded nonchalantly. "You only use it for certain rituals and for certain spells. While you can use it to communicate with others, using it to try and stir the laws of nature without caution risks corruption and a mutation."
"What does that mean exactly, though?" Astra asked, in a slowed voice.
"Using it haphazardly to curse other people, create natural disasters, teleport to places, stuff like that." Kaelyn responded. "Also, praying to mysterious Gods using these languages is also extremely dangerous. You can pray to the official Gods, but you most likely won't get a response."
"What rituals and spells are safe to use when speaking the language?" Astra continued to ask, her curiosity increasingly getting larger.
"Usually only enhancement rituals and spells. Any other spell or ritual risks danger. For example, using a teleportation ritual can send you to an abstract realm, instantly turning you into a destroyed concept. Then, a summoning ritual can bring about an existence that was lost to history, instantly corrupting your body. Then, using a spell to activate a luck charm can also cause you to become really unlucky, resulting in almost instant death."
Astra's eyes widened slightly as she nearly gulped. "That's pretty crazy…"
"Ah. That's why Kayla didn't mention a language for the summoning ritual…" She thought, giving a sigh inwardly.
Kaelyn nodded, acknowledging Astra's reaction.
"In any case, what differs the languages is their source of power from the different parts of nature they stir. For example, the Twilight and Ymir ancient languages stir powers from realms, while languages like Aurelia stirs powers from mysterious existences relating to the Sun."
Astra kept her composure despite the mention of the word Twilight; she had long expected that the Twilight Grove and Fairies had a language to their name.
"Though," Without noticing Astra's thoughts, Kaelyn continued. "But the common use for ancient languages nowadays for Celestials is to enhance our Celestial powers. Each ancient language can be used to enhance them in different ways."
In that moment, symbols made out of glowing light faded into the air.
Astra didn't recognize what they were, as she full paid attention to Kaelyn.
Soon after, under the symbols, Dreamurian words had appeared—translating the above symbols.
"The alphabet…" Astra muttered.
"Yes, this is the alphabet of Artemis, an ancient language that stirs powers from existences relating to the moon." Kaelyn replied. "The ancient structure of this language, along with all other ancient languages, doesn't follow a set pattern of grammar. The only way to learn them is to memorize the letters and certain words."
"Historians say that this was so that certain species couldn't learn the language, but I digress."
Astra blinked as she stared at the fading sentences and their translations.
"Don't follow a set pattern of grammar you say…so why does this just look like a more complicated mix of modern English and French? Was nobody able to figure out the pattern?" She thought, almost completely flabbergasted.
"I guess this is a blessing. Because this world is so similar to the previous, the languages are naturally easier to learn…"
Astra digested those thoughts as another question appeared in her mind.
"What's the relationship between Artemis and Dreamurian?" Noticing the similarities that they have, she asked.
Kaelyn gave a soft smile.
"Historians say that Dreamurian branched off of Artemis during the Transitional Eon. Rumor has it that it was like a gift given to humanity by the Demigoddess, as She became the ultimate symbol of the moon."
"Now, Artemis is an ancient language that is primarily used for recovery or sleep. Since it is related to Dreamurian, Celestials of Dreams get stronger when using the language in battle. Even more so if they're in Morpheus, and even more so if it's at night."
"Other ancient languages enhance in different ways, though. Some are effective in prayer, some are effective in increasing the strength of your abilities, etc."
"What exactly do you say to enhance yourself, though?" Astra asked as she simultaneously absorbed the information about Artemis on the air.
Kaelyn didn't hesitate to speak, saying, "Since it's a ritual, you must use an auditory symbol and an artifact representing the symbol. Of course, you can also use a visual symbol by drawing, but it's slower. If you want it to be as effective as possible, you use both."
"For example, using Moonlight Dust, you can say the honorific name of the moon and then the action corresponding to rest or recovery. And, the stronger one gets, the less conditions that one needs to satisfy this specific ritual."
"It's the same case for casting spells using charms. For example, if you have a sleep charm, Moonlight Dust isn't needed if you want yourself or others to sleep. But it wouldn't be the same if you're using the sleep charm for anything other than sleep."
Astra absorbed the information from Kaelyn and the words on the air. She lampooned inwardly though, saying, "You should also talk about malicious uses…in fact, I even died from a spell that came from the Dreamscape…" She thought as she recalled what Kayla had said to her.
"In any case, that should be everything regarding ancient languages." Kaelyn said in a nearly happy tone.
Astra nodded, understanding everything that was suddenly given to her.
Seeing this, Kaelyn suddenly spoke in Artemis, which didn't surprise Astra.
They had a short, simple conversation which showcased Astra's fluency.
Kaelyn wasn't surprised. In Dreamurian, she said, "Impressive." The floating words in the air disappeared. "Now, let's try and understand the types of rituals."
Astra placed her hands on her lap as she listened attentively.
"There are six main types of rituals: Awakened, Advancement, Purification, Teleportation, Summoning, and Enhancement."
"You already know about Awakened, and Dreamer Rosewood already told me that you knew Purification and Teleportation, so I won't explain those."
Astra nodded.
With a flat tone, Kaelyn continued, saying, "The Advancement ritual is similar to the Awakened ritual in that you need an Artifact and a prayer. However, the only difference is that once you're a Celestial, you have implant your own Ethereon into the artifact for stability."
"For an Enhancement ritual, as you most likely already surmised, you only need an item, an auditory or visual symbol, and the appropriate language."
"For the Summoning ritual, you only need the corresponding items, the symbol, and the Ethereon implantation."
"For the rituals that don't require a language, you can still use the appropriate language to increase the effectiveness."
Emphasizing the danger, Kaelyn deepened her voice as she said:
"Though, like I said before, do not use ancient languages for anything other than enhancement rituals."
"I understand." Astra responded stoically.
Inwardly, she had certain thoughts as she recalled all of the information she learnt thus far.
"The First Dimension doesn't have a language to its name…but is that because its ancient language was hidden at first? If that's the case, it makes sense why the official Dominions didn't allow the language to spread, especially considering the current dimension's state…"
"But more importantly, if I learn how to use that language, there's a good chance I'd be able to converse with the Demigoddess more effectively…"
"Though, I don't think it's wise to search for that language right now. After all, Kayla never told me about it, so I'm most likely not strong enough to even use it to communicate…"
As Astra finished those thoughts, she saw her surroundings shift.
The floating books and points of light began to disappear, and so did the obsidian desk at the center of the chamber.
Darkness spilled in, taking over the walls and flooding the projection of the violet moon that rested overhead.
Then, a gray mist that appeared to have come from nowhere spread all over the floor, making everything feel so abstract.
Astra looked around as she immediately knew what this meant.
"It's time for my martial arts training, it seems…"
Then, she turned her head towards Kaelyn, who was smiling lightly.
"You said you exaggerated your technical inexperience earlier when we first fought. Does that also mean that you are more technically skilled in martial arts than I thought?" She asked.
Astra only shrugged as she closed her eyes. Opening them, she said confidently, "Who knows?"
Then, her lips curled up slightly as she continued, "My Celestial powers give me enhanced bodily control, balance, and fluidity to a much greater extent than my already superhuman body."
"This makes it much easier for me to analyze and copy skilled martial arts techniques. Even if I revisit my previous memories, learn by videos in the internet, or improvise mid-battle, it's all still the same."
Kaelyn gave a soft sigh. She thought, "That sounds similar to part of the Awakened powers of a Celestial of Energy…"
Putting aside those thoughts, her eyes narrowed. It was as if she was scanning Astra's entire body posture in a single glance.
"Let's put that to the test, shall we?" Without leaving any openings, Kaelyn got into a stance. "Don't worry, we won't be using our Celestial powers."
In an unhurried tone, she spoke, "Let's see how much instinct you've retained."
Without warning, Kaelyn's foot slid across the foggy floor with precision, closing the distance. She snapped a sharp front kick directly toward Astra's chin.
Astra had expected such a move. She sidestepped fluidly, and in an almost inhuman manner, deflected the blow with her forearm.
However, Kaelyn had already rotated on her standing leg, following through with a spinning hook kick aimed at Astra's temple.
Whip!
The illusory air cracked at the speed and power of Kaelyn's kick, one which Astra had never seen before.
Using her quick thinking and unease, she ducked under—grounding her weight and countering with a low sweep, aiming to take Kaelyn's supporting leg. It was quite a clean kick.
It was successful—almost. Kaelyn had simply flipped herself backwards as her eyes gleamed. She landed softly as she remarked, "You're good…almost too good for a beginner."
"It's partly because of videos on the internet." Astra replied nonchalantly. "Also because I've been in my fair share of fights…"
Kaelyn wanted to laugh because of how absurd Astra's comments were, but she wasn't surprised at this point.
Then, with sufficient masking, she stepped in again, leading with a straight jab. Astra parried, stepped off the centerline, and twirled her arm into a sharp elbow strike toward Kaelyn's ribs.
As if Kaelyn had calculated such an action, she caught the blow with her palm and used her own superior strength and Astra's momentum to pivot her forward. In a blink of an eye, she swept her leg behind Astra's and dropped her shoulder.
Astra hit the ground, rolling in the process. However, as if she was using the physics from the momentum from the fall itself, she pushed up with her palm, spinning back into a crouched stance.
Kaelyn advanced again.
However, she decided to change her attack pattern to adapt to Astra's fluid bodily movements. She decided to be less striking and more fluid.
She moved her body nimbly. In an almost unpredictable fashion, she attempted a jab again, but without the lack of telegraphing.
Noticeably, Astra's eyes widened as her rhythm was disrupted. Due to this split second gap, Kaelyn grabbed Astra's wrist—who attempted to block—and pulled her into a shoulder throw.
But, as if Astra had predicted this, she had adjusted. She locked her center, shifted her hips, and resisted the momentum to counter-grapple.
Taking advantage of this, Astra twisted her body in a striking, stiff motion, wrapping her leg behind Kaelyn's while locking Kaelyn's arm against her chest.
During this, Kaelyn's eyes widened slightly as she immediately understood Astra's actions.
"She moved her body fluidly in order to bait me into adopting her style of fighting…but she quickly switched to a more rigid fighting style to disturb my rhythm to finish me off!"
"Very impressive…she had thought about this in advance!" Kaelyn complimented Astra in her head, still within Astra's grip.
Then, to finish the movement, Astra attempted to drop Kaelyn backward with a reaping outer leg sweep.
Kaelyn smiled in response, almost giving in to Astra's desire. Just before falling, she rotated her torso, allowed the throw to carry her—but used the motion to roll in midair and land on one foot.
Sensing this opportunity, Astra charger towards the leaning Kaelyn.
She feinted a high kick, then spun into a low axe kick from her other leg. Kaelyn side-stepped narrowly, Astra's heel grazing the edge of her blazer. Astra used the rotation to strike a fist toward Kaelyn's temple, aiming for her head…again!
Then, shielding herself, Kaelyn raised her forearm. The impact had echoed faintly through the now dark chamber, her arm vibrating slightly due to the impact.
However, Astra was visibly shocked this time, despite her controlling her facial expressions.
"Huh…she took that better than I expected…"
Wasting no time on the opening, Kaelyn caught Astra's wrist and pulled her forward again. She exerted strength in her leg knee as it pierced the air, successfully landing a clean blow.
Pa!
The strike rumbled throughout the chamber as Astra slid across the fog-covered floor.
Kaelyn then straightened, flailing her struck arm as if she was shaking off of the pain.
"You're excellent for a beginner, but still green in some areas."
"Like when you underestimated my pain tolerance."