The Beginning Ch. 03-07

I watched, as my parents were killed in front of my eyes.

I watched, as my whole world was destroyed in the time it took an archer to draw and fire two arrows.

And there was nothing I could do.

Chapter 6- Emergence

20^th January, 2013

8:30 p.m.

The Street (Ray Drive, 52^nd and 4^th, New York)

I could hear somebody screaming as my mother collapsed on top of my father, both of them dead. The person sounded pained, like everything they'd ever known had suddenly been ripped away from them. I don't think I'd ever heard anything like that sound before, and I'm sure that I've never heard anything like it ever again. It burrowed into the hearts of everybody around, filling them with a deep, resounding sorrow, which threatened to drown them in the sheer depth of its lamentation. Later, people would tell me that I was the one who had been screaming, and that the pain in my voice brought the archer to his knees and shook him to his core, leaving him unable to fire the arrow he'd nocked— the only reason I wasn't killed as well.

"Chris!" Vaishnavi called, breaking through my trance, and causing me to look away from the bodies of my parents, "Get up! We need to move, now!"

"No," I replied, the gaping hole in my chest threatening to drown my voice with sobs, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Chris," she said softly, dropping into a crouch by my side, "there's nothing you can do for them anymore. They died trying to protect you. The archer is incapacitated right now, and this is our chance to get away, to get you somewhere safe. If you stay here and die, their sacrifice would have been for nothing."

"No," I said again, the sheer helplessness and sorrow I felt awakening something deep inside me.

"Chris-" Vaishnavi started, but I cut her off.

"No." I said, softer this time, an edge to my voice as the feeling spread throughout my body.

I was done being the one who needed to be protected. That was what had gotten my parents killed.

I was done running away. All that would do, was dishonor their memories.

I was done being weak and helpless.

Lucas ran into the road right then, the giant Gorilla right behind him.

"Glory be!" he exclaimed, "They're dead! After all this time, they're finally dead! All that remains now, is to wipe their sorry excuse for a child out of existence, and Michael's great legacy will be at an end."

"You!" I growled, seeing him there, my sorrow turning to a hot rage that seemed to burn away all my fear, "You're the reason they're dead!"

"Not exactly," he said cockily, "Stefan was the one who shot them down. But yes, I was the one who brought him here and told him to take them down, so I guess it was me in a way. What are you going to do about it, boy?"

"I'm going to kill you!" I roared, my rage taking ahold of something else deep inside my body, and lashing out blindly with it.

A pulse of energy spread out with me at its epicenter, knocking Lucas and the Gorilla backwards, and sending cracks radiating out across the asphalt. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another arrow hurtling towards me, and reacted instinctively. I lifted my left hand up, and the force surging through my body shot out as a beam of energy, incinerating the arrow in midair, and tracing its path all the way to the archer. I smirked as I heard a scream of agony, knowing somehow that the archer was dead.

A roar drew my attention to my right, and I turned around to see one of the giant Boars charging towards me, tusks lowered to kill. A swift movement to my left alerted me to the feint that it was, and acting on instinct again, I dropped to my haunches and let the power I felt do its thing. I found myself encased in a golden shell, a suit of armor of sorts, formed out of pure energy. Roaring my own challenge at the Boars, I turned on my heel and ran to the left. Grabbing the Boar by its tusks, I heaved it into the air, letting the power inside me surge through my body and into the Boar, pushing the strange energy into every cell of its being.

The Boar didn't even have the time to look surprised as the energy overwhelmed it, vaporizing it instantly. Hearing the rush of air behind me, I somersaulted backwards, landing on the second Boar's back just as its feet touched down a few inches away from where I had been standing. Slamming a palm down onto its back, I repeated what I'd done with the other Boar, vaporizing this one too.

I fell heavily to the ground as the Boar disappeared, quickly rolling to my feet just in time to avoid the swinging blade that would have taken my head off my shoulders. Raising both my hands, I grunted as I caught the next strike between my palms, using the sword as a conduit to vaporize its wielder (I found out later, that that had been John.)

Flipping the sword and catching it by the hilt, I hurled it at the other man attacking me, the one who'd never spoken. The sword glowed golden as it left my hands, the same shade as the shell of energy surrounding me. The other man tried to parry it away with his own blade, but it cut through it like butter, before embedding itself in his torso. Snarling, I sent another burst of energy at it, instinctively expanding the golden shell around it and slicing his body lengthwise, the two halves of him sliding to the ground with a wet thump.

Satisfied that he was dead, I turned and calmly walked over to Lucas, who was still lying on the ground, stunned. I gripped him around the neck with my left hand, lifting him into the air so I could stare into his eyes.

"You should have never come here," I said, "you should have just left us alone. My parents are now dead, and it's all your fault."

"Yeah?" he asked, with a sneer, "What are you going to do about it? Kill me?"

"No," I replied, "That would be too kind. Instead, I'm going to rip you apart, piece by piece."

"You wouldn't," he said, fear in his eyes as I gripped his shoulder with my right hand.

"Watch me," I said, as I sent a surge of power through his arm.

I could feel some weak resistance as the energy travelled all the way down to his fingertips, but I batted it aside like one would a pesky fly. Once his entire arm was humming with energy, I started ripping it apart at a cellular level. His screams of agony would normally have made my blood run cold, but at that moment, they filled me with a pleasure unlike any other. As his forearm started to disappear, I concentrated and spread the energy out to the rest of his body, filling him to the brim with my power, before letting it go to work on him. It took quite a while, but I somehow managed to keep him alive long after his heart and lungs were destroyed, and all that was left of him, was a screaming head. With one last surge of power, I crushed his head in my palm, his blood and other fluids sizzling as they ran down my golden armor.

"No," I heard a voice whisper, and I turned around to see Liz standing there, "What have you done?"

"I delivered him to justice," I intoned calmly, "and you're next."

I shot a beam of energy at her, and she raised her sword to deflect it. The beam melted right through her sword, hitting her shoulder. She cried out in pain as her right arm was separated from her body, blood spurting out of where her right shoulder was a mere moment ago. She turned around to run, and I shot another beam of energy at her feet, cutting her left leg off below the knee.

"Chris!" a voice called out, "Stop!"

I turned around to see that all the others had come out onto the street by now, and were standing there, taking in the sight of destruction and death that was the aftermath of my rage. Vaishnavi was the one who had called out, and for some reason, she had an arrow nocked, and pointed at me.

"Chris," She said again, "you need to stop, now! You've Emerged, and the Power has taken ahold of you. If you don't let it go and calm down, it will kill you. You have to get it under control!"

"I will," I said, "just as soon as I finish her!"

I turned around, but Liz had disappeared.

"Where is she?!" I roared, looking all around, "Where did she go?!"

I followed the trail of her blood for a few paces, but it disappeared quite suddenly.

"Chris," Randal called out, approaching me cautiously, "she's gone."

"She can't be gone," I said, clenching my fists, "not till she pays for killing them!"

"But she is," Mathias said, "and we need you to let the Power go now. We can help you, Chris. We can help you avenge your parents. But not if the Power kills you first."

"You know that we're telling you the truth," Mr. Ray pitched in, "I'm sure you can feel it by now. Your body is growing weaker, the Power taking its toll on you. You aren't ready to Wield yet, Chris. You need to let go. Think! Is this what Michael and Lia would want?"

"Michael?" I asked, his words cutting through a haze that I hadn't even noticed was clouding my mind, "Lia?"

"Yes," Mr. Ray said, "Michael and Lia. Your parents."

"My parents," I mumbled, suddenly feeling weaker than I'd ever felt before, "They killed my parents."

My wandering eyes found their bodies, still lying in the middle of the street. I lurched over to them, feeling weaker with every step I took.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, falling to my knees next to their bodies, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

As the tears I'd held back started to leak out of my eyes, I could feel the energy coursing inside me retreating into the depths of my being. As it left, the realization of everything I'd done crashed onto me, leaving me feeling hollow and lost.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed, hugging their bodies, "I'm so sorry."

*****

When I came to, I was in a hospital bed somewhere that was unlike any hospital I'd ever seen before. Instead of the usual stark white, the walls here were painted in earthy shades, which had a wonderfully soothing effect. I was the only one in the room, and the shades were drawn, but I could tell that it was midday by the beams of light filtering in. A clock on the opposite wall confirmed my suspicions. It was 1:34 in the afternoon.

The door opened suddenly, and a kind-looking woman walked in.

"Ah!" she said, smiling brightly as she saw me looking at her, "You're up! You had us worried for a while there."

"Where am I?" I rasped, my throat drier than a desert.

"You're safe," the woman said, pouring me a glass of water from a pitcher that was on the table next to my bed, "that's all you need to know."

"But-" I protested, as she helped me drink the water.

It was only after my glass was empty, and my thirst somewhat quenched, that I sensed the feeble string of energy that she was pumping into my body.

"Relax, Chris," she said, as my eyelids started to droop again, "when you wake up, it'll all be alright."

*****

"He looks just like his father," I heard a voice that sounded ancient and strong, yet oddly familiar say.

"Yes," Vaishnavi agreed, "And he's just as skilled, if not more."

"You should have been there," Mr. Ray said, "you should have seen what we saw."

"You refer to his Emergence?" the unknown voice asked.

"I do, Rishiji," Mr. Ray replied, "and if you were there, you'd know why. Not only was his emergence unlike any other, the sheer strength he displayed was something I'd attribute to legend if I hadn't been present for it myself. It was like watching someone Channel the power of the very sun."

"Enough Power," Vaishnavi added, "to overwhelm Lucas' armor and disintegrate him, without even breaking a sweat, right after severing the Bonds of two Companions with nothing but brute force."

"Intriguing," the voice mused, "even in my time, there wasn't a single Wielder who could shatter a Bond by themselves. The only person I could think of who would have that level of Power... but no, that's impossible. Not only does he Emerge and hold on to the Power far longer than anybody ever has, but he does so while being Unbound— which by itself should be impossible— and displaying more strength than most fully-trained Wielders, while forcing it to do his will."

"Furthermore," Mr. Ray said, "if what we know is true, what he displayed is but a fraction of what he is capable of. Even after being trained, no Wielder can harness the true depths of their strength in the Power till the Bond between them and their Companion has fully matured."

"Who are you, Chris?" the unknown voice asked, and I felt a presence poking at my mind.

I swatted it away, but it only pressed harder. Growling mentally, I rammed it back, and thankfully, it went away.

"Amazing," the unknown voice said, "Even when unconscious, he fights my probe, pushing me out."

"I don't think he even knows or realizes what he's doing," Vaishnavi said, "he just does it."

"Again," The unknown voice said, "who are you, Chris?"

"I need all of you to leave now," the woman who'd helped me drink some water said, "he needs his rest. All this talking is starting to wake him up."

"Of course, Healer," the voice I didn't know said, "Please alert us once he wakes up again."

"I will," the Healer replied, and I heard footsteps, followed by the sound of a door closing.

"Who am I?" I mumbled, falling into the waiting darkness again.

*****

My dreams were strange and varied, until I found myself back in a familiar looking cave.

"You're back, I see," the woman with no eyes said, turning around to face me.

"So I am," I replied, "though I have no idea how I got here."

"Not knowing," the woman said, "is the way of the Universe itself."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, "Do you know how I got here?"

"I do not," she replied, "which is what I've been trying to tell you."

"Great," I mumbled, "just what I needed. Veiled responses."

"If you'd like straight answers," she said, "perhaps you should ask the right questions."

"Okay," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose, "let's start over. What's your name?"

"I do not have a name," she replied.

"Perfect," I said, beginning to lose my temper.

"But," she continued, "before I became a Medium for the Fates, I was known as Liakada."

"Liakada," I repeated, liking the way that name rolled off my tongue, "What does it mean?"

"In simple terms," she answered, "it means 'sunshine'. The word 'Lia' is Greek for 'the sun'."

"My mother's name was Lia," I whispered, the mere mention of her name enough to make me cry.

"Was?" Liakada asked, head tilted to a side.

"She was killed," I answered softly, "along with my father."

"I am sorry," Liakada said, "I did not know."

"Not knowing," I said with a shaky smile, "is the way of the Universe, is it not?"

"You're a fast learner," she said, smiling at me.

I just sniffled in response, trying to get my emotions under control.

"So," I asked, after a considerable amount of time, "exactly who are you?"

"I am the Oracle," Liakada replied, "the Seer to the Fates, the Eye of the Gods."

"The Eye of the Gods?" I asked, "So you can see the future?"

"In a manner of speaking," She replied, "yes."

I thought about that for a while, the massive implications of what she'd said putting my mind into overdrive.

"The last time I was here," I said slowly, "you called me 'Hero', and a bunch of other things. What did you mean by that?"

"That is an answer," she replied, "which is not mine to give."

"Who's is it, then?" I asked.

"It is yours," she said, "for you are the one who will write the tale to come."

"Just brilliant," I murmured.

We lapsed into silence again, and she started humming that infernal tune.

"That tune," I said, "you were humming it the last time too. What is it?"

"It is a song," she replied, "the Song of the Fates."

"Why is it stuck in my head?" I asked.

"That too," she replied, "is not an answer I can give you."

"What can you tell me, then?!" I shouted, my temper getting the better of me.

"I can give you the next four lines to the song," She replied, before beginning to sing.

Just like last time, the words she sang seemed to write themselves in the air before us, red as fresh blood.

"The Golden Age shall come again,

And good will finally rise, when,

There comes one with a claim to a legacy,

Older than even the Great Three.

Unbound shall he be,

The one who comes to set us free,

A stranger who belongs,

Alongside one with many forms."

"Unbound!" I exclaimed, "That's what that person was calling me. The one Mr. Ray called Rishiji."

"'Rishiji'," she mused, a fond smile on her face, "that is an old title indeed. It is used to refer to a being who possesses a great deal of knowledge."

"Maybe he can give me the answers I seek," I murmured.

"Perhaps," Liakada replied, "or perhaps, he may leave you with more questions than ever before. Who knows what the Fates choose to weave?"

I was about to retort in a most unkind way, along the lines of exactly what she could do with her riddles and rhymes, but I was cut short by a tugging sensation in my gut.

"The time has come," she said, "for you to return to whence you came. I sense that you will not be back anytime soon. So, I shall tell you one more thing."

"Not be back soon?!" I asked, fighting the tugging, "What if I want to come back? What if I have a question to ask you?"

"That," she said, "is what I wish to tell you. You must find she who is not me, yet me in your time. She will be able to guide you down the path you must take."

"How will I find her?" I asked, as the woman and the cave began to fade away.

"You will know her," she replied, her voice growing fainter, "the same way that I know you. She will center you and your emotions. She will be your Universe."

*****

"Forgive me, my Hero," a different voice said in my head just as the darkness surrounded me, "but I had to pull you away. For you to get the answers to everything you seek this early would not bode well for any Universe. For your own good and that of the rest of us, you must remain unaware of certain things till the time is right. As recompense for keeping you from that which you seek, accept this gift."

A blindingly white knife flashed in the darkness, and I felt a bit of me being cut away.

"The loss of an emotion," the voice said, "may seem a curse at first, but the path you need to walk leaves no room for weakness, no space for sorrow. You must stand strong in the face of the greatest adversities of all time. To help you do this, I have taken away your ability to cry. Your ability to mourn. Loss will no longer bring you to your knees. Instead, it shall fill you with a rage that cannot be quenched, and the strength to do what must be done."

"Who are you?" I managed to mumble, as the presence accompanying the voice started to fade away.

"I am one who wishes you well," the voice replied, "that is all you need to know. Anything else does not matter, for you will wake with no memory of your interaction with me. Your trials have just begun, and we will demand a lot more from you before they end. You have my pity, Hero, for though your failure will mean the destruction of everything, your success may very well destroy you. It is not an easy path we have put you on, perhaps one that even we could not walk. So, while you still can, rest. Tomorrow brings a new day and a new life. For all our sakes, I wish you the best."