The Beginning Ch. 08-11

I considered telling her what I'd seen and heard, but for some reason it just didn't seem right. It almost felt like that was something reserved just for me, and something that she wouldn't understand.

"Yeah," I said, sniffling softly, "let's move."

As we walked away, I turned to look back at the pillar, and I could see two figures standing atop the monolith, watching us. As they saw me looking at them, they bowed as a breeze flitted around us again. This time, though, it sounded like a thousand voices were whispering together.

We await your call, Chosen.

Chapter 11- Friends?

25^th January, 2013

7:54 p.m.

Somewhere within the Academy

As we walked back towards the Academy, I couldn't help but think about what I'd just heard. Or well, what I thought I'd heard. Since none of the others seemed to have noticed anything, it could have just been my mind playing tricks on me in an attempt to piece together everything that I'd learned. After all, it wasn't every day that one discovered a whole new world of which one was an intricate part, yet of which one had so much to learn. The total information dump I'd received over the course of the past few hours should really have been a lot to take in, but for some reason, I seemed to be taking it in stride.

"Hey, Vaishnavi?" I called out.

"Yeah?" she asked, slowing down so I could catch up, "What is it?"

"Does the word 'chosen' mean anything? Like, something special in this world?"

"Not really," she said, "What's on your mind?"

"So much..." I replied with a nervous laugh, running a hand through my hair.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," she said, "but there's no rush. You can take your time coming to terms with it all."

"I know, but it's just-"

"Chris!" a voice that seemed familiar called out, "Over here!"

I looked around, finally really taking in my surroundings, and saw that we were just past the tree line that led deeper into the forest. In front of us, silhouetted against the fading light of the sun, stood the main Academy building, towering over the forest around it. It stretched away to either side beyond the horizon, too vast to take in in a single glance, which explained how it could literally house an entire forest within its structure. At the base of the hill the Academy stood on— which, on further inspection, turned out to not be a hill at all, but the Academy itself— stood a relatively smaller, plain-looking, rectangular building, which gave off the most delectable of aromas. Standing in front of this building, were Randal and Mathias, the latter of whom was waving excitedly, presumably the one who'd called out to me.

However, though they seemed relatively unchanged, I could pick out a few differences, even from about a dozen paces out. For one, they were significantly taller, both of them standing at about 6'3" or so, a good foot taller than the last time I'd been with them. They were both broader too, their physiques resembling warriors of old, an image amplified by the way they were dressed. Randal wore what resembled a red toga which hung off his left shoulder and covered his left arm completely, and was clinched around his waist with a thick leather belt, studded with golden spikes at regular intervals. His right shoulder and a small bit of his exposed chest was covered by a bunch of leather straps that bore the image of a lightning bolt striking a hill, atop a thick golden bar. His right forearm was covered by a steel-plated bracer which was engraved with the image of a roaring tiger, a likeness of which also adorned the ring on his right ring finger— his Totem, as Rishiji had called it. Mathias was dressed similarly, but his red toga covered both his arms, and his belt was thinner and devoid of any spikes. It was engraved, though, with the image of an eagle spreading its wings, with the letters SPQR encircled by a golden wreath beneath it. The front of his toga was embroidered with the image of a tiger's face, which again, was mirrored by the Totem on his left ring finger.

As we drew closer to them, I could pick out more details and spot more differences. Both their faces were older and seemed worn, fine wrinkles radiating out around their eyes and mouths. Mathias also had the edge of a scar peeking out from under the neckline of his toga, which seemed to run diagonally down his chest. They were looking at me with vastly different expressions than those I was used to, with Mathias seeming cautiously happy, while Randal was studying my face closely, with an inquisitive, yet remorseful expression on his face.

"How do you feel?" Randal asked, looking at me intensely.

"I don't really know," I replied, taken aback by the wisdom I saw hiding behind his turquoise eyes, "it's just so much to take in."

Wait a second— turquoise?!

"Your eyes-" I murmured, looking at them again.

"We owe you a lot of answers," Mathias said, clapping me on the shoulder. "How's about we talk over a plate of grub, huh? How long has it been since you've eaten?"

"I don't know," I said, still transfixed by Randal's eyes.

"Well then," Mr. Ray said, clapping his hands together, "we'll leave you to it. Swati and I have some catching up to do before I can resume my responsibilities here again. If you wouldn't mind showing Chris to his abode after you're done, I'll send someone by to pick him up tomorrow so we can get started on his training."

"Training?" I asked, "What training?"

"Magic, combat, warfare— all the skills a Wielder needs!" Swati declared, grinning at me ferally.

"I really don't like that look," I said, looking to Mr. Ray for answers, "Why is she grinning like that?"

"Well, Chris," Vaishnavi answered, "with the amount of Power you unleashed during your Emergence, it became clear that a Tier 1 Wielder would need to train you. The only Tier 1 Wielders available right now are standing in front of you. Ronald and I asked to be the ones to train you, but certain things require our immediate attention. Randal and Mathias are both required to report back to their respective Academies as well, and resume their responsibilities as Champions— though they wouldn't be much help to you, anyway, since you bear the Indian Lineage. Which leaves one person: Swati."

"Relax!" Mr. Ray said, laughing at the look of absolute dread on my face, "She won't kill you— well, not on purpose, at least!"

"Thanks," I said, sarcastically, "that's real reassuring."

"Oh, get off it," Swati said, "I've already forgiven you for questioning my place. I'll see you tomorrow morning by 7 a.m. Someone will come to get you and bring you to the spot I choose. See you then!"

"Very well," I replied with a sigh, waving as all three of them said their goodbyes and went on their way, leaving me alone with Randal and Mathias.

An awkward silence ensued, the three of us looking at each other, them apprehensively, and me speculatively. I took in their appearances, noting the subtle ways their faces had changed, lined now with more experience and age than I could wrap my head around. Even the way they carried themselves had changed; they were regal, like princes, yet with an air of casual lethality, like a tiger lounging around. As I looked into their eyes, Mathias with his baby browns and Randal with his resplendent turquoise, one question begged to be answered above all others.

"Was it real?" I asked, as we walked into the delicious-smelling building. The inside of the building was just a hollow space, devoid of any furniture or decoration, but painted in warm splashes of white and yellow. It was empty at the moment and had no discernible furniture that I could see, and no indication of where the smells might be coming from.

"Come again?" Mathias asked, taken aback by the simple question I posed.

"Our friendship. Growing up together. The bonds we formed. Was any of it ever real?!" I demanded to know, stopping cold in my tracks.

Their eyes softened as they considered what to say. I stared at them, challenging them to say what I was thinking, yet hoping they wouldn't. Our friendship had been the one constant I could fall back on all through my life, and now, with everything I thought I knew lying in shattered fragments all around me, I needed something to hold on to. I needed an anchor from the past that I could still believe in, that I could build my life up around again. This friendship of ours was the last vestige of my life thus far that hadn't been broken, that hadn't been altered, and if none of it had ever been real... well, I didn't know what I would do.

"Yes." Randal said softly, breaking me out of my internal crisis-monologue. "That was one part we didn't fake.

"All of the memories we've made, all the trouble we got into, all the times we had, every single thing you remember; it was all true. We were there for each and every one of those moments, living them right alongside you. Admittedly, we were living them as grown adult men, but we were still anchored in those very moments."

My shoulders sagged as relief washed over me, and I dropped heavily to the ground as my knees gave way. Folding my legs as I considered what to say, I was surprised to see an empty plate placed in front of me.

"Eat," Mathias said, as he sat down next to me and placed two more plates before Randal and himself, "we can talk once your belly is full."

"Eat what? This plate is empty!" I exclaimed.

"The plates are enchanted." Randal explained, "Just hold it and picture what you'd like to eat and how it tastes, and let magic do the rest."

"Just like that?" I asked, incredulously.

"Just like that," he replied, smiling, "Watch."

He looked piercingly at his plate, and it began to change shape. It grew a little bigger and two circles appeared on the surface of the plate, which slowly grew taller, till they formed two small bowls. A haze appeared over the plate and bowls, and when it cleared away, the bowls were filled with a white paste and strange-looking vegetables, while the plate had two flat pieces of bread on it.

"Just like that," Randal said, taking in a deep breath, "you can have a plate of hummus with pickled vegetables and pita bread!"

"Ooh," Mathias crooned, "I've been craving good hummus for a while! Wanna go splitsies on that and some falafel?"

"Sure!" Randal replied, "That would work."

Mathias looked at his plate next, and it grew about half its circumference, but he didn't end up with any bowls. Like with Randal's, his plate was covered by a haze, which cleared away to reveal about a dozen deep-fried balls sharing the plate with a salad and some more pita bread.

"Your turn now," he said, looking over at me, "Just picture whatever you want."

Frowning, I turned to my plate and tried to decide what I wanted. Deciding to start off easy, I pictured a bowl of Chinese noodles and tried to think that at my plate, but nothing happened.

"Oh, wait!" Mathias said, "Forgot that you can't consciously Wield yet. Here, let me. When I nod at you, just think of what you'd like to eat and push the image towards me."

He stared at my plate for a second, before nodding absently at me. I thought of my bowl of noodles again, and tried to push the image out towards Mathias. I felt something moving behind my chest, like a belch that was trying to worm its way out, but nothing happened. Focusing on the plate he was holding, I watched as it transformed into a bowl, was covered by the haze, and then filled up with Manchurian noodles.

"Eat up!" Mathias said, as he handed the bowl to me. As I took it from his hands, I noticed that there seemed to be three little nubs protruding out of the surface of the bowl. I yanked on one inquisitively, and ended up pulling out a whole fork. The other two nubs turned out to be a knife and a pair of chopsticks.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Randal asked, watching as I marveled at the bowl, "It was actually your mother who figured out the enchantments that allow us to use these plates."

"Really?" I asked, surprised, "I thought she was a Healer here, doesn't that imply that she was a medic of sorts?"

"She was," Mathias replied, around a mouthful of a fried ball, "but she was a brilliant researcher too. Her and your father headed R&D efforts here during times of peace. She would figure out enchantments and he would figure out how to make them work and build things accordingly. They made quite a team!"

"Yet more things I had no clue about," I mumbled, eating dejectedly.

Picking up on the fact that I needed some time alone with my thoughts, Randal moved to sit closer to Mathias, the two of them sharing their food and eating out of each other's plates the same way they had at any restaurant for as long as I could remember. It surprised me how seeing something so simple made me realise just how much I'd lost in the span of the last few days, and how much everything had changed. Regardless of what happened at the Academy, nothing in my life would ever be the same.

As I ate and watched the two of them fool around with their food, I realised that some things would actually remain just as they always were. Just a tiny addition, if anything.

"You're in love, aren't you?" I asked the two of them, smiling around my bowl of noodles.

"When did you figure that out?" Mathias asked, as they turned to look at me, the smiles on their faces telling me everything I needed to know.

"I think I always suspected that the two of you were close," I said, "which might explain why I'd get so jealous when we were younger. Which, side note, is very creepy to think about. I mean, two grown men spending all that time with a child? Anyway, it was just now, seeing the two of you horse around as you ate that I realised that you remind me of the way mom and dad would act sometimes. If that isn't love, I don't know what is!"

"It's true," Randal said, smiling as he took Mathias' hand, "We've been married for four hundred and twenty-two years now—"

"I'm gonna need you to repeat that bit," I said, scratching my ear vigorously, "Did you just say that you've been married for four hundred and twenty-two years now?! Like, four, two, two years?!"

"That's right," Mathias said, giving Randal a soft kiss on the cheek, "I've been with this gorgeous hunk for over four centuries, and I still love him as much as I did when we first got together."

I just stared at them dumbfounded (which was honestly happening far too often for my taste recently).

"As for the time we spent with you," Randal continued, smiling, "it was less creepy than you'd think. Some of the best spellcasters at all three Academies got together to enchant Artifacts that, when activated, would throw up fully interactive illusions of young boys that would grow and mature organically with time. Additionally, while the illusions were active, the two of us wouldn't have any of our memories, other than those gathered while under the sway of the illusions. Our 'parents'— who are actually our comrades and attended the Academy with us— would keep the Artifact powered and the illusion active, since we'd lose all memory of Wielding as soon as the illusions were up."

"But why?" I asked, "Why did all of you go to such lengths to be there, be part of my childhood and my life? Also, second question, I keep hearing words like 'Gift' and 'Artifact'; just what do they mean?"

"To answer your first," Mathias pitched in, "you need to first understand the hierarchy of our society. Given the nature of our abilities and the fact that we have access to magic, our societal structure is based on strength in the Power— that's what we call magic. At the very top, you have the Big Three or the Great Three, the Deans of the three Academies. They essentially run our society, and their word is law. They do rule justly and fairly, using their centuries of experience to guide our society onwards, and actually very rarely interfere directly. Crime doesn't exist within our society as such, but any cases of criminal activity that might arise are settled by them.

"The one area where they don't have direct control is military, espionage, or defensive action against the Darks, and that is simply because the Three don't involve themselves in skirmishes or wars unless absolutely necessary. For all intents and purposes, they're scholars rather than warriors, regardless of how powerful they may be. When it comes to fighting the Darks, the Champions of the Academies— myself, Randal, and Vaishnavi— have absolute authority. We call the plays and authorize any movements or actions, though the Deans do participate in advisory capacities. Unlike the Deans, however, a Champion can be challenged at any time, and must face all challengers, except in times of war.

"If the Academies declare a state of war, the Champions face off amongst themselves, and the victor is acknowledged as the Supreme Commander. For as long as the war wages on, the Supreme Commander has total control of the Academies' forces, with the remaining Champions and the Deans making up their council of advisors.

"There are numerous other positions within our society, of course, and the hierarchy within these positions is also decided by strength in the Power, but the positions themselves are filled based Companions and Gifts. For example, someone Bonded to an Alsatian Companion is rather lower down on the totem pole, and the nature of their Companion along with their Gift might make them well suited to joining the patrolling guards. Someone Bonded to a Bear, on the other hand, might be better suited to joining the army, but the nature of their Gift might cause them to be assigned to the home defenders instead.

"Regardless of how much Power one might have or their position or role within society, the Academies frown heavily on discrimination or ostracism. As far as everybody is concerned, we're all equals here, with an equal right to everything. The hierarchy applies only within formal environments like workplaces or when we're at war.

"Since we have access to magic, money has no value here. Everybody works to make the Academy a better place, and everybody takes pride in whatever it is that they might do. Everything you could need is provided for by the Academy. You've already seen how food works, and the clothes you're wearing are magically enchanted to always be clean and always fit. They come with a number of other enchantments as well, which you'll discover as you begin to Wield. As far as living arrangements go, all Wielders who choose to live within the Academies are allocated abodes based on their familial status. A bigger abode merely means a bigger family, and nothing more. Technology has no real role in our society, because of magic, and since the Academies are in pocket planes anchored to the Earth, satellite, radio, or phone signals can't quite make their way in. We appreciate that this will be a huge change for you, and things are in motion to figure out a way around it.

"Of course, not everybody decides to live within the Academies, and once your training is done, you too will be free to live your life in the Mundane world. The Academy doesn't really provide for people beyond these walls, though, so those who decide to move out need to get Mundane jobs to sustain themselves. Most people find that living out there with everything it has to offer simply isn't worth the cost of living a mostly Mundane life— because, of course, you can't openly use magic outside the Academies— and move back sooner rather than later. Those who do decide to live on outside have to use image inducers to mimic growing old, and move to a new location every forty years or so. Most of the cases of lookalikes or doppelgangers you read about tend to be Wielders starting over in new locations."