The Beginning Ch. 13-14

"Inhibited and banished?!" Vince roared, jumping to his feet in a ready stance, his temper flaring up out of the blue, "Inhibited and fucking banished over some Unbound coward while I was just doing my job?!"

Before I could even track what was happening, Swati seemingly teleported to stand nose-to-nose with him, slapping a black bracelet that was crisscrossed with silvery lines on his left wrist. That seemed to break through his rage, and he backpedaled so hard that he fell to his ass on the forest floor.

"I can't feel it at all," he murmured, a faraway look in his eyes, "I can't feel any of my magic."

"That's because right now, you're completely Inhibited." Swati said, sitting back down, "If you can't get a hold of your temper, this is all you'll feel for the rest of your life. You're a powerful Wielder, Vince, but you have no respect for life, and no control over what you do. Rage is a powerful tool, but only in the right hands. In a real battle, Wielders like you are nothing more than a liability. As I'm sure you know, I don't tolerate liabilities.

"The same thing goes for you, Chris. I know that your life so far has been very different, but this isn't a game. Going by your Emergence, you have the potential to be a really strong Wielder— Unbound or otherwise. My first test of your abilities, when we fought three weeks ago, showed me that you're good at obeying your instincts. Even though you have no real control over it, you somehow managed to tap into your magic and use it to augment your strength. Had I known you'd be able to do that, I would have augmented my body earlier, which would have helped me keep my Gift from kicking in."

"He made you Rage?!" Vince gasped, snapping out of his daze as shock colored his face.

"I'm assuming that's a pretty big deal?" I asked, shooting him a smirk.

"Rage is a martial Gift," Swati explained, "which tends to kick in when a warrior is badly hurt. It puts us into an altered state wherein we feel no pain of any sort, and our bodies function with increased efficiency. The drawback is that Wielders can sometimes stay in the state even after having whole limbs destroyed or cut off, which stops them from healing themselves, and ends up killing them.

"I fought you as a Mundane, and when you unwittingly used your Power, you almost ripped my knee straight out of its socket; a Wielder taking that amount of damage usually indicates that their shields have been depleted, and their Power reserves are running low. Even though that wasn't the case for me, my Gift was activated. Make no mistake, if Vaishnavi hadn't been around to step in, you would very well have died."

"That seems to be happening a lot, lately." I retorted, somberly, "First with my Emergence, then with you, and lastly, with Vince there, crushing my ribs."

"And your collarbone," he corrected me, looking a little too pleased with himself, "as well as six spinal bones and your pelvis."

"Well," I said, dumbly, "that."

"The objective of training you," Swati said, affixing me with a cool gaze, "is to help you become stronger and avoid getting killed. I do think we can make a warrior out of you yet."

"What if I don't want to be a warrior, Swati?" I asked, "I've never had much of a proclivity for violence."

"First off," Swati replied, "you will refer to me as 'Acharya Swati', or simply 'Acharya'. Secondly, you will be a warrior, whether you realize it or not. It's in your blood. You come from a long line of warriors and strategists, and as you come into your powers more, you will automatically become a fighter."

"I'm sorry, Acharya," I said, "I didn't mean any disrespect."

"None taken." she replied, curtly.

"My mother was a Healer, though." I continued, relieved that I hadn't offended her again, "Doesn't that mean I come from a long line of Healers as well? What if I wanted to be one of them, instead?"

"Your responses during the fights you've gotten into tell us otherwise," Swati replied, "as do my instincts, and I haven't been wrong so far."

That statement forced me to pause and reevaluate certain things. A few weeks ago, I wouldn't have considered myself a fighter. Heck, I'd gone through most of my life being bullied for actively avoiding fights! I didn't regret what I'd done to Lucas and the other Darks who attacked us— and I was still going to hunt down the last one and give her what she deserved— but I also had to acknowledge the fact that the way I reacted in that moment was influenced massively by my Emergence, and by the deaths of my parents.

Similarly, the fight with Swati was apparently some sort of test, while the one I got into with Vince was about defending myself when I thought I was in danger. I didn't know if I had it in me to willfully fight, or kill, someone else.

"But, that's enough of that." she continued, "For now, let's begin. Close your eyes, and I'll create a Mindlink between us."

"Didn't Mr. Ray say that it was difficult to do that with someone as mature as I am?" I asked her, referring to when he'd done so near the Great Tree, in order to show me the history of the Wielders.

"No," Swati replied, closing her eyes, "he merely said that he hadn't done so before. Ronald doesn't train Wielders very often, so he doesn't have as much experience as I do. Now, close your eyes."

I did as she asked, and instantly found myself in the blackness of a shared mindscape again, the portal to what looked like my memories on my right, while the one to Swati's memories was on my left. The inky darkness around me seemed to trigger something in my memory, flashes of black flitting across the surface of the portal, but trying to get a lock on it was like trying to remember a dream I'd had years ago. Swati snapped me out of it as she flickered into existence next to me, glowing with a red light.

Suddenly, it was like we were back in the forest again, though the presence of the two portals told me that we were still in the mindscape.

"What just happened?" I asked, looking around at the trees and shrubs in bewilderment, noticing two adjacent tree stumps that looked like they'd been smoothed into stools.

"This is a mindscape, Chris." Swati said, walking over to sit cross-legged on one of the stumps, indicating that I should sit on the other, "Reality in here, is whatever we want it to be. Once you have enough control over your mind, you can choose what this space should look like, as well."

"That's awesome!" I enthused, amazed at how detailed everything around me was. I theorized that Swati loved spending time in the forest, though it was an assumption that I still needed to test.

"Before we begin," Swati said, "you first need to understand how magic works. You know that magic is an ability that's tied to our Bonds with our Companions. What you haven't been told so far, is that even magic can't break the fundamental laws of the universe. You still cannot create something from nothing, nor can you pull energy out of thin air.

"Magic also has a cost. Never, ever commit to a spell, unless you're absolutely sure that you have the Power reserves to see it through to completion. If you cast a powerful spell when you're drained, the spell will lock on to your body's energy after your Power is depleted. Through the ages, thousands of Wielders have died merely by overextending themselves while casting.

"What this means, is that you need to know every inch of your mind and your body. You need to be fully aware of your capabilities at all times, and possess the information to make snap judgements on what spells you can afford to cast in that moment. Additionally, the more control you have over your abilities, the more nuanced your casting becomes, which leads to a significantly larger repertoire of spells.

"To that end, our focus for today is getting you to actually unlock and embrace your magic; if that goes well, we may even try casting a few basic spells. You'll have to work hard to catch up with your peers, but it isn't impossible."

"I'm ready." I said, firmly, excited to begin.

"I want you to try and remember your Emergence." she said, "I know the details will be murky, but the emotions should be clear. Close your eyes, focus, and tell me what you felt that night."

I did as she asked, closing my eyes and thinking back to the night of my birthday. While everything up to the moment of my parents' death was permanently etched into my memory— by virtue of the sheer terror I experienced that night— the images were foggy and unclear beyond that point. I had an overall sense of what had happened, and I could catch glimpses of some images if I focused really hard, but the details eluded me.

Remembering what Swati had said, I shifted my focus to the emotions at play in those memories.

"Anger." I said out loud, "I was furious and hungry for vengeance."

"Good." Swati replied, "You've identified that your magic, as of right now, is tied in to your anger. Every time you've lost your temper since then, you've unwittingly tapped into your Power, and lashed out with it.

"Now, go past that anger. Try and focus on the flood of power filling your body. See if you can hone in on how it feels to have that coursing through you."

I tried to do what she asked me to, but I just couldn't see past the fury in those memories. I told her as much, but she just told me to look deeper. We went back and forth on the same thing a few times, me complaining that I just couldn't figure it out, and her just repeating herself in varied ways.

I was just about to grumble about it once again, when I noticed something weird in my memories. Right before I Emerged and everything went fuzzy, a strange feeling seemed to blossom in my chest. Focusing on it, I felt like a leaf caught in a hurricane, for a quick second, before a searing heat washed over me, making me feel like I was standing inside a volcano. It was replaced with a glacial coldness before I could even scream in pain, followed by the sensation of being under thousands of tonnes of dirt, the smell of wet soil surrounding me.

Just as I was about to pass out from the asphyxiation, it was all washed away, and I was left with the feeling of— for lack of a better term— life. Whatever this last sensation was, it seemed to wrap me in a warm hug, a tingly feeling spreading throughout my body.

Soon, that too was gone, but I could actively sense something new. That newness was present throughout the mass of obscured memories of my Emergence, as well as during my subsequent fights with Swati and Vince.

"That's it." Swati's voice broke my concentration, "I can tell that you have a lock on your magic now. Focus on it, keep it in your mind, and open your eyes."

I did as she asked, but found myself in a completely different place. I was inside a cave, surrounded by glowing crystals in a plethora of colors embedded in the sides and in the ceiling. There was a small pool in the very center of the cave, the still waters tinged with a golden glow. With a start, I realized that I was alone in the cave, Swati nowhere to be seen.

"Acharya?" I called, worried.

"Still here, Chris," her voice echoed around me, "and we're still in the mindscape. You're still sat in front of me, eyes closed. You've just ventured into the depths of your soul, to the source of your Power."

"The source of my Power is in a cave?"

"The cave is symbolic. Every Wielder sees something different. I see a lake in a forest. Vince sees a swimming pool in a mansion."

"So, the pool is my Power?"

"Again, the pool is symbolic. It's merely your mind's way of depicting your connection to the magic. What's interesting, is that everybody sees it as a body of water. The only difference seems to be how it reacts and changes as we get stronger. For some, the pool or pond or lake gets deeper, while for others, it gets larger."

"That's cool. What do I do now?"

"Before we go any further, do you notice anything else about your cave?"

"There are glowing crystals in the walls and ceiling."

"Merely cosmetic. Anything else?"

I took a closer look around the cave, but didn't notice anything else from where I was standing. I started walking around it, and realized that it was much bigger than I'd initially thought. As I walked around the periphery, I came to a section of the wall that seemed unfinished somehow. There were no crystals in that section of the wall, and it even seemed to have a small, irregular hole in it, about the size of my fist. I tried to push a hand through it, but couldn't. The hole looked like it had some depth to it, but felt like it was even with the wall.

"There's a portion of the cave that seems unfinished," I said, frowning, "and a hole that isn't a hole. Does that make any sense?"

"It does." Swati responded, "That portion of your cave is supposed to open up into an area of your mind that houses your Bond with your Companion. None of us knew whether you'd even have that space for a Bond at all. This confirms that you're supposed to have a Companion, but for some reason, the Bond hasn't formed."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Neither, really. It just means that there's more going on with you than we can see, and that our understanding of the Bond is incomplete, at best. What's good about it, is that it means that you aren't some new breed of Wielder that would completely redefine the rules. So, we can train you much the same as any other Wielder, though I'd have to rethink some aspect of your training to compensate for the absence of your Companion."

"That makes sense."

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I want you to try to tap into that pool of magic. The 'how' of it is left to you. Some people wade into it, while others drink from it. Whatever you picture yourself doing, it creates an active connection to your Power, which can then be used to fuel a spell."

Looking at the pool, I got the feeling that drinking it would not be a good idea, so I walked over and knelt by the side of it. I plunged my hands into the pool, but rather than the sensation of water, I felt like I was touching energized air. Whatever it was, it still acted and looked like a liquid when I raised some of it out in my hands.

Steeling myself, I stood up and put one foot into the pool. As soon as I did, a bolt of energy flooded my body. It seemed to chase away my aches and pains, and fears and reservations, making me feel like I could lift a mountain or melt an iceberg. Giddy, I dipped my other foot in, and walked to the center of it, the liquid only waist-high at that deepest point. It felt exquisite as the sheer power roared through my body.

"Good!" Swati exclaimed, "Now let the Power go."

Honestly, I didn't want to. The feeling of that energy coursing through me was better than anything I'd ever felt before. Right then, I was invincible!

A small, rational part of me realized, however, that I needed to learn to let go, lest I run the risk of getting drunk on the Power. It took a massive amount of willpower, but I managed to walk out of the pool, almost collapsing as the magic flowing through my veins petered out.

I slowly opened my eyes, finding myself back in the forested mindscape, Swati sitting in front of me, sporting what I assumed was a very rare smile.

"You did brilliantly, Chris!" she exclaimed, "I've never trained a Wielder who could access and let go of their Power so quickly! Most trainees have to be forced to release their magic the first time around."

"Thank you," I said, smiling back, "Mum and dad always taught me to exercise self-discipline. You can chalk my self-control up to their parenting."

"Believe me," Swati said, standing up, "they'd be so proud of you right now."

I just nodded at her, a soft smile on my face as I remembered them. I thought the mindscape flickered and looked like the living room of my old house for a second, but when I saw that Swati was unperturbed, I dismissed it as a trick of my mind.

"Let's finish this outside." she said, before she faded out of the mindscape.

I just closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I saw that we were back in the outside world. The main difference between the forest out here and the one in the mindscape was the noise and the smells. No matter how realistic everything looked and felt inside the mindscape, it seemed that sounds and smells couldn't be duplicated that easily.

I also noticed that I was very hungry, and that we were sitting in darkness. Also, there was a cold weight on my left wrist. With a start, I realized that it was probably an Inhibitor Cuff, the one that would gauge how much magic I had access to, and restrict Vince to using the same amount. I just had no clue when Swati had slipped that onto me.

"Well," Swati said, holding up a soft light, "looks like we were in there longer than I thought."

"Ah," Vince said from behind me, "you're back. Thanks for leaving me with nothing to do but twiddle my fucking thumbs for a whole day. I did notice that I can access a small bit of Power now, so I guess Chris finally unlocked his."

"He did." Swati said, standing up and stretching, "And I must say, he did far better than you when it came time to let go."

I turned around to see Vince's expression, and I could almost hear him grinding his teeth. It seemed that neither of us liked the other, but there was nothing I could do about that. Groaning softly, I stretched out my numb legs and shakily got to my feet, following Swati's example and stretching as my stiff limbs loosened up again.

"I wanted to get started on your weapons training today," Swati said, once I was done, "but that can't happen now, for obvious reasons. There's just one last thing I'd like to have you do today."

I nodded as Vince went over to stand by her side, fishing out a pebble from somewhere on his person, and handing it to me with a glare. I could feel some sort of furrows on the surface of it, though I couldn't see what it was in the dim light.

"As you know," Swati continued, "in order for us to actually use magic, we need to cast spells in Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit. As a descendant of the Indian lineage, you will be casting in Sanskrit. While you could call out certain spells, like the wizards or witches in stories, shows, or movies, experience has shown us that casting vocally can reduce the level of control you have over a spell, as well as increase the amount of Power needed to cast it.

"Writing spells, however, is tricky. It takes time and preparation, especially since you need to choose the right material to use. You can't just write things down on a piece of paper; the medium you choose to inscribe your spell on needs to be powerful enough to stand the strain of being the conduit for your Power. Similarly, the implement you use to inscribe your spell onto a medium, needs to be able to handle the stress of some Power flowing through it.

"To that end, centuries of research have been devoted to finding— and sometimes making— better materials to Wield with. Certain types of stones are good for low-level spells, while the strongest ones we know use metals and gems, and sometimes both. Ronald will be able to supply you with any medium you need, when you need it.

"We'll cover more of that tomorrow, as well as secure you an implement to inscribe spells with. For now, I want you to push some of your Power into that pebble in your hand."

Now that I'd accessed my magic on my own, I could sense the pool of Power somewhere at the back of my mind. I reached for it and it came to me willingly, filling my body with that sensation of invincibility all over again. Trying to do anything with it, though, was like trying to change the flow of a river with my hands; I just couldn't do it.