The Beginning Ch. 17-18

A/N: I know these chapters are a wee bit late, but I got there in the end! As always, stay safe and wash your hands!

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Glossary

Abode: A house within the Academies.

Bhisaj: Healer at the Indian Academy.

Gift: Extranormal abilities that Wielders can manifest. They augment their magic, but don't draw on it. Each Wielder's Gift manifests in different ways and acts slightly differently to other similar Gifts.

Implement: A tool that Wielders use to inscribe spells on Media.

Lineage: All present-day Wielders can trace their bloodlines back to one of three ancient Wielders. Based on their Lineage, Wielders are restricted to casting spells in Sanskrit, Greek, or Latin.

Medium (Media): Objects that Wielders inscribe spells on. The more powerful the spell, the stronger the Medium needs to be.

Mundane(s): Non-Wielders.

Power: Magic.

Rishi(ji): A Sanskrit term used to refer to a sage/saint, or someone perceived as being highly knowledgeable. Used here to refer to the Dean of the Indian Academy.

Wielder(s): People who can use magic.

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Chapter 17- A Party

Date: Redacted
Time: Redacted
Location: Redacted

"Cover me!" I screamed, as I made a break for it. Running full-tilt, I threw myself towards Rayka, as she shouldered her rifle and started firing wildly.

"Are you hit?" she asked, concern coloring her voice as I slid to a stop next to her.

"No," I responded distractedly, as I snuck a peek out over the destroyed half-wall section that we were hiding behind. I could see five combatants by the pale light of the full moon, slowly but surely making their way across the rubble, towards us.

Rayka and I were seriously outmanned and outgunned. We'd already lost six of our teammates, and were now the only ones left standing. Rahul's sacrifice had bought us some time, the crazy bastard taking down two enemies with him. Trapped as we were, though, it might all be for naught.

"We're screwed," Rayka said, flatly, as she crouched down next to me.

Even entrenched in battle, she was gorgeous. To my eyes, it was almost like she was shrouded in a red nimbus. The mud that was smeared on her face and military fatigues, and the bits of stone and grass that were stuck in her hair, just seemed to accentuate her beauty; she looked wild and dangerous, and I have to admit, it was definitely having an effect on me.

"Hey!" she snarled, snapping her fingers under my nose, "You can ogle me as much as you want once we're out of this. For now, let's focus on surviving!"

"I love you," I stated simply, taking her hand in mine. "I have loved you since the day we met, though I didn't know it back then. Thank you for choosing me."

"I love you, too," she replied, her stony expression softening as she broke out into a smile.

Ah, that smile. Wars would be fought and cities would be razed, all over that smile.

My only option was crystal clear, in that moment.

I pulled her into a tight kiss, savoring the feel of her lips on mine for perhaps the last time. Breaking away, I took one last, lingering look at her face, memorizing every little detail. Her beautiful, honey-brown eyes, which concealed depths that I could lose myself in forever; her cute little nose that I'd playfully nipped at countless times over; her soft, perfectly-shaped lips that I'd never tire of kissing; the tiny mole that lay all but hidden beneath her lower lip. I didn't know if I'd ever get to see them ever again, but right then, that was okay.

If my death bought her life, it was okay.

Steeling myself, I leapt up to my feet and brought my rifle to my shoulder. "Come and get it, motherfuckers!" I yelled, shooting at them on full-auto.

A dozen pellets slammed into me, knocking me backwards. That was it. I was done.

As I lay there on the ground, I tried to turn, to look at Rayka one last time.

The serenity that had descended over me was shattered as I saw her on the ground next to me, red staining her clothes.

"You don't get to be the only one going out in a blaze of glory," she whispered, smiling weakly.

A loud buzzer sounded then, lights flickering on above us, bathing the facility in harsh, industrial white.

"What the fuck, man?!" Sneha shouted, and I looked up to see her standing above us, arms crossed, a scowl on her face. "I can't believe you idiots did that!"

"'You don't get to be the only one going out in a blaze of glory,'" I repeated, in a mocking tone. "Was that the best you could do?"

"Oh, shut up!" Rayka responded, laughing as she rolled over onto her stomach. "That was good, and you know it! I'd like to see you do better!"

"Fine, fine," I conceded, gathering her in my arms and kissing her soundly. "You were awesome."

"Eww, gross!" Sneha exclaimed, "Get a room, you two!"

"Oh, we will," Rayka replied, mischievously. "The birthday boy still has to unwrap my present."

"Maa!" Sneha complained, as Vaishnavi and Ronald made their way towards us, "Chris and Rayka are being kissy, again!"

"Nobody asked you to watch," I said, snidely, grinning at her exasperation.

"Where's your brother?" Vaishnavi interjected, before Sneha and I could get into another one of our arguments. "I need to talk to him about his aim and the way he distributed his shots."

"Oh, come now, Vaish," Ronald chided, "it was just a game of paintball."

"I know," she replied, "but if we'd been in actual combat—"

"If we'd been in actual combat," Swati interrupted her, walking up from the other side, "I'd have captured both of these lovebirds, and taken my time with the torture for that last stunt."

"Not you, too!" Ronald groaned. "It was a game, ladies. Lighten up."

"I'm still disappointed," Swati huffed, but she relented as Ronald shot her a look. I have to admit, she'd mellowed out a fair bit since the two of them had paired up and become a thing.

"Acharya," I addressed her, as Rayka and I got to our feet, "you know that we wouldn't have been as reckless in real combat. The stakes were low, so we had a little fun."

"Aye," Senga agreed, joining the group, "it's grand! Let the wee ones have their fun."

"I agree," Rishiji said, walking over from behind them. "This really was quite a good time. However, I do believe we need to get going. We have a dinner reservation to keep."

"Right, you heard the man!" Senga commanded, taking charge, "Off to the showers with ye! Everyone meet outside in fifteen."

Our impromptu group dispersed then, heading to our respective areas. Ronald and Rishiji set off together, probably discussing Academy matters. Neither of them really knew how to take a break, it seemed.

"Yo, I can't believe that you're twenty-two!" Mathias exclaimed, wrapping his arm around me. "It seems like just yesterday, we were watching you learn how to walk."

"Time seems to have flown by," Randal said, walking alongside us, "and we want you to know that we're both so proud of how you've grown, especially in the last four years."

"Aw, you guys," I gushed, draping my arms around both their shoulders, "I'm just so happy both of you could make it today."

"Hey, uncool!" Mathias responded, giving me a stern look, "We've always made it for your birthday, regardless of how busy we've been. Granted, it was only for your birthday last year, but you know as well as anyone how crazy everything has become."

"I do," I agreed, "and believe me, I'm not complaining. I'm genuinely thankful that both of you still make an attempt to be a part of my life."

"You aren't getting rid of us that easily," Randal said, smiling, as we got to the male locker-room.

The loud voices streaming out from within told us that the rest of our group were still in there. Walking in, I saw that Rahul was engaged in a heated discussion with Idris, one of my classmates. They seemed to be arguing about which one of them Auset— an Egyptian classmate of mine and Idris'— liked more.

Unfortunately for both of them, Auset wasn't interested in dating at all, though she did have quite a bit of fun stringing them along. I knew that because Rayka and Auset were best friends, and the three of us sometimes hung out together.

"Alright, you two," Ronald said, clapping loudly, "that's enough. If you've showered, get out of here and wait for the rest of us, outside."

They nodded and got to their feet, though I knew both of them well enough to know that they'd just continue their debate as soon as we were out of earshot.

"Hold up! Since you're heading out, anyway, you can collect and return all our gear." I added, to their dismay.

"That's a good idea," Randal agreed, "and it'll save us all some time."

Both of them groaned in unison but did as we asked, walking out with piles of clothing in their arms, paintball rifles slung over their shoulders. The rest of us showered and changed quickly, though I was the last one out. I marveled at how lifelike the indoor course was as I made my way to the exit, skirting around fake foliage, rubble, and crumbling walls and buildings.

Spread over an area of one square acre, this particular paintball arena was one of the largest, and arguably the best, in India. People would journey from all over the country for the games and tournaments they hosted, and the waiting list for a slot was miles long. Rayka had planned for us to be there almost a year ago, and had secured the location exclusively for our use, for six hours, way back then.

I had no clue that any of this would be happening, of course. It had all been a surprise.

Walking out into the lobby, I stopped to take in my ragtag group of family/friends. Rishiji, Randal, Mathias, Swati, Ronald, Vaishnavi, Senga, and Lisbet were all huddled together, in what seemed like a tense discussion. Auset and Rayka were laughing at something Sylvia had said, while Sneha was chatting with Mahala, doing her best to hide the fact that she had a serious crush on the older woman. Rahul and Idris were still speaking to an attendant, working on getting our deposit back.

A lot had happened over the past four years, and honestly, it all started on one night.

Six or seven months after Swati had given me my Implement and started teaching me how to cast spells, Ronald and I had driven to Vaishnavi's house for the twins' birthday party. Though they'd invited some others from the Academy, there were a lot of Mundanes at the party, too. Byrav, as usual, hadn't been in attendance.

Rishiji had pulled me aside at some point during the night and had asked me to visit him the next day, so that we could discuss Pan's Bounty. My Gift had flared up a few times over the preceding months, though I'd managed to learn to recognize when it did, and had always managed to find an isolated spot for it to run wild in, until I deactivated it. We were supposed to have met months ago, but certain events that I hadn't been privy to had taken precedence.

I must admit that I'd been on alert the whole night; after all, the last birthday party I'd been at had ended with both my parents killed, and my entire world turned on its head. Nothing untoward happened that night, though, and Ronald and I actually stayed over that night, heading back to the Academy only the next morning.

After I'd finished training with Swati, she'd accompanied me back to my Abode, where we had breakfast with Rishiji. Ronald had already brought her into the loop a few months before that, since my Gift had activated during one of our training sessions. She'd agreed to keep it quiet, at least until we better understood how I had manifested a Gift that had never before been seen within the Indian Lineage.

Rishiji had examined me after we were done eating, but he hadn't found anything that would explain how or why Pan's Bounty had manifested in me. He had managed to dig up some research that had been conducted on the last living Wielder with the Gift, back in the ninth century. Some of the techniques described therein were purported to have helped the Wielder better control her Gift, but Rishiji warned me that they might not work on me.

The only other thing he could think of doing that might help me, was to get Sage Perseus to examine me, and see if he might spot something that Rishiji had missed. The Sage was locked in meditation, however, and his last session had lasted eighty years, so nobody really knew when he might be accessible. I'd agreed to give some of the aforementioned techniques a shot, anyway, since that was all we could do at the time.

That afternoon was when I'd asked Rayka out. Her enthusiastic reply, and the lip-lock that followed, had definitely left me floundering. I'd never imagined that she'd actually agree. Ronald came to my rescue, though, recommending a local restaurant that was known for its seafood; the very same restaurant that we would be eating at, if Rahul and Idris ever finished with the attendant.

After a moderately-successful first date, Rayka and I went on six more, before we decided to make it official. Six months later, we moved in together.

Being with her was surreal. We were similar in so many ways, that it just boggled my mind. I could "count the ways we were different on my fingers and toes", but rather than being a source of boredom, our similarities seemed to bring us together.

With her, I could fully be myself. I opened up to her like I'd never opened up to anybody before; the degree to which I trusted her was honestly scary. She intrinsically understood me, reflected a lot of my own thoughts and values, and made me feel alive. I couldn't even remember what life had been like before I met her, and I definitely couldn't imagine a life without her. She completed me.

As our relationship deepened, our circle grew. Auset, a Hawk-Bonded Tier 4 Wielder was the first of her friends to join in, which didn't surprise anyone, I suppose. Idris, a Shark-Bonded Tier 2 Wielder followed Auset everywhere, almost like a lost puppy, so he was next in, followed by two more of our classmates, Sylvia— a Tier 3 Wielder, Bonded to a Cheetah— and Mahala— a Tier 4 Wielder, Bonded to a Falcon.

We hung out at Vaishnavi's house a few times over the years, and as the twins grew older, they became part of our group, too. Sneha started falling for Mahala somewhere along the way, and I think Mahala mirrored the feelings, though neither of them seemed to want to act on it just yet. It made sense, I guess; Sneha was still only fifteen.

As the twins started spending more time with us, Vaishnavi joined us from time-to-time, dragging Swati and Ronald along with her. That gave the two of them more time together, and they'd announced that they were dating in early 2016.

Vince wasn't on-board with their relationship, but well, that was just Vince. He wasn't on-board with anything, unless it was his idea. He was actually pretty similar to Byrav, and I figured that it was only a matter of time before the two of them were in cahoots.

I'd been at the Academy for three years by then, and was finally getting to the point where I needed to focus my efforts on mastering a weapon. Power-wise, I was almost as strong as Ronald, and had transitioned to dressing in yellow, just as he did. The techniques that Rishiji had uncovered three years ago had actually helped me gain a modicum of control over my Gift, though I still couldn't activate it at will.

I'd manifested two more Gifts during that time. The first, I termed "Battle Sense", which allowed me to understand the rhythm of a fight, and sometimes made it seem like I was predicting my opponent's moves. From what Ronald told me, my father had a similar Gift, though his had been stronger.

The second was something I termed "IntelliPattern", which allowed me to see patterns in any data set, mathematical or otherwise. It helped me become a better strategist, which in turn, allowed me to be a better fighter.

Unlike Pan's Bounty, I had full control over both these Gifts, and could activate or deactivate them at will. Initially, I could only use one at a time, but with practice, I began using both of them in tandem. They elevated my martial prowess to a whole other level, and my sparring session with Vince gradually started going in my favor, once in a while.

By then, Swati had taught me everything she could when it came to using a quarterstaff or a sword, so she introduced me to Senga and Lisbet.

I'd met Senga back at my trial, and knew her as one of the Sapt Senapati, but Lisbet was somebody I'd never met before. She was a Tier 2 Wielder as well, like Senga, but had chosen to devote her life to research, which was highly irregular for an Arabian-Leopard-Bonded Wielder. She was still one of the best swordswomen in all three Academies, and had been happy to train me. She was also a great source of knowledge, and I always walked away having learned something new, after speaking to her.

Senga, similarly, had been happy to train me to use a quarterstaff. She was rather fun to train with, though the fact that she slipped into a heavy Scottish accent as we fought, sometimes made her difficult to understand.

The addition of two new instructors intensified my training regimen, but I didn't complain. I'd long since accepted that I would have to work ten times as hard as my peers, just to be able to catch up to them. I had years of training to make up for, and I was going to give it my all.

All these people had earned my love and my respect over the last four years, and were now integral parts of my life. Still, I didn't really understand why Rayka had invited the "oldies", as Rahul put it, to join in on my birthday. It was a diverse group by any measure, in terms of age and background, and it would never have worked on paper.

Over the course of this day, however, all that seemed to just fade away. All of us threw ourselves into the paintball match with gusto, and it truly was an amazing time. We ended up with the older, more experienced Wielders facing off against a ragtag bunch of "young 'uns", but since Wielding and Gifts were banned, we actually ended up being more fairly matched. Our team still lost, but none of us could say that we hadn't given it our all.

"You okay, babe?" Rayka whispered in my ear, as she embraced me from behind.

"I am," I responded, taking her right hand in mine and bringing it up to my lips for a kiss. "This truly was amazing. Thank you for putting in the effort."

"Oh love," she cooed, kissing the back of my neck, "you deserve it all, and more."

I couldn't help but spin around to kiss her gently, my lips trying to show her the depth of my love for her, in ways the words they might form never could. I don't know how long we stayed locked like that, lost in the kiss, before a loud cough startled us both.

I broke away with an embarrassed chuckle, my ears burning as I blushed fiercely. Rayka just looked at her feet, which I knew meant that her face was colored red, too.

"Are you quite done?" Ronald teased, a sly smile on his face.

"Quite done, yes," I murmured, avoiding meeting his eyes.

"Let's get going, then!" Rahul exclaimed, taking the lead, "Dinner awaits!"

I reached for Rayka's hand as we left the paintball arena, and she squeezed it tightly, shooting me a smile that outshone the sun. If you couldn't already tell, I was head-over-heels for her. I still can't believe that someone like her chose me, a sentiment she was always quick to shoot down, but one I held on to, all the same.

The group split up as we got to the cars, Rayka and myself riding with Ronald and Swati.

"Class rules apply in the car," Ronald said sternly, yet playfully, looking at us through the rearview mirror. "Hands off, lips off, and keep everything in your pants till you're home."