The Beginning Ch. 17-18

"Sure, dad," I responded, which got everyone laughing, Swati included.

We settled into a comfortable silence as Ronald navigated his way through Bangalorean traffic, the fifteen-kilometer drive taking us well over an hour to muddle through. I silently held Rayka's hand in mine, her fingers drumming along to whatever was playing on the radio, my palm her percussive instrument.

I almost sighed in relief when we finally pulled up to the restaurant; I don't think I'll ever be comfortable driving or being driven on Indian roads, no matter how much time I spend in Bangalore. Ronald let the rest of us out before searching for parking, and I stretched languidly as we waited for him to return.

The training I'd received over the past four years had helped tone my body, but it was always a little strange for me to feel my muscles undulating when I stretched like that. Luckily, even though I was undoubtedly fitter than before I'd come to the Academy, I still hadn't bulked up too much, nor were my muscles overly defined.

I aimed to keep things that way. A bit of fat made for better cuddling!

It didn't take Ronald too long to find parking, thankfully. Making small talk with Swati was still a little awkward, even though she'd become a lot warmer towards me, over the years.

"Shall we going in?" she asked, as he walked up and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Sure," I agreed, looking at Rayka for confirmation. She nodded in agreement, so the four of us walked into the restaurant, heading towards the greeter's podium.

The restaurant wasn't upscale or swanky by any means, but was still quite pleasant. The walls and furniture were all neutral tones that worked well together, and the staff were friendly. Pictures and knickknacks dotted the walls, but were arranged tastefully, so as to not make it seem overcrowded.

We were the first to arrive, and the greeter told us that since the restaurant was still manly empty, we could choose to sit indoors or outside. Opting to sit indoors, which was air-conditioned and away from the pollution of Bangalore City, we were asked to wait until the servers had rearranged some tables, to better seat our party of sixteen.

"Acharya," I began, as we waited, "could I ask you a bit of a personal question?"

"You can," Swati replied, her curiosity on her face, "though I may choose not to answer it."

"Of course," I conceded. "Well, I was just wondering why you make certain errors when you speak in English. The rest of your language is perfect, but there are times when you make certain errors that just seem out of place."

"Oh," she said, surprised, "nobody has ever asked me that before."

"You don't have to—" I started.

"It's okay," she interrupted me. "It's not one I mind answering. Everybody here knows that my relationship with my son, Vince, has always been strained.

"Every mother wants to make her child smile, make thems laugh, see thems happy. Vince was always a complicated, conflicted child, and was almost always getting in trouble or expressing his disappointment in me, as a mother.

"Do you know how hard it is to hear that your own son wishes he had a different mother? That he thinks that he would be happier with his father, even though he has no notion of who his father really is, or what his father has done?"

I just shook my head, sadly. My relationship with my parents had always been one of love and of joy, so I really just couldn't relate to what Swati had been through.

"When he started learning English," she continued, "I found a way to make him laugh. Every single time I made an error, he would correct me, and the thrill of being able to do so, would make him smile. His glee was mocking, as was his laughter, but it was something.

"For years, that was the only way I could see my son smile. For years, I made mistakes, on purpose, so he could correct me. Over time, those mistakes became an intrinsic part of my language.

"In trying to cheer up my son, I ended up corrupting a bit of myself."

Her expression fell at that, and Ronald just wrapped her in a hug, holding her close. I wanted to hug her too, but I knew that she'd rip my head off if I tried. Rayka nudging me spurred me on to say something, though.

"It's alrights," I said, doing my best to imitate an Indian accent, "I can be managing with its."

"Are you mocking me?" she asked, turning around to glare at me.

"No, no," I quickly replied, arms up placatingly as my heart started hammering away in my chest. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

I expected her to lash out at me, but was surprised when she started laughing, instead. Realizing that I'd just been pranked, I heaved a sigh of relief, as Rayka gave me a side-hug.

"Thank you," Swati stated, and I just nodded in response. She was a far stronger woman than I'd ever imagined.

We stood in a comfortable silence for a little while longer, during which, Rishiji, Vaishnavi, Rahul, and Sneha arrived. A server came out to get us just as they did, so we proceeded in to find our seats.

The restaurant had somehow managed to find us a circular table that was big enough for all sixteen of us to sit around, and had placed it in a separate room. I was just delighted.

The worst part of eating with a large group is having to sit at an insanely long table, and being unable to interact with everyone in attendance. This was a neat solution to the problem. We still had to be a little loud to be heard from across the table, but hey, at least there wouldn't be any neck-craning involved!

We took our seats and ordered some appetizers for the table, figuring that the others would arrive by the time they were ready. I ended up seated between Rayka on my right and Sneha on my left, which meant that I was due to spend a whole evening as the butt of their jokes.

Not that I was complaining, mind you. I rather enjoyed their ribbing, and it made me feel like Sneha really was my younger sister.

Our prediction turned out to be spot on, with the others arriving minutes before the assortment of appetizers did. There was a healthy mix of vegetarian and nonvegetarian options, so that any dietary preferences would be catered to. An odd thing that I'd noticed over my time in Bangalore was that every restaurant, no matter what they specialized in, would have vegetarian options on the menu.

For our main courses, Rayka got a prawn dish, while I ordered their battered and fried kingfish, both of which we'd share. It was something we'd done from the very beginning. Sneha, being vegetarian, went for a dish made from "paneer"— India's cottage cheese.

The food was delicious, the drinks were flowing, and conversation around the table was lively. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves, and I was left with a warm glow in my belly, and in my spirit, by the time dinner was done.

The customary surprise cake made an appearance, and after Randal led everyone in the birthday song, it was time for me to make a speech.

"Thank you," I said, looking around the table. "The words that spring to mind when I see all of you here today, are 'thank you'.

"Thank you all for everything you've done for me over the last four years. Thank you for taking me in, for training me, and for accepting me into your families and your homes. Thank you for being there for me when I was at my lowest, and also for celebrating with me, when I was at my highest. Thank you for your love, your guidance, your concern, and your trust.

"This day ended very differently, four years ago. Some of you were there that night, and witnessed my world being destroyed. Others have heard of it from me, while one of you has held me each and every single time that nightmares of that day have woken me up.

"Can I say that I'm over it? No, I can't, and I don't think I ever really will be. What I can say is that every year gets a little better, and that's all because of you. All of you.

"So, again, thank you."

I sat back down to a round of applause, Rayka kissing my cheek as I did. Our server sliced the cake up and gave us each a piece, and Vaishnavi told him to take half of it to the kitchen, to share with the other employees. He seemed touched at the gesture, thanking her profusely for her consideration, before doing just that.

I gave her a wide smile and a thumbs-up, before getting caught up in conversation again. Since we pretty much had the room to ourselves, the restaurant wasn't opposed to playing some music over the speakers, and most of us paired off to dance and drink and just be merry. I wasn't much of a dancer, but when Rayka asked, I just couldn't turn her down.

"If I can do it," I whispered to Sneha, looking over at Mahala pointedly, "you can, too. Just go ask her to dance with you."

She seemed to take my advice, the two of them joining us on the dance floor promptly. We all knew that Mahala was a kind, respectful woman, and that she would extend that same respect towards waiting till Sneha was old enough, if the two of them hit it off. That was why Vaishnavi all but gave us her blessing, when Rayka and I had mentioned it a few months ago.

A slow song came on, and I was quite happy to pull Rayka closer, one hand around her waist as we just swayed to the music.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked, smiling as we danced through my poor imitation of a waltz.

"I really did," I replied earnestly, kissing the tip of her nose.

"That's good," she sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. "I just wanted you to have fun."

I nodded against her cheek, content to just hold her.

"Your final surprise," she whispered in my ear, as the song ended, "is waiting at home."

Kissing my cheek, she danced away impishly, an extra sway in her hips.

I never imagined myself saying it, but I really wanted that party to end! And well, a divine force of some sort must have been listening in on me that night, because after a couple more songs, everyone started to wind down.

Vaishnavi and Ronald insisted on footing the bill for dinner, so while they settled up with the restaurant, the rest of us made our way outside. Night had fallen, and a clock in the restaurant told us that it was close to 11 p.m. Randal and Mathias were the first to take their leave, and since they'd given Senga, Lisbet, Mahala, and Auset a ride, the six of them set off together. Idris and Sylvia opted to follow them back to the entrance to the Academy, which left the six of us waiting for Vaishnavi and Ronald.

Sneha and Rayka were still tormenting me, and with nobody else to talk to, Rahul was more than happy to join them. Vaishnavi came to my rescue a little later, actually twisting Rahul's ear and pulling him away, like something out of a cartoon. Laughing, Sneha and Rishiji followed them to their car, while Swati, Rayka, and I followed Ronald to his.

There wasn't much traffic, given the late hour, and a little over forty minutes later, we were back on Academy soil.

"Chris," Ronald said, pulling me into a hug, "this was a great night. Happy birthday, again!"

I hugged him back, patting his back a few times, before we separated. Swati just smiled and waved goodbye, walking away as Ronald congratulated Rayka on setting up a great birthday. He then ran and caught up to her, the two of them heading for their shared Abode, hand-in-hand.

"Swati," I commented to Rayka, "looking all romantic. Who would have ever imagined that happening?!"

"It's all thanks to you, you know?" she asked me, wrapping an arm around my waist and resting her head on my shoulder. "If you hadn't been here, our little group wouldn't have been formed, and we definitely wouldn't have hung out with Vaishnavi's kids. Without that happening, who knows if those two would have had the opportunity to grow close?"

"Huh," I grunted, "I guess you could see it that way."

"I do," she replied, before kissing me on the cheek and slipping something smooth and cylindrical into my hand. Looking down, I saw that she'd handed me a candle; a blueberry-scented one, to be exact.

"How did you know?" I asked her, surprised.

"This is your third birthday that we're celebrating together, sweetheart," she replied, looking into my eyes. "I've noticed how you like to end the day. Go on, go see them. When you're done, I'll be waiting for you at home."

She gave me a quick peck on the lips and turned to walk away, summoning Tesoro, her Penguin, to keep her company as she walked back to our Abode.

I thought that I couldn't possibly love her any more.

Yet again, she'd proven me wrong.

******

Chapter 18- A Ritual

20^th January, 2017
11:47 p.m.
The Gates of Ethoria

The first birthday I'd celebrated after arriving at the Academy had been a somber affair; there was just no way that I could associate the day with anything other than the death of my parents. Rayka had done her best to cheer me up during the morning, and we'd had lunch with the rest of our group, before spending the evening at a bowling alley with them. The company managed to distract me, sure, but once we were home, I simply couldn't sleep.

After I'd spent a few hours tossing and turning, I felt the need to go visit my parents. I hadn't been back to the Gates of Ethoria after the first time Ronald, Vaishnavi, and Swati had shown them to me. I wasn't sure if I would be able to find my way back, but I just had to try.

I'd been careful not to wake Rayka up, and was almost out the door, when the light from the outside reflected off a blueberry-scented candle that Rayka's mother had given me as a gift. She'd worked under Mum as a Bhisaj, and from what I could gather, they'd been friends as well. That was how she knew of my mother's fondness for blueberries, and had picked the candle in her memory.

It'd felt right, so I picked the candle up as well, before softly closing the door behind me. Tapping into my Power, I'd walked through the front gate and out through the dimensional barrier that surrounded the Abodes. Since I'd been there for almost a year by then, I sort of knew my way through the forest, and had been reasonably sure that I could make my way to the Great Tree. Once there, I'd figured that I could find my way to the Gates.

Owing to how late it was, the pathways were mostly empty, so I'd decided to practice something Swati had recently taught me. Drawing deeply on my Power, I'd redirected my magic into my body, which allowed me to pump energy into myself, and augment my physical abilities.

In that state, I was stronger, faster, could see farther, hear better, and even sense minute vibrations in the air or the ground around me. It was a heightened sense of being, and though it was a massive drain on my Power, staying in that state was always such a rush.

Regardless of how my magical reserves had grown over the years, it still wasn't feasible to stay augmented like that all the time. Magical fatigue aside, the human body simply couldn't stand the strain that sustaining the augmented state for longer durations of time would put on it. Even Wielders who had been practicing holding it for centuries couldn't sustain the state for longer than three hours, tops.

After the magic had infused my body with energy, I'd set off into the forest, zooming through the trees. It was a good thing that my reflexes were heightened too, or else, I'd just have splattered against the first tree that blocked my path.

I'd woven my way through the flora, and had actually managed to make it to the Great Tree in under five minutes. Back then, I could sustain the augmented state for seventeen minutes, which left me with more than enough to quickly search the area around the Tree.

Three minutes after that, I'd found my way to the Gates of Ethoria, and was sitting on the bank of the lake, facing the island and the Gates. I'd pulled a pebble that I'd previously inscribed with my favorite spell of all: "Agni", the Sanskrit word for "fire".

I'd channeled a drop of magic into the pebble, watching as a golden-colored flame flickered into existence, suspended slightly above it. I'd used the flame to light the wick on the candle, before shutting off the flow of Power, and dropping the pebble back into my pouch.

It had been a clear night, the still waters reflecting the full moon. I'd stayed there all night, just telling Mum and Dad everything that had happened over the months I'd spent at the Academy. By the time dawn had creeped across the forest, the candle had all but burned down to nothing, and I'd found a new sense of peace.

I did the same thing the next year, too, sneaking out to the Gates with a blueberry-scented candle, after Rayka had fallen asleep. I don't know if something you've only done twice before can be called a ritual, but that's what it was to me. It gave me closure, in a way, and brought peace to my soul.

This year wouldn't be any different.

Dropping the illusion as I neared the lakeshore, I used a fire spell to light the candle Rayka had given me. Placing it close to the water, I shucked off my slippers, opting to dip my feet into the lake.

"Hi, Mum," I said, softly, looking at the Gates and imagining them standing on the other side. "Hi, Dad. It's me, again.

"I'm twenty-two this year. Can you believe it? It's been four whole years since you were killed. And man, so much has happened since last year.

"My entire training schedule is insane now. I meet with Swati by four in the morning for hand-to-hand, archery, and magical training, followed by a few rounds of sparring with Vince. After a break for breakfast, I have classes with Ronald, followed by lunch. I then train with Senga on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or with Lisbet on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays, followed by my evening training session with Swati. It's hectic, to say the least. I can't believe that I used to complain about homework from school!

"Dad, you'll be happy to know that I'm really following in your footsteps. I'm training with a sword, just like you did, though my archery skills aren't up to your standards, yet. I've also manifested a version of your Battle Sense Gift, though it isn't as strong as yours used to be.

"Mum, I'm sorry that I haven't been able to pick up your knack for healing. I tried, I really did, but it just didn't work. I do, however, seem to have your gift for defusing situations, so there's that.

"Umm, let's see... Oh, yeah, things with Rayka are going so well. She told me to tell you that she's promised to take good care of me, so you don't have to worry about anything. Honestly, I don't know how I ever ended up with her, but if it was you guys watching out for me: Thank you.

"Randal and Mathias managed to make it today, as well, and it was great to see them. I know their positions keep them busy, and I'm always afraid that things would be different the next time I see them, but they never are. Regardless of how rarely we see each other, we just seem to slip into familiarity. I love that about them.

"Oh, Ronald and Swati are a thing, now. I don't mean to be rude, but Swati is so much more bearable now! I think the poor woman just needed a good fu- lovi- partner. A good partner. Rayka said earlier that the whole reason they met is because I'm around, and I can see some of her logic, but I think they were just meant to be.

"Speaking of partners, Byrav is still a condescending arsehole. I've seen him a total of seven times since that trial, almost four years ago, but his attitude towards me hasn't changed one bit. He still thinks I'm some sort of Dark spy, and I think he's actually got Vince believing him, too.

"Liz is still our prisoner, by the way, though she hasn't really been very useful, information-wise. She's just locked up now, along with all the other captured Darks. They've actually been growing more active recently— the Darks in the outside world, I mean. We've gone from hearing about skirmishes every few months, to 'welcoming' new prisoners every single month. I overheard Swati and Vince talking about how the actual number of Darks out in the world may be significantly higher than any of our estimates.