The Beginning Ch. 25-26

A/N: It's been a bit of a crazy month, but here are the next two chapters in Chris' story. A few more posts, and we should hit the cutoff point for book 1.

I have to admit, I didn't think I'd get this far when I picked up writing this story back in January this year. I even had someone heckle me to that very tune. But thanks to the sort of feedback I receive from my beta readers and the rest of my readers here on Lit, I believe we'll get to see all of Chris' tale unfold.

Thank you for reading and your continued support!

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Glossary

Agrayodhin: The Champion of the Indian Academy.

Bhisaj Swamini: The Head Healer of the Indian Academy.

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.

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Chapter 25- Threats

21^st March, 2017
7:45 a.m.
My Abode

A series of knocks at my door drew my attention away from the sandwiches I was making for myself and Rayka. She'd left a while ago, heading to Training Room 1 to see who her first opponent was for that day. We hadn't had a real chance to talk about our battle, having been otherwise engaged, so I was hoping to surprise her with her favorite tuna-and-cheddar sandwiches after her first fight, and see if we could get some time alone. I knew that we were "okay" in the sense that neither of us had any malice for the other over the battle, but I wanted to talk things over, just the same.

Sighing at how whoever this was would definitely cause me to miss the beginning of Rayka's battle, I hurried to the door. Yanking it open, I was shocked to see Byrav standing there, Ronald appearing at my gate behind him.

"Byrav, you can't just—" he stopped midsentence, noticing me at my door. "Oh, Chris, good morning. Byrav and I—"

"You're being deployed," Byrav stated curtly, fixing me with a glare. "Report to the Smiths tomorrow and get your shit in order. You leave on the 27^th."

He turned around and left, rudely brushing past Ronald. I just stood there, shocked, unable to come up with anything to say, my mind racing to process everything he'd just said.

"Wait!" I called, but he was already past my gate, a ripple behind him all that remained of that interaction.

"Ronald?" I asked, turning to him. "I don't understand."

"Perhaps we should talk inside," Ronald suggested, heaving a sigh.

I nodded, turning around to lead him inside. We took seats facing each other, a rather expectant silence weighing down the air around us.

"Is that tuna?" he asked, unexpectedly.

"It is," I responded, having forgotten all about my sandwiches. "I was hoping to surprise Rayka with some tuna and cheddar. Would you like one?"

"No, thank you," he turned me down, and I just nodded, getting up to go finish making the ones I'd prepared.

"Just get on with it, Ronald," I said, steadfastly focusing on grilling the sandwiches to perfection with a Fire spell. "That was just Byrav's way of rubbing my nose into my defeat, wasn't it? He always did say that I'd amount to nothing within the Academy, and he was right. That doesn't mean I didn't try, though! If I'd had more training, more time to prepare, maybe—"

"He was serious," Ronald interrupted me, and I almost burned the sandwich I was working on in shock.

"What do you even mean?! I know that I didn't place high enough to make the cut for Vaishnavi's squad. How could I still be deployed?"

"You won't be working with Vaishnavi."

"Who else within the Academy—"

"Chris, would you just let me finish?"

Rightfully snubbed, I apologized, trying to get calm myself down by focusing on getting the seal of Air just right around the sandwiches, which would work to keep them warm and perfectly crispy till we sat down to eat. Satisfied with my work, I surrounded them in an opaque box of Air and set them aside.

"Now that I have your attention," Ronald continued, as I washed up and returned to sitting opposite him, "allow me to explain. You must know by now that Vaish's squad isn't the only one being deployed. She was just adamant that nobody else was to try to recruit either you or Rayka. And, well, when the Agrayodhin speak, the Academy listens.

"However, Byrav doesn't really fall under Vaishnavi's command, nor does he particularly care for her edicts. So, when he decided to recruit you to his corps, there really wasn't much anybody could do to stop him."

"So, I'm meant to work with Byrav as a spy?"

"A covert agent for the Academy, yes."

"No," I stated firmly, looking him square in the eyes.

"No?"

"No. I refuse to work for Byrav or allow him any modicum of control over my life."

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, Chris," Ronald said with a sigh, leaning back and slouching into the couch. "You've officially been drafted. Refusing to answer a commander's summons in times of war is akin to betraying the Academy. Byrav could have you on trial for that, and unlike the last time you faced the Sapt Senapati, you'll actually be guilty of what he'd be accusing you of doing."

"Well, maybe I'll just get Rayka and leave, then!"

"Nobody could stand in your way if you decided to do so," Ronald said, leaning forward and looking at me intently, "but I want you to understand that if you did, Byrav would move to have you permanently banned from ever returning to the Academy. Also, I don't think you, nor Rayka, are really the types to abandon your home in times of strife."

"She definitely wouldn't," I admitted, heaving a heavy sigh. "Ronald, I don't want to have to report to Byrav. We both know he isn't the most stable individual, and he's shown that he has it out for me. Having me do whatever he orders me to... that's a recipe for disaster. My disaster."

"I know, Chris, but I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. At least this way you'll actually be deployed. It won't be on the front lines or fighting beside Vaish or maybe even Rayka, but at least you won't be left on the sidelines."

"I guess that makes sense. I just don't know if it's worth it."

"That, unfortunately, isn't something I can help you figure out. But maybe Rayka can. Talk to her about it, see what she says."

"I'd have done that, anyway. But yeah, you have a point."

"I won't keep you much longer," Ronald said, getting up. "I'm sure you'd like to go catch Rayka's battle. Just... try to focus on the positives here, okay? I can't promise much else, but I can tell you that Byrav has a lot that he could teach you; he's definitely one of the most talented Wielders I know, and he has this creative approach to Wielding that I just know that you'd appreciate. Both of you just need to give the other a chance."

"I'll try," I conceded, seeing him off.

"He is correct."

"I was wondering when you'd show up." I thought back at the voice. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you do not really have a choice. There is but one way forward, and as much as you may loathe it, it is one you must take."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, you need just make peace with it."

"I'll figure that out," I thought at him, as I gathered up my magical lunch box. "You and I have other things to talk about."

"We do. Ask your questions. I shall answer what I can."

"Okay. What is 'Spirit'?"

"You know the answer to that yourself," he responded, as I tapped into my Power and walked past my gate, reappearing in the forest outside the Abodes.

"The fifth element?"

"No," he corrected me, as I slipped into an augmented state and started making my way towards the Academy. "It was the first."

"Explain?"

"Do you know of the nature of the Companions and how we came to be Bonded to them?"

"I do."

"Then, you understand. Spirit is the element that composes the human soul and what the Companions are natively made up of. It is the element that forms the Bond itself, and that which affords humanity the ability to manipulate the other elements.

"Spirit is what lies at the core of the universe itself. All of existence is merely a construct around it."

"And I can channel Spirit?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I cannot answer that question. All I can tell you is that channeling Spirit is something you must figure out yourself, for nobody else around you knows of its existence. It would not change anything even if they did, for they would not be able to grasp its nature, nor use it in their spells."

"But I can?"

"Yes."

"And you can't tell me why."

"You seem to be beginning to comprehend the nature of our relationship."

"You're an all-knowing arsehole who helps me to a limited extent, either because you're not allowed to tell me more, or because you enjoy watching me grasp at straws as I try to make sense of all this."

"Yes."

"I hate you."

"I am aware."

We ran in silence for a bit as I tried to digest what he'd just told me.

"So, can I use Spirit without having to inscribe it on Media simply because the Wielders of old were unaware of its existence, and therefore, couldn't seal it away like they did the rest of the elements?"

"They were aware of it. They simply could not seal it away. Even if they had been able to grasp or channel it, doing so would have meant sealing away life itself."

"Is that why certain spells like the creation of pocket dimensions don't make sense on paper?" I asked, as epiphany struck. "I mean, I can totally understand why nobody's been able to replicate the spells in millennia, and why they always seemed like they were missing something! It was Spirit!"

"That is correct."

"So, there have been other Wielders who could use Spirit through the ages. It isn't just the two of us."

"Correct."

"That means there could be some Wielders out there right now, who can do the same!"

"That is a reasonable assumption to make."

"You already know the answer, don't you?"

"What do you think?"

"Arsehole!"

We lapsed into silence again, my brain chewing away at this new information.

"Our connection; is that one of Spirit, too? Is that how you're able to communicate with me, see what I see, etc?"

"Within a limited extent, yes, it is."

"And that's why nobody could ever see any trace of whatever spell we're using," I mused, as I emerged from the forest and started walking up the Academy steps. "Okay, I think I'm starting to understand some of the things that have been bothering me. Now, tell me what I can actually do with Spirit."

"You must figure that out on your own."

"Arsehole!"

I was met with silence, and I had the feeling that I was all alone in my thoughts again. Muttering a string of colorful curses, I made my way to Training Room 1 to see where Rayka's upcoming battle was. After confirming that it hadn't begun yet, I augmented myself and sped down the halls to Training Room 2810. Rayka was just bowing to her opponent— a female Wielder who was dressed in Tier 2 clothing and Bonded to a Shark— as I entered the stands. Luckily, they were largely empty, so I could find a good place to observe from without any issues.

Curious about what I might see, I activated my Aura Vision, blinking twice as the colors in the world shifted. I felt my stomach drop as I saw that Rayka's opponent was surrounded in a dark blue nimbus. As strong and skilled as she was, the sheer Power difference between her middling yellow and the Shark-Bonded Wielder's dark blue was just too much of a gap, as per my assessment.

Unfortunately, I was right.

It was a lost battle right from the start. Any magical attack Rayka launched at her opponent was swatted away, like it was nothing. Physical attacks, augmented or otherwise, were merely blocked or parried away. Even Tesoro, the devious little Penguin, was kept at bay by her opponent's Shark. Honestly, it was a matchup that should have been over as soon as it began. But for whatever reason, her opponent stayed on the defensive, never once moving to attack.

It was almost like they were toying with her.

"A real fucking shame," a sickening voice that I hadn't had the displeasure of hearing in a while whispered in my ear, as a hand clasped my shoulder from behind. "She really is a majestic fighter, but she's just so outclassed. Of course, being with a fucking weakling like you holds her back as well. Maybe I'll show her what it's like to be with a real man."

"Vince," I growled, moving to turn around and attack him.

"Uh, uh, uh," he tutted, his grip on my shoulder tightening as I felt a frigidity sinking into my flesh that made me feel like my right arm was frozen solid. "Don't you fucking move, asshole. You don't deserve to even look at me. Twitch the wrong muscle, I'll shatter your fucking arm so badly, even the Medics won't be able to heal you. Be doing us all a favor. Just look down at your feet and stay still."

"What do you fucking want?" I asked through clenched teeth, doing as he commanded.

"To kill you and wipe a stain off the Earth," he growled, my arm somehow growing colder, the frigidity now reaching my fingertips. I almost expected to see my arm covered in a layer of frost, but there wasn't even a shift in color. Everything looked the same, on the surface. "But it isn't about what I want, but about what Senapati Byrav commands. You see, after your talk this morning, he thought you might need some extra persuasion."

"So, what? Is this your plan? Threaten bodily harm so I come work for him, and I'm assuming, you?"

"Do you really think we're fucking amateurs?" he asked, his grip on my shoulder tightening and sending a cracking feeling down my arm. "We know your weak spot. We know just where to push.

"Just imagine it, Chris. Imagine if Anaya there finally attacked your beautiful girlfriend with all her strength. Imagine if she was so brutal that she traumatized Rayka. Made her never want to fight again, a mere shell, a shadow of her former self. Because that can happen. You have no idea just how brutal a Wielder can be."

"Rayka won't fall like that!" I insisted, unwilling to believe that something like that was even possible. "She'll fight back. She'll be fine."

"Maybe," Vince mused. "But even if she did, she'd be sidelined. Definitely not deployed this time, if ever. And while the rest of the Academy is away fighting the Darks, she'll be left here all alone, broken inside. Or maybe, we'll find a way to deploy her, anyway. Send her into a battle she isn't ready for. Allow her to be captured. Has she ever told you about her grandmother?"

"No," I whispered, unable to even comprehend Rayka being subjected to those atrocities.

"That doesn't have to happen, though," Vince continued. "Anaya could suddenly fumble a spell. Happens to the best of us. Rayka could use that opening to win. For the rest of the Proving, she could miraculously be matched up with Wielders she can easily defeat, all the way till she qualifies for Vaishnavi's squad. When she's deployed, it'll be under Vaishnavi's command and protection."

"Rayka would never take easy victories like that. She'd know something was up. And I can't believe that you could fix matches in the Proving."

"When you do something right, Chris," Vince whispered in my ear, a menacing tone that sent chills down my spine lacing his voice, "nobody will suspect a thing. How else do you think you and Rayka faced off this early?"

"How—"

"Look at her. Go on, look."

I did as he asked, looking up to see Rayka launch another series of attacks. She was visibly worn out, and even though she was sticking in there, I could see that her moves were lacking some of her usual drive.

She was starting to give up.

"We can give her the opportunity to turn into a great warrior, Chris. You decide her fate right now."

"Fine," I spat, the helplessness of my situation sinking in. "I'll fucking join Byrav's squad."

"That's 'Senapati Byrav' to you," Vince said, a new series of cracks racing down my arm as I let out a low moan of pain. "I'll let him know that he has a new dog at his command."

He let go of my shoulder and I went limp with relief as the pain disappeared, and warmth started spreading down my arm again.

"Oh, and Chris, if you tell anybody about this, you'll find that we have the power to carry out our threats. Anaya isn't the only powerful Wielder that Senapati Byrav can control. Defy us, and Rayka will pay the price."

I just nodded my consent, realizing that I really had no other choice.

"I look forward to working with you."

He patted my shoulder once more, and I could then hear him moving away. By the time I could move again, he was gone, and there was no indication of him ever being behind me. My right arm was back to normal, and I could move everything just fine.

None of the other Wielders in the stands were close enough to hear our conversation, and none of them seemed to have noticed anything out of the ordinary, anyway. If they had, they weren't showing it.

I turned my attention back to the arena, just in time to see Anaya seemingly fumble a defensive spell, which allowed an icicle to hit her shoulder, throwing her off balance. Grasping the opportunity, Rayka rushed the attack with renewed vigor, drawing two daggers and pushing her augmentation to 100%, turning into a whirlwind that slashed and cut at Anaya from every side.

It was a combination that I'd seen her use before, albeit never at 100% augmentation, and the sheer brutality it entailed at that speed and with that power left me a little awestruck. By the time Anaya regained her balance, she'd been cut numerous times and was bleeding so much, she couldn't even hold on to her weapon. As she slipped and fell backwards, her sword clattering away, the referee brought a stop to the battle, declaring Rayka the winner.

She just dropped to the ground, Tesoro curling up next to her as Medics ran up to the combatants. She waved them away as she'd sustained no physical damage, and as I made my way to her, the Medics finished helping Anaya heal up.

She just nodded respectfully to Rayka as she got up and walked out, though the look she gave me as we passed each other, was very different. It was the sort of look one convict might give a new prisoner out in the yard, sizing them up to see just how much trouble they might give them.

For the first time in a long time, I realized that I had absolutely no idea what sort of danger I was getting into.

I shook all that off as I got to Rayka, dropping to my haunches to pull her into a congratulatory hug. Vince had been right, she genuinely believed that she'd won through a mix of chance and skill. After conveying my gratitude to Tesoro, she let him return to the Other Realm, so he could rest up as well. We just sat on the field in silence for a bit, while she recovered from the exertion.

"I thought I'd lose that one," she said after a while, the fatigue obvious in her voice. "If she hadn't fucked up that one spell, I know I would have. She was playing with me, Chris. Almost mocking me! It must have been what Swati felt like, going up against Vaishnavi!"

"I thought the same thing," I responded, pulling her into a hug. "But none of that matters, because you won!"

"This time," she corrected me, her voice muffled by my chest. "But what about the next battle? And the one after that? I've been lucky with my matchups so far; I genuinely thought that you were my toughest opponent, and that was mainly because of whatever you did that sent Tesoro away."