The Beginning Ch. 27-28

"Why did you choose that as a name?"

"I don't really know," I responded, his explanation causing me to wonder the same thing. "When Kassandra asked whether I'd like to name any of my weapons, I dismissed it, since I think the whole concept is a little tacky and dated. Naming this sword, however, was something that I felt I had to do. It just felt like a name I had to claim."

"Could it really be?" Ronald mused, all but talking to himself.

"Be what?" I asked, looking at Kassandra and Rayka to see if they knew why he was being so ponderous.

Rayka just shrugged, while Kassandra was similarly lost in thought, though her eyes were roaming up and down the blade, rather than focusing on the name.

"Nothing," Ronald waved dismissively. "It's just an unusual name, that's all."

"Enough of all that," Kassandra spoke up, looking up to stare me in the eye with a steely gaze. "Why this design, Chris? Do you know what you are holding?"

"No," I responded, more confused than anything else. "I wasn't really thinking of anything in particular during the forging."

"Do you recognize the design, Ronald?" she asked him next, fixing him with the same look.

"Now that I think about it," he replied, finally looking away from the name, "it does look familiar."

"It is an Asi," Kassandra stated, firmly.

"Are you sure?" Ronald questioned her, taken aback.

"Are you a weaponsmith, boy?"

"No, Nana, but—"

"Sorry to interrupt," I said, needing answers, "but what's an 'Asi'?"

"Put your blade away, little one," Kassandra told me, seemingly relaxing, "and put your furniture back in order. This is a tale that will take some telling."

After receiving a shrug and a nod from Rayka, whose comments would undoubtedly come later, I did as Kassandra instructed. Sheathing my sword with the soft rasp of metal-on-metal, I gathered up the rest of my weapons as Rayka reset the couches. Wrapping them all up again, along with my Armor, I deposited them on the floor in our bedroom, before returning to join the others in the living room.

"The Asi," Kassandra began, once we were all seated comfortably, "is a blade that is as ancient as the first Wielders, and synonymous with Wielding in ancient India. While the truth of its origins has been lost to time, like most ancient history, the Asi design has earned itself a nook within cultural mythos, specifically within contemporary Hindu mythology.

"The Hindu texts state that during a time of great conflict on Earth, a group of Indian deities, known as 'Deva(s)', approached the creator of all things, Brahma, to seek his guidance in their struggle against demon kind. Seeing that the Devas were losing the battle, Brahma decided to intervene.

"Gathering a mass of sacrificial offerings, he called for a grand ceremony to be held somewhere within the Himalayan range, with the most pious and the most revered of priests and Devas jointly performing the ceremony. Thousands of Rishis gathered to be a part of this rare confluence of the divine and the mundane, and the accumulated strength of their faith, combined with the powers of the gods themselves, all but assured the success of the ceremony, and the victory of good over evil.

"When the offerings were surrendered to the sacrificial flames, a deafening sound that terrified even the gods in attendance filled the area. A dreadful creature sprang into being from amidst the flames, scattering embers all around, and burning the closest humans to ash.

"The creature is said to have absorbed the souls of those that burned, the sin of its birth coloring its skin a deep blue, like a lotus. When it opened its mouth to let out another roar, those few humans left in attendance shuddered at its teeth, each of which was as long as a man's forearm, and sharper than any sword. They looked to the assembled gods for assistance, but even the Devas were frozen in shock and fright.

"As the creature rose to its full height, it is said that it blackened the sky, snuffing out the light of the moon and the stars. Waves of sinister energy roiled off it, sending tremors across the Earth, igniting the very oceans, and whipping the winds into a frenzy that tore down trees and devastated landscapes. It is said that the very stars began to fall out of the heavens, streaking down to destroy whole cities.

"Brahma reappeared then, halting the creatures rampage before it began. 'The being I have conceived,' He is said to have declared, 'is Asi. A demon borne of divine and pious sacrifice, it has the ability to slay man, Deva, or Asura,' which is what the demons the gods were fighting were called.

"He apparently then slew Asi with one blow, before using his powers to refashion the demon's body into a blade, the design of which matches yours perfectly. Historical records show that it was a popular design in ancient India, but fell out of use well before The Sealing and the formation of modern Wielder society.

"Even after all this time, archeologists have been unable to uncover enough fragments to reconstruct an Asi. Yours is likely the only one in existence that is whole and singular. Wielding that blade, Chris, means that you wield a piece of history that only a handful of people are even aware exists!"

A stunned silence followed her story, and I can honestly say that my mind had been shocked blank. I hadn't even heard about Asi before, let alone seen the design of one, yet somehow, my subconscious had chosen that design for my blade. I couldn't explain it, but I felt like there was more to the story, more that even Kassandra was unaware of. Maybe the voice would know.

"It's getting late," Ronald suddenly said, breaking the silence, "and I don't think Chris has eaten yet. We should get going, Nana."

Kassandra nodded her agreement, and Rayka and I stood to see them to the door.

"Kassandra," I said to her, reverently, "I truly thank you for everything that you've done for me. These weapons are works of art, and I know that they will serve me well."

"Your weapons are some of the last ones I will forge within this lifetime," she replied, suddenly seeming old and frail, the weight of her years showing through. "It has been long and eventful, but it is I who must thank you for giving me the opportunity to forge an Asi. You may not realize it, but if it was not for you, I would never have been able to recreate the design."

"In that case," I added, taking her hands in mine and deciding to push my luck a little, "could I ask you to use the remaining Weildium to forge Rayka here a set of daggers?"

"He must truly love you, girl," she grunted, looking at Rayka over my shoulder. "He knew full well that he could have asked for literally anything else that would be within my power to give him, but he chose to ask for you."

"Very well," Kassandra continued, switching her focus back to me. "But what you are asking of me is more than what is covered by my sense of gratitude to you. If I do this, there is one more thing that I must ask of you."

"Anything," I stated, meaning it.

"One day soon," Kassandra said, looking deeply into my eyes, "I sense that you will discover that there is more to your sword than either of us knows. When that happens, I ask that you let me into your mind and allow me to wield it through your body."

"After everything you've done for me, how could I refuse?" I asked, sincerely.

She patted my cheek with a fond smile, and after telling Rayka to report to the forges in three days' time, she took her leave, along with Ronald.

"What a day, huh?" I commented, as I shut the door behind Rayka and myself.

"Why would you do that?" she asked, looking at me with an unreadable expression. "You heard Kassandra, you could have had almost anything else. Do you know what it's like to have the Master of the Forge indebted to you? Why would you cash in a chip like that on me?"

"I thought that would be obvious," I responded, walking to her and gathering her in my arms. "It's because I love you."

I pulled her into a deep kiss, trying to show her just how much I meant it. She responded in kind, and we stayed locked in that embrace, till my stomach loudly made its protest heard.

"Now," I panted, as we broke for air, "can we please eat?"

Chapter 28- Deployment

27^th March, 2017
3:37 a.m.
My Abode

"What time is it?" Rayka mumbled, shuffling out of the bedroom, eyes squinted against the light.

She still looked tired and disheveled, the aftermath of her forging session with Kassandra last night. Neither of us had realized how the days lined up when Kassandra had told Rayka to report to her, but unfortunately, we simply couldn't reschedule. The Forge was almost always full, what with most of the Academy needing to be outfitted with weapons and Armor, and Kassandra needed to forge alone. It wasn't that she was trying to keep her methods secret or anything; as the person who had taught the other smiths everything they knew, seeing Kassandra in the Forge just tended to distract them, leading to mistakes that we simply didn't have the time for.

So, even though both of us wanted to spend my last day— for the foreseeable future— at the Academy together, we really weren't left with much of a choice. Both of us agreed that Rayka having bespoke weapons forged from Weildium, which would significantly increase her chances of survival while deployed, was the most important thing.

We still hoped to get some time to ourselves once everything was done, but as soon as I saw how drained Rayka was, and just how much support she needed to even get home, I realized that it'd been too much to hope for.

I won't deny that I tucked her into bed with something of a heavy heart; we were both heading into a war. None of us, no Wielder who was being deployed, knew if we'd make it back alive.

"Hey, love," I greeted her, wrapping her into a tight hug. "I didn't expect you to be awake."

"You're dressed," she observed, voice muffled as she nuzzled into my chest. "It's time, isn't it?"

"It is."

That simple statement weighed heavily, its presence filling the whole room. Till that moment, our deployment had been something of an abstract concept. I mean, sure, we'd trained for it, battled for it, and shed blood for it. But now, it was here.

"I don't want to let go," she whispered, her voice telling me that she was on the verge of tears. "The thought that I may never see you again, never hold you like this—"

"Stop it," I chided her sternly, holding her by the shoulders and pushing her back, so I could look her in the eye. "We're going to see each other again. Promise me that."

"Chris—"

"Rayka Morkitov, I want to hear you say it."

She steeled herself before looking up again, the glint of determination sparkling in her eye.

"Chris Michaelson, I promise that you and I will see each other again. Alive."

"I'm going to hold you to that," I promised her, before pulling her in for a deep kiss.

It was a bittersweet parting, neither of us really wanting to say goodbye. I convinced her that it would be best if she stayed home, so after another searing kiss at the door, I walked through the gate and out into the forest. Every bone in my body was screaming out that it was a bad idea, but I knew when I was out of moves. Tapping into my Power, I augmented my speed, racing off towards the Academy's gates.

"You're late," Vince said curtly, as I skid to a stop in front of him.

"I'm here, aren't I?" I asked, in return.

He looked like he was about to reply in kind, but just waved me away. Activating the gate's interface, he opened the portal into Bangalore city. Activating his own disguise, he stepped through, and I followed after him, doing the same.

We stepped out into the Mundane realm, and I was surprised to see that the two of us weren't the only ones there. Nine other Wielders were crowding the hallway outside the apartment, though I only recognized one of them: Anaya, the Tier 2 Wielder who had thrown her battle against Rayka. I waved to her, only to receive a cold stare in return. In fact, none of the other Wielders there seemed particularly fond of me, going by the hooded glances and bouts of whispering that were going around.

"Listen up," Vince said, getting their attention. "The ten of you take your orders from me. You walk where I tell you to, eat what I tell you to, and sleep when I give you permission to. You will obey my orders without question. As far as you're concerned, my word is law. Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" nine voices called in unison, as the others snapped to attention.

He looked at me, lips curved into an obnoxious smirk, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of replying. I may have been cornered into working under him, but I'd be damned before I gave in to him.

Instead, I stared straight ahead into the distance, refusing to look towards him at all.

"Grab your gear," he snarled, pointing at a pile of black backpacks that I hadn't noticed behind him. "The bus to the airport is waiting out front."

"Bus? Airport?" I asked, my surprise causing me to forget my stance and actually look at him.

I didn't even see it coming as he backhanded me savagely, lifting me off my feet and leaving me sprawling on the floor. I could taste the blood in my mouth as I jumped back up, instinctively gathering all my Power, ready to unleash it at him.

"Stop!" the voice in my head screamed, shocking me out of my fury. "He is goading you to attack him. Stop and think, Chris. What is the penalty for striking a superior officer?"

"Exile," I responded, bitterly.

"Am I right to assume that the point of all this is to avoid possible exile?"

"Yes."

Knowing that the voice was right, all I could do was stand there and seethe silently. I vehemently spat out a wad of blood in Vince's direction, already having healed the shallow cut on the inside of my cheek.

"Any more questions?" he asked, voice saccharine sweet.

I shook my head, standing in place while all the others picked up their backpacks, shooting me glares of different intensities as they walked past me to the elevator. Going last, I saw that the backpacks were completely featureless, aside from a tiny tag attached to a shoulder strap, which bore a single name. There were only two packs left, one for myself and the other for Vince.

"Don't worry about a thing, Cannon Fodder," Vince growled softly as I bent down to heft my pack up. "You'll learn your place soon enough."

Electing to not engage with him at all, I swung the pack over a shoulder, surprised at how light it was. Deciding to forego the elevator altogether, I took the stairs down to the ground floor and out the building, making my way to the unmarked bus that was idling at the curb. Climbing on, I made my way to the very back, and settled in for the ride.

There was absolutely no chatter whatsoever as we got underway, and I decided to use the time to see what was in our packs. Sliding the singular zip open, I found it filled with some clothes, with a passport and boarding pass tucked into a corner, along with an iron disc that was inscribed with what seemed like some sort of communication spell.

My guess was that the clothing was merely in there to create a semblance of normalcy, so as to not prompt any questions from airport security. After all, all of us were still dressed in our Academy uniforms, merely projecting illusions of Mundane clothing.

The passport was an Irish one, and seemed to have been filed as a replacement on a lost passport. It referenced my old one, and had all the right details, so I kept it aside. The destination on the boarding pass, however, made my heart leap into my throat.

"Is that the city where you spent your youth?" the voice asked.

"Dublin, yeah," I responded, reading it again just to make sure that I had it right. "I don't know what's going on. Why are we heading to Dublin of all places?"

"The more pertinent question is why you are all proceeding unarmed and unarmored."

"I assume it's to allow us to get past security checks without issues. I highly doubt they'd take kindly to us carrying weapons aboard an airline!"

"Explain."

"Which part?"

"All of it."

"Why not simply fly there yourselves?" the voice asked, after I'd explained airports, airplanes, and airport security.

"One of the first questions I asked about magic was whether we could fly," I responded, remembering how funny Vaishnavi had found the question. "I was told that the Power requirements for sustaining an Air spell long enough to actually fly even ten meters, was just too high."

"Why would anybody use the element of Air for a spell like that?"

"I mean, why wouldn't they? You want to fly, you might as well get the winds to help you along! I guess you could use Fire like some sort of booster, but again, the amount of magic required to constantly fight the pull of gravity would be astronomical!"

"I do not understand why one would employ the element of Fire in that way, either. Perhaps magic in your time has lost more than I believed."

"What would you do then, Einstein?"

"Einstein?"

After explaining who Albert Einstein was and what his contributions to science were, I expected the voice to tell me how to engineer a flight spell. To say that I was "giddy with anticipation" would not be an overstatement. In typical fashion, however, he just told me that I'd have to figure it out for myself. I wanted to retort most unkindly, but my train of thought was broken by our arrival at the airport.

Filing out of the bus, we activated the communication discs like Vince told us to, before splitting up to individually make our way to the check-in desks. Not only were we not seated together, some of the others were on different flights, too. Were it any other country, I'd have considered measures like that absolutely futile after walking off a bus together, but at the Bangalore airport, we were just a few people amongst the literal thousands that were rushing around. The voice disappeared some time between when I got off the bus and when I cleared security, so I basically twiddled my thumbs till it was time to board.

Twenty uneventful hours later, I was in the last place I expected to be. Sure, it wasn't my house, but the Dublin air has a certain quality to it that's downright unmistakable, especially at night. If you're quiet enough, you can just hear someone calling for another pint!

I didn't have very long to enjoy it, though, as Vince started barking orders to us as soon as he cleared immigration. Finding an isolated spot away from the crowds and cameras, I augmented myself as much as I could, and set off to find our destination.

Instead of running, however, we were instructed to jump across town. Doing so while augmented, of course, meant that we were covering acres in each bound, and essentially jumping from one building to another.

The nostalgia of soaring over streets and locations that I knew so well was edged by an overwhelming sense of surrealism. The last time I'd been in that city, I was just a regular human being. Now, I was leaping across the skies faster than the human eye could track, just like someone out of those comic books I used to love reading. The only difference was that I was real.

Ten minutes later, I hopped down off the roof of a house in Lucan, a village on the outskirts of Dublin city. I expected to see some indication that I was in the right location, but from the outside, it just seemed like a regular old house. It seemed to have two floors, with two bedrooms taking up the top floor. A little garden out back had a few neat flowerbeds, though they lay bare at the moment.