The Beginning Ch. 32: Epilogue

A/N: Here it is. The end of a journey, and the beginning of a new one. Thank you all for reading and sticking with me thus far, through all my many delays and rants. Work is well underway on book 2, but please note that there will be some changes with how it's posted. You can find the relevant details on my profile/in the comments.

I hope you enjoy the end.

*****

Chapter 32- Masks

2^nd December, 2017

7:29 a.m.

Somewhere in the Middle of the Ocean

It turned out that "Dave" was a boat captained by an ornery Clownfish-Bonded Wielder, who shared his name with his boat. Though he didn't actually warm up to us as such, he did seem a lot less hostile as soon as he saw that Fiona was with us.

I'd later learn that the two of them had grown up together at the Roman Academy, and when Fiona had been stationed at the I.G.A.D.W.T.F., Dave had agreed to be her secret exfil plan, for when the worst happened. While I personally doubted the wisdom in taking a dingy trawler like his out to open waters and sailing it all the way to Ostia, in Italy, Fiona seemed to trust him, so I resolved myself to doing the same.

I definitely couldn't deny that travelling that way, we'd be less likely to be spotted by Vince or any of his allies. My concerns about how long it might actually take us were also assuaged as soon as we were far enough away from shore-- it turns out that clownfish can be rather swift swimmers! With the help of his Companion, Dave actually predicted that we'd drop anchor off the Italian coast sometime on the 3^rd of December.

As small as it was, the nondescript trawler did have a lower deck which doubled as rather cramped living quarters, the single bed of which was currently occupied by Ryan, as he took his sleep-shift. After grabbing a bit of stale bread and some truly horrendous coffee to dip it into, I wandered around the deck, nodding to Dave, before spotting Fiona sitting by the bow, her legs threaded through the bars to dangle off the boat.

"Are you doing alright?" I asked her quietly, taking a seat next to her.

The breakneck pace Dave's Companion could somehow continuously keep up created an ever-present salty mist in that vicinity; it actually added a welcome bit of flavor to the bits of bread I was trying to force down my throat, and I'd long since gotten used to the wet and the cold. None of us were Wielding, in an attempt to keep a low profile, and to not mess with the fragile electronics of the boat.

"I just cannot wrap my mind around it," Fiona stated, stoically. "I lived and fought with them for years. I thought we shared a bond thicker than blood! How did I never realize that they had been turned?"

"Because it wasn't them," I responded, deciding to let her in on something that had been slowly taking shape in my mind over the last day.

"Explain," she stated, finally looking at me, a shocking mix of rage and desperation on her face.

I could only imagine how distraught she must have been. As someone who'd only recently joined her command, I knew that Fiona took it upon herself to mentor-- no, nurture-- each and every single Wielder under her, all to ensure that they could be the best versions of themselves. It was that exact sentiment, that love and devotion to her squad, that I found so hard to betray. Yes, I was still worried about Rayka, but when it came down to it, I couldn't betray Fiona. I just had to hope and believe that Rayka would be fine until I could get to her. I refused to even think about the alternative.

"I've been turning everything over in my head, time and time again," I said, turning to look out at the horizon, unable to meet her gaze. "I know that you have questions about how I was finally able to beat the others and survive-- I do too, and unfortunately, I have no answers for you there.

"You need to know about my Aura Vision to understand what I can tell you.

"I have the ability to see magic, to actually visualize it. It's not consistent enough for me to use it reliably enough as a skill, yet, but I can sometimes even see the strands of individual elements coming together to form a spell."

"There are legends amongst the Romans of a Wielder who could do what you describe. I never thought they could be real."

"They are-- or well, the Gift is, at least. And I'd like for us to circle back to those legends you've mentioned, later.

"But like I was saying, I can see the elements that form a spell, and as they died, a passive spell lifted off all of them."

"Mind control? Could they have been taken over, their mental defenses shattered?"

"I don't think so. I think it was a cloaking spell of sorts."

"Cloaking?"

"Yeah, something low-powered enough that the Power it took wouldn't interfere with any electronics. I think the members of your squad had been replaced by Darks, perhaps a long time ago."

"Do you realize what you are implying?" she asked, climbing to her feet and fixing me with a piercing glare. "A spell like that would somehow have to take even less Power than our Communicators, and remain enabled even as they slept.

"Even if we leave that aside, you are implying that there were Darks within our ranks. Working with higher officers. Are you saying Vince knew? Is his superior, Byrav, in on it, too? I know they can be assholes, but this is the sort of accusation that gets you killed, Chris."

"I know it sounds impossible," I murmured, finally turning my head to look up at her. "I know that it sounds like a huge conspiracy! But, it's all I have for you right now. Believe me, I want to be able to answer all your questions; I just can't!

"We still have no real idea of the sorts of resources or spells the Darks have access to. What if I am right? Isn't this something the other commanders of the Academies need to know? What if there are more of them sitting within the actual Academies right now?!"

I hadn't realized that I'd screamed the last part till I noticed Ryan and Dave standing by the mast, staring at us.

"I'm not saying that you are wrong, Chris," Fiona sighed, looking away. "You may actually be on to something. These accusations are heavy, though, and we simply cannot bring them before anybody without irrefutable proof. As of right now, we actually do not even know what sort of welcome to expect in Rome. The last thing we can do is walk in, slinging accusations about spies and moles. Do you understand?"

I just nodded, turning to stare back at the horizon.

"I actually do hope you are right, Chris," Fiona said, patting my shoulder. "As lethal as the other implications of your theory could turn out to be, at least it would mean that the people I thought were my family, did not actually try to kill me."

She turned and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I knew that we were all exhausted, our emotions raw and hearts heavy with betrayal, and coming from someone in that state, everything I'd just said sounded like a madman grasping at straws.

Something in my gut told me that I was on to something, though; like I was picking at a thread that would undo the whole tapestry, revealing a much darker picture hiding away underneath. I just had no way to prove it.

*****

Dave's estimate turned out to be rather precise, a fact that I found out as Ryan shook me out of the shallow nap I'd finally managed to fall under. It was still dark out, but I could make out the faint outline of some sort of landmass by the feeble light of the stars.

"We're in the Ligurian sea," Fiona clued us in, waving us over to where she was standing with Dave, just off the starboard side of the prow, "about twenty kilometers out from Portofino. A couple of hours' rowing should have us where we need to be."

"Rowing?" Ryan asked.

"Rowing," Fiona affirmed, holding up an inflatable raft.

"If you're going, now's the time," Dave chipped in. "The next ferry will be along shortly, and I want to be well out of range when they do."

"You heard the man," Fiona said, ripping the tag and tossing the raft into the water as it unfurled. "Let's move out."

Taking our turns to shake his hand and express our gratitude, Ryan and I jumped into the water and swam out to the raft, climbing on and assembling the paddles as Fiona finished saying her goodbyes. Once she had joined us, we started making our way towards the coast. Fiona and I did most of the rowing, our Wielder training having us in better physical shape overall, when compared to other people. Ryan filled in whenever either of us needed a break, and a little over what felt like three hours later, we could see where we were headed.

"Those are cliffs," I quipped, as another surge coated the vertical rocks ahead of us in a glistening sheen.

"Thank you, Chris," Fiona responded, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. "Just keep rowing straight."

Sharing a shrug with Ryan, I did just that, though I'd be lying if I said that the sight of those imposing behemoths drawing closer didn't cause my pace to be just a tad slower. I was waiting for Fiona to clue us into her plan, but even as we grew closer to the rocks, she stayed silent.

"Someone need a hand?" The last voice I ever thought I'd hear out there called, as a Seahorse with three people astride it rose from the depths, right in front of us.

"Vindex!" Fiona called, beaming widely, the relief plain in her voice. "I didn't know if Dave's message had reached you."

"It did," Mathias responded, pulling off his helm to reveal that he was the second rider astride the Seahorse, as seven more Seahorses rose up to form a ring around us. "And, I brought friends. In fact, Chris, there's someone here who you're probably even happier to see!"

Mathias pointed behind him, and the third rider pulled off her helm, leaving me face-to-face with Rayka.

"You're here," I breathed, the sudden relief after days of stress and worry robbing me of the little energy I had left. "You're safe."

"There will be time for reunions in a bit," Mathias interjected, nodding to the others as they tightened the ring around us. "For now, let's get you somewhere dry and warm. The two of you can Wield now, without worrying, but I think our friend here might soon be going into hypothermic shock."

As I allowed my Power to flow through me, activating a dozen embedded spells that dried me off and brought my body temperature up to normal, I finally started feeling whole again. A quick infusion of Power also chased my fatigue away, helping me shake off the haze that'd settled around my brain. With a start, I realized that Ryan was in dire straits indeed.

Fiona and I worked quickly to whip up some atmospheric shields that kept him from getting wetter and helped warm him up, maintaining them continuously for the fifteen or so minutes that it took our posse to get close to a beach. The Romans following Mathias had set up a whole camp there, and a Healer who'd trained in Mundane medicine took over Ryan's care as soon as we got off the raft.

"Hold up!" I called out, as Fiona and Mathias started walking towards what was clearly some sort of command tent. "Someone, please tell me exactly what's going on!"

"I'll fill you in," Rayka offered, striding up to take my hand in hers. "This way."

She led me to another tent and let down the flaps, enveloping me in a tight hug as soon as they were down.

"I was so worried!" she exclaimed, barely holding back a sob. "Mathias just came up to me out of the blue and said that I needed to go with him. I couldn't even tell Vaishnavi anything. I don't even know what she must think of me! And then they told me that you were being accused of murder, and Chris, I...

"Tell me it isn't true! Tell me that you didn't kill the rest of your squad! You couldn't have, right? You're not close to strong enough to--"

"I did," I sighed, squeezing her tighter.

"What?!" she exclaimed, pulling away and looking up at me with shock and betrayal marring her expression.

"It wasn't like I planned it," I explained, turning away and pacing, unable to face her. "They attacked us and then everything just went crazy. I Wielded, Rayka, without Media! And there was something wrong with the others... I can't explain any of it, though."

"What do you mean, 'Wielded without Media'? That's just not possible, Chris. The Seals make that impossible!"

"It should also be impossible for someone who's Unbound to Wield at all, yet here I am! Maybe something about me not having a Companion lets me circumvent the Seals."

"How--"

"I don't fucking know, Rayka!" I exploded, turning around to face her. "I don't know anything. Ever since my parents died and I was thrown into this world, things have made less sense every single day! I don't know how I can use magic! I don't know what the fucking voice in my head is! I don't know why I can do some of the things that I can! I just don't know--"

"It's okay," she said, soothingly, embracing me again. "It's okay, love. You don't need to have all the answers. Maybe we can figure out what's happening together."

"Maybe," I agreed, my shoulders sagging as the anger left my body. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you like that. You've been through a lot in the past couple of days."

"Not just days," I sighed, pulling back to look her in the eye. "Maybe we should sit down. There's a lot I need to tell you."

After we made ourselves comfortable on the floor, I brought her up to speed on everything. How I was being blackmailed, how Vince had fixed things up during her fights, everything. The silence once I was done, was just deafening.

"I had no idea," she whispered, after a few moments.

"I couldn't let you know," I apologized. "If I did--"

"I get it," she responded, curtly. "I'm going to kill that Dark scum."

"Let's not hop into honey, now," Fiona said, walking into the tent. "As angry as you may be, Vince is not someone we can just trifle with. We need to take down whoever is supporting him, too."

"How much of that did you hear?" I asked her.

"Just the end there," she responded, holding the flaps open and indicating that we should follow her out. "Vindex and I have a plan, if you'd like to join us."

Rayka and I shared a glance of agreement, before getting up and following Fiona over to the command tent. We never did get to make it there, however.

"Stop!" a voice roared from somewhere behind us, freezing us in our tracks. "You're under arrest!"

We turned around to see Vince, Byrav, Vaishnavi, Randal, and a host of Wielders gathered close to where the beach met the road. All of the Wielders flanking them were armored up and had their weapons drawn; the four of them were the only ones with their helms off and weapons sheathed.

"You!" Rayka cried out, drawing her daggers and settling into a ready-stance, eyes fixed on Vince. "When I'm done with you--"

"Stand down, Rayka," Vaishnavi commanded, stepping in front of Vince. "And don't get me wrong, that's an order."

"You can't actually believe what they're saying!"

"My belief or disbelief is secondary. We have laws. It's our duty to uphold them."

"But--"

"Stop," I whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're clearly outnumbered. What are you hoping to achieve?"

"I--"

"There's no need for any of that," Mathias said, striding out of his tent. "This is not how I planned to do it, but Chris Michaelson and Centurion Fiona Nabão have received the Vindex's Pardon."

"Are you sure about this, Mathias?" Randal asked, his face devoid of any sort of expression.

"I am," Mathias responded. "Do any here challenge my right to declare them innocent?"

"I do," Byrav answered, stepping forward. "You may do with the bitch as you like, but Chris Michaelson falls out of your scope of authority. He will be tried through our legal processes, not yours. Unless, of course, he is seeking asylum or has irrefutable proof of his innocence."

"I have all the proof I need," Mathias declared, drawing his gladius and stepping forward. "My presence makes this sovereign soil of the Roman Academy. Chris is under my protection here. Challenging that would not end well for you."

"You would do well to remember who you address, Matty," Byrav sneered, as the Wielders with him drew their weapons at his signal. "You have no authority over me."

"Let's all calm down now," Vaishnavi implored, turning around to face the other Wielders. "These are our allies. Attacking them will only harm our fight against the Darks. If Chris must stand trial, there are diplomatic channels which were created for situations like this."

"They don't answer to you, Agrayodhin," Fiona said, gesturing at Byrav. "This is exactly what Chris brought to my attention, and why he must never go to trial. There is a sickness rotting away the core of the Indian Academy, and this little display shows us just how far up it goes."

"I don't know what that means," Vaishnavi called over her shoulder, "but these are my soldiers. As your Agrayodhin, I command you to stand down. That includes you, Byrav."

In response, Byrav just backhanded her, sending her flying across the road. Randal moved to respond, but Vince kicked him in the chest, launching him in the other direction.

I'd been watching the entire display with a growing sense of dread. While some of the aspects of the confrontation weren't entirely clear to me, that blatant attack settled everything. Unbeknownst to Vince and Byrav, it also revealed something else.

"Did you see that?" the voice in my head asked, just as Vince attacked Randal.

"I did," I answered, deferring my other questions for him for the moment. "It was like a shadow flickered over Byrav's Aura."

"You must act quickly," the voice instructed me, a strange urgency underlying his words. "Draw on your Power, but restrict yourself to using Spirit. Think of a stream of blades washing over that group in front of you, and push that image into your magic."

I did as he asked, but it was like I was trying to punch something underwater. I just couldn't get a grip on my magic.

"Focus!" the voice exclaimed. "Clear your mind and think only of Spirit. Quickly, before they realize that you're Wielding."

I shut my eyes and concentrated as hard as I could, shutting out everything else around me. I could feel the muscles holding my lower jaw tightening as my focus narrowed, and just as I was about to get a cramp, the pushback abated.

My eyes snapped open, Aura Vision enabled, as I hurled my arms out at the group. Even though I knew the others couldn't see anything, to me, it was like a million tiny, glowing knives were being hurled out of my palms and towards the Wielders in front of me. What surprised, though, was how Byrav raised his hands to cover his face, like he could see them too.

As the stream of knives swept across the group, it was like they fractured reality for a second, leaving an afterimage in their wake. As the afterimage faded away, Vince was the only Wielder left who I recognized. The others who were armored sported a few different designs, some of which actually looked medieval.

Every single one of their auras, though, was shrouded in a roiling darkness.

"Well," the man who used to look like Byrav said, in a deep baritone, as he lowered his arms, "that was something I did not expect."

"Nicolas?!" Vaishnavi exclaimed, jumping to her feet and drawing her sword. "How--"

"At arms!" Mathias bellowed, his helm flying onto his head. "Darks approach. Summon reinforcements!"

Fiona triggered a spell that sent a flare into the air, letting any watching Wielders know that we needed backup. I had no clue whether the Roman Academy would have patrols or watchers all the way out by the coast, but a series of answering flares lit up the sky, assuaging my worries.