Spirit of Mages (Rift of Chaos Book 2)

by A. J. Martinez

  “No one knows for sure, but as we live life, we find some answers and slowly put the pieces together," Akielas had answered.

  "What answers have you found so far?" She asked.

  "There is no correct answer to life," he had told her. "The dragon gods are our creators and, like anyone who creates anything in life, eventually we let go of that creation and see what it becomes. I know it is difficult to understand right now, Ember, but I promise you that you will find an answer to your question. Listen to the whisper of your heart and follow it." He wanted to see, after answering such a difficult question, how she would react, but Ember remained solemn. She was always like that. Always serious, always desiring something, always feeling half empty.

  Akielas remembered how brutal she was when training with him. While learning pyromancy she would cast aggressive spells, even when Akielas commanded her to stop. She even learned to breathe fire and her magic branched off to carnomancy, learning to heal wounds and control her flesh. She once absorbed heat from lava then converted its maju into sunlight. Akielas remembered another time when she blinded him during practice using the light of the sun. She learned so fast and her foster siblings could not catch up to her.

  Akielas had become a little afraid of her, yet he loved her so much. Even when he changed his plan to rid the world of magic, Ember was still aggressive. "Out of all four of my apprentices, you needed the most love and attention, Ember, and I failed to give that to you."

  "Ah, sweet regrets." Caim's voice sent a cold chill up his spine as he gazed at the stars.

  "Were you listening to me?" Akielas asked, embarrassed.

  "Don't worry, I talk to myself as well," Caim said. "More than you probably think."

  Akielas chuckled and Caim joined him, standing by the edge of his island which floated just a half mile away from Kazenolumos.

  "Regrets are sweet," Caim admitted.

  "Sweet?" Akielas was puzzled. He hugged himself with his cloak, keeping warm from the cold breeze of the night.

  "Yes, it reminds me that I am still human," Caim explained. "Emotions, whether they are good or bad, guide us into our internal world. What we have come to name the unmanifested."

  "The unmanifested?" Akielas questioned. Never had he heard the term before.

  "Yes, it is the reason why we are here," the demigod said. "The unmanifested is that which is behind your thoughts and emotions. That which is behind the body that is ever flowing with maju. The reason why I said that regrets are sweet is because I realize the things that I could have created rather than what had happened. Regrets help you decide where you want to go in life. Regrets remind us of what you do have control over."

  "What if you could go back in time and change what you had done wrong," Akielas implied. "If I had that power, then everything today would be different."

  "It still would not matter," Caim disagreed. "Even if you could travel back in time and try to change it, even if you succeed, your current self would still be the same. You will still be miserable because you could not deal with the present. Your life would then revolve around what you did in the past and changing what had happened, because you were unable to deal with the present. Today would not be any different because you changed what had happened in the past not what is happening now. Does that make sense?"

  "To sum it up, live in the present, understood," Akielas answered, somewhat annoyed.

  "Sorry, I think that was too much," Caim said and frowned.

  "I understand what you mean," Akielas replied and laughed. "I am now more afraid than ever. After twenty years, I continue to look at myself in the mirror unable to stop what I had first started. Well, to be honest, I could have finished it, but my heart would not allow me. I am weak."

  "You should know by now that words won't reach them," Caim advised. “Even peaceful creatures like the Effeelions understand that some lives are far too dangerous to be kept alive. Even showing them mercy won't prevent them from taking your life, if they have the chance. Have you ever heard the story of the hawk and the wounded bat?"

  "Doesn't sound familiar. Is it a Yamajin folklore?" Akielas assumed.

  "One day the hawk found the bat wounded on top of a boulder," Caim told the story. "The hawk wanted to eat the wounded bat but the bat begged for mercy. The bat was trying to get back home to its family in a cave just beyond the mountain. The hawk sympathized with the bat and decided to help him. The hawk only asked for one thing. 'Don't bite me or I will fall.' The bat promised he would not bite the hawk. However, when the bat was riding on the back of the hawk and almost arriving to his destination, the bat could no longer wait and sunk his fangs into the bird's neck. His excuse was, 'I cannot help it, biting is in my nature.'"

  "Trust me, you are not the only one who has told me to kill my own children," Akielas said and broke eye contact.

  "If you don't then I will," Caim swore. "Remember, I also want the cosmo jewels. I will rip the Specters apart in order to obtain the remnants. You do not want to be the reason why the Specters succeed, do you?" Caim spun and walked away to his hut, his long wide sleeves ruffling. He paused then looked over his shoulder. "Even kindness has its limits when violence arises." Caim left Akielas alone and entered his hut.

  Akielas continued to ponder. There really is nothing left to think about, he thought. Once I accomplish this, you will be safe, my son. He reached inside his kidney belt and pulled out his teleport crystal. It glowed blue and he placed it on his forehead, on his third eye. The crystal allowed him to see in his mind where his son was. Through a pentacle that he had marked by the home of his brother in El Nido, he saw his son, Ajira, running in a field of grass and crying. The boy was only ten years old, wearing all red and black just like his mother, Demitra. The boy was chasing after one of his cousins who had taken his wooden toy. "Give it back!" the boy yelled and his older cousin mocked him.

  I am sorry my dear boy, but I must stay away from you. If Ember finds out where you are, she will not hesitate to kill you.

  ****

  The next morning, the sun blazed from the east through the window of Caim's hut. Akielas woke up to the glare of the sun and to Caim standing near his shoulder. "Don't make me spill my carrot tea on you," Caim threatened. Akielas rose from his futon, wearing only pants. He stretched and wandered over to the window while yawning.

  "How do you live in this cramped hut?" He asked jokingly.

  "I don't usually have guests, so I have no one to bump into," Caim answered and sipped his tea.

  "Do you even sleep at all?" Akielas asked while he donned his tunic and chest armor.

  "Demigods don't sleep. I simply rest my eyes but sleep is not necessary," Caim answered. He stood up and left his tea on the table. "Aren't you going to Ironside today? Rey Ling is waiting for you."

  Both men exited the hut. Akielas pinned his cloak over his chest plate and it ruffled in the wind. The grey streaks in his hair billowed and he adjusted his sword on his belt. Caim cast a bubble over Akielas with his cosmo magic and they both ascended to the third level. They watched thousands of Effeelions flying around carrying fruits and vegetables into the city. They rose to the dome of the council and entered through the oculus.

  When Akielas entered the dome, he saw Rey Ling and Auron speaking with Nehushine by the crescent moon platform. Auron beckoned and Akielas joined them.

  "Are you two ready?" Akielas asked, still feeling somewhat sleepy.

  "I am not going," Auron declared.

  "Why not?" Akielas queried, leaning forward.

  "One of us has to be here and wait till Eckxio returns," Auron explained. "I am worried about him. Apparently he is still in that other realm, or...what was it again?" He turned to Nehushine.

  "The realm of light," the old Effeelion corrected. "Eckxio has not returned from the realm of light. When he returns, he should arrive through a similar portal from above the dome."

  "Do you know how long he will be there?" Akielas began to worry.

  "I am not sure," N
ahushine answered. "It has been centuries since anyone has entered the realm of light through our portal. I do know that Eckxio is going through some trial to obtain the Angel Valiarmos. As far as how long it takes, well, it could take days, maybe weeks, or even months. The time in that realm is different from here. A year is like a day for the Lumnos."

  "What is a...Lumnos?" Akielas was no familiar with the term.

  "So many know of the realm of light, yet do not know about the Lumnos," Nehushine laughed. I am not surprised. The Lumnos are entities of light in Elysious. Much like fiends occupy Necrovania, the Lumnos occupy the realm of light. They are angelic beings and it is extremely rare to see one in Odealeous."

  "I think the fairy king told me about them once," Akielas recalled. "So, anyways, there is no telling when he will return." He looked at Auron. "Will you still wait for him?"

  "Of course," Auron said. "Never leave a comrade behind. I was once a mercenary in my country and never did I leave my friends behind. Also, I want to stay here in case the Specters appear. I know they will show up soon to take the Aero Cosmo Jewel. And I wanted to browse the library here. The Effeelions have some interesting files."

  "Well then, just me and Rey," he concluded. He turned to Rey Ling and asked, "May I use your Omnistar?"

  Rey took a step back as if he did not trust Akielas. "What for?" he asked.

  "I have never marked Ironside with a pentacle so I cannot use my crystal to teleport," he explained.

  Rey Ling reluctantly handed the Omnistar to Akielas. "Make sure you have a clear image of the location in your mind, otherwise it will push you out."

  "Everyone, stand back," he warned.

  Akielas gripped the Omnistar and felt a strange energy flowing through him. "What is this feeling?" he questioned.

  "That is the energy of the Omnistar. It is nothing like maju, but don't worry," Rey said.

  The eye of the Omnistar opened, purple steam rising from it. It started glowing and then a portal opened to Ironside. It was like looking through a telescope, seeing a distant land through a round opening. The portal widened and they could see the steel walls of the metropolis.

  "Allow me to go first this time," Rey said. He took a few steps back in the dome then ran and jumped inside the portal.

  "If the Specters strike, make sure to send me a signal through the teleport crystal," Akielas said before he left.

  "We will save some for you," Auron replied and raised a fist.

  "I hope you find the answers you seek," Nehushine said.

  "I will not let the Specters win," Akielas said before he jumped into the portal.

  Caim

  An hour after Akielas had left to Ironside, Caim dove down to Yama. He fell through the clouds and became invisible, using the wind as camouflage. It was an aeromancy spell he used so the townspeople would not see him flying by. He swooped by a school of geese, breaking their V formation. As he reached Yumemaru town, he shifted into a hawk and flew close to the triangular rooftops. He flew towards the mansion of his beloved.

  There it was, by the northern town border, protected by bamboo fences. Caim landed on a tree branch and used his eye of the hawk to look into her window, expanding his pupils. He scanned the area and only saw servants inside and the guards outside patrolling the mansion. She is not here, Caim thought and began to focus on her presence. He could sense her life form from miles away. Although his beloved was not a mage, he could still feel her maju. Caim had the ability to sense the maju of even an insect. He closed his eyes and used his cosmo to scan the mansion. Her presence was not found. He then switched his focus to the south of town. He could feel the lives of thousands of people, yet there was no sign of her gentle soul, so he pushed further.

  As he scanned outside of the town, he felt a cosmo similar to his. Another cosmo user, who could it be this time? Then he remembered whose energy could have a similar vibe to his: his own son. Right near the cosmo of his son he felt her presence. Ah, there they are.

  He kicked off the tree branch, soaring south to see her. In a few seconds he was out of the town and, as he flew south, he saw her by the shore with his son, Ashura. Fortunately there was no one around, so he descended within a cluster of palm trees and shifted back into his human form.

  The breeze was still warm even as Yama entered the autumn solstice. Caim strolled onto the beach. There was no one else there at the moment so he did not have to change the color of his eyes and hair. Sand got into his sandals as he walked. He saw his son chasing sandpipers and scaring them away. His beloved watched their child play on the beach. She wore a pink floral kimono and walked through the sand with wooden sandals. Her hair flew with the wind and revealed her pale skin.

  "He is beautiful, isn't he?" Caim said as he approached her.

  She gasped and spun around. Her narrow dark eyes had widened but, when she realized who it was, she exhaled in relief.

  "You scared me," she said and sighed.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to," he apologized and came closer.

  "By the Doran Dojinami, what brings you here?" She asked, her face beaming with a bright smile.

  Caim wrapped his arms around her and lifted her. They kissed deeply then gazed into each other's eyes like they did ten years ago. "My love, my beauty," he whispered. "I came for a short time."

  "A second, or a minute with you, fills my heart," she replied.

  Caim then looked at his son playing with the wet sand, giving it shape with his hands. A wave crashed, toppling his sand structure, making the boy laugh. Sand birds approached him timidly and climbed up his arms. Caim could see that he had a gentle nature. Unlike me, he thought. Has he shown his gifts yet?"

  "Gifts?" Kairi questioned.

  "Has he shown any signs of having similar powers to mine?" Caim asked again.

  "No, not yet," Kairi said, her voice soft. They both gazed at the boy playing from afar. "I am afraid what will happen once he goes through puberty with his powers. Will he be able to control it? How will the people around him react?"

  "And when that happens I will be there to guide him." Caim promised.

  Kairi grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. "You better be serious."

  "I will be here when his powers awaken," he swore and caressed Kairi's hair. "Only a demigod can raise a child gifted with cosmo."

  They sat together on a log and continued to watch the boy play by the water. They didn't talk much, and when they did, it was about the past. Kairi was forced into marriage by her father and mother. She married a wealthy man so that her family could gain status and security. When Caim had first met her ten years ago, she was the lonely girl of a well known merchant. He would swoop down from Kazenolumos and spend time with her right here on this beach. They would hide in the woods or make love in the water. Those were the best days of his life. Caim was now eighty years old while Kairi was twenty eight. He remembered his lonely days as a human living with the monks in the Kumo Sora mountains.

  I remember how I would use women to ease my loneliness until that one night when I saw that shooting star. I will never forget how it happened. I found a special tool in the darkest caves of the mountain and had no idea of its abilities. The monks did not know what it was either. When I saw that shooting star, that special item I found absorbed the star directly from the sky. The way it happened was unimaginable. It was like a ray of light cast by the dragon gods. The amount of cosmo energy that the shell absorbed was overwhelming. When I touched the orb of the shell, my soul burned and I went through a transformation. I was never the same again.

  "What are you thinking about?" Kairi asked as she rested her head on his chest.

  "Oh, nothing. Something about the past," he answered.

  "Tell me, what is it?" She was eager to know.

  "Well, I was thinking about..."

  "Caim!" a distorted voice interrupted him.

  He stood up and peered at the sky. "Caim!" he heard the voice again. This time he recognized it. Nehushine is calling me. "Wherever you
are Caim, this is urgent. Please return to Kazenolumos." Nehushine sounded worried. Caim did not usually receive a telepathic message from the council and when he did it was never something "urgent."

  "I must go," he told his beloved. He embraced her one last time and kissed her before he left.

  "Please come again, and next time, try to speak with your son," she pled.

  "I will try," he said.

  Caim ascended and became invisible using the wind as he gained speed in his flight. He opened a portal, flew through it and quickly found himself above the third level of Kazenolumos. When he saw what was terrorizing the sky city he felt as if he was reliving a nightmare. An enemy he had hoped to never see again was hovering in the air. "Arkana," he whispered with gritted teeth. The transparent image of Arkana appeared colossally next to Kazenolumos. A titan ghost with her hands over the first and second level of the city. Her cloak stretched for miles and her body was thrice the size of the city. Although she was much larger than the city, her body did not cast a shadow. Caim knew that she was trying to intimidate the Effeelions.

  "Summon your demigod Caim, or this city will fall," she threatened, her voice echoing throughout the sky.

  "Arkana!" he yelled, trying to get her attention.

  She gazed up, tilting her behemoth head back, and spotted him. "There you are," she said.

  Caim descended in front of her face. He noticed how her upper body rose from the clouds below. "Arkana! Why are you here?" He yelled again, scowling at her.

  "My dear Caim, it has been two decades since we last collided," Arkana said.

  When she spoke her lips did not move. It was more like an echo, a telepathic sound from one mind to the other.

  "If you have come to destroy my city then prepare to lose your spirit as well," Caim threatened. "Losing your body was not enough. You still dare to attack my home. Why?"

  "Already assuming destruction," Arkana replied. "I have projected myself here to speak to you in peace, for now."