The Beginning

A/N: Wow, it's really been a long time since I've written one of these. I know this submission is shorter than previous ones, but perhaps it can tide ye over till I can catch up!

To everyone who's reached out to see if I've been doing okay health-wise, thank you all for your concern. Tensions at work and changes in my personal life have severely impacted the time I have to write, though I'm slowly attempting to remedy that.

Thank you for your interest, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

*****

Chapter 31- Agni

30

th

November, 2017

12:37 p.m.

I.G.A.D.W.T.F. Base, Dublin, Ireland

I sat through our briefing in a daze, a million conflicting trains of thought fighting for dominance in my head. It was like my brain was stuck in an infinite "if-else" loop, desperately trying to find a way out of the scenario I was in.

If I told Fiona and the others what was happening, Rayka would be killed.

If I didn't, they would die, and I would be arrested or killed.

I knew that logically, one life-- regardless of its place in my heart-- didn't justify the tradeoff. The kicker, though, is that feelings are never logical. They just are. You feel what you feel no matter the reason, and when they're as strong as the ones I was wrestling with, no amount of logic could change the outcome.

I

would

save Rayka. No matter what.

But would I be able to stand by and watch my squad die? Did I have it in me to--

"Chris?" Fiona asked, placing her hand on my shoulder and startling me. "Are you okay, kid? You've been super distracted since you walked in."

Glancing around, I saw that we were the only ones left in the room. I guess moral quandaries about literal life or death really put you into your own headspace.

"I'm alright," I responded, flashing a small smile. "Relationship trouble, that's all."

Honestly, with all the secrecy surrounding our work, I'd gotten bloody amazing at lying through my teeth over the past few months.

"Well, leave that shit here, okay?" she said, patting my shoulder. "Even if this is probably just another kid trying to make a mini-sun or whatever, we can't let our guard down."

"Roger that, Centurion."

"Good lad. Now go get your stuff together. We leave for Galway in five."

Saluting her sharply, I headed to my room to get my go-bag. I was surprised to see Anaya waiting for me outside the elevators, a bag in her hand as well.

"The fuck are you doing here?" I spat, not even bothering to hide the venom in my voice.

"Didn't anybody tell you?" she asked, mockingly. "I'll be riding along with you on this mission."

"I don't need a bloody babysitter! I know what's at stake. Vince will fucking get what he fucking wants."

I doubled over as excruciating pain blossomed in my midriff. A fist tangled in my hair forced me to look up at her through watery eyes, my lungs struggling to fill with air.

"You

will

give the Commander the respect he deserves, or I

will

make you pay. Is that clear?" she stated, coldly.

If looks could kill, my glare would have melted her face off.

"Good," she grunted, letting go and shoving me to the ground. "Get yourself together and let's go, already. The sooner I'm rid of you, the better."

I climbed to my feet and dusted myself off, glaring after her as she walked away briskly. Snatching up my bag from where it'd fallen, I followed her to Ryan's car, getting in the back as she got in the passenger's seat. He shot me an apologetic glance through the rearview mirror, and I nodded back, understanding that he didn't have much of a choice in what was happening, either.

The ride to Galway was awkward as nothing else. Anaya, with her haughty and aloof attitude, completely threw off our dynamic. Even if she hadn't, I wasn't exactly in the mood for conversation.

A little over three hours later, we arrived at the safehouse in Galway-- a seemingly abandoned farmhouse, close to the Atlantic shore. Galway was one of those cities that seemed to just fall away as you neared the city limits, giving way to wide swaths of farmland.

Its pseudo-remote location made this safehouse a place where we could Wield freely, one of only two in the country. There were also more sheep than people around, which worked in our favor. However, the fact that it was an area where Wielders could more freely cast spells also meant that reports from the region were taken more seriously than others.

We were the last to arrive, and as we walked into the house, I saw that all the others were already gathered in the main room, a single LED bulb doing an admirable job of illuminating the large space. Anaya immediately took charge, which didn't sit too well with Fiona. However, given that Vince outranked her, she kept her dissatisfaction to herself, save for a single dirty glance.

Contrary to our usual methods, Anaya had all the teams meeting in a single grid after their sweeps, indicating that she considered it a high-profile target. While the others accepted her explanation that they didn't need their Armor since it was probably not a Dark cell, I knew otherwise.

She was sending them to their deaths like pigs to slaughter. No weapons, no Armor, no way to defend themselves.

I had to let it happen.

I couldn't let it happen.

But she was there. Anaya was right there, just waiting for me to fuck up. She probably had a direct line to Vince with a Communicator, too. The second I did something wrong, that was it. Rayka would die.

And yet, this couldn't be how things happened. I had to stop it. I just had to find a way-- and that was when I saw it.

A pair of Inhibitor Cuffs sitting on the table, a mere couple of meters from Anaya.

I had to do it.

Without even giving myself enough time to think it through, I tapped into my Power, drawing in as much as I possibly could. The light overhead flickered and went out as magical fields interfered with electromagnetic ones, but it didn't matter. Before the others even had a chance to react, I'd augmented myself completely, moving faster than they could blink. Rushing over to the Inhibitors, I clamped them around Anaya's wrists, activating them before releasing my hold on my magic.

The light came back on instantly as I dropped to one knee, the suddenness with which I'd de-augmented myself jarring my body.

"What do you think you're doing?" Anaya asked, fixing me with a cold glare, the others just looking at me with varying degrees of shock.

"Hold her," I wheezed, as my body slowly recovered. "Trap."

"Troy, Rory," Fiona commanded, indicating with her head that they should do as I asked. "Chris, explain."

Struggling to my feet, I took a couple of deep breaths in before answering her. I explained everything: How Vince had blackmailed me from the beginning, how the whole mission was a trap, and how Vince had threatened to kill Rayka if I didn't cooperate.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, unable to even look at her face. "I never meant to hurt anybody. I just wanted to keep Rayka safe. But I couldn't just let them--"

"I understand," Fiona responded, walking up to me and surprising me with a hug. "It's not your fault, Chris. You were used."

"

This

may not be," Michelle chimed in, "but Rayka's blood is now on your hands."

I looked at her in shock, ice-cold fear shooting through my veins. "What--"

"You didn't

really

think that the Commander would send us to our deaths, did you?" Emily asked, tilting her head to a side. "This was always just a test, Chris, to see whether you could do as you were told. Nobody would have died-- well, Fiona would have, but we were all just looking for a reason to off her, anyway."

"He got to you, did he?" Fiona asked, her voice dangerously low.

"All of us, actually," Rory interjected, as he helped Troy take the Inhibitors off Anaya. "Well, except for the Muddie, but they're disposable."

Anaya tsked, rubbing her wrists as the others gathered around her, backing myself, Fiona, and Ryan into a corner. "All you had to do was keep your mouth shut. A Wielder and a Muddie for the life of someone you love-- not a bad deal, overall.

"But no, you wanted to be

good

. You wanted to be a hero, like Mommy and Daddy. Very well, little

hero

, it's time to pay the piper."

The light went out again as all of us collectively drew on our magic. Even if we'd all been at similar strengths, Fiona and I were massively outnumbered, and we knew it.

"Protect Ryan," she instructed me, as she punched a hole through the wall behind us, leading us out of the house.

I nodded, pushing him ahead of myself as I ran, reaching out to my Media, weapons, and Armor, and summoning them to me. Unlike the others, my gear was still stashed in my Abode at the Academy, an oversight that would cost me dearly.

Emily suddenly appeared in front of us, an arrow nocked and pointing right at me. Smirking, she let it fly, but Fiona intercepted it, swatting it out of the way with an edged mace. She was already armored up, and she lunged at Emily, the two of them disappearing for a few seconds. Ryan and I kept running; it was all we could do just then.

I could see an old well up ahead, which gave me an idea. Scooping Ryan into my arms, I augmented myself to twenty percent, crashing through the slatted boards that were covering up the well. Bracing myself for the impact, I splashed down into the water, de-augmenting just enough to tell him to stay there, before re-augmenting myself and clambering back out.

"Augmented," Fiona panted, skidding to a stop next to me. "More powerful than I knew. Circle."

Nodding, I followed her instructions, pushing my augmentation to one-hundred percent, the two of us now facing away from each other with the well between us. The true difference in Power between us and our attackers soon became apparent, their attacks merely appearing out of thin air for me.

Try as I might, I couldn't keep up with them, and as the seconds ticked by, I was covered in hundreds of little cuts. I healed what I could, but more opened up even as others closed.

They were just toying with me, and I knew it.

My body felt like it was on fire, but I knew that I couldn't give up. As futile as it may be, I had to try to fight back. However, with my gear still a few seconds away, I just didn't know

how

.

"Wield,"

the voice in my head helpfully offered.

"Nice of you to show up,"

I thought back, as a new gash opened up across my forehead, blood splashing into my eye before I could heal it.

"Do you think I wouldn't if I fucking could?!"

Yeah, I may have been on the cusp of death, but my sarcasm wouldn't be taking any breaks.

"You can,"

the voice insisted.

"There is a flame burning deep inside you. A primordial fire that is just waiting to be called upon. Reach for it. Summon it."

"The Seals--"

"The Seals mean nothing. Call, and the fire will answer. All you need to do is believe."

"Such a fucking Disn--"

My thoughts were interrupted as a deeper gash opened up across my ankles, cutting through my tendons and sending me on my back. I rushed to heal myself, stumbling to my feet and looking around wildly, just in time to see Fiona reappear on the ground. Her weapon appeared a dozen meters away, and in my augmented state, I couldn't be sure that she was breathing.

The others started appearing around me, all of them dropping to a similar level of augmentation. Anaya was the last to appear, unarmored, licking specks of my blood off her lips, a regular kitchen knife in her hands.

"The game's up, little mouse," she taunted, in a singsong voice. "Your brave defender is broken, and you will be dead before your things arrive. Give up, and I may let you live long enough to see me choke the life out of your beloved."

"No," I grunted, forcing myself to stand up straight. "I

will

beat you."

"Brave words," she said, bringing her hands together. "I applaud your bravery. Truly, Mommy and Daddy would have been impressed. It's not everybody who can still try, even when they're almost dead."

A blink later, she was standing behind me, the razor edge of her knife held to my throat. "Do you surrender now?"

"I may die," I sighed, closing my eyes and accepting the inevitable. "But I will never go quietly into the light."

As I affirmed my intention to fight till my last breath, a stillness that I'd never felt before filled my mind. At the heart of that stillness was a warmth unlike any other.

In my mind's eye, I could see myself as a child.

It was my fourth birthday, and we'd just finished saying goodbye to Randal and Mathias' families. As Mum and Dad cleared everything away, I'd lounged in front of the fireplace, just watching the flames dance as I'd bathed in their warmth. That year had been the first time we'd lit birthday candles, and ever since my young mind had made the connection between the little flickers on my cake and the roaring waves in the fireplace, I hadn't been able to take my eyes off them.

For what was probably the first time in my life, I hadn't shown any interest in the rest of my party. Presents had gone unopened and games had been played sans enthusiasm. Every single chance I'd gotten, I'd wandered over to the fireplace, just placing my hands up against the grate and pushing my face forward as much as I could. I hadn't realized it back then, but the metal grate had never felt too hot to touch; I'm not sure if any of the adults noticed, but I remembered even pushing a couple of fingers into the heart of the flames, only to come away unscathed.

There was a surreal beauty in the fire that called to me, even back then; a fascination that I could never quite explain. Hour after hour, year after year, I'd just lose myself in their ethereal undulations, always wanting to understand more, to

do

more with them.

Once I'd unlocked my Power, it seemed like my wishes had been somewhat fulfilled. I found myself falling back on Fire-inspired spells more often than not, and for whatever reason, they seemed to actually take less Power than other spells. It was almost like the element of Fire itself called to me, and my soul had reached an understanding with it. Through the years, I'd grown complacent, almost taking advantage of the sparks, but in that moment, it all came rushing back to me.

The flames were creation and destruction; salvation and undoing.

They sang to me, beckoned me,

begged

for me. They whispered sweet nothings and vile temptations, promising everything and nothing. They wanted to be consumed but spat that they would consume me instead.

The warmth was love. It was lust.

It was hope and it was fear.

It was

fire

.

It was mine.

"Agni," I breathed softly, as I felt the blade slice into my skin.

The warmth inside me was fanned into a roaring fire, heat bursting out through every pore in my body.

"Agni!" I screamed, my arms curling up as every inch of my body seemed to spontaneously combust, a cool heat spreading all over me, cushioning me in its embrace.

The fire was

home

.

Roaring my challenge as my eyes flew open, I pushed the fire out around me, sending everybody flying through the air. The flames licked my wounds, closing them instantly, their heat restoring my body.

In my mind, however, none of that mattered. The heat was everywhere. It was everything. None would stand between myself and it.

"How--" Anaya muttered, climbing to her feet, looking at the stub of her melted knife in shock.

In response, I ensconced her in a ball of fire, choking and burning her at the same time.

How could something so insignificant even dare to try and divert my attention?

The others were quick to retaliate, augmenting themselves into higher states and attacking me at once.

Very well, if death was their wish, I would grant it.

Grunting, I merely fed the flames, creating a nimbus so hot around me, it liquified the ground.

Like flies in an electric trap, they dropped to the ground, their Armor fused to different parts of their bodies. Looking around, I scoffed at their smoldering remains, before spotting the last of them on the ground.

Walking over, I squatted down, reducing the nimbus to just my hand.

I was going to take my time with this one, and

enjoy

it.

"Stop!"

an annoying voice shouted.

I stood up and looked around for the gnat that had wormed itself into my head. Two to burn were better than one. Only then, would I be alone with the fire.

"Chris, you need to take control!"

it shouted, though I could not see it anywhere.

No matter. One to burn was better than none.

The flames were hungry. I would feed them.

"Chris Michaelson, the Fire is consuming you. Snap out of it!"

I grunted dismissively, walking back to the last little fly.

"You must listen to me!"

I was growing tired of the game. It was time to end it.

I raised my fist up, ready to squash the fly.

"Eirineftís!"

I stopped, my fist inches from its face.

"What?"

I asked, struggling to fight through the sauna of my mind.

"Chris Eirineftís,"

the voice said, cutting through the warmth.

"That is your name. Your

true

name. The one your parents bore. Would they want you to kill an innocent? Would Rayka?"

"Not innocent. Attacked me. Tried to kill me."

"They did. Fiona is

not

one of them."

"Fiona?"

"Centurion Fiona, yes."

"Centurion..."

The heat grew cooler; flickering, snarling at losing control.

"That's it. You must fight it. You must maintain control!"

It was too much. Too much to fight; too much to win. My mind was torn asunder, at war with itself. I scratched and clawed my way to dominance, crying out in defiance as I realized that I was hovering over Fiona, ready to kill her.

I will

not

do this!

One final yank, and the blazing haze disappeared as quickly as it'd begun. I collapsed to the floor as I dropped out of my augmented state, the hard ground cutting into my naked knees. I looked around, bewildered at the state of everything around me.

"What the fuck just happened?"

I asked the voice, as my Armor, weapons, and Media finally arrived.

"How in hell did I just do all that?! Was I Wielding without Media? How is that even possible?!"

"There is more to magic than most people realize, Chris,"

it answered, audibly relieved.

"Ancient secrets are beginning to reemerge, and you are part of them. Beware of who you trust."

"You're going to have to do better than that!"

I insisted, but silence was all I got in response.

I don't even know how long I knelt there, before realizing that I was buck naked. Quickly activating and slipping into my Armor, I geared up completely and healed Fiona as best I could. After retrieving Ryan from what could have been a watery grave, I got them both back to the car. I didn't exactly know where to head, so I just started driving away from Galway, with no real destination in mind.

"Cork..." Fiona mumbled feebly, from the back seat, about an hour after we'd gotten on the road. "Find Dave. Ferry. Password is 'Succulent'."

"Understood," I nodded, glancing at Ryan, but he was asleep, too.

"You there?"

I called, hoping the voice would reply.

"I could really use some answers before this drive sends me spiraling through a million different theories."

Once again, all the I was met with was silence. So, I spent the next few hours keeping true to my word and analyzing everything that I could remember about what had happened. Try as I might, however, I just couldn't explain it.