Chapter Twenty

Magic vs Miracle

Tragic endings are better remembered than happily ever after

Vasilias Hazernoth

Earth (The Mainland) EarthYear 999

The House of Almighty was engulfed in an eerie silence. There were glum faces all around. Vasilias had called an urgent meeting of the Potens, but no one knew from where to begin. Since their return from the Valley of Reckoning, they regularly held such meetings but today's meeting was called in haste due to an unwanted fiasco.

Sherwin finally broke the silence. "I didn't mean to sink that ship."

"We know that. But you just went overboard with your powers and provided them thirty more Soulments." Vasilias wanted to shout but he kept his voice in check. Sherwin was very touchy and infuriating him will do them no good.

Sherwin's face was buried in his palms. "Elements have a mind of their own. They are like wild beasts, hard to put a leash on them,"

"So you must exercise more caution. By creating such scenarios we are just trying to instill the fear of the darkness in people's minds. We just want to persuade them to fight by our side. Dead bodies will only please our foes and add to our woes."

Gilbert looked at this accident from a different perspective. "Vasilias, you must also see the brighter side of things. Almost fifty people, including the captain, survived to tell the story. To let people know how they prayed to the Supremes and the storm disappeared. How waves suddenly changed directions to push them toward the shore. Believe me, this captivating story of miracle versus magic will become a legend. It will provide a big boost to our cause."

"The story would have been much better if all of them would have survived," Vasilias argued.

Baelor came to the rescue of his mate. "Mishaps happen. And in my opinion, tragic endings are better remembered than happily ever after. I am equally aggrieved at the deaths, but a gut-wrenching tale of despair mixed with a healthy dose of a miracle could just be the tonic to push our mission in the right direction."

Vasilias sighed and looked at his best friend. He wished Theoreous could give him an insight into their minds, just like the way he read other people's thoughts, but he knew their powers didn't work on each other. "The loss of lives shatters me. Thirty Souls will have to start their journeys all over again."

Theoreous put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I am sure no one in this room wants anyone to die, but remember we are recruiting people for war and war means death. Vasilias, these are not the last deaths we are seeing."

Gilbert came near Sherwin and he could see the pain in his eyes. "My friend, we will hail these people as martyrs of this war. They sacrificed their lives for the greater good. Yes, what happened was a mistake, but we learn from our mistakes. Our hearts are pious and we are doing all this for a noble cause."

Pious hearts and a noble cause. Vasilias wished that was what everyone had in their minds. Before, and maybe even after, this great war between good and evil, many small battles will have to be won because light and darkness had mingled to form some rather gruesome shades of grey.

***

Tri

Earth (The Mainland) EarthYear 1998

The Balmoral Castle, the large estate situated far away from the buzz of London, was the perfect venue for this secret meeting. Alexander had already turned the Castle into a fortress with all the latest Anti-Soulment technology to safeguard his mum and her friends. High iron fences, alarms, nets, traps, Anti-Soulment guns, and cannons, everything was there. Alexander left nothing to chance.

He then quietly sneaked out of London to reach the meeting venue. That was a feat in itself, given the kind of security he always carried with him.

David greeted Alexander with a hug. "That was some way of reaching out to me. Didn't you feel guilty about ratting me out?"

"Sorry for that, but your moron cousin wasn't ready to listen to anything. Had to take the extreme step."

Alexander then introduced David to his five guests. "I must admit I am more than impressed with your prowess," David said shaking Tri's hand. "That was some mind-bending feat. Clearly, you are not from Alexander's family, so may I know who you are?"

"I can't believe this. You haven't guessed that by now?" Tri asked rolling her eyes towards the heavens. "You are being introduced to five special young people. Does that ring a bell or are you even slower than Alexy?"

Alexander pressed his lips together. "Don't mind her, David. You will get used to getting verbally smacked by a girl your daughter's age."

"You are the Pente Potens." It was more of a question than a statement.

Tri faked a sigh. "The dim light is finally turning on. Hope Max doesn't have to give you a lesson on what this means because we are a little short on time."

"Rogue Soulments breaking out of Tenebra, increased demon attacks, and now the Pente Potens. We are heading towards a repeat of what happened during the Last Reckoning."

Mysha clapped her hands. "Well, quite precisely put. You kind of saved us a lot of time, David."

"So, my dear, what is your role in the Potens?" David asked Mysha.

Alexander replied for her. "She is the Bond, and she was my mum the last time she was on Earth. That might help you understand her better."

Mysha gave a wry smile. "David, don't hold back. I am quite used to listening to words like the old hag, the possessed demoness, and what was that horrible headline mentioning me and Alex?"

"A murderous monster born out of a blood-thirsty witch." Brendon was quick to remind her.

"Brendon, generally your brain is in sleep mode but in my case, you are always wide awake."

Brendon bowed his head. "It's always my pleasure to remind ya of ya true qualities, Ya Highness."

"I would rather say that Vasilias chose wisely," David said to Mysha with a pleasing smile. "There is no denying the fact that Elizabeth was the closest anyone had come to matching Vasilias. You need strong-willed people for such a crisis."

"Seriously David?" Tri was at David again. "Your thoughts don't match your words. Your first thought was that Alexander is an idiot to trust us blindly because we could be a bunch of tricksters. Another thought hiding behind the first was that if Mysha is correct then you will have to deal with an updated version of the old witch and that would be a big headache. Another thought in the corner of your mind was to ask us to give you proof of our powers. And you just thought that I like showing off, but believe me, I don't. I am just saving us some time."

Before David could respond Max vanished from his spot and appeared next to him. David opened his mouth to speak but Brendon froze time, picked up a cupcake from a plate, and stuffed it into his open mouth. Before he could finish chewing his cake a strong breeze brought in a little cloud that started raining on his head.

David closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That was lame Ryan. I did better than that when I was seven."

"You should be a little cautious while talking to him. He could be your father," Alexander warned David.

"My father was pretty useless. He would never become a Poten. Maybe my grandfather or my uncle but certainly not my father. However, this pathetic trick made me doubt whether he actually is my dad."

Ryan cleared his throat. "Holy Angels! Do you want me to conjure a storm just to convince you that we are what we say we are?"

"Leave it, Ryan, I am more interested in the girl," David said to Tri while moving his hands to check on his wet suit. "Don't you have to look into my eyes to break into my mind?"

"Honestly, you are dumber than Alexy. David, I broke into your mind while you were thousands of kilometers away. This was peanuts compared to that. I don't need to look into people's eyes when Mysha's near me. Seriously? No, we are not in a relationship. Why does everyone think like that?"

"Okay okay, calm down, take deep breaths all of you. Now if the introductions are over can we get to some work? We have a world to save, you know."

"First tell me what exactly happened at the bridges?" David asked Alexander.

Alexander gave him a quick briefing on the Hubberts, how they were wreaking havoc all across the globe and why they must be stopped. "Hubberts' policy is simple, Divide and Rule," Alexander added at the end of his briefing. "They don't want all of us to come together."

"And they did quite a good job. We almost went to war if not for Tri's timely intervention. Now let us show these Hubberts that they failed. Our first step should be to immediately open the bridges."

"I can't believe this David, did you just throw your brain into the sea while crossing the strait?" Tri said rolling her eyes with a resigned look toward the ceiling. "Seriously, why would you want to tell your enemies that we are together? Have you never heard about the element of surprise? Why not let them think they succeeded while we quietly make our moves."

David didn't like Tri's taunt but it was hard to refute her logic. "I think she has a point. With all the heavy Anti-Soulment tech now guarding the bridges, they won't be able to move from one place to another. In the last year, my spies have identified a few demon hideouts in America. We join our forces and make concentrated strikes at these locations."

"Curse the Demons, I gatecrashed a lot of Hubbert parties in America before moving to the Mainland. I can show you a few hotspots as well."

"So are you the Savior at the Seas?" David asked Ryan. "That cruise ship rescue made a lot of headlines."

"Add to it the hanging bus of the Grand Canyon, the miracle of the burning towers, etcetera, etcetera. Good Heavens, I will give you a detailed list to clear your doubts about my capabilities," Ryan said adjusting his glasses.

David's wet suit was bothering him. He grunted and his clothes began to dry up. "Sometimes I forget about my powers."

"Honestly, I hope you don't forget about them during a battle."

David gave a wry smile. Tri was absolutely roasting him. "I was saying that we need to strike hard. I will ask the Hardhommes to join the mission as well. We need to assemble as many Armies of Unseens as we can to take on these demons."

"Well, then when are we going to America?" Mysha asked.

Alexander shook his head. "You, Tri, and Max are staying here."

"For God's sake, Why?"

"Because my dear mum, you need to get ready for the big war and leave these small battles to us. You guys must train with your respective Scions to learn the full spectrum of your powers."

Mysha put down her cup of tea. "Well, so you are saying that we are still novices."

Tri was quick to see the logic behind Alexander's decision. "Mysha, we have narrowly escaped death every time we have faced a Hubbert. Believe me, we are not winning, just surviving. And that is not enough to win this war."

David picked up a cookie from a tray, took a small bite and put it down. "I agree with Tri. Hubberts will learn from their mistakes and will now come at you with their full might. They will want to finish this war before it even begins."

"For God's sake, people keep telling me to meditate, sync with others, realize my inner potential, but that is not helping. I am not getting any better."

David picked up another cookie. He again took a small bite but this time he closed his eyes and licked his lips. "This is the one you brought me, Alex. Its taste was lingering in my soul." He finished the whole cookie in two big bites.

"Sorry Mysha, I have a sweet tooth but my wife doesn't allow me," David put the second cookie back onto the plate when he saw Mysha's searchlight eyes glaring at him. "What you mentioned are the basics. I am talking about much more advanced learning, like real tricks from the true masters." He turned to Tri. "Tri, how did you manage to reach my mind?"

"Through a spell."

"Don't tell me, a spell?" Max's eyes opened wide. "You mean magic?"

"We call it a miracle." David corrected Max. "The difference between miracle and magic is the goal, the purpose, the intention. Magic inflicts whereas a miracle uplifts."

"Jeez, I'm sure Tri's a magician!" Brendon exclaimed. "She hoodwinked me the moment my eyes fell on'er."

"Seriously? Then all the girls in this world are magicians because you get hooked to anything that resembles a female."

Max was back to pacing around the room with that curious schoolboy look in his eyes. "Okay okay, where did you learn that from?"

"Raksha told me about a hermitage in the Himalayas where Sunbornes sent all their children. Even the ones who didn't show any signs of the paranormal. There they learned to get a grip over their minds, emotions, and powers if they have any."

"That's why she n Arun r so good at hidin' 'eir emotions. Finally, we've found a school for special abilities. So is it like Hogwarts or Brakebill?"

"Honestly, it is far from anything like the ones you mentioned. But you won't believe who I found there. Virendra, Mahendra's father. The legendary Scion had overstayed on Earth to tutor his granddaughter Swati and other kids. The kids had returned home and Virendra was preparing for the leap when I reached there."

"He took ya in?"

"Yes, and he delayed his journey to Bliss for another year after seeing my special abilities. He taught me a few things about healing, but he specialized in mind-reading, mind-traveling, and mind-bending. Spells, rituals, techniques, and some mind-blowing skills. Believe me, that man was a champion. He unlocked areas that I never knew existed."

Max's pace around the room was now in top gear. "Don't you think someone must have told us about these spells and rituals?"

Tri was back to staring at the ceiling. "Seriously Max? You really don't know about this. Are you really a RightHeart? Honestly, why are we even reaching out to the Pieteous Scions if not to learn their skills?"

"Sweetie, we're tryin' to reach'em to recruit their Armies of Unseens."

"I can't believe your Guardians didn't tell you about all this?"

Mysha snapped her fingers and Brendon stomped his foot. Harbux and Olivia appeared in the room. "Do yous know anythin' about spells or rituals that aid our powers?" Brendon asked Olivia.

"Yes, of course, everyone knows about them."

"Strewth Olivia, when were ya gonna tell me about that?"

Olivia puffed out some smoke through her nostrils. "Didn't Harbux tell you about that? Isn't he the headmaster? How would I know that Professor Dumbledore has skipped such an important lesson."

Mysha threw a questioning glance at her Marid.

"The beauty without brains has been giving all the high-fi lectures so why didn't she tell you about this? Harbux always believes in the process of going step by step. He would have told you about this only when you were ready."

Mysha slammed the table which sent a couple of plates crashing to the floor. "For God's sake when would be that? After one of those Hubberts had killed us?"

Harbux folded his hands in front of his chest and calmly floated around the room. "No, but once you and your friends had mastered the basics. Miss Mysha, why don't you do a little self-examination? Your coordination skills are pathetic, you haven't broken into a mind other than that of your lovestruck boyfriend and your rains won't even water a plant. Teaching you spells or rituals is like teaching quantum mechanics to kindergarten kids."

Mysha had turned into a bomb that was about to explode but David intervened. "You can blast your Guardian later but my point is that the Scions can teach you how to maximize your powers. Mostly it is a mixed bag of spells and techniques. As of now, Tri has already trained with a master, so she looks good. Two Scions are present here and I will call Albert Hardhomme to America to join the war against Hubberts and also help Brendon."

"Can someone tell me what I am supposed to do?" Max asked.

David was onto his eighth cookie. His craving for cookies was matching Ryan's love for omelets. "RightHeart Scions still rule the African Coasts. It shouldn't be that difficult to locate their king and fix an appointment with him."

"Well Alex, when will you start my training?" Mysha turned to her son.

Alexander snapped his fingers in short small bursts. Mysha knew he was about to say something she wouldn't like. "Mum, Graham is going to be your tutor. Next year I am leaping, so your grandson is fully ready. He knows everything that I do, and he will train you better than me. I want to go to the battle. I have been waiting for this for so long."

"I can kind of join you there."

"Sorry, we can't risk you out there."

"But Brendon and Ryan are also going there."

"They will watch and learn from the sidelines, no fighting. This castle will be your safe house for the training period."

"For God's sake, my son wants me to go into hiding. What happened to the Iron Lady he kept talking about?"

Alexander walked towards Mysha's chair and knelt in front of her. He took her hand in his and looked into her green eyes. "Mum, you fought so many demons to keep me safe. You even delayed your leap to make me as good as you. Now it is my chance to fight while you learn to scale the heights of your powers. And this is a perfect place for that. All high-tech palace-level security is here. I am also leaving behind my Soul Guards to protect this place."

"I have my Unseens to look after me," Mysha said louder than she intended.

"Yes, but mine are specially trained in defense. They will come in handy."

A lock of hair was again bothering her. She tucked her behind her ear. "Well, what about your safety? You don't want to expose yourself."

"I am going for a demon hunt so I am taking the aggressors with me."

Tri yawned loudly. The mother-son drama had dragged on a little too long. "If your melodrama has concluded I have a question. When Alexy slips out with David, who will look after the day-to-day affairs of the Mainland? Unfortunately, here the King and Scion are still the same."

"Graham will take over. I have also recorded many official addresses to make people think their king is inside the palace, working day and night to restore peace."

"Dear Alexy, I am impressed by your planning," Tris said playfully ruffling Alexander's hair. "But how were you so sure that things will get sorted between you and David?."

"My dear aunt, I trusted in common sense prevailing. And when you are short on time, a good plan comes in handy."