"Why me?" Abel blurted out in a frustrated manner, he looked somewhat calm, but his disgruntled tone deceived him somewhat. "Why have I been chosen to be Ahura Rwy'n's apprentice?" Abel's voice dipped just a bit. He paid the Enlighted a confused gaze. In his stunning sapphire blue eye, there was a depressed soul, Raziel could see it. He was like a lost sheep without a shepherd in an immense field. He was not completely lost, not yet at least. For Raziel was there with him and the Enlighted would swear to be with him until the very end, his end at least. "Of all the people in Talamh, why me?" Abel went on like a broken record. The rain now began to fall, not so heavy, not yet at least, Raziel pulled up the hood attached to his long thick coat. "I'm not special," Abel retorted. "I - I'm just Abel."
Abel was coming to terms with this as best as one could give the situation, he had found himself in. Raziel was no fool. The Enlighted knew Abel sought answers. "Well, just Abel, someone had to tell you the truth. I'd rather hoped it would be Ahura Rwy'n, but alas it is me. Correct me if I am wrong," he began. "You have read the Good Book? Right?" Raziel had taken of his boots as some grains of rock had entered through a hole.
"I can't rememebr specifics," Abel admitted. "If that is what you are after? Is it? I rememeber the odd tale like. Mostly snippets of good will and the like."
Raziel had now tipped his boot upside down and was putting the other one on when he spoke. "Ah Abel, there is much to learn. There is a lot to recall in the Good Book. Believe it." Abel was rummaging through his backpack for something in his lunchbox. "You are aware of the Book of Hope, for one? And the Book of Prophecies? And so on?"
"Yeah," Abel answered as he took a bite out of the milk choclate bar, Bob had kindly packed for him back in Orult. "Like I said," Abel begun. "I remember bits and pieces. Nothing in detail." Abel showed his generosity and offered Raziel half, who took it gladly.
With both boots on, Raziel bit into the tasty milk choclate and he savoured this taste of luxury. "Hope created Nirvana," he went on to recite. "And inadvertently created the Shadow Realm," he continued as he gloated. "You know that bit?" Abel was listening but not really paying much attention. "Then you should also know what happened to her? Do you?" Raziel clicked his fingers to get the day dreaming Abel to come out of his trance. Abel was brooding over something. There is more of that to come.
"Yep," Abel answered as he stuffed the purple wrapper and the tin-foil in his pocket. He was environmentally friendly, Raziel admired that. "She was stabbed in the back by the Master of Sin," Abel demonstrated that he had been listening. "Sinrathor Mithra. If I am not mistaken. Everyone knows that."
"That is how Hope, the first known Divine, my own Maker, passed. None foresaw that tragic event, least of all her. Darkness shrouded her once clear visions. Sinrathor was evil from inception or so they say. Off course, all the good in her entered a special sword. The very same sword that Sinrathor used to kill her. Off course, you know the nickname of the sword of Hope?"
"The Vanishing Sword," Abel said. "The First Blade. It only shows up to those in the direst of need. Those that are deemed worthy."
"Right you are, Abel. Believe it. And do you know what happenend to Sinrathor after he killed Hope?" He now stood up to stretch his limbs. Each knee had cramped up. It was alright for Abel he was a young fit(ish) fella.
"He was banished to the Shadow Realm." Abel admitted. "After he had built a dynasty in the far East of Breton."
"Right you are Abe. When Sinrathor passed he was banished to the Shadow Realm to await his vessel. The one that was promised by the second Creator. His wait was long and painstaking, I have no doubt about that. He must have drove himself mad in the black cells of the Shadow Realm. Sinrathor's spirt was re born, Abel. . . there is no easy way to explain so I will just say it. We believe one of the Magia children to be Sinrathor reborn."
Abel's jaw lowered he was certainly not over the revelation that he was Ahura Rwyn'n's apprentice and had his powers. Now Raziel was telling him he might have an ancient evil spirt in his self, seemingly lying dormant.
"If you are Sinrathor reborn and you should you die, Abel, we fear the spirit of Sinrathor will awaken. You will unleash devastation upon Talamh the likes none has ever seen. The Enlighted must keep you alive and you must live a long fulfilling life."
"How do you know this?" Abel asked.
Raziel reached into his pocket and took up an ancient piece of paper. It was wrinkled and torn in some places, but he was adamant Abel could read the writing which was of centre on the page. The segment was barely readable, and Abel had to squint to see it. In quotation marks the paper read.
"The youngest child of Valerie Magia will have unimaginable power and will have the capability to bring about eternal peace or everlasting damnation."
"My mother," Abel quietly mused. He jutted his chin toward the clouds. "I'm the youngest child. What else do you have to tell me?"
"In the Good Book it says, "there is Hope." Interpret that whatever way you will."
"Where is Ahura Rwy'n? Anyways? Should he not be the one training me?" Abel sounded a little aggressive. "He should have been the one to tell me all of this? Don't you think?"
"He is in the Shadow Realm, Abel. For what purpose, it was never made clear to me or my brothers and sisters. Though it must be important. He contacted Dummah through a dream and informed my brother of his plans."
"Dummah can do that?" Abel asked. "Speak to people in their dreams?"
"Dummah is a powerful Enlighted whose strength derives from working in the darkness. Although like most of our brothers and sisters, the Enlighted's Grace has faded throughout history. It culminated when the Enlighted fell to Talamh."
The two fell silent for a moment.
Abel took out the key that was attatched to the gold chain. "Bob gave me this before we left," he admitted.
"Yes," Raziel paid him a perfunctory nod of the head. "You are a Keeper now, " Raziel remarked. "This will attract the Assassins all the more like moths to a flame."
"They want the seals and they want the keys? Dont they?"
"Precisely," Raziel admitted. "You have a target on your back, young Abel. It is up to me to keep you alive."
"What does it all mean?" Abel sought clarity.
"It means you are responsible for that key and that key alone. You must never let it out of your sight."
"What will happen when the Beast's Box is open?" Abel asked apprehensively. He zipped up his backpack probably recognising the time was nigh for them to make a move.
"Theoretically, the one who opens the Beast's Box... gets to control him. The Beast will only be subservient to the one who frees him or, so it is said."
"I see," Abel mused. In the distance Raziel could see black smoke rising into the sky. The giants are alive, he thought. "You mentioned training earlier on. I have never been trained."
"We will begin with the basics, Abe. Just say the words, Trabem Igni, and you will create your blue flame. Man dear, you think you would have tried that trick already. Believe it. Even those Norms with no magical abilities chance their arm and say the common words. Trabem Igni."
"Trabem Igni," Abel said sheepishly. "Trabem Igni" he said again with a little more feeling, but no flame did he create, none but a puff of smoke on his second attempt. His flame extinguished before he could even notice.
Raziel let out a soft chuckle. "Pathetic," the Enlighted said. "You really have much to learn. Did Bob not tell you about mediation and controlling the flow of spiritual power. Better known as - "
"Chakra, yeah I know, I get it. I gave up on meditation many years ago. Got me nowhere. I did not think I was a Seasonal now, did I?"
Abel had a wildness in him that matched his mother, Valeire and worst still his father. "Well, focus, channel your chakra to your palm. Then say the words Trabem Igni. With feeling Abel."
Abel sat in silence for a moment. He closed his eyes. He had not done any form of mediation in like forever. For Raziel it was a moment to enjoy the easterly breeze and enjoy the silence. He would not get to use to it, however.
"Trabem Igni," Abel passionately said.
He had done it.
Abel decided to open one eye and to his amazement he had created an ember of blue flame that hovered above his palm. "Look!" An elated Abel beckoned for Raziel to take note.
"Yes, I see," Raziel then said. "Off course one thing a Seasonal must learn is to not burn out their fledgling flame."
On that note, Abel's fledgling flame, went out.
"So, I-I guess, the flame is just for aesthetic look, am I right?"
"Right you are Abel. What is unique is this, each family of Seasonal's have their own "bloodline traits." Take the Seidel family for instance. They have the gift of unnatural long life. Your clan, the Magia family could teleport." This news caught Abel's attention. "There are loads of families who have certain blood line traits you know. There are too many to go into detail, but I am sure we will meet our fair share of Seasonal's on our journey. Now then, we dont have much light left and we will have to get out of this region soon. Giants have good eyesight at night better than us lot. That I can tell you. Come on. Let us leave."
Wisely Raziel and Abel had circled around the area where the source of the black smoke was coming from but what the pair did not expect, was for the wind direction to shift. They thought they had evaded the giant's encampment, they were wrong.
Suddenly the ground around them began to shake as if an endless earthquake had just occurred and still the ground shook.
Running toward the duo was a gargantuan foe.
it was Firbolg "The Destructor."
Firbolg was menacing alright as he ran at top speed taking humongous strides. He was the biggest creature Raziel had ever seen, he was also a cyclops. Firbolg's single bulging blue eye looked to be bursting out of his eye socket, that sole eye showed a sadistic temperament. His sniffling snake-like nose could smell for miles around. Firbolg had hardly any jaw or chin for half his face was his grotesque mouth. Firbolg looked like he was grinning, enjoying and embracing the chase. Firbolg wore light armour and shackles around his wrists and ankles. Lastly, he also dragged a giant club, which had protruding nails and other sharp items coming from it.
"Back here," Firbolg bawled.
"Run!" Raziel demanded, for once being in danger was not lucrative. Abel needed no second invitation either. Raziel was rather analytical and he quickly had an idea to escape Firbolg. "Quick," Raziel said pointing in front of him. "Make for that rocky outcrop."
"Right," Abel said running as fast as he could which was not very fast at all.
No, matter how fast the duo fled Firbolg had caught up with them and was now within striking range. Firbolg raised his enormous club above his head, took aim and slammed it straight down into the ground probably thinking he had squashed the pair like mere ants under a boot.
Abel and Raziel, however, dodged Firbolg's first attack at the last moment. Firbolg did manage to make a mark, he created a mini crater-like hole in the ground. The pair evaded a nasty end, but because Firbolg missed he became even more infuriated shouting obscenities that few could understand. He pulled his heavy club out of the ground not willing to give up yet.
Firbolg was determined to catch at least one of the two. So, the giant cyclops focused on Abel and again he got within striking distance. Just as he was going to swing his club and smack Abel to Firbolg's astonishment, then Raziel's and maybe Abel's as well, Abel had vanished into thin air. Firbolg's peanut size brain could not fathom where Abel went.
Raziel had an inclination what happened.
The boy amazingly had in fact, learned a new ability, he had learned his bloodline trait. He teleported to safety. The dopey Firbolg then looked around once to his left, twice to his right and standing on the rocky outcrop was Abel, waving his arms and unwisely taunting the ferocious giant, Firbolg growled as he didn't like being mocked.
Abel taunted the giant to get his attention, but this flawed attempt riled up Firbolg something rotten, and so, he went after Raziel.
"Come on!" Abel urged his friend. Just as Raziel got to within a few feet of safety, he tripped. "Watch out!" Abel shouted, but there was little Abel could do.
Firbolg pounced on the downed Raziel showing an unnatural nimbleness for such a big adversary. The giant cyclops appeared daunting close-up. Firbolg slammed his club down. Raziel rolled to his left to avoid the attack, the club barely missed Raziel's head.
Firbolg seemed even more disgruntled and was about to slam his club down for a second time. Raziel rolled to his right side to avoid getting hit. The Enlighted was lucky again. Luck had kept him alive this time. Raziel desperately needed some assistance.
"Help me!" Raziel called out in despair.
Then, from out of nowhere, a large white wolf sprang into action before Firbolg could attack Raziel. The white wolf went to bite Firbolg' s leg but the giant cyclops kicked out and managed to kick the brave wolf to one side. The wounded white wolf landed near Abel and let out a sad yelp. though hurt the wolf was not dead.
This timely interventionhad in fact given Raziel an opening to flee but he did not get far. Firbolgslammed his club down and this time he managed to strike Raziel right on top ofhis head. It was as if Firbolg was playing whack a mole. Whack an Enlightedmore like. The gross cyclops found his target. It was one moment of pain and then death. . .