by M K Drake
Joyce studies the scar, turning Atticus’ arm around, and back again. She looks behind as if checking for anybody watching them, “Let me show you something,” she pulls Atticus behind a nearby tree, “Hold still.” Joyce closes her eyes and concentrates.
The mark of the Majjai on her arm begins to glow, it is a different slightly lighter shade of blue to what Atticus has experienced before, and as it glows, Atticus begins to feel pins and needles around the scar. Joyce’s hand moves over it, her palm face down. Below her palm Atticus can see the same colour light that appears on her mark shine out. Too dazzling to watch, Atticus shuts his eyes as well, and waits for the feeling to disappear. A few moments pass and the light dims, Atticus opens one eye to see if whatever Joyce is doing is finished.
“There, that’s better,” she sighs
Atticus looks at his arm − where the scar from his dream once was, to find it completely vanished. Atticus immediately stares at Joyce, “What did you do?”
“It’s my power, Atticus. I’m a healer,” she continues to hold Atticus’ hand, “I have other powers, too, and so do the rest of us.”
“Rest?” Atticus asks quizzically.
“The rest of the Majjai Six, including you,” holding hands, they continue their way to school. Atticus uses his other hand to touch the skin where Joyce healed him; it’s as smooth as it was before the injury.
“Is it true Elric always knew about you?” asks Joyce.
Atticus nods, “Yes, and someone else, too, but Elric wouldn’t tell me who that person is.”
Curious about the Majjai powers, Atticus asks Joyce more questions, “So, what power do I have then?”
Joyce looks at Atticus again, “All of them, I think, well, it is said the chosen one can will almost anything, but it will take you time to learn control. Khan, one of the Majjai Six, almost blew out the hall in his first training session. Olof as well. He’s a big guy, but a real softie at heart.”
“Khan? Olof? Who else is there?” asks Atticus.
“You’ll meet everyone later today,” says Joyce.
“Do your parents know Joyce? I mean, about all this Majjai stuff?” Atticus longs to be able to reveal these secrets to his Joseph and Sophia, but has shied away from doing so for fear of such an act being forbidden.
Joyce nods, “They know, in fact, it was they who sought out Elric. My parents discovered that I was special many years ago. It’s why they spent so much time on archaeology projects in and around Iran.”
“Do you think I can tell my parents about this?” asks Atticus.
Joyce shrugs, “I don’t know, Atticus, that is a question you should really ask Elric.”
At this point, they both forget that they are holding hands. The rest of the journey is full of questions from Atticus, eager to learn about this new world. They reach the school gates in what feels like a few minutes.
Joyce turns to him, “I was so glad when I found out it was you?”
“Glad? Why?” asks Atticus.
“Well, I always had a feeling, and, well…” Joyce suddenly feels a little awkward, “You know, you better hurry to see Professor Morgan. I’ll see you soon after that meeting anyway. The rest of the team are eager to meet you.”
Atticus hates it when Joyce changes subjects so rapidly, but is now almost so used to it that he just sweeps every change of direction under the carpet. They part ways and Atticus makes his way towards the Professor’s office. Before he gets to the entrance, he hears Joyce cry out. He turns, and to his horror, he sees Bradley and his minions are grabbing her.
“Oi, Jones!” screams Bradley, “We have business to discuss.”
Atticus desperately looks around for help, but most of the courtyard is already clear, and the students that are left quickly scurry away, not wanting anything to do with this situation for fear of being Bradley’s next target.
Bradley throws Joyce into one of his minions’ arms. Jimmy grabs Joyce and holds her tightly from behind, forcing her to watch the action.
“Go on, Brad, kick his ’ead in,” goads Jimmy.
The minions roar in unison, rabid with excitement of the impending fight.
Atticus, far from being a fighter of any sort, is confused as to what to do. He knows he can’t let them hurt Joyce, but hasn’t a clue on how to stop them.
He marches towards Bradley, trying to act confident, knowing full well he is ill-equipped to beat Bradley in a straight fight. He stands in front of him. Bradley towers over Atticus.
“Told you I’d be getting you, Jones,” Bradley grabs Atticus by his jumper and punches him in the stomach, hard. Atticus falls to his knees, winded. Bradley doesn’t finish there; he winds up his fist again, and thumps Atticus on the side of his face.
“No!” screams Joyce, “Leave him alone!”
Atticus falls to the ground, stunned, then gets up slowly to face Bradley again who leans towards the dazed Atticus and whispers in his ear, “This is my school, don’t ever make me look like a fool again,” then he knees Atticus in the stomach, sending him back to the ground. Atticus wheezes, gasping for air, his eyes water. He thinks to himself about this great power he is supposed to have, but doesn’t know how to use it. He hears Bradley speak to his minions again.
“Get him boys!”
Bradley’s followers pile into Atticus, punching him and kicking him on the leg, in the stomach. Jimmy is still holding Joyce; both he and Bradley stand there laughing as the other three beat Atticus.
“Hey!” another voice is heard in the distance, “What is going on here?” the accent is different, with a strong Middle Eastern slant.
The boys stop and turn to see two older students approaching them, “Who the hell are you?” Bradley demands.
The Arab-looking one replies, “My name is Abd al-Hakim Khan, and this is Olof Gilmar. More importantly, you are holding two of our friends; you should release them, now!”
Olof stands tall and silent, allowing Khan to take the lead.
Bradley laughs, “Who’s going to make me? You?”
Khan steps up to Bradley, his hair is long and straight, with a light goatee beard and clean-shaven lines. He is wearing a long, thick cloak that conceals the rest of his body.
“Yes,” Khan replies. He stands and just stares at Bradley directly into his eyes. Olof continues to stand menacingly behind his friend, steely silent. He wears the same robe as Khan, but his is pinned by a large clip in the shape of a Viking helmet.
Bradley responds the only way he knows how, with numbers. He beckons his minions to follow him, and attempts to throw a punch right at Khan’s head. Khan sidesteps and the punch misses him and hurtles towards Olof, who is already prepared and grabs the fist mid air, holds it, smirks, and pushes Bradley back.
Jimmy is still holding onto Joyce. Atticus looks up to see Bradley’s minions attempt to beat up Khan.
Khan is moving so quickly, dodging and blocking every blow. Olof stands and watches, as if confident that Khan can quite easily hold his own.
Khan responds only with light slaps across the cheeks of his attackers before throwing off his cloak-like robe and covering one of Bradley’s followers with it, sending him into the ground. Without the cloak the rest of his attire is exposed. He is wearing Arabic-style clothes that cling tight against the body in differing shades of white, intricately detailed and crisp, almost as if they had just arrived from an Arabian tailor.
Bradley and his minions soon tire, and shortly they stand huffing and puffing. Jimmy, unsure of what to do, keeps hold of Joyce.
Olof speaks in a deep Swedish accent, “Are you ok, Joyce?”
“Just fine now that you guys are here,” she replies. Looking around as much as she could, she sees Atticus get up onto his feet, waits for him to see her so that he knows she is ok. She winks at him.
Atticus smiles back, pleased that she is unhurt.
Joyce suddenly elbows Jimmy, winds him, forcing him to release his grip. She then spins and roundhouse kicks him in the gut before stepp
ing back to stand beside Atticus and Olof. Together they watch Khan’s acrobatics as the tired Bradley and minions continue to try and hit him. Khan retrieves his cloak, and in one swift movement, it fully covers him again. He steps back to stand beside Olof, staring at the group of boys who attempted to attack him.
Bradley looks at the numbers, five versus four is too close for him to even consider making a stand. He stares at Atticus with a look of pure hatred, the will to want to tear Atticus apart is apparent in his eyes and bulging veins, “You better hope your bodyguards are always around Jones.”
“Do not worry, my friend,” replies Khan, “We will be.”
With disgust, Bradley grunts and signals his little gang to fall back and head into school.
The two rescuers wait until they see them disappear into the school doors before turning to face Joyce and Atticus, “Are you ok, Atticus?” asks Khan.
“F-fine, thanks for that. Who are you?” asks Atticus.
“This is Khan,” replies Joyce quickly, “Remember, I told you about him.”
“It was not the story about the training session was it?” Khan stares at Joyce with a raised eyebrow.
“Maybe,” she replies cheekily, “And the quiet guy is Olof.”
Olof stands taller than Khan, with a blindingly light shade of blond hair tied into a long, tight ponytail. He appears to be much older than Khan; in fact, he appears to be almost old enough to be a teacher. Atticus is surprised that Bradley even has the guts to contemplate taking on someone of Olof’s size, even if all he did was watch by the sidelines.
Olof nods towards Atticus, “It is an honour to finally meet you Atticus; you are very brave to try and take on those boys without training.”
“Err, thanks. I didn’t do much, though,” Atticus touches his lip and looks at the blood on his hand.
“Wait, you can’t go to Professor Morgan looking like that,” says Joyce.
Olof and Khan check the surrounding area to ensure no one is watching. Khan nods towards Joyce indicating it is clear.
She touches Atticus’ forehead and a blue glow engulfs him. His wounds heal quickly, and the blood disappears, “There, how do you feel now?” she asks.
“Perfect,” Atticus says, realizing that he feels 100% again. He touches Joyce’s hand, “Thank you” he says softly.
Joyce blushes and looks away.
“Uhum,” interrupts Khan, “We should all be getting into the manor now; Atticus, you are already late for your meeting with the Professor. Joyce, you need to come with us to see Elric, we have preparations to do.”
They walk into the school together, in case Bradley is waiting anywhere. After walking to Professor Morgan’s office, the others leave Atticus to see Elric.
“Enter,” Professor Morgan calls from behind the door after Atticus knocks.
The professor is sitting at his desk, elbows on the table, and his hands are touching at the fingertips, “Please, Atticus, sit.”
Atticus accepts the invitation and sits opposite the professor.
“So, now you know, Atticus. How do you feel today after having a night to let things sink in?”
Atticus shrugs, “I’m not sure, sir, I don’t feel any different, but I’m aware things have changed.”
Professor Morgan taps his fingers together, “I see, but how do you feel about the whole ‘chosen one’ thing?”
“Oh, that, well, I’m a little unsure that I can be who people want me to be,” replies Atticus.
“In what way Atticus?” asks the Professor
Atticus decides to tell the Professor of his encounter today “Well, today, I was jumped by some boys, and couldn’t even defend myself. Khan and Olof had to save me.”
“Ahhh, so you’ve met them then?” says Professor Morgan, “I wouldn’t worry, they have had years of training, and you have had nothing direct, apart perhaps from your Fencing lessons.”
Atticus’ eyes widen, “Fencing, sir?”
“Yes, your fencing coach, Mr Callan, is experienced in the ways of the Majjai, and purposely guided you towards his own style for a reason. It is in fact, the closest real-world martial art that you will need to learn to help you with combat in our world.”
“So, Mr Callan knew all this time as well?” asks Atticus.
“Yes, but he was unaware of you being the chosen one, as was I until Elric called a late meeting with the elders last night. Mr Callan has been away on a very important mission for the Majjai. But we need not go into that right now.”
“Are you a master as well?” asks Atticus.
The Professor chuckles, “Me? Far from it. I’m not at the level of Mr Callan or Professor Sprocking, and Elric is even more powerful. Although you wouldn’t know it from looking at him. But, the new Majjai Six − it’s prophesised that you will be the most powerful Majjai of all time. Olof, Joyce, and Khan have years of knowledge.”
“So, who are the other two?” asks Atticus.
“You’ll meet them very shortly,” says the Professor, “but so that you are prepared, I should let you know of their abilities.”
Atticus waits with anticipation, “I know about Joyce, she says she’s a healer.”
Professor Morgan nods, “Yes, Joyce Sparks is a healer, but she also has the power of speed and protection. Abd al-Hakim Khan is a descendant of a proud race of Saracen warriors, he has the power of might and is able to sense weakness in adversaries, making him an ideal tactician. You’ll have fun with Khan, as he is also an expert swordsman. Olof Gilmar is a master of Old Norse Magic; it is suspected that he is destined to reclaim the hammer of Thor. His Norse ancestry is traced back to the Norse gods. He is a very powerful Majjai, with the native ability to create and control ice. He is also the oldest of the group by some years,” the professor pauses to take a sip from his glass of water, “Now, onto the ones you haven’t met yet. Princess Safaya Mirza.”
“Princess?” asks Atticus.
“Yes, Princess, although it will probably be more difficult for you to comprehend that she is actually from another time,” says the Professor.
“But, how is that possible?” asks an astounded Atticus.
“There is an artefact, an orb, which is currently hidden away. This orb has the power to open time portals. It is what Razakel is after,” says the Professor.
Atticus looks towards the Professor, “Why is he after it?”
“Well, he wants to go back to the beginning,” replies Professor Morgan.
“The beginning of what?” asks Atticus
The Professor adjusts his glasses before answering, “To the beginning of time, dear boy. Where life began. He knows the only way he can have total domination is to rule from the start.”
Atticus wonders for a moment, “But, what about… God?” he asks.
“I was wondering when you would ask that question,” says the Professor, “Free will, Atticus, is a gift to us all. We as a race created the Orb, we as a race have to protect it, or destroy it. There are many beings and creatures you may have heard or read about, some will not interfere; unless free will itself is stolen or forced, we cannot expect help from the Angels’. Anyway, I digress. Safaya is a princess from ancient Persia, the last to be transported through time with the Orb that we know of, before its creator hid it. It is you, Atticus, as the chosen one, who has been prophesised to find it, and stop Razakel from taking what he sees as the ultimate prize. This realm of Earth.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?”
The professor rests his hands on the table, “I have no idea, but I’m sure Elric will point you in the right direction, he knew the creator of the Orb.”
“Ok, so, there is Safaya and someone else? And what can Princess Safaya do?” Atticus asks, curious to find out about the final members of the Majjai Six.
“Yes, Princess Safaya. She is an elemental; she has the ability to control the four elements of earth, fire, wind and water. Unfortunately, she hasn’t mastered the ability to control them simultaneously… yet. Finally, ther
e is Ju Long, a master of stealth with the power of invisibility, flight, and an expert in the martial arts. He also has a tendency to not actually be able to keep his mouth shut, I’m pretty sure he thinks that is an ability too.”
All Atticus can think is, “Cool!” but he is also worried, how can he even think of being anywhere near as powerful as the people he has just heard about? He doesn’t even understand what he has or how to utilise it.
“So, what about me Professor, what ‘power’ do I have?” he asks, hoping he will finally get an answer to this question.
“All in good time Atticus,” replies Professor Morgan, “Your powers will come to you naturally. We may need to do a little coaxing to help you discover them, but hopefully not much. We have to be careful with you.”
“Why?” asks Atticus.
Professor Morgan sighs, “Because it is said that your powers are to be greater than all other Majjai that have gone before; greater than the Majjai Six, past and present, put together. To unleash that much power without control could prove to be rather dangerous. Using Magic is dangerous as it is; there are always consequences, and one must be sure of the right time to use one’s abilities. The drain on the self is quite severe.”
Atticus is still unsure of what all of this means, “So when will they start to appear? My powers I mean,” he asks.
“Ooooh, hopefully in about an hour’s time,” The professor smirks, “We have to meet the rest of the Majjai Six, and once you are all together, the awakening process for your powers will be complete, and the training will begin.”
“But Elric warned me not to will anything strange yesterday − what did he mean by that?” asks Atticus, puzzled at why Elric would advise him in such a way.
“Purely a precaution, I’m sure,” replies Professor Morgan, “Come now, it is time to unify the chosen one to his brethren. It is time to take the fight to Razakel and prove to him that the Majjai Six have truly returned. I have been assigned a mission, to take the Majjai Six, including you, to investigate strange sightings near the Scottish borders.”