“So, what do I do? Whatever it takes, I will do it,” Lucuris said placing his left hand on Oracles shoulder and slowly bending down, holding the branch with his one free hand.
“It won’t be easy Lucuris, but you’re going to have to use a spell. It is a spell anyone can learn really,” Oracle said as he looked into the file he opened on his laptop. “Art of Fire level 1 is what the spell is called. Those who use this spell use small amounts of energy within their body, but overusing it would drain the user’s life force,” Oracle said out loud reading the description to Lucuris.
Lucuris was determined to do whatever he could to at least help his friends. He looked backed at the city, looking at the destroyed buildings and thinking about what happened before they arrived. The city got damaged so much and so quick, he wondered how many demons arrived at the city before Nick and Jessica, and if any of the people survived. The helpless people, who could not fend for themselves, who saw the demons in horror as monsters, who just wanted to save themselves or their own children. The people who probably pleaded for their life and begged to be spared. But the demons to Lucuris were just animals, who knew only one function, to feed. Lucuris was mad at the demons for what they did, just thinking about how they destroyed lives for no reason made his blood boil. But he also felt sad for them, because at one time they may have been human, lost souls that never found any peace. “Tell me how to do this Fire spell Oracle,” Lucuris said as tears started to fall down his cheeks slowly just thinking about all the people who were killed in this town, his town.
“I guess there is no way for me to stop you...very well let’s begin quickly,” Oracle said as he started to stand up closing his laptop. He then placed his left hand in front of him staring deeply into his palm. “You must focus your energy, all your energy into one spot. Focus it until you envision the flame burning in your heart and soul. Let the flame guide you Lucuris, what you hold precious, what you want to protect the most. Cast all your fears and doubt aside, and just concentrate, and let those thoughts form your Magic aura. The more passion your body has, the bigger the flame, but remember once you start doubting yourself, the flame will weaken, and become less effective,” Oracle said as he continued to focus, until his whole left hand started to glow a bright orange glow. It was like looking at a campfire flame. Once Oracle saw his hand glow, he held his palm out in front of him. “You want to save your sister Lucuris, to protect us the people who you barely know. Then show me, show yourself that you have what it takes. Show those demons who they should fear,” Oracle said as a few fireballs howled out of his palm and landed on a car in front of them, setting the car on fire, and then causing it to explode.
Lucuris starred at Oracle, and his left palm. It was barely scratched, and not even burned. Lucuris was speechless for a few seconds, trying to gather his thoughts. He thought Oracle didn’t have any abilities and felt powerless. “Wow never knew you could do anything like that. I mean if you can do that, why aren’t you helping the others Oracle?” Lucuris said looking at Oracle and just pondering if there was other stuff he knew.
“Thing is I can’t… I’m too afraid to help anyone. No matter how tough I try to be, or think I am, when it comes down to it, I am just a big scaredy cat. I would just get in everybody's way,” Oracle said as he lowered his hand, and started rubbing his palm.
Lucuris could see the pain that swelled in Oracles eyes, but he knew he had to help the others in some way. He focused his concentration on his palm, until he felt it become warm. It was hard for Lucuris to focus completely with the demons screeching in his ear, with the sound of their wings flapping, it consumed his thoughts for a few seconds. His body was worn out, from lack of energy, so his body felt uneasy as if he was going to collapse to the ground and pass out. The palm of his hand started churning a bright flame that kept growing then decreasing in size. It would spin around in his palm fast and then slow to a crawl. “Crap! Crap! Crap! Why is it doing this? It keeps growing weaker and higher, like I can’t even control it,” Lucuris yelled out loud trying to figure out why it was not working, why wouldn’t the flame have stabilized in his palm. He kept trying to focus on his palm on the flame itself, but he just didn't get it. He was frustrated that he couldn’t figure out how to make the flame work in his favor.
“You have to keep focusing, you’re easily distracted Lucuris. Just remember, focus on one thing. What is it you are fighting for,” Oracle said as he stood in front of Lucuris. Seeing the determination in Abigail’s brother’s eyes, the fire in his eyes as sweat drops started to pour down Lucuris cheeks.
“What I’m fighting for…,” Lucuris said in a small whisper to himself, as his eyes stared into the flame that was at the palm of his hand. He could feel the fire within him growing, consuming him whole. He thought about the people he wanted to protect, the ones around him. All he could think about was Abigail and the rest of his new friends, and how they risked their lives to protect him, to let him join their group. The flame was small, but then started churning in Lucuris’s palm. Slowly the flame was turning around, and growing bigger, and then it began to move rapidly, as his thoughts solidified, until they became one. He didn’t want to just protect them or be with them as friends. He wanted to fight alongside his friends as a team. To prove to himself that he could stand on his own two feet, to find out about his past and the answers to his nightmares. Lucuris could feel everything he went thru so far was meant to be, that he was supposed to learn of demons, of these mysterious abilities, and to also have met these people. It was all connected to what he was searching for. Lucuris wouldn’t give up, he couldn’t. He knew he had to help his friends no matter what the cost was. The feeling, the thought of being hollowed, to be one half of a person made him sick to the pit of his stomach. But he knew that he would find the answers he was seeking, with the help of his friends, and most importantly his sister Abigail. No longer will he sit at the back seat. No longer will he let doubt cloud his mind. Lucuris could feel the fire rising inside him, hotter than ever. He could feel that it was bursting to come out. He could feel it in his veins and see it in the palm of his hand. The fire was churning faster than ever, in excitement. It was ready to come out and play.
“Looks like you found your resolve,” Oracle said as he started to grin at Lucuris. He was amazed at what Abigail’s brother was able to do. It took him a few years to do a Flame level one spell. But Lucuris handled the spell as if it were second nature to him.
Lucuris then aimed his palm up to the sky, looking at the sea of demons, seeing nothing but darkness. He was about to unleash the flame, until he heard a low dark laughter. The kind of laugh you would hear maniacs make from horror films. He then heard grinding of teeth and looked behind himself and saw red eyes coming from the shadows. They were coming from a building, there were demons inside a house just sitting there waiting. Lucuris saw oracles face and saw how pale he had gotten. He was in shock, but the sight of the demons, seeing them standing there right behind them, for god knows how long. Lucuris knew something wasn’t right the moment they were left alone. He knew that things were too quiet, that it was convenient that they were left alone. But he knew that the demons in the sky were just a distraction for the others. That their friends were meant to leave them.
Lucuris knew that oracle and him were trapped and were about to be a feast for these demons. He could see that it was nothing but a feeding ground, and he looked at the buildings around him, and saw that red eyes started to appear from other houses, buildings, bushes, and even trees.
“Oh man this is bad, this is really bad,” Oracle said trembling a bit as he moved closer and closer to Lucuris, so they were back to back.
The demons just sat in the shadows waiting for their meal to make a move. Their claws scraping the inside of the houses. Their teeth clanking together as they opened and closed them revealing razor sharp points.
“I dunno what is going on...Why do they want us?” Lucuris wondered as him and Oracle kept circling together as nume
rous demons started to crawl out of the houses and onto the ground.
Chapter 5
The fear Lucuris could feel was one he was familiar with. The fear of the unknown, the fear of not knowing what will happen next, and uncertainty. He could feel doubt, and despair cloud his mind, as the demons moved closer to him and oracle. “I wish Abigail, and everyone was here...I don’t want to die, not right now,” Lucuris said in a faint whisper, but loud enough that Oracle could hear.
“You have to snap out of this man, look I know things look bad but there is always another way, there is always light among the darkest of shadows, right?” Oracle said as he grabbed Lucuris’s shoulders with both of his hands, as he started to shake uncontrollably.
“I can’t do this man, I’m not like you and the others. Sure, I can do one spell, but I’m not strong like you guys. I have no training against these...these monsters,” Lucuris said while looking at Oracle and beginning to panic. His eyes widening, his breathing speeding up, keeping his eyes on the demons as they closed in on them.
Oracle looked at the demons and saw time was not their friend. The demons gazed at them, mocking them, ready to feed on their flesh and bones. He knew that Lucuris was their only hope for survival, he didn’t know why, but he could just feel it in his gut. “You think Nick, Jessica, and your sister know everything about these demons? Hell no, they are as much afraid as you are, but at least they are fighting. Even if the odds seem against them, they never give up, no matter what. It is what we as a team are all about. We hold the Hope Lucuris, the Hope for a brighter tomorrow, in a time of nothing but darkness, greed, we have the power to change everything. But right now, you have to believe in yourself, and stop doubting yourself as a person man. You can’t just keep on thinking you are weak. You are our teammate, and friend now,” Oracle said as he stared into the Sky looking at his friends fight the demons along with their familiars.
Lucuris felt the words strike him like daggers. He could never of thought of Nick being scared, he was so tough, and always jumping into the fray before anyone else. “You’re right Oracle...right about it all. I don’t really believe right now, but I know one thing. I can’t let them harm my friends, especially Abigail,” Lucuris said as he turned away from Oracle and faced the demons that surrounded them. His fist clenching to the sides of his waist, with anger boiling within him.
Lucuris still felt fear, but he was sure now about himself. He could not let everyone down, because he felt weak and useless. He started to concentrate his inner fire and forming flames in both of his palms and let them grow larger and larger until they felt like they wanted to burst out of his hands. “Not today. Darkness will not come down this time you freaks,” Lucuris said as he pushed the flames from both his palms and aimed them at the demons in front of him and Oracle.
The flames dashed from Lucuris’s palms and flew towards the demons hungry to set them ablaze. The demons tried to get away, but the flames attached to the demons like glue and all that could be heard in the fiery circle was screeches from the demons being set on fire. The demons were set into a frenzy as they started to charge Lucuris and Oracle. They were out for blood, and wanted to destroy them both, with their claws swiping thin air as they grew close to the both of them.
“Not so fast, you small vermin,” A deep voice said as a ball of lightning hit the demons heading towards Lucuris and Oracle and stopped them dead in their tracks. The demon being electrocuted from the inside out, and then turned into dust.
Lucuris looked behind him and Oracle, and for a second he could hardly gather the words. But he knew what he was seeing was true. The dreams he has been having for so long. He saw a man standing behind them with his staff held out and clothes tattered a bit. Jeans torn from the knees, and a rock shirt with claw marks scattered on it. Lucuris could tell who this person was just by their weapon. The white crystal on the tip of the staff was held by a claw, and to him only one person had that type of item. “Holy shit man, you’re a mage,” Lucuris said out loud, in excitement.
The man lowered his weapon to the ground, and looked exhausted, like he had come from out of a war. He could see that Lucuris knew who he was but did not know quite sure how this young man knew. It was an ancient order, and only those from his planet Oisis knew, yet this being from earth knew about him, his title. “How do you know, who told you,” The man said as he rushed to Lucuris and grabbed his shirt pulling him up off the ground a few inches, with frustration in his eyes.
“Whoa let him go man, what the hell do you think you’re doing,” Oracle said as he tried to loosen the man's grip on Lucuris. Oracle tried but could not break the hold he had, the man was strong, and all Oracle could do was desperately try and pull the man’s arm off his friends’ shirt.
Lucuris could see in the man’s eyes, a person who fought wars, countless times. He could see how tired this person was, and just wanted answers. “I... I had a dream, and one of your members was in it, but it wasn’t you. That’s how I know,” Lucuris said as he had both of his hands on the man’s arm trying to push him away.
“Who the hell do you think you are,” A loud voice said all of a sudden dropping down onto the man, kicking his arm off of Lucuris. The man seemed shocked by the amount of force, as he held his arm feeling the pain.
Abigail stood up and rushed to her brother to see if he was ok. The rest of her friends followed her, as they were done fighting the demons in the air. Nick came down with Amaterasu by his side, Jessica also followed as she sat on the shoulders of Odin. Zee was the last one to follow and went straight to Abigail as he went back to normal size.
“I asked you once, don’t make me ask you again. WHO the hell ARE you?” Abigail asked as she stood in front of Lucuris acting as a shield. She did not know who this man was, but all she did know was that he was choking her brother.
The man picked up his staff, and pointed it at Abigail, as he smirked at her. “The names Joey, and I was just asking your brother some questions,” Joey said as he slowly circled Lucuris and Abigail looking both of them down, paying no mind to the rest of their group.
“What do you want from me?” Lucuris asked as he was trying to catch his breath. He could barely hold himself up and was ready to pass out at any moment.
“You knew who I was, how did you know?” Joey asked as he stared Lucuris in the eyes, trying to figure out who this young man was. Joey knew that his people were from another world, but how did this earthling know of his order, he wondered.
Lucuris could see Joey’s eyes as they hardened on him. Joey saved him and Oracle, and every one of his friends looked at this mysterious man as an enemy. But to Lucuris he was no threat, but he wanted answers. “I had these dreams, dreams of this different world, where I would see these people in robes. White, red, and black. I did not know who they were but one man I saw a lot. He would wear black robes and also a hat upon his head. It was not an ordinary hat; it was something I would only see in fantasy tales. He also had a similar staff as yours, but he was a mystery, and I never knew who he was. All I knew was that he was some sort of Mage,” Lucuris said as he walked past Abigail and saw the destruction that had taken place in their town.
“So, an unknown man spoke to you...seems a bit odd. They know you are here Lucuris. You, your friends, the people of this planet are in grave danger,” Joey said as he stood in front of Lucuris.
“How did you know my name? We barely met,” Lucuris said looking at Joey. Trying to think who this person could be.
Joey walked closer to the flames that were in front of them, he could see buildings that were still on fire, from what the demons did to this town. He could see small toys on fire, along with family photos, and cars engulf in flames. “I’m glad I came to this town a few weeks ago. I had a feeling the demons would approach you on this day Lucuris. They saw you were beginning to unlock who you really were, and your friends are the key to your advancement. The people who are your teammates, who are titled exorcist will help you become the warrior of light
who will help combat this darkness, as I too am part of those warriors. You will become part of the order that started it all, for us Mage’s were the first exorcist,” Joey said as he turned around and faced everyone but kept his eyes on Lucuris. Joey didn’t know who Lucuris was at first, but now he knew who this young man was. “I was sent here to help you grow, to help you protect this plane. I was sent here by not only the Order of Mages, but your mother,”
Chapter 6
Lucuris felt his knees weaken and his head spinning. “What do you mean my mother, my mother abandoned me, and she was never a part of my life. She left me, she left her child,” Lucuris said as tears began to fall from his face and onto the ground. He did not want to believe his mother was alive. To believe she sent this mage to save him, why now, why not years and years ago. He was happy and angry at the same time, mixed of emotions, and doubt. What if this person was lying, what if he wanted to try and kill him.
The Book of the Magi Page 6