The conversation ended there, though I could tell David wasn't really satisfied. I suppose I was touched that he was so worried for my safety, but at the same time I was annoyed that he was attempting to pry into my life, into an area he had no business being in. David was a Normal… one who had a long successful life ahead of him probably, but he needed to stay away from Archanos and APA for his own good.
Carmen's warning about the difficulties of separating Normal and magical life seemed more well-founded than ever. It worried me, because it made me wonder about what else she was right about.
111
"What distinguishes an epic hero like Odysseus or Achilles from a normal hero?"
My Classics professor asked the question to a very bored group of students. Unlike my biology class, the group wasn't massive, only about thirty people crammed in a small typical classroom in the Manoogian building, which sat behind General Lectures.
Behind wire framed ovular spectacles, Professor Mayes blinked at us. He swept his owly gaze across the classroom searching for at least one person who would participate. Unfortunately, it was 9 AM on a Tuesday, and none of us were feeling up to class discussion. Most gazes reflected my own, staring out into space, only breaking out of their stupor to glance hopefully at the clock.
"A normal hero, such as a firefighter or say a policeman?" Mayes pressed, ignoring the deafening silence.
I felt bad, honestly. Professor Mayes was a decent teacher and was enthusiastic about his subject, but not many people took the class with an actual interest in the material. Like me, they had very different specialized fields and were required to take a civilizations class for elective credit. Mayes was largely considered an easy teacher because his tests were usually fair. But again, people looking for easy A's were usually the ones who cared the least about the class.
"They're selfish." A response finally cut the uncomfortable quiet, coming from a rotund male who always sat in the front and usually spoke up. He pushed straw colored hair out of his eyes, "They expect to get stuff like glory and treasure for their heroic acts."
"True enough." Mayes agreed, happy to at least found one person willing to engage in dialogue. "But remember, the ideas of heroism and morality changes over time. A hero in Homer's day was far different from our idea of a hero. They were expected to receive supplicants for their actions, if they didn't receive anything for their troubles it was almost blasphemous."
I took a few noted words down for the gist of it, before amusing myself by trying to catch the eye of the cute caramel skinned girl sitting across the room from me. When I finally did, I grinned at her, and she smiled back. Encouraged, I mimed a sleeping pose, complete with a silent snore. Her smile widened as I saw her repress a giggle. She kind of reminded me strangely enough, of Carmen.
"If you can make a girl smile, Nick, she's yours."
The confident words of wisdom rang through my head, from days past. If I had ever had a best friend before, it was Reggie. Of everyone I was forced to leave behind in life, I missed him most of all. Reggie's lazy smile and spirited blue eyes flashed through my mind. The image was forcefully shoved aside by Vik's dark zealous gaze and I swallowed deeply, shaking the image of Vivek Shah away.
The dark haired girl, I think her name was Maria or something, had turned back to her notes. I did the same as Mayes continued to write things on the board that we were expected to know for the upcoming test. We also had a three page paper due on Thursday, and I had finished only about half of it. I also had an online English quiz that I had to do by tonight, but that was all open book so there shouldn't be a problem.
"Heroic concept #7," Mayes was scratching on the chalkboard again, "The hero accepts his fate. What does this mean? Give an example from your assigned reading."
I wonder if anyone did the assigned reading… I rarely did, because Mayes didn't give out pop quizzes. Once again the silence was deafening, but I could see a couple people, including Maria, flipping through their texts to look at the Iliad material we were supposed to cover for lecture. I didn't, mostly because I couldn't be bothered to take my book out of my backpack.
Mayes waited patiently and I admired him for it. I couldn't imagine teaching the same stuff for thirty years, to the same apathetic types of students. More than most of the class, I probably had the most interest in ancient Greek literature. I used to delve a lot into folklore of all types, trying to get a grasp on similarities of past writings to my own troubles with the supernatural… not to mention that I was Greek myself, though I hadn't ever gone overseas in my entire life. Other than gods and demigods with control over the elements, Greek literature offered me little.
After speaking to Vik, however, I wondered if there was more to demigods and gods than pure fiction, and I wondered how much had been hidden away or destroyed by men who would prefer that mages didn't exist, and would go through any means possible to make it as true as possible.
"Hector," I spoke for the first time the whole semester, surprising even myself. Mayes and the rest of the class turned to look at me. I felt a bit uneasy under their combined weight, but continued, "When he spoke to his wife about going to fight the Greeks. He said something like whatever happens, if he dies or lives, it's his fate."
Didn't stammer once, mental pat on the back. I met Maria's gaze and smiled, and again she smiled back. Score another for Stratus, double pat on the back. I was on a roll today; I should speak up more often.
"Yes." Mayes nodded, then dramatically recited, "No man shall hurl me to Hades, unless it is fated, but as for fate, I think that no man yet has escaped it once it has taken its first form, neither brave man nor coward…" He said it by heart, and made it sound far more eloquent than my explanation could ever give it credit.
I wrote down heroic concept #7 as Mayes continued to list several more examples and explain them. The hero accepts his fate… the words stared back up at me, absolute, written in ink. For some reason, they made me shudder, and resonated in my mind for the rest of the lesson.
The class ended at 9:30 AM on the dot, people packed up even as Mayes tried to speak over the noise. Right before people could begin to pile out of the door, the professor got in the final reminder that our paper would be due in the next class. I shut my notebook and took my time getting up and heading for the door. I never understood the need to rush from one spot to another, without pause. I liked to take life one step at a time, which was nice, but it was a real pain when you had to try to plan for tests weeks in advance.
Maria didn't make any move to talk to me after class, and I didn't take the step to do so myself. She was out the door a full ten seconds ahead of me and I didn't walk quicker to catch up. Reggie always said I had a problem capitalizing on obvious opportunities, especially with girls.
Instead I walked several heads behind in the small throng of a crowd that came with the classes that ended alongside mine in Manoogian. I zipped up my coat when I walked outside and shivered at the biting cold. I quickened my pace, eager to finish the ten minute or so walk to the library where my friends and warmth were waiting for me. Maybe I did understand the need to rush… there was always more to do, a better place to be than where you were. That was where humans derived their obsessive need to move forward.
I passed General Lectures and was walking across the crosswalk when I felt it. It was a sort of niggling feeling in the back of my mind, the kind that one gets when they've forgotten something but can't remember what. It wasn't really a magical thing, just a sense that I needed to remember something I had seen.
I stood still for a moment in the middle of the crosswalk, until the impatient beep of a car hurried me along again. I suddenly had the strange urge to go to the bathroom.
The feeling subsided without completely disappearing, leaving me feeling a bit disconcerted. Was I imagining things? I shook my head and ducked into the warmth of the Engineering building, knowing from a previous visit that there was a bathroom just five feet down the hall from the entrance. My feet clic
ked on the tiles, lonely echoing sounds that made up the entirety of noise in the hallway, which was otherwise deserted.
The bathroom was equally deserted, but when I stood at the urinal I felt at a loss again, the need to go was gone. Why did I come to the bathroom when I didn't need to use it?
Before I could contemplate my irrationality any further, the bathroom door swung open again and someone, an older male student with dirty blond hair stepped inside.
He glanced at me, "Anyone else in here?" His voice sounding familiar, but I couldn't place it.
I shook my head without pause, without thinking.
What the hell?
The student grinned, and as he showed me his teeth, I recognized him. My heart began to pound rapidly, reminiscent of the horrible night I had first met him and saw the playful grin for the first time.
The door sounded particularly sinister as it shut, and it wasn't even a surprise when I felt him focus his power and caused the locking mechanism to seal the bathroom door to anyone who tried to open it.
It was only shocking that I hadn't identified him faster, but it had been dark that night. I could still remember the lines of his face, etched out in harsh detail under the radiant glow that was his dangerous gift. That face had haunted my dreams more than once. It was the mage I had met that disastrous night with the thugs and had never encountered again. The User who had made me fear for my life, induced my paranoia and prevented me from getting a good night's sleep for weeks.
I took an angry step forward.
He tsked and shook a finger at me. The User calmly flashed ablaze in less than a second, and shoved me back against the wall to hold me there as if I was magnetized to it. Telekinesis never felt as cool when it was being applied against you.
In light of my helplessness, I should have felt fear. But all I found now was fury. I had finally gotten a hold my life here at the university. I had spoken to Vik and was supposed to be square with Archanos. He had no right to do this to me. I was supposed to be one of them now!
I gathered that rage against the sheer injustice of the situation and focused it into my magical control. The humming presence of the field turned to the angry screech of a buzz saw in my mind as I fought for control of the power that held me. He wasn't the only mage in the room, dammit. I wasn't going to played with like this anymore, not if I could help it.
He glanced at me, interested, but it was the fascinated interest of a child examining a newly found specimen of insect- before he squashed it underfoot.
"Use that anger." My adversary urged, "Focus- that's right. It's your birthright to control that power, don't just let me just take it from you without a fight."
Even as he egged me on, as I tried to do just as he said, I felt the impossibility of it. Every time I grabbed for power it slipped through my grasp to return to his. It was like trying to cup water in my palms, but my fingers wouldn't close no matter what my mind told them.
There is nothing more frightening or frustrating than someone taking your proudest skill and completely outclassing you in it. Frankly I was sick of it happening to me, so I just kept pushing and pushing, hoping beyond hope that his will would give out before mine. My body trembled and jerked, as if I were a string-puppet whose puppeteer was having a seizure.
It went on for uncountable excruciating minutes, until finally I had to give out. My brain screamed at me, pounding against my skull as if it wished to physically escape. Any more of that and there would be a very likely possibility of death for me. I felt him quietly let go of his power, and it caused me to fall to my knees, unable to stand without assistance now.
"You alright, Stratus?" My eyes were downcast, and I saw his feet move to stand just in front of me. I didn't respond to his question.
The more experienced mage continued, "Hey, it was a good try. When I was your age I definitely wouldn't have been able to hold out that long. A couple times you almost had me, too."
It was praise, but I didn't feel it. All I could feel was my ringing headache reminding me of how badly I had just failed; it was all I could do to fall back against the wall, leaning against it for the support my faulty legs refused to give me.
"Where are my manners?" He stuck a hand out to me, "My name is Kevin… Kevin Ruark."
"Good for you." I muttered impetuously, but the tall blond kept his hand patiently in front of me. I grudgingly took it after a few more seconds and was pulled to my feet in a single smooth tug. I noticed his hands were gloved, preventing skin to skin contact.
A wave of dizziness welcomed me back to my feet cheerfully, and I swayed back and forth. Ruark steadied me with a hand firmly gripping my shoulder, "Easy," He said gently, "Easy there, buddy."
I honestly felt like punching him, more out of frustration than anything else. Ruark acted like it wasn't his fault I was like this in the first place. I told him as much.
Kevin laughed, "Is it? I just pushed you against the wall; you're the one who pushed back. I would say it's your fault."
"You're wrong." I countered, "If a spider trapped a fly, and the fly lost a wing in its attempt to escape, it's the spider's fault still for trapping it in the first place."
Kevin shook his head, and looked amused, "Still thinking like a sore loser. Choice is a beautiful thing, but choices demand responsibility. I chose to trap you, but I didn't choose to harm you- you chose that."
I pushed his hands off me, "Enough with your philosophical bullshit." I snarled, angry at both him and myself, "What the hell do you want from me? I haven't done anything wrong."
Ruark crossed his arms, and the long sleeves of his button down shirt tightened from the contraction of rippling muscle underneath. Another pang of annoyance, was every male mage on campus built like a tank?
"You're rushing APA." He sounded… disappointed.
I was puzzled enough for a moment to let go of my anger, "Aren't you a member?"
The older mage waved a hand as if that were inconsequential, "Of course, of course. But it would have been better for you to stay away. The situation at the moment… it's volatile."
"You mean with Emily?"
Ruark looked surprised, "You know Emily?" Then shook his head, "Knew, knew… she's gone now. I keep forgetting." Kevin's features were pained for a long moment before they disappeared beneath an emotionless mask.
I took a long moment to really study him. He was older than me; Ruark looked to be pushing twenty two, or even twenty three. He was dressed in a similar manner to that first night, black slacks and a pinstriped button-down. The tie he had worn was the only thing that didn't seem present, and unlike that night Ruark's dirty blond hair was free to eclipse his forehead, the fringe jaggedly cut just above deep blue eyes.
Much like Carmen and me, his complexion was marred with bags under the eyes. Perhaps all mages had trouble sleeping at night.
"You should have stayed away," Kevin said sorrowfully, "I suppose it's my fault- I didn't warn you."
"You warned me enough." I muttered, still remembering the alarm I had felt when he had called after me that night by name.
He laughed at that, "I meant warning you away from Archanos. But I didn't know… I don't think anyone really saw Emily's death coming. It hadn't… it wasn't meant to go that way."
Once again, he looked troubled.
"What happened to her?" I asked, hoping to finally get some real answers as to how Emily died.
Ruark's haunted eyes met my own as he shuddered, "You're better off not knowing, Stratus. You can't change anything that has already happened… you just have to live with it."
"What about avenging her?" I pressed, angry with how easy this mage as powerful as he was, seemed to give up.
A sharp glance, "Avenging?" Ruark repeated in disbelief, "Stratus, I don't think you really comprehend what you're saying. The will of the coven is not driven by the will of its individual members. It is triumvirate that decides."
Triumvirate… that word sounded familiar, something I had learned- or was suppos
ed to learn- back in high school. But back then I couldn't be bothered with menial Normal tasks such as actually learning things.
"What's a triumvirate?" I asked curiously.
His alarm shifted back to amusement, "Oh, freshmen," Ruark said fondly, "How I adore your naiveté… the triumvirate is the term used to describe the three most powerful mages in a coven. They are voted in by the members whenever a spot opens, and then their will is law. Only another member of the triumvirate can object. Their powers balance each other out, so theoretically there can never be a single voice that rules a coven. Do you understand?"
I nodded slowly, recalling something, "Triumvirate… wasn't that something that Caesar made up?"
Ruark smiled, "Yes. That is where the original term came from, drawn from the times of Caesar's old republic of Rome. Back before things went to hell for mages everywhere."
"Because of Christianity." I pointed at the symbol of faith that hung on a chain around his neck, "Yet you wear a cross."
The taller student laughed, fingering the cross, "Just because I'm a mage doesn't mean I don't believe in God, you heathen." Ruark smiled fondly, "I was raised Irish Catholic first, and then I was a mage. I don't agree with everything in my religion or its history, but I do believe that my power, and yours, comes from God. What else could explain the amazing abilities we have?"
"Science." I replied, mostly just to be an ass.
Kevin laughed it off though, "Yes, yes, science. Religion's uppity little brother that needs answers for absolutely everything. What is science but another type of faith?" Ruark saw my mouth open in response and quickly continued, "Don't answer that, by the way. I really don't feel like debating in a restroom."
"You still haven't told me what you want from me." I pointed out. I was finally getting my bearings back after my mental tussle with the other student, but I would be dead tired for the rest of the day.
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