War of the Gods (story)

I created a new thread because this will be a story in multiple installments. I hope that's allowed.

I, Miaplacidus, license this text for publication on the EC forums only. I retain the copyright to this text; it shall not be reproduced without my written consent. Copyright Miaplacidus 2004, 2007. All rights reserved.

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WAR OF THE GODS
by Miaplacidus


1​

INTRODUCTION

I am Bastian the sorcerer. If you have ever visited the nightclubs of Atlantida, you may have seen me: my usual appearance is that of a very tall, dark-haired young man with big hazel eyes. People often talk about me when they think I can't see nor hear them, but my senses are very powerful, so I always can. I rarely listen though – they never say anything new about me.

Nightclubs are my territory. I like to partially disconnect my senses when I'm there, so that the loud music and the often annoying voices of those talking to me don't interrupt my state of inner peace. I don't go there in order to have fun, but to rest and study people: I just sit there and observe them, while my mind relaxes and my body absorbs the energy it needs.

Some brag about knowing me and being my friends. But they are neither my friends, nor do they know me. They worship me without even knowing who –or what– I really am. It's useful sometimes, but it becomes annoying over time. It makes me remember that I'm different, and that makes me push them away with my will. Not the most polite action ever, I know – but it is often necessary when you are like me.

So, that's Bastian. Now, you'll meet the sorcerer.

Sorcerers aren't human beings, although we are related to them. In fact, strictly speaking we are not living beings, because we cannot reproduce ourselves in a traditional way nor eat in the usual sense of the word. We also seem to “live” forever, although we don't know that for sure. What we know is that the oldest among us are thousands of years old and they don't show any signs of aging. They look exactly the same as they did when they were novices, thousands of years ago.

We have been on Earth for a very long time, although we are younger than humans as a species. The origins of our kind are mythical now, but we know for sure that our species was already here on the day when the first stone of which would become the first city in the world was laid on the ground – because that stone was laid down by one of our kind. Indeed, we can say that we invented civilization as it's known in modern times.

As you probably have figured out already, we are powerful beings. In fact the powers of some of our kind are what humans would call “god-like”. I am not the most powerful of my kind, but I can probably do anything you can think of. Flying? That's easy. Moving things without touching them? Even easier. Changing my appearance at will? Not so easy but possible. Traveling faster than light? Complex but useful. Predicting the future? I could but I wouldn't try to do it. And that's only the beginning. Thankfully, there aren't a lot of us, otherwise the world would be a complete chaos. It has happened before.

All sorcerers were once humans, who another sorcerer found suitable to make good use of the gifts our kind has been given. It's the only way for us to create new sorcerers as we're sterile in a traditional way. I am no exception: I was once a human boy who lived in this very same town, Atlantida. My life was quite average and boring until I met the sorcerer who would become my master.

That's enough about me. Now, on with the story.


THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

'So, Bastian...' Alex began. 'We've done a good job, don't you think so?'

Indeed, Atlantida hadn't seen a party like that ever before. It was a warm summer night, so the party took place in Helmert Palace's extensive gardens as well as inside the house. There were hundreds of guests having fun, and they kept coming. There was not enough room in the parking area in front of the palace for all the cars to be parked there; most of them were parked along the sides of the entry road.

I heard someone playing the grand piano. Of course, it was none other than Cassandra. The piece was her last creation – a slow, meaningful song which got into people's hearts immediately. Everyone's attention was on her within a minute.

'Let's go' Alex said, taking hold of my hand and guiding me towards her.

The white grand piano had been set up on a platform covered in red velvet. On top of the piano there was a candle holder à la Liberace. Everything was beautifully set. And she was playing.

I knew the song – in fact, I was probably capable of playing it myself – but I had nothing to do against her. Cassandra Helmert was not well known, probably because she didn't want to be famous, but she was without any doubts the best pianist the world had ever seen and one of the best singers. As I thought of that, she began singing as well, with a low, melodious voice. I didn't know that the song had lyrics. She probably had written them in the last couple of days. It was a powerful but quiet song, impressing but delicate, meaningful but cryptic. It was nothing else but the manifestation of her deepest emotions and feelings.

She was the least extravagant and most hideous of all sorcerers. She came to the regular get-togethers of those of our kind, but she was often gone for months or even years, without anyone knowing where she was, nor what she did during those extended trips. She was close to me – well, as close as she could be to anyone except Alex himself –, and she sometimes told me about some details of those trips. She liked to travel, and she had been to every country in the world at least once. I knew that she had even been out of this world as well.

The song ended so softly that no one noticed that there was no music in the air anymore, and that Cassandra had left, her long, red silk dress waving as she slowly walked away.

'She is sad...' I said.

'...like always' he completed my thought. 'I wish I could make her happy, but I can't. I tried many times, but she wants from me something I can't give her'

He looked sadly at me. I could sense that he wanted to talk.

'Let's go inside' I suggested. He nodded and began walking towards the house.
Alex had never talked about Cassandra's permanent sadness before. I had always known that the cause of it was somehow linked to him. Once we were in the den, sitting together on the comfortable sofa, he began to talk.

'I really don't know what to do with her' he said. 'I know that she is very unhappy. She has told me so, and I can see it in her mind too. In fact, the only fact that keeps her from putting an end to her life is simply that she doesn't know how'

I looked at him. I knew that she was depressed but I didn't know that she was having suicidal thoughts. Of course, her mind was veiled for me unless she let me look inside, as our capabilities were similar. However, no matter how hard she hid her thoughts, she couldn't hide anything from Alex. He was too powerful for her defenses to work against him.

'You said she wants something from you' I said. 'May I ask what?'

Alex hesitated a second, but then spoke.

'She wants... my soul mate, the one I love, the light of my eyes' he finally said.

'Mycroft?' I asked incredulously. 'I thought she didn't like him at all!'

He chuckled, but his face revealed sadness.

'She loves him' he said, 'but she hates him too, because he chose me over her'

I took my time to answer.

'Oh...' was the only thing I could mutter. 'That's not good'

Then, something that seemed to be a tall, blond young man appeared on the door, cutting the conversation short.

'They are here' Mycroft said, gesturing for us to follow him outside.
We did as he wanted. No one but us noticed that the ambient had changed. All the staff lined up near the front door, on the edge of the entry road, except for six or seven maids which were checking everything out to make sure that it was immaculate.

Alex closed his eyes briefly and the music started. The opening chords of Innuendo, by Queen; a very old song we all liked. Then, floating close to the ground, with all its lights on, a big car appeared in the distance, slowly moving towards us.

Finally, it stopped in front of us and the chauffeur got out of it. Then, he proceeded to open the back door and respectfully hold it so that his passengers could get out of the vehicle.

Two male sorcerers stepped out and straightened. Both were very tall and well built like all sorcerers, but one of them was a redhead while the other had bright, jet-black hair.

'Happy birthday, Matt' Alex said, as he embraced the black-haired sorcerer.

'Thanks, Alex' Matt replied, hugging him tighter. He kissed his neck, as it was usual between master and fledgling.

'Hey, Bastian' the redheaded sorcerer called me. 'How are you doing, mate?'

'Tommy, you devil' I whispered at his ear, calling him the way only his brother and I did, as I hugged him. There were no kisses on necks this time, as he wasn't my master nor I his, but I surely felt a light bite on my earlobe, which made me giggle. 'Some people never change...'

'Nope, not me' he playfully whispered back, before releasing me and hugging Alex. As soon as he was gone, Matt took his place.

'Hey old man' I said. 'Happy birthday'

'Shut up' he replied, feigning disgust. 'You're older than I am'

Indeed I was, although not my much. It was his nineteenth birthday; I would turn twenty in July. That made me six months older.

When he released me and went to hug Mycroft, I noticed that two of us were missing. I could hear her playing a slow song on the piano. But I didn't know about the other one.

'Alex, do you know where Ray is?' I asked.

'His favorite place, of course' Alex replied with a sigh. 'Go find him. He needs you'

I kissed my master's neck, saying thanks without words, and left the group.

Raymond was, without any doubts, the most mysterious among us. His life had been terrible. He had witnessed horrors no one can imagine, but he never talked about them. Only Alex knew what was in his mind, because he had used his incredible power to enter Raymond's mind long ago, when he had been brought to him as a prisoner.

I slowly walked towards his favorite place, the terrace which was right at the edge of the cliff which fell into the sea. As usual, he was looking away, to the sea, as still as a statue. I knew that he had noticed my presence, though. I noticed a very slight change in his thoughts; was the most I could penetrate into his heavily veiled mind.

He was definitely not dressed for the party. He was shirtless and barefoot, wearing only his favorite white linen pants and his thin gold necklace. His skin shone in the moonlight; he was in his natural state, not trying to pass for human: when I hugged him from behind, I felt how cold he was, as I expected. However, he immediately warmed himself up and he held my hands against his chest.

'Raymond, come with us' I whispered at his ear. 'Let's have fun together, for once'
He said nothing. Raymond never spoke. I had met him nearly two years ago, and I had never heard his voice. Again, no one had but Alex.

I could feel that he loved me: he didn't need words to show me that. However, I often wished he'd share whatever bothered him with me. I had told him so, but he always replied without words that he couldn't. Then, he'd gesture for me to leave him alone, and as soon as I did I could hear him crying. It had to do with his past, with how his master had treated him, or so Alex had told me. Being the youngest of my kind, I knew very little about Raymond's –or any other sorcerer's– past. However, I knew that most of them had participated in the Great War, when I still was a mortal boy: Cassandra had told me that. But she had also told me not to mention that too often, especially when Mycroft was around, because he had lost his biological father, whom he loved very much, during the war. She had advised me not to mention it in Raymond's presence either, without giving me any reasons.

I wanted to ask Alex, but I feared his reaction. Cassandra had said that I should wait for him to bring the subject up. I never imagined that the secrets of the past would be revealed to me that very same night.

Raymond seemed to sense that something was going to happen. His mind was still veiled but I could feel some of his emotions, and the emotion he emanated was one I had never felt on him before. He was nervous. And he was sad too. More than usual.

His strong hands turned me around, and I faced him. The seconds seemed like hours as I looked into his bright green eyes, which usually had a distracted look, but not then. He was most definitely looking at me, his eyes full of sadness.

'What happens, Ray?' I asked him, not expecting him to answer. 'Why are you sad?'
I leaned forward and brushed his lips with mine, while hugging him tightly. When we separated, I noticed that a single, shiny tear was dribbling down his smooth cheek.

'You are going to leave me alone' he suddenly said, leaving me astonished.

His voice was deep and melodious – a singer's voice, I thought. But I didn't have much time to think about that: something worried him, and no matter how hard I tried to penetrate his mind, I couldn't do it.

'Why do you say that?' I whispered at his ear, still holding him. 'I will never leave you alone, Raymond. I'll be with you, forever'

He took his time to reply, but he did.

'I've done... terrible things' he said. 'You'll hate me, when you find out about them'
I lightly rubbed his back as I told him that I wouldn't, that everything would be right, and that I was happy that he had finally spoken, but I couldn't calm him down. He kept crying although his face had a serene expression.

'Ray, please' I told him. 'Don't cry... I love you'

'They're waiting for you' he said, and then he left before I could stop him, like always. I stayed there, thinking as he had been, until Alex showed up.

'Bastian, are you alright?' he asked.

'I guess...' was my answer. 'I'm worried about Ray. He talked to me'

'But that's... great!' he said. 'Why are you worried?'

'It's not about that, Alex' I replied.

Then I told him what Ray had said. He listened carefully, his expression changing gradually as I spoke. When I finished, his expression was thoughtful.

'I see' he said. 'Bastian... today, we are going to tell you the full story of what happened before you were born – and that includes Ray's past. He is afraid of losing you, and believe me, his reasons to be afraid are valid. I am sure you will understand, though'

'What happened, Alex?' I asked. 'What happened in the past? Tell me, please...'

'You will know later tonight' he said. 'We'd prefer to tell you the events in the order they happened. I know you want to know – but you'll have to wait a little more. Now, let's go back to the party – enjoy, because the story will be long'

I went back and mixed with the crowd, but I wasn't really enjoying the party. I was thinking about what Ray and Alex had said; I couldn't wait. What could be so bad for Ray to think that I'd leave him alone? I had no idea. I'd have to wait until later to know.

 

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