Warrior Children: Legendary Three - 4. Chapter 4

Part I: The Power of Three

I THOUGHT YOU SAID THERE were only three or four of them!” Heather shrieked.

Standing before her and Edward were seven mercenaries, each a foot taller than them both. Their eyes were a murderous red, which seemed to glow from a pit of darkness, boiling from some unknown depth. They wore long coats, which hid their bodies and any dangerous weapons.

“Ah well, you know. I’ve been wrong before, eh? Looks like it happened again. Sorry.” Edward’s voice was steady and stern, but he was still able to flash a grin at Heather. The son of the god of Time, but I didn’t have enough time to fully awaken her. I was wrong about the numbers, cause I’m just tired and weak. She’s only three-quarters alive with magick, Father.

For a brief moment, silence encapsulated the area. The sound of a leaf fluttering by. The heavy breathing coming deep from within Heather. The eerie chill of the wind careening, as it brushed against their cheeks. Nobody moved. Nobody said a word. It seemed an eternity had passed by in those few seconds.

Breaking the silence, the tallest figure took one step forward. With a low, raspy voice, he said sharply, “Boy! Our orders are to dispose of you quickly. The girl comes with us.”

Heather’s eyes widened. Her breathing was rapid. She glanced a nervous look at Edward. “Wh- why would they want me?”

There was a menacing laugh. “Because you are with power, girl. You are a prize for our maker. To bend you to be un-human…”

“I’m happy to know you are loyal subjects to your maker, and you’re following your orders like cute, little puppies. But can we get back to the whole dispose of me quickly thing?” There was a hint of sarcasm in Edward’s voice.

All seven were silent for a moment, stunned that a small boy would speak to them in such a manner. Edward rolled his eyes and threw his arms in the air dramatically. “No really, can we? You see, here’s what’s going on in my head. You’re going to attack us, and we’re going to fight back and defend ourselves. Why? Because that’s what always happens in situations like this.

“In the end, me and the girl are going to be walking off, probably in that direction, laughing about it all.” Edward had a mocking tone. He looked down at his hand and feigned polishing his nails. “Then again, you are welcome to do your best.”

The seven adversaries cackled loudly. They had no idea of the amount of power Edward possessed. They looked to and fro one another. In their few seconds of laughter, Edward saw it as a distraction, as well as his chance to move and annihilate.

With whip-like motion, a fire danced around his aura and through his legs. In a split-second, he covered ten feet of ground. He kicked the knee of one mercenary, sending him sprawling to the ground. Whirling around, Edward pulled a small dagger from his pocket and slashed the mercenary’s other leg. Two legs injured, the hulking monster was down for good. Well, that’s one down. Edward took a deep breath and focused intently on the others.

Caught by surprise, the other six had a look of astonishment. In their hesitation, Heather screamed out one of the eight names of Edward’s father, catching them off guard once more. Her entire body ignited with an array of colors. Something deep and entrancing overcame her.

Edward turned to see three figures running toward him, each carrying long swords, their coats flailing in the wind. He glanced and saw the other three rushing toward Heather. They, however, had not drawn their weapons on her. Their hands were lit up with a strange, orange, glowing light.

The first to reach Edward swung his sword down in a diagonal motion toward his head, but Edward was too fast. He ducked and crouched into a sweeping kick, spinning toward his right. His opponent fell on his stomach, with his face to the ground. Just before another reached him, Edward threw his dagger at the one he had just tripped. It was a perfect shot, sticking it into the shoulder blade and leaving him on the ground, writhing in pain.

Already tucked into a roll, Edward avoided the sword coming down on him. Glancing in Heather’s direction, he saw a blinding white and violet ray shoot out her left hand. It burst into the heart of one of the soldiers, who fell to the ground in agony. When he fell, the other two mercenaries reached her at the same time.

There was an explosion of white, violet and orange lights. Heather screamed, and there were heavy, painful grunts coming from the two mercenaries. Six bodies lay on the ground, including Heather. She was moaning and calling out to Edward.

Damn! They completely separated me from her! I must end this, now!

The last two assailants looked at the spectacle with Heather. They turned their attention back to Edward. One of them spoke to the other. “Call them!”

What the hell is he talking about? Concern showed in Edward’s eyes, and his anger flared.

Edward heard a hissing sound. It seemed to come from deep inside the mercenary’s body. A mist of black and orange smoke filtered from out of his mouth and nostrils. With a very deep grunt, he hollered, “Moloch, open the gate and let them pass!”

With those words, a foul miasma opened up. Five winged beasts soared through, flying high into the sky. Each was a dark green and covered in scales, with tails stretching four feet in length. Their fangs were razor sharp, and their protruding claws looked as if they could shred entire houses to pieces.

What the he–? Edward’s thoughts were cut off by the piercing squawks coming from high above him. These aren’t… no they’re not dragons. God-dammit. Dragons aren’t evil, and they can’t be turned. So, what the hell are these things?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two henchmen move toward him. One step at a time they came, swords in hand, knees bent in battle stance.

Great. I’ve no sword. Father, I’m… I’m way too exhausted. What am I to...?

Even before finishing his question, an echo rang out in his mind. “You are the son of Bhairava. You, who are connected to everything and everyone. Everyone!”

Of course! I’m so stupid at times.

For just a moment, Edward closed his eyes and surrendered. His aura lit up with a blazing power and he called out, “Gene, Christopher! Lend me your strength!”

In that moment, a blinding light shot through his body. It descended from the heavens and into his crown. As the light came forth from above, it managed to catch one of the winged beasts and completely disintegrate it.

Edward’s body shook with power. Out of his mouth came an otherworldly roar. His body was a rainbow of colors swimming upon his skin. He spoke. This time, his voice was not that of a teenage boy. It had depth, rawness. It was the combined voices of the Power of Three.

Edward was looking toward the sky, then cast his gaze upon the two still standing. A wicked smirk appeared on his face, and he hollered, “THIS. ENDS. NOW!”

Uttering the last word, he darted to one of the mercenaries on the ground. With laser-like speed, his hand reached out to the ground and grabbed the long sword next to him. In a flash, he hurtled himself into the air in a somersault and landed in front of the remaining two. The four beasts above swan dived toward him, two at the sides and two from the back.

The sword in Edward’s hands lit-up, glowing with such immensity, it brought intense fear to the two giant figures before him. They felt the sheer power sweeping through Edward’s body.

All at once, they moved in on him. Spritely as a cat, Edward danced around their swords. The four beasts flew in with their claws stretched out. At the last moment, Edward jumped straight up, high into the air. His right hand arced around with his sword, slashing and cutting through two of them. The creatures exploded in a fury of orange light and smoke, and a few body parts pummeled to the ground.

Must take out the other two beasts before dealing with those idiots!

Edward ran far from the two mercenaries, but he kept a watchful eye on Heather. As he wagered, the two winged creatures came for him. With both coming at him from the front, he could see a glowing redness in their bulging eyes.

With a ferocious energy, exerting itself from the inside, Edward somehow touched upon a new form of magick. Within the confines of his mind, he heard the words Om Agniye Swaha whispered to him. He wielded his sword in a circular motion and called out to the heavens, “AGNI!”

Fire lit up in and around him. It was a pure power from the god of Fire, whom Edward had never before called upon. It was only something he had heard about in stories from other gods, but never tried to invoke. The combined Power of Three, however, gave him the extra edge and equanimity to hold this new magick. His sword began to blaze with flames, and the fire was burning throughout his entire body.

Come now. I’ll rip you to shreds before I burn you to a crisp!

Undaunted, the winged beasts came for him, their shadows casting a wrath of vengeance. Edward ran to his left, so he was not in the middle of the birds. He squatted low to the ground, then vaulted himself high, straight into the one closest to him. With a full circular motion, he swung his sword in a wide arc and came over the top, lashing through the right wing.

Fire spread through the creature, and Edward smiled to himself. The other beast circled around and came back with even more fervor. Edward stood tall and pointed his sword at it. He closed his eyes for a second and breathed. Opening them back up, he whispered, “Burn.”

Fire spewed forth from the tip of the sword. Like a laser, it shot out and engulfed the winged beast in flames. Edward walked to the other creature wiggling on the ground. He looked closely at it, standing five feet away, and asked, “Where do you come from? What are you?”

The winged beast gave a menacing laugh and sent a thought to Edward. “I am a product of Moloch, don’t you know? I am a product of this world. Look around, little godling. Those whom you cast your gaze upon, I am THEIR creation.”

It would say no more. It knew it was going to die. Edward pointed the sword at it and seared it to ashes. He looked in the distance and saw the two mercenaries carrying Heather and walking away. Pointing his sword, he aimed at the legs of the one carrying her. His aim was perfect. The fire was enough to make him collapse, but he was too far away for it to have done any real damage. He ran toward them.

His blinding speed was far too fast for them. Without using his own sword to block, his head ducked one blade of steel. He moved in close, jabbing his right hand hard into the middle of the chest of the one nearest him. Light exploded, and the barbarian was sent flying backward ten feet.

All in one motion, Edward shifted his body, while swinging his left arm up with the sword in hand, blocking the arcing blow dealt to him from behind. His right leg swung around in a spinning kick and connected to the jaw of his opponent.

Eyeing all seven mercenaries on the ground, Edward dropped the sword. His hands came together at the heart center, and he invoked the magicks of his father. “Father, take them!”

The moment he invoked his father, his body seemed to explode. Brilliant rays streamed from all his pores. His arms lifted into a T, and his body began floating one foot off the ground. In a very low and loud voice, he boomed out, “When the three become one, the power inside and beyond all images and thoughts will destroy the blatant ignorance of humanity’s self-inflicted pain!”

When he uttered these words, his body dissolved into pure light. All that was left was the essence of a pure violet, a fire that burned so bright, hovering in the air. From out of nowhere, glitters of white and gold splashed around the violet. Splitting into seven equal parts, the fire sizzled and entered the bodies of the seven mercenaries on the ground. Within seconds, all seven were consumed from the inside-out.

Heather had already opened her eyes, waking from unconsciousness. She had seen him battle the winged beasts, and had also seen his body dissolve into light.

Slowly, Edward’s body formed back into the physical. He gently floated back to the ground. He was still standing, and his arms were still stretched out in a T. For nearly half a minute he stood in this position, head swaying from side to side, before he collapsed to the ground.

“Oh no!” Heather yelled and ran over to him. “Edward!” She gently shook him. “You’re not gonna leave me now! You hear me?! WAKE UP!”

After three minutes of her yelling, his eyes popped open. “I heard you. Now please get off me. You’re crowding my space.”

Unable to control herself, she shouted, “That was amazing! How did you do that? What happened?!”

“I can’t explain it. I’m not sure.” He was exhausted, but he managed a smile. “It just happened in the moment. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. The long and the short of it is, I asked my father for help. He gave me the idea to call on Gene and Christopher. Meaning, he dropped a thought in my head, and that’s what I did. Somehow, we all three merged. The powers of all three of us became one.

“Since I had more magick running through me, I was able to invoke the god of Fire, Agni. I'm not even sure why I did that, but the idea sort of came to me. So, there you go. Agni gave me a huge dose of his magick. Next thing I knew, my body was gone. When I came back, you were yelling and spitting in my face.”

“Whatever. So, what happened with those seven guys? Or whatever the hell they were. Did you kill them?”

“No, not really. I spared them. I don’t kill humans if I can completely avoid it. Even though they were grotesquely deformed and altered by Moloch, they still carried the essence of their original selves in their bodies. At any rate, in our merged and altered state, we were given the power to dissolve their bodies and take their spirits to the Otherworlds. They went beyond death, and Father spared their souls. If it was true death, they would only reincarnate into new bodies, only to do all this again. Those seven won’t be coming back. They will rest in true peace with my father, for all of eternity.”

“So then, they’re with your father?”

“Yes, they are.” With all the strength he could muster, he tried to stand, but quickly realized his injured leg. He fell to the ground. “Great. Do me a favor. Heal me. It’s not a fix-all, but it’ll help.”

“I feel for ya, but I thought I was a warrior, not a healer.”

“All true warriors are healers. Now if you want to survive, help me, so I can help you.”

“Right. Tell me what to do then.” She crouched next to him.

“It’s simple. You call the power to you, exactly like you do when you’re about to battle. The only difference is your intention. Instead of destruction, you tell the power to fix me. That’s all.”

Following his instructions, the energy rocked her body once, before a warmth poured from her hands into his leg. “Am I really doing that?”

“Yes. Now please shut it and just concentrate. How can you be a vessel if you’re always talking? It sure would do me justice to be able to walk again.”

After ten minutes, her hands slid off and the energy stopped. “Wow. It’s got a mind of its own, huh?”

He shook his leg out. “Better.” He stood up, wobbled a bit and walked around for a minute. “I just need to rest it, if that’s even possible, considering our seemingly ongoing situation. Oh. Now that we have a moment to spare, I really should give you the full awakening. If I had the time to do this before, we could’ve avoided that entire ordeal. You would’ve been much more powerful.”

He walked toward her. “When I awaken you, your body will heal from the blows you took today. You’ve already received most of it, but this last one will open you up completely. From that point on, you’ll continue to merge, grow, gain in power, wisdom, clarity and compassion. You’ll be, different. You’ll understand why I eat the way I eat.” This last comment he made with a mocking smile. “Kneel.”

Kneeling before Edward, Heather was both excited and scared. She didn’t know what to expect, how she would react, or how her life would change, if any at all. It certainly changed a great deal just from the previous infusions of energy from Edward. Now, he was about to give her the entirety of it all. What the hell is about to happen to me?

Her body was trembling. Standing in front of her, Edward placed his right palm on her forehead, with his thumb resting between her eyes. “Breathe deeply and hold it.” She did. “Now release it.”

Upon releasing, Edward pushed his thumb hard into the area between her eyebrows. He then took his left hand and grasped her gently behind the head while invoking the great deity, his father. He first whispered his name. Over and over he incanted, until a brilliant surge swept into them both. At that moment, he gave the final summonings to Heather.

“May you enter into the realms of my father, into the vast domain which stretches across the tides of all boundaries. May you become like the wind, invisible to the eye and free from all time. May you extend into the beyond, past all thoughts, fathoms and ideas. May you become that which is unexplainable, mystical…”

Stopping for a breath, he gazed deeply into her eyes. Leaning forward, he whispered into her ear, “and immeasurable.”

Light exploded in every direction! The trembling in Heather’s body was no longer from fear. She was shaking, this time, out of pure ecstasy. It was the ecstasy of being fully alive. Her body felt as if it was melting, turning into water, seeping into the ground, floating into the air. She was everywhere, and she was nowhere. She felt herself inside the sidewalk, the insects, and the wind.

All thoughts ceased. She had become a witness to her life, nothing more. She saw the truth. She was not the body, but instead, a profound energy, living inside the flesh. She saw the unity and the bond within all of creation.

It was a pure stream of conscious joy. Feeling herself as one with everything, she now understood the point of Edward’s choice of food. Just like her, all animals were more than animals. She realized they are in fact, spirits inside of bodies.

All this faded. Standing before her now, were the images of Edward, Christopher and Gene. Their bodies dissolved and disappeared into brilliant rivers of light. It was a twisting fire of gold, white and violet. The light shot into her forehead and exploded throughout her spine.

Deeper and deeper she went, falling into a blissful chasm of pure joy.

This too faded. She was now a bystander at a large battlefield. It was dark and abhorrent. There was a menacingly evil entity lurking about, though she was not afraid. She was in the domain of Mephistopheles.

Everywhere she looked, there was death. Bodies were strewn on the ground with knives, burns and spears. A cackle, filled with pure hatred, swept through the air, and the armies of Mephistopheles were battling the armies on the righteous side.

From a distance, she saw three glorious streams of gold, white and violet, traveling at an alarming speed. In the center of their meeting point was Mephistopheles. All this ended with a blinding flash. Hovering in the sky was a large symbol of a Trident.

Her eyes flicked opened. She was blinded by a radiant shine coming from Edward. She squinted her eyes and coughed, just before passing out.

Edward lifted her up and found a secluded spot to allow her to rest. He waited five minutes before he left.

He walked back into the diner and looked at the people frozen in time. He reached into his pocket and fished out the $25.00 Heather had given to him. He set it on the table where they were previously sitting. Standing at the entrance, he opened the door and took one step out, then stopped and sighed. Turning around, he looked meaningfully at each person and walked back inside.

Strolling toward an elderly woman seated in the corner, he placed his thumb on her forehead. A current rushed through her body, and he whispered, “May you forever be protected by my father. May good fortune smile upon you in the physical realm. And may you realize that you are much more than the body, senses and mind.”

For every customer and worker inside the diner, he did this. Satisfied with his results, he walked back to the front, opened the door, and surveyed the situation once more. A grin spread across his face. He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he snapped his fingers and released a powerful magick scent into the air. He snapped his fingers again and watched, as life resumed for everyone in real time.

Thank you, Father. Without looking back, he waltzed out the door.

Those who were in mid-conversation stopped. They had forgotten what they were talking about. The entire diner was filled with a lightness, and there hovered in the air a mixture of scents of oranges, pine and wild flowers, all overpowering the smells of meat and grease – a little trick he had learned from Christopher.

Nobody knew what had happened. They only knew something extraordinary had just taken place, by the sudden clarity in each of them, and from the magickal scents lingering in the air.

Part II: The Demons of Old

The air thickened. Mixed with the stale odors of years upon years of an unkempt space, it made it nearly impossible to breathe. He woke with a start, choking first, before vomiting his meal from three hours past. Sweat dripped down his face, and his eyes stung and were bloodshot.

“Master! I… I can’t breathe!” The air lightened a bit, and he felt his lungs pushing in and out. He coughed wildly and heaved and retched once more, until his stomach ached.

“Damenion,” the low and raspy voice hissed. “There is work to do. The underlings on foot, and those in the air, of he who remains hidden, die at the hands of Royalty. This was not the way of the Old. This is not our way! You have done well and have pleased us for many centuries, planting subtle thoughts and dreams, creating the needed havoc. We still have need of you.”

Damenion sat on his bed in silence and fear for a few moments. “What would you have me do?”

“However appalling his followers are, due to their training, we do need them. You will play a part in this ruse.”

“But, he… he is still more powerful than me.”

“That he is.” Damenion felt a breeze inside his apartment. He shrank back into his wall with his legs stretched in front of him on his bed. He felt the shivering wind snake across his neck and through his hair. He dare not move. His eyes fluttered. The coldness slithered down his right cheek and wrapped tightly around his chest. It entered into his heart.

Damenion screamed, and his entire body pulsated. The veins in his legs, arms and face seemed to surface to the outermost layers of his skin in a deep red. His head snapped back and banged against the wall. It was over. He sat in his bed with his head in his hands, panting hard.

“You have been touched by the ancient sorceries of those who conquered and bested even the gods and goddesses from Mars from millions of years in the distant past. You will find that your strength supersedes even that wretched fool, Moloch. The powers given to you are ancient. By demonic standards, Moloch is very young.

“Use him, but do not show yourself to him. Carry out your plans, but with greater fervor than he to his subjects. Train his subjects, but do not let them truly know your acquaintance. You have hidden from Moloch out of fear for well over a thousand years. Still, we shroud you from his eyes. Keep hidden, not out of fear, but for strategy’s sake.

“Be wary. Upon this planet, there now lingers a pure essence, greater than you can imagine. He, unlike the three gods who have come as saviors, will know your origin before you can blink, should he cast his gaze upon you. Should that happen, it will be very hard to aid you. He who happens upon this planet, is the son of the great warrior god, Muruga. By default, he will know the histories of your sorceries if he sees you. He is the current defender of Mars.”

The chilling air dissipated, and Damenion was left alone. Still breathing hard, he looked around his room, franticly. After lying in bed for another full hour, he snapped out of his shock. He realized he was covered in filth, when the pungent odor of vomit hit his nostrils. His head fell into his hands, and he burst into tears, crying uncontrollably.

After a half hour, he gained his composure. Quickly, he stood up, stripped his bed sheets and threw all his clothes and sheets into a basket. It’s time for a change.

For forty-eight hours, he cleaned every inch of his apartment. Mirrors were polished. The floor was swept and mopped. The windows were spotless, inside and out. New sheets adorned his bed, and the old ones thrown away. A single rose sat in a vase on the window sill, with the sun shining upon it.

Damenion looked at himself in the mirror and gazed at his black eyes. His newly cut, black hair was combed to perfection, and he smiled at himself. His teeth were a bit stained, and he grimaced at the sight of them. He then stood tall, imagining himself to be over six feet, although he was just an inch under. He puffed his chest out a bit, trying to ignore his very skinny frame. Staring at the creases in his face, he shrugged. “I don’t even recognize me anymore. I definitely look better. And this is definitely much better than living in that rubbish. Besides, people with power deserve to live like royalty.”

He strolled out the front door, whistling an old tune he had once heard eight decades ago.