AYOS
THE HEIR WITH THE CRIMSON EYES
by
Justin Parks
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Justin Parks on Smashwords
Ayos
The Heir With The Crimson Eyes
Copyright © 2011 by Justin Parks
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
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Table of Contents
(ToC)
Chapter 1- And So It Begins. . .
Chapter 7 - The Academy to the West
Chapter 8 - Getting up to Speed
Chapter 9 - First Day of Class
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Chapter 1
Jin sat on a bench as he had every other day, waiting for the bus. He sat there with a faraway look in his eye quietly waiting. Jin was an average high school student with black hair and auburn eyes. At that moment, an old fashion black car drove up and parked on the street. The rear door opened. A strange looming man stepped out of the car. He was rather tall and lengthy. The man had long, soft silver hair. He was dressed in a silver suit with a black tie and collared shirt with a pair of black dress shoes, a strange-looking cane, and a fedora tilted down far enough so you couldn’t see his eyes.
The man sat on the bench next to Jin as the car drove away. He had an awkward presence about him. Jin didn’t move. He continued to stare forward, but all his attention was directed on this mysterious stranger. Tension began to build between the two. They both focused on each other, but refused to make eye contact. It was as if they were waiting for the other to initiate the conversation.
Finally, the tension was broken as an older man approached the bench and tapped Jin on the shoulder. Jin was surprised as he turned to look up at the man. The man was feeble and hunched over. He had a smile on his face. “Mind if I steal that seat, young man?” he asked. Jin stood without question and offered the seat to the old man. “Thank you,” he responded cheerfully as he took the seat.
Jin stood, taking a sigh of relief and leaning on a nearby street sign. The old man looked over to the man in the suit. “My, those are some fancy cloths, young man.” The man said nothing. “You’re dressed awfully flashy to be sitting at a bus stop. What brings you to this part of town?” he asked curiously.
The mysterious stranger seemed to be getting frustrated. He was at a loss for words. The man then sighed a big sigh, stood, and walked down to the end of the block. Again, the car appeared and the man stepped into it as it drove away. The old man, now alone on the bench, turned to Jin. “Hmm. Strange fellow, huh?” Jin just nodded in agreement.
After that, Jin’s day was a typical one. He went to school. Jin had always received good grades, but he never really liked academics. It always felt like a waste of time. In fact, that is how he’d felt about most of his life. Jin always felt like there had to be more to life. He just didn’t know where it was or when he’d find it. Jin decided to walk home today. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Some days he took the bus home and sometimes he walked. Nothing was out of place or different, but Jin began to feel weird. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw the man in the suit from earlier walking up the street behind him. What’s he doing here? He’s not following me, is he? Jin thought to himself. The man then turned down another street out of view.
Jin let out a sigh of relief and continued walking. I’m just being paranoid. It’s probably just a coincidence, he thought laughing quietly to himself. Suddenly, Jin froze in his tracks and his eyes widened. There, leaning on a wall Jin just passed, was the man in the suit.
“Jin . . .” the man said as Jin turned to him.
“How do you know my name?” Jin asked.
“I know many things,” the man responded as he walked forward, motioning for Jin to follow. “A moment, if you will,” he said.
Jin wasn’t sure what was going on, but his interest was piqued, so he decided to follow.
The man continued walking to a little tea shop on the corner called The Golden Tea Leaf. The man opened the door and entered the shop. Jin followed him in. He had walked by the shop many times before but had never been inside. The shop was dimly lit. The walls were green with a golden leaf trim going along the borders. The tables were covered in golden tablecloths with green napkins. There was a warm mood to the place with light classical music playing in the background.
The man took a seat at a nearby table and motioned for Jin to take a seat. “So . . .” Jin began to speak but was cut off as the man raised his finger to silence him. Soon, a waitress approached.
“What can I get you two?” she asked with a perky smile. The girl was young with dirty blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail. She wore a white, collared shirt with black pants and a green apron with the tea shop’s logo on it. Her name tag indicated that her name was Cindy. The man raised two fingers.
“We’ll have two cups of green tea, and a tray of sweets would be nice,” he ordered.
“Cookies okay?” the waitress asked.
“Sounds delightful,” he responded. Jin and the man sat in silence until the waitress returned with their tea. The man picked up a spoon and began adding sugar to his tea. Jin just sat looking at his cup. The man sipped his tea with a sigh of delight.
Khronus looked up at Jin and motioned for him to add to his tea. Jin didn’t know what to do. “What? Don’t like tea?”
“No, I never really had it before,” Jin responded shyly.
“Well, this is green tea. It’s commonly mixed with sugar. You can add as much as you want. Just add until it tastes right,” he said to Jin.
Jin looked down at the cup, added a few spoonfuls of sugar, and took a sip.
“Hmm . . . not bad. So . . . what did you want to speak with me about? And knowing your name would be nice,” Jin said as he sat his cup down.
“Oh yes, of course. Where are my manners?” he said as he cleared his throat. “My name is Khronus. Nice to meet you,” he said with a slight nod as he reached out and picked up a cookie. Upon eating it, his face lit up with delight. “Wow, these are really good. Cookies were they? Splendid,” he said, reaching for more.
Khronus stuck his hand to chin and began to ponder for a moment. “Hmm . . . where to begin?” He said to himself. “What I can tell you now is limited—depending on the choice you make. I may be able to tell you more later.” He reached up and tilted his hat back to reveal his silver colored eyes. “I am not an ordinary human.”
Jin stared back with a puzzled look on his face. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not something I can really tell you. It’s easier to show you,” Khronus said, waving his hand over Jin’s cup. The cup became chilled as a frost began to cover the outside. Jin picked up the glass and examined it. The tea was frozen solid. Jin stared with amazement.
“How did you do that?” Jin asked as he sat the cup down and pushed it away from him.
“That is the question, isn’t it?” Khronus replied.
“Okay, but what does any of this have to do with me?” Jin asked in awe.
Khronus raised his hand and pointed to Jin. “I’m here because you are like me.”
Jin cocked an eyebrow. “Umm, I can’t do that. Maybe you have me confused with someone else.”
Khronus shook his head. “Nope, you are the one I’m looking for. I’m sure of it,” he said with an assured look on his face. “You may not know it, but you’re a descendant of a very old clan. You have the inherit ability to use magick,” Khronus said as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a crimson, crystal-like ball. It appeared to be pulsating with a red light. “You are the rightful heir to this core, and with it, you will be able to use your power,” he explained.
Jin gazed at the orb, captivated by its light. It almost seemed to be pulling him in. As Jin reached his hand toward it, the light began to glow brighter. Khronus pulled it back and returned it to his pocket.
Jin looked at him confused. “That belongs to me?”
Khronus stared at him seriously. “If you accept it, then you must also accept the destiny that comes with it. You will have to leave this world and everything you know.” They sat in silence for a moment. “This is all I can say for now. The rest hinges on your decision,” he explained.
“Ahh . . .” Jin didn’t know what to say.
Khronus smiled and raised a hand. “Don’t worry; you don’t have to answer now,” he said, standing up from the table. “I’ll give you five days to make a decision. I’ll find you then, but for now, I’ll take my leave.”
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Chapter 2
Jin walked back to his home. He lived in a quant little house in the suburbs. It was a two-story brick house with a big oak tree in the front yard. Jin opened the door and stepped in. The inside of the house was very warm and welcoming. There was a smell of something good in the air. “Jin, honey, is that you?” his mother called from the kitchen.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Could you give me a hand in here?” she asked as Jin made his way into the kitchen. A large pot on the stove filled the room with a delicious smell. By the looks of it, she was making a pot of vegetable soup. His mother was pregnant. She was a small brunette woman with blue eyes. She stood attempting to look at the floor in front of her. “I was chopping up some vegetables, but I dropped my knife. And I can’t really bend over,” she said with a smirk as she began to rub her belly. “I’ll be glad when he’s out.”
Jin walked over and picked up the knife. He then took it over to the sink and cleaned it before giving it to her. “Here you go, Judy.”
Judy reached over and pinched his cheek. “Now what did I tell you?” she said sternly.
“Sorry, Mom,” he responded.
Judy was not Jin’s biological mother. Up until around six years ago he’d been traded through foster homes until he finally ended up with Mark and Judy Gregory. They had been having trouble conceiving and decided to adopt. Though, recently they had finally managed to have a baby of their own, so Jin had been feeling a bit distant. They still cared for each other, but Jin had always kept everyone at arms length. It was just how he was.
“Now run along. Dinner will be ready in a bit,” Judy said, ushering him along. He continued up the stairs into his room.
Jin’s room was a bit messy with random clothes scattered on the floor and various posters on the walls. There was a bed with a nightstand in the corner, and a bookcase partially filled with assorted books, mostly adventure stories and manga. A television in the corner was hooked up to a video game system with games and movies randomly stacked around it.
Jin threw his jacket on the floor and fell back on his bed, kicking off his shoes. With a sigh of relief, he rolled over, pulling an mp3 player off his nightstand. He put on the headphones and laid back, closing his eyes. He finally had some time to think. That guy today . . . that was crazy, right? Jin thought. Was that even real? It wasn’t a dream, was it? He replayed it over in his head. No, it was real. Jin reached up and placed his hands behind his head. So what should I do? He grunted in frustration. Then Jin turned and looked out the window. It had begun to rain and that rain would continue for the next five days. Can I really just up and leave?
Jin began to think of the orb, about how he felt when he saw it. I’m not sure what it was about that thing. It gave me this feeling. It felt . . . right; something I can’t put my finger on. His frustration returned as he looked for answers that were just out of reach. What do I want? This is where he stopped. That one question stuck on his mind for the next five days because it was really the only question that mattered. He could weigh the facts as much as he wanted, but in the end, he knew he had to go with the decision that felt right.
Over the next days, Jin began to analyze his life, every spec, every miniscule detail, and the things that would normally be overlooked. He studied every part of his life. Then he imagined what it would be like if he continued down this path. He saw himself completing high academy, going to college, then getting married, starting a family, working the same job, getting old, having grandkids, and eventually retiring. That’s all nice I suppose, but it is so boring. I can see it. I hate that. Life seems to follow the same design. Where’s the adventure? Where’s the fun? But can I really leave it all? Is it better to know, or should I take a leap of faith? He thought to himself.
Five days had passed since Jin had met Khronus. Finally, after countless hours of thinking, he finally reached a decision. Yes, I’ll go. I think it really is my destiny, he thought as he began to make preparations. Jin didn’t really know what to pack, so he just crammed some cloths into a backpack. Next, he had to leave a letter to Judy and Mark before he left.
Dear Mom and Dad,
If you’re reading this, it means you’ve discovered that I’m gone. I’ve left to start a new life. It was a choice I made and my destiny to follow. I can’t say much, but I want you to know that I really enjoyed my time with you and that you were the best parents a person could ask for. My little bro can keep all the stuff I left behind. I love you and I will miss you. Don’t worry about me.
Jin folded the letter and placed it on his bed. I guess that’s everything, he thought, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Lightning struck outside, casting a person-shaped shadow across the floor. Jin looked outside to see Khronus standing outside the window. They stared at each other for a moment until Jin gave a nod of approval. Khronus smiled and pointed down to the street to tell Jin to meet him there.
Jin grabbed his bag and crept down the stairs quietly. He made his way to the front door and turned, taking a final look at his home. Jin smiled as he thought of the time he’d spent there. Well I guess this is goodbye, he thought as he walked out and closed the door for the last time.
Jin stood on the porch and looked over to the street to see Khronus standing by the same old-fashioned car, holding the door open to usher him inside. He walked out toward the car. There was a still chaos in the air. Rain dripped down lazily from the sky as a dull, calm wind blew through the trees. Even though it was calm, Jin could tell it could go crazy at any moment.
Jin stepped into the car. The inside was surprisingly cozy. The black leather seats had a soft feel. It was very comfortable. Jin sat his pack over to the side. There was a window covering the front, so Jin couldn’t see who was driving. Khronus stepped in the car and closed the door behind him. Then the car drove off into the night.
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Chapter 3
Rain spattered against the car as it drove down the winding streets. It created a muffled beat that filled the silence of the car. “So where are we going exactly?” Jin asked.
“Home,” Khronus said with a smile.
Jin smiled and leaned back. “Feel free to elaborate,” he responded.
Khronus leaned back. “Well, what do you want to know? This ride is probably going to take a while.”
“Well . . .” Jin said, thinking. “For starters, where’s home?”
“Eden,” Khronus answered.
“Where’s that, exactly?” Jin asked, still confused.
Khronus took a deep breath and relaxed. “Hmm, this may take a while,” he said, staring out the window, “but we’ve got nothing else to do.” Khronus continued, crossing his arms and raising a finger. “A long time ago magick existed in this world. I’m sure you’ve heard stories of magick and monsters in ancient times.”
Jin nodded. “You mean like in fairytales and stuff?”
“Yes, but those stories were hardly tales. These things did exist. It’s funny how time forgets. But I digress. Yes, magick did exist in this world. In some small amount it existed in every living thing, but there were special cases. There were special people and creatures that possessed excess magick. The creatures were monsters and the people were us,” Khronus explained.
“Us?” Jin questioned.
“Yes, we call ourselves Ayos.” Khronus continued. “We were often thought of as witches or demons. Some of us were even worshiped as gods. This caused many of our people to be persecuted and killed. We were not the evil people they made us out to be. We were supposed to be heroes and peacekeepers. We were the only ones who could effectively combat and destroy the magical monsters. Yet, over the years too much blood had been spilled over ignorance and prejudice, which caused hatred to both sides.”
“How did you ever solve those problems?” Jin asked.
“Eventually a time came when four great ayos came together and forged the great pillars that separated the magick from this world; thus, Eden was created.”
“What’s Eden like?” Jin asked.
“Eden is a world of magick. You’ll find things to be very different there. I can’t really describe it. You’ll have to see it for yourself,” Khronus answered with a smile. “But Eden is completely separate from this world.”
“If it’s a separate world, how did you get here?” Jin asked.
“Until recently, you couldn’t travel between worlds. The ayos who created Eden wanted to keep them separate permanently,” Khronus explained.
“So what happened that allowed you to come here?”
“Recently, the southern pillar was damaged, causing a temporary bridge between worlds. We still don’t know what happened to damage it, but it’s never happened before.” Khronus explained looking down and reaching in his pocket. “However, I suppose all things happen for a reason. After all, it caused me to find you.”
“How did you find me here and why?” Jin asked.
“Well the first part is simple enough. The core led me to you,” Khronus answered. “But as for why, that’ll take longer to explain. You see, we ayos that have the ability to use magick are born with a core inside us,” Khronus unbuttoned his shirt slightly and pulled it back a bit to reveal a pale blue orb imbedded in his chest. “You see, these cores are imbedded within us from the time we’re born until we die. After an ayos dies, the core remains and goes into a dormant state. Your orb was dormant until recently.”
“What happened to activate it?” Jin asked.
“I suppose it activated the same time the barrier was damaged. I don’t know much, but this is something that has never happened before,” Khronus explained with a shrug. “Usually, when a core falls into dormancy, it stays that way. The only thing I can assume is that you must be a descendant of the clan the core belonged to. Your ancestors must have been separated when Eden was formed.”
“Why did you come all the way to give it to me?” Jin questioned.
“I was the one who discovered the core. We keep them as memorials. Your core belongs to a very old clan. I believed it was important that you receive it, so I was given permission to seek you out and return it to you,” Khronus answered.
“So, can I have it now?” Jin asked, reaching out for it.
Khronus returned the core to his pocket. “I better hold onto it for the time being. I’m not exactly sure what will happen when you come into contact with it, so it’d be safer to wait till we get back to the academy.”
“Academy?” Jin asked.
“Yes, more specifically, that’s where we’re going,” Khronus said with a smile. “But I’ll explain more later once we’ve arrived at our first destination,” he said as the car suddenly came to a stop. Khronus and Jin stepped out of the car. Khronus walked up and tapped on the window. It rolled down a bit and Khronus handed some money to the driver before he drove away.
Jin looked around. They were dropped off at a small park. It was still dark and raining. The grass was lush and green, and there were a bunch of small trees. There were lights lining the various stone paths, and in the center of the park stood a large oak tree. No one was around and the park was completely vacant.
“What are we doing?” Jin asked, looking around. “There’s nothing here.”
Khronus began walking down the path toward the center of the park as Jin followed. “No, there’s a connecting point here. I can sense it,” he explained, walking up to the large oak tree. “Yes, I see. This tree is very old,” Khronus said, placing his hand on the tree as veins of green light began to engulf it. Khronus turned to Jin. “It’s time,” he said as they were surrounded by blinding light. Jin reached up, shielding his eyes as the light surrounded him.
“Umm . . . Jin? What are you doing?” Khronus asked curiously.
Jin opened his eyes and slowly lowered his arms, looking around with a surprised and confused look on his face. The two were standing in front of the large oak in a green field with a dirt road to the side. “What just happened? Where are we?”
“Eden, of course. I told you this is where we were going,” Khronus said as he walked down to the road. “Let’s be off. It’s going to take a while to get there,” he said as he raised his finger in the air and pointed to the right; he lingered to the left and then to the right again. “This way,” Khronus said as he began walking.
Jin caught up and began to follow him. The two continued down the dirt path until they came over a hill. They looked down the hill to see a small village. “Yes, we’ll stay there for the night,” Khronus said leading the way.
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Chapter 4
Khronus and Jin continued down the hill to the small village. Large farm fields were visible on the side of the village as well as various wooden houses that were clustered together on the road. In the center was a large inn and a few small shops. The buildings were all dark with the exception of the inn. The two continued up the road to the two-story building made of unpainted wood with a stone chimney and a large covered porch with a bench on each side. As they stepped onto the porch and opened the door, a bell rang. The door led into a large room where a man sat at a desk across from the door. To the left were some stairs over an opening leading to a kitchen; to the right was a fire place surrounded by various comfortable-looking chairs.
The man at the desk was leaning back in his chair. He seemed to have nodded off, but the sound of the bell woke him up. “Ahh . . .” he said with a yawn. “Welcome. How can I help you folks?”
“Yes, sir, we will require lodging for the night,” Khronus answered.
“Ah, yes. We haven’t had visitors in quite a while,” the man answered as he reached under the desk and pulled out a couple of keys. “Here you go,” he said, handing keys to both Khronus and Jin. “Your rooms are the first two doors at the top of the stairs,” he explained, pointing the way.
Khronus reached into his pocket, pulled out a couple of gold coins, and laid it on the desk. “This should cover our lodging.”
The man’s eyes lit up. “Sir,” he said. “This is far too much,” he continued, stumbling over his words.
“No, I think it is just enough,” Khronus responded with a smile.
The man was very happy. “Thank you, kind sir. I will see that my wife prepares you a grand meal tomorrow,” he said with praise.
“That sounds great,” Khronus responded. “Now come along, Jin. It’s been a big day; let’s get some rest,” he said as the two made their way up the stairs. They entered a hallway lined with doors on each side. Khronus took the first door on the left and Jin took the one on the right. Before entering his room, Khronus stopped and turned to Jin. “Sleep well,” he said, tipping his hat.
“Yeah, you too,” Jin responded before he walked into his room that had a desk and a chair on one side. A small mirror hang on the wall next to a window, and a small bed nestled in the corner. Jin was more exhausted then he realized. Kicking off his shoes, he fell onto the bed and placed his arms behind his head, lying back on his pillow.
Jin stayed awake for a while. Wow, how did I end up here? It feels like a lot has happened, but not a lot of time has passed, he thought, as endless questions ran through his head. Too many questions. It’s going to take some time to adjust to this, he determined with a sigh. At least it’s not boring, he surmised with a smile before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Morning slowly crept up as sunlight stretched over Jin’s face, awaking him from a restful sleep. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned. Jin rubbed his eyes and laid back for a bit. After a while, he finally got the energy to hobble out of bed and make his way to the door where suddenly, he inhaled the aroma of food. Jin’s stomach growled as his mouth began to water.
Jin looked down the hall to see the inn keeper. “Good morning, young man. You can go on downstairs. My wife has prepared a big breakfast for you.”
“Okay, thank you,” Jin replied as he went downstairs to the kitchen. He walked in to see a large woman in the kitchen preparing food. As Jin approached, she turned to face him with a generous smile.
“Good morning,” she said, pointing over to the table. “Sit, please. Sit,” she said in a cheery manner as she ushered Jin into his seat. The woman had a very warm presence about her. She was very kind and was smiling as she set out a plate and cup for Jin. She filled his glass and covered his plate with various foods that Jin had never seen before.
It smelled good, so Jin took a bite. The woman watched him, seeking his approval. He began to eat and smiled in approval. It was very good. The woman smiled with delight as Jin enjoyed his meal. As he finished eating, he began to wonder where Khronus was. “Should I go wake up Khronus?” Jin asked.
“Master Khronus . . . he’s already eaten. He didn’t want to wake you,” the woman explained. “He left to see the village elder,” she said, pointing outside.
“Why did he do that?” Jin asked.
“Well, we were talking about a problem the people in the village have been having recently. He offered to help us and went to see the elder to get more information. He said I should send you along once you finished your meal,” she said as she picked up his empty plate.
“Where is the elder’s house?” Jin asked.
“Just go out the front, take a right, and follow the road all the way down,” she explained as she mimed the directions with her hands. “The elder’s house is at the end of the road. You can’t miss it,” she said with a reassuring smile.
“Then I guess I’ll be on my way. Thanks for breakfast,” Jin said as he got up and walked to the door.
“You’re welcome, honey. Bye, bye,” she said, waving as Jin walked out the door. He looked around. The town seemed to be awake now. Children were playing in the street and various people were walking around.
Jin made his way down the road until he reached the elder’s house. He knocked on the door, stood there for a moment, and waited. After a moment, he heard a muffled voice from inside say, “Come on in.” It was Khronus, so Jin opened the door and peeked inside. Khronus was seated across the table from an older man, which Jin figured was the elder. The two men turned and looked at Jin. “Have a seat,” Khronus said, motioning Jin toward a chair. Jin walked up and sat down.
The three focused their attention on the conversation. “Now where were we?” Khronus began. “Ahh, yes. So what is this problem you were telling me about?” he asked the elder.
“As I was saying, this village has been having some trouble recently. We do a large deal of business with the market in the town to the west,” the elder explained. “However, a strange beast has recently appeared and has been attacking people on the road. Now we can’t trade with them. Everyone’s too scared to make the trip since the last caravan never returned,” he continued.
Khronus tapped his cane on the floor as his eyes drifted off in deep thought. “Hmm, I figured as much. Sounds like a kami,” he said.
“Kami? What’s that?” Jin asked.
“Kami are magical creatures,” Khronus explained. “They are created by magical distortions. The distortions cause magick to pool together. The magick will then take form and become a living being. These creatures are often crazed and power-hungry. They attack people and are regarded as monsters,” he explained.
Jin sat in silence, letting this new information sink in.
The elder sat with a desperate look on his face. “So will you help us?” the elder asked.
“Yes, I will help you,” Khronus said as he sat and began to think. “You said you haven’t been to market for a while now?”
The elder nodded in response.
“Well, my companion and I are heading west. You can have your people gather their caravan. We will accompany it, and when the kami attacks, I will take care of it,” Khronus said as he looked up to the elder. “Does that sound acceptable?”
“Yes,” the elder said graciously. He stood and began to hobble to the door. “I shall make preparations immediately. You will be able to head out this afternoon,” he explained as he made his way outside.
* * * * *
Chapter 5
Preparations were made and the caravan was assembled. There were four wagons filled with various goods and crops to take to market and sell. Khronus and Jin took a seat on the back of the last carriage as they headed out. The townspeople gathered to see them off. They all waved as the carriages left town.
The caravan drove down a large dirt road surrounded by green fields. As they made their way over a large hill, a forest began to appear as more and more trees filled the sides of the road. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long does this trip usually take?” Khronus asked the driver of the carriage.
The man raised a hand from the reins of the carriage to his chin. “I would say it’s about a day’s ride assuming all goes well,” he said.
“It will,” Khronus responded with a reassuring smile.
Jin looked over to Khronus. “Khronus, something’s bugging me,” Jin said, catching his attention. “These people . . . they aren’t ayos, are they? I thought this world was supposed to be separate.”
“I see you noticed. Well, when Eden was created, the first people were all ayos. It wasn’t until years later we learned that some weren’t born with the gift. Eventually, there were more and more born without the gift; thus, ordinary humans were born into Eden. However, it was different this time. We all learned to live together. Here ayos are seen as protectors,” Khronus responded as he stretched and laid back on bags of grain. Jin followed suit, lying back on the bags as well.
Jin stared up at the sky, watching the clouds float by as the caravan began to enter into a large forest. Resting his eyes, he listened to the sounds of the horses trotting around him and the squeak of the carriage’s wheels. After a while, his eyes became heavy, causing him to drift off to sleep.
A sudden commotion awakened Jin. The caravan had halted, and Jin looked to his side to find that Khronus was gone. He heard people at the front of the caravan, so he jumped off the back of the carriage and ran around to the front to see what was going on.
Jin saw a group of men gathered in front of the carriage. He walked up to see what they were looking at. Khronus was in the front surrounded by, what appeared to be, blue wolves. Are those the kami Khronus told me about? Jin thought. He had never seen anything like them before.
The wolves began to surround Khronus, showing their fangs as their eyes lit up with anger. He stood still. The wolves began to slowly move in to attack. They drew closer and closer to Khronus until finally, they jumped at him. At that moment, a wave of ice pulsed from his body freezing all the wolves in midair. They each fell to the ground and shattered.
All the men looked on in amazement. “Wow, so this is the power of an ayos. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” one of the men said.
Khronus stood looking around a moment as if he was confused about something. He waited a moment and then returned to the cheering group.
“You are truly great, Master Khronus!” one of the men said.
“Yes, we are all in your debt,” another man added.
“No thanks necessary,” Khronus said, humbly raising his hands. “Besides I think your problem is all but dealt with,” he explained as the men began to calm down.
“What do you mean? There are more of those things?” a man asked fearfully.
“Possibly, but no worries. I will do as promised,” Khronus replied calming the group. “Now let us continue,” he said as the group returned to their carriages. The wagons began to head down the road again.
“That was really cool, man,” Jin said looking down at the road.
Khronus began to laugh. “Yeah, I guess it was,” he said with a smile on his face. “You know one day soon you’ll be able to do that too,” Khronus added.
Jin stared at him in amazement. “Really?” he said hopefully.
“Yes, that’s why you’re here.” Khronus said rubbing Jin’s head and messing up his hair. “Granted, you may not be as cool as I am, but you’ll still be pretty good,” he said as they both chuckled.
The caravan continued until the sun began to set. The sky had turned red, and there was a slight chill in the wind. The trees began to clear as they came to the top of another rolling hill. “There’s the town . . . just over the next ridge,” the man at the front of the carriage yelled out, noticing the smoke from the chimneys in the city.
The men cheered, happy to see the end of the journey in sight. Then they all heard a very loud howl from the woods behind them. “What was that?” Jin asked in a worried tone.
“Trouble,” Khronus responded. The trees in the distance began to shake and rattled birds flew up into the sky. It appeared that something massive was moving through the woods. At that moment, a huge beast broke out of the tree line. It was a huge blue wolf with three tails. The beast caught view of the caravan in the distance and began to charge toward them.
“Go . . . now!” Khronus yelled as the caravan began to speed up. The beast drew closer, opening its mouth and spitting out a cluster of smaller wolves, just like the ones Khronus fought earlier. Khronus stood up on the end of the carriage and looked over to Jin. “Jin, stay here! I’ll meet up with you later,” he said jumping off the carriage.
Khronus stood and looked up at the group charging toward him. He stabbed his cane into the ground and removed his hat, hanging it on the cane. Khronus then began to run toward the group.
Khronus reached back, forming a spear of ice in his hand. The smaller wolves began to jump at him. He swung the spear, knocking them away, plowing his way through to the leader. Once clear, he threw the spear into the leg of the beast. Its leg began to freeze. As it hit the ground, the leg shattered, causing the beast to fall right in front of Khronus.
“It’s over,” Khronus said raising his hand. The wolf attempted to stand but fell and let out a loud roar at Khronus. Ice shards began to form and fire from his hand. They pummeled the beast, causing it to freeze solid. Khronus looked behind him as the other wolves began to disappear. Khronus fired one final shard at the huge frozen creature, causing it to shatter.
The beast’s body began to glow as it turned into small orbs of light that flew up toward Khronus. The particles were absorbed by his core, causing it to glow brightly for a moment before returning back to normal. Khronus gave a sigh of relief. He turned and began walking back down the road, grabbing his cane and returning his hat to his head.
By this time, the caravan had made its way to the city. The group was welcomed by the citizens of the city, which was surrounded by a large stone wall with big metal gates.
The man at the gates of the city yelled down to the group, “How did you get through that forest alive? It’s been a while since we’ve seen anyone come out of there.”
One of the carriage drivers answered him. “We were traveling with an ayos. He stayed back to fight the beast and help us escape.”
The man at the gate yelled down at the people on the other side to open the gate. The doors opened, revealing a busy city street. The buildings were all made of brick with cobblestone paths leading all around the city. Various booths and shops lined the main road into town. It was truly a beautiful place.
* * * * *
Chapter 6
Jin hopped off the carriage and onto the street. Hmm . . . what should I do now? He thought, confused before deciding to browse the various shops while he waited. Jin walked around for a while until he came to an interesting shop. He walked in and looked at the various strange items for sale, but after realizing he had no money, he walked back to the street.
As Jin walked to main gate to see if Khronus had returned yet, suddenly, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. With surprise, he turned to see a young man with dark red hair and green eyes. He appeared to be a year or two older then Jin, and he was wearing a black robe with a strange symbol on the back.
“Can I help you?” Jin asked.
“Yes, were you on the caravan that just arrived from the town to the east?” the young man asked.
“Yes, I did. Why do you ask?” Jin responded.
“Did you encounter any strange creatures on the road here?”
A hand was placed on Jin’s shoulder and he heard a familiar voice. “Yes,” the voice said. Jin turned to see Khronus. “And who might you be, young man?”
“My name is Nikolai Zar; I am an ayos from the academy in the east. And who are you?” Nikolai asked.
“My name is Khronus and my companion here is Jin. I am a master at the academy to the west and he is one of our newest apprentices. I am escorting him back to the academy,”
“I guess that’s why you’re not wearing your academy’s robes then?” Nikolai questioned.
“Yes, this assignment didn’t require it, and Jin has yet to enroll,” Khronus responded. “And what business do you have here, Nikolai?”
“I’m here to take care of the kami that has been plaguing the road east of here,” Nikolai responded.
Khronus sighed as his eyes veered off. “Ohh . . . I took care of it,” Khronus responded.
Nikolai’s eyes widened. “What!?” he said with an annoyed grunt. “So I came all this way for nothing?”
“I’m sorry, I had no idea the job had been commissioned by the east. But I had to get through the road and we were attacked so . . .” Khronus explained.
Nikolai raised his hand to silence him. Now that the shock had worn off, he had calmed down. “No it was my error for not arriving sooner,” he explained.
“Well, we are in the east academy’s territory. I should have known. You’re more than welcome to take credit for the assignment,” Khronus responded.
“No, I am an honorable man. I will see that you are credited and the payment will be transferred to the west academy as well,” Nikolai responded. “Well, I must be on my way. Nice meeting you,” he said as he turned and walked away.
“That was interesting,” Khronus said, breaking the tension.
“Wow, I have so many questions about what just happened,” Jin responded.
“Yeah, it’s best not to try to learn everything at once. Try to take in too much and you’ll end up losing most of it. Just give it time,” Khronus explained. “But anyway, I’m hungry. How about you?”
Jin shrugged. “Eh, I could eat,” he responded.
The two wondered around until they finally found a restaurant. It was a nice place with wooden tables, a bar in the front, and a large stone fireplace in the back. A waitress came and took their order and later brought out their food. “So how much farther do we have to go?” Jin asked
“If we took a carriage, it’d probably take another two weeks give or take.” Khronus responded.
Jin’s mouth dropped. “What!?” he said, shocked. “Seriously, it’s going to take that long?”
“Well . . .” Khronus said, with a slight chuckle, “actually, there’s an atlas gate just outside of town that can get us there in less than a day.”
“What’s an atlas gate?” Jin asked.
“Atlas gates are set up all over Eden. They are essentially portals that link two faraway places. They make long distance travel much easier,” Khronus explained.
The two finished their meals and then went to find a carriage driver and get a ride out of town. After a while of searching, they finally found someone willing to take them. They jumped on the carriage and began their journey out of town.
The carriage made its way down the road until it came upon a large arch. The arch appeared to be made of a dark stone with a symbol etched in the top center. Inside the gate was a strange layer. It looked almost like water. You could see through it, but the image was murky and warped. The carriage continued through the gate and Jin watched carefully. As he passed through the gate, he closed his eyes but didn’t feel anything. He peeked out of the carriage to see that the scenery had changed. “Wow, so where are we now?” Jin asked.
The carriage continued along up a new road. “You should be able to see where we are right about . . . now,” Khronus answered. Jin stuck his head out, looking behind the carriage. There was a large cluster of atlas gates at the end of the road behind him. Then he turned and looked at the trail ahead. He gasped to see a large building just in the distance. It was a large grey brick building. It looked almost like a castle with a large crystal obelisk in the very center.
“Impressed?” Khronus asked.
“Yes, very,” Jin responded.
“Well, this is your new home,” Khronus said.
Jin looked on in amazement as the carriage made its way up to the gates that led into the academy. A large man stood in front of the gate. He was tall and muscular with short dark hair. He wore a black robe with armor strapping around his chest, covering his right shoulder and his entire right arm. The man walked into the path of the carriage and held out his right hand revealing a core. “Who goes there?” the man asked in a loud intimidating voice.
* * * * *
Chapter 7
The carriage came to a screeching halt. Khronus stuck his head out the carriage door. “Hey, Poart!” he said, smiling. “It’s just me. Sorry for not calling ahead. We got a bit sidetracked,” he explained.
Poart was surprised. “Oh, Master Khronus! Come right in,” he said as Khronus and Jin got out of the carriage.
Khronus leaned down by Jin’s ear. “Oh yes . . . one thing; do not mention anything of your world here. If anyone asks, you came from a small village in the western province,” he whispered as Jin nodded in agreement.
Khronus thanked and paid the carriage driver as they passed. The two walked to the gate where Poart was waiting for them. “So this is the new apprentice, huh?” Poart asked, bending down to look at Jin. He poked Jin in the chest. Jin was surprised at how giant-like the man was. “Not much to him,” Poart said as he leaned back and grabbed his stomach while beginning to laugh.
“Now Poart, don’t tease him,” Khronus said.
“Aww, I’m just messing with him,” Poart said, smiling and messing Jin’s hair up. “So what’s your name, kid?” he asked.
Jin straightened up and stood tall. “My name is Jin, sir; nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand.
“We . . . ell!” Poart bellowed with a smirk. “I may have pegged you wrong, kid.” He reached out and grabbed Jin’s hand—almost engulfing it. Jin gave him a firm handshake and smiled. “My name is Poart. I am the fifth-generation gatekeeper. I have stood guard here for over fifty years now,” he explained.
“Really, but you don’t look that old,” Jin said.
Poart laughed again. “Wow, this one is really wet behind the ears, eeh Khronus?” he said, pointing with his thumb at Jin. “Okay . . . well, the lifespan of an ayos is a lot longer than an ordinary person. The fact that we are able to store and use magick in our bodies greatly increases our vitality,” he explained.
Jin nodded. “Ahh, I see.”
“Well, this is one of many lessons he has yet to learn, but he must be weary from the long trip. So, if we could get past,” Khronus said.
“Yeah, yeah,” Poart said as he opened the gate. He then motioned for them to enter. “Welcome to the west academy,” he said sarcastically as they made their way in.
Khronus and Jin continued into the building. There were various people walking around, all of whom were wearing uniforms with a strange symbol on the back. “What does the symbol mean?” Jin asked.
“Oh, yes, each academy has a unique symbol. They are usually worn on their clothes. It’s a way to represent each academy and identify us as ayos to regular people,” Khronus answered.
“Wait . . . I thought everyone here was an ayos,” Jin answered confused.
“At first, all the people in Eden were ayos, but after the years, there were lots of people born without cores. Apparently, only so many ayos can exist. However, even though there are now more normal people then ayos in Eden, we are still respected. In fact, we are seen as protectors in this world,” Khronus explained as they continued down the hallways and eventually came to a door. Khronus reached out and opened it.
It was a medium-sized room with a bed on each side and various furniture placed around the room. “This part of the building is the apprentice’s quarters, and this is your room. You can take the bed on the left. Your roommate doesn’t seem to be here at the moment,” Khronus explained.
“Roommate?” Jin questioned.
“Yes, he’s named Saga, I believe. He’s quite . . . ahh . . . rough around the edges I suppose, but he shouldn’t be a problem, but anyway, I have some things to attend to. You should get some rest,” Khronus explained.
“But what about my core?” Jin asked.
“We’ll take care of that later. Don’t get impatient now. It shouldn’t be much longer,” Khronus said as he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Jin walked to the window and peered out over the court yard. Well, this place seems pretty cool, but it’s huge. I wonder if I’ll get lost, he thought, laughing. Jin then walked over to his bed and laid down. Apparently, he was much more tired then he realized because he drifted right off to sleep.
Jin awoke to find his bed being shaken. “Wake up, sleepy head,” a voice said. Jin awoke to see it was dark out. He rubbed his eyes to see it was Khronus standing over him. “It’s time. Get up and follow me,” Khronus said.
Jin got up and looked around the room. His roommate still wasn’t there. Jin followed Khronus outside. The halls were dark except for the lantern that Khronus held as he led the way around the building. The two made their way to a large pair of doors. Khronus opened them and the two walked into a brightly lit room that was empty except for three people who stood inside waiting.
Jin stood in the center as the four stood in front of him. “So this is the one, huh? This will be most interesting,” one of the individuals said, snickering. He was a man who appeared to be in his late twenties. His hair was black at the roots but turned white toward the tips. The man wore a lab coat bearing the academy’s symbol and a pair or glasses. He leaned in and pushed up his glasses, studying Jin.
“Leave him alone, Thoth,” one woman said with a quant smile. She also appeared to be in her late twenties. The woman had long, dark purple hair with matching eyes. She wore a white doctor’s uniform with the academy symbol on the back.
“Whatever, Isis,” Thoth sneered back. “Can we get on with this? I want to see what happens,” he said with excitement.
“Yes, let us begin,” the third person said. He was an older-looking man who was bald with a thick white beard. He wore a black robe that had a white flame pattern coming up from the bottom and up the arms with the academy symbol in the back.
“Yes, Master Odin,” Khronus said as he pulled the red core from his pocket. “Okay, Jin, please remove your shirt.” Jin nodded and did as he was asked. Khronus walked over to Jin and handed him the orb. “Here, take it and press it to your chest.”
Jin reached out and grabbed the orb for the first time. It was smooth and warm. He could feel an energy much like a heartbeat pulsating inside it. Jin began to pull it toward his chest. He could feel it pulling toward him. As he pressed it against his chest, the core began to pulsate faster and stronger as waves of red energy began to emit from in. Sparks of red energy began to dig into his chest.
Jin’s arms and head flung back as the core began to merge with him. As it dug further in, glowing red veins began to grow on Jin’s chest. The energy was overwhelming, causing Jin to scream. Surges of red energy began to shoot out of his body, damaging the floors and walls. So much power was emitted; he began to lift into the air. All the others stood watching in awe.
The core finally merged with Jin. The energy was absorbed back into the orb. Jin dropped out of the air and plopped down on the floor limp. Thoth walked over and examined him. “Hmm, he’s alive, just knocked out. However, the process seemed to take a heavy toll on his body,” he said as he stood up and brushed himself off. “Well, that was interesting. I’ll need to make a log of this, so if you’ll excuse me. Isis, I’ll leave him in your capable hands,” Thoth said before he left the room.
Isis walked over and began examining him. Odin looked over to Khronus. “Come with me, Khronus, we will make preparations for him,” Odin said as the two left the room.
* * * * *
Chapter 8
Jin awoke to find himself surrounded by blackness. He got up slowly and looked around. “Where am I?” he said aloud to himself. Jin began walking around as his eyes slowly began to adjust. However, he still could not see anything around him. There were no walls—nothing.
Jin started walking, but he seemed to be going nowhere. Then he finally began to make out a person standing in the distance. “Hello?” Jin yelled to him. The man did not respond. He didn’t even move.
Jin began walking toward him. As he got closer to him, he began to get a strange feeling. A weight began to pull down on his body. It became hard to move and even harder to breathe. The man stood still in front of him.
Jin tried to call out to him once again, but he couldn’t speak. What’s going on? he thought, panicking. Jin looked up at the man. The man’s body was completely shrouded in black. The man turned to him with his eyes closed. He suddenly opened them and stared at Jin with two glowing red eyes.
Jin yelled as he jerked out of the dream. He was breathing hard, but after realizing it was a dream, he began to calm down. Jin looked around to see he was back in his room at the academy. He looked down at his body. His chest was covered in bandages.
“So you are alive,” a new voice said. Jin sat up to see someone sitting in the bed across from him reading a book.
Jin looked at him curiously. “Umm . . . are you Saga?”
He lowered his book and glared at him. “Yes, I am Saga Dimyo. Nice to meet you or whatever,” Saga said in a sarcastic tone. “Now if you don’t mind?” he said as he continued reading.
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