Magic, Myth and Mysteries

Cleon, The Stories of Cradle Earth, Chapter Two - Margot Nusselder

Chapter 2

Alexander giving instructions, showing fight postures, all kinds of sword movements, was like pouring water on a dried flower. We saw life returning in him, comparable to the thirsty flora absorbing fresh rain. It was always for a short period of time. He went back to his catatonic state when our sessions in between schooldays were over.

After a couple of days playing with a wooden sword, our grandfather deemed us ready to try a set of moves with Asi. He introduced us to the sword. It was information we already knew, but he didn’t know that of course.

“How do you activate it?” we asked.

“You call Brahma,” he simply said.

We frowned. “Does he show himself?”

“It's more like you summon his Magic to the sword. Last time I used it, I fought against Alpha Warren...” Alexanders voice broke. In that same fight Cleonarya died. We laid a hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

“If it's too much right now-,” we started. Alexander quickly interrupted.

“No, no, no, we're doing this today,” he said while grabbing our hand. “You need to know how to use Asi to its fullest extent. Magic can show you the truth and you need to see that.”

*Say what now?*

Before we could react to his odd remark, he continued, “Let's see if I can still access it.” We stood in the backyard of his cottage when he broadened his stance and lifted Asi in front of him. “I call upon thee, Brahma of the Stars!”

The sword glowed softly, flickered and returned to its former state. Alexanders whole physique deflated. His shoulders slumped and he looked smaller compared to before. He became older in mere seconds.

“It's too much for me. The starlight is gone...” he softly said. We grabbed his arm to support him. He leaned heavily on us. With a thump, the sword fell on the ground.

“It's alright,” we cooed. “You can retire. There's no need for you to fight.”

“You're right. I need to rest and let the younger generations take over,” he said. Somehow, he looked peaceful. His features relaxed and he stopped trying so hard to be his former self.

After we helped him to his bed to rest, we returned to Asi.

*Time to get the real thing.* Nimra was not a sword fan. Most animals weren't a fan of weapons, since they had their own.

Nimra took over. We grabbed the sword at its hilt and lifted Asi like Alexander did. “I call upon thee, Brahma of the Stars!”

We looked at the sword intently.

Nothing.

*This a disappointment...*

*What to do now? Apparently, we can't summon the Magic.*

*Let's try something different.*

The grass tickled a bit when we sat down, still in the backyard of our grandfather's house. We hovered our hands above the sword trying to feel the aura of the sword.

*Can we somehow tamper with it?*

*Let's try to absorb some via our skin.*

We imagined the energy of the sword entering our skin, through the pores. Suddenly, there was a flash in front of us.

“What the f**k do you think you're doing?!”

We looked up. Our eyes met a beautiful man. He took our breath away. We never felt anything s****l before, however this man was turning our whole world upside down. His black robe peppered with stars gave him a mysterious look, his dark deep brown eyes peered into our soul, and his black hair was just the right length to glide our hands through. His crown placed in a casual but sexy way, showing the symbols of the three life stages of a star: a yellow protostar, orange medium sequence and a red giant orb symbolizing the explosion ending the existence.

*Is he... our...* We couldn't finish a thought with the focus of Brahma of the Stars fully at us.

*Our mate?*

*No, he is not.*

*Not that it matters. We bet his private star is a sight to behold.* Cyon let her tongue fell out her mouth and panted.

The human part was flabbergasted. Nimra took over.

“We need to learn about Magic to restore balance to this Cradle. Can you help us?”

“You just tried to steal my Magic, and you think I'm going to help you?! Are you out of your f*****g mind?” he almost shouted. The anger became more visible with every word he spoke. His face reddened, the veins inflated like small balloons, and his hands had a slight tremor.

“You don't want Hethos to evolve and become a full-fledged Ethos?” we merely whispered.

His posture changed and he tilted his head. A shiver went through us, and we had to adjust our pants. “I do, but what for? What do you want Hethos to become?” Brahma asked in a curious manner, all his previous fury dissipated.

*Right, what do we want to evolve into?*

*What is the Marrows actual goal?*

For a moment, we had to think about it.

“A better version of the current humans, no more war, no more injustice.”

Brahma pursed his lips. “Just clone the best version of yourself, but not with the use of my Magic.” He moved rapidly, barely visible for us, and he grabbed the sword. We saw the shimmering of multiple stars move from Asi to Brahma.

“Open your eyes, not the Marrows,” he said, and he dropped the sword. Asi was gone now, the sword returned to being one out of a dozen. “Next time we meet, it better not be close to Elatia...”

With a flash, Brahma was gone. He left us with a lot of question roaming in our mind.