Chapter Six: The Vision
The past week at the care of the Mordigans taught Osiris things he would never have dreamed of learning from the outside world. The hidden knowledge of magic made him more excited than anything, for as long as he could remember in his life. He found himself very adept with magic, and even though he still got shocked about some of the strange consequences involved, Osiris really enjoyed learning. For example if you mess up one particular spell, you can grow another head. "I guess two heads are better than one?" he joked after Roland's spell casting lecture.
Also, it totally made him relax and hopeful about his knew found destiny and, as Caleb had pointed out, learning his powers and his real identity made Osiris more determined to not give up his dreams and expectations for the future.
One thing that Os needed to get used to while living in the Mansion was the medieval way of life that the Mordigan Witches still followed. Even though they were using computers and high-tech gadgetry in their kitchens, some things never change and that included outfits. After rummaging in the cabinet and not finding any normal clothes, Osiris had to ask, "What happened to jeans and shirts?"
Roland smiled at him. "Robes are the traditional clothes of witches because they give you the sense of power and mystery. They hide much, express even more and they remind us of the ancient powers that the world has forgotten. You'll learn to love them. They're quite comfortable."
With Roland and Caleb's aid, Osiris was finally getting the hang of his telepathic power, yet as he learned to use it more, it became more of a burden because of the sudden waves of ideas and emotions coming from people near him.
"It's natural, as your brain is more sensitive to other's brainwaves," explained Caleb. "You'll be able to sort it out in time, it just takes practice."
"I think talking will be redundant now," said Osiris, massaging his temples, "your thoughts were in my head before they even came out of your mouth."
"Then, you're in luck. You won't be a victim of people with bad breath, because they won't need to open their mouths when they talk to you.", said Caleb grinning.
Exploring the Mansion became a treat for Os too, not just because it was stunning on its own but, due to the interesting features that it possessed. The River Corridor was cool in Osiris's opinion and the labyrinth of pathways to the workshops was fun. He knew that he would never be bored in here for Osiris had never been to a place that seemed to change at every turn, because of its magnitude and glamour.
"What's so funny?" asked Osiris after he mentioned his observations to Roland, who just laughed.
"Glamour," said Roland plainly.
"What about it?"
"Oh, you're like a Martian. A glamour is an ancient art of concealment using magical means. Ladies in the ancient times used it to hide unpleasant features on their faces so that they could attract husbands."
Os sneered. "Look who's calling names, the one so all-knowing that he nearly cried and blew-up the computer when he accidentally erased everything that he typed for an hour."
"Hey! I didn't know you can undo things on a computer and it was all my newly invented spells and potion ingredients. I'm going cyber for easier cross-referencing and typing is hard work. I think I'll invent a self-typing spell."
"Sloth is one of the seven deadly sins," Osiris taunted. Roland ignored him.
He and Roland totally clicked though, as both of them were nerdy, thirsty to learn and had a great senses of humor. And living in a mansion that houses at least half a thousand witches and warlocks, Osiris was bound to get to know more people and make new friends.
Delphi and Ruby always gave him a wave or a smile every time they crossed paths in the corridors and Osiris couldn't help but notice that Roland became rather red each time. Everyone seemed so friendly and liked to talk to him. With Roland's introductions, telling him the names and titles of the Mordigans every minute or two, made Osiris's brain feel like a swirl of overcooked noodles. He wondered why the Mordigans were called by their titles like Heralds, Creators or Oracles and that only added to the tons of details that Osiris needed to memorize.
"As you know, every Mordigan witch has a job. We are assigned titles to make it easier to know our responsibilities," said Roland while mixing fluids in a small copper cauldron. They were at Roland's workshop one afternoon; Osiris sat in one corner reading a book that Caleb had lent him. "I'm a Creator and my job is to make things that shall be useful for others, invent new spells and discover special properties and usage of plants and minerals--those sorts of things."
"Yeah, Ruby told me when I first arrived. So what are the things you have already invented?" asked Osiris curiously.
"Well, I have invented many potions, like the Decapitation potion, but I also worked on infusing Morganite in potion bottles so that they won't break, even if they're accidentally hit by spells."
"What's Morganite?"
Roland became excited all of a sudden, regarding the subject. "Well, it's a crystal discovered by Morgan Mordigan, a daughter of one of the founders of the coven. It's really curious because no magic can harm the crystal as though it totally cancels any spell or power that hits it and it's really rare and hard to find."
Osiris nodded for the new information. "So what about the other Mordigan titles..."
"Well, speaking of rare and magical things, other Mordigans are designated for finding and collecting powerful magical objects, then bringing them here so that they can be studied, and are known as Trackers. They are stationed outside the Mansion.
"Heralds, like Caleb, are Mordigans that are also stationed outside the Mansion to do special tasks like stopping the Hand, investigating misuse of magic and other missions. They tend to be the best Mordigans in every aspect comparable to special agents.
"The Warders cast spells that shield and hide the Mansion and serve as our guards; and Oracles have the power of foresight and premonitions, to help us know when things like plagues and pestilences will come so they can be prevented. Then there's a higher status, like the Congress of Elders, thirteen of the wisest Mordigans, that lead the coven and are presided over by the High Priest or Priestess, who is a member of the Congress too."
Roland began to put his potion in one of his Morganite bottles when he said, "And I nearly forgot... there's also the Triads."
"What's that?" Osiris asked flipping through the book he was holding.
"They're the three most supreme Mordigans, even more powerful than the Elders or the High Priestess because they can control the Three Hooded Spirits, the guardians of the coven. Each Triad controls one Hooded Spirit giving him or her unlimited powers. But they don't really reveal themselves unless in dire situations. They will only appear and use their powers to save the coven from destruction. No one knows who they are. They may or may not even be in the Congress."
Osiris got really interested as the Mordigan coven seemed so well organized and mysterious. "And how do you qualify to be a Triad?"
"According to texts in the Archives, the Hooded Spirits picks a Mordigan witch that has shown extreme characteristics that makes him or her stand out from the rest. A Mordigan might not even know he's a Triad until the time comes when he needs to reveal himself," Roland looked at Os. "You know, you should learn one of the most important magics there is to acquire knowledge like this."
"What's that?" Osiris asked eagerly.
"Research," Roland grinned. "It's time for you to know how to use the Archives."
As told by Delphi and Ruby, Osiris knew that there were special rooms in the Mansion. Os was slightly apprehensive when he and Roland let themselves get carried by the stream of the River Corridor to the front of a gigantic silver door, the entrance to the Archives.
"Brace yourself," said Roland as he pushed the door open quite easily.
It was a library incomparable to any other libraries he had seen in his lifetime. The room was so colossal that he couldn't see the end. Hundreds of rows of gigantic shelves met his eyes, lined with thousands of tomes and scrolls. Every kind of book imaginable was there; from pocketbooks to tomes the size of cabinet doors to self-flipping ones and Osiris even saw a witch getting a dictation from a talking stern-sounding book. Roland was grinning from ear to ear looking at his friend's astounded face.
"Holds all the knowledge known to man," said Roland, "From the oldest to the latest. The Archives grow as more knowledge gets added. And don't worry; you don't need to keep your voice down because you automatically become mute when you talk too loudly but it wears off after you get out."
"I feel like an ant in this room," said Osiris. He noticed laptops sitting on hundreds of desks; some of them were getting used by busy looking witches.
"Won't I get lost in here?" he asked looking at the maze of shelves.
"Don't worry. There's this spell that you can say if you feel you've gone astray," Roland reassured Osiris, "Just say, `from once I came, return me now'. It'll teleport you here in the reading area and if you forget, it's engraved on every book shelf. You can use the computers to search for book titles or you can use the card catalog there." Roland pointed to numerous drawers at the far left of the room.
"Happy researching," said Roland then after tapping Os on his back then went out the Archives.
Osiris was a little intimidated at first by the vastness of the place but he got used to it and after a moment, he found himself searching for books by typing the subject of his interest on the search engine in one of the computers. Taking Roland's word that the Archives has a record of anything under the sun, Os researched the dos and don'ts of magic and when he found the books he needed, he began to study the Craft. Yet within Osiris's heart, there were many things that he wanted to learn more than powers and magic... he craved to discover who he really is.
"`How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past?' by John Steinbeck," read Osiris from a book of quotations and a smile broke his face. It was the only thing he needed to convince him to learn about his ancestry.
Osiris realized that if he really wanted to know who he is, he needed to look back and find things about his past, his family, his ancestry. It implied to be tedious work as he didn't have much to go on except for his parents' and Aunt Celina's name, yet Osiris was more than determined, believing that if he discovered his past history, he would be able to understand his present, and then maybe he would know where the future would lead.
"So how's the bookworm doing?" asked Roland one afternoon three days after he showed Os the Archives. Osiris grunted in response.
With a limited amount of reading material about his family, Os suspended his history research and focused for a while in to practicing his powers and learning spell weaving. He used tips from textbooks on how to control his telepathy and after some more practice Osiris could now differentiate other people's thoughts from his own. Roland gave him space to learn his way around the Mansion while Caleb was on his duties outside so Os didn't have coaching from him, though the Herald stoped by occasionally, asking how everything was going.
"Alright I guess," Osiris finally answered, marking his place on the book. "I'm learning loads and I'm even practicing casting spells. One book said you can write your own spell."
"Yeah, that's one of my jobs as a Creator. How about your ancestry, anything new?"
"Not really. I tried searching for any references using my parents name but nothing. Only their documents like birth certificates, marriage contract and stuff like that. I guess they hid their magic too much." Osiris closed the spell book he was reading. "As for Aunt Celina, I only saw one mention of her name in a Book of Shadows written by Marcia Higgens and it's not that informative, really. I got more interested about the term Book of Shadows than the passage about them being super-girl friends back in the olden days." Roland smiled when Os gave him a `yuck' expression.
"The term confused me a little," Osiris continued. "I read that it's a book where a witch records his magic, which is clear, but I'm curious as to why it's called the Book of Shadows. Does it pertain to dark magic?"
"No. A Book of Shadows is a book of spells and memories of a witch, so called because it was secretly written at the darkest time of the night when shadows covered the land. Witches do this to escape getting persecuted during the times of witch hunting. Books of Shadows are good sources of knowledge about ones family as they are passed from generation to generation," Roland explained, reading the book covers Osiris picked out. "It was even believed that if you possess a Book of Shadows, you have the key to unlock the secrets of the universe."
"How about a séance?" asked Osiris innocently. Roland noticed that he sounded blue when Os said it. "Is it effective?"
"A ritual to call the dead," said Roland. "Why would you ask?"
"Nothing," Osiris said rather quickly. "Just curious. I found a reference of it. Marcia wrote a séance ritual after the passage about Aunt Celina."
"Don't lose hope yet Os. We'll find your aunt soon."
"It's not that. Caleb assured me she can take care of herself," muttered Osiris. "I just want to know about it."
"Well, many tried it, but I myself don't like it"--Roland shivered a little--"Some believe that it's a form of dark magic, and that we shouldn't disturb those who have moved on. It's kind of dangerous because we might call the wrong being. And it needs a lot of power and magic to pull off."
Osiris went back to his reading. The séance that he was thinking about was not for his Aunt Celina because he still had hopes that she was still alive somewhere. No... there was no point of calling the dead but Os can't help thinking that it was the only thing that he could not escape even though he hid inside the Mordigan Mansion... It was for the one that died in his presence... the one who died because of his presence.
The Thursday of his second week at the Mansion gave Osiris a surprise when Delphi invited him and Roland to come to a party in her dorm that night. It was Delphi's birthday. Osiris was rather embarrassed to go without giving a present and got more annoyed when he noticed that Roland looked prepared after emerging from his room while holding a box wrapped in gold.
"You knew its Delphi's birthday?" Osiris asked and got surprised that Roland blushed.
"Well, it's annual so I just remembered."
"Why didn't you to tell me? I feel like a nincompoop without a gift," scowled Osiris.
Roland gave him a smile. "Don't worry. Delphi won't mind and I knew you wouldn't know so I included you to my gift."
"Why would you do that?" Os asked, giving Roland a look.
"Well... it's just... I didn't want Delphi to think that... well, that I like..." Roland licked his lips nervously, then just gave Osiris an irritated look. "Just sign the gift."
Grinning, Os flourished his name and then they went to Dorm Fifty-eight.
"Which was Delphi's room again?"
"Eleventh door on the right," Roland answered automatically. Osiris shouldn't have asked. The sound of laughing and cheering automatically hit their ears after opening the wooden door. Music boomed around as though there was a live concert going on in Delphi's apartment. Os and Roland squeezed through the throng and found Delphi and Ruby laughing with a bunch of Warders and Oracles just beyond the dance floor. The room appeared to have been extended and there were swirling orbs of colored lights above them and some mysterious mist hung in the air for effect.
"Os! Roland! Glad you could make it!" shouted Delphi competing against the loud music. Osiris couldn't determine where the music was coming from. Roland handed her the gift and Delphi beamed. "Oh, Roland, you're so sweet!"
"Told you he likes you!" chirped Ruby behind Delphi. Roland blushed.
"It's not just from me," he said. "Os contributed to it too."
Delphi put the gold package to a table overflowing with other presents. "Thanks guys."
The party was great and Os was kind of surprised that Mordigans knew how to party like this. He got a flash back of how he and Jaypee went to a rave party for his eighteenth birthday. Roland looked apprehensive and once or twice, Osiris saw him twitching his ears, apparently not used to loud noises. There were mounds of food and drinks and the number of people were increasing by the hour.
Delphi stood to go to the bathroom but she swayed and fortunately, Roland caught her by the arm or she would have fallen, face first, into her birthday cake. She looked drunk. Os raised his eyebrows to Ruby, who just raised her shoulders.
"There's alcohol in this?" he asked pointedly raising his cup of punch. Ruby smiled thinly.
"Honestly? I don't know," she said. Osiris noticed she too looked kind of red. Roland caught his eye.
"Let's get out of here," he said to Os. "Get some fresh air."
Both Ruby and Osiris nodded. He helped Roland carry Delphi, who was muttering incoherently. "Guys...guys... Where are we going?"
People around them, didn't really pay them much attention, so the four were out of the apartment and in the River Corridor in no time. Osiris stared to Delphi... she couldn't have been older than fifteen.
"You don't know if your punch was spiked?" he rounded to Ruby.
"How am I supposed to know? It's not my party."
Roland looked down to Delphi, whose breathing erratically. "Let's go to Eden. She can have some fresh air there."
They streamed to the Garden of Eden. After the green doors opened, Osiris looked stunned at the splendor of the place... it was as though they had transported to another part of the world. The place was awesome with gigantic trees, fragrant flowers and delicious-looking fruit bearing vegetation lit by soaring speckles of light like fireflies and floating orbs like the ones in the Vestibule.
Osiris stared, engulfing the scenery for a minute, when he felt Roland tugging his sleeve. Returning to earth, Os crouched and he helped Roland carry Delphi to the side of a wide pond with beautiful lilies in full bloom. They propped Delphi's back against a tree in a sitting position.
Os and Ruby stood back and watch in amusement as Roland took his handkerchief and soaked it with cold water from the pond, then knelt beside Delphi and dabbed her face, with a very worried look. After a while, Roland looked around and saw both
Osiris and Ruby smirking at him.
"What?" he blushed and stopped wiping Delphi's face.
Ruby knelt beside Delphi too, took the cloth from his hand, then continued the task.
"You're busted," she said. Roland stood and gingerly moved away a bit.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his face turning scarlet.
"Don't worry, I think she's out cold," said Ruby, standing up and looking at Roland. "You like her don't you?"
Osiris grinned fully as he saw Roland's mouth open then close, then open again like a fish out of water. Ruby handed back his kerchief.
"Okay, I get it," she said in a knowing tone.
"No," muttered Roland, finally finding his voice again. "It's just... well..." he trailed off as Delphi stirred and opened a blurried eye. She looked around.
"I feel dizzy. Hey guys, where are we?" she asked groaning.
Ruby sat beside her and said knowingly, "You got rescued. The punch was spiked, probably with whiskey." Osiris and Roland sat too, facing the two girls. Delphi appeared to be embarrassed.
"Guys, I'm sorry for this..."
"No it's okay," said Os sparing Delphi the awkwardness. "It happens to best of us."
They remained in the garden, talking and getting to know each other. To Roland's pleasure, Ruby and Osiris didn't mention to Delphi of his actions, though they did give him a smirk every now and then. Their conversation went to dreams and hopes and plans for the future.
"I want to invent something extraordinary, something priceless," said Ruby. "I mean, it's noble to be a Herald and to be brave like all of that, but I don't think I want to be promoted. Being a Creator is fun enough."
"How about you Os?" asked Delphi, looking much better now. "What do you plan for the future?"
He stared at her but Osiris wasn't seeing. What does he plan for his future?
"I don't know really. I sometimes feel scared not knowing if there is a future for me," said Osiris, impassively.
Ruby turned to Delphi then said, "How about we play?"
Delphi gave her a brilliant smile. "Okay then. Os won't have to fear tomorrow `cause the great mystic Delphi is here."
"What are you talking about?" Roland asked looking bemused.
"We do this every now and then," explained Ruby, "it's a game we did after our initiation. You know, we dress up and then pretend we're great powerful witches. Delphi will try and see my destiny, but it only reveals a few minutes into the future. It's fun because even if Delphi hadn't told me what's about to happen, her prediction won't come true anyway."
Delphi held up her hands for Osiris but he looked hesitant so Ruby said, "Okay, I'll go first then Roland then you, Os." The two girls held hands and then Delphi closed her eyes. Then with a sudden jerk and gasp, she opened her eyes dramatically then smiled.
"What did you see?" asked Ruby excitedly. Osiris and Roland watched curiously. Delphi continued grinning.
"You naked in the middle of the Vestibule," she said.
"NO! You just made that up!" said Ruby incredulously. "How is that supposed to happen?"
Delphi shrugged a bit. "I just saw you get hit by a ball of light then you collapsed naked on the floor."
Both boys stifled their laughter as Ruby gave them both a sharp stare. Delphi reached for Roland's hands. He was so red Osiris thought he saw his head steaming up. Delphi frowned a little when their skin touched as Roland jerked as though having a premonition of his own. Delphi thought he was just nervous.
"Don't be nervous, it's just a game," she said staring at Roland's apprehensive face but Osiris and Ruby knew better as they smirked on the background. Delphi closed her eyes, inhaled then she gasped then released Roland's hands immediately, turning red too and avoiding Roland's eyes.
"What did you see?" asked Os while Roland waited anxiously. Delphi looked as though debating whether she would tell or not.
"Oh come on, just spit it out," said Ruby, "its not fair if you won't tell us Roland's future. And look, you're already giving him hypertension." She pointed to Roland who was getting rather pale by the minute. Delphi opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"It's bad?" muttered Roland, voice shaking.
"No! I, mean... well, I guess not," squeaked Delphi. "you're... going to kiss a girl."
Ruby and Osiris roared in laughter while Roland turned violet.
"Who is it?" Ruby asked her eagerly.
"I don't know I didn't see," mumbled Delphi but she was still blushing.
"Okay, it's Osiris's turn," said Ruby. Os shook his head.
"No, no. I just realized, I don't think I need to know my future," he said preparing to get up but Roland grab him tightly by the arm preventing Osiris from standing.
"You have to participate, Os. It's only fair," Roland said indignantly.
Delphi extended her hands one more time. Osiris looked at them, praying wouldn't discover that he's going to get engaged tomorrow or something, and then grasped both hands. Delphi closed her eyes. It took a minute to call the vision, then suddenly Delphi gasped, then cried, grasping Osiris's hands tightly. The vision was so vivid:
She saw a dark classroom and in the center was a man clutching the hand of a young man who
appeared to be struggling. She could hear screaming and howling from a girl in the room, that
made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Delphi noticed the man projecting a beam of light to the
crying girl... blood spreading everywhere, spraying everything in deep crimson...
Then--suddenly everything changed as Delphi felt herself getting hauled... she felt like getting
transported to the future rather than just witnessing it. She stood at the far corner of a familiar room,
the Vestibule, staring at a familiar young man in the middle of the forest of pillars, encased in bright
bluish sphere of light. Around him, levitated in midair were at least fifty Heralds and their spirit guardians,
shouting and screaming. She screamed as the young man waved his hands and all those that was
levitating slammed to the opposite wall with bone crushing force. The young man turned his head and
Delphi looked and saw--
Osiris's face came to her vision as Delphi's eyes shot open. She yanked her hands from Os' as though she just got electrocuted, a look of terror in her eyes. It felt so real... she was there, she felt the Heralds collide into the wall. Ruby and Roland stared anxiously at her as cold sweat formed on Delphi's forehead.
"Are you okay Delphi?" Ruby asked. "Did you saw Os kissing a guy?" she added to lighten up the mood.
Roland and Osiris laughed a little but when Delphi didn't look amused, they stopped at once. Delphi looked at Os. "I'm... sorry Os. I saw... your past... the Hand's attack." She couldn't tell him the rest... Delphi couldn't imagine the young man in front of her would kill so many of her friends in the future...
Ruby bit her lower lip. Roland looked uncomfortable. Osiris just nodded... he understood Delphi's reaction... she saw it too, the vision that haunted his sleep every night. It was obvious that the game was over so everyone stood up and bid each other goodnight.
"You coming?" asked Ruby as they got back to Dorm Fifty-eight but Delphi stopped by the entrance.
"I just need to talk to Verdandi for a second," said Delphi, walking to the water again. Ruby gave her a worried look.
"Goodnight," she called to Delphi, but her friend appeared not to have heard.
"Enter," said a serene voice after Delphi knocked at the High Priestess' quarters. She opened the door and saw Verdandi reading a silver covered tome. "Oh, Delphi... happy birthday. Why are you here in this hour of the night?"
"I need to tell you something Madam," Delphi stood nervously in front of Verdandi's oak desk.
"Sit down," invited the High Priestess, conjuring two cups of hot cocoa. "What does it concern?"
Delphi narrated what happened in the Garden of Eden, about what she saw in her vision. Verdandi listened intently, her expression unreadable. After Delphi's retelling, Verdandi advised her to drink the cocoa to calm her nerves.
"I appreciate you telling me this Delphi," said the High-priestess, calmly. "I will see to it that we will be ready if ever your vision should come true. But may I ask you not to relate this to anyone else. We don't want to cause a panic." Then she ushered Delphi out of room. It was close to midnight as Verdandi closed the silver Book of Shadows.
"The signs are looming," she said slowly to the unseen being before her. "It is time to sway him to the side of light... before it's too late."
After her birthday, Osiris couldn't help but notice Delphi's sudden attitude towards him.
"I'm not really sure what's up with her," answered Ruby when he asked about it. "She's been acting kind of weird... even weirder than me, but don't worry, it might just be her `I'm sixteen now, so gotta be mature' syndrome."
Taking Ruby's word for it, Osiris decided to continue his study of his ancestry. But it remained difficult. Every time he searched for his parents' name, the same documents appeared on the search engine. Frustrated, he just used his last name but the search gave him five hundred million hits all pertaining to Rites'. The computer misunderstood and thought that Rites' meant ritual in plural form.
Fuming, Os abandoned the cyber world to look for a book Caleb recommended for fire scrying. He walked to between the gigantic shelves when the memorable chill sweep through his back, just like the time when he first saw the golden door.
A gust of cold wind blew from behind him and a very big and very long scroll of parchment flew to the floor and caught his attention. Osiris picked it, intending to put it back to the shelf when he saw that his name on the bottom most part of the scroll. Unrolling it, he discovered that it was a family tree, his family's tree, but it appeared incomplete.
Os looked at it more closely, reading names that he recognized like his parents' and aunt's but also read hundreds of names that he never knew and even heard of. What was curious about it, was that it gave Osiris a clue who the witches in his family were and who were not, for below some names were words like Telepathy,' Luminatry,' or `Pyrokinesis.' He assumed that it was the person's power.
At the top most was a name that proclaimed Gerald Pierre Rouman, probably his oldest witch ancestor, and below the name were words: `Necromancy and Deflection.' Osiris noticed that Gerald's wife's name was missing as though it had been erased and so were some of the other branches of the family. Rolling it up again, Os returned to his desk and gathered some of the other books that he want to study for the night, his insides tingling in excitement.
At least now I've got some more names to check out, Osiris thought.
After a rather festive meal, courtesy of Roland's cooking, Os returned to his studies. Roland exhausted himself in cleaning his workshop after an accident that made one of his potions conjure a storm of slime, raining muck inside the small room, so he went to bed early while Osiris practiced his psychokinesis.
It was much harder than telepathy because it needed more concentration and it gave Os a headache every time he tried to use it. But after about four hours of practice, he managed to create a marble-sized, silvery ball of psychic energy. He yelped in excitement, an act that made him lose hold of the minuscule globe that whooshed to a book shelf like a canon ball. The orb zoomed so fast becoming a blur and after a second hit the shelf and blasted it upon impact. Pieces of books and wood flew everywhere and Osiris got hit by a rather hard cover. He didn't know a thing so small can cause so much mayhem.
The racket apparently woke Roland, who ran from next door and barged into Osiris's room, wearing his pajamas and a worried expression. Os gave him a toothy and guilty smile and Roland raised an eyebrow, obviously irritated.
"What did you do?" asked the annoyed Mordigan after deciding nothing was wrong.
"I blasted a shelf by psychokinesis," Os cheered excitedly, grinning ear to ear.
Roland smiled. "Good for you," then turned but before he went to his room he glanced to Osiris's mess. "You better clean that up."
Os's smile vanished. "You won't help me? It would take me all night."
Roland rolled his eyes and said exasperatedly, "Let me enumerate your tools. You have a mouth for chanting, two hands for waving and magic powers. Good night Os." Roland returned to his bedroom after a big yawn.
Osiris frowned to himself as he tried to remember a spell from the book Caleb lent him. His eyes lit up, then he muttered, "Broken objects now I mend, as my powers now transcend."
Immediately, it was as though a whirlwind formed inside the room as pages flew around and found the books they came from. Broken pieces of wood attached themselves to each other and in no time the shelf was rebuilt and the books arranged themselves neatly.
Smiling rather proudly to himself, Os sat on his desk chair but no longer in mood for research or practice. He felt wide awake even though the clock on the desk showed it was nearly midnight. Wondering what he could do, he remembered that he still hadn't visited the other garden in the Mansion, Avalon, so he decided to take a stroll.
Osiris was now used to floating on the silent River Corridor after two weeks of staying in the Mansion. The corridor was quiet as there weren't many people around. A few Warders floated past Osiris and gave him a wave or greeting as they went in the other direction. He stepped onto the platform just outside a jade colored door with a gold sign:
Garden of Avalon
Pushing the door open, Osiris heard the sound of water flowing and splashing , and when he opened the door wide enough, a beautiful waterfall met his eyes. There were tall trees with vines on their trunks, bushes with fragrant flowers of every color imaginable and the grass under Osiris's feet felt like carpet. It was so peaceful and the sight calmed Os immediately and as he looked up, he saw a cloudless sapphire sky, stars glittered the heavens with a crescent moon high above. Greenish specks of firefly light moved here and there, dancing just above the clear water. He couldn't quite decide which of the gardens was more beautiful than the other.
He sat on a boulder, absorbing the panorama. He hadn't been in a place like this before when he was outside in the "natural" world. The school field trips always made them go to museums and technology fairs, instructing them of the greatness of humanity's inventing hands. The school administrators forgot that the greatest inventions were not man made.
Hearing footsteps coming his way, Osiris turned his head and was greeted by Verdandi Britestone, the High Priestess, who appeared to be wearing the same robes of silver, the first time Os saw her. Maybe it's some kind of uniform, he thought. She looked as though she was glowing and only when Verdandi got nearer that Os noticed fireflies were flying around her, spiraling slowly.
"Good evening Osiris," said Verdandi smiling warmly.
"Good evening ma'am."
"A wonderful night isn't it, with the waning moon shining above."
With Verdandi's comment, Osiris looked up too and stared at the moon. It was crescent shaped and mystical. After a while, Verdandi sat with Os who appeared nervous in the presence of a very powerful witch.
"Have you ever thought of the future Osiris?"
"Not really," he said, staring at the fireflies dancing on the leaves of a honeysuckle bush and that was when Os noticed that they weren't fireflies at all. They were like small children with wings... fairies. "I'm kind of unsure if I even have a future."
"Maybe you are too preoccupied with the past," commented Verdandi who was staring at Osiris, who in turn was determined to avoid eye contact. "The past is a powerful vortex. It pulls us in, attracting us to the hurt and pain or joy and pleasure of recollections and memories. Many believe that the past is the key to the future but as the future is a complex gathering of choices, we are not bound by the rules of what had been."
Osiris stared into the cascading water of the falls as he heard Verdandi added softly, "You won't drown if you don't stay in the water Os. Our choices will always decide our future."
The High Priestess' message might have been a little enigmatic, but Os understood it completely. He was being held back by Angelina's death all this time and that is why he came to the Mansion... not just for its protection but because it became his escape, yet he brought the past with him wherever he went, not being able to let go.
"But no matter what I think... and no matter how I reason... Angelina died because of me," said Osiris, his voice breaking a bit. "She fought them and tried to free me from the Hand."
"It was not your fault. Angelina chose to fight for she believed it was right even though it caused her, her life. To it's shame, the world needs more people like Angelina today."
Osiris smiled through watery eyes. "She was always like that. Even before she became School President, she always helped others even though many disagreed... even though many didn't believe...."
"You should not just exist, Os, but live. For Angelina gave you her life the moment she fought the Hand for your freedom. Live for those who have been robbed of their chance."
Os finally looked at Verdandi. "How can I do that?" he asked.
"I would like to offer you a place in our coven Os," said Verdandi, smiling peacefully. "Be a Mordigan witch and together we can stop the Hand of Atonement and heal the wounds of the world with our unity."
Be a Mordigan witch and live for those who hadn't had the chance... for Angelina.
Osiris lay on his bed thinking, considering the idea. He was a changed young man... and should no longer be concern with petty matters. He closed his eyes and a vision of him using his powers to stop the Hand and to help other people flooded his mind.
He smiled... he will be a Mordigan and change the world. Maybe this was his destiny after all.
To be continued....