Power

Chapter Two

 

 

 

                Nathan woke up gasping in pain. He shut his eyes, the light hurt like hell. He heard someone gasp in shock. Then he heard the buzz of the lights go off and the blinds closing shut. Nathan listened as footstep bounced off the walls and ceiling from whoever was in the room. He noticed that it was a woman who was in the room by the smell of the perfume she had on. He also noticed that he was in a different room. It didn’t smell like a hospital either. He heard a dog barking in outside somewhere. Nathan realized he was in someone’s home. He began to freak out. He opened his eyes again. Things were dark in the room, his eyes still hurt. He felt so hungry. Letting his eyes adjust to the new surrounding he spotted someone beside the bed.

                “Hello Nathan,” he recognized it was Sara beside him. He looked around the room. He tried to sit up. Sara immediately assisted him in that task that nearly made him pass out. He groaned making his throat hurt. He was thirsty, his throat was dry. The pain in him flared up again causing the whole arm to spin. He fell back against the pillows. All of a sudden he felt the pain dissipate, he relaxed. Sara had a needle in her hand when he looked at her. He was afraid to speak in fear that he throat will rip open, but he was thirsty. So he opened his mouth and attempted to speak but instead he croaked. Sara told him to relax, that she was going to get him so water. Nathan closed his eyes as the door opened up then he heard it shut. She came back with a glass of water. She put the cup to his lips and let the water touch them. He felt the water rejuvenate his lip with moisture. Opening his mouth he let the water into his mouth and down his throat. He closed his eyes in bliss and drank all the water down.

                Sara set the cup down and watched him. Nathan looked around the room again. It was a very large luxurious room. All cherry wood furniture filled the room, “How do you feel, Nathan?” she asked.

                “Hungry,” he managed to said after three attempts. She looked surprised for a second and nodded. She disappeared out the door again. He looked at the window. He wanted to tryout something with his powers. He lifted his right hand and closed his fingers two and move his hand slightly. The blinds opened to let in more light. He moved his hand the other way and the blinds closed slight to darken the room a fraction so his eyes could get used to the light. He felt tired and weak. He needed to get his energy back. He wasn’t in a coma long enough to lose any muscle so he knew he wouldn’t need to regain muscle which will take forever for him.

                After what seemed like an hour, Sara came in holding two plates full of food. Nathan began to drool as the smell of chorizo and eggs, bacon and pancakes filled his nostrils. His stomach growled loud. He was so hungry, as soon as the plates were on a tray on his lap he devoured the food in minutes. The plates were loaded with food. Sara watched him, keeping an eye on him. The door opened and a girl walked in. she was slender and looked exactly like Sara though with darker skin tone. This was Sara’s daughter he guessed and continued eating his pancakes. She studying him for a while.

                “He is really our cousin mom?” she asked as she continued looking at him.

                “Yes, Leah,” she said as gave him a dose of something through the IV.

                “Damn, if he wasn’t related I would just eat him alive right now,” she said looking at her mom. Nathan stopped at looked at her suspiciously. He didn’t feel like fending for his life right now. They both laughed as they looked at him, “relax, I don’t bite that hard.”

                “I feel much better now that I know, “he said and continued eating. They laughed again, Nathan flung his right arm out slowly. The blinds opened up letting in more light. They stopped laughing and stared at the blinds. Nathan got a better look at the girl next to Sara. She looked exactly like her mother, tall beautiful and dark hair.

                Nathan swallowed his bite of food, “My name is Nathan, who is this beautiful young lady?” Nathan watched her as she blushed and turned toward her mother.

                “Her name is Rikka, she is sixteen,” Sara said smiling. Rikka looked at Nathan and smiled. She was no longer blushing. Nathan smiled and took another bite of food. A dog appear at the window looking in. it barked at them then looked at Nathan trying to determine if it knew him. Swallowing and taking another bite, he reached into the dogs mind. Come, Nathan commanded to the dogs mind. The dog whined and left to follow his command. Shortly after the dog began scratching at the door to his room.

                “It’s nice to meet you Nathan, I also hope you get better,” Rikka said as she opened the door and the dog came running in nearly knocking her down. Rikka yelped and caught herself. The dog walked up to the bed and sniffed at him. Sara and Rikka started to go for the dog as Nathan held out his hand to it let it smell him. The dog jumped up onto the bed and laid down across his shins. Nathan praised the dog and gave him some bacon. It was a Rottweiler, its sheen and shiny black coat looked beautiful. It caught the bacon and ate it. Sara and Rikka stopped and looked at each other. A growl vibrated through the open door. A Doberman stood there snarling at Nathan. Nathan reached out to let it smell his hand as well. It came up to him and smelled his hand. Then it snarled at him and before Nathan could pet it Sara grabbed the dog by the collar and pulled it back as it began to bark wildly at him.

                “Leo, behave! He is ok. Behave! Easy,” the dog kept barking wildly and viciously at him. Nathan reached into its mind and forced it to stay still. It stopped and stiffened. It stared at him, trying to break his hold, trembling. Nathan’s will was stronger, it couldn’t be broken by a mere dog. Sara let go of Leo, transfixed by the dog’s actions. Rikka was staring at Nathan wide eyed. Don’t be afraid, Nathan said to the dogs mind. He sat down on his haunches and began to pant happily. Come, he commanded and Leo broke out of Sara’s grip and jumped on the bed. Nathan laughed and played with the dogs as they both began to beg for food and attention. He petted them and gave them both some food.

                “How long are you going to keep trying to stare at me, Rikka?” he said as he continued eating not even looking at her. She had been trying to read his mind since she entered the room. She increased the effort. Nathan set his food down and let the dogs have the left overs. He looked at her, she jumped. He brushed his consciousness against her mind, testing its defenses.

“Let me show you true mind control Rikka,” he said petting the dogs. He then seized her mind with the ease of snapping a pencil. She had a very strong defense and he brushed them all aside like they were nothing. She gasped and collapsed to the floor. Sara looked horrified.

“This is true mind control. Your mind control is weak. You are a very naughty girl Rikka,” he said all her thoughts came to his mind, everything she knew was now his knowledge.

“Get up,” he commanded out loud.

She got up and looked at him terrified.

“Don’t attempt to control the dogs your mother or me again,” Nathan said with authority. He let her go and she began to cry as she walked out. Henry was at the door this time, Rikka ran into him. He didn’t move as he looked angry, not at Nathan but at Rikka.

“Really? You been using mind control on your mother!” he scolded. He grabbed her arms and walked her into the room and let another person into the room and slammed the door shut, “you know why we don’t use things abilities so freely Rikka.”

“I am sorry, please let me go,” henry let her go and got down on to her eye level and looked into her eyes.

“Rikka, you know better than that, you should never use mind control unless it absolutely calls for it.”

“I know, it’s just it so addicting being able to control others minds,” she said looking at her father. She was truly sincere.

“Fargo, Leo, out,” said a young man to the dogs. The dogs jumped down and ran out the door that he was holding open. He was tall but not as tall as Nathan. He also had the same Hispanic skin tone as Rikka and Henry.

“You better behave yourself Rikka, don’t go around using you mind control,” Henry berated her. Nathan stared out the window as the family left to discuss her punishment. The lawn looked green, too green to be an ordinary lawn. This lawn screamed money and very long and tedious hours of care to get it going good. He slowly took off the covers and agonizingly stood up. Once he was up on his feet he slowly made his way to the window. The view of a clear blue sky made him smile. Everything was peaceful today and hopefully things will stay that way for a long time. There were no wars or conflicts of interest that made the news. He noticed that the neighborhood around him was in the rich part of LA. He wasn’t use to this kind of living, he live down in the ghetto on 51^st street. It was then that he realized he didn’t have anywhere to call home anymore. He spent all his time trying to provide for Rachel and loving her giving her his all. He had no job anymore. Rachel probably zeroed out the accounts he had. He been saving up money for a home in a better neighborhood.

Nathan thought about Rachel. How he missed her and wished things were different between them. He still loved her, making his heart feel torn apart. His eyes began to water, the tears slowly making their way down his face. He wiped them away as he strengthen his feeling. Rachel made her choice. She no longer cared for him anymore. There was one thing he needed to get from her before he could move on. He needed to get it before she found it. It was important to him. He had to forget about her now, she obviously was loving someone or something else. He didn’t feel like dealing with it anymore.

He was calm when the door opened when Henry and his son walked in. closing the door behind him, Henry fixed his gaze on Nathan, who was still looking out the window. His stomach growled again as he started to feel weak and dizzy. Henry’s son caught Nathan as he began to fall due to the dizziness. Making his way to the bed, Henry and his son started talking about food making his stomach growl louder.

“We need to figure out why his sugars are being consumed so quickly,” Henry said looking out the window.

“Dad, I think we should do another test on him. It’s got to be magical. There is no way for his body to consume that much that fast.” Adrian said, that was his name. He heard Henry call him that earlier.

“I have ran every test possible, I can’t seem to figure it out. Are you in pain Nathan?” he asked turning around to face him. The pain was starting to regain itself but he didn’t want to get hooked on those fentanyl injections. So he told them he was fine and that he would let them know if things change. Tell them about the damage to the seal Nathan. These people are just like you. They are what people call Slayers. Nathan was caught by surprise by that presence as it spoke, but he quickly realized what it was. He then saw the vision of what happened when it tried to enter his mind. Rachel.

“What’s wrong, is that my seal was damaged,” Nathan said as henry was pondering everything. At that Henry raised an eyebrow in wonder, “I have a seal that my parents placed upon me to keep my powers and abilities locked away, but as you noticed the seal has been weakening since I started puberty, hence my abilities.” He flung his right arm at out and the window flew open. Henry and Adrian looked shocked at the display of his abilities.

“Rachel, my girl…ex-girlfriend, did something to me while I was sleeping, something that had a massive effect on my seal. Go ahead and look,” He laid back down and closed his eyes, he was tired and in pain. Henry walked up to him and looked at him closely. After a while, his eyes widened, he beckoned his son over and the both looked at him.

“My goodness that seal is wrapped up in his genes and chromosomes dad. They really didn’t want him getting access to whatever is being kept away. They practically made him human and from the look of things, they altered his DNA a little bit, well the seal is altering it” Adrian said getting more excited by the minute, “I am sure if the seal is broken they will change back to the way they were.”

They both looked at him, he shrunk back into the pillows as best he could, “What?”

                “What do you want to do?” Henry asked looking at him eagerly.

                “I want to break the damn seal, it is causing me too much pain and I need to get some things done and don’t feel like relying on fentanyl forever,” Nathan said as Sara walked in the room with another plate of food. This time she made three steaks and baked potatoes. Nathan stomach growled so loud, Rikka said she heard it from next door through the wall. He grabbed the plate and started eating.

                Henry explained to Sara about their discovery, they were excited. They all left saying they are going to call a specialist to help him. He nodded and continued eating. After he finished eating, Nathan drank the glass of water and laid back down. He stared at the ceiling and began to think what it would be like to have a family. Going in and out of foster families didn’t really offer a great family life. Most of them he went to were terrible experiences. One family would beat him senseless as a little boy. He ended up getting taken from them after a hospital visit for a broken leg and ankle. He had to have a prosthesis ankle put in. Nathan then had to have constant replacement on it when he out grew it or it broke.

                Nathan sighed and closed his eyes. I need to learn to use this gift before it destroys me. He thought to himself. It won’t destroy you if you can get the seal removed in time. Once it is broken your abilities will be awakened and you will be restored back to you original self. Nathan fell asleep shortly after that. Nathan dreamed of Rachel.

                He woke suddenly from pain. It was hard to breathe. Nathan threw the covers off him and looked out the window. The sky was turning pink and purple. Dusk was settling in over L.A. The door opened and Adrian stepped into the room. He woman entered behind him, she had blonde hair and eyes that were very green. She looked very beautiful with long slender legs that made her look tall though she wasn’t as tall as Nathan. She was an elf, though her ears weren’t pointy. Which meant she worked around humans and wanted to blend in. Her scent also gave her away. The smell of crushed pine needles. Henry introduced her as Wren. Her eyes studied him intensely, he felt like she was trying to bore a hole through him. She walked over to him and looked into his eyes. He could see her assessing everything she was seeing. Her mind was working a couple theories about him.

                She looked at Sara as she walked into the room, “he needs a dose of whatever painkiller you have. I can see the pain in his eyes, and to be honest, he is barely able to take a breath right now.” Nathan realized she was right, he was forcing himself to breathe slowly to keep from passing out from the pain. His whole body felt like it was being fed into a meat grinder, “I also need him to be back on the intravenous drip again. After everything tonight he won’t have any food left in his system and will need to be kept hydrated while I do my work.”

                “How long will it take,” Sara asked while she was setting the IV drip. Henry stood beside her with the syringe filled with fentanyl readied to be administered to him through the IV line.

                “No idea, I have never seen a seal this complex in my entire life. It is going to take a while to find out how it was made, what kind of seal and what it is being sealed away. I don’t want to release something evil out into the world you know,” Nathan held out his left hand for Sara. She grabbed it and put some cream on the top of his hand. The cream numbed his hand so it would not hurt when the needle was inserted into his skin.

                Two more people entered the room, making the room smell very strongly of crushed pine needles. They both had blonde hair and green eyes. One was male and the other female. All he knew about elves was that they were very strong in magic. They both called Wren mother. Which didn’t surprise Nathan at all. They both had her triangular jawline that complimented their features. Wren introduced them as Trent and Elizabeth. Sara inserted the needle into a vein in Nathan’s hand and pushed the rest of the IV catheter in place. She removed the needle and place the tube into the catheter opening and release the clamp that was in place to keep the IV fluids in the line from spilling out. As Sara was doing all this Wren and her kids had pulled out books and a laptop from backpacks that they had come in with.

                Wren sat on a chair that was placed in the room by his bed. Henry gave Nathan a dose of fentanyl, making his pain fade away to nothing. With the pain gone Nathan relaxed and collapsed onto the pillows. He was on the verge of falling asleep when Wren mention to henry to give him another dose of fentanyl, saying that he was going to need it. Nathan opened his eyes, protesting against it, but Henry gave him another dose before he could finish his complaint. Nathan felt so good he lost the will to complain about anymore. His body felt no pain. Wren smiled at Nathan and went to looking back at him with though eyes again. Nathan closed his eyes and drifted off into sleep again.

                An hour later he woke up from someone touching him. “You guys figure things out yet?” he asked as Elizabeth placed another IV bag on the line and hung it back on the pole. She told him they have figured out the name of the seal and are about to see what the seal is keeping out and in. Nathan smiled and sat up so he could get a better look at what they were doing. Nathan was hungry again. Wren was reading a book, Trent was on the laptop. They seem diligently at work. Wren set the book down and looked him.

                “Let’s get started,” she said smiling warmly at him. Trent closed his laptop and said he will be the focus point. He set himself in the center at the foot of Nathan’s bed. Wren and Elizabeth stood beside Trent and held his hand. Then Wren set a hand on Nathan’s foot to reassure him. All three of them let their magic fill them. Nathan could feel the magic radiating from them. It was immense, the magic they were wielding. They were setting a containment field around the room. Once the containment field was in place they dropped the level of magic. Trent outstretched his right arm toward Nathan and tendrils of magic snaked toward Nathan. Nathan tensed when the magic touched him. Wren urged him to relax. Nathan took a deep breath and calmed his mind, allowing his body to relax.

                He could feel the magic moving along his body looking for weak spots in the seal to slip into so they could. He felt like cold tendril of water was moving across his body causing him to shiver. After five minutes of searching they found a break in the seal that was leaking small amounts of magic. So small, no one could sense it. It was then that things got worse. Nathan felt like he had snakes slithering inside his body. Nathan laid back down as pain began to follow. Henry and the rest of his family came into the room to see what was happening considering the level in magic radiating from the elves increased. Elizabeth stiffened, making Nathan tense up.

                “Nathan, please relax,” Wren said as she looked at Elizabeth, “What is it Elizabeth?”

                “There is another seal underneath this one,” Elizabeth said, “Mom, you look behind it. Ill hold a life line for you.” Wren nodded and closed her eyes. It was then Nathan couldn’t take the feeling. He began to shift around. He was very uncomfortable. Wren was starting to sweat like she was running a race. Pressure inside his head began to build up to painful level. Then it broke, Nathan screamed in agony, he realized he wasn’t the only screaming. Quickly the magic left him, he took a breath but pain seized him and he began to have dry heaves, then blood came pouring out his nose and mouth. Sara and Rikka grabbed paper towels that were beside his bed and began to wipe away the blood.

                Trent and Elizabeth were holding Wren up. They lead her to a chair and sat her down as she tried to regain herself. Henry and Adrian ran a heal charm over Nathan stopping his bleeding. Then everyone looked at Wren for a verdict on what just happened. Wren past out, Trent caught her before she could fall off the chair. Nathan wanted to vomit again but he stopped his self again. Everyone was worried about Wren. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth as well.

                Wren came to with a start, making everyone look back at her. She looked at Nathan eyes wide and wild. She was on the verge of wielding magic on him. Not healing magic. She became deadly grace as she stood up. She was ready to kill him if she deemed him fit to be killed. Nathan was confused and scared at the same time. He sat up and started getting up to bolt. But before he could leave the room he ran into an invisible wall. He pushed up against it again. It came down, and everyone around him went flying away from her. Just as he was about to take another step the shield came back up. This time he stopped before hitting it. Elizabeth was outside the shield. Trent was at his mother’s side ready for anything to happen. He will kill him too if he did anything stupid. I am with you. Nathan was on the verge collapsing when henry demanded to know what she was doing.

                She looked at Henry with fierce eyes. Henry didn’t even back down from that gaze, “I am about to rid the world of a terrible power.”

                “What are you talking about?” Henry asked putting a hand on the invisible shield.

                “When I found the weak spot in his second seal behind this complex one, it began to unravel. I saw it. A great power that can destroy the world in the wrong hands or save it. I am not going to take the chance on the latter. Power like that warps the mind and drive people crazy. He must die.” Nathan felt something in him shift and pieces of himself began to feel whole again. His body starting regenerating fast. Power filled his limps. He felt energized. He felt like he was a reconnected to the world. He felt one with the world. He turned toward Wren.

                “You don’t know me Wren. How can you make that decision on your own? That’s a big decision to place on one person alone you know. Beside do you really think I can be killed? My girlfriend tried to kill me but that failed.” Nathan relaxed. He didn’t won’t to fight or anything. Strength filled him, making him stand straighter. He pulled out the IV, and faced Wren with a resolve. If she tried kill him he will defend himself.

                “Your right, I shouldn’t but soon if I don’t act now it may be too late. That’s a chance I am willing to take,” She let her magic fill her. He saw she was drawing on enough to kill him with. He felt something being lifted in him. She let loose a massive current of magic. She shouted an incantation and the color changed from white to black. Nathan closed his eyes, he didn’t want to die here. He wanted to live. He clung on to that and put his right arm in front of him when the current of black magic was halfway to him. He sensed something coming from his right and he took his left hand and grabbed Trent’s fist. His arms were crossed, Nathan throw Trent over his head not caring where he landed as the black current came rushing at him. Nathan opened his hand and the black current began to get collected into his hand.

                When he had it all, he closed his hand and let the magic fade away into the void. That was when he saw the smile on Wren’s face. Nathan was confused, Trent got up and was also smiling. Elizabeth was also smiling.

                “Congratulations Nathan, you seals are now broken,” Elizabeth said as she walked up to Trent and made sure he was ok.

                “What the hell was that about?” yelled Sara. She looked shocked and pissed off at the same time, “you guys could have killed us all with that blast of magic!”

                Nathan felt something warm flowing down from his nose. He touched his nostrils and looked at this hand. They had blood on them. Wren walked over to him and wiped the blood away with a paper towel. After that she went down on one knee in front of him, head down. Nathan was horrified, why would she bow down to him for. All creation bows down before you now Nathan. All you have to do is command it to do so and it will. She wants to serve you. Let her serve. For this power that you have now acclaimed will be a long and painful one. This power comes at a price. Every time you use it you will be drawn closer to deaths mouth. Unless you learn to control it before that happens. Nathan looked down at Wren who was now looking up at him. Her children were watching her with uncertainty. Wren knew what he was he realized. She probably can help him control it. Indeed, she knows. She has already sent word to my most loyal servants that served your entire family for generations. They will protect you and guide you. She will help you with the price and control. Do not deny her. For the world is on the precipice of chaos. Now that my power and presence has been returned to the world, you have the chance to make a difference in the world. I told you this before Nathan. Do not change the way you are now. Go and love life and love others and my true power will be shown to you. When you cause too much death, death will be your price to pay. What you deal out will be dealt to you.

                Nathan looked at everyone in the room. They were just as confused as Trent and Elizabeth. He looked back down at Wren. She smiled up at him.

                “I will serve the Great one. I will serve the True Gifted Slayer. I will lay down my life for you so that you may live and not have to sacrifice your life. I will be you eyes and ears. I will serve Life and Death,” She bit her arm and blood flowed from the wound down to her hand, “I hear by make my contract with you in my blood. I will serve the God of the Slayers.” She held her hand up to Nathan. He put a hand on hers and his other under her chin.

“Rise,” Nathan said to her. She rose up onto her feet. Nathan took the blood that was on her hand and put it up to his bottom lip with one finger, “I hereby form your contract in your blood.”

Wren’s eyes glowed, as he formed the contract with her. She was now his to command. She turned and looked at her children. They looked perplexed. They just watch their mother pledge her soul, mind and body to Nathan. They had no clue what she really just done. Nathan turned to look at Henry. He was afraid. Afraid that I might see his actions recently as sinful and deem him fit for death. Nathan didn’t like death. He wasn’t about to go out and start killing people who don’t truly deserve it.

“Don’t be afraid uncle, I am famished. May I have something to eat?” Wren laughed at that.

Henry looked at Wren, “Is he really the Slayer of Slayers, the ONE. The being capable of slaying gods?”

She nodded, she told her kids they didn’t have to follow her anymore. They could now go down their own paths. They both shook their heads.

“Mother, we may disagree with you about a lot of things but you are our mother none the less. Where you go, we will go,” Elizabeth said, Trent agreed as well, “but we won’t make a contract with that man, like you did. We are you children and will honor everything you say and do. So what is the plan now that everything is done?”

“We must leave at once, it is not safe for Nathan to be around others right now. Until he is able to control his Gift he must be hidden away. We will take him to my private island and there we will train him to control it. This is of the most importance, so I am calling the schools for Rikka and Adrian. They will help train him with me.”

“Why do we have to help him for?” Rikka asked, she didn’t look happy at all/

“Because you are staring at the ancestral power that created the slayers Rikka. Also you need to learn how to control your abilities as well,” Henry looked at Sara, “Will you be joining me love?” she nodded.

“I will cook something for Nathan,” Sara said and headed out the room.

“Alright, food,” Nathan was practically drooling.

“I need to get some stuff in the morning,” Wren said.

“That’s fine, we are leaving tomorrow evening. I will call and have my jet fueled and readied for flight,” Henry said following after Sara. Nathan smiled, he was happy. Wren and party all left. Nathan walked out his room for the first time. Leo and Fargo ran up to him and begged for his attention. Nathan smiled, petting the dogs. Everything was going good so far. Hopefully things stayed that way for a while longer.