Chapter Twenty-Three

Ace walks back into the barracks with his bow and arrows in a quiver on his back with the strap across the front of him from his right shoulder down to his left hip. He walks in with a stern look on his face.

"I'm ready. Let's go." says Ace.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who are you buddy?" says Rick speaking for Raven's army.

"None of your concern. If Raven wanted you to know she would've told you. Not my place to give out secrets." says Ace.

"Don't worry, he is an ally. An important one at that." says Raven emerging from another room with April and Emily following behind her.

"Are you leaving again my lady?" asks Rick.

"For a short time, April needs training in her powers if she is truly to help us in the war. Myself,Emily, and our new friend Ace will be escorting her there. Rick and Maven are in charge while I am gone. Simply manage supplies, we will strike again when I return." says Raven to her men and women in the army.

"Yes my lady." says Rick as he and his wife Maven as they nod.

"We have little time to talk. The Pagan I got to open the door can't keep it open for long. He will be waiting." says Ace.

Raven,Emily, and April say their goodbyes to the men and women in the army. Even Emerald and Matt hug the three as they prepare to embark on their adventure. The four leave not knowing what to expect. Will Aldemar even accept April? They trek through a forest. A dark forest. A forest full of strange creatures and beasts. They appear as everyday animals but they have been mutated with another animal. A common creature found is a bear-lion mix. Most Demons call them Bions. They have a bear head and body, but the mane,teeth,claws, and tail of a lion. They savage in the woods eating any smaller prey, even if it is a smaller Bion. The group of four tries to avoid the Bions of the wild forests of Hell, but one or two cross their path and Raven strikes them with a sword and kills them. After a few hours of travelling and trekking through the woods they come across an old looking shack with an older man sitting in a rocking chair sitting on the front porch. As the group approaches the shack, without saying a word the old man stands up and pulls a key from his pocket.  He draws a symbol on the door and then he puts the key in lock and snaps his fingers. When the old man opens the door instead of being the entrance to the old shack it is a new world. A doorway right to the Psychic world.

"Aldemar will be able to let you back to any world you wish to go to. I wish you the best." says the old man.

"I thank you sir." says Ace as he lets April,Raven, and Emily go in first before himself.

"Very welcome." says the old man as he shuts the door behind them.

As they get into the world and the door closes behind them April turns and sees just space. As if there was never a door there.  The Psychic world is nothing much but dirt,rubble,rock, and dust. It appears that many buildings used to be here, but have now all fallen.

'What happened here?" asks April.

"About two thousand years ago when the Catholic God was in control of Heaven he ordered that the Angels destroy the planet. In hopes the Demons could never get a hold of any Psychics. At the time Heaven saw no use for them, but Hell did." says Ace.

"Was in power?" asks April holding the cross on her neck.

"Yes, was, he was just another God that came and went. He came with self-entitlement calling himself only God. He had a good head on his shoulders too." says Ace.

"If your but mortal how do you dwell in all of this knowledge?" asks Raven.

"When your a Hood, you  things up quickly and read a lot." says Ace.

"So the Demons got a hold of a Psychic and killed him?" asks April as she lets go of the cross.

"Not exactly. He was heavily criticized for the move by the Pagans, Vampires, and even some Angels. He feared a war that involved almost every world and type of monster or freak that ever existed. So he fled. Most thought he would retire the crown and go to Mount Olympus where he was more than welcome, but no one has seen him since 82 A.D." explains Ace.

"I remember hearing stories about that attack in school as a child." says Emily.

"Genie don't meddle in the affairs of others. Hell they barely got involved when the Shapeshifters attacked them." says Raven.

"We are a very peaceful kind." says Emily.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" asks April.

"We must find the last standing building, and that is where Aldemar waits for the Forgotten Five to assemble and follow his teachings." says Ace.

"Ace can I ask you a question or two?" asks Raven.

"If the question is about my family, I have three children in three different states to three different women. They'll all carry on the Hood tradition like their meant to." says Ace.

"Do you believe in the Titans?" asks Raven.

"Titans?" asks April.

"They say the Titans are the creators of the Gods and Heaven and Hell." explains Emily.

"I do." says Ace.

"I don't." says Emily.

"Even after all this?" asks Raven.

"You are trying to tell me that this isn't just a prophecy that has to come true?" says Emily.

"Who do you think made the prophecies?" asks Raven starting to get frustrated.

"The original Gods and the Alphas." says Emily as she starts to raise her voice.

'Alphas?" asks April.

"The Alphas were the first of their species and are praised as Gods to their kind.

"So what is this debate about?" asks April.

"Angels and Demons look at the Titans like humans look at the Gods. We don't know much about them, other than that they've given us everything the Gods couldn't." says Raven.

"Enough arguing. We have to find Aldemar and squalling doesn't get us any closer." says Ace.

The four continues to walk in this barren wasteland that Psychics use to call home. Just destroyed building after destroyed building. They have been walking for almost six hours at this point.

"What did the exact prophecy of Aldemar say?" asks April.

"Well interpreted it says the last standing building in the Psychic world." says Ace.

"Do you know what it says word for word?" asks April.

"Translated into your language from old? Surely" says Ace.

"Spit it out." says April.

"Aldemar the man of legend, shall train the Forgotten Five Psychics after all have fallen in a place found only by illusion after destruction has taken course in the last that remain." says Ace.

"That doesn't mean the last standing building you fool." says April.

"Then what's it mean?" asks Raven.

"What was the last building destroyed?" asks April.

"The church where they prayed to their Alphas. The Angels hesitated tearing it down in the first place." says Ace.

"That's where we start." says April.

Ace leads the way to the old church, which just like every other building has been destroyed. All that remains are rocks and pieces of woods from pews or maybe an altar table. Emily and Raven begin lifting rocks looking for anything to help. Ace stands back and watches them making comments every few moments to let them know he thinks they're wasting time. April on the other hand stands at what would be the very back of the building. She raises both of her hands so her palms face out and closes her eyes. Rocks begin raising and moving around and flying through the air and then landing just as swiftly as they raised from the ground. The rocks of the old building begin coming together like puzzle pieces. They start stacking on top of each other and connecting to rock after rock. After about five minutes all the rocks have formed the building. The wooden pieces remain on the ground destroyed as the building looked before. 

"What have you done?" asks Ace.

"The prophecy said that the building is illusion. Why would they just let anyone walk into the church and call themselves Psychics." explains April.

"By the Gods, this place is amazing, nearly beautiful." says Raven admiring the building.

"But we still don't have an Aldemar." says Ace sternly.

"Give me a minute, I'm getting old now Ace." says Aldemar appearing before the group.

"Aldemar!" exclaims Ace as he drops to one knee as if praying to him.

"My powers aren't as strong as they used to be. I get around." says Aldemar a rather older looking man with a long gray beard wearing orange robes with little hair on his head.

"So your my new trainer." says April with a smile.

"Soon enough, your only the second Psychic to make the trek." says Aldemar.

"I was afraid I'd be the first. At least I know people can relate." says April.

"Come, we mustn't waste time. Say your goodbyes." says Aldemar.

"What do you mean? They're coming with me!" says April with an upset look to her face as she grabs Raven's hand.

"You must take this journey on your own child.  I am your friend after today." says Aldemar with a stern face.

"April, your mother wanted you to do this so you could become the woman she raised. Your father is smiling down right now because he knows you can do this. We will be fine. I promise." says Raven.

"Yeah, were gonna stomp the Emperors." says Emily.

"Well then, leave some work for me when I get back." says April with a laugh as she hugs Emily and Raven.

"Master Aldemar I request to stay on this planet until I locate the third Psychic." says Ace.

"Permission granted. Now show the Demon and the Genie out. Here is the key, I've prepared the door already." says Aldemar throwing Ace a key.

"Thank you sir. Follow me ladies." says Ace as he walks away and Raven and Emily follow him going through another door with the same mark as the one the old Pagan man put on the door when they were coming to this world.They walk back through the door into Hell and make their way back through the forest to the barracks to rejoin the army. Ace closes the door behind them and rejoins Aldemar and April. Ace gives Aldemar the key. 

"So what do we do from here?" says April trying to hide her tears.

"You child, sleep. You've had a long day and a lot of training to catch up on starting tomorrow." says Aldemar as he snaps his fingers and April appears in another room with a bed, dresser, and an end table.

"I guess this is it." says April as she lays on the bed.

Aldemar and Ace sit in the main room of the reconstructed church.  Ace starts to take off the wrappings he had on his wrist and arms.

"We have a problem." says Aldemar.

"What's that?" asks Ace.

"She is a, well, a she." whispers Aldemar.

"And your point is?" asks Ace.

"Have you not met the first Psychic or even heard about them?" whispers Aldemar.

"No, I've been tracking April, that Psychic found her own way up here." says Ace.

"That's just it, the first Psychic was a boy." says Aldemar.

"Impossible. They're either" says Ace before being cut off by Aldemar.

"All boys or all girls. I've been doing this a lot longer than you, and this is the first time I've ever seen or heard of this." says Aldemar.

"Then how do we know if the ritual will work? If they'll be able to raise the Dragons again?" asks Ace.

"if the Dragon's don't raise then Heaven and Hell will take a permanent grasp on all the worlds. It's only a matter of time." says Aldemar.

"We will worry more as time passes Aldemar. No need to worry yet." says Ace.

"Your right child. I'll look at more prophecies just in case I'm missing something." says Aldemar as he disappears and then reappears in his study. Ace lays down on a pew after setting his bow and arrows down and slowly fades into a deep sleep. The first time he's slept in almost a week and a half.