WARNING: Male/Male and Female/Female relationships involved. Stay away if you are offended by such material. No sexual content yet, but does contain erotic themes.
EYE-CATCHING BLURB: An original story with an original cast. An epic adventure is about to unfold when a yound man, Seneca and his friends: Katja, Nathaniel, Tristan, Mike, Emily are thrust into a world of swords and sorcery. The young teenager, Seneca must uncover his darkened and mysterious past and recover his even darker heritage before those after his life succeed in their goal. But what lies in store for the rag-tag party of teenagers? Can they band together to stay alive? Or will Seneca's dark past and the secret he shares with Tristan destroy them all from within?
"This is speech!"
~These are thoughts!~
~This is telepathic conversation!~
The Mystic Prophecy
Chapter One: Verse One- New Game
A Novel by Chaos Angel
Chaosangel99@hotmail.com
The shadows enveloped him and he screamed as they found their way into him and began to tear him inside out. The young man turned to see his friends from school in similar throes of torture. His conscious mind did not last much longer, and as he submitted to the dark power that willed to control him, he rose to his feet with a wicked smile twisting on his lips. He took one last look at the inhabitants of the room before he unleashed the full fury of the darkness which had consumed his soul. He destroyed his friends one by one, until there were two left. One was his one time lover. This man begged for his life, pleading for the dark child to remember their feelings. An immense wave of black energy wiped him off the earth, and the young man did not bat an eyelash. His cold facade was turned toward the last of his one-time friends. For some reason the child of darkness hesitated as a solitary tear blazed a trail down his face. He raised his hand to rid the earth of all traces of his past. A wave of darkness flowed from his hand, but then there was a flash of light as the youth, who moments before had been writhing in agony, impaled the dark one with a brilliant blade of light. Everything went white...
Seneca woke from his nightmare with a start. Never had his sleep seemed so real. His strangest dreams had always had a history of being clairvoyant but this was one time dream he hoped never to come to pass. Seneca got out of bed, and looked in the mirror.
"I look like shit," he said as he began to get ready for school. "Thank God it's Friday." Seneca picked his clothes out of the closet; the usual ripped jeans, white tee shirt, and red and white flannel to adorn his waist, and carried them into the bathroom with him. As he walked into the shower, he began to chant a small spell taught to him by his former best friend turned lover. It was designed to clear one's mind as one cleans his body. But it only succeeded in reminding him of his dream.
~One was his one time lover. This man begged for his life, pleading for the dark child to remember their feelings. An immense wave of black energy wiped him off the earth, and the young man did not bat an eyelash.~
Seneca shivered at the memory. After drying off and dressing he went to the closet once more to get his black leather jacket. He and his friends always went downtown on Fridays. It was the perfect place to cruise for guys. As he walked through the kitchen he saw that his mother had already left for work. She had left a note on the table:
Seneca and Miranda,
Had to go to work early,
But I left breakfast in the
stove. Seneca I know you
are going out with your friends tonight.
Just go to your father's house
afterwards, okay that's where
your sister will be.
And please try to bring a nice
young girl home for once.
I know you're beating them off
with a stick.
Anyway I'll see you tomorrow.
Love,
Momma
"Miranda, breakfast is in the stove," Seneca yelled to his half asleep sister, as he groaned inwardly at his mother's obliviousness. Seneca crumpled up the offensive note, and headed for his car, a black Maxima, that his father had given him for Christmas. As he began to drive, he felt guilty at his hostile feelings towards his mother. It wasn't her fault he hadn't told her. He had even gone so far as to lie to her when she had once asked, due to Mike, his former best friend/lover, "coming out" at his school. Of course since Mike's family situation was never good, he wanted to come live with Seneca. His mom had almost gone for it. She went to his school to give them all that necessary information and they told her about his orientation. To say the least she was a bit irate, but she got over it. Seneca had even denied Mike's sexuality, saying it was a rumor people at his school were making up. But what no one knew was the depths of their relationship entirely. Not even Seneca was sure of it.
He always knew he was different but Seneca had always attributed that to his, sexuality. But what no one knew was that Seneca and Mike had studied the arts Arcane together. Well Mike had done all the studying and all the teaching, Seneca just did all the learning. Then they trained their bodies to fight. Looking back Seneca wanted to know what they had done it for. Mike was so avid that I learn, almost as if he was trying to train me to do something.
On the way to school, Seneca played with his (for lack of a better term) "pink bubbles". These were a game for him as long as he could remember he would close his eyes and be able to control the hot magenta circles he saw in his minds eye.
Only under the recent tutelage of Mike was he ever able to see the bubbles with his eyes open; which to him was even freakier than before. While Mike and Seneca were trained the bubbles were a source of sorcery but Seneca never found them capable of anything useful, so he dismissed them from his mind, though Mike tried to tell him otherwise. Now he found out that with disuse his control over them had waned. Of course there had never been any visible proof that what they were studying was real, and Seneca began to doubt Mike. Then to complicate things even more Seneca slowly began to fall in love with him. Only to find that Mike was mentally ill, a schizophrenic and probably nothing that they had filled the last three years of their lives with was true. The man he loved a fraudulant personality who called himself Gouran. Seneca had had a rough time but now thanks to his new friends he was starting over and having a great time. But he couldn't help but think. If the whole thing was a lie, then what are those "pink bubbles".
"Awww what the hell!," was all that he could manage to say or think. Finally at school he walked down the hallways filled with teenagers. Some guys walked by and he heard one bragging about who he "layed" last week or whatever. And a gaggle of girls walked by and one screamed as she laughed, at her friend's joke. Unfortunately she was right by Seneca's ear and it took all of his control not to react and smack her face off. After all it wasn't her fault, and his friend Katja had put him in his place about hitting girls.
As he walked up to the usual hang out place by the lockers, Seneca heard a cacophony of voices saying his name. Katja got up out of her boyfriend's lap to 'pounce' Seneca with a hug.
"Hey Kitten, what's up," Seneca said, to the female half of his groups token 'straight' couple. Face it, with Seneca and his friends, Katja and her man Nathaniel were a minority. Seneca thought it was actually kinda sad in it's own way. "We still on for tonight," Seneca took this opportunity to wrap his hands around Katja's waist almost inappropriately. He wasn't nervous about Nathaniel, Kat, as her friend's often called her, was his best friend now and she and Nathaniel knew he meant absolutely nothing by it. That wasn't saying that Katja wasn't the prettiest kitty on the block. It was just that she wasn't Seneca's type, he often said the only thing she lacked was the correct plumbing. The couple knew this, so their physical closness had become a ritual of endearment.
"Sure we are," said Katja as Nathaniel came to stand behind her, missing her warmth. Seneca took a look at Nathaniel, he was a lanky, but very good looking young man, a junior in high school, working to become a film director. Katja had already given Seneca the lecture on ogling her man. Seneca wasn't particularly interested, but he would do it every now and then, just to piss her off.
"I'm going too, can we all get into your car?" said a voice from behind. It was Tristan. Seneca gulped and commented to himself about how cute this guy was...and smart...and funny when he tried...and, and ,and well...just perfect. "Seneca... is... something wrong?," asked Tristan when he caught Seneca staring a hole right through him.
"Huh? What? Oh nothing," Seneca lied. Just last week everyone had been at Tristan's house, for an overnight party. The four teenagers had played video games, talked, and generally enjoyed their youth until the wee hours of the morning that night. The entire time Seneca had begun to notice just how much he liked the young man he was having such a great time with. However the emotion complications of this began when Tristan began seeing his guests out of the house in the morning. As Seneca was leaving Tristan took him aside.
"Do you like me?," he said catching Seneca completely off guard. Seneca, not knowing what to do, blew it off with an "as a friend" and made a hasty retreat, but regretted not telling the complete truth. The problem was that no one knew Tristan's sexual orientation for sure, and no one asked it. That was just an unspoken rule. Seneca had always assumed 'straight' but wondered why a winsome man like him was still single. The question had made him think. Did he really like him? What had he done to make him ask? He had not really used any of his normal tactics. What if he were to say yes and he is straight? How would that affect their friendship. Seneca had decided that it wasn't worth it, he had already wrecked one friendship like this he didn't want to go through it again.
"Yeah we can fit in my car, but do you want me to bring you back here afterwards so ya'll can get your cars?"
"No," said Tristan," I want everyone to come back to my house and spend the night, I just got a new board game I want us to play!"
"All right, but I'll have to call my mo..," said Seneca as the first bell, everyone’s cue to get their asses to their classes, interrupted him. Of course it was Kat and Nathaniel's cue to get in a little last minute play before they both HAD to go to homeroom. Frankly Seneca was a little jealous. Even if he did someday find a someone, they would never be able to make out in the halls like that.
***
Class One: Math Analysis
Seneca took his seat in the back of the classroom with his best 'girlfriend' Kat. They had this period together every other day, and each time neither of them did shit. They didn't need the credit to graduate, so why bother, it was a benefit of being a senior.
"Hey girl," Seneca whispered as class started, even if they weren't doing anything they still weren't into disrupting class or keeping anyone else from learning.
"Meow," was her patented reply. Seneca thought he could almost see the cat ears on her head when she did that. He always found it kinda cute, the only drawback was when she got pissed she attacked like a cat, and it seemed her nails actually got longer when she tried to claw your eyes out. However Katja was mostly a nice person, always the one to be there for a friend and always the one on which a friend could depend. Not that all of Seneca's friends did not possess such qualities, but these were her strengths. "By the way Seneca," she asked with a slyness to her voice, "What was all that staring about with Tristan...Hmmmmm?" Seneca looked at his feet; he felt kind of bad about not telling Kat all about what Tristan had asked him sooner. He really didn't know why he didn't; it just never came up. Seneca leaned over to whisper the whole story when...
"AHEM...Mr. Maxwell, Ms Barton, is there something you would like to share with the class," Mr. Davis the teacher asked? Seneca and Katja's eyes widened. Thank goodness they weren't writing notes like they used to do, or else he could have really shared with the class.
"No ma'am...I mean sir," said Seneca, making the mistake on purpose to hit the teacher where it would hurt most, in his classroom respect level. Of course everyone laughed, and it took Mr. Davis a full five minutes to get the class back under control. He decided it would be more prudent to complete the lesson and not make an example out of the seniors any more today, so he left them alone. "That oughta learn 'im," whispered Seneca into Katja's ear.
"Yeah, but that was kinda risky, he could have written you up," she answered!
"But he didn't did he, relax, now about Tristan..."
***
After their little talk session class was over. Seneca began to depart for his next class, but not before telling Kat he would see her in independent study the period after. Now it was time for Creative Writing class, this he shared with Emily.
***
Class Two: Creative Writing
Again this was one of those classes where there was little input from Seneca at all. It was an elective and he already had fulfilled his elective credits. So had Emily but she was actually enjoying the class.
"Emil~y, come on tell me what I should do," Seneca whined to Emily when it was time to work with their writing partners.
"I don't know, I'm not an expert when it comes to boy hunting," she said.
"I don't know what I was thinking," said Seneca aloud, yet to himself, "I asked a lesbian for advice to find a man." Emily could not help but laugh; it was funny. Her sense of humor, as well as her quick wit always impressed Seneca. Emily was definitely something else. Then the subject matter turned to what was going on in her life.
"Well Seneca," she started," being single isn't so bad. I mean look at me. I'm single, can't say I want to stay that way but in the meantime I'll survive."
"I guess you're right, although I can't say I blame Kat for thinking the way she does. She wanted me to come clean to Tristan, but I'm thinking, NOT. I wonder if she even remembers what it's like to be single?"
"Probably not, you see how totally in love they both are, trust me it helps one to forget," said Emily. "I know maybe we can go downtown together, you can cruise for chicks and I'll cruise for guys and then we'll trade, huh?" Seneca giggled, but he knew that would not fly. Then the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
"See you later Seneca," said Emily with a wink.
"Yeah, see you," he said back.
***
Class Three: Independent Study
Seneca walked into the small conference room he shared with most of his friends. As Seneca closed the door behind him he heard it, that small sound that was barely audible unless one was trained to hear it, or one was lucky enough to hear it by chance. It was the sound of clothes shifting. Seneca knew exactly what it was as he turned around to face Kat and Nathaniel on the floor in the corner making out, again.
"Guys please, not in front of the gay guy," Seneca complained in a mock sick voice, "I don't need to see any of that straight-edge smut so early in the day." Kat turned around and gave Seneca that look that seemed to say 'You're interrupting my play, if you know what's good for you, you would not interfere'. Seneca shot her a look as well saying, 'Girl, you know Tristan is in this class, get up off the floor and help me!'. Catching the hint Kat got up and tried to explain for the third time today why she thought Seneca should come clean when Tristan walked in just before the bell. All conversation stopped as they began to work on their independent studies. Seneca wondered how long this silence would last before they started goofing off again, or was it his turn to start them off.
"So Nathan, my man," Seneca said with a devilish grin, "How far have you gotten with Kat...just as a matter of interest?" Kat gasped in embarrassment, while Nathaniel blushed. "Oooooh, it's like that is it," asked Seneca?
"I don't think that's any of your business, Seneca," said Nathaniel passively. Seneca expected as much, Nathaniel was like that, as politically correct as they came. He was what one would call 'average' he was seventeen, one year younger Kat, a white, Protestant, male, the average citizen in America. Needless to say it was a constant source of conversation, mostly by his friends. Nathaniel was quiet and passive, however once you crossed the line, he could even be scarier than Kat in that time of the month. As the male in the only straight couple in the group, there was also the question of his true sexuality, however Kat adamantly vouches for his heterosexuality which made Seneca think she wasn't telling him EVERYTHING.
"It's okay Nathaniel, I was only joking, Just trying to lighten up the mood in here," Seneca laughed nervously. Tristan was sitting next to him and he was clueless as to what to do. Even if he did decide to tell the truth, he couldn't do it with Kat and Nathaniel in the room. Almost as if on cue, Kat asked Nathaniel if he would accompany her to the library. Excusing themselves they left. Seneca watched them go, then looked over at Tristan. He was busily working on a crucible of math problems that made Seneca's head hurt, just looking at them. Tristan was a full three years younger than Seneca putting him at fifteen, but he had all of the qualities of men he liked. To Seneca age was nothing but a number, however, at times it did irk him when Tristan let the world know just how young he was, but those were few and far between. Most of the time he made Seneca feel like he was the fifteen-year-old and the younger man was the senior. Tristan was a handsome man obviously very smart, and at times sensitive and vulnerable. Seneca grew to like him more every day as he got to know him better, as he got to see more facets of his personality.
"Ahem, may I help you?" Seneca heard Tristan say as he noticed Seneca was staring at him again. Seneca quickly turned his face back to his paper.
"This is so embarrassing," Seneca said to himself.
"Did you say something," asked Tristan?
"Huh? Oh, no nothing at all,"
"Okay, just checking," said Tristan as he went back to work. Seneca began to breathe a sigh of relief until Tristan put his pencil down. "Seneca," he said, "I've been meaning to ask you...um...do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
"No, not at all, shoot."
"Well, I'm curious about you old boyfriend, what was he like?" Seneca tried hbis best to hide his dissapointment. He had been hoping for a better question, but he sighed and thought back to answer.
"Well, first off he was crazy, I mean mentally ill."
"Really," said Tristan with a bit of enthusiasm that worried Seneca a bit.
"Yes, as it turned out he was schizophrenic and the person I fell for wasn't the 'original'."
"Oh, how sad."
"Yeah well, anyway when he got treatment, it was like he didn't remember me, or any of the things we had shared. Our breakup probably wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't the only one who remembered a relationship other than a friendship. I hear he's married now."
"Married? Just how old is he?"
"Now? Twenty-one. But that's ancient history, I'm over it and him, and I'm on the hunt now for someone new, it's just that I'm not quite sure where to look."
"Well, someone to love fell into your lap last time, maybe it will happen twice," said Tristan. Seneca had noticed that Tristan and his chair had gotten a little bit closer to him to the point where their legs were touching. Seneca looked for signs of Tristan actually knowing what he was doing, but saw nothing; he was probably just moving his chair and got too close. A coincidence? But what was that last line supposed to mean. As quickly as Tristan had caught interest in Seneca he turned his attention back to his work.
"Um...Tristan," asked Seneca, a bit too timidly for his own tastes, "I just wanted to say..."
"Yeah, Sen?" Seneca stared into Tristan's brown eyes and completely lost his nerve.
"...Don't call me Sen..."
"Okay, sorry... Anyway, you're still driving us all to my house after we hang out at the mall right?" The dark skinned teenager looked at Tristan's face fall, as if he was... dissapointed.
"Sure," Seneca said as he turned back to look at his brown hands on the table; even more confused now than he was before the period began.
***
The rest of the day went on without incident, primarily because Seneca had no more classes with his friends. Seneca walked by the green lockers after school. He saw Emily sitting on the floor, staring at her feet.
"Wazzup girl. Why do you look so upset," he asked?
"I'm upset because I came to work on the school news after school and nobody showed again. This is the third time I've been stood up and it's pissing me off," she answered in a very irate tone. Seneca started to ask why she always scheduled these meetings on Fridays when she knew everybody and his momma had something better to do.
"Oh well, that's their bad karma I suppose," Seneca said, "I have room for one more in my car, why don't you come downtown with the rest of us, we could cruise for chicks together; but only if you help me with some guys."
"It's a date then!" the fair hair girl said.
"So here you are," said Kat as she walked with her bag and Nathaniel in tow. Tristan was walking behind them. Seneca could see he was purposefully taking his time.
Tristan looked up into the rafters of the building. He could have sworn he saw something move, a blur of black or something.
"Yeah, I'm here. We're gonna take Emily with us downtown. Is that okay with everybody?" asked Seneca.
"Yeah, it's okay with me," answered Kat.
"And in hearing that I can assume it's okay with Nathaniel too," said Seneca.
"Believe it or not Seneca, Nathaniel can think for himself," said Kat beginning to develop some attitude.
"I think I'll choose to not believe it," said Seneca in a mocking tone.
"That's it, come here," said Kat as she began to chase Seneca around the lockers with the intent to blind him with her nails. Seneca began to run and dodge her playful swipes. While the others just watched another of their silly rituals.
"Huff, puff, I'm so glad we're best friends kitten," said Seneca as they began to wind down.
"Yeah," she said stopping just behind him, "If I were to actually ever catch you I wouldn't know what to do."
"Well anyway, let's get this show on the road," said Seneca to everyone as they stood watching their friends make idiots of themselves. As Seneca began to walk towards the entrance of the school his danger sense sent an alarm through his mind. He spun quickly only to have a volley of carefully aimed daggers fly at him; ripping his jacket to shreds and making his shirt look like Swiss cheese.
Seneca watched as the remains of his jacket hit the floor. Kat and Emily had screamed as the daggers embedded themselves into the floor. Nathaniel and Tristan grabbed the girls and dove for cover behind an island of lockers. Seneca looked around for who or what could have thrown those with such accuracy. The shot was just to get his attention. If their intent was to kill him they were good enough to do that with one dagger.
"Death, to the fallen mystic family of Meric!" an unseen voice said. It sounded male, but it was followed by a wicked female voice. Then they appeared before him on top of the lockers his friends had taken cover behind. There was a man and a woman dressed in black battle fatigues.
"Ninjas?" Seneca thought, "Here in podunk USA?"
"Death to the fallen mystic family of Meric," said the female ninja, reiterating her partner's statement.
Seneca was now very furious. "Just who the hell do you think you are? That was my favorite jacket!" The female's body language was that of the bemused.
"Hikaru, brother, he doesn't seem to realize the danger he's in does he?" the female asked of her partner.
"No, Bosatsu he doesn't but after all, our Lord has asked that we kill him before his greatness restarts the Ancient War of the Mystics," said Hikaru.
"Just what the hell are you talking about?" said Seneca with a confused look on his face.
"It seems he doesn’t know anything. But it doesn't matter because he will die here," said Bosatsu as she and her brother launched an attack. Seneca dodged quickly, desperately leaping and landed in a math classroom. Seneca picked up the forbidden high school weapon: The yardstick and decided to launch an attack of his own. With a running jump, he made a classic Kendo slash. He missed, but did succeed in landing near the daggers in the floor...
Meanwhile Katja was rallying the calvary.
"We can't just let him fight all by himself," she said.
"But we don't have any weapons, and I can't speak for you but I'd rather not go after strange and apparently strong people like that with my bare hands," said Emily.
"Ah-ha," said Tristan as he spied the baseball team coming in from practice and he whispered his plan to the others.
Tristan left the cover of the lockers, and entered the battlefield. Seneca saw him but apparently so did Hikaru, who threw a long knife at his exposed back. Seneca managed to tackle Tristan but he unfortunately took the dagger in his left arm.
"Just what the fuck are you doing?" asked Seneca with a worried look on his face. Tristan noticed that Seneca didn't seem to mind the bloody gash in his arm. The cut was deep and throbbed an angry red against Seneca's brown skin.
"I'm creating a diversion..."
"... huh?" said Seneca, confused.
In the meantime Kat was leading everyone to the discarded pile of baseball bats. Each teenager 'borrowed' one of the wooden baseball bats and brandished them defensively. Katja grabbed an extra bat for Tristan before they left to aid their friend. Seneca and Tristan had taken refuge behind the lockers. The daggers had stopped flying but Seneca could tell the ninjas were still in the area. Using the dagger Seneca had rescued from the floor, Tristan cut a shred out of his tee shirt and tied it around Seneca's arm.
"Umm... Thanks," said Seneca, but you could have used my shirt, it's already ripped an..."
"It's okay," Tristan interrupted, "It's the least I can do. I mean you took a hit for me." Seneca blushed as he looked into Tristan's brown eyes. He had never felt that way about anyone before, not enough to take a hit for them. Not even Mike. Just how much did Tristan mean to him, and why?
"Ahem," said Katja as she, Nathaniel and Emily arrived by sneaking around the long way. "Here, you go Tristan," she said handing the 'weapon' to the boy," Now let's go teach 'em what it means to fuck with us." Seneca was taken aback, he had never seen his friends like this. Yeah, they had stuck up for him, but never had they ever gotten physical. Even Nathaniel, who was known for his passivity.
As Seneca led them from the protection of the lockers, he wondered how the hell they were going to win.
"Brother, the Fallen One now has allies," Bosatsu whispered in her brother's ear.
"Yes, sister he does. Maybe it would be better to make a tactical retreat for now and draw him into our world, he would be lost and vulnerable there and at our mercy. We could kill he and his allies at our leasure," whispered back Hikaru. The two siblings nodded in agreement and then turned and ran.
"Oh you're not getting away," said Seneca, falling into the ruse. "Come on guys, let's jump'em." The five teenagers began to give chase, and thus Seneca lead his friends towards disaster, falling completely into the ninjas' hands. The ninjas were 'cornered' in front of the library. Giving the command to spread and surround, Seneca decided it was time to get some answers. "Okay, now just who are you?"
"We are the assassins of the Mystic High Lord: Sociat," said Bosatsu cooly. hikaru did not respond at all, but stayed crouched in a defensive position.
"Mystic High Lord, Sociat?" the five teenagers repeated. It sounded straight out of a video game.
"Yes, but that's all you need to know now," said Hikaru as he gestured at the floor. The floor began to have the consistency of quicksand. Katja grabbed hold of Nathaniel as they both began to sink. Emily shrieked and before any could reach out for her she was gone. Tristan was silent, as he disappeared from sight beneath the floor. As Seneca sank beneath the floor, he wished to himself that Mike had been there.
"Mike would have known what to do..."
Seneca's body began to hum, and feel warm. He did not know it, but he had cast his first spell.
***
Seneca and awoke in a field of green grass. He was on his back, and he stared into the sky at the clouds. A flash of light caught his attention so he sat up dazed and looked around to see all of his friends had landed near him all of them as bewildered as himself. The ninjas however were nowhere to be found.
"What just happened, and where are we," asked Tristan as he looked at his watch. It had stopped, which was strange because it was digital. "Dammit, I just got batteries for this yesterday!"
"I don't know where we are, Tristan," said Seneca cradling his head to prevent a headache. Then he remembered the flash of light and looked to his right. There sat a man. He looked to be as tall as Seneca, and very naked. His brown hair was disheveled and wind-blown and his blue eyes glared back at Seneca though still looking slightly dazed.
"Mike?" asked Seneca
"Huh?" the man answered, responding to his name.
"Mike what the hell are you doing here? And in your birthday suit no less?" asked Seneca stifling a laugh.
"I don't know, but why I have the feeling you had something to do with it?" Mike asked giving Seneca the stinkeye.
"Uh-oh," thought Seneca. Then he wondered, just where were they, how did they get there? And perhaps the scariest question was: Could they get back...?