CHAPTER TWO.

It was already past sundown when Ayita and Aoen slowly made their way towards the huge palace gates. Several other people were also going towards the gate and the aura of fear kept radiating from them, it was like they were been led to the slaughter house.

“Why does everyone look so dead?” Aoen had to ask.

“You will see when we get to the palace,” Ayita answered.

They squeezed their way through the huge crowd and finally found a spot at the front while hiding away from the guards. Anyone who was found trying to cause trouble was immediately clubbed to death.

The huge gold coated throne sitting beautifully on the pavellion caught Aeon’s attention and he couldn’t help but wonder just how rich Persia was.

From where hw was standing, he could see the magic core and it looked so beautiful with all the energies surrounding it while encloved in a glass like ball.

“Make haste and bow” a guard with a loud trumpet announced as he walked into their midst, “your god has arrived”

Everyone began to kneel and put their faces to the ground in fear of the man who was about to come out of the palace, even the old men and women were not left out. Everyone was struggling to kneel.

The huge brass doors opened and an entourage walked out all heavily dressed in armor while a man from the middle had an impeccable presence.

“Is that Magnus?” Aeon whispered to Ayita who nodded and hid her face away.

He was not how Aoen imagined him to be, he thought he was going to be a short, ugly looking man but this Magnus was tall and well built while his hair fell in ringlets beside him. A good looking Magnus but one thing betrayed him, the aura which emanated from him was filled with wink and vain.

“Pay your respects to god” the man with the trumpets announced again and the people began to chant something which took Aeon a great deal to understand what they were saying:

All hail the god and the king who has come to save us. All hair the ruler of men who under his wings we are safe. All hail the man who has come from the gods, save us and make us your selves.

Take our magic and make them into yours”

From where he was kneeling, Aeon could see a proud look on the man’s face, how he loved the praises he was receiving from his subjects.

“I bless you” The Magnus finally said and the chants stopped but the people still remained on bended knees while hiding their faces away as usual.

Magnus bane slowly made his way to his throne while a group of scantily clad women sat by his feet and rubbed his legs in a sensual manner.

“I am glad to see all of you who responded to my call….”

“Is this what he does all the time?” Aeon asked Ayita again which made the lady to sigh. It was a good thing they were hiding away from sight.

“He does this every fourth night of the new season. Some people get their magics back after he takes them so he harvests it again”

“He must be a beast then,” the boy blurted.

“Watch your mouth, Aeon” Ayita warned and turned her attention to the ground again.

“This is what we always do so I do not need to go over the details again” Magnus bane continued, “failure to do what I have asked of you and you already know the consequences”

No one dared to say a word in front of the god, he was just too terrifying.

“Now to the part where everyone detests” Ayita announced and before Aeon got the chance to say anything again, a loud thunderous voice was heard and the foundation of the building shook.

“Come on out if you have mastered the level two magic” the army general announced while stepping down from the pavement.

Slowly a lot of people began to make their way to the front of the “god”

“I thought you said only Magnus was allowed to have the level two magic?”

“Yes and everyone you see are the people who managed to reach level two, he wants to take it away from them. You can’t be on the same level with him.

“Why don’t…..”

“Hey, you” a guard yelled in their direction and the two of them froze.

“Are they talking to us?”

“What level of magic are you on?” The guard yelled again while pointing to Aeon and Ayita.

Aeon dusted his clothes and stood up, “do I look like someone who practices magic?”

His question shocked everyone and even Magnus Bane had to turn his head to the direction of the voice.

Ayita was already cursing silently, she just met him today and he was going to be the death of her.

“What did you say?” The guard asked again while taking slow strides towards his direction.

Aeon smirked, he already had enough of these people and he was visibly taller than the guard. Maybe he could easily beat him up.

“I said, do I look like someone who practices magic?” This time his voice was clearer and more confident.

This piqued Magnus ' interest and he turned his whole attention to them, he was wondering what this boy with long wavy hair was all about.

“Will you keep quiet?” Ayita whispered to him, “Do you want to get killed?”

“Where are you from?” A deadly voice asked and he turned his attention to the Magnus who was already up from his throne and was looking at him, “come” he gestured again and Aeon made his way towards the front.

He could hear silent mumbles from the people and he knew they were scared for him.

“Why do you have all of these people to the ground by the way?” This was the first question he asked when he came in front of Magnus, “can’t you feel the scorching heats on their backs?”

Ayita bit her lips, “fool” she muttered under her breath.

The general made his way to where aeon was standing and ceased him up, “I told you to come, not to come and create a scene” he looked really angry but the boy in front of him was past caring about that.

“What? Are you scared that I am telling the truth?”

“Who is this, Zander?” Bane asked, the veins on his neck were already standing on edge.

“Who are you?” Aeon asked him and that was when the general gave him a tight slap on his face and blood trickled down his mouth.

“Let him down” Magnus finally said after a while, his voice was calm and this made everyone surprised. The Magnus they knew would have asked for his immediate execution.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he spat blood out of his mouth and turned his full attention to the Magnus,

“Zander”

“Yes, god” he bowed.

“Take care of collecting the magic”

“Yes, god”

“You” Magnus pointed to Aeon, “come with me”

He began to walk back to the palace while Aoen winked at Ayita before following him, he had a smirk on his lips the whole time.

When Magnus was gone, general Zander turned to them and their fears returned.

“If you have mastered the level two of your magic, come forth” people began to scamper to the front for fear of being caught.

Ayita kept kneeling even as everyone rushed. Level two of the magic was not hard to get but it was hard to use. For those who didn’t know how to use or control? Magnus took and for those who lied and hid themselves, he killed. That was how he was able to live up to this moment, feeding on the powers of others and reigning supreme.

“You” a guard pointed to Ayita, “what level?”

The general laughed which shocked her, “she has not even unlocked her gate of energy yet”

This angered her but she kept mum, being clubbed to death here was not her main goal.

******

“You look so interesting” Magnus began as he lowered himself on his huge gold coated throne, his eyes were on the delinquent for the whole time, “this is the first time someone is standing up to me”

Aeon continued to keep a stoic face while studying the area around him, he could feel the energy radiating from the place. He could feel the magic and that was strange. Up until an hour ago, he was just like an ordinary man but now he could feel the whole energy around him, the fact that the palace was built on the energy of this magic marveled him.

“Is that why you make everyone suffer and crumble at your feet?” He asked back and Magnus bane had to cackle, now this was getting interesting.

“You seem to be new to Persia and you don’t know the rules around here. I am not an all bad person so I will let you go for now”

“Or are you afraid of the fact that I know what you are actually doing? Taking these people’s energy and living off of it?”

“You….”

“Pardon my interruption, my god” a voice said behind Aeon and he turned to see Ayita coming into the room followed closely by a guard.

“Why are you here?” Aeon asked her but she ignored him and fell on the ground in front of Magnus bane.

“He is mentally unstable at the moment and that is why he is speaking more than necessary. Please my god, if you can let him go”

Magnus allowed his eyes to travel over her and back to

Aeon, “your sister?”

“My relative”

Magnus smirked, “ I see” then he stood up from his huge throne and made his way towards them. His heavy strides echoing on the ground which was like a terrifying thunderclap.

“Let them leave”

“Yes, my god” the guard bowed and led them outside but his eyes were on Aeon the whole time, it was like he was suspecting something.

“My god” Zander paid obeisance as he entered the room.

“Who is that boy?”

“I met him at the market place and even threw him in prison for a few hours because of his stubbornness”

“Hmmm” Magnus nodded, “keep an eye on him. I feel like he is much more than he is right now”

“Yes” he bowed again, “I have collected all the magic”

“Send them back to get ready with their payments”

“Yes my lord”

Magnus went back to his throne but his mind was on thay boy the whole time, just who was he?

*****

Ayita kept walking in front of him angrily, even as he tried to cajole her to stop walking.

“Hey” he held onto her hand but she shoved it off, “why are you angry by the way?”

“You don’t do things like that Aeon” she suddenly stopped and yelled, “there would be no reason why Magnus would not have had your head Chopped off, why did you stand up to him like that”

“He wouldn’t have done anything” he replied with so much confidence that Ayita was stunned for a moment.

“Your confidence will be the death of you Aeon, when did you even come to Persia to think that you understand the ways of life of people around here?”

“I have been here for most part of today” he answered while lowering himself on a nearby stone, “look Ayita, what is happening is not right”

“And who are you to stop it? You don’t come from among us so don’t act like you know what is right and wrong”

“For how long do you think you will hide the fact that you are already on level two?”

“What?”Now she was tongue tied,” what are you even saying?”

Aeon stood up from the stone while his tall frame hovered above her.

“You think I don’t know? You are hiding so well from Magnus but do you think you will be able to hide for that long?”

“Do you even know anything about me?”

“Oh really?” He grabbed her hand and pulled it to her face, “look”

A little water like energy was coming out of her index finger,

“Did you even notice this was showing the whole time we were at the palace”

Now Ayita was stunned beyond words, she thought she hid it well. If Magnus had seen it then he would have not spared her at all. This was the sign that showed one already mastered his or her level two magic power and she was oblivious to it.

“Any distraction I caused there was because of you and for others who were trying to hide their own as well.

Ayita yanked her hand away from him, “so what? You are the hero now?”

A smirk appeared on his face, “at least I am your hero”

“You can’t live nonchalantly like this in Persia Aeon, it will get you killed faster than you can even say your name, I am warning you”

“Magnus bane won’t kill me”

“How sure are you?”

“As sure as the fact that his palace revolves around all the energy he steals from people”

Then without saying anything again, he made his way up the hill. The market was just below the hill and he needed to meet that old lady and ask her how she knew him.

“Aren’t you coming?” He called out to the girl who was still standing.

“I am going home”

Ayita turned back and left while he shrugged and continued his journey.

By the time aeon got to the market, he Hastily made his way to the shed but was stopped when a group of men surrounded him and boy they all looked mad.

“What is going on here?” He asked.

“Who are you?” One of them asked.

“I am Aeon”

“Do you think you have the right to behave like that in front of our god?” Another asked and he was taken aback.

Were these people kidding him right now?

Aeon scoffed,”you are joking right?”

One of them launched at him in an attack and he dodged which caused a fight to break out. Six men against him, was that not unfair.

“What the hell is going on?” He asked again as he dodged another attack.

Another man used a club on his back and that made him fall on the ground. This gave them access to beat him to stupor but aeon being Aeon would not let them win.

“You love the fact that you are all being oppressed?” He inquired with a smirk and the men stopped.

“No blasphemous words against our god” another man thundered.

“Your god?” He scoffed despite the pains he was feeling all over his body, “your god who won’t even let you use your powers? The one who lies to you?”

“Keep quiet” the huge man thundered, “you are not even from Persia so how dare you?”

“How blind can you be?” Aeon also bellowed, “your god” he mimicked them again and they resumed beating him with renewed energy.

“Let him go” someone said behind them and when he turned, his eyes came in contact with that same old woman who knew him.

“Stay out of this old one” another man mocked but before he could hit Aeon again, Aeon grabbed a hold on his hand and flung him away which made the men stare in awe.

“Who needs a good beating?”

“You better watch your back, lad” the big man warned before leaving with his men.

“Old one” Aeon rushed towards her, “I have been looking for you”

“Are you done looking for trouble?” She smacked him hard on his back and he groaned in pain.

“Why are you hitting me and who are you?”

Shs didn’t bother to wait for his reply and began to walk away slowly.

“Hey, wait” Aeon ran up to her, “can you at least tell me how I got here”

“This is your home,” she answered.

“What do you mean?” He questioned again with raised brows.

“You should have a good lunch” before he could say anything again, she walked away briskly much to his consternation. Wasn’t she supposed to be old? How come she was walking away with so much vigor?

Left in the middle of nowhere, he sighed and turned to the direction of Ayita’s house.