Meet The Hebites

"I'm supposed to believe that some millennia old poison from a snake which was used by the Dragon, the Devil, and the dude with the horns." Heat gestured on his head as he continued, "To deceive Adam and Eve according to the Abrahamic religions, is in me, through a snake which is now dead. Just in case you didn't know, he died by getting shot in the head. A powerful ancient serpent sent to endow me with supernatural abilities was ended with the cheapest shotgun on the market. This sounds like a generic fantasy novel story. The only problem is that this time the side characters suck at convincing the main one to join them."

"Wow, you're awful loud. After receiving the poison, no one saw him again, not until you did, Heat, it is your destiny!"

"Destiny? There's no such thing! Everyone has goals they try to achieve, that's not destiny."

Heat paused.

"For all I know, I'm tripping on some drugs. Maybe I took something for the hallucinations and forgot. Oh crap. I think I need to sit down"

"Do you really think you are high right now?" Aquila asked.

"How else would you explain me thinking a snake spoke to me and now hearing a story about a secret supernatural war that humans have somehow never found out?" Heat asked. Then he started to whisper to himself, "I think I need to sleep. Fu-fudge! Have I been hallucinating the entire day?!"

"Heat," Supido called. "We both know you stayed behind for a reason. Why are you trying to convince yourself none of this is real?"

"Because, Supido, why should I go ahead with your idea of bringing peace to a bunch of people I could care less about? If your Lord was so smart, why didn't he realize that reigniting the war would only bring back the pain and suffering that initially existed? You cannot start a war to stop a war; ask us humans about it, we're experts. The cycle will always continue."

"Don't you think we have already thought of that? Unfortunately, the war is still continuing. We want to end it before it blows back up to what it once was. If that happens, I can guarantee you humans would be caught in the crossfire."

"Why do people tell me I talk weird but never tell you that?"

Supido sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Heat, stay on track."

"Fine. But you guys could've at least tried a different story to convince me—I'm agnostic, remember?"

"Yes, not atheist. Do you not believe in the possibility of anything supernatural at all?"

Heat went silent.

"I don't want to."

Aquila decided to help convince him too.

"Heat, we amen believe that the person who gains these powers would know how to end everything. Once Sennin is dead, our world would be at peace!" Heat could feel the genuine appeal in her words. "Refusing our offer doesn't make anything better for you. Bases and branches of both sides exist on multiple planes. If you reject us, someone from the other side might kill you. Join us and learn how to use your spa to protect those you love and everyone else on the Earth."

"Heat ya-"

"You didn't call me burners eh, fine, I'm in."

"Are you sure?" Supido was surprised by his sudden change in stance. "You do realize that you'll be putting your life at stake, right?"

"Seriously? You just struggled to bring me to your side and you follow with that?"

"I just don't want you regretting anything."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. If I feel I'm in too deep I might just leave."

Shishio stepped forward, "Welcome to the army of the Hebites, Heat Fury. Your training would begin tomorrow from noon."

"Um…ok, I guess. So sudden, but sure. I shouldn't regret this—I hope, I think."

"That's the one thing he shouldn't have said," Ursus whispered to Aquila; she smiled.

As everyone went their separate ways, Supido caught up to Heat.

"Hey, what made you change your mind?"

"Can't a young man have a change of heart?"

"Not that quick."

���I guess so." Heat chuckled. "Remember what I told you some years ago about the stuff I saw in my basement?"

"Oh, that. The thing related to your parents. So that's why. You think it has something to do with us amen."

"Kinda. It would explain a lot about why they did what they did too."

"Maybe. Don't get your hopes too high though."

Heat smiled. "Eh…I find it hard to hope in the first place."

"Remember what you said about this sounding like a generic fantasy novel?"

"Uh huh."

"Boy, are you in for a ride."

The next morning, when Heat woke up, he took a long, warm shower. Everything seemed normal—then he remembered the events of the night before. The memories were vivid; it was not a dream and he was not hallucinating. Everything happened as he remembered. He even managed to sleep in throughout the night without seeing the snake or sea of flames. He had an actual dream but all he remembered from it was a faceless man whose only visible feature was his teeth, smiling and saying, "Finally, finally." It was a strange dream, but after what he experienced the last time he tried to sleep, he appreciated this one very much.

At exactly noon, Heat was sleeping on the grass in the park where he met the snake. He began to question the decision he had made. Of course, he did not have a complete idea of what he was getting into, however he thought it was the right thing to do. Unlike he had presumed, his heart was not racing; it was fine. He knew what he was doing…he wouldn't regret it….at least not by much. From a distance, he saw Shishio heading towards him; he got up and followed him closely into the bush.

"Take note of this route, and welcome to your branch." Shishio told Heat. The small bush was linked to a forest, and underneath the forest floor, there was a Hebite headquarters.

As they walked deeper into the forest, Heat's feet started to feel strange, like he was slipping. He looked down at his feet and they were fine. When he lifted his head back up, he was staring at a wall with a snake's head painted on it.

"Mr. Fury, welcome to Ur-tir'ak."

The name barely registered in his head. Heat took in a deep breath.

The wall's constituent blocks moved aside to grant them access to a large room connected to it. Heat followed Shishio into the room, filled with people training. As he walked, he looked around, staring in awe. The entire place resembled some kind of secret billion Keseph (Zionite currency) facility. Some people were on rocky grounds, some were in the air, some were in water and the room seemed to be as huge as one and half of a football field.

"How does all of this fit underground the forest?"

"The room in itself is not so huge; each part is teleportation section. For example, those sharks fighting in the water, they are really in water; they've been teleported there with a panel, so we can see them and just go through anytime. The room is only about the size of a professional tennis court."

Shishio kept turning his head, until he had his eyes fixated on one man.