Training Begins

In Goaz, a place where goats had two heads, rats had eight legs, and cows had two tails. A place of magic and surreal energy. Jade could feel the shift in the energy she felt coursing through her veins. Yes, this was far away from Earth... now she knew.

Jade and Bacchus stood in the open, green yard, two days after her arrival. Bacchus had given her time to rest and adjust to not being back in her universe anymore. Now, it was time for business... he was going to see what she was made of and if she knew she had the energy to channel, and harness magic.

He began; "You were sent here by the energy residing in you. You had told me you didn't know where that pendant on your neck came from, but my best guess is, it appeared on you, finding you as you were transported to this universe. Its origin must be from Goaz. So, you have to learn how to control what is inside you. You are not the girl you knew yourself to be, get used to that. Now, it is time to begin", Bacchus explained.

Jade nodded. Anxiety filled her veins but she hid it well knowing there must have been a reason for her to be here. She didn't want to waste this opportunity to change her life. She was impatient to see what she could do, and at the same time, she was excited.

"Take a deep breath and concentrate on your heartbeat", Bacchus ordered in a very still voice.

She did as she was told.

Then, she noticed that the amulet on her neck began pulsating alongside her heartbeat. She opened her eyes and Bacchus noticed that they shone so bright...the same bright purple light emanating from the ancient pendant hanging on her neck.

[this girl didn't even know the amount of power she carried. How was she living all these years oblivious of that?], he thought to himself.

* * *

Few weeks passed, and they trained every day, morning and night. Jade was learning fast even though the process wasn't easy. Sometimes, she would go to sleep on the floor in the living room once they got back into the house.

But, she grew stronger under Bacchus' teaching and she felt it. Another thing she noticed was, after that first day she drank his weird mixture that had sent her into a deep sleep, she never slept after drinking it again.

"Your magic level has increased", Bacchus had explained to her when she asked him about it one day. Deep down, she wanted that deep, dreamless sleep she experienced on that first day. Now, when she closed her eyes, she had dreams about going back to Cones, she saw herself doing lots of things for people who needed help in various aspects of their lives. Jade loved to help people because she understood what suffering was, and she knew what having no one to assist or help, felt like.

Her eyes had changed...from the brownish-gold she knew. Now, they had a purple hue to them and she knew it was because of what coursed through her veins now. She had magic now!! She felt almost invincible.

* * *

Few years passed.

Jade noticed that Bacchus never aged one bit. But she, on the other hand, grew nicely. Filling up in the right places. Her hips that were so bony now had some flesh... Bacchus fed her well, telling her that magic sapped a lot of energy so she had to eat more than usual so as not to faint or get weak.

She asked him one day; "Hey Bacchus, don't you get old, old man?"

He laughed out loud.

[Jade was a naughty person. That, he knew since they began their training]

One day, she was knitting a blanket from an old ball of yarn she found laying around, and actually enjoying the activity.

Bacchus suddenly said to her; "Follow me outside, mortal".

That sounded too formal to Jade but Bacchus could be weird sometimes, so she didn't take any offense whatsoever.

He had actually grown fond of Jade, but it was time for her to leave his world. She had things to do, needs to meet back in her own universe. She was ready. He had no doubt about that. But, one last thing...

* * *

Adonis was a man in his mid-twenties standing at 6ft and 4 inches already. Skin like honey mixed in caramel, and hair as dark as obsidian glass, shining in the sun whenever he stood under its light.

He owned a pig farm and employed several workers who were all devoted to him because of his kindness and care towards them.

In his employ was a sharp, plump, and kind white woman. She was in her fifties, having lost her husband but, she survived with a son. After the death of her husband a few years ago, she came looking for a job on Adonis' farm, and he took her in to even take care of the cleaning and cooking in his house. She was eternally grateful to him. Her name was Mrs. Pegg. She cooked and cleaned for Adonis and she cared for him also.

"Should I find you a decent, nice girl, Master Adonis?", she asked him one fateful day. The fact that he's been single, only focusing on his career and the business disturbed her a little. She wanted the best for him... she wanted someone to care for him every day when he returned from a long day of tedious work.

That day, Adonis hadn't heard her when she asked him the question. He was engrossed in what he was writing. She looked over at him, noticing how buried his head was in his books.

[this is exactly what I am talking about. He's always settling one account or editing one thing or the other. He is too young for this], she thought to herself.

The next day, during supper, she asked the same question. This time around, he heard her.

"Argh...", he murmured under his breath.

[this woman won't let me rest on this issue until she sees me with a woman]

"Why are you so concerned about this?", he asked her slurping the delicious chicken soup she had made. She was a good cook, that was certain.

Beside him on the dinner table was her son, Knaxx. Adonis looked at him with a 'save me' plea in his eyes. But the boy looked down at his meal, averting his eyes. They both knew that when Mrs. Pegg had a goal in mind, she was going to accomplish it. She was a stubborn woman who was quite possessive of people she held dear.

"I've been working for you for almost 8 years now. You work so hard, and I just think it's high time you got a wife. So that while I'm still alive, I'll be able to teach her how you like your meals... you know, things like that".

She continued; "Do you want to train your children when you begin to see grey hairs growing on your head? It is ideal to have kids while you can still run around and play with them".

Adonis gave a small smile and continued with his meal. That wasn't his priority at all. He didn't know why she was worked up about it. But, he knew she was just concerned, and it was coming from a good place.

* * *

Whoosh!

A ball of fire and electricity, I mean, high tension energy flew past Jade as they stood in the open yard. The east side of Bacchus' estate.

"What the..."

"Defend yourself", it was almost a scream.

[Was this training?]

It sure didn't look like that to Jade, [Bacchus wouldn't hurt me, or would he?], she thought.

Jade was confused but all of a sudden, a sense of urgency filled her body, charging her magic.

[I hope he hasn't gone senile. This was dangerous], Jade thought. So many thoughts were running through her mind all at once.

After she dodged the second ball of fire thrown in her direction, Jade saw as Bacchus took a stance waving his left hand all the way to his right side then hooking his right index finger between his left hand's index finger, and its thumb.

Then, he withdrew the sign he had made to his chest and shot both hands forward. A bright, blue arrow came forth in full force, flying across the field towards Jade.

In about 2 seconds, Jade closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and rolled on the heels of her feet, thereby maneuvering around the arrow he had just released.

She stretched her arms outward, waving them in a circular motion in the air, bringing them in towards her belly.

"autoauuva", she muttered.

Out of thin air, hundreds of tiny knives aimed at Bacchus appeared, awaiting Jade's next command.

She released her arms. The knives flew at the topmost speed, covering the distance between them in seconds.

Jade saw a flicker of a smile pass his face, then, he said something, and a barrier of water sourced from a drum some feet away from them blocked the knives from reaching him, and they fell to the ground with a splash.

"You are ready, Jade".