Deva, Temple of Treachery

Chapter 19

Entering the cave, they first encountered darkness. Then a clearing faded into view, plants and creaks going across it. In the middle was a giant sculpture of a man holding the Veda book, with four faces. One in each cardinal point, and his hand was raised as to greet them.

"That's the deva Brahma," Amara said but Amos shook his head.

"Brahma wasn't a deva. He is the Anterion. A being of the universe, born from the first Anterion Khaos."

Amara frowned at him,"Prahlada mention something similar."

"And he was correct. No surprise considering he is a asura. They should know their creator."

"But how do you know about him?"

"My family is very old, having ties to gods and supernatural beings. We learn, teach and guard magic," Amos explained as they walked over, Amara noticed him watching the surroundings, stepping carefully on the ground as if he was testing it for traps.

"Then what are you doing in India?"

"Magic isn't natural here. It comes through to our world from other realms such as the one we are currently in. The last thousand years, our magic has faded. Only a few places have still sources of magic. India is one of them. We don't know why but we hope that if we study what gives this country so much magic then we might create nexuses in our own as well."

"Nexuses?"

"Pools where magic gather. They are rare but powerful. We know of several in Africa, and some in China. Lately we have found out that the rivers in India seem to lead magic through the country but we have no idea where the nexus lies."

"Did you want to study the temple because you suspected it was a nexus?" Amara asked, suddenly starting to understand Amos strangeness when the temple first showed up.

"Nexuses are powerful sources of magic that both gift the world with magic but also brings great calamity. They need to be guarded and hidden from those who would misuse it. Considering that the temple was hidden, I strongly suspect that this is the source of magic in India, or at least one of them."

"One of them?" Amara watched Amos inspect the sculpture, touching it as he searched for instructions.

"If there is a portal to the city of the asura then there must be a one to the city of the devas as well, and considering that the devas are still around, I suspect it might be wide open. Flooding magic into India," Amos muttered, finally walking back to them. "There is no inscription."

"Then what do we-"

Silas suddenly jumped up on the statue, climbing it with eerily speed before halting by the hand holding the Veda scripture. "There is a inscription here."

Amos leaned down, painting an identical circle to the ones he had drawn outside the cave before, touching the circle. "Osrecca muluceps succucreper."

The circle glowed, its light turning into a large mirror floating in the air which Amos seem to control. He pushed it towards the sculpture, angling it so the scripture could be seen by Amara and Amos on the ground.

Silas jumped down, looking far calmer than Amara felt by the demonstration. It was both farcinating and mindbreaking. She had spent her entire life telling her mother than there is no such thing as gods, and magic. Now with the proof in front of her, she would have to apologize to her mother... "Maybe I can convince Amos not to mention any of this."

"Can you read it?" Amara asked curious. It has similarities to Sanskrit but not enough for her to understand it.

"We practicing magic uses ancient languages, but since magic comes from a mirror realm, we also need to use the language backwards. Otherwise we will get nothing or only half the result of our spells. Try to read it backwards."