The Andre Miller Saga

Andre Miller 37 The Mana

Z minus 4

"Andre, there's been an event." Said Janice as she looked at the TV.

"Define event," Andre replied as he walked into the living room.

"The news is saying there was an explosion in Alton. Apparently, it left a cloud of black dust in a several thousand-foot radius, people think it's soot, or chemical residue or something, but it's making people sick and the doctors can't figure out why." She said.

"Andre of the House of Miller." Came a weak call from the backyard.

Andre rushed out to the backyard, Hoziha, the celestial warrior, stood there leaning on a staff, half covered in black dust. "Good Lord! Hoziha, what happened?"

"Help me friend, I must, must get the mana off." Hoziha said weakly as he dropped to one knee.

Andre grabbed the hose from its rack and began spraying Hoziha off, the dust washed away easily and melted into the lawn. Under the dust were a red rash, welts, and sores. The feathers of Hoziha's wings were tattered and frayed, some fell out while Andre sprayed the dust away. It took almost 20 minutes to clean the majority of the dust away. Andre disrobes Hoziha and cleaned him as well as he could and wrapped him in a sheet for modesties sake.

"Hoziha, what happened? Tell me friend, what is this black dust?" asked Andre.

"The dust. It is corrupted mana. It is everywhere in Alton. Dozens of warriors are dead, covered in the dust, and cut off from their divine source. I was on the edge of the blast." He stumbled away from the area where the mana had been washed away and slumped to the lawn. "It is worse than we could have ever imagined. The mana, it sticks to everything, it can't be brushed away, it is cloying and smothering. It has devastating effects on the humans and animals as well, like being covered in a wave of bad karma."

Frankie came out of the house, "What in the hells!"

Andre explained what had happened, "Can you help him, Frankie?"

Frankie extended his hands and a golden glow encompassed both him and Hoziha after a few moments the remainder of the black mana dust rolled away from the celestial and gathered into a compacted ball that floated into the trash nearby. Once the glow had passed Hoziha began coughing uncontrollably, gouts of the black dust spewing from his mouth and nose. Frankie moved the dust away as it came out. After several minutes the coughing subsided and Hoziha collapsed unconscious. "He'll be fine, his body has to reconnect to the divine. The dust, it blocks his connection to the heavens. What the hell is that stuff?"

"Corrupted mana," came the response from above as Prolanacle descended and floated above the ground, "Thank you for saving him Frankie of the House of Hernandez. Can you help others? We have dozens dead and a hundred or more injured."

"A hose of water will clean off the majority of it," said Andre as he rinsed the black dust that had sprinkled onto the patio, "You'll need to wash off your warriors quickly, it's acting like acid on their skin."

"I will help as much as I can where do you need me?" Said, Frankie.

"We have set up a wounded camp near Alton. Come I will carry you." Said Prolanacle.

Frankie walked over and Prolanacle picked him up, Frankie spoke as they began to fly away, "Track my phone and bring help!"

Andre and Janice rushed back into the house and gathered the others and explained what had happened.

"I'll stay here with Celeste and monitor the news and call you if anything changes." Said, Conroy.

"Caleb grab all our blessed mana and holy water. I have an idea." Said Andre as he headed for the vehicles.