Awakened: The Story of Maxwell Cain

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

                                                Malachi

        Max couldn’t believe his eyes when he entered the dumpster.  He expected to see a tiny room, no bigger than a one room studio apartment.  Instead, he saw a dark tunnel with twenty steps that went straight down into a marble archway at the bottom.  When they got to the archway, Max could see through to a massive room the size of a football field.  He saw dozens of people of all ages in small groups scattered everywhere.  Some were practicing fighting, some exercising, and others were gathered around in a circle listening to one person speak.

        Max stopped at the entrance.  “What is this place, and who are all these people?”

        Chloe turned around to explain with a wide grin on her face.  “This is our home, Max.  The trackers go out to find people like us and bring them here to learn and train.  This is also kind of like our school, except we are free to come or leave whenever we choose, and almost nobody ever leaves, except the trackers.”

        “What do you mean ‘people like us’?” Max couldn’t help but feel a bit insulted.

        Chloe just kept smiling.  “We all have abilities here, Max. Some more powerful than others,” she added, nodding knowingly toward him.

        Chloe went on telling him about the history of the place, but Max only heard half of what she said.  He was still in awe of everything surrounding him.  All the people residing here either inherited minor magic from their parents, or had the powerful abilities of past heroes.  He couldn’t help but smile at the opportunity that lay before him.  Finally, he would have a place where he could really fit in.

        “You see,” Chloe tried to explain, “heroes of long ago had the most powerful abilities the world has ever seen.  Everyone’s abilities came from a person’s essence, which is similar to one’s soul.  The hero’s essence was so powerful that it refused to die with its originator.  Instead, it lies dormant until it finds the right essence with which to bond again, and is then reborn in the person who qualifies.  For example, this building around us,” she exclaimed raising her hands in the air indicating around her body, “It was built by a brilliant architect with skill we haven’t seen since the sixteenth century.  Maybe even since the pyramids!”

        Will groaned, “Great.  Now that you’ve got her started, she’ll never shut up.”

        Chloe ignored him and continued, “Not everyone’s ability is simple like this either.  We have a man who understands things that today’s scientists are baffled by, just like Einstein and Socrates before them!  We have people who can control water, talk to animals, fly, and even…even someone with the legendary skills of Achilles.”

        Max suddenly remembered some important details from their last meeting.  He pointed to Will and Chloe, “You two have abilities too, don’t you?  The way you fought Phil, and whatever it was you did to the other guy to make him run away; those were your abilities, weren’t they?”

        Chloe responded quickly, excited now that Max was catching on.  “That’s right, Max.  I have the essence of Achilles running through my soul.  I am nearly unstoppable while fighting, and I can perform and master any war skills I am faced with during a battle.  Then, for the duration of my life, I am an expert at it, but only in battle.”  She beamed with pride as she explained herself.

        “But Achilles died in battle,” Max said before thinking.

        “I said nearly unstoppable, Max.  Not invulnerable,” Chloe said with a little uncertainty in her voice.  Apparently, he had touched on a sore subject that was always at the back of her mind.