Heavenly Mortals-Act One

I

Once upon a time,

There was a family of nobility in the great magical kingdom of Granoa. And that family had an heir. His name was Magnus Ouranios.

One day, when Magnus had grown to be a fine young man, he met a stranger in the streets, past midnight.

When the stranger stepped out of the light, Magnus was confronted with a beautiful young lady. They locked eyes, staring into each other's souls. As if by magic, a bond was immediately birthed between the two.

Magnus and the lady met each other once a week, at the same street, at the same time. Soon, Magnus came to know her name : Asteria.

Asteria was full of mystery. Even so, Magnus tried to figure her out.

"You have never told me much about yourself, have you now?" Magnus had once asked Asteria.

"Well, wouldn't you like to know?" Asteria smiled at him wryly.

"Actually, I would, yes."

"Then you'll have to catch me first," Before Magnus could say anything, Asteria ran off. Magnus laughed, shaking his head and running after her.

Soon, rather inevitably, love sprouted between the two. Magnus took her to his parents, and surprisingly, they gave them their blessing.

Not long after, Magnus and his new wife had a beautiful baby girl. They named her Aurelia.

One day, a revelation came to Magnus. His daughter had capabilities which allowed her to do superhuman things. Panicked, he confronted his wife.

Asteria dared not look in Magnus' eyes, but she explained everything.

Sorcery, used without a license, was a highly punishable offence. But as Magnus listened on, he realised this concerned more than a scandal among nobility, this was no sorcery. This was bigger than anything he could imagine.

After hearing what she had to say, Magnus put his arms around his wife, "It will be alright. I will help you,"

"Really?" She asked.

Magnus stared into her startling, sea-green eyes, "Yes. Our bloodline will live on."

Through methods unknown, Magnus aquired powers like his daughter via his wife. They then had a baby boy. They named him Calum. He was younger than Aurelia by eight years.

Calum and Aurelia had a siblinghood filled with joy and love. They were very fond of each other. Their bond reflected that of their parents.

One day, when Aurelia was sixteen and Calum was eight, the Ouranios family fell into a state of sorrow. Magnus' parents had fallen ill and passed away. He would now be in charge of the Ouranios household.

Another family of nobility, the Andinos, saw their weakness. Magnus had only begun to take charge of his family's trade. He had yet to aquire the knowledge from practical experience. In no time at all, Magnus had been forced to give Aurelia's hand in marriage to the Andino heir.

Magnus would not stand for it. He would have to deal with this issue while keeping his promise to Asteria. He stayed up, day and night, until he produced a foolproof plan.

He contacted a friend of his family's in the northeastern kingdom. He made arrangements to have Calum hidden away. Aurelia, however, could not escape what was to come. The circumstances would not allow it.

Upon the scheduled departure, a member of the Andino family makes a surprise visit, to claim Aurelia and the wedding dowry. Magnus and Calum were caught in the act of attempted escape.

Magnus unleashed the superhuman powers he had received. But through devious intelligence, Andino managed to wound him.

"The Vasillias, you know him, our mighty ruler, will reward me greatly for bringing you in," Mr Andino said.

"H-how?" Magnus asked, a bullet in his arm.

"It wasn't easy, but we found a non-metal substitute for bullets. Can't bend them to your will, can you now?"

"The Vasillias has use of people like you. And because you have illegally practiced sorcery, outside of a magical academy and with no license, you and your entire family are labelled as criminals by default. I suppose this means I can do whatever I want to your daughter," Mr Andino laughed hard.

Calum, upon hearing what he said about his sister, clenched his fists and yelled in anger, "You're evil! You deserve to die!"

Magnus looked his son in his sea-green eyes. Within him he saw the fire that would one day burn brightly.

"You are right, son," Magnus said, "This man does deserve to die,"

In a sudden turn of events, Magnus turned Mr Andino into a pile of ashes.

The two of them, father and son, made a dangerous journey to the northeastern kingdom, encountering ghostly beings along the way. Miraculously, tendrils of lightning seared their attackers into nothing.

"W-what was that, father?" Calum asked.

"A blessing from the Gods, I can only presume," Magnus replied.

After long roads travelled, Magnus informed Calum that this was where they had to part. He told Calum that he would train to become stronger.

"Father, how did you do that?" Calum asked. "How did you turn that man into ash?"

"I'm so sorry, son," Magnus put his hands on Calum's shoulders, "You are just a boy, you should not have seen that. Forget what you saw. Don't dwell on it,"

Magnus and Calum looked at each other. Calum put on a brave face.

"He was bad. He deserved it,"

Magnus was caught between tears and laughter. Shaking his head, he said, "You will grow up to he a strong man one day. Now go, we will see each other again one day,"

"I love you, father," Calum said, throwing his arms around his father.

Magnus bit back tears of sorrow, "I love you too, son."

Calum continued the journey. Along the way, he was chased and pinned down by large, dark-furred wolves. Scared for his life, he prayed to the Gods for help.

A voice spoke in his mind, You control the heavens, boy. All celestial objects are at your command.

Believing what he was told, he tried to summon a falling star. His effort was rewarded with a shaft of light which threw him and his attackers unconscious. The last thing Calum recalled seeing was a shining, winged figure. Its eyes glowed as if they were filled with lightning.

The memory of his effort to summon a falling star was seared into his mind.

Calum woke up in a strange bedroom. The design was oriental. He was greeted by an old man in white.

"Call me Grandmaster Katari," The man said.