Capítulo 3: Dinner Conversations on Matters of the World
[JAMES HATAHLI. Inner London, London, England. Wednesday 7th of September, 1881 Gregorian Calendar].
James Hatathli tried unsuccessfully to pick up the small, slippery piece of glazed lamb which floated among the thick egg noodles.
Plop.
The cube of meat slipped from his chopsticks and fell back into his soup.
"You having problems there James?" asked a well dressed man with blue eyes, that seemed to sparkle in amusement at James' predicament.
"You should use a spoon or fork," said Arina. "Just because Master Ning uses chopsticks, doesn't mean you need to imitate."
"I'll learn soon," stated James. "It'll be a useful skill once we travel to Asia. You should start learning as well since you'll be coming with us."
"Master Ning," Arian turned towards the dark-haired Asian man. "It's rather strange for a Special Agent to undertake more than three years of apprenticeship. Yet, now that my time with Douglas is coming to an end, the Coalition has ordered me to spend another year of apprenticing. This time with you. Is there a reason for that? Please understand that I mean no disrespect. I'm simply curious."
The middle aged man, whose eyes seemed to hold the darkness and hardness of ebony, finished eating the morsel of lamb in his mouth.
"This is good meat," stated Master Ning. "Succulent."
Afterwards, he slowly began eating some of the noodles.
"The noodles are a bit weak in flavor," proclaimed Master Ning. "But it is a good effort on your part Master Clacher."
"Please call me Douglas," said the blue-eyed Scotsman. "I hope you won't mind me calling you Sunan."
"That is fine, I guess," agreed Master Ning. "Though these young ones need to still call me Master."
"Did you wish for me to call you Shifu instead?" asked James.
"No," declined Master Ning. "Master is fine. Most Special Agents speak English, so that term has greater utility. I may practice traditional Chinese alchemy and medicine, but that doesn't mean I'm beholden to every tradition of my birth culture.
When one adheres too strictly to the past, then it's difficult to progress into the future. The great powers of Asia learned this lesson the hard way. By entering into isolation and focusing too much on past glories, they fell into technological stagnation. I believe, had the Demonic Invasions not occurred, the great powers of Asia would now be subservient to the technologically superior nations of Europe."
"I understand," agreed James. "My people were also being over taken by the Europeans. If not for the Demonic Invasion, I wonder if my people would have managed to create the treaties they made. To hold the lands that they now govern."
"I doubt it," stated Master Ning. "I think that if the Demons hadn't come, many great reforms would not have eventuated. Instead of the unity we now possess, humans would have been openly warring. Slavery would be rife, and the strong countries would be carving up the weaker ones under the premise of trade and spreading civilization."
"Master Ning, you didn't answer my question," Arina tried to steer the conversation back to her initial query. "Why am I to undergo a year of apprenticeship with you?"
"James," Master Ning seemed not to hear Arina's question. "Over a year ago, there was an incident in your birth place. I heard that new types of Demons were cited."
"Yes," recalled James. "My home and other nearby settlements were over-run with Demons who animated the dead. Even more troubling, was the fact that they were led by intelligent Demons. The Coalition decided to name those intelligent Demons as Fiends and the animated dead, are now referred to as Ghouls. Both those Demonic types have now been spotted elsewhere. Truly troubling."
"They've been spotted in the fringes," Arina joined the conversation. "It seems they avoid large human populations. Though it could also be a ploy. Maybe they make their presence known in the wilder lands to draw attention away from secret activities in the cities."
"Well said," agreed Master Ning. "Many within the governments, militaries and businesses of our world, believe that the Fiends are only active in the wild. Even a few members of the Coalition's ruling council, share that belief. It's is a dangerous conclusion."
"Authority fears change," said Douglas. "If those in power are willing to concede that they don't understand a situation… well… then they lose some of their authority."
"So, knowledge is power?" queried James. "Or in this case; the Appearance of Knowledge is Power. Yet appearances can be deceiving. And often lies can cause great harm. By spreading this disinformation, those in power weaken the readiness of the people. If the people are unaware of the dangers, then they cannot respond."
"It's more complicated than that," said Arina. "Sometimes ignorance offers protection. Imagine the panic if common people accepted that Demons with the intelligence and faces of humans walked among them. We would have witch hunts everywhere. It would be even worse then when the first Gifted started manifesting and being hunted down as Demon-spawn."
"It is truly troubling," sighed James. "This war is changing. We need new tactics and weapons."
"Or perhaps old tactics and weapons," said Master Ning.
"I'm not sure what you mean," James frowned.
"So, the higher ups, want these two to know?" Douglas interrupted. "Is that wise? Arina is experienced and I am willing to vouch for her. But James hasn't even been on his first mission."
"James, tell me what you know of the Demonic Invasion," Master Ning addressed a query to his apprentice.
"On the first day of the year 1830, the Demons came," James began his accounting. "Thirteen portals opened in thirteen locations around the world. Fearsome creatures came forth. Some resembled monsters of myth, while others appeared to be nightmarish imitations of nature.
For the first five years, humanity struggled. The Demons seemed unbeatable. Then in 1835, an alliance was formed; the Coalition of Humanity. Through sharing knowledge and focusing on the common enemy, the nations of Earth pushed back the Demonic invaders. We turned their own power against them. Harvesting Demonic cores to fuel our technology.
Although other portals would periodically open, such occurrences increasingly became rare. The last demonic Invasion portal closed in 1874. Since then Demons have been pushed to the periphery. However, the appearance of these intelligent Fiends seems to be ushering a new type of offensive. One that is subtler and covert."
"What of Gifts?" probed Master Ning. "What do you know of that?"
"Gifts are supernatural powers," answered James. "They began to appear among humans around a decade after the Demonic Invasion began. Professor Charles Darwin proved them to be linked to genetic mutation. Which is why there are more male Gifted than females. And why all female Gifted are second generation. As their fathers needed to first attain the mutation."
"Do you know why the proportion of Demons which resemble mythical beings has been increasing?" asked Master Ning.
"I am unsure," conceded James. "I was taught that it could be due to the fact that those forms are more powerful. The mythical Demons definitely seem to possess more unique capabilities than other Demons. Yet…."
"Yet what?" queried Master Ning.
"I have my own beliefs," said James. "My grandfather was a Shaman. He used to tell me that these Demons were not new. That they had been here before. Maybe they had even originated on Earth. That is why they appear so similar to our creatures of Myth.
Even their distribution often follows cultural boundaries. While Harpies and Minotaurs can be found as far as the United States, the majority are within the Mediterranean region. The same can be said of Nordic giants, Japanese oni, the Wendigo of North America, the hungry ghosts in China and other culturally identifiable Demons."
"Your grandfather is probably correct," stated Master Ning. "Many of the more learned members of the Coalition believe that Demons have been here before. Whether they were otherworldly invaders or native of our world, is not agreed upon.
However, we do agree that humans have been battling Demons for a very long time. Often in secret. We believed that there existed secret organisations which used unknown powers to battle these Demons. A power which some have termed as magic."
"You said we believed," noted James. "Believed is past tense. So, does that mean you no longer believe?"
"It means we now know," replied Master Ning. "Two months after the events in your birth land, the Coalition's Academy was contacted by an alliance of these secret guardians. They used arcane techniques different to anything the Coalition had created with the Demonic Core technologies.
They expanded our knowledge of mystical phenomena such as Ley Lines and Fairy Mounds. Plus added to the potency of our alchemy. Most significantly, they offered to teach us spell crafting. The so-called magic of ages past.
This magic seems related to Gifts in that only certain bloodlines can practice. However, it is near impossible to learn for those who are not children. As it requires a learning capability which mature minds do not seem to possess. However, certain Special Agents such as I, can use our Gifts to allow access to these pathways of power which would otherwise be sealed to adults.
Currently the Coalition is seeking to empower more Special Agents with magic. Thus, certain mentors such as I have been tasked with teaching apprentices that have the potential to learn. That is why James, with your supernatural memory and Arina, with your mental manipulation, have been chosen to train under me."
"I'm honored," James bowed his head.
"Master Ning, I'm so glad I waited for an explanation and simply didn't read your mind," said Arina. "I think I would have confused myself."
"I'm glad you didn't read my mind," stated Master Ning. "If you had done so, then you would have failed my test of character. Plus, my mind is a dangerous place to be in."
"So, I get to enjoy Arina's company for a year," smiled James.
"Special Agents aren't allowed to fraternize," rebuked Douglas.
"I wasn't…." James hesitated.
"I'm joking!" laughed Douglas. "Fraternize all you want! We need more Gifted babies!"
"Be careful who you tease, Master Clacher," warned Arina. "Once I stop being your apprentice… who knows what vengeful thoughts may manifest in my mind."
"Um," Douglas gulped. "I was only joking girl. I'm sure James wouldn't fraternize with someone like you."
"Why not?" Arina fumed. "What's wrong with me? I've been told I'm very attractive."
"We should retire early tonight," declared Douglas in order to change the subject. "That way we can leave first thing tomorrow morning for Young Hearts Hospice."
"Thank you, Douglas," James mischievously smiled.
He was grateful for the other man's teasing of Arina. Something he had wanted to do for awhile now but somehow just couldn't bring himself to so.
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