The One: chapter 4: Hello Old Friend

Authors Note: Please read the the other chapters and the prologue before reading this or you will be so lost.



         Shamira sat quietly on the bench on a cool weekday reading a book for class. The leaves had started to fall on campus and you could tell autumn was on its way. Shamira was wearing a light leather jacket her father had bought her to keep her warm for her walks to and from school. Underneath the jacket was a plain black shirt then a pair of blue jeans to complete the outfit, if that is what you want to call. Shamira had no interest in clothing, her mother always picked them out for her. The only thing Shamira had ever picked was a pair of shoes, boots to be exact. It was one day that she found them at a store, while her mother was buying her new clothing for college, they were in an expensive shoe store. Shamira saw them from a far and went to look at them, they did not seem to fit in with the rest of the shoes in the store. They were brown, with black laces, nothing special. She picked it up expecting it to be heavy however it was as light as a feather. According to the description it was a new material based off of Kevlar that was lightweight and strong enough to withstand a hundred pound weight being dropped on it. With all the fighting Shamira was doing she needed this. Her mother came behind her with a smile, "Did you find something you liked, dear?" Shamira of course liked nothing but it made her mother happy when she said she did. "Yes mother I do." She replied showing her mother the boot. "Oh, umm those...look nice." Her mother forced a smile she did not think they were nice in fact she thought is was one of the ugliest pair of boots she had ever seen.  But nothing made her happier then when her daughter liked something even if her taste was clearly awful. She looked at the price; $120.00. "Oh my." She stated out loud. "If they're too much we don't have to get them, I will understand." Said Shamira. She knew her parents didn't have a ton of money her mother stayed at home and her father was a cop. Her mother smiled sweetly at her she knew they didn't have that kind of money but her only daughter wanted it and she never asked for anything.



                   The shoes were now slightly worn and scratched but they knew how to take a beating and stay together. Shamira turned the page with her forehead wrinkled in what appeared to be in an angry state, but that was just how shoe looked while thinking. In truth it's how she looked most of the time. She heard someone walk up to her and looked down to see a pair of rather nice shoes. Shamira ignored the person and continued reading. She waited for the person to sit down but they never did.



                   "Lillian?" said a sweet, feminine voice with a British accent. It didn't sound angry or mean but everyone knows not to use her birth name. It had gotten around campus that her real name was Lillian because there was a problem with her application process with two known names. The first day of class a professor used it and she corrected him, but he used it every day knowing it was not her real name until she told him off in the beginning of class. Everyone thought it hit a nerve when in truth it didn't, she had no nerves to hit, but at the end of the day it was not her name. She demanded that everyone use it out of respect.



                   So Shamira got prepared for a fight; she placed her book on the bench then stood up. She froze and her expression softened. A young woman stood before her she was roughly the same height, maybe slightly shorter. She had cinnamon colored hair, hazelnut eyes, and a small button nose. It was the eyes that had stopped Shamira in her tracks, a second ago she was ready to fight now she seemed puzzled. She felt she recognized the girl from long ago. It was the eyes the seemed so familiar and warm. Shamira felt something in her stir but it was gone just as quickly as it got there.



                   The young woman was smiling at her and appeared to have tears in her eyes. Before Shamira could respond the woman spoke. "Hello old friend." She said softly as a single tear went down her cheek. Shamira looked at her confused, to her knowledge she had never met this person in her entire life.



                   "That's not my name." Shamira said coldly.



                   "What?" The girl sounded slightly taken aback.



                   "Lillian, that's not my name. My name is Shamira."



                   "Oh I'm sorry, I was unaware." 



                   "That's alright...How do you know my birth name?"



                   "Oh Li-...Shamira I've known you longer then anyone you've ever known."



                   "Ma'am, I've never seen your face before today." Shamira turned to her left and started walking away. The girl had a disgusted look on her face.



                   "I am not a ma'am, thank you very much!" She stated chasing after Shamira, who though was big was rather fast on her two feet. Shamira merely ignored her and continued to walk away, clearly an unstable person found their way on campus and just guessed her birth name right. "And I'm not a crazy person!" Shamira stopped at this statement. "And we have met before, even in this lifetime." She spat at Shamira's back. Shamira turned.



                   "What do you mean in this lifetime?" she questioned turning on her heel to face the young British woman. The girl tapped her toe and had her arms crossed, she appeared to be in deep thought. "I'll tell you another time it wouldn't be best to tell you now because you wouldn't believe me." She was right about that Shamira wasn't one to believe things so easily. "But I can tell you this we have met before in this lifetime and I can tell you but I need you to come with me." It could be a trap Shamira thought to herself. Perhaps a group of students thought it would be a good idea to get a pretty girl to come talk to her and lead her somewhere so they could attack her all at once. "I don't know if that's a good idea." Shamira told the woman. The woman looked frustrated and was starting to get red in the face.



                   "Why are you like this? Every time I come to get you and tell you who you are, you are always so paranoid!" Shamira raised an eyebrow with surprise with her reaction, and it was also getting other peoples attention too.



                   "Listen," Shamira started off slowly, walking closer to the woman. "I see that you're upset but I can't go with you. I'm about to be late for class." Shamira was lying she had no class until later that day but how would she know?



                   "No you don't, I checked your schedule." She said in a matter-of-factly tone.



                   "Ok I'm leaving." She was right this woman was unstable and for some reason was obsessed with her.



                   "WAIT!" She screamed after her as Shamira started marching off. "Dammit Lillian we don't have time for this! Don't you want to know what happen to you that day? Why you are the way you are? Why you can't feel anything?" Shamira stopped, how could she have known? Shamira thought hard for a moment thinking about the consequences of going and not going. Clearly this woman knew something and she needed those answers she had been asking them for years now. If it was a trap she was confident she could take on any one,weapon or not.



                   "Alright I'll go, but we are going to subway." She stated firmly, walking towards the woman. "I'm hungry." The woman smirked as Shamira walked past her.

                                                                                                                                                     ***



                   Shamira took a big bite of her sub, it was nothing special she always tells who ever is working to make their favorite sub. Today a boy, clearly under the effects of some form of influence, made her a philly cheesesteak with everything on it. It tasted fine but taste never meant anything to her she just wanted food. The young woman watched Shamira eat the sandwich which looked rather disgusting.  Shamira starred back at her chewing with her mouth close as her mother had always taught her. She swallowed and put the sub down. "What?" She asked the woman. The woman looked confused.



                   "What?"



                   "Why are you staring at me?"



                   "I just...I just can't believe you're eating that. It looks disguising."



                   "It taste fine. Trust me it's better than what they serve at the cafeteria here. Now you said you wanted to talk."



                   "Yes." Replied the woman, getting serious and straightening up. "I have come to get you. There has been a war going on since before humans have been created an-"



                   "Let me stop you right there. If this is about Christianity, and you trying to help me fight the devil or whatever. I'm not interested."



                   "If you would let me finish," Said the woman through gritted teeth, "Then I can explain." There was a moment of silence then Shamira waved her on, the woman took a deep breath then continued. "A war between Earth and the Star Children, better known as gods." Shamira raised an eyebrow but kept quiet. "The war was pointless neither side could destroy the other so they decided to create humans to pick which side would rule over this planet. Our ancestors picked the Star Children renaming them gods. Earth had one final plan to create five special humans that could help take down the gods and restore order to the planet. The gods have done nothing but cause war, famine, and greed. Humans were never suppose to be this evil it wasn't until the gods introduced us to fire and all the wonders of the world did we become this way. We didn't deserve these privileges yet, we had to earn them so we did not take advantage of the world around us and we have. Just look around; our world is falling a part. We are killing the planet and each other on a catastrophic scale. We didn't get a chance to learn how to love, accept, and grow into rational thinking beings because the Star Children gave us everything spoiling us before we were ready to know what to do with things we were given. So if we destroy the gods and give the power back to Earth then we not only save the planet but ourselves." The British woman sat back in her seat and smiled triumphantly.



                   "What does this have anything to do with me?" Shamira was not impressed it sounded like a bunch of new age hippy crap to her, but the girl did know things about her that no one knew.



                   "Haven't you been listening? There is a war going on and you are meant to be in it."



                   "Because..."



                   "Because you are on of the five!" She was starting to get red in the face, she always hated this part.



                   "Ah. I see and which one am I?"



                   "You're known as the Child With the Broken Soul." The woman knew that would get her attention. She starred at the bulky woman in front of her, her face emotionless.



                   "So I'm the Child With the Broken Soul and let me guess you are one of the five as well."



                   "I am known as the Seer."



                   "The Seer? OK Seer I'm going to say you can see the future."



                   "Yes and the past. I can also do other things with it. There are three more we must find in order to bring down the Star Children. But before that we must train you. You have many abilities Shamira and with enough training you'll be one of the best. Together we can bring order to Earth and save the world." Shamira looked at the Seer blankly and the Seer stared back trying to read what Shamira was thinking. Unexpectedly Shamira grabbed her things, got up from the table, and without another word walked right out the door. The young woman left at the table looked dumbfounded but quickly pulled herself together and ran after Shamira. When she got outside Shamira was already down the street heading back towards campus.



                   "Why did you just walk out and leave me there?" She asked slightly out of breath from catching up with Shamira.

         "Because I do not have time for crazy people."



                   "I am NOT crazy!"



                   "I'm sure you think so."



                   "What if I can prove it to you? Prove everything I am saying right on that campus?" Shamira stopped dead in her tracks and looked right into the British girl's hazelnut eyes.



                   "Alright, I'll give you one chance and the only reason I am giving you this once chance is because you did know things about my past that no one knows. But that's it just one." She stated holding up one finger trying to make her point. The Seer beamed at her and grabbed her hand that she was holding up.



                   "OK! Come on." Shamira pulled away from her.



                   "I don't like people touching me." The young woman rolled her eyes.



                   "Whatever just follow me." She marches away with Shamira at her heels. The walked onto campus and headed towards Old Main. Old Main is the oldest building on campus, it is where the president of the university lives and has a clock on right tower that goes off every fifteen minutes.



                    The campus was rather barren right now classes had just started and only a few people hanging outside to smoke loomed in the area. They took the sidewalk that lead between Old Main and the colleges science building. The Seer stopped in front of a basement door that was low to the ground, she opened it. Shamira grabbed her arm gentle to stop her from going down the dark staircase.



                   "I don't think we are allowed to go in there." She stated firmly. The british woman rolled her eyes.



                   "It's fine no one is around." Shamira still didn't let her go. She pulled away. "You know, you never cared about rules in the past." And with that statement she walked down the stairs and disappeared into the darkness of the basement. "Are you coming?" She yelled up. Shamira stood there awkwardly for a minute on sure of what to do. She wanted to know what was down there. What if this crazy woman was right? It would explain so much about herself and would give her a path to fight for good like she always wanted. She exhaled through her nose deeply after finally coming up with a decision and follow the woman down the stairs into the darkness shutting the door behind her.



                   Shamira stood in the dark waiting for her eyes to adjust but nothing happened, it was complete darkness. Shamira slowly felt her way down the stairs. She reached her hand out into the darkness hoping to find the wall or a railing but instead a petit, smooth hand slipped into hers. "It's ok I got you." And slowly Shamira and the Seer moved down the stairs, hand and hand, deeper down the basement. After the stairs they seemed to head down a narrow corridor.



                   "How do you know where we are going?"



                   "I've been here many times."



                   "Of course." Shamira still thought this woman was completely loopy and was starting to wonder if this was infact a good decision. Was she curious? Yes, very much so. Everything this lady had said though it had sounded crazy, seem to also sound so right. "What's that?" Shamira saw what appeared to be a faint light coming from up ahead of them.



                   "You'll see." As they approached Shamira felt a wave of heat coming from the end of the hall and the closer they got the more intense the heat got. They stopped at two doors, longer than they were wide. The Seer let go of Shamira's hand and Shamira came to stand beside her. She put her hand on the door. It was warm to the touch, absorbing the heat from whatever was inside. The Seer looked over at Shamira with a smile on her face from all the excitement she was feeling. The Seer turned the curved handles and pushed open the doors. Steam and ash flew through the doorway hitting and covering them. Once everything cleared they saw the room was much bigger than the corridor. The room was carved from rock and the walls were black from ash. There was a giant fireplace in the center of the room  above it was what looked like a round stone chimney that connect to the ceiling. Hanging around the fireplace were several tools that Shamira recognized as blacksmith tools and not far from it was a rather large anvil that looked weary from long amount of usage.



                   The Seer looked over at Shamira with a smug look on her face. But Shamira didn't look impressed, or surprised, or anything really. Her face looked the same as it always did; stern with a furrowed brow.  The Seer looked away appearing disappointed.



                   "Where are we?"



                   "We are still under Old Main just very, very far down."



                   "What is this place?"



                   "This is where Vulcan lives."



                   "Vulcan? You mean the mascot?"



                   "No," Came a male booming voice, "She means Vulcan the god." His voice was deep, raspy, and very stern. The sound of his approaching footsteps reverberated off the walls making them sound louder. His massive form came from behind a tapestry that seem to keep a back room hidden. He was tall, taller than most men. He body was perfectly chiseled; bulging biceps and perfect abs. His head was bald but he had a black beard that seem to come to a point down to his neck.  He stopped beside the anvil, only a few feet away from the girls. They looked up at him; his head nearly scraping the ceiling of the carved out room. His skin was covered in ash from working the forge but beneath it you could see specks of pale skin beneath. "Seer." He said in a deep, rugged voice.



                   "Hello Vulcan. It's been a while."



                   "Yes it has. I assume this is the Child with the Broken Soul?" The Seer nodded. His eyes turned to Shamira; expressionless. Shamira made eye contact and saw that his eyes were a milky white. "It has been a long time my friend." Shamira looked over at the Seer hoping she would jump in, but she merely smiled a triumphant smile at her. For a normal person this would be overwhelming, but Shamira was not a normal person. She based many things on a fact and research and there was no denying that there was an abnormally large man living underneath an entire university who claimed to be a god. And the chances that there was a large crazy person living undetected right under the president of the university's office was very unlikely. Shamira took a deep breath and returned facing Vulcan.



                   "I'm sorry," she said, "but I'm afraid I have no memory of you." Vulcan's expression did not change. He showed no surprise or any sign of being offended.



                   "That's right. I always forget that only the Seer has any memory of her past lives."



                   "How did we become friends?"



                   "Because you both share a similar smile." Responded the Seer snorting.



                   Neither Vulcan or Shamira laughed at this but instead gave her a confused look. The Seer rubbed her eyes with from a slight frustration being the only one in the room with a personality. "You two became friends because you are the warrior and he is the god of forging weapons." She explained, her tone a little more serious. "Though he has never forged anything for us since we are unable wield weapons forged by god's hands, he has mended are weapons and keeps them safely hidden from those who would destroy them."



                   "Which you remember I cannot give you until all the guardians are together and -"



                   "And trained. Per our agreement. I know." Shamira stood there quietly, thinking.



                   "I still don't understand." Piped up Shamira. The Seer's frustration was growing, but she kept herself calm.



                   "Shamira you represent the dark side of the human race. That is why your instinct is to fight, cut, burn, and destroy your problems. It is why fighting comes so easy to you and the thought of backing of one doesn't even cross your mind. You are the warrior in our group. Yes, we all fight, but not like you. It's the very essence of who you are. And he makes weapons of the warriors. Vulcan was one of the first gods who came on our side to help us. He taught you how to wield your first weapons. Do you understand?" But Shamira did not seem to be listening, she was staring at the ground.



                   "So I am evil."



                   "What? No Shamira." The Seer looked as if those words had hurt her. She got closer to Shamira. "Look at me." She put her delicate hands on Shamira's face and lifted her head up at her. The touch was an odd sensation so Shamira/ She was always so warm but when the Seer touched her it felt like cool water was hitting her face and there was an emotion; a completely indescribable emotion coming from the Seer. Shamira leaned slightly into her touch. "You're not evil. Darkness doesn't make you evil it's the choices you make that decides that. But there is a price that come with that darkness. You will be tempted, much more than the rest of our group. Because darkness can make things blurry and decisions harder to make. But you are not evil Child with the Broken Soul. I've seen evil and you're not it." The Seer smiled at her and withdrew her hands. Shamira's face returned to being warm and the indescribable emotion was gone. The Seer turned back to Vulcan who was patiently standing there, but Shamira kept her dark eyes on her. There was something special about this woman but she couldn't figure out what. "Now, Vulcan, I know the weapons are out but don't you have some of Shamira's old things?" Vulcan nodded stiffly and turned to retrieve items. Shamira pulled her eyes away from the Seer to see Vulcan returning with what looked like a lump of red leather in his hand. He set them in Shamira's outstretched arms. It was light weight and felt like leather. It was indeed red but it looked like scales.

                   "It's your armor," The Seer explained.



                   "What is it made of?"



                   "Dragon scales." Replied Vulcan his voice echoing off the stone walls. "The best armor in the world. It's lightweight yet can protect you from any blade, including that of the god's. It can conform to any size so don't worry it will fit you."



                   "How did my past self get this?"



                   "You use to slay dragons." Said the Seer, stroking the armor with her fingertips. Smiling as her eyes filled with memories.



                   "Dragons were one of the few creatures on this planet that were made by the gods. Which is why it can protect you from their weapons. Dragons were made to be nearly as indestructible as the gods themselves. They were practically their pets. This one was the last of its kind." She turned and thanked Vulcan for his time after snapping back to the present  and saying they will be back one day for the weapons. Shamira thanked him as well before leaving. Once back above ground the Seer looked at Shamira triumphantly.



                   "Okay, clearly I believe you now. So what do we do now?"



         "Now we train you." The Seer started heading off campus. Shamira followed not asking where they were going.



         "What am I going to tell my parents?"



         "We will think of something on the way to the airport then you can call them on the plane."