Chereads / Children of the Aura: Air / Chapter 2 - Aquarius, Mind Master

Chapter 2 - Aquarius, Mind Master

(Quick note: the term "dog" is meant as a derogatory term to make them inferior to yourself. This term is oft used by the so called greater mages. so, no, Aquarius isn't having a meeting with orange dogs. she's just a dick.)

The year is XXX31

Sometime between Kadman getting hired as Gemini's tutor and promptly returning with a yellow dog, Aquarius dealt with a small problem. A rebellious senator was up to something, and Mother had asked the hypnotist to take care of it. 

The woman was dressed in orange, her skin tanned by the dual stars her planet orbited. The orange mage's head was bald, reflecting the magick lighting of the Emperor's meeting hall. 

"I was told I'd speak with Emperor Haethora," the woman grumbled. Her brows furrowed over her green eyes. "Not the princess. This brat hasn't even-"

"Bled yet. How can she speak for- '' Princess Aquarius joined the orange dog, using her aura to read the mind of the rebel leader. Her face didn't change as the dog's voice faltered. "The… Emper…or?"

Exchanging glances with what Aquarius absorbed was the woman's second in command, confusion filled the room. 

"My mother trusts me to handle all issues with rebels like yourselves." Aquarius told them, her smirk hidden under her mask. "Be grateful she has not eradicated your planet and has allowed you to host a meeting on her planet. Now make your case," Aquarium leaned back in her chair, watching the minds of the dog erupt.

The meeting hall had a long table made of  the blackest stone. Its surface was smooth like the white marble walls around them. The meeting room had no windows, and the light from above came from the yellow orbs that hung from the ceiling. A deactivated sword was laid in front of the rebel leader, a warning that if something went wrong, violence would ensue.

Oh, you have no idea. 

Leaning back in the chair, its tall back welcoming the bald head, the rebel leader considered for a moment. Aquarius, being a telepath, decided to listen in.

"Perhaps this brat will be easier to convince than that bitch Haethora. Kids are so easy to trick. And if she has enough political power to host meetings with enemy leaders, she has to have the power to give me what I want. Yes, even a brat like her can be tricked with a simple smile. I'll just offer her a gift. What do little girls like these days? What is she? Barely eight? I loved dolls as a little girl, mabe she'll take one in exchange for what i want!" The rebel leader looked up at Aquarius and feigned a smile as genuine as a plastic doll. "By the Light, that old hag has made this too easy."

Typical of lesser mages. Overestimating themself against the true mages like Aquarius. It was greater mages who ruled the galaxy. Even her Mother, the emperor, was a greater mage! This hairless dog will pay for calling Mother a hag!

Still smiling, the orange dog made Aquarius an unfair offer. In exchange for a living doll, which the telepath assumed was a golem of sorts, the rebels wanted a platoon of Cerulean knights under their command. She made some plea that some other faction, the Ninety Nine Hands of Jade, had been attacking her lord's House, Elzebub, and even their golems stood no chance against the green mages. The orange dog tried to offer Aquarius a golem doll for each knight the Emperor gave to house Elzebub!

Reading deeper into the woman's mind, Aquarius unraveled the woman's true plan. She wanted the Knights loyal enough to her to lead an attack on the Emperor's moon. The plan was to return the galaxy to its"rightful leaders." Aquarius almost laughed.

How could the lesser mages be the rightful leaders? They were always warring with each other, unable to strategize like blue and violet mages. If the orange mages were having trouble with Green mages, or neutral mages, what made them think they stood a chance against the greater mages? Even if they had a completely loyal battalion, their home planet would be shattered to pieces with a thought by the Emperor!

The orange mage thought to herself, reading Aquarius's face. "By the light, she's goin' for it! This dumb brat is going for it!"

The telepath had had enough. She ran her fingers over the emblem on her cloak. A metal eye had been dyed violet, strings of silver shooting out of its iris. Below the eye were seven beads. Red, blue, and violet orbs were attached to the strings while the other colors of aura, yellow, green, indigo and orange were unattached.

The badge marked her as a Hypnotist, whose magecraft allowed her to control a person's body by overtaking their mind's. So far, she passed tests, like these, to obtain  a new bead. 

Mother must want me to hypnotize the orange mages here, Aquarius thought to herself. She stared down at the orange bead, waiting to be attached to the violet iris. That explains why she sent me a deal with the rebels. Only I can handle this. Mother wants me to ascend. Mother believes I can handle this.

Emperor Haethora had adopted Aquarius and her twin at birth. Her Radiance claimed destiny had been woven so tightly round the twins, and only a mage like Haethora could nurture the magic to win them. 

Most of that seems like the mysticism that Gemini loved. Fate, destiny, all of the philosophical chatter that disinterested the telepath. What she believed in was the tangible power of herself. Why believe some controlled everyone's action when Aquarius herself defined her future? She was a great mage, capable of things other telepaths her own age wouldn't be able to do for ten years. Who else but her was capable of doing that? Fate? Destiny? Some god who controlled time? Please! Aquarius was the master of her own face, and a master of the mind. And Light shines on the graves of those who stood before her.

These mages here, these dumb dogs who thought they could pull a fast one on her, on the emperor, were in her way. And they would suffer the same fate as the others who allowed her the new beads on her badge.

Aquarius started to laugh. "Your whole plan is foolish. You and your men are accused of treason for trying to rebel against the Emperor, as well as trying to bribe a Princess."

She watched their jaws drop open. The second in command reached for something under his armor, probably a weapon. 

Fuming, the tan leader rose from her chair with ferocity to send her chair back a foot. "Listen here you little brat! I'll wring your little neck out for making such an accusation. You have no proof-"

Calmly, Aquarius replied, "You do remember I am a telepath? I read your mind the second you opened your mouth."

The leader closed his mouth. Quietly, the rebel estimated how long it would take to ignite her blade and launch it at the girl across the table. A whole seven feet across a table. Even Aquarius knew the blade would deactivate the moment its wielder's hand left the blade. 

Calling her aura toward her, she prepared a hypnosis spell. Her goal was to have the rebel leader impale herself the moment she laid her  hand on the sword. His second in command cleared her throat:

"Careful, witch," she hissed. "I know all about your magecraft." jabbing a chubby finger at Aquarius, the second in command's eyes fell on the badge on Aquarius' chest. "The tale of how you were one of the kids allowed to choose a magecraft, making you the youngest mages in history is well known on our homeworld. We of the Golem Shapers faction know all about how you operate." In unison, the two guards and the second in command placed a hand over their hearts. On their hands was a brand Aquarius didn't care to identify. "I have lined my leader's armor with aura to repel your devilish spells. None of your Hypnosis spells will work on our leader!"

Aquarius skimmed her mind over the brute who addressed her. She Was telling the truth. On the inside of the rebel leader's armor was a charm to ward off external influences. Clever. But one problem.

"Did you do the same with your armor?"

The second in command's face dropped. The cockiness he wore a moment ago melted into fear. 

"The rumors say you only attack the leaders of rebellions. Why would she attack us? We're just underlings!"

"That would be true," Aquarius admitted, "But why would I take time to pry your leader's mind open when you could cut my throat open with that dagger you have hidden."

The second on command blanched. He drew his hand away from whatever weapon she was fiddling with a moment ago.

"Instead," the violet mage rose from the chair. Aquarius slid her chair gracefully compared to the barbaric way the commander did. "I will just use you three." Sending her aura out, it flickered like lightning that crashed against the mind's of the three mages the rebel leader brought with her. In the instant their minds felt her aura, she forced her violet energy to overtake them. Their minds crumbled under hers, bending to match her will as her aura warped their minds. 

The rebel leader blinked at the girl, unaware of what just happened.

Sending a command to the bulky men to the leader's left, she watched them grab the rebel by her arms. 'Hey," she cried. "What are you idiots? Let me go! Auburn! Tell them to put me down!"

Next, the telepath sent a message to the second in command, named Auburn. Drawing the simple blade from under her armor, Auburn brandished it and dove it into her leader's neck. The Attack happened so fast the rebel leader had no clue about what had happened until she was drowning in her own blood. Gripping her second in command's arm, she wiped the tear that escaped the hypnotized woman's eyes. Then she dropped, dead. Aquarius felt her mind dive and drop off, withering away like a stone turning to dust.

The Cerulean knights entered the room now, accompanying a blind man and a yellow mage Aquarius' age. The blind man smiled when he stepped in the room. "Your Mother will be proud, girl. She awaits your report in her throne room. Go," he waved the Princess away. "I will have this cleaned up."

Aquarius didn't ask questions. The orange mages, the ones she released from her psychic bonds, had begun to wail. "Take these three to the dungeons." She told the lights. "They are guilty of treason." 

With that she exited the room. On the trip to the throne room, she kept fiddling with her badge: her orange bead was attached to the violet eye now. 

"Three more to go." she sang as she skipped down the hall