Mandella and I were heading home in the dusk light on a cloud. He was talking to me about the nuances of magic and each one going over my head though still helping me grasp what I had learned earlier settle in my mind.
"How's the flight?" Mandella asks from my side squeezing my shoulder as he does so.
"Still strange and not bad." I Say in an attempt to banish the returning memories of the night prior.
"It will get easier just trust yourself." his reassurance was misplaced but accepted for what it was.
A burst of light shone out from our side causing us to stop for a second.
"Well, that was certainly something." I ideally muse as the light begins to dull and recede from when it came.
"Probably a demon banishment," he responded to my open statement. "Manna responds brighter when we deal with demons even though it doesn't use more to do anything, even our best manna users haven't figured out why it happens yet." He begins to ideally muse as we get closer to and pass overhead. We see Adam reaching his hand out to Hannah Shaul, what is he trying there? But before I could muse any longer I felt a strong grip and the sudden sensation of weightlessness, the only reason I didn't immediately scream out was the fact that it was less terrifying the second time around, in fact, the rushing wind was a but refreshing.
"Am I late?" mandella announces as we land with the backing of the setting sun. A bit rude that he didn't include me but eh, we landed lightly thanks to a powerful updraft much like he had done earlier that day.
"not at all, but you know you shouldn't be riding a could during the day or without an overhead." Adam responded a bit listlessly but in his usual way. Looking over the two of us he began to nod.
"So what do you think?" He askes us but before I could respond with my question he got his response.
"He is average but that is good." Mandella's reply was short and concise but I now realized they were referring to me. Adam's gaze drifted over me for but a second his roughness was softened with a soft smile, though he was back to his old self soon enough.
"The spell you set up still holding?" Adam asks turning to face Hannah his words peaking my interest.
"Yes, while the Taba-arak_Allah is very specific and perfect for this situation, maybe you or Mandella should have been the one casting for this situation." her response I'm sure was informative for him but still left me none the wiser, and why would it have Deen better if they had cast it.
"I'm not as competent with casting, let alone protection invocations and Mandella is responsible not just for training Joshua but also to break the nondetection magic that protects the red man. Speaking about your two jobs any good news?"
"Only partially, like I said he took to Manna pretty well with minor complications in the beginning but onto the bad news I still haven't broken the spell yet his magic is very well put together I can't find any loose strings, maybe if master was here." Adam and Hannah recoiled at his last words there bodies cringing inwards as they looked between each other.
"Well let us not linger on him any longer, you have to give Hannah the rundown for her training tomorrow." He gave out his orders and quickly went to his phone as if remembering something.
"What are we going to be training?" I ask turning to face Hannah, tensing my shoulders in anticipation
"Just wait and see." Her joking energy with her smile made me relax as Adam began to walk up to me.
"Anyways you and I have some important business to handle this evening so don't worry about tomorrow." He began to wave goodbye to Hannah and Mandella as he walked to and past me beckoning me to follow.
"What?" I freeze up in response
"Let's take a walk to your place." He spoke to calm and confidently I began to worry how he knew where my family home was. But knowing him I related and followed as we walked the streets in silence.
"Did Awakening your manna awaken any memories?" His breaking the silence after more than a few minutes worried me but his words worried me even more.
"No there wasn't anything else that I got besides my manna." I told him a bit anxious about, what more was about to happen.
"Both good and bad keep us updated and if you do remember keep it silent till you can speak to us again." He went silent again his question leaving me with more questions than answers again. When will I get all my answers, later then? Turning up the street to my place I see a faint trail of light leaking out from my house upwards into the sky. As we got close it became clearer not 1 but 3 and not trails but flames 3 flames holding long and steady paths even moving around only caused a moment of drag before it straightened out again. I got a light push from behind as I turned to see a smile.
"Always a beauty to see isn't it." And he was right.
Entering home I see my mother and Joseph waiting at the tail end of the hallway by the kitchen side.
"Evening Joshua and a good evening to you Sir, Welcome to our home." Joseph started immediately looking down at us and while felt a slight heat building Adam seemed undeterred.
"I see your Pastor Elijah has already made his call" His tone was his friendliest one yet and if I had looked over I would have seen an expression I would not have thought his face able to make. His confident stride forward pulled me with him involuntarily.
"Yes he has so you must be Adam," he said reaching his hand which Adam reciprocated their handshake held for a second too long before it broke, Joseph shaking his hand out as Adam shook my mother's hand lightly.
"I'm so glad to finally meet you in person now that your son has decided to join our organization, but let's not talk standing up." Leading us off into the dining room with just his words I begin to wonder how.
Adam began a well-rehearsed speech explaining they are an African Christian Alliance, an organization spanning the entire length of Africa. the organization was a nonprofit aid organization that went out everywhere that they could help and support those in less fortunate positions to help them back onto their feet. he told them he and his team had come to Paarl to ask around and find out if there was any need as this wasn't their usual area. he explained to them a version of our first meeting me helping them out of a difficult situation with an aggressive man, how I seemed perfect for the job how he had offered it to me the following morning, and how I initially refused. he told them about how they hadn't found any situation that was out of the ordinary and were going to leave before I called them to explain how I made up my mind to join the organization so had decided to invite me out to have a celebratory drink before we stumbled onto the murder scene. That last statement, though I was not sure if that was about the murder scene or that I didn't let her know but through the reassurance of all 3 of us she calmed down enough to carry on the conversation.
"Are you sure you won't stay with us for dinner?" she choked out in between harsh breaths.
"Thank you, but I don't want to leave my group alone, maybe on a different occasion." His smile and tone reflected positively on her as she smiled in return.
"Thank you too, Joseph honey could you show him out please." She asked less falteringly this time and Joseph responded with a nod and action. Adam only got a chance to wave goodbye before he was led out leaving the two of us in silence. Even after Joseph returned the 3 of us were in silence for so long that began to hear Jacob playing in his room.
"Why didn't you tell us that you were going to join them?" Joseph who had moved next to me asked.
"while I was considering it it was still a rushed decision but last night reminded me that I can't wait, I can't let opportunities like this pass me bye." I look them right into their eyes as I describe to them why as I know that even though it was filled with lies the core was filled with my truth as I want them to know that I was unwilling to compromise on this.
"I know you are an adult now but you are still my child, please we need to know these things too." My mother's voice began to shake again. Reaching out to grab her hand was the most I could do for comfort and I think she felt that too.
"Come Jacob it's time for dinner." Leaving no room for rebuke she began to get dinner ready, leaving me and Joseph in a silence neither was willing to break.