Underestimated Affinities

by Matthew Scarcella

  I anticipate his efforts, but I don’t give him a chance to accomplish his goals. I use the last of my energy and drag the box inwards toward the fire, and then collapse it. The fire is extinguished just as I drop to the ground from exhaustion.

  CHAPTER VI

  AISLYNN’S NATURE

  Iawake to what I learn is a few hours later. I try to sit up at the edge of my hammock, but my head spins. Wow, I’m still tired from pushing myself so much earlier.

  “Hey there, sport. Great job earlier, I’m really impressed with your progress.”

  I move my head to the side and see Aislynn approaching in my peripheral vision. She has something in her hands. Ah, my neck hurts. I turn my attention back to the ceiling as she reaches my side. I shut my eyes for a minute and then feel a cool sensation across my face. I open them again to find her gently washing my face with a damp cloth.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired,” I respond.

  “Hey!” she yells through the rooms. “Look who’s finally awake!”

  Aethyr runs into the room and Safeyya casually glides in behind him.

  “Oh man! That was awesome earlier,” he says to me. “When did you learn how to do that stuff?”

  I try shrugging but the pain makes me stop halfway through the motion. “Uh. I’m not sure, really. I figured out that I could coat myself in water a few weeks ago. I suppose the rest of it sort of just felt normal today. Like I made it up under pressure, but not really. Does that make sense?”

  “Mm, not at all,” Aethyr starts. “It doesn’t work like that for me. I need to pay attention the entire time I’m wielding my affinities. I need to think about what I’m doing as I’m doing it. Not sure what you’re talking about. Though things tend to get a bit hectic when I am full of rage, which is sort of what rules both of my affinities, so… it’s complicated for me.”

  Safeyya chimes in. “That’s because fire and lava don’t work like the rest of the elements. Sorry, little brother.” I hear a soft thudding noise and presume she’s patted him on the back. “The thing is, fire and lava need to constantly be created while the user is wielding them, and because of this, you generally need to work harder, in a sense, than other affinity wielders do. I’m not exactly sure what rage has to do with increasing your power or speed with your affinities. It may have something to do with increased blood flow through your system. You’d have to talk to the Intelligencia about that. They maintain databases on all the affinities and different uses for them. Well, those that they know about...” she finishes her train of thought looking in my direction. She must be thinking about the bubble that I make. Yeah, I bet that the Intelligencia doesn’t know about that one.

  “Anyway,” she continues, “I know what you mean, Selvyn. I’m sure Aislynn does also. That’s how it first felt for me when I started getting a much better grasp on my affinity. It was like everything made sense out of nowhere. Well, I was also much younger than you are now when that happened to me.” She can’t resist an easy dig when she sees one, but she doesn’t wait for a response from me. “After that, I was able to aim much more precisely. I felt more in tune with lightning and the clouds, and my power increased profoundly.”

  She walks in front of me and leans over, looking me in the eye. “You did a great job earlier, Selvyn. It’s nice to see you do more than just dodge for a change. However, you still haven’t exactly gone on the offensive. And we’re not really coming at you with the intention to kill, so there’s that to consider as well, even as you defend and evade. Take a few days off, and maybe next time try to show a little more aggression. I mean, you don’t need to get angry.” She glances at Aethyr and then looks back at me, “But do whatever works for you. Just throw in some punches here and there. Oh, and use your arms more while wielding. It seems that for now, at least, you’re able to manipulate your affinities a lot better while moving your hands and arms. That seems to be a commonality for most wielders.” She smiles and then starts walking away. “Come along, Aethyr. Let’s spend some more time trying to figure out how you can wield your affinities while maintaining a clear mind.”

  They head out in the direction of the garden, and I’m left alone with Aislynn again. She props me up into a sitting position and heads over toward the window. Soaking in the last few rays of sun before the day ends, I’m sure. “Thanks for helping me train again, Aislynn. I know you must have better things to do than this.”

  “None of that nonsense now, Selvyn.” She smiles radiantly as she lounges on the windowsill across from me. “I always have time for you, Aethyr, and Safeyya. I’m not that much older than you all. There’s nothing so drastic going on in my life that I can’t get a little training in here and there. Even if there was, I would still find the time.”

  I’m glad to know my sister is so resolute in her support for us. I grin at her mischievously. “Yeah, I know that, and I appreciate it. However, isn’t there someone special in your life? I’ve noticed you’ve been heading off on your own a lot recently. Are you seeing someone?”

  She looks over at me, blushing. The light coral coloring of the blush goes well with her skin tone and accentuates her beauty. She plays with her radiant blonde hair and suppresses a giggle as she peers out into the sunset. “Well, yes, I suppose that I am. His name is Talon.”

  “Wait. Talon the training instructor?”

  “Yes. Do you happen to know another Talon?”

  “N-No…” I stammer. “I was just taken aback. He doesn’t exactly seem like the most good-natured single man in the city. He is a little harsh during sparring matches.” Aislynn bursts out into a spurt of uncontrollable laughter at my comment. “What’s so funny?” I ask, basically sighing at her.

  “Haha. Stop, little brother — I can’t! Do you really think that he’s harsh? You think that everyone is harsh because you never want to actually spar.” Ugh, I think, here comes another one of her preaching sessions... “You should really get to know him. I guess you all should. I’ll bring him around sometime soon. It’s just kind of new. We’re still learning a lot about each other, and I think he still may be a bit intimidated by me.” Oh, well that was not what I was expecting. She moves her head in my direction and notices the look of surprise and confusion on my face. “Ah, did you think that I was going to lecture you more about fighting? I think we already talked enough about that today.” I smirk and let her continue talking. “I’m not foolish enough to try to get you to do something that you’re not ready to do. You did well during our match, and I can’t wait for the day when I actually get to see your offensive abilities in action.”

  “Thanks, sis. I guess I’ll get there soon. I feel like something kind of blossomed inside me during that match. Sounds odd to describe it out loud, but I feel that that is the most accurate description.” I come back to her comment before she switched topics. “Hey, so why do you think Talon is intimidated by you?”

  “Ah, well, he’s just being a guy… you know? I have my tertiary set of wings and three separate affinities, and he only has his secondary set and both are earth wings. I think he’s a little emasculated. He’ll get over it. If he doesn’t soon enough, Safeyya will probably end up beating it out of him when she finds out that we’re dating.”

  “Haha, yeah. You can most certainly count on her for that. I’m sure Aethyr would also be more than happy to throw in a few punches. He’s exceptionally protective of you girls. Though he tries not to let you know.”

  “Well, he’s not that great at hiding his emotions. We are well aware of how he feels. Do you remember that time a few years ago, when he caught Safeyya kissing that fire wielder out in the woods? Aethyr knocked that guy’s lights out. She got so upset at him! She zapped him a few times until he got the picture.” We both chuckle at the images racing through our minds. “Though that didn’t change anything. He’s still the same; he just holds back a bit because she taught him a lesson.”

  “Yes, I know. It’s in his nature. Just like it’s in yours to be our
mother.”

  “Hey!” Uh-oh. I slipped up. She’s got her scolding face on now. “I guess you were too young to remember her well, but she raised me. I can’t and don’t want to replace her. She was —”

  “Easy, Aislynn, calm down! It’s just a little figure of speech.”

  There’s a loud knocking on the door that thankfully halts this conversation.

  “Hmph. Fine,” she says. “Let me go see who that is.” She walks out and I can hear the door open, followed by some quiet chatting. Three pairs of footsteps walk back toward my room, and Aislynn whispers something to what must be two visitors. After she’s finished, Aislynn comes to give me a quick hug before leaving the room. She pokes her head back around the door. “You have some surprise visitors! Rest up for the next few days. You’re going to need it. Aethyr’s been talking about going to Petalsong Forest for a few weeks, and I think that you should be the one to go with him. The two of you could use some bonding time. See you later.” Afterward, I hear her fiercely whisper, “You two, don’t rile him up now! He just woke up a little while ago and he’s exhausted.”

  The front door starts to creak closed, and I hear two people call after Aislynn in unison, “Don’t worry! We’ll go easy on him.” Oh! I know those voices.

  Celestra Annesley walks toward me first, smiling exuberantly. She looks good; her short black hair gives her a whimsical appearance. It’s a bit of a contrast to her high cheekbones and slender shoulders, but she wears it well. Her hazel eyes are always giving off a serene vibe, which fits with her dual wood affinity. She always has a very calm temperament, and it’s immediately noticeable to anyone in her vicinity. However, that doesn’t mean that she should be underestimated. She’s a powerhouse to be reckoned with and is stronger than me. She tousles her fingers through my hair in a platonic way because she knows I love it.

  She greets me in her high, lilting voice. “Well, look who’s awake! We were down by the lake, and Safeyya and Aethyr walked by us and filled us in on what happened.”

  Alexyo Kharis dawdles in behind her, always slow to move when there’s no action about. He is the definition of opposite when compared to Celestra. His long brown hair cascades ever so gracefully over his broad shoulders. His full beard, kept trimmed, perks up the dark blue of his eyes. Another thing that sets him ahead of me is that he is physically much stronger than me. He can lift me and Celestra over his head and keep us there for a few minutes without straining a muscle. His earth and fire wings draw attention to his biceps.

  His deep voice comes out in a calming rumble, “They were heading toward the Intelligencia. Something about helping Aethyr out.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me surreptitiously, so that Celestra doesn’t see. “I heard that you took it quite well out there, little man.” Everyone I care about loves to tease me.

  “Ah, yeah. I can take it like a champ,” I quip back.

  “Seriously, though!” He punches me lightly on the arm. “You’re going to need to show us some of these new moves. Where did you learn them?”

  “I’m not quite sure. I think instinct just kicked in under pressure.”

  “Don’t hit him, Alexyo,” she chides. “He’s still recovering. Is there anything we can get for you, Selvyn?”

  “Um…” My stomach rumbles. “I’m rather famished. Maybe one of you could grab me something to eat? Surprisingly none of my siblings offered…”

  “I know!” Alexyo yells. “I bet an alidark burger would hit the spot. Right, am I right? Do you want meat from a red one or a tan one? The red ones are more robust.”

  Celestra sighs at him. “You just want to get him one of those so that you can pick up a second for yourself.”

  “What would you have him eat, then? Some green-leafed nonsense? Perhaps a balanet salad? That stuff is so bitter,” he retorts. “I don’t understand how you eat those leaves. Besides, a growing man needs plenty of protein. We’ve got to pump him full of it in this type of situation.”

  “Hmm. Red alidark sounds great, actually,” I chime in. Sometimes it’s necessary to interrupt them. “Though those things creep me out. The fur is fine, as it can be skinned. But why do they have so many tusks? And the spikes on their heads and on the back of each of their legs add insult to injury. Ugly little creatures.”

  Celestra shakes her head at me. “Well, they need to defend themselves, don’t they? They probably evolved that way. Like us, you know? Remember how they taught us in history, about how there used to be a species like us without wings? The Council called them Homo sapiens. Anyway, the alidarks can’t really do much to defend against us, unless there is a Zicarnum out there that is senseless enough to walk up and slap one in the face. Though I don’t think there is any Zicarnum out there that dimwitted.” She leers at Alexyo, “Then again…” He has a little bit of drool dangling from the corner of his mouth, clearly still thinking of the alidark burger. He hasn’t heard a word that she’s said since food was mentioned. “Still, they needed to defend themselves against predators, probably like the vandiels. Those huge orange birds probably fly down and slice the poor alidarks in half with their razor-sharp talons.”

  “I suppose that’s true.” I point over to my dresser. “Hey, there’s some lenum under my mirror you can use to purchase it.”

  “Nah, don’t worry about it, Selvyn.” Celestra smirks as she walks over to Alexyo and tugs him toward the door by the ear. “Today’s treat is on Alexyo.”

  “Hey,” he snaps. “I didn’t agree to pay for the food!”

  “Sorry, mister. You agreed when you zoned out while I was talking. We’ll be back in a jiffy, Selv,” she calls from the door. Alexyo dawdles behind her, trying to pry his ear from her grasp.

  I glimpse over at the dresser Aislynn made for me a few years ago, the lenum left untouched on its smooth dark brown lacquered surface. The iridescent, multi-colored coins are scattered haphazardly across its length.

  The Council has decreed that we get a minimum salary allowance each week for normal contributions to society, such as scouting, and assisting with the upkeep of the city, which includes maintaining a clean water supply, the growing of trees and plants, etc. This salary is enough for each individual to live off of, but doesn’t provide much in the ways of allowing us to purchase extra clothing, furnishings, or the like.

  I always keep a handful of lenum on the surface for everyday bartering purposes, such as buying handmade accessories, or an extra snack after training. The rest I keep set aside behind my flowerpots, although there’s not much there to keep hidden.

  I shut my eyes for just a second, trying to figure out how on Cinderfal, our world, am I supposed to use my affinities for offense?

  The next thing I know, I hear giggling somewhere in the house.

  “Wake up, sleepyhead,” Alexyo calls from the doorway, a delightful aroma following him in from the other room. Evidently, I had fallen back asleep.

  Celestra lays the food out for us on the windowsill so that I don’t have to walk into the other room, and Alexyo sits me upright in a chair. The three of us start eating in silence, just enjoying each other’s presence and the magnificent sunset on the horizon.

  CHAPTER VII

  AETHYR’S HUMILITY

  Two days ago, I found a smithy who agreed to make some pieces out of oscilar leather and bone for me. At 475 lenum, they cost a significant amount of money, but I think they will be most useful to me.

  The smithy crafted me a thin belt with a pouch in the front, and hollow bracelets and anklets. He’s a lava wielder and he treated them with his affinity so that they can hold water without leaking. It takes too long for me to turn air molecules into water ones, so these will help to minimize that issue in the field. There’s a small opening at the top of each piece that should enable me to quickly access my water reserves, which will come in handy if I’m not near a natural body of water.

  I make my way over to the lake where I’m supposed to meet Aethyr and find him splayed out on his stomach. As I approach, I notice he’s playin
g around with some insects in the dirt, so I creep up behind him. With my arms outstretched toward the lake, I gently pull in the fingers of each hand, starting with the pinky and working back toward the thumb, and in doing so draw a small handful of water before me. Once I’m right behind Aethyr, who is still oblivious to my presence, I drop my hold on the suspended water and allow it to fall on his head.

  “Ugh, really?” He shakes his head in a fruitless attempt to dry off, as he gets up to hug me in greeting.

  “Well,” I retort, “You appeared to be relaxing enough for the both of us. Looked like you needed to wake up a little bit.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Aw man,” he says, sighing. “You scared the bugs away! I like watching them interact.”

  “Sorry. I thought it would be funny.”

  “You succeeded.” He looks me over, taking in my new wares on my waist, wrist, and ankles. “Fancy. How well do you think they’ll work? You know, it doesn’t seem like they can contain much water.”

  I shrug back at him. “Some water is better than having none available, right? Anyway, you tell me how you think they work.” I tap into my affinity and bring five small streams of water toward me, directing them into my accessories. The streams trickle into the wrist and ankle pieces and they reach capacity swiftly, but the stream leading into my belt lasts a bit longer. I toss the leftover water back into the lake and admire my handiwork; well, my idea — the smith’s creation.

  Aethyr crouches in front of me, taking a minute to look over each piece. “Looks pretty good. No leaks at all that I can see! But do you need to concentrate to keep the water from spilling out? What if you need to turn upside down in the air?”