by Stacy Lee
****
Mumbled voices outside the tent draw me from a deep sleep. The need to pee pulls me from my bedroll. Delighted to find my body responds to commands I stumble out of the tent and make for a huge boulder a short ways away. Footsteps behind me make me pause to look over my shoulder where I see Xavier following me.
“Go back to camp. I’m only going right there.” I point to the boulder however he shakes his head and stays with me. “Xavier.” I sigh, I didn’t want to say this out loud. “Please, I have to…um…” I run my hand through my hair as he watches me intently through his dark glasses.
“You have to what?” He asks seemingly ignorant of the fact he was embarrassing me.
“I have to pee. Now go away.” His face blushes a deep crimson as he turns and scurries back a ways however he doesn’t leave completely. I hurry to the boulder and relieve myself then look around the area. Nothing to use as toilet paper. Dang it! Concentrating I imagine a roll and within seconds feel the heaviness there. Ah-ha! ‘This conjuring may come in very handy’, I think as I let the wave of pain wash over me. Once it’s gone I finish and head back to camp, my paper in hand.
Both boys eye the roll but say nothing. I sit it inside the tent then join them for breakfast of more cubes, more fruit. What I wouldn’t give for a bacon, egg and cheese taco right now. I wonder? Holding out my hand I imagine a plate with three tacos on it. The eggs fluffy, the cheese creamy and the bacon crisp. As my hand grows heavy the boys gasp. I open my eyes already knowing by the smell I had done it. I grip the plate as the pain passes then grab a taco and bite down, delicious. I hold the plate out to the boys who both eye the food with trepidation.
“It’s only a breakfast taco, it won’t bite you. Try it.” I say with a smirk. Both boys, not willing to back down from the challenge, grab a taco and take a small bite. Their eyes light up then they both devour it in two more bites making me laugh. I on the other hand take my time enjoying mine. I suffered pain for this taco and the least I could do was take small bites and savor every one.
“How are you feeling this morning, Samantha?” Xavier asks quietly, to quietly for him.
“I’m good. I can control all my body so that’s a plus.” I grin at him but he doesn’t return it.
“We were talking and if you are on board with it, have decided to test to see what you can do. We know it is going to hurt and probably leave you unable to move for a while but you really do need to know what you can do before we run into any Ranoy. What do you say?” By his tone of voice this was Axel’s idea, not his. Did I want to put myself through the pain just to find out what I could do? Then again if we did end up fighting the Ranoy wouldn’t it be better to know what I could do to help them? If I could fight alongside them I wouldn’t slow them down as much as if they were trying to protect me. I had to do this, even if I didn’t want to.
“Okay. But if I fall unconscious again please keep me safe.” I eye them both but only receive a grin from Axel and a thin worried smile from Xavier.
“Very well, let’s remove the bandage so we don’t have a repeat of last night.” He says as he stands to make his way to me. Once he reaches me I lift the side of my shirt where it is tied letting him undue the knot.
“I agree with Axel, this must be done. If I was to have to do it in a fight I could pass out and be more of a danger to you than anything else, Xavier.” He drops the two ends running a finger down my side before he backs away. His touch sends delightful shivers running through me.
“I know, that is the only reason I agreed to help.” He mumbles as he sits back down.
“Okay, we know you can conjure and control water.” Axel points to the small fire they have going and grins. “See what you can do with that. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t do anything, usually water and fire doesn’t mix in the same person.” I nod as I stare at the fire before me.
Setting the image in my head I let my eyes close. I picture the flame gathering in a ball around the size of a small melon. Carefully as not to let it loose shape I lift it above the ring of rocks while concentrating on it keeping its shape. Once it is a good two feet from the ground I keep it stationary and tentatively open my eyes. Just as I had imagined the ball of flames floats above the fire ring. Knowing the pain would come soon I let it sink back into the fire pit. The minute I release the image I arch my back in excruciating pain. Instantly Xavier is at my side comforting me. He lifts my shirt then places it back down. Once the pain subsides and my breathing returns to normal I look to Axel for the next element. He hesitates.
“I don’t know. The pain you’re experiencing is getting worse.” He cuts his eyes to Xavier who stays silent.
“What was another one? Earth, right?” I ask defiantly. Focusing on the ground in front of me I mentally picture a small wall of earth forming in the flat area. This time I keep my eyes open as I see what I want to do and force the dirt to do my biding. It contorts easily enough and the small dirt barrier forms rapidly. The images were easier to call forth and the magic’s easier to compel with each thing I try. I let the dirt fall then brace myself for the pain. I’m not disappointed as it tears through me. “What else?” I pant out as the wave passes.
“That’s enough.” Xavier spits out.
“Wind?” I ask then not waiting for a reply I close my eyes but try as I might I can’t get a mental picture of the wind. It was invisible, how did you picture it? A tornado comes to mind but with my luck I’d suck us all up inside it only to kill us all. No I couldn’t do that. Picturing a flag in my head I think about the wind moving it back and forth, the feel of it on my face, my body, the swirl of dust in the air when the wind rushes through a desert, the way trees sway in a breeze. However nothing I do changes the weather where we sit. After close to a half an hour I give up.
“Okay, not the wind. What else?” I ask looking between the two. Xavier is the one who sighs first.
“Telepathy. Moving an object by only thinking about it.” I nod then focus on a small rock by his foot. Picturing it by my foot I try tugging on it, it doesn’t work. I try to mentally pick it up and move it, nope. I try mentally blowing on it from behind, notta. Out of aggravation I flick my eyes roughly from it to where I wanted it and to everyone’s surprise it moves. Not all the way but about two inches. The point was I moved it. I grit my teeth through the pain then ask once more what’s left.
“The only other two dominate talents besides weaponry, is syphoning and warping however I don’t suggest you try those yet. They are far to advanced and it is likely to rip you apart if you manage it. Besides you look pretty exhausted.” Axel searches my face critically.
“Yeah, I could use a nap.” My eyes were beyond droopy and my body was sluggish.
“Let me check your back before you go.” Xavier adds softly. I nod and turn to him. He doesn’t even lift my shirt before asking Axel a question. “You think we should cut slits in the material?”
“Yep, that would probably be best.” He rummages in the bag and pulls out a knife. “Hold still, Sam.” Wide awake now I tremble as he cuts two slits in the back of my shirt. As soon as he is through the material falls back against my skin, no longer being held aloft by my budding wings.
“They are protruding about six inches out and have now started growing in length and width. If you keep up with this kind of growth it won’t take another week before they are fully formed.” Xavier mumbles more to himself than me. I reach behind me to fill the soft downy feathers coating what had already grown and can’t help but smile. I had wings!
