Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4)

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Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 61

by E. I. McAllistair


  Though most people were still too busy with their own affairs, Leo and Wu had stabilized themselves enough to stand. “I thought Pete said Codi was the only super horndog he knew.”

  Wu looks at Leo with a blank expression. “Maybe he didn’t consider himself close enough to Phavian to count it. I’ve heard stories that he was the most infamous for it on campus before Anaar came along.”

  Leo absently nods, adjusting the excessively large snowsuit he had on. He and Wu both shared the awkward appearance of a monster with loose skin, as their height required a larger suit, but their frames could not properly fill them out. They had prepared themselves to try another run, when someone came gliding down the slope toward them at top speed, but with the grace of a practiced professional.

  Stefani felt the swell of her chest as the random interloper ruined their solace. She had specifically requested the resort direct them to an area they could have to themselves, so they could be free to act as they pleased, without the scrutiny of others. This was also her way of limiting exposure, so that their large group could stay out of trouble.

  Her thoughts swam with what course of action she should take. Though this was an area that was considered reserved, it was not as if another large group had invaded their space. She did not want to make a scene over something small, especially since her goal was the exact opposite. As the figure drew closer, she noticed there was another much smaller person who appeared to be riding on their back. With such reckless behavior, Stefani found it difficult to believe these newcomers would dare say anything to them. The pair stopped nearby, the larger individual stripping off their hood and goggles.

  “Alright Seles, time to get down. Now that you see how fun it can be, it is your turn to try. Don’t worry, we will take it slowly.”

  Stefani’s head snapped as she did a doubletake of the newcomer. She had never expected it to be the missing Anaar, nevertheless with Seles in tow. Though he knew of the plans, he never once asked her if it was acceptable for him to bring Seles. She would have found a polite way to explain why travelling with an 11-year-old for a week would be problematic. Before she could figure out how to approach the situation, Seles awkwardly shuffled up to her as she struggled against the knee-deep snow.

  “Stef, Stef! Anaar said he would teach me to ski! I was scared at first, but now it seems really cool! I can’t stay though since I have school. I miss being homeschooled. Ms. Ixnes says I need to interact with kids my own age though.”

  Stefani’s fears had been immediately relieved without her needing to do a thing. It seemed foolish of her to doubt Anaar’s foresight into the logistics of having Seles with them. He could have come up with a million reasons to keep her out of school, but chose otherwise. Now that Anaar had been accounted for, everyone began their montage of failures in earnest.

  In all her planning, Stefani somehow failed to consider seclusion from the general public also meant a lack of instructors to teach the basics to everyone. Even the simplest of tasks that she felt to be self-explanatory eluded everyone. Because she failed in this, most people chose skis or snowboards on a complete whim.

  She and Anaar ended up taking the lead in getting the others started. She taught the skiers, while Anaar, along with Dan taught the snowboarders. Anaar left Seles in Stefani’s care while he attended to his own duties. In a surprise to Stefani, most of the men preferred skis, while most of the women preferred snowboards. After a few hours of wobbly starts, crashing into random objects or one another, and a bevy of expletives, almost everyone was able to move about on their own.

  As to be expected, some took to their craft quicker than others, creating a group that went off on their own. Though they knew they were not ready for a black diamond, they had grown thoroughly bored with the bunny slopes. As a collective, things had been going well, most adjusting to the increased difficulty enough to at least remain upright. Jesus however managed to trip on a hidden rock, twisting his ankle, and falling into a wild tumble. In his panic, he accidentally caused a massive quake, resulting in an avalanche.

  If it had not been for Ryn’s quick thinking, the group would have surely perished under the meters of snow that had come crashing atop them. Protected by nothing but a shimmering green dome, the clustered band of friends began brainstorming their escape.

  “We’re going to die in here! You know people die of oxygen deprivation long before they die of hunger!”

  Codi wanted to shock Deakin, but between being a mass of tangled limbs, and the darkness, she was not sure if she would hit the right person. “Hey dweeb. Shut up. Unless you have a way out of here. What do you do again?”

  “I… I’m a Synestate…”

  “You mean useless then. Next.” She manages to get the light on her Vizer active, finding she was laying atop a man with dark skin and striking features. “Oh! Dude who is banging Ryn. Can you get us out of here?”

  “I have a name. It is-”

  “I’m gonna take that as a no. Ryn, can you make this bubble bigger so we can move more?”

  Ryn responds, and it is clear from her breathing she is becoming increasingly taxed. “No, and honestly it is taking everything out of me to keep this up. This snow is fucking heavy. We must be buried deep. Barriers become exponentially more difficult to maintain when under constant pressure. At the very least it isn’t airtight so we shouldn’t suffocate. I hope.”

  “Well, keep up the good work. Not surprising that all the men are dead weight. What about you Jesus?! You are the one who fucked everything up in the first place! Can’t you just drill a tunnel or something?!”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?! This ground is frozen solid! I can’t do shit with it!”

  “So you can break it, but not fix it…”

  “You aren’t doing shit either!”

  “I’m supervising! Something I wouldn’t need to do if you hadn’t lost control of your powers like a fucking middle schooler!”

  “I think I got an idea!”

  Codi could feel Shonte’s voice from below her, and realized her hand was wedged into something soft. “Ooh! Shonte! That is what I’m feeling… I don’t mind being here a little longer if-”

  “Codi, I’ma rip ya mafukin’ hand off if ya try me! Anyway, I can just ask Hunter to get us! He can just teleport in and take us out one by one!”

  “I don’t care what he does, as long as he hurries! I’m losing grip of this barrier, and it doesn’t help that I have to pee! If I pee myself and get crushed under snow, I swear I’m coming back to haunt all of you.”

  Characteristic of his personality, Deakin failed to read the atmosphere and interpreted her statement literally. “How are you going to haunt us if we are all dead too?”

  No longer caring if she hit the right person, Codi sent out a jolt that caused a number a screams but luckily did not hit the one person keeping them alive. Through some effort, Shonte managed to pull her arm up enough to call Hunter. When he answered, he was far more jubilant than she cared for, and much too chatty.

  “Hey babe! This shit is amazing! I can finally stay upright! You know I don’t normally have a problem keeping upright-”

  “Ewww!!! Keep it to yourself!”

  Hunter’s shock could be heard through the channel, causing him to inquire. “Why am I on speakerphone?!”

  “That ain’t important right now. We ‘bout to die! We need you to come get us!”

  “Oh shit! I’m on it! Send me the coordinates!”

  Shonte asks Hobb to send the coordinates, feeling like a simpleton she went through all the trouble of freeing her arms when she could have just asked Hobb to do everything in the first place. Rather than the immediate release she expected, she was met with silence outside of the heavy breathing of everyone around her.

  “Umm… I can’t get to you. Did you know you are covered by what seems like… an ocean of snow?”

  “Do we have any men around us that aren’t fucking idiots?! No shit Sherlock! That is exactly why she called for help!”
>
  “Who is that? Codi? I don’t like your tone. I could just leave you there-”

  “Like you are already fucking doing?!”

  “That’s not my fault! You are all one big human ball! There is nowhere for me to teleport in to!”

  “Hillbilly Dan! Can’t you like, build a snowplow out of paper or something?!”

  “Ain’t nobody got enough paper on them for all dat. It just gone get wet and fall ‘part anyways.”

  As everyone groans, garbled voices can be heard from Hunter’s end. “…Real deep”

  “… Tried... Clustered?”

  “…Good… that good!”

  Though no one could see it, Ryn had begun to perspire heavily in her suit. She was trying to hold out, but she knew she only had about two minutes at best left in her. She took a deep breath, calmed her breathing, and tried to shut out anything that was not related to her keeping the barrier active. Her fatigue was building even faster than she had anticipated, her breathing becoming ragged. Just as she thought she could take no more, it felt as if the weight of the world left her shoulders.

  Their dark world grew bright in a haze of swirling mist and steam. They all fell a few inches to the ground, and immediately started a mad scramble to right themselves. The fog was still clearing, but what was prevalent was the feeling they were in a steamroom. The heat was stifling, and air was heavy and wet. Ryn, who was granted the most relief grabbed Hunter’s arm as she gasped to catch her breath.

  “What in the hell just happened?”

  “Oh, I went back and told Anaar what happened. Once I explained you guys were too much of a tangled mess for me to get to, he just melted all the snow in an instant. He didn’t even leave water, just a bunch of steam. Kinda badass honestly.”

  “He did it that quickly? Where is he now?”

  “Oh he barely even came through the portal. He’s back with everyone else.”

  “He just peeps in, puts on a massive display, saving our lives and leaves before we even had a chance to recognize it?!”

  Hunter opened his mouth to respond, but was beaten to the punch by Deakin. “Of course he did! He couldn’t stick around! It is a rule that cool guys don’t look back at explosions! Everyone knows that!”

  Everyone’s face takes on the same expression, with Kintaque leaning in to whisper to Ryn. “Who do he belong to again?”

  Ryn sighs, shaking her head. “Just drop it. We’ve tried. He isn’t going anywhere.”

  That night everyone enjoyed a meal together, drinking and engaging in merriment, though their bodies perceived it to only be early afternoon. Many were impressed by the offerings, the seafood being so fresh it must be delivered by means of a Transporter. In the moment of drunken lack of awareness, Jesus caused a scene as he was wont to do.

  “So far this has been cool and all, but this shit feels kinda basic. I mean, Anaar could have taken us anywhere in the world, and we choose to be in the fucking cold and snow. What a dumbshit idea!”

  He laughs heartily, taking another swig of the beer he was enjoying. Stefani’s lip quivers as she looks down, the hurt evident on her face as she was holding back tears. Maggie was about to say something to Jesus as she was used to his antics, when a figure jumped atop the table, dashing toward Jesus.

  In a few deft movements, Deakin had pounced upon Jesus, food everywhere from the dishes he kicked out of his path. A large steak knife bit into Jesus’ neck, drawing blood. Deakin’s eyes were wild, his face twisted and manic.

  “Only respect will fall from your lips when in the presence of my goddess! You dare besmirch a gift she has given you by way of invitation to this gathering of extraordinary beings! Only death can cleanse-”

  “Deakin, stop!”

  The sound of Stefani’s voice interjected over the raspy hiss that was Deakin’s promises to Jesus. He stood from his position straddled over Jesus and looked back toward Stefani with a cheery smile. Almost prancing, he made his way around the table back to Stefani, the entire congregation in silence as they tried to understand the events that had just occurred. Deakin took his seat, planting a goofy kiss on Stefani’s cheek, no semblance remaining of the feral creature he once had been.

  No one moved to help Jesus as they felt he had gotten what he deserved, but they could not understand how Deakin could become someone so antithetical to his being. Weak, and non-threatening, Deakin spent most of his time being ignored. In the rare moments which he was acknowledged, it was usually because he was being disparaged. No one was sure what all his triggers were, but they all agreed it would be best to never find out.

  As everyone retired to their rooms for the night, Jesus grumbled and complained about his situation. “I can’t believe this shit. Why do I get stuck with the sausage fest? How am I the loser, but that fucking weirdo has a girl. Stefani at that! I’m a fucking catch, right?!”

  Wu had been trying to ignore him, and Leo was his typical obtuse self, but the incessant nagging finally drove Wu to speak. “You seem utterly untrustworthy. Most people are untrustworthy, but it appears you have reached new lows.”

  “Hey! I’m plenty trustworthy!”

  “You want a girlfriend, but have you done anything to convince them you are worth the effort?”

  Jesus flexes his shirtless muscles. “Do you see me? I’m fucking hot! Plus I’m like, the most badass fighter in our class.”

  Leo can be heard mumbling to seemingly no one. “Except for Anaar, or Maggie, or Dan, or-”

  “They don’t count! I don’t know what shit they are on, but they have to be juicing or something!”

  “You got taken down with a dinner knife earlier…”

  “Oh what the fuck ever! If we had been outside, I would have pushed that guy’s shit in.”

  “Right, because as a Terrakinetic you are basically an average person when inside a building or not on the ground…”

  Jesus pierces Wu with the stink eye. “I will never be average! I just didn’t want to cause a scene by destroying the whole hotel.”

  “Or, you do not possess the requisite talent nor skills to manipulate such compound materials like those that make up buildings. All Terrakinetics have greater resonance with certain minerals. Yours is obviously not suited for processed ones. The fact you would lie about something so basic and covered in the Freshman curriculum proves my point about your character. I would rather not continue a meaningless discussion.”

  Wu put his headphones on and rolled over on his bed. Leo continued his reading, and Jesus was left there, effectively the pariah of the group. Even though he was the one who was attacked, everyone treated him like he was the attacker and not the victim. He crawled into bed, angrily pulling the covers over his head, sulking until he fell asleep.

  The next few days felt like a targeted attack on Jesus. He had already felt inadequate as one of three who did not have a significant other, but to make things worse, the rest of their time in the Alps felt like a couples’ retreat. His mind still held fond memories of their Maldives trip, with all the fun in the sun and group activities. There was something about the cold that increased the desire to be close to someone dear, thus creating the unfavorable atmosphere.

  Because Wu and Leo had formed their own pair, he had officially become the odd man out. Leo seemed to harbor no ill will toward him, but Wu was determined to exclude Jesus as much as possible. When Leo was alone, Jesus found it difficult to engage, as it was difficult to retain his attention. After spending almost every waking hour on the slopes alone, bettering his skiing, he was overjoyed to hear they were transitioning to Sapporo.

  The drastic change of pace and scenery invigorated Jesus. Unlike the remote resort they had stayed for the past few days, Codi had opted for them to stay in the city, wrapped in luxury, with the choice to go out to the slopes if they chose. To Jesus’ delight, everyone seemed to be unenthusiastic about more skiing, even though they had not spent nearly the amount of time doing it as he had.

  Stefani began to feel self-conscious as Codi
spouted attraction after attraction, providing such a myriad of options, it was clear there was no way they would accomplish them all during their trip. Though she had not considered it before, after what happened on the first leg of their journey, it was clear they would need to break into smaller groups. The largest obstacle to this, Codi was the only one fluent in Japanese to navigate for them.

  “Well shit, a huge group of foreigners stomping around is likely to cause a countrywide panic. If we split up though, only my group will be able to get anything out of it. Maybe I can trade off on different days or something. It fits since I am naturally in high demand…”

  Deakin raises his hand cheerfully with a slight bounce. “I can take a group! I’m fluent in Japanese!”

  Codi’s head snaps to see the cheerful Deakin beaming at her. “Who in the fuck is that?!” Maggie leans in, whispering something into Codi’s ear. “Oh! Shit… The psycho knife dude. Well, as long as you aren’t knifing people, I guess that’s fine. Who wants to be in his group? That at least allows us to be cut in half. Nine is still a lot per group but we might have to make do. Four groups would be perfect.”

  Anaar sighs heavily, his head hanging. “I’ll take a group I guess.”

  Ryn eyes Anaar suspiciously. “Since when do you speak Japanese?”

  Shrugging absently, “I get around.”

  To everyone’s surprise, Wu volunteers his services. “I’m not fluent, but I can get by. I should be good with a dictionary to look up things I don’t know.”

  “Fuck yeah! This is perfect!”

  The groups formed themselves organically, Deakin’s group filling only due to Stefani’s presence. Jesus made sure to quickly join Anaar’s group, which included Dan and Maggie, meaning he faced the least hostility amongst all the options. Before they split, Codi stopped everyone, alerting them to their first activity.

  “First stop, one of the most famous onsens in the country!”

  Deakin’s enthusiasm shone brightly once again. “Wow! What a treat! This is going to be such a great bonding time!”

 

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