by Indie Gantz
Oh.
That nuz.
I kick my legs out in frustration and just barely hear a shuffling sound at the end of my bed. If I stood up and moved away from the bed, chances are I’d be able to get in the last word. I contemplate the immature action for a moment, then roll my eyes and settle back into bed. If Tirigan doesn’t want to talk about his injury that badly, then I won’t force him.
It’s possible the experience was extremely traumatizing for him, considering how much help he needed afterwards. I know he didn’t love being carried around like that, and then there was the injury itself. Something tells me that a knife slicing into Tirigan’s body probably really messed with his whole ‘no touching’ preference.
I resign myself to letting Tirigan get away with his little trick, at least partially. I open my mind just enough to send a single message. You’re such a child.
“Goodnight, Charlie,” Tirigan answers, his tone more smug than sleepy.
CHAPTER NINE
Born of Love
Fear.
Much like a wet blanket, fear wraps around you and soaks into your skin. It suffocates, trickling down your throat and sucking away all signs of bravery. It mutates, changes as soon as it’s about to be overcome.
I can feel it, this fear. This overwhelming, all-consuming fear, but it’s not my own. This terror does not belong to me. I feel it as if it does, but there’s something…
The fire. The smoke. The rough material at my back. None of it is real, and none of it is for me.
But still, when I wake up, my eyes are red and wet, my skin covered in ash. It’s all around me.
My brother stands beside my bed, shaking his head, but I can tell he isn’t nearly as concerned as he was the last time this happened.
At least it was contained to your bed this time.
I nod sleepily and wipe the tears from my eyes.
“I’m going to ask Vi about it,” I croak. Ash clings to my throat.
Yes. I think that’s wise. Tirigan shuffles toward our bedroom door and exits, leaving me alone to deal with the remnants of my nightmare.
As I wipe away the ash with a wet cloth, I try to remember details about the nightmare, try to understand it better, but I can’t get a handle on it. I know it’s not me. I don’t feel like myself when I’m there, burning to death. I want to know what it means, and why it’s happening, but I don’t really know where to start. Talking to Vi or Kor seems like the best option, although Bo is the Fotián in the family.
It doesn’t seem right that my powers are manifesting while I sleep. To invoke an element, you must have intention. Oleander says it’s ‘asking Earth’s permission.’ It’s odd to think of Earth as a sentient being, able to give and deny permission to Téssera wanting to invoke her elements, but that’s what many Téssera believe. I don’t know much about Téssera religion or spirituality, but I’ve noticed a distinct lack of dogma within this family.
When my bed linens are wet and smeared grey, I give up and strip the bed. I have no idea how Téssera wash clothes, since my dirty clothes have just miraculously returned to my drawers clean. I assume there’s soap and a bucket somewhere in this house.
I leave my bedroom with my arms full and enter the living area to find Robin in a leotard and ballet slippers. He’s expertly twirling around the room, his body surprisingly graceful for a five year old.
“Well done, Robin,” I say over my pile of sheets. “You’re really good at that.”
The boy stops twirling to look up at me. He’s instantly delighted by my compliment, but when his eyes land on my bedding, they widen with concern.
“Did you have an accident?”
“What?” I ask, confused at first. Then I realize what my stripped bedding might look like. “Kind of, but not the kind you’re thinking.”
“It’s okay if you did,” Robin replies. “Mum says it’s just part of your body’s way of growing.”
“Thanks, buddy.” He looks so cute in his outfit and his earnest expression, I have to take another second to admire him before setting off toward the back door. “I’m just going to wash these. Do you know where I can find some supplies for that?”
“Mummy washes, Daddy dries,” Robin sings, and he begins dancing again.
“Trouble, dear?” Vi comes into the living room with a basket full of thread and sits down at her sewing station.
“Yeah, I just wanted to wash these,” I reply.
“Just put them in the pile upstairs,” she answers, eyes on her work already. “I’ve got some of Cyra’s to do later anyway.”
Instead of asking how she goes about washing clothes the Téssera way, I put the sheets down on the couch and fidget with my fingers until I get the courage to approach her. She’s working on the hem of a thin, light-weight dress, decorated in teal and coral mandala patterns.
“Uh, Vi? Can I talk to you about something?”
The Néroian immediately puts down her needle and thread and looks up at me. “Of course, love. What’s on your mind?”
“Well, I… I mean, I don’t really know what it means, but I’ve been having these... nightmares.” I pause, slightly embarrassed, but push through. “And, well, they’re kind of… manifesting.”
“Manifestin’?” Vi repeats, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I dream that I’m on fire and when I wake up there’s smoke and ash in the room,” I answer, crossing my arms over my chest. “Does that happen to Téssera?”
Vi doesn’t answer right away. She bites at her lower lip first, her eyes shifting to her son who still twirls around the living room.
“Not that I’ve heard of…” she replies slowly, eyes back on me. “But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t. You and your brother have access to a lot of power. More than any other Téssera. It’s possible you just aren’t ready to contain it all.” She reaches out and places her hand on my arm. “Don’t fret. I’ll have a chat with Kor, but I’m sure it’s nothin’ to worry about.”
Despite her lack of answers, her response is comforting.
And she’s probably right. We have access to a lot more power compared to normal Téssera, and it’s all just been thrown at us. My body may simply need time to adjust to it.
“Thanks, Vi.” I smile and let my crossed arms fall.
“Anytime, love.” She turns back to her work and picks up her needle and thread again. “Now why don’t you take your beddin’ upstairs and then get yourself some breakfast? You’re going to need your energy for the day Avias has planned for you.”
“Avias has planned for me?” I repeat, already moving towards my discarded sheets. “What do you mean?”
Vi lets out a soft laugh. She gives me a look that seems both apologetic and entertained. Her eyes are already back on the dress when she replies, “You’ll see.”
CHAPTER TEN
Cavendish’s Phlogiston
Apparently the process of learning seventeen years worth of Téssera power can only begin after Avias creates a study schedule for us.
Almost every hour of every day for the next two weeks has been claimed. Avias even put in bathroom and what he calls ‘leisure’ breaks. Tirigan seems to find these additions thoughtful, whereas I mostly find Avias’ tireless schedule irritating. I appreciate his dutiful commitment to our education, but I’d rather relieve myself when I have to, not when Avias has marked it in for the day.
However, I keep my reservations mostly to myself and only thank Avias when he presents our schedule and pins it to the kitchen wall. I review it while sipping my morning coffee, which I have exactly twelve minutes to do.
As per our schedule, Vi will be expecting us both in the backyard for our first official Néro lesson soon. I’m still distracted by my conversation with Vi, but I try to focus on what the day will bring.
“Might want to think about bottoming up there, Charlie,” Bo says as she enters the kitchen. “Avias’ll have your neck if you’re late on your first day.”
I roll my e
yes as she giggles with satisfaction. “You’re enjoying this a little too much,” I respond, although I do begin sipping more frequently.
“Just a bit.” Bo nods as she begins to put her breakfast together. “I am chuffed over gettin’ my own time with you lot, though. When does Avias have me teachin’?”
I look at the schedule and frown. “Three days from now.” I sigh and chug down the last of my coffee. Tirigan’s sure to be prompt, wherever he is, and I don’t want to be late. “We’ve got Vi today and tomorrow, then something of a test the day after.”
“A test? Bloody Avias and his tests.” Bo laughs. “Well, you better get to it then. Good luck, Lee.” I scowl at the nick name, but thank her nonetheless.
On my way towards the back door, I hear Cyra squealing happily outside. It pulls a reluctant smile to my lips, which turns into a full grin by the time I’m standing on the back porch.
In the fifteen minutes since our conversation in the living room, Vi has built a swimming pool in the backyard with the help of Oleander. The walls of the pool are dark red clay, nearly four feet tall.
Cyra and Vi are both already in the pool, splashing and swimming gleefully. Tirigan stands outside of it, looking speculative while he speaks with Oleander.
“Am I expected to be a good swimmer?” I joke as I descend the stairs and walk towards the makeshift swimming pool.
“I think you’ll do fine,” Oleander smiles back at me. “Although, I’ve seen that schedule, and I wouldn’t recommend you take your allotted kips out here.”
“No napping in the water. Is that lesson one?” I quip back. Oleander laughs appreciatively, and I turn my attention to Vi, who’s watching Cyra swim effortlessly around her.
“I’d hoped we could skip some of the basic stuff. You two do know how to swim, yes?” Vi asks hopefully.
Her red swim clothing clings to her skin, while Cyra is completely naked as she dives below the water and stays there. Stepping closer to the side of the pool, I peek inside to watch as Cyra swims around the bottom. The toddler impresses me with her swimming skills, but I can’t help but be concerned with how long she swims without coming back up for air. Before I really start to worry, Cyra rises closer to the surface, and I see why she is able to stay under water for so long. There’s a bubble of air in front of her mouth, holding steady and providing enough oxygen for her prolonged dives.
“Cool,” I whisper, awed.
“One of the first things she learned to do,” Vi responds proudly. “We thought she might be Gyan like Robin at first, but she proved us wrong pretty quickly.”
“When did it show?” I ask. “Her powers, I mean.”
“Usually a Téssera’s powers appear around the sixth month or so, one way or another.”
As if summoned, Cyra rises up and floats on her back. The bubble of air vanishes the moment it breaks the surface. She moves her hands around her like she’s flying while tiny bubbles rise and pop all around her.
“So, ready for your lessons?” Vi asks, one eyebrow arched. Tirigan nods as he comes to stand beside me, and I put on my most earnest smile.
“As we’ll ever be. Should we be changing or…”
“In a bit,” Vi tells us. “First, I want to be sure of your theoretical knowledge. Have you read anything about Néroian power?” Tirigan and I both nod in affirmation. Calla didn’t give us any books solely about the water element, but the larger text had an in-depth section on each element. “Good. Let’s go over the properties first. Yeah?”
“Sure,” I reply. “That sounds good.”
Tirigan smiles thinly.
I don’t have to read his mind to know what he’s thinking. Tirigan’s more than well-versed in the chemical and physical properties of water. My brother’s more than well-versed in the chemical and physical properties of everything. He doesn’t inform Vi of this though, probably in case there’s something he doesn’t know, and Tirigan is always open to learning more.
“All right then,” Vi begins. “There are several important properties of water, all of which you’ll need to understand well in order to manipulate and control it for yourselves. I’ll go through each one, explainin’ and demonstratin’ how each one will help you to master the Néro element.” Vi smiles at us both then steps back a few paces in the water. Cyra continues to float aimlessly in front of her. “First, cohesion and adhesion. Do you remember what those two properties mean?”
Tirigan nods but says nothing.
“Yeah,” I respond. “Cohesion means that water molecules stick together, and adhesion means that they stick to other things.”
“Right. Cohesion is why water droplets are round. Adhesion is why water seems to dip down a ‘lil bit when in a vial. The water sticks to the glass. This is important to understand if you wish to do things like...” Vi pulls her hand out of the pool, and a steady stream of water follows the motion of her hand upward. “When movin’ water, you’ve got to concentrate on large groups of molecules at a time. If you only focus on the first few, the water molecules will break off into droplets. The larger the groups, the easier it is for the molecules to stick to themselves. This shouldn’t be too difficult for you, considering the microscopic size of a water molecule. But as you advance, you’ll be able to see them individually. So it’s important to know how to group them correctly.”
She arcs her hand backwards and down so that the stream she produced becomes a small archway of water. “The same idea extends to adhesion. You have to apply a ‘lil more pressure ‘cause water naturally wants to stick to itself, but if you wish for water to stick to somethin’ else, it requires very little energy to do so. For example...” Vi trails off again. Her eyes seek something past us. I turn around to find Oleander standing on the porch.
“Toss the ball this way, will ya, love?” Vi asks Oleander, her hand already outstretched and waiting. I search for the ball in question, and find it resting under the window on the porch. Oleander gives a quick nod and then retrieves the ball. With a mischevious glint in his eye, Oleander tosses the ball into the pool at just the right angle to skid it across the surface. Water splashes up as it travels across the pool to where Vi stands, effectively separating Tirigan and me and soaking us both.
“Oi! Ollie!” Vi laughs. She picks the ball up from the water’s surface, then gives each of us a merciful smile. Water droplets cling to my eyelashes; my hair’s completely drenched. I start to laugh, turning to Tirigan to share the moment with him, but then a strange feeling overcomes me. It’s as if fingers are running through my hair, a steady pressure flowing down to the tips of my tresses.
I reach up and find my hair dry once more. Vi only winks when my eyes dart back to her.
“Now then, if Ollie is done hammin’ it up, I’ll get back to it.” She looks at both of us, and Tirigan and I both nod with compliance. Oleander apologizes through a hearty chuckle then sits down in one of the porch chairs. “As I was sayin’, adhension allows me to do this…”
Vi places the ball back on the surface of the pool, then narrows her gaze down towards it. The ball begins to rise, a pedestal of water supporting it. Then, after just a moment of hovering there, tiny fingers of water begin to crawl away from the make-shift pedestal. Like the black ooze that terrorized people in an old human creature feature, the water climbs slowly up and around the ball, smothering its surface. It’s almost eerie, the way the water encases the ball, making me imagine less pleasant uses for the cast.
Once the ball is completely covered, it hovers in the air, no longer held up by the pedestal of water.
“The water sticks to the ball, just as it sticks to itself. I don’t have to expend very much energy to do this ‘cause I only need to get the first few groups of water molecules to stick to the ball. The rest will naturally want to stick to those already stuck there. Understand?”
I nod, while Tirigan lifts his hand and places it over the edge of the pool. A second stream of water lifts out of the pool under his command. He twirls his hand slightly and the st
ream becomes a perfect circle, spinning above the water. Cyra giggles and kicks her feet up into it.
“Lovely,” Vi says with a smile. Her pleasure doesn’t stop her from delving right into lesson number two.
“Next, we’ll talk temperature. Water can absorb high levels of heat. It requires quite a lot of energy to heat and cool water. The larger the body of water, the longer it takes and the more power it requires. Theoretically, with the aid of a Fotiá stone, I could make this entire pool boil, but it would take quite a lot of energy.”
“Approximately four Joules for every gram of water per degree Celcius in the pool,” Tirigan adds in, allowing his circle of water to fall back into the pool.
“Yes, that’s right.” Vi nods, trying very hard not to seem impressed. “I can physically accomplish that task usin’ a Fotiá stone to get started, but I’d grow very tired, very quickly. When water absorbs heat, it breaks the hydrogen bonds between molecules and allows them to flow more freely, which then takes more energy to find each one and continue heating them.”
I’ve read this already, but somehow it feels like new information being presented like this. It’s overwhelming.
“When it comes to lowering the temperature, we can use a Fotiá heat removal Eidikós to begin the process. It’s important to note that the density of water will impact how and in what order it freezes. Usually water freezes from top to bottom, but it ain’t that hard to alter if you know what you’re doin’.” She pauses, looks between us, and then moves over to the back edge of the pool, crossing through the water stream from her earlier cast. It instantly falls back into the pool. Once she’s at the other edge, Vi picks up a red stone that had been lying on the rim of the pool.
“Ollie, fetch me that cup, yeah?” Vi asks, motioning towards an abandoned teacup on the porch. Oleander does as he’s asked and appears a second later to hand Vi the cup. She moves back towards us through the water, dipping the cup into the pool to fill it.