Ventus

by Jonathan Dakin

Chapter Six

  It was two days later, and Grandpa was quickly recovering. I was anxious to speak to him, because I had so many questions, and also because I was finding it harder and harder to keep the energy inside of me. The doctor finally allowed me to visit him, but just before I went into the hospital, I made sure that I released some of the lightning by flinging it into a large dustbin around the back of the building. Unfortunately, it caught fire, so I told a member of staff about it before I made my way up to him.

  As I entered the ward, the strong smell of disinfectant stuffed itself into my nostrils, and made me feel queasy. I walked quickly along the shiny corridor, washed my hands with the dispenser of disinfectant, and finally arrived at his bedside. The curtains were pulled back, so the sick people in beds surrounding him could see and hear our conversation. I quickly drew them across, and sat next to him. Although he was still pale, he looked much better, and smiled cheerful up at me. His bright white hair was ruffled and matted, and he smelt bad. He needed a wash.

  “Thanks for coming!” He said, continuing to smile happily. “It’s good to see you!”

  “They wouldn’t let us visit yesterday,” I informed him, “and Grandma was upset about it.”

  “Where’s your Grandma now?” He inquired.

  “She’s just popped to the shops to get you some supplies. She wants me to speak to you first, and then she wants some alone time with you when she gets here.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  There was an uncomfortable pause, as I scavenged my thoughts for what to say. How can you apologise to your grandfather for electrocuting him with your supernatural powers?

  “I’m sorry.” It seemed like the only thing I could say.

  “Don’t be,” he replied, putting his hand onto mine and squeezing it reassuringly, “I’ve been through a lot worse!” He chuckled, his deep warm hiccupping chuckle.

  “I spoke to Aura, and to Sefarina. They told me what was going on. It still doesn’t make any sense to me. It doesn’t seem real.”

  “Well, it is! You had better get used to it, because you have a lot to learn, and a very short time to learn it in! It’s nobody’s fault: you can’t help how quickly your body develops…”

  “I didn’t know everyone was just as desperate as I was for me to go through puberty.”

  “We’ve been waiting for a long time. Aura’s waited six years. Can you imagine being told that you have super powers, but can’t use them until your brother unlocks his?”

  Super powers. Now that was an idea. I never saw myself as a superhero before, and now that I could, I was starting to see the benefits to this whole… situation. Super Niyol! No… Lightning Lad! No… Maybe I didn’t need a superhero name, or a costume. My lightning powers alone were enough to prove how amazing I was...

  “So I assume that you have reread the book, and are more up to speed with it?” Grandpa asked me. I stopped thinking about what I would do as a superhero, and attended to him instead.

  “Yes,” I replied truthfully, “I reread it last night. I’m starting to get it, I think. I’m not sure I understand exactly why and how it all happened, but…”

  “That is why you must meet Sigwald, as soon as I’m better. That is, unless you want to go to the Elementus Populas and meet the Ventus Cohors alone.”

  A rude guffaw crept up my throat, and I couldn’t contain it. I burst out laughing, and my Grandpa responded with a confused rising of his eyebrow.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Sigwald! What kind of a name is Sigwald?!”

  Grandpa gave me ‘the look’, meaning that I was acting immaturely, and should stop. I inhaled deeply, and ended my mean laughter.

  “Some people might ask you ‘what kind of a name is Niyol?’!” Grandpa looked at me wisely, and I knew he was right.

  “Sorry, it’s just such an unusual name!”

  “It means ‘victorious leader’, and it is German in origin.”

  “Is Sigwald German?”

  “His father was. Sigwald was born here, in England. His father was also the leader of the Ventus Cohors, as was his father, and his, and his…”

  “Okay, okay,” I interrupted, “I get it. He’s a very important man.”

  “Yes, he is. And you’ll be spending a lot of time with him. He’ll be explaining everything there is to know about the Ventus Elementals, and the other Elementals too.”

  “What do you mean, the other Elementals? The book didn’t mention others!”

  “I suppose it didn’t…”

  “Wait a second,” I asked, suddenly realising something, “you haven’t read the book?”

  Now it was Grandpa’s turn to laugh. “Of course not! Only Ventus Elementals can open it! It only responds to the wind from a Ventus!”

  That made a lot of sense, and now I fully understood why the book only opened when I had blown onto it. That was why only Aura and Sefarina had read it, and why they knew so much, because they were the only other Ventus. I hoped.

  “So there are other Ventus?” I enquired.

  “No! Why would there be?”

  I sighed. Grandpa was once again speaking in riddles, obscuring facts that he knew and assumed that I did too. The spinning rage inside of me was twirling and twisting, like there was an electrical storm in my chest. I closed my eyes and thought of Dad. The storm died down.

  “I’m sorry,” Grandpa reassured, “I don’t mean to wind you up. It’s just that you need to get to Sigwald as soon as you can. He’s waiting for you. If you want to, you can go alone: you’re old enough not to need an escort.”

  I looked into his bright eyes, and bit my lip. The thought of going to meet a weird creepy man to talk about my strange super powers was scary enough, but going alone was even more terrifying! I wanted all the support I could get, because I had no idea what was going to happen when I met this Sigwald person.

  “I really want you there with me, Grandpa. I definitely do not want to go alone!”

  “Fine,” he chuckled, “then you need to speak to the doctor and see if he can sign me out this afternoon!”