Preternatural (Worlds & Secrets)

by Lloyd Harry-Davis

  “Beowulf is out, the remake,” Robbie responded in a much quieter tone.

  “Already?” asked Jojo.

  “YES!” Robbie took a breath and sighed, lowering his head. Suddenly, as though he just had the most riveting idea with a crazed look in his large hazel eyes, he exclaimed: “I want to go and see it!”

  “Well, we won’t be able to go,” said Jojo.

  “Why not?” Robbie asked, rather childishly upset.

  “There is that whole situation of the –”

  “If you’re talking about the Demon Grinners, it’s not a huge deal; they can’t get into Vernaesce remember?”

  “I’m quite confused. There are so many realm barriers – I don’t know which one goes first,” Jaden mumbled massaging his aching temples. Tammy giggled lightly.

  “Jaden, if you’re talking about it from the perspective of the Barons –”

  “– Not necessarily. Just the dividing barriers in general –”

  “Well then; when one gets into Vernaesce there’s the Traversing Realm – which we always see as the really grim version of this planet – then a cover cloud that protects us and Earth as parallels; but that’s somehow invisible.”

  “Strangely enough though,” Jojo intruded, “nobody understands the concept of the cover cloud – not even the Supremacy.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah – hey I have an idea. The movie’s showing at one O’clock –”

  “Well, yeah that’s reasonable –”

  “In the morning,” Robbie quickly interrupted Jojo. “Why don’t we sneak out?” he devised.

  “Well…I could always wake the rest of you up via telepathy. Then, Robbie can open a wormhole for us to get out,” Tammy said, then smiling as if she were the brightest person in the room.

  “But none of this happens until the night we want to see it, of course.”

  The sky’s colour was still a mixture of dark and light grey. It continued to pour malevolently outside and we were about to recommence lessons upon the end of breakfast. We, the teens, all walked underneath the circular shaped canopy, with the thick foliage of leaves preventing the rain from entering our domain.

  We sat down on the crisp, dry grass. Tammy read her books along with Jaden, Liam practised using the electrical energy flowing through and on his skin to make lightning in the sky, Jojo teleported to different heights in the trees, Jade continued to levitate objects whilst I practised my Aerokinesis.

  “You know, if you do your Aerokinesis properly you can freeze water,” Tammy said whilst focusing on her book. I stopped creating my currents for a while and looked at her.

  “Really? Are you sure?”

  “Yes, but I don’t think many Aero-Capers can do it. You see, you’d be twisting the properties of water, but from an Aero-Capers point of view, they wouldn’t be able to do that. But seeing as you control all of the elements, it’s possible you could freeze water,” she replied to me, her eyes still transfixed on the words in her book as she took a bite of a cracker.

  “Okay, I’ll give it a shot,” I said. I peeked out of the canopy, through the tree trunks, at the rain that hailed to the ground and took a deep breath. Then, I shot my hand out, emitting a whole bundle of air towards the pouring rain – nothing happened.

  “Apparently not…” Tammy mumbled to herself, she casually took another bite on a cracker and got back to reading.

  “I wish the whole of Cressile had been blown up. Then we wouldn’t have to go back for another six months or so. Even then, I still wouldn’t go!” I grunted grumpily as I conjured shots of air.

  “Well, I would. But only because of the important subjects I need to take,” Robbie replied with his legs gripped onto a high branch with him swinging upside down.

  “What important subjects?” I was quick to ask.

  “Well, depending on the power you have, taking mortal –”

  “– Mortal; you make it sound as if we’re immortal,” said Jaden with a hidden smile, his head still buried in his book.

  “You can’t exactly say that we increase in age the same way humans do,” Tammy countered quietly. “I bet you we’re not even classified as Homo-sapiens. We’re far more intelligent,” Jojo concluded as she teleported back to the ground.

  “As I was saying, depending on the kinetic ability you possess, it is advisable to take subjects that deal with your powers. It makes a whole lot of difference. Trust me, I did chemistry and my power increased –” Robbie snapped his fingers “– just like that.” We halted our movements and silently looked up at his dangling body in disbelief.

  “What? It’s true,” he said as Tammy scoffed.

  “It did so,” Robbie complained whilst we continued doubting him.

  “Oh, oh, I get it. It’s that Flowing thingumajig, right? Yeah, Mirabelle told me about that.”

  “Flowing Knowledge, Aden,” Jojo corrected me, “and yes. A learning mechanism we have where we gain full information on everything and every possible subject except those concerning our abilities,” she defined automatically.

  “Yeah, alright clever-clogs,” I mumbled underneath my breath.

  “But hang on, how else do you learn if you only do subjects that deal with your kinesis?” Jaden asked. Everyone broke out in a series of loud grunts, moans and exasperated sighs.

  “It’s as if he deliberately does it. Were you not paying attention? That’s the glitch. You get the knowledge of all ordinary subjects, except the ones which would apply to you most. Simply put: your Flowing Knowledge doesn’t cover subjects that deal with your powers,” Tammy once again answered Jaden’s ignorance. Subsequently, we returned to what we were previously doing.

  “So you mean I’ll learn everything about my power and nothing about the other subjects?” Jaden asked again in a perplexed manner. We broke out in aggressive and impatient sighs again as we muttered loudly. I waved my arm and a tide of rainwater went smashing into Jaden. He was transfixed to the spot and seemed to sit as if he had been frozen to sub-zero temperature. I’m guessing the water was too cold for him to bear.

  “Honestly, stop being so stubborn; it’s not rocket science. You’re supposed to be the genius.”

  After some well spent time underneath the canopy, we retreated to our rooms. Yet, after all the time that had passed, it was still pouring. The adults had all gone to work and we were left home alone underneath Jade’s tyranny.

  “Liam, where is it that you keep disappearing to?” Jaden asked curiously. Liam sat upright on his bed, instantly looking timid and completely doubtful. The strong change of his expressions intrigued us more and planted in us the eagerness to find out. Liam lowered his voice.

  “I’m – on a quest to –” his voice drifted off and he fiddled with his fingers.

  “You’re on a quest? To do what?” Robin asked quickly, looking inquisitive and worried.

  “I’m looking for –” but Liam’s speech was disturbed as soon as the door banged downstairs. He sighed hopelessly.

  “Sorry, mates,” he apologised before running off downstairs upon the slamming of the downstairs door. We looked at each other, confused and dazed.

  “Is he okay?” Jaden asked with his thumb gesturing the direction in which Liam had so desperately exited.

  “At this point,” Robbie replied “I’m just as knowledgeable as you guys are on this one – basically I have no clue.”

  “Boys! Downstairs now, please!” mum screamed.

  We immediately began our journey downstairs in haste. The loud screaming made it believable that we were in trouble. But seeing as the command ended with “please”, our minds were instantly swayed. My blue hair dangled over my eyes, irritating me a great deal.

  We saw the adults shaking off all the rainwater off of their coats and then hanging them on the coat rack. Our eyes became fixed on the two mothers, holding large shopping bags of different brands whilst Tantrus swaggered his way to the bar to fix himself a brandy concoction.

  “Here, mum, let us help you with that,�
� Jojo and the girls spoke, mischievously approaching Anne.

  “Back off girls,” Anne melodiously sang. I watched as the greed and hunger for whatever was in the bags rose in the girls’ eyes.

  ”Sit down on the couch, please,” mum’s quickly commanded. Tantrus sauntered his way back in, holding a small square brandy glass with a sparkling aqua-blue blend. He took constant sips and loosened his tie that matched his waistcoat and trousers, as you might expect. The many expensive Vernaescian brands that stared us in the face got us increasingly enthused. It wasn’t Christmas yet so what was with the suspicious gifts? After we were told to sit down, we didn’t think twice about obeying the instruction. In fact we had never been such obedient young hypocrites in our lives. Before we even thought of sitting as we were told, the adults walked towards us, hastily dumping all their shopping bags on one of the contemporary sofas. Instead, we sat on the floor and leaned back against the sofa which was overflowing with bags and bags of careless motherly shopping – or so I thought at least.

  “Right, get seated,” mum repeated again.

  “You’ve told us to sit down a hundred times,” Jaden moaned. Tantrus seated himself on the most comfortable inflated armchair, still sipping from his brandy glass; his face looking relaxed, content and smug. The mothers sat themselves on the dual settee. “Right, we began thinking about your training and on ways to make you all stronger in work –” as Anne spoke my hand slowly travelled behind me into one of the bags on the settee, naively thinking they were filled with early Christmas presents. Mum had immediately caught sight of me and clicked her fingers. The bags lifted themselves up, high in the air, out of the reach of nosy kids like me. I blew up on my blue hair, again turning white as it ascended and back to blue as it descended.

  “I am an Aerokinetic you know?” I reacted wittily. I stood up and sent a breeze of air to fly upwards and circle the bags as I then tugged on the rope of air to bring the goods down, but they didn’t even flinch.

  “They’re held in a telekinetic barrier; you can always try to fly and retrieve them, Superman – oh, wait…you can’t fly yet. So sit down and stop embarrassing yourself,” mum retorted gently, intentionally humiliating me. I then sheepishly sunk back to the floor.

  I still had to learn that my mum was much more advanced in all this Vernaescian stuff than I was. Anne ceased her minor petty laughing and continued to talk.

  “As I was saying, Tantrus had suggested to us – Lina and me – that it would be a good idea to get you guys more prepared and active with your training. You know, get you all equipment that you need to make things easier for your combat. Also, there are some things we didn’t tell you about the school,” Anne stopped and mum took over.

  “When the Grinner attacked Aden at the school, there was a large mess left behind. And Liam – in case you didn’t know – you fried the schools electric circuit to get rid of the Demon Grinner. So it might take some time to repair the damages and the electric network.”

  My mum raised her hand and then lowered it again in a simple manner. On their own, the bags descended gently as we watched them in awe. Two stayed hovering in the middle of the room whilst one of them gradually floated towards us. We, the boys, stayed perfectly calm. But our instincts took over and we went rushing to it, quickly beginning to tear it open like the true wild savages we were.

  “BOYS!” Anne exclaimed, leaving Tantrus with his head thrown back, laughing at the hysterics we had so purposely created and then going back to sipping his bizarre blue beverage. We scoffed and retreated from the bag, leaving it torn in pieces revealing gifts in wrapping paper.

  “Barbarians,” Jojo said.

  “Ruffians,” Tammy added.

  “Animals,” Jade ended. So at least, I was right about the gifts.

  “So, Robbie first,” mum gestured.

  Robbie pushed us aside and took a gift that was cylindrical, long and had his name written in black marker on it. He was about to open it when he asked the adults: “may I?” Anne nodded, despite him already being permitted. He didn’t seem to be able to shake off this formality and maturity he had, as if he was or had been an adult before. Robbie looked down at his gift and gently opened it. We ogled at him as he unwrapped the paper diligently. Beneath the surface of the wrapping paper lay a black solid with what looked like a sturdy surface and dry texture – as far as I could tell. He tore off the paper to see what it was, only to reveal a wrist wrap made out of black leather. It would approximately fit from midway of his forearm to his wrist, similar to the brown wrist wrap he had on his right forearm. Instantly, he knew where he had seen this object before: the ball, on the arms of Mychaela and Tarmo.

  “It looks really cool. Thank you, but what is it?”

  “That is what we call a Revelion. They’re very special and quite expensive to purchase, but I was able to get one in a shop from St Balowin’s in the Porto-Pyro capital. It amplifies your power, so much more than you can imagine. It’s also able to help you extend your power range without hurting yourself.” Tantrus took another sip of his beverage upon the end of his explanation.

  “But mind you, there is one thing about a Revelion you should know: once you put it on, you can never ever remove it. It binds itself with your power and blood, therefore making it a part of you,” added Anne. Robbie looked down at his Revelion and pondered on his decision carefully.

  “Well, I’m not going to think twice about putting it on,” he said cheerfully. He undid the laces of his brown leather wrist wrap on his right arm by waving his hand over its black crisscrossed laces and they came undone. “Jade, can you please?” he asked.

  “Sure.” She sat closer to him as he took off the armband and placed it on his left arm. Jade waved her hand over it and it laced itself. Robbie took a deep breath and then sighed. He opened the Revelion’s rough-textured, sturdy black exterior and saw that the inner layer was coated with a smooth, bendable coating of metal. He noticed its malleability as it stretched along with his arm every time he moved around. Robbie slid his finger gently over the interior and it emitted a gentle yet resonating sound. As soon as he heard it he retracted his finger from it.

  “Is this Tartalum?” he asked, looking at the adults.

  “Yes, but mind you it solidifies when it closes and seals to your skin,” replied mum. Robbie placed the Revelion underneath his arm and stretched it open. He purposely kept his arm hovered atop it, unsure of what would happen to him if he put it on. At long last, his arm descended and fell into it with a clang. As soon as his hand touched the inside coating of Tartalum, everything moved fast for Robbie. He took a sharp gasp; the armband laced itself with a loud whipping sound as the thin metal laces strapped and entwined themselves around each other and we heard a slight clangourous collision of metal. The force of the Revelion was so strong that it caused Robbie to uncontrollably stand up. His Celt patterns started to light into their white luminescent colour. His eyes shone to bright gold and finally, his canines sharpened – similarly to how Jaden’s and mine were. His bottom canines grew pointier and his top ones sharpened. They weren’t really vampire-like though – when seen with the bottom teeth at least. They just looked neatly serrated. He honestly looked like some bizarre alien life-form, but still very humanoid.

  “Whoa, this is so cool. And so cold,” said Robbie.

  “Hey, my patterns, they’re expanding!” We could all see that his Celt marks were now creeping upwards towards his neck and then stopped.

  “Well, try something out,” instructed mum, even more excited than us.

  “Okay…umm –” Robbie looked around the room helplessly until he caught sight of a chair near the main entrance (which was now sealed to look like nothing less than a wall). Robbie opened his hand out, pointing it towards the chair whilst slowly starting to clench a fist. But whilst he was doing that, the chair was slowly crumbling. It was collapsing in on itself horridly and with every loud crack, it became whiter and whiter, seeming to lose its previous texture. Finally, as Robbie
’s entire palm was locking his fingers, the chair had quickly become a scrunched-up piece of hovering, plain-white paper, which Robbie cast aside to look back at all of us in bewilderment. His bottom lip was dangling speechlessly and his eyes were left wide-open in inexpressible shock. He couldn’t find the words to describe his appreciation – his power had grown.

  “I…I –” Robbie was stammering helplessly as he looked at his new Revelion and extended Celtic patterns as if it wasn’t himself he was looking at. The gratitude he felt was indescribable to him. Tantrus instantly raised his hand to prevent Robbie the trouble of forcing himself to speak.

  “You’re welcome, Robbie,” he said with a warm smile. Robbie nodded, with his eyes almost glistening in tears. But he just stood there like an awkward mannequin and we looked at him strangely.

  “Robbie,” Liam broke the silence, “won’t you sit down?”

  “Umm – I don’t really know how. My body’s just…all over the place.” Finally Liam dragged his brother to the floor as Robbie stroked his Revelion repeatedly.

  “Not bad, huh?” Tantrus said, followed by another sip.

  Jade peeked inside the bag and saw a pink box with her name on it. She swallowed hard and opened the lid, causing the thin, silk, pink ribbon to slide off of it. And there, underneath the clear white wrapping sheets, were two sharp objects, reflecting Jade’s image perfectly with their Tartalum nature.

  Jade pulled out a pair of long and thin, metal truncheons with two curved prongs jutting out of the handle which were wrapped with a sturdy, easy-grip cloth. She looked at the long knives and read the engraved words on it: “Mallory.” She exhaled silently, remembering the last person to call her that name – our father. The weapons were reflective like mirrors and sent light bouncing onto the walls.

  “They’re called sais,” Tantrus prompted, in between his quiet sips of blue alcohol.

  “Your father left them for you,” mum then spoke. Jade looked up at her with sad eyes and smiled weakly as her eyes and Celt marks glowed purple.

  Jojo put her hand inside one of the bags and pulled out something that was, like Robbie’s, cylindrical. She began unwrapping the present sluggishly and to her complete surprise, she found a watch in Roman numerals that was encrusted with diamonds and emeralds. It was made to the length of a simple wristwatch but with a larger width and also bore a delicate interior layer of Tartalum – like most of the things coming out of this bag.