The Ark of Power

by David Barco

  Whenever I get down, I need to believe in myself as he does.

  Harrison watches people stroll into the shop. Looking up, he spots the sign above the building. Hall-way of Antiques lights up the dark sky creeping around it. The letters are all a different color. Harrison remembers JT's dad changing the q the other day. Being too cheap to buy new lights, he uses lights people leave at the shop when one of the bulbs quit working.

  Harrison steps inside. His nostrils are attacked by the smell of overcooked burgers and stale chips. The normal dusty smell he remembers lingers faintly. The shop looks the same as always, except he has never seen these many people here at once. The walls are cluttered with ancient paintings and giant clocks.

  Tables scatter all around with different odd-looking antiques covering them. Harrison, feeling someone grab his shoulder suddenly, turns and sees JT and his other close friends Jaylen and Joseph. Jaylen stuffs his mouth with an overcooked burger. Joseph crams a giant handful of chips into his mouth.

  "About time you got here," Jaylen says with pieces of burger shooting out of his mouth.

  "Yeah, my mom took a while to get ready, but what's new?" Harrison replies, trying to avoid flying burger pieces.

  "What's new is seeing you all dressed up! You finally stepped your game up with this outfit. You might actually get a girl to recognize you now," Joseph says, laughing and wiping the crumbs off his lips.

  "Now, hold up! We all know that Victoria Grant is crazy over our guy right here. She has been for the last couple of years in school, and she is supposed to be here tonight. And with you dressed like this, it's going to make her go insane!" JT says.

  They all laugh.

  "Yeah, yeah laugh it up. We are just friends; she doesn't like me like that. Everyone just likes to mess with me about that," Harrison replies.

  Harrison mingles with his group of friends while occasionally talking to other classmates. While he pours some red crème soda into his plastic cup, someone places their hand on his neck. He turns around and sees JT's dad, Braxton Hall, who is the owner of the shop. Even he is dressed nicer than normal, Harrison notices. His peppered colored hair combed but still not styled like usual. His beard, the same color as his hair, is neatly trimmed close to his face.

  "Harrison, my boy, how are you doing?" Mr. Hall asks him.

  "I am doing well, Mr. Hall. Thank you for inviting me and my mom to your party. It looks like she is enjoying herself," Harrison responds.

  "You know you would be the first people we would ask. To be honest, I am just glad your mom decided to come knowing what today is. I was a little worried you wouldn't," Mr. Hall replies.

  "Yeah, me too,” Harrison says, wiping the crème from his soda off his lip.

  "Come with me to my office before the delivery agent gets here," Braxton says quietly.

  "Yes, sir.”

  Harrison follows him.

  Closing the door behind them, Braxton hurries to his desk, opening it. Harrison sees him pull something about the size of his hand out with a long chain dangling from it. Walking to him, Harrison wonders what it could be.

  "What is it, Mr. Hall?"

  Harrison stares at it.

  "This right here, I found in Niro, one of the smallest cities in the Golic nation. They are another nation like the Destine nation we live in. The person who owned it didn't know the history of it since it has such a rich history amongst the Destine people. It is a compass that is said to be the Supreme Elder’s. He gave it to the very first Destine Elder, one of the legendary five disciples of the Supreme Elder who went and created the great five nations. I want to give it to you."

  Harrison examines the compass in his hand. The aged golden color on it makes it look old and worn. The inside looks like a normal compass except it has words from a different language he has never seen before.

  "Wow, that's pretty neat, but why would you want to give me something so special?" Harrison asks.

  "Days before your dad disappeared, he came to my shop and asked if I had ever come across this compass, or if I have ever seen it at any other antique shops around the nation. I told him I had never seen it and asked the importance of it. He said that he needed it on his next mission. That it would lead him to what he was looking for. The next mission he was referring to was the mission we know as the Silent Mission."

  Harrison's heart sinks.

  "What is it supposed to lead to then? A certain place or something?” Harrison asks.

  "I don't know. Everybody I ask says the same thing, that they aren't too familiar with the story of the compass. I met one individual who says it is called The Compass of Destiny, but that's all he knew. I just figured it was fitting to give to you, being the anniversary of the disappearance of your dad and the day you find out if you made the Academy."

  Harrison, holding the compass, does not know how to feel.

  "Come on, let's get back in there," Braxton says.

  Harrison nods while putting the compass in his pocket. Going back to the party, everybody eagerly waits for them to get back. Near the entrance, Harrison spots JT's mom next to the delivery agent from the Academy. Lifting up the letters, she signals for Mr. Hall to come up there.

  Harrison could barely see her since she was shorter than most. Getting closer, he sees her cheeky smile and curly gray hair. The man from the Academy towers over her. Harrison marvels at his dark gray robe that extends down to his knees with two black stripes racing down his side from his armpits to his knees.

  "Amber, are those the letters for everyone?" Mr. Hall asks his wife.

  "YES! Hurry let's give them out to everybody. The wait is killing us!" Mrs. Hall responds with excitement.

  Braxton shakes the agent's hand. Grabbing the letters from his wife, he stands on a table, towering above everyone. Harrison, watching with his friends, listens carefully.

  "I just want to say something really quick before we hand these out. I am truly excited for all of you. I never had the opportunity to make it into the Academy. I was rejected twice, which is the limit. Some of you will make it and some won't. I want to say though, seeing a lot of you grow up and get to this point has been amazing, and no matter what your letter says, I am proud of you. Being part of the Destine nation, we all believe we all are destined for something, so if you get rejected, know that you are still a Destine and be proud of whatever destiny is in front of you, even if it is a little antique shop," Mr. Hall announces.

  Harrison senses the sincerity in his voice.

  Jumping down, he hands half of the letters to his wife. They immediately hand them out. Harrison watches Jaylen, Joseph, and JT get their envelopes. Opening them at once, one by one, they yank the letters out.

  "I'M IN!" Jaylen screams!

  "I'M IN TOO!" Joseph announces loudly.

  "I AM GOING TO THE ACADEMY!" JT hollers.

  Harrison spots his mom walk over with an envelope.

  "I got yours for you. Open it!" Francis tells him.

  "I will but let me go to the front of the shop, so I am not in the way of everyone else," Harrison responds.

  Harrison, moving to the front with his mom, sees the agent. The agent sees Francis and smiles. He stops to talk to her. Harrison walks to the corner of the room by himself. He rips open the envelope slowly lifting the letter out. The letter feels like paper he has never touched before.

  Opening it up, Harrison loses his breath.

  YOUNG GRADY,

  YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THE TRUTH. I HATE TO DO THIS BUT IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP YOU FROM THE TRUTH. YOU SHOULD THANK ME FOR THIS. THIS WILL NOT FEEL NEARLY AS BAD AS THE TRUTH IF YOU FOUND IT OUT.

  Harrison’s heart sinks to his stomach as the words gradually vanish off the page. Suddenly, feeling his hands get warm, the letter turns red and a red energy ball forms. Harrison immediately feels the energy ball explode.

  BOOM!

  Harrison, slamming through the front glass window, watches everything go black.

  Chapter 4

  Red Hawk
s in the Rose Garden

  Harrison's head pounds all over. Slowly, opening his eyes, he wonders where he is. Glaring around the room, he observes a woman at his side checking the monitor next to the bed he is laying in.

  "Where am I, and where is everyone else at?" Harrison asks, confused.

  Turning around, Harrison sees her smiling, checking the IV in his arm. Wearing all white, he notices she is a nurse.

  "How did I end up here? Where is my mom, is she okay, and everyone else, are they alright?" Harrison asks eagerly.

  Turning around messing with his monitor, her bright red hair, pulled back in a ponytail, illuminates the dark and gloomy room. Her hazel eyes compliment her smile, which comforts Harrison.

  "Your mom is outside your room, finally sleeping. She just fell asleep about two hours ago. I never have seen a person stay up for two straight days. Just shows how worried she was about you," the nurse says.

  She fixes the blankets on him.

  "Wait, did you say two days? How long have I been in here?" Harrison asks.

  "You were brought in two days ago after the explosion at Hall-Way Antiques. But I will tell your mom you are finally awake. She’ll be relieved and can answer your questions. If you need anything, just let me know," his nurse replies.

  Harrison lays there, while the nurse wakes his mom. Immediately, Francis rushes in, kissing his forehead as if she has not seen him in months.

  "Thank goodness, you are alright. I was so worried I lost you!" Francis says.

  Tears of joy fall down her face.

  "Mom, is everybody okay?" Harrison asks.

  "Some people had minor injuries from the explosion, nothing fatal though. The shop was damaged pretty badly but Mr. Hall was worried about you more than the shop," she replies, sniveling.

  "Really, that's great. But if the explosion was that powerful to damage the shop and blast me through the window, then how did it not cause more injuries?"

  "Well that's the thing the doctors and everybody else doesn't understand. For some reason, your body absorbed the energy. They have never seen an energy attack that is designed to target someone like that."

  "Really?"

  Harrison tries to understand what she said.

  Whoever sent that letter wasn't playing around!

  "You feel alright, honey?" Francis asks, rubbing his face.

  A light knocking on the door stops him from answering. Harrison sees Victoria Grant standing there as he glares at the open door. She runs her fingers through her soft and glossy brown hair, that has sunny yellow streaks like butter. She walks over to his bedside. The unique color of her eyes makes his knees weak. Smiling and blinking slowly, her blueish lime eyes makes Harrison forget to breath.

  Harrison’s heart races. Victoria hugs Francis closely.

  "Ms. Grady, it is good to see you again," Victoria says.

  "It's so good to see you too, sweetie. Looking prettier than ever," Francis responds.

  "Hey, Harrison, I didn't get to see what happened since I got there late. When I arrived, you were laying in the street. We have all been worried about you," Victoria says.

  “I just hate that the party ended that way. Guess I can say I left with a bang, huh?" Harrison giggles softly.

  At that moment, his nurse walks by the door and pokes her head in.

  "Ms. Grady, if you want to see the Elder’s conference about the attack on your son and the antique shop it's being broadcasted live on channel two and it's starting now," the nurse says.

  Francis grabs the remote and cuts on the tv.

  "Wait, why is the Destine Elder commenting on what happened to me. That doesn't make sense?" Harrison asks, shocked.

  "Honey, the letter that had a hidden energy ball set to explode when opened, was in the letters that were from the Academy's registration department. There is a lot of confusion right now. Some people are saying it was a terrorist attack on the anniversary of your dad's group's disappearance or maybe an orchestrated attack on just you," Francis responds.

  Harrison’s mind becomes muddled at the mention of his father’s disappearance, and he does not hear the last part of her sentence. The Destine Elder appears on the screen, commanding everyone's attention. His shrill, frail face is overtaken by wrinkles and is hidden by his dense, white neatly cropped beard. The top of his scalp is visible through his thinning white hair.

  Seizing the podium, taking a deep breath, the Elder begins to talk.

  “I want to first and foremost send my condolences to all the people that were injured during this incident two days ago. We are thankful that no one was fatally wounded. People in the small town of Eriz have a lot of questions as to what was behind the apparent attack in the antique shop. There are many rumors going around and I want to debunk some of those right now. We know for sure it was not a terrorist attack, and we know for sure it was not a planned attack on the young man, Harrison Grady. No one was trying to take his or anyone else's life. A student in the Academy who was helping the registration department accidentally transferred some energy from his Power Flow into the letter. As many of you know, Power Flow is what we use to create energy. He has been a student who has struggled in the Power Flow class, reported by his instructor Norman Drake. It is not uncommon for young students to release their energy into certain things without even knowing. Stating the obvious, the student's identity will not be revealed. He has sincerely apologized and feels bad for this. I truly apologize to Harrison Grady and I am sending my understudy, Sebastian Darby, and the Ragnar Council's leader, Adam Smalls, to the hospital to send my regards personally. May the Destine nation prosper!"

  Francis cuts the TV off, looking dazed. Harrison, remembering what the letter had said when he opened it, began to wonder if they were lying and covering something up.

  Did the Elder try to have me killed?

  "Honey, was there anything suspicious, or that didn't seem right, on the letter when you looked at it?" Francis asks.

  Harrison, thinking about what to say, spots the red-headed nurse enter the room.

  "That is just great news to hear, knowing all this was just a terrible accident. I know all of you are relieved. I imagine that there is nothing more terrifying than knowing someone is out to kill you," she says while doing her routine checkup.

  "Harrison, think, was there anything on the letter?" Francis asks again, ignoring the nurse.

  "No, it was just an acceptance letter, that's it," Harrison replies back trying to act normal.

  "Okay, thank goodness. I can believe the Elder then. Knowing all this, I am going to go get some rest for a while," Francis says.

  She kisses his forehead.

  "I hope you get some good rest, Ms. Grady," Victoria says, giving her another tight hug.

  Harrison, still trying to process all of it, longs to get outside again.

  “Ma'am, can I go outside for a couple of minutes. She will go with me and make sure I am okay."

  Harrison points to Victoria.

  "Sure, some fresh air might do you well," the nurse responds.

  Unhooking the monitors, she and Victoria helps him up. Walking through the doorway, he felt a hand lay on his shoulder.

  "If you need me, my name is Rena,” the nurse says.

  She comforts Harrison with her smile.

  ◆◆◆

  The sun tries to sneak below the horizon with soft strands of light shooting behind the buildings. Breathing heavily, Harrison could feel the difference between the sour air in the hospital and the fresh air outside.

  Sitting next to Victoria in the middle of the rose garden, different colored roses surround them. The sweet, moist smell of the roses unclogs the stubborn odor of the hospital that is trapped in his nostrils.

  "It feels so good out here. This is so much better than that room. And the funny thing is I just realized I was in it just a little bit ago," Harrison chuckles. He takes a rose from the bush next to him.

  "Here, for you," he says, giving it to her.

  "Alwa
ys trying to charm someone, huh?"

  She sniffs the small pink flower.

  “I am sure everyone was probably scared and confused about what happened," Harrison says.

  "Yeah, people have been talking around town. Like the Elder mentioned, a lot of rumors have been going around. Man, what are the chances a student struggling with his Power Flow control accidentally doing that?”

  "Yeah, tell me about it! That kid sure does have some enormous power, maybe that's why he can't control it?" he says sarcastically.

  "You don't believe him, do you? You must know something that we don't."

  Harrison quickly defends himself. "No. I would tell you guys if I knew something. Why would I keep something from all of you? That would be stupid.”

  "Well that's good because if it was someone else that really did this, especially someone up at the Academy, that would be the last place you would need to be at," she says, spinning the rose in her fingers.

  Abruptly, five men in gray robes with two red stripes running down the sides, walk up to them. Harrison grasps Victoria and brings her close to him. He sees two swords hanging from each of their backs. The one in the front waves his hand with two fingers pointing out.

  "It's clear, only the boy and a young girl,” the man gesturing says.

  Moving behind them are two men also in gray, hooded robes but their stripes are white. Their hoods hide their faces in darkness.

  "Thank you, Red Hawks, you may fall back,” the one on the right says in a hoarse voice.

  "Yes, sir! You heard him. Fall back Hawks!" the one in the front of the group says, signaling them all away from the garden.

  Who are they? And why do they roll with a group of men that intimidating?

  "You didn't tell me your nephew had a little girlfriend. Guess you can say he outdid himself though," the individual with the raspy voice says.

  Nephew? Did he just say nephew?

  They glide the hoods off their head, finally revealing their faces.

  Harrison grins.

  "I haven't seen him in a while, I guess his mom failed to mention that to me last time we talked," the one on the left responds back.