Knowledge: The Fifth Division Saga: Book 1 (16 page)

            
 
“This was my first time sir.”

            
 
“Fantastic!”

              Laurel raised a critical eyebrow, “Hm.” She flipped her green streaked black hair over her shoulder, “It’ll take a whole lot more than controlling a raindrop for me to be impressed.”

              As she walked away, Caspian found himself wondering what the heck her problem was and why her green eyes were so darn beautiful. Shaking the ridiculous thought from his mind, he returned his attention back to the stream until the tug and noise returned and the ball of water, a little larger this time, hovered in front of him once more.

*

            
 
“This is hopeless.”

            
 
“This is only the third Knowledge we’ve tried and I honestly never really expected you to be Animal or Plant.”

              Over the past hour, Ash and I already crossed two Knowledges off the list after the poison ivy gave me a rash (a Plant Knowledge would have been unaffected) and a deranged monkey attacked me (Animal Knowledges can communicate with animals). Now, we had moved on to Sky and I was less that optimistic.

              I clutched the notebook Caspian bought for me a little tighter, the gems twinkling in the sunlight. The night before I had stayed up, burning the midnight oil, jotting down different lines for songs. There was something magical about singing, it transformed an ordinary sentence into a dance of tune and emotion.

            
 
“This is dumb. I probably don’t even have any powers.”

            
 
“Oh shut up, will you? You’re being whiny and that’s highly unattractive.” Ash grinned. “Now, concentrate on the air above you, feel the breeze blowing on your face, feel the clouds above us. Sky Knowledges are able to manipulate wind currents to create cyclones and strong winds. Focus on the way the air moves around you.” We stood, facing each other, with about a foot of space separating us in the soft morning light of a hidden cove behind the university, isolated by surrounding trees and brush.

              As much as I wanted to mock his dramatic tone, I held back my sass and shut my eyes. I tried to focus on the air and the wind or whatever, but the sun just felt so nice. I had always liked the sunshine and spending the past year in Lincoln City, rays were hard to come by. It seemed that every day in the Elemental Kingdom shone pleasant and cloudless. The warm heat hugged my skin, filling my body with happiness and comfort. I stopped trying to concentrate on the air around me and just thought about how nice the bright sunlight felt on my flesh and how enriching it was and how it felt like I could literally soak up the light beaming down upon me.

            
 
“Uh, Miss Mirabelle?”

            
 
“Hm?” I murmured dreamily, too content to open my eyes.

            
 
“You’re glowing.”

              At this I peeked out of one squinted eyelid, “Ash, enough with the cheesy lines please.”

            
 
“No, you are quite literally glowing. Look!”

              I opened my eyes and looked down at my hand, my breath catching at what I saw. My pale skin had become almost transparent and a soft golden light radiated from my flesh. As I stared at it, the glow began to fade until my skin resumed its normal ghostly pallor. 

              I met Ash’s wide eyes and spoke hesitantly, “That doesn’t fit the description of any Knowledge in the books does it?”

              He shook his head.

            
 
“Of course not.”

              He stared at me strangely, but he wasn’t looking at my skin.

            
 
“What?” I barked, thoroughly disturbed by my illuminated skin.

            
 
“It’s just…it’s that…well, darling, your eyes were different.” I raised an eyebrow, “They were glowing too.”

              I breathed in deeply and slumped down onto the plush grass that had grown by the bottom of one of the trees in the grove. It was a lovely little clearing now that I took the time to really look at it. The trees had grown in a perfect circle to make a small and cozy oasis with an open canopy that allowed us to have a full view of the sky above. The center of the clearing had a small circle of stones with a little pile of burned wood at its center: a fire pit.

              I titled my head back to look at the burning sun and a thought crossed my mind, “Ash, what if I’m a Sun Knowledge?”

            
 
“No. Suns are always male, that’s a major giveaway. Plus, what you just did there wasn’t what a Sun Knowledge would look like when they used their power. They can manipulate the power of the sun, its heat and radiation. But you weren’t giving off heat; you were simply giving off…light.”

              I could tell by his tone of voice that he had no idea what was wrong with me.

              Ash still stood rigid, not having moved an inch. I patted the ground beside me and he joined me on the forest floor. “So is this where you and Erion have secret meetings and plan who you’re next victim will be?”

            
 
“We save our evil plotting for our slumber parties actually.” His dark hair fell across his face, concealing his eyes, “Erion’s never actually been here.”

            
 
“He hasn’t?”

              He shrugged, “I’ve just always felt like keeping something to myself, I suppose.”

            
 
“So why did you bring me here?”

            
 
“We needed a place to practice, and I’ve gathered that you are a trustworthy person. I figured it could be our secret.”

              I gulped. His ability to catch the tiny details of my character in such a short amount of time freaking me out a little, “I won’t tell.” I tilted my head upward again, leaning back against the tree so I could watch the fluffy white clouds, “Why are you so ashamed of being a Fire Knowledge?”

              I felt him stiffen beside me, “I’m not a…”

            
 
“Oh don’t even
try
to pull that one on me. I’m not stupid you know.”

            
 
“Are you quite sure about that?”

              I turned my head to glare at him and he glared back, “Ash, please. I’m new here, clearly, but I’m not oblivious to the looks you get walking through town. The stares I get are curious yours are...anxious. Does it have something to do with your Knowledge?”

              He stood up suddenly and busied himself with his sleeve button, “There are things about this world that you don’t understand Miss Mirabelle…”

            
 
“So help me understand!”

              He spun around to face me, “You can’t understand! You know of nothing that goes on in this realm! You may have Nostosian blood running in your veins but you are nothing but an ignorant human!” His black eyes flashed orange and red menacingly, but I stayed unafraid. I stood up and faced him, ignoring my racing heart.

            
 
“I may have grown up human, but I have always felt that something was off about my family. I could sense it. Whenever Caspian and I used to walk down those halls, people looked at us funny because they felt it too. No matter where we went, disaster followed and I never knew why. I think I may have always known, deep down. I may not know a lot, Ash, but I understand more than you think I do. I am forced to trust you with everything, can’t you return that just a little? Stop deflecting my questions with rudeness and have a civil conversation with me. You just said it yourself: I can be trusted. So knock this crap off.”

              He searched my eyes in shock, clearly taken aback by my monologue. I didn’t blame him, I could hardly believe it myself that I had said half those things. But I seemed to have made my point because he sighed and sat back down on the grass with his back against the trunk, his arm brushing against mine.

            
 
“I know you’re not stupid Miss Mirabelle. I apologize for my misconduct. You have to hear me though; being a Fire Knowledge is nothing to be proud of.” His hands were folded on his lap as he twiddled his thumbs.

            
 
“I don’t see why.”

            
 
“My kind are...rare.”

            
 
“So you’re one of a kind?” I smirked, hoping to lighten the mood, but he only grimaced.

            
 
“Yes, unfortunately.”

              I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion, “But, I really don’t see how…”

              The University clock chimed in the distance, alerting us that the first session had concluded and that it was now time for lunch. He sprang to his feet saying, “Sorry Miss Mirabelle, but we have to hurry back, Erion and your brother will be waiting and Erion gets cranky when he’s hungry and…”

            
 
“Ash?” I broke his muttering.

            
 
“Yes, Miss Mirabelle?”

            
 
“You don’t have to call me that, you know.”

            
 
“Call you what?”

            
 
“’Miss Mirabelle’. I mean, I know everyone here talks much more proper than they do back in Lincoln City, but even Erion calls me Mira now. We’re friends, there’s no need to be formal.”

              He tilted his head slightly, a small smile playing at his mouth in that funny way he has, “But I’m your Guardian. I feel there is a level of respect that should be maintained, don’t you?”

            
 
“This is coming from the guy who just about ripped my head off for asking a question?”

            
 
“Point taken.”

            
 
“I just feel like the term ‘Miss’ is too…ladylike.” I shrugged and grimaced, hoping my point was conveyed. I hated myself for being so terrible with words. So often I wished I could be like Caspian, always knowing the right thing to say.

              He chuckled darkly, “Well, I
have
witnessed the way you inhale three servings of bacon without slowing, so I cannot argue there.”

            
 
“Thanks.”

              He gave a broad grin before rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “Fine, here is my proposition: I will consent to cease with the term ‘Miss’ but I refuse to call you anything but Mirabelle.”

            
 
“Nobody but my mom calls me by my full name and that’s only when I’m in trouble. I don’t see why you would want to use it, it’s such a mouthful.”

              His smile softened and he stepped a tiny bit closer so I could see his pitch black pupils, “I have my reasons.” He paused and his eyes lit with mischief, “And I don’t think I shall tell you what they are.”

              I rolled my eyes but started to follow him out of the grove, “So you’re just going to keep me wondering?”

            
 
“Girls love mystery, it’s sexy.”

              He winked at me before pushing a tree branch aside, allowing a stream of golden sunlight to break through the shade.

             
Chapter 9

            
 
“So remember…”

            
 
“Erion, we
know
!” Caspian moaned, rubbing his aching head. His migraine had steadily worsened throughout the morning from all of the Knowledge practice. The dull pain had transformed into a monstrous stabbing sensation. Caspian wasn’t sure how he would survive the rest of the school day.
Asprin would be fantastic right about now.
He thought.

            
 
“Well
excuse
me for being a little stressed out!” Erion huffed and crossed his arms. Caspian glanced over to the spot a couple feet away where Mira stood with her hip popped and arms folded. Her shimmering Knowledge flowed seamlessly from her spine. Caspian glanced back at his own set of wings and, as always, could hardly believe he had two avian limbs sprouting from his skin.

              Mira turned and a bush nearby snagged on her Knowledge, causing her to yelp in pain as she tried to pull away, “These things always get in the way!”

            
 
“You get used to it, darling.”

              Caspian switched his gaze over to Ash who was currently sulked off to the side playing with one of the wooden knives he and Erion used. Ash’s cocky demeanor and sharp tongue rubbed him the wrong way since the day they met. Something about the guy seemed off even though Caspian couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

              The loud bell rang over the courtyard in front of the university and the four of them walked through the large front doors and into the old building. Instead of climbing the staircase this time, they ventured down the hall of the first floor. Caspian looked around the hall in awe. Contrasting greatly to the rain-forest decorated Elemental floor, this hall consisted of large gray stones, giving a medieval feel to the area. The only adornment in sight was an elaborately decorated rug that depicted an epic battle scene full of blue explosions and knives of all sizes that lay on the floor. Ash and Erion led the way down the short, torch lit hallway until they came to a large room filled with tables and chairs. Nodding for them to follow, Erion strode forward to the table nearest to the door and plopped down in one of the stone chairs. Caspian sat next to him with Mira sitting on his other side and Ash next to her. Caspian placed his hand on the table in front of him and felt the gravelly pressed stone rub against his palm.

              Students filed in and Caspian made sure to take inventory, trying to identify different members of the four Kingdoms. But before he could begin to categorize people based on the information he had been given concerning the Kingdoms, he overheard a whispered conversation between Ash and Mira initiate at the sight of the various students entering the room.

            
 
“I already know how to spot Elementals: Knowledge, possible hair streaks, eye color…but how do I spot a Wielder? Or a Shade or Seer?”

              Out of the corner of his eye, Caspian saw Ash lean toward his sister and nod his head at something across the room. Caspian followed his stare to a curly haired boy with bright blue eyes. “That’s a Wielder. You can tell by their eyes, they’re always cobalt in color. And if they have Discovered the magic inside of them, they’ll have a black Ink on their hand. See that?” Mira nodded and Caspian saw it too, on the curly haired boy’s wrist a dark tattoo of a foreign phrase he did not recognize sketched into his flesh. The words were loopy and arranged in a language that appeared ancient.

            
 
“Ink?” she inquired, her gaze locked on the boys wrist, but he shook his head.

            
 
“Don’t ask me. Each Kingdom has its secrets. They don’t know about ours and we don’t know about theirs. I’m sure you’ll find out once your private Wielding lessons start.”

            
 
“Okay, what about Shades and Seers? How do you spot them?”

            
 
“See the dreamy eyed girl with the long braid and pointed ears? She’s a Seer. The braid and ears are a dead giveaway. And see the two scary looking guys over there lounging in the corner. See them in the full black outfits? Shades. Best to steer clear of them if possible. They prefer the dark but they can survive short periods of time in broad daylight. The telltales for them are the ghostly pale skin and retractable fangs.” As he spoke, one of the boys in the corner turned to look at their table, smiling in a way that displayed his pointed canines. “Oh and they have heightened senses as well, that’s a bonus.”

            
 
“What about the eyes?” Mira whispered.

              Caspian glanced back at the Shades and gulped. They were both still watching their table but now Caspian noticed that their eyes burned a deep, blood red.

              But Ash shook his head, “Nah. Once they gain enough control, they can temporarily dim the color enough to seem almost human. They can practically blend into the human world seamlessly when they want to. They sort of have to, considering they survive off human blood.”

              Caspian shivered.

            
 
“They sound like vampires.” Mira breathed without taking her eyes off the Shades.

            
 
“Well, that’s what they are.” Ash said and she broke her eyes away from the two in the corner to look at him sharply. “Not technically, but humans have ‘mythical’ creatures named after each of our Kingdoms. They based vampires off of Shades, fortune tellers off of Seers, sorcerers off of Wielders, and faeries off of Elementals.”

              She snorted, “So you’re telling me that you are a faerie? Seriously?”

            
 
“No, I’m saying that I’m an Elemental and that humans always get things wrong.”

            
 
“Whatever you say, Puck.”

              The class quieted down as a small flighty woman pranced into the classroom, a long braid flying behind her. “Good afternoon, class. Today, as it is my rotation, is a Seer based lesson. So who can tell me..?”

              But they never heard the end of her question.

              A shrill scream rang in the stale air of the room through the open windows that spread along the back wall, causing the entire class to forget the teacher and run to the back of the room. Caspian joined the panic stricken crowd, his ears dulled from the pain in his head. He felt Mira grab his hand and together they wove their way to the front so they could see out the windows.

              Frightened murmurs occasionally snaked their way to his hearing and actually formed conscious thoughts.

            
 
“Do you
see
that?”

            
 
“Who would do that? In Nostos?”

            
 
“I think I’m going to be sick.”

              Making a final shove towards the open window Caspian and Mira looked out over the beautiful, green courtyard. Another shriek sounded from right below, from the front steps of the university. The screamer could barely be seen from their viewpoint, but Caspian found himself wishing he couldn’t see anything at all. A woman sprawled across the front steps, a puddle of blood pooling beneath her. He saw that her abdomen had been severely scratched, revealing deep gashes along her stomach. Her face brutally bruised and bloodied, her long black hair and the pitch of her screams the only indication of her being a female. But the most disturbing part of the scene was the fact that the girl’s entire left hand had been chopped clean off, leaving a red stump in its wake.

              The girl screamed again, only this time, she managed to speak an actual word, a word that would haunt Caspian for years to come, “
HELP!
”

              And his blood ran cold.