Scrap Iron Angels

Chapter 17: Iron Wings

Three days had passed since Kieren had brought the others aboard causing a split between himself and those he accounted as his family and friends. Via stayed by his side while he recovered from the fever his powers had induced, but it seemed to only make matters worse. Kieren seemed despondent about the events that had taken place knowing good and well that none of them were sure of whether or not to trust him or push him away and keep their distance. It was once his fever had broken and he'd rested that Kieren was testing his boundaries with his alchemy by using the fire proof sparing dummies. But that had drawn the attention of the others to the training room on an early rainy day morning.

Kieren sighed as he slumped down and took a few deep breaths to get his bearing again. He was trying to lengthen the time he could use his alchemy to longer periods hoping that he could eventually use it without any backfires. He flopped down onto the cold floor and took in steady breaths as he tried to get himself calmed. Who was he kidding? At the rate he was going Kieren would be lucky to make his alchemy last an hour without damage but most definitely not days like he wanted. He heard someone move and glanced up at the others with slate gold eyes that made them flinch. Jewel took a hesitant walk towards him as he stayed there and closed his eyes taking in steady breaths.

"Are you alright?" asked Eudora.

"I'll survive. I'm trying to get stronger so I can use it with being weakened like this."

"But Kieren...you're over doing it and..." he shook his head.

"Just a few hours. If I can make it last an hour longer each time then I'm getting better." Kieren let out a sigh as he glanced at the girl near him.

"But if you end up sick or in the hospital then..." he frowned a bit.

"Jewel do you think I'm a bad person?" the others seemed a little surprised by the question.

"Why would you ask me that?" she asked. Kieren glanced at her with those slated eyes and she flinched.

"Because you and the others are acting like I'm not the person you knew...so am I a bad person or is it something else?" the girl sighed.

"You just seem...different I know you really aren't but you're distant like you don't want us around you," she said.

"Jewel, I'm not that different. They didn't do anything to me...this is what I am so why are you so scared?" the others stood there thinking for a moment before Adam shrugged.

"You set things on fire like it's nothing and I don't know it seems like you've turned into someone else," he told him.

Kieren sat up and stood taking in a deep breath before within a second that it took to make a movement the sparing dummy lit up in flames. Kieren stumbled back breathing hard as the flames slowly died and he flopped backwards onto the floor with a growl of frustration. The others took note of this and Rick gulped before looking at his friend.

"Why do you keep pushing yourself? Shouldn't you stop?" Kieren shrugged.

"If I stopped...then it wouldn't get stronger and neither would I. so for now I'm just trying to get myself in order so I can do something besides hope I'll get it eventually. There are people who want to use me, or hurt me...even kill me. So I can't just lay it aside and hope I get stronger by chance. I have to use it and make it become stronger and push myself."

"Limits are a thing to take into consideration Kieren," Doctor Nelthorpe said.

"Tell that to the people who want Iornon back and ruling. Zelferia is gone and he'll destroy everything if we aren't careful."