The Nova Ranker - The Sword Almighty

Chapter 12. Learning how to Sword.

Mr. Rose told me to my face I should go to my friends and tell them I am a mind reader over lunch. I, of course, didn't do that. I trust my friends with my life. I would die and kill for Joey and I only just became friends with him a day or two ago. I have trusted Franny with secrets about my personal life that not even my brother knows. My brother is the most trustworthy, gentle and genuine person on the entire planet. I trust all of them more than I can trust myself. And if I told them about my mindreading, they might get upset with me. They'd never want to speak with me, knowing that I've been poking around inside of their minds. I couldn't tell them about it. Not yet.

I took my mind out of things and raised my eyes to my friends. I did want to settle a few things with them. Team Melon Bread needed a leader and I can tell you that I didn't have the chops necessary, no matter what my friends thought.

"So guys." I squeezed Franny's hand and tried to make eye contact with Joey and Andy. "We never decided on a leader for the team."

A pause from the other three, before they turned to look at me. The chill of fear that ran up my spine caused me to clench Franny's hand a little. I felt her fingers wriggle a little in my hand, but she didn't let go.

"Well, you're the one who had the idea of making a team." Joey raised his eyebrows at me and smiled.

"You'd be like Mr. Rose. You control fire, just like him." Franziska put forward and leaned against me again.

Before I could voice my opinion of why I didn't want to be team leader, Andy cleared his throat and tapped his fingers on the table. "Guys, if it's okay, why don't I take the position as leader?"

"Y-yeah my big bro's older." I chimed in and cleared my throat. "He's stronger than me. He's got better social skills..."

"Well. If you're okay with it." Franziska returned my previous squeeze and leaned against me.

We all checked our medals, to see if something had changed. Indeed, my brother's name in his badge was accompanied by "Cmdr.". Fancy. A few hours later, Mr. Rose and I were in the wide campus that surrounded Quinta Roca Manor, standing by the Des Plaines river. He was dressed up in clothes more apt for combat than the Magenta Hoodie of Death. A Magenta tank top that showed off his toned shoulders and arms, and black track pants. I'm gonna start wearing magenta if I hang out with him too much.

"Alrighty, kid, we're gonna start your training." He raised his hand and created a small flame. "We're not gonna do anything physical just yet. You're very far away from the impressive stuff. We have to find your thing first."

"Thing?" I set my sword down and moved to stand in front of Mr. Rose. "You mean like... something magical or..."

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know." He started moving his arm, and the flame drew curves in the air, following his hand. "Magic Specialization, or just 'thing' as I call it, is your unique magic ability. Think of it like Trine magic. Other people born the same year as you will have something similar. But yours is unique. Say, you might be able to control the shape of fire, like me, while other people might be able to control the rate of burning, or maybe the explosiveness of fire."

"Oh! That's how you create those animals and objects made out of fire?"

Right on cue, the fire he'd been using to draw in the air turned into a slithery little dragon that started to float around me in circles. "The size, shape, burning, explosiveness, whatever. Everyone has their own. We could take an entire week, and a bunch of psychological studies to find it out but... well there's a quicker method, if you're interested"

All things considered, I didn't want to wait. "I think it'd be better to take the quick method." I had somewhat of an answer formulated in my head, but I wanted Mr. Rose to give his opinion first. His method could be an easier way of finding my thing. There were occasions where I felt heat and cold screeching through my very soul, with my emotions. Could this be the 'thing' Mr. Rose wanted to hear from me?