The Awkward and Terrifying Explosive Adventures of the Recreaze-Vallia Family

Chapter One

Ariah

I pulled on my fingerless black gloves that ended at the knuckles, one hand at a time. The night was so dark that you couldn't see my face, not in the weak light that the moon cast. I crouched, the silverstick at a diagonal across my back, its handle slightly curving over my left shoulder so I could reach up and grab it in a matter of seconds. The black gloves were covered with a thin layer of padding that helped me have a better grip; it was customized to my hands only.

The mental clock in my head began its final countdown, red numbers blinking in the corner of my eye. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...

At one, I leapt, much higher than a normal person would be able to. My gloved hands latched onto a glass surface and I carefully pulled myself up and over it. This had been carefully timed; the second rotation of guards would be coming soon, so I had at most five minutes. That was enough time.

With a slight smile bordering on a smirk, I quickly scanned the area. It was designed like a giant cube, two of the walls made of shorter glass panels, and the other two walls being taller stone walls. The ceiling was a sheen of clear blue glass, the floor a rough grey stone.

I spread my hands wide, palms facing down, and waited a few seconds. Something beeped softly in my ear, a sound that only I could hear. I stole over to the center of the cube, where something invisible cast a dark shadow in the form of a perfect circle on the ground. I snatched at the air where the object should be, immediately closing my fingers on something icy-cold. Its effects were already starting; I could feel my hand growing numb and withdrew my hand as fast as I could before it froze completely. Using my other hand, I took out a small stone from my pocket and tossed it into the air. It turned into a small satchel that I placed the object in before closing it, which turned it back into a stone.

The beeping sounded in my ear again. Five minutes was up. Right on cue, two guards appeared at opposite corners in the cube. I cursed mentally; I had hoped not to arouse anyone at this particular time. With any luck, they wouldn't see me, but I doubted it. Their eyes were trained to spot people like me, who could fade into the night. I tensed, my arm ready to draw my silverstick. All I had to do was stand here until they switched corners again. Luckily, I had studied this down to each second.

My legs were becoming cramped from standing as still as a statue, making no sounds, in the centre of the cube when both guards turned in unison to face each other, walking along the length of each wall to cross to opposite corners. I silently moved to stand in front of one of the glass panels.

There was a slight whisper behind me. Without even turning around, I raised my right hand slightly and cupped my fingers around the air, pushing outwards. I heard a quiet thud as one of the guards fell backwards; in that moment, I turned around, drawing my silverstick and touching it to the hollow of the throat of the second guard, a fierce and silent dance. He crumpled to the ground, his skin bright red where my weapon had touched it.

I flipped over the glass panel, landing in a crouch on the platform below. The alarm would be raised by now. I sprinted to the edge of the platform and gave a flying leap to a second platform, smaller and dangling several metres below, visible only by the slight gleam that its metal chains gave in the total darkness.

I leapt to another platform, but misjudged the distance. I rolled to the side frantically, managing to stop a centimetre before the platform ended, my heart a loud drum pounding in my ears. My shoulder jangled one of the chains holding the platform in place, causing a loud clanking noise to echo in the dark expanse. Immediately I tensed, silently cursing myself, then waited a beat to listen for the whispers of feet running in my direction before running the way I had come.