Asylum

Okay...Now What?

Leo Hernandez

Ren knocking Sarah in the back of the head with only half the success we needed? Sure, I can handle that. Actually stepping onto soft grass for the first time in ages? Wow...a little less believable. Almost getting exploded by a lightning bolt but only escaping by almost getting exploded by another lightning bolt? Never again. One of my best friends who would never harm a fly is a super powerful water bender? I'm sorry...what?

Look, I know about harnessing energy from other organisms – it's how I operate. But for Kya to create that ice dome? That required sending out thousands – millions – billions of sensors and connecting them with pinpoint accuracy to microscopic water drops moving at high speed. Do you know how much energy and power that takes? A lot.

I always knew Kya had some powers that dealt with the moon, but I didn't know they were this largescale. The moon works the tides, which is where Kya gets the ability to harness water energy. But she can't produce water like Ren can because the sun makes flames; it doesn't just harness the fires on earth.

I'm eager to know what else our friend can do. Sarah will probably know – she's a book nerd who has read all about abilities. Once we get somewhere safe, maybe she can teach us about what we can accomplish.

Somewhere safe...where would that be? And are we even going to stay together as a group of friends? Will Asylum come after us? If not, do we even need to develop our powers?

The rain has lightened up a bit, so I'm able to hear running footsteps squishing in the dirt. With Sarah walking fine but having a headache to my right, and Kya half-trudging half-walking to my left, I whirl around towards the oncoming people. It's only Ren and Elektra. If it wasn't them, I was about to throw some major fists...psyche, I probably would've cowered behind Kya.

Once they reach us, they double over, out of breath. "Did you lose Cerberus? Were you followed?" I eagerly inquire.

Elektra shakes her head.

"Those guards might be after us, though," Ren offers, standing up and folding his hands over his head. He's wearing a white V-neck and that jacket he always wears and he's soaked through, everything underneath his shirt totally visible. God, he's perfect. I want to murder that guy.

"Guards?"

"Uh-huh," he sighs, gasping for air. "About twenty of them came at us but we warded them off. I bet my life they'll come searching for us, especially with how powerful we are." In reality, everyone is powerful here except me. I can't use my powers to attack anyone or protect my friends. The only use for it is to see what secrets people keep. I'm the Blackmail Lord, not the Water Warrior. "And we probably scared the dogs off with the electricity and fire...but they'll probably find us, too."

"So where do we go?" I ask, still extremely unclear on that aspect of the situation.

Elektra clears her throat and speaks. "First, we need to find out where we are."

"Okay, good point," I acknowledge. Looking around, I search for any hint. Winter's coming and we're stuck outside in the wilderness. There are lanky birch trees and thick oak and pine, along with tons of dark green bushes that look like snake heaven. The grass is short and thick, and in a week or two, it'll be covered in layers of snow. Despite the scenery, I have no clue of on our exact whereabouts. "So, where are we?" I ask, basically blowing up the elephant in the woods.

"Outside," Ren bites. Where the hell are we? Clearly, someone hates the unknown.

Sarah speaks, although quietly so she doesn't disturb her headache. "We need to keep walking. The quicker we get to a city or town or something, the quicker we can get Kya help." I look over the girl. Her skin is freezing, as if she's about to ice over. Though her eyes are shut, she stands with unstable balance. She wavers ever-so-slightly. Her lips are dry despite the rain soaking us all, and they're also a light blue color. It's like she's losing life.

"What if we're going away from civilization?" Ren counters, completely ignoring Kya's state.

Elektra snorts. "I'll live in caves for the rest of my life if I have to. Behind us is Asylum, and I'm never turning back there again."

"I wish I could heal people instead of read their minds," I sigh. "I'm sure if Kya was functional, she'd have some innovative idea."

Sarah places a hand on my arm. "Kya is a descendant of the moon, which calms the world. Once she's better, she can develop the ability to heal if she's strong enough."

"Strong enough?" I rhetorically question. "Did you not see the pop-up igloo she assembled?"

"Sub-powers channel distinct parts of the body. For me and you, our main power is to connect with feelers. For Ren, his power is to spark his own chi. For Elektra, it's to connect to the heavens. For Kya, it's to connect with other chis," Sarah explains. "The only sub-power Kya has, I think, is healing. She'll have to learn a whole new technique. Ren, you can redirect lightning because it contains a certain level of heat. Elektra, you can create whole storms. Leo, there's a lot you can do but don't know yet."

"Make a whole storm, huh?" Elektra echoes, looking at the sky. "How?"

Sarah shakes her head. "I don't know. I'm sure there are others out there that are like us who can teach us."

"We need to move," Ren demands. "We're sitting ducks."

"Actually, we're standing," I point out like the noble smartass I am. There's also something I notice about Ren that's odd. It's not necessarily something I see or hear; but feel. It's like there's a bunch of pent up aggression in his head. As if Ren knows something but he's restraining from telling us. "Do you know where we could go, Ren?"

"You heard Elektra," he spits, crossing a dragon arm and a regular arm. "To know where to go, we need to know where we are – and I have no idea."

Sarah narrows her lavender eyes at him. "You didn't answer the question."

Elektra looks to the Dragon now. "You know something? Because we kind of need some answers – quick."

"I know a place," he admits. "There are energy trainers there. I was in the middle of learning a new technique, but Asylum found me."

"There are energy trainers out in the world?" Sarah asks, mouth gaping. "How? What are they like? Why didn't Asylum take them?"

"Yeah, and they're costly," Ren remarks with snide. "They're like power sages – they know everything there is to know. Sarah, you know the 'what' but they know the 'how.' But they don't have any ability, so they're untouchable to Asylum."

"No wonder you wanted to leave so bad," I note, sounding more depressed than I mean to. I grew up in the Bronx, so you can imagine how that went. My parents were poor and could barely hold down a job – let alone put food on the table. If these energy trainers are as expensive as Ren makes them out to be, then he must've had everything: a nice house, a family, money.

"Where is it?" Elektra asks, flashing the Dragon a threatening glare.

Ren raises a brown brow. "What if I don't want to take you there?"

Elektra looks around at us. "Well that's where you're gonna go. We can follow you. If you want to battle this out, try it. I dare you. It's three and a half versus one. Your odds are as slim as Leo."

"Hey!" I bark at her. "I'm literally right here. But yeah, she's right," I reluctantly admit. "So tell us where it is or else."

Ren rolls his amber eyes and the rain lets up a little more. "It's at my house."

"Perfect. Where do you live? A mansion or something?"

Slyly, the Dragon smirks. "More like a dojo..."

"A dojo?" Sarah gasps. "Cool!"

"...in Japan," Ren finishes.

"You were born in Japan?" Sarah assumes, furrowing light caramel eyebrows.

"I was born in New Mexico," he corrects. "I was raised in Japan."

"Why did you move?"

He snorts. "You worry about your own lives, not mine. It's already dark. Are we making a shelter or walking through the night?"

Collectively, we answer. "Walk."