Aeradoth Stories

Longshot - A Rocky Start

Flourish sighs as another candidate leaves. "Is there anyone with useful powers? Who would have thought that assembling a hero team would be this difficult." 

A a pit grows in Flourish's stomach. The small, single desk office he is renting and the marketing expenses turned out to cost more than he expected. Already his funds are starting to reach dangerous levels. He needs to find a partner soon and start improving his hero grade or else he'll just end up another failure hero in debt.

Flourish picked up his clipboard and examined the application for the next candidate. "Hmm... This could be interesting. Next, Mountain Mover!"

Silly name but sounds like a hero with super strength, Flourish thought. This should be good. We don't have a tank on the team yet. Then again, the team consists of just me.

The door opens and from the waiting room emerged a skinny guy with short black hair wearing a plain white shirt and blue jeans. Everything about him screamed plain and uninteresting. He looked more at home in an old record shop than auditioning to join a hero team.

"You are... Mountain Mover?" Flourish asked, hoping it was a mistake. Maybe just an intern for one of the other offices that took a wrong turn.

"Yes sir, Mr. Flourish." the guy said in a squeaky voice.

Even his voice is less intimidating than my cat, Flourish mentally groaned. "Alright. What's your power?"

"I can move a mountain with my mind."

Flourish felt hope soar in his heart once more. "A telekinetic? And powerful enough to move a mountain? You're in!"

Mountain Mover's eyes bulged out and his mouth opened in shock. "Really? You really want ME?"

"Yes I do Mountain Mover. We'll have to work on the name, but once you fill out the necessary paperwork, you will officially be a hero!"

Flourish got up from his seat and grabbed another clipboard with the official documents for Mountain Mover to sign. Flourish handed the boy the keys, or rather the pen and paper to his future. In his excitement, Flourish had already signed all of the application forms so all that was left was for the people he approved of is to fill out the form so he could submit it.

Immediately Mountain Mover began filling out the information. It was all Flourish could do to not grin like an idiot. Finally, he had someone worth showing to his fellow heroes. No longer will he be the 'Lone Hero' or 'Mr. Anti-Social'. But a thought nagged in the back of his mind, threatening to destroy his happiness.

"Say...," Flourish began. "Since you're such a powerful telekinetic, couldn't you have joined the hero team Quantum? Most telepaths and telekinetics aspire to join them."

"Yes sir. I applied to them, but they rejected me."

Flourish had to take a moment to process what Mountain Mover said. "Rejected you? Why?"

"Because I can only move a single mountain. Specifically, Mt. Iris back in Shannon Valley."

"Wait. You can only move THAT one mountain?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Flourish," Mountain Mover happily chirped.

No no no... Flourish tried his best to suppress his disappointment and deny what the kid was saying. Flourish felt sweat bead down his forehead and finally mustered enough courage to ask, "So you can't move... anything else?"

Mountain Mover looked at Flourish with confusion. "No. Of course not. My name is Mountain Mover. Not Item Mover. I can only move Mt. Iris a couple of inches each day. Pretty sweet, right?"

Anger, disappointment, sorrow. So many emotions raged inside Flourish, threatening to pour out. "Leave."

"Sir?"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Mountain Mover took a step back as he clutched the paperwork to his chest. "A-am I still on the team?" Mountain Mover asked.

"NO! Also, you're NOT on the team!"

"But I already signed the papers."

Flourish felt his heart rate reach dangerous levels. "Too. Fucking. Bad. If they aren't submitted they don't mean anything."

"But I already submitted them."

What. Questions swam through Flourish's mind. There is no way he could have brought the papers to the agency. He had to be lying.

"Nice try kid, but your lies are paper thin."

"It's not a lie though. I took a picture of the signed documents and sent it to the agency through their app."

Flourish didn't know what to say. All he could think was, The agency has a app!?

"You should get a confirmation right about... now."

As if waiting for its signal, a little chime rang. The ringtone Flourish used for his phone. Flourish pulled out his phone and what greeted him was the worse news of his life.

On his phone displayed a single, automated message from the hero agency.

Congratulations Flourish on your new teammate. The papers have been filed. Please remember that your new member 'Mountain Mover' is now under his or her 6 month probation. During this period, they MUST be on active duty at least once per month and cannot be removed from your roster until the period is over. Failure to follow this will result in penalties, including but not limited to, a temporary suspension of your hero license.

Do your best {insert_hero_name}!

That was how Flourish got his first teammate and why he resolved to never prematurely sign paperwork again.

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Special thanks to my friend @Hooded_Geek (you should check her stuff out) for inspiring me to join Wattpad and encouraged me to post this particular story. You rock!

Aeradoth stories will be a bunch of short stories (some series. some one shots.) set in Aeradoth, a fantasy world filled with danger, friendship, love, and war. Just about every piece of fiction I produce will be set in Aeradoth, but at different time periods and on different continents.

Please let me know what you think of this story in the comments. Even the smallest of feedback can help me make leaps and bounds in my writing!