Awakening - The Last Science #1

Chapter 9 - First Lessons - II

  "Calm down. Don't drink so fast," Rika told him. Alden was guzzling down water from the bottle he'd brought on the train, which Rika had already refilled twice. He felt dehydrated and dizzy from the reading, and the food and water were only keeping him awake for so long. Alden refused to sleep yet, not while he was so eager to explore the new power he'd stumbled upon.

  "How does this work?" he spluttered between mouthfuls. Rika sat back on the coffee table cross-legged, her expression thoughtful.

  "What did you get stuck on?"

  Alden didn't know how to respond.

  "I mean, what did you feel? Before she showed up. What was the sensation?" Rika clarified.

  "...Falling," Alden answered, the unpleasant memory springing into his mind.

  "Movement," Rika said, satisfied.

  "Huh?"

  "You've got your affinity. Probably."

  "What's that?" Alden asked, curious.

  "Well, everyone's got one, as far as I can tell. I've been trying to figure them out as a side project. Kind of fascinating, who ends up with what. It's gotta be linked to what you feel before she pulls you back."

  "And what does it mean?" Alden prompted impatiently. Rika looked like she might launch into a more detailed accounting, when he desperately needed to know what had happened to him.

  "Well, assuming I'm right, you're gonna find movement magic a lot easier to use and control," she explained patiently. "You might discover how to do something before anyone else does, too. Call it a flash of insight. It'll be related to your affinity for sure."

  "And yours is electricity?" Alden guessed.

  "Close. All the elements, really." Rika raised her hand, and snapped her fingers, then immediately spread her palm wide. A small yellow-orange flame flickered into existence floating in the space she revealed. Even from across the room, Alden could tell it was quite real. "Lightning's just my specialty. Something no one else knows how to do yet," Rika boasted.

  She flicked two fingers, sending a crackle of electricity buzzing about the lick of flame. It sped around a dozen times before both puffed out of existence a moment later as Rika closed her hand. Even to a complete novice like Alden, it was clear how far superior her sense of control was with the little bolt of lightning.

  "Wow," he breathed.

  "You know it," Rika boasted. "So, where do you want to start?"

  Alden opened his mouth reply and was struck by a yawn, overwhelming his senses. Fatigue had finally caught up with him after the very long day he'd endured, coupled with the exertion brought on by the reading of the book.

  "Tomorrow then," Rika noted, clearly amused.

  "Sorry, it's not you—" Alden stammered.

  Rika chortled. "What, are you breaking up with me? You're tired, it's cool. Magic can wait."

  Alden glanced around, unsure of what to do next. The short duffel bag he'd been lugging around since he'd gotten off the train sat in the corner. It had a few changes of clothes and other belongings, but he'd had no idea how long he might be staying in Rallsburg. He certainly didn't have anywhere to stay. "Should I just take the couch...?" he mumbled halfheartedly.

  "Huh?" Rika was surprised. So was he. For the briefest moment, his sleep-deprived mind assumed she meant for him to share her bed. She quickly disabused him of that notion. "God no. You're going next door."

  "What?"

  A few minutes later, Alden was looking at a sparse, almost barren apartment. A single couch, a nearly empty kitchen, and a plain but comfortable looking bed in a single bedroom upstairs.

  "The place is empty, always has been. Thanks to my apparently kidnapped landlord, you're probably good to stay here for at least a few nights," Rika said, eyeing the tiny bed with something akin to distaste. Alden briefly imagined what Rika's bedroom might look like, but pushed the thought away as his face tinged with warmth, before Rika could find some other reason to tease him. He set down his bag and began pulling out his necessities.

  "Need anything? Toothpaste, blanket, towel?" Rika asked.

  "I think I'm okay."

  "I'm just next door. Bang on the wall if you have to." Rika turned to leave.

  "Rika?"

  "Not gonna sleep with you, Alden," she sighed, but her hand stopped turning the door handle all the same. He was too tired to remember to feel embarrassed by her comment. She glanced over her shoulder patiently.

  "I'm your friend," Alden said awkwardly.

  "No shit," Rika replied, rolling her eyes. "Go to sleep, dumbass. You're gonna have a killer headache in the morning." Alden nodded, and a few seconds later he'd already collapsed on the bed, his eyes sliding shut almost involuntarily. As consciousness slid from his brain, he felt his shoes untied and pulled away, and then his legs hoisted back onto the bed, but he was too tired to comprehend who was helping him, until he heard her whisper from the edge of the bed. "Thanks."

  The door clicked shut, and the rest of the world closed with it.