Dragons, Dystopians, and Denial

"You know, harnessing the energy of the universe and all that," Jerica answered. "Transporting, healing. The R'hyk. Or do you have a different kind? What can you do?"

Elias blinked, staring at Jerica.

It almost sounded like she was describing the same thing, but there was something odd to it. Enchanting, maybe?

"I guess we call it two different things then," he said, even though he still didn't quite understand the R'hyk. "It sounds like they might be the same thing. Does everyone have it?"

"Well, they could," Jerica said confidently. Then she hesitated and looked at Aerik. "Right?"

"Well..." Aerik scratched his chin. "Yes, I suppose. But it's complicated."

"It's very complicated," Jerica confirmed, turning back towards Elias. "And most people don't know how to do it. You gotta have someone who knows how, teach you how. Does your magic work in this realm?"

That wasn't really a straight answer. It was yes or no.

Elias didn't get a chance to respond since Jerica seemed to change the subject. He took his time to answer, slowly sipping the tea until the cup was empty. When finished, he gingerly set it down and lightly pushed it in front of him.

"I'm not sure," he said anticlimactically. "But everyone in Earth has powers. We were born with it."

Jerica drummed her fingers on her knee impatiently, barely managing to bite back a huffy sigh at how painfully long it was taking him to answer. It seemed like he considered how long an answer should take, then multiplied the time by twenty, and then after that decided if he wanted to answer or not.

Is the answer at the bottom of the mug?

She glanced at Aerik to see if he was as annoyed as she was. He wasn't. Instead, he was giving her another warning look. She took a deep breath and bit back another sigh. It was taking soooooo longggggg --

She leaned forward a bit when he finally pushed the mug away from himself and answered. "So you all have the same powers?"

Elias had been watching Jerica out of the corner of his eye, noting that she seemed to be losing her patience. He was surprised that she didn't yell at him to think or talk faster, but something told him that Aerik held her back.

He paused to think of an answer, setting his elbow on the table and leaning his head against his hand. He looked up towards the ceiling and seemed to hum over a complicated answer before looking back at Aerik to answer.

"No," he said simply.

Jerica sprang to her feet and slammed her hands down on the table, rage surging through her. She was being so patient -- and getting NOTHING for it! Nothing!

"The gods damn you, Elias!" she shouted. "Do you not know how conversations work?"

"Jer..." Aerik said tiredly.

"This is ridiculous!" She turned her gaze to Aerik, but gestured at Elias. "He's a fucking soldier, not a lost little puppy. I'd beat the shit out my recruits if they tried answering my questions like this!"

"But he's not your recruit," Aerik said calmly. He glanced at Elias for a moment. "He is getting frustrating." He looked back at Jerica. "But so are you. Sit down."

Jerica looked between them for a long moment, then huffed a sigh and threw herself back down in the chair. She crossed her arms and looked at Elias irritably.

Elias wasn't normally like this. He was obedient, following orders and not asking extra questions. But something about knowing he wasn't on Earth and not at all associated with people in the military made him feel free.

It was like he was peeling from a thick layer of skin he thought was permanent.

Still, he had to repress the incoming smirk, instead stoically staring at Jerica as she blew up in front of him. She didn't scare him. In fact, he felt sorry for the girl. She reminded him of so many of his comrades who grew up under the strict regime, not knowing what true freedom was ever like. Just order, punishment, pride, and violence.

He turned back to Aerik, deciding to pretend she wasn't there.

"Sorry," he said calmly. "What is it that you'd like to know?"

How dare he? He was so smug. She wanted to knock the smugness right off his face as he looked at her impassively. He could have at least had the manners to mirror the anger, if he couldn't be bothered to respond appropriately. But to pretend like she wasn't even there? To offer to answer Aerik's questions after he'd just ignored hers?"

Let's see him ignore this.

She grabbed her mug and hurtled it at his head.

Aerik had been watching her, not Elias, and instantly raised his hand. The mug stopped in midair, halfway across the table. He waved his finger and the mug turned right-side-up and gently landed on the table. He waved his finger in the opposite direction and the tea that was still suspended in the air fell back into the mug.

"Do not hit our guest," Aerik said firmly, pointing a finger at Jerica. Then he turned towards Elias with the same expression and tone. "And you don't provoke her. You knew that was going to piss her off."

Aerik took a deep breath and rubbed his face, body relaxing a bit and tone getting gentler when he spoke to Elias again. "And, she already asked the questions I'm interested in knowing the answer to. What are your powers and how do you think they're relevant?"

Somehow, Elias was not surprised that Jerica completely lost it. It was very typical for military personnel to act like this; every single one of them who grew up there were always so quick to anger.

Still, a cup thrown to his face was not ideal, and although he had fast reflexes, he was glad Aerik intervened with... what, his power? R'hyk? It almost looked... like it was telekinesis. Or something. But that wasn't possible. It was as if it were magic.

He decided to not linger on that thought as Aerik started to scold him. Elias was a 24-year old man, but somehow, he felt like he was sixteen again. He sighed, looking like he admitted defeat to Aerik, but didn't look at Jerica to see if she did the same.

"I'm a healer," he said plainly again, deciding to ignore the irony when Jerica tried to hurt him a little bit ago.

There wasn't really a reason to feel so scared anymore, even with Jerica as a ticking bomb. Suddenly he felt inspired to just admit the truth.

"But I can only heal myself," he added. "I don't know why this would be relevant in this world, but..." He paused, realizing it had been so many years since he said this thought out loud. "Maybe it helps to know that I don't like my power. If I could be powerless, I would."

"Why wouldn't you like that power?" Jerica asked. "That seems like the most useful power to have... well, after being able to heal anyone. That'd be a more useful one. But still. Healing yourself would be nice as a soldier. Why don't you like it?"

Elias turned towards her with an eye twitch. That was a bit of a personal question, but he had a feeling that she didn't really know much about boundaries.

"Things don't come from nothing; they have to come from something," he said, hoping she'd get the gist of it.

Jerica stared at him, aghast. Was he really implying -- admitting? "It comes from your--?"

She realized what he meant at the last moment and cut herself off.

"Oh. You mean you gotta kill someone to save yourself?"

Elias stared at her quizzically for a second, but then choked when she found her words. He caught himself by letting out a quick, dry, very nervous laugh. It almost sounded foreign to his own ears.

"That's—" he began, then cut himself with another quick choking laugh. "You have a way with words, don't you?"

A sudden laugh escaped her before she could stop it. She felt like she was twelve again, giggling about jokes that she knew better than to be making. But this one hadn't been a joke. That somehow made it even funnier.

She opened her mouth to answer, laughed again instead.

"Not my strong suit," she admitted at last, still trying to hold back another burst of laughter. "But I'm glad that your situation isn't... that situation."

She cackled.