Secrets of the Akkira: Chapter 2--Meet the Family

Chapter 2: Meet the Family

I didn't have a watch so I have no idea what time it was when I arrived at our property. I walked past an abandoned trailer on my left, with the woods my group trains in regularly. And ahead of me, stood a small, green home; wood on the outside with a black tiled roof and a tall brick chimney, was my base. Lights on in the back room told me that supper was ready.

I swung open the screen door to the porch and it's rusty spring stretch around, I let it go and it slammed shut behind me. I gripped the gold-colored doorknob and pushed the oak door open. I heard a whistle as I entered and I ducked backwards quickly, hearing two thuds on the door behind me. I looked at the door to discover two knives stuck fast, covered in layers of deep-blue water.

I leaned back up and saw a teammate of mine, Amy, standing in the room ahead of me.

“Amy! What's that about?!” I called out.

“You're late.” She slipped another knife from a holster at her side, twirled and released. I went off to the side and grabbed the hilt, and I jumped forward, preparing a practice strike. However, pain struck me across the face and arms with a burning sensation and it momentarily blinded me. Another blow caught me in the stomach, making me release the knife.

After a minute, the searing heat cooled and I opened my eyes to see that boiling water was dripping off my clothes. “What the...” I looked up at Amy, who now had control over her knife, “That's cheating, you can't use hydro in hand-to-hand combat!”

“No enemy is going to be fair, grasshopper,” she winked. Amy is a colorful character; she has black hair and mud-brown eyes. Today she wears a bright-blue t-shirt and cutoff jeans. On her right hand she dons a rubber bracelet saying, 'Whatever'.

I push myself to my feet and I ring out my shirt, “Where'd you get the hot water in the first place?”

“Casey was making tea on the stove.”

I frowned.

I walked past her, heading past the first bedroom where Amy was first at and into the kitchen on the other side. On the old, old table blanketed with a green tablecloth was a meal fit for a king. Ham was sliced and placed on a white platter, mashed potatoes made fresh were within a large, ceramic bowl on the right with gravy adjacent to it. A bowl of freshly-picked peaches sat in the very center and rice on the left of the ham. At the north of the table was a pot of creamed corn. Our group leader, Casey, stood on the other side of the table stirring a bowl of macaroni.

I didn't say much to the poor soul. He's been out of it since his brother died two years ago, something we couldn't have seen coming. I pulled a white plate from the chipping, white cabinet that is older than my parents and turned towards the table. I took a fork off the dish drainer over the sink to my left.

I started with the ham, I personally am not much of a meat-eater, so I ended up getting just a couple of pieces. I loaded up on mashed potatoes and gravy, topping off my plate with rice galore and corn. I gave Casey a quick glance, and left quickly, taking a peach from the table.

I came to my room, which was a simple den that connected with Casey's room; it had two cots and a couch dividing them. A TV sat on a small oak table across the room from the TV. Terrance sat with the final member of our group, Sarah.

“Hey Cole, you're home late,” Sarah proclaimed.

I motioned my plate towards Terrance, “Blame Captain No-Underpants. He almost got me killed today because he couldn't resist some girl.”

She looked at him in disgust and slapped him hard across the face, “You pig!”

I grinned and took my seat between the two and I began to eat, getting the meat down first. To my right, Sarah popped her knuckles by pushing on her lower jaw, on my left, Terrance was caught up in an episode of NCIS. Sarah drops her hand, accidentally landing on my leg. When she notices it, I see her hand tense up and she draws it back casually.

I ignore it and turn to the TV in time to see Agent DiNozzo get Gibbs-slapped.

“Oh, Cole, before I forget, you're parents called, said they're coming in for a visit, they'll be here in a few days.” Sarah said.

My parents are Beta rank Akkira. These Akkira handle special missions that go on files no one ever sees. Even I do not have a clue of what they do, they cannot tell any soul, living or dead. “That's nice.” I said. My parents and I are not close, in fact I never knew an Akkira who was close to their parents. We are separated from our parents at age ten, when we are assigned a rank based off our abilities, physical and metaphysical. From there, we work our way up.

“Come on, Cole, be happy, it'll be nice, like a little reunion!” She was looking right at me. Sarah had a face no one could match, scarlet hair fell down to touch her shoulders lightly, she had an Irish-Cherokee built face and amazing green eyes with red halos around the pupils.

“I'm not too sure about that, Sarah, last time they were here, I saw them for forty-five minutes and they were gone again.”

“Don't blame them for work! Don't be so negative.”

I shoved a fork full of rice and gravy into my mouth to avoid saying anything.

Sarah stood up, wearing a white shirt and green skirt, and looked at me, “I'll be right back, I have to take a shower.”

As she shut the bathroom door, Terrance looked at me, “You know she's into you right?”

I rolled my eyes, “Well, you do tell me that very often.”

“Dude, you should do something about it, take advantage before she finds someone else.”

I sighed while clearing my plate of what was left of the potatoes, “It's bad for the group.”

“Sure. That's why.”

I leered at him, “What's that supposed to mean.”

He looked back at the TV, “Nothing, young pyro. Nothing at all.”

With a look of scorn on my face, I bit into my peach.

A little while later, Sarah entered the room dressed in her night clothes, a long, white nightshirt and blue short-shorts.

I stood up and headed to the bathroom for my shower, “Hey,” Terrance called, “What about your dishes?”

“Take them, you're perfectly capable.”

Later that night, I was sound asleep, slowly drifting off into a world of dreams. Terrible dreams. It was dark, no stars dotted the sky, the moon was all but gone. The group... they were crumpled on the ground unconscious. I... I was slipping but I was there... I saw it. Six-foot tall, black suit with no tie, glowing red eyes staring at me, mouth having four elongated canines twisted in a grin most foul, each finger was tipped in talons and his hair was an odd purple. His body was coated in the Sin Marks of a Altissimus Soul. In his right hand, was the neck of our youngest teammate, Kage.

Kage looked at me, one hand on the creature's tight grip, one hand reaching out to me. He called my name, “Cole... help me...”

But I was too far away, my legs would not function, would not move, I whispered his name, “Kage...”

I was dying, and I knew it. I was fading. I watched as the monster's right hand moved ever-so slightly, as if teasing.

Then his hand plunged into Kage's body, leaving a splatter of blood upon the ground.

Kage screamed in pain and I winced. It was too much for me.

I watched as a sickly-white orb was pulled from Kage's body and his eyes go blank. I reach out, “No... Stop!” I try to scream, but nothing comes out, and the monster swallows Kage's soul whole. It was too late. The creature vanished and I faded into an endless abyss.

I jolt forward from my cot, sweat dripping from my head, down my arms. My mouth was dry, heart pounding and I trembled uncontrollably. I tucked my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

Truth be told, I always blamed Kage's death on myself. True, I didn't stand a chance against a Altissimus, I was half-paralyzed, and I was bone dry of energy, but I watched it happen. I saw him die.

Casey and Kage were inseparable, though they never looked like each other. Casey has a large frame, muscular build, with white hair and light green eyes like his mother and tanned skin. Casey also knows aerokinesis, control of the wind. Kage on the other hand was thin and frail, pale and sickly. His hair was charcoal-black and his eyes were solid gray. He used umbrakinesis, controlling of shadows and darkness.

I always called my group my family, and the death of Kage hurt us all, but not nearly as bad as Casey, who became almost mute over it.

I got out of bed and walked on the cold floor towards the kitchen, where I pulled open the refrigerator door open and removed one of my Dr. Peppers. I gulped down a good bit of the bottle. I screwed the cap back on and ran my hand through my brown-blond hair. I exhaled loudly and walked back to my room where I collapsed onto my cot.

My head was beginning to hurt, another one of my many migraines. I reached over to the right and picked up a container of Advil. I took two and gulped down two swigs of Dr. Pepper. I heard some movement coming from Sarah's cot. I didn't move and didn't breathe, I didn't want to wake her up. When she stopped moving, I got up and walked out of the room. In Casey's bedroom, Casey's bed was on the wall across to me and Amy was on the bed to the right. I go out the door on the far right and into the living room, where a dresser, two recliners, a large, gray television and a couch with a sleeping Terrance on it as he does not have a bed.

Under the dresser, I pull out a journal of mine, a marble composition notebook with the word “Esper” scrawled across the front. I flip through it, finding the next blank page. And I write: Dear Esper, I had the dream again, five nights in a row. I still refuse to tell anyone though I may burst. There's still no news on the Altissimus, no news on anything like him with his description. The dream is exactly the same as it has always been. Down to the last detail, I should see an Akkira medical professional soon because it may be post traumatic stress disorder. I wonder how long I can last. It's driving me insane. But I can't admit this to the group, they'd just say things like “There's nothing you could have done” or “You shouldn't worry about it.” Because neither of that is true. At least, I wish neither is true. I'll last as long as I have to. I'll update as necessary. ~C. Kindlin

I kept Esper since Kage died, I figured it would help me cope. This is my third Esper, the previous two have been filled and stashed away. I tossed my journal back under the dresser until it hit the wall, then I turned and went back to my room, hoping to catch the remainder of my Z's.