Across Worlds - Chapter 25 Part 1

Falyn

When she and Zeke reached the floor that the battle room was on, everyone else was already waiting there. Falyn quickly dropped Zeke’s hand, feeling her face get hot. She was sure that she wasn’t ready for anyone to find out about her feelings for Zeke. No doubt she wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Looking up, she realized Sam was looking at her, his brows knit. She quickly diverted her gaze. Mina and Layna, the girl Phillip had introduced them to, weren’t far away from Sam, deep in conversation. Something stirred inside her. Was it – jealousy? Mina had found another friend. Falyn was happy for her, but at the same time she wished that Mina only cared for her. They’d been friends for much longer than they had been in Lightport.

“Let’s go,” Zeke mumbled. She hesitated before following him down the hall.

“Where were you two?” Sam asked when they reached him.

“We, um,” she snuck a glance at Zeke whose expression was just as plain as it had always been. “Zeke was explaining some things to me.” He grunted and walked passed her, the exact reaction that she wanted out of him. She wasn’t sure if he had done it on purpose or not, but he was perfect. Sam wouldn’t suspect anything.

She watched Zeke burst into the battle room, nearly breaking the door off its hinges, and disappeared. She let out the breath that she hadn’t noticed she was holding in and turned her attention back to Sam. He was still staring her, but she shook off is gaze.

There was once a time when she wouldn’t have been able to do that. She would’ve been mesmerized by his blue eyes, his white toothed smile. Those eyes still captivated her, but not in the way Zeke’s touch made her squirm. A good squirm of course, not a repulsive one; a feeling she looked forward to.

“So,” she started. “Where are we exactly?”

Sam gave her a puzzled look as if it were the most obvious answer. But he soon relaxed his gaze, seeming to figure out what exactly she was asking. “Headquarters. This is the only building in Lightport that is used for working purposes. Of course there are tiny markets and stuff around the world, which you’ll see soon enough, but this is used for… professional work, if you will. It’s used to plan and train.”

“Plan and train,” she repeated slowly. “So this is where everyone goes to get their ideas together?”

Sam shrugged. “I guess you could look at it that way. We’ve been training kids in the magics for years now. Their parents live out in the world running farms or working for Phillip. This is where they send their kids to train. All the while we’re working on finding ways to stop Rhys from attacking any more worlds.”

“Magics; plural. What other magics are there here?”

“I’m a seer,” George said without even bothering to look her way. “And man could I tell you some horror stories about your future.”

“Shut up, George,” Sam snapped. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, as if trying to tell her that George is no one to take seriously. But she knew better.

Falyn was a mage. George was a seer. Her idea of seers was biased as her people weren’t all too fond of them. She didn’t want to be living up to the stereotype.

She had a feeling that he didn’t like her too much. They hadn’t met before so there was no reason for him to be this rude. It gave her an uneasy feeling, like she had done something to him that she wasn’t aware of. He was a seer after all; it was possible that she would do something to him in the future that gives him a reason to hate her.

She shook her head. She wasn’t in the mood to cloud her mind with confusing thoughts of the future.

Mina had finished her conversation with Layna and came Falyn’s way. “We’re in Pollume,” she squealed. Sam rolled his eyes and tried to hide a smile. “Can you believe it? Pollume! No mage has ever stepped foot into this world before.”

“It’s not really something to be all too excited about,” Sam admitted. “Out here, in the worlds beyond Agathi, people travel between worlds all the time.”

Mina stuck her tongue out at him. “Well I haven’t been to another world before, so it’s exciting for me.” Sam rolled his eyes, making Mina reach out and smack him playfully. They went back and forth like siblings. Falyn couldn’t help but laugh.

But what Mina had said kept repeating through her mind. Pollume. They were in Pollume. That’s the first time she had heard that name used since they had gotten there. It was Lightport now, no longer the prosperous world home to the seers.

She was where she had always wanted to be. Finally, she was in another world. Oddly enough, it felt exactly the same as being in Agathi. She had imagined it would look different, which it did – not as different as she had thought – smell different, feel different.

But it did make her feel different. She really couldn’t put her finger on it, but it was like she was a different person in Pollume. She’d spent sixteen years of her life in the world on the other side of the Sumner River. Why was it that she now felt the most at home in this world?

My parents! She thought suddenly. Her parents were here. Her home was here. Agathi was just a ploy, a fake. This was where she truly belonged. She’d dreamed of this world, thought of this world, every day and night. At the moment she hadn’t known why. But it was all starting to make sense.

When would she get to meet her parents? A part of her was terrified to see them, but she knew she’d have to meet them eventually. Despite them not being in her life for all those years, she knew that they were special to her. And she was special to them too, she was sure of it.

“Can I tell her, please?” George begged.

Falyn looked up to see him standing there a few feet away. When had he gotten there? How had she missed him coming over?

“No,” Sam snapped. “Phillip said no.”

“I don’t care. I want to tell her; see the terror in her eyes.”

Sam whirled around and grabbed George by the collar of his shirt. “If you don’t shut up I’m gonna punch you out.”

Falyn was waiting for George to fight back, but he didn’t. He only grinned and said, “Do it. See what Phillip does.”

Sam narrowed his eyes before letting go. “You’re really getting on my nerves, George. Shut it or I’ll do much worse. And I won’t care what Phillip does to me.”

“Oh,” George said, his grin spreading wide. “Tough guy.”

Sam pulled back a fits, but before he could do anything, Layna and Mina grabbed his arms. “Let me at him!” He yelled, trying to break free. “Just one punch, just one!”

“Sam, relax!” Layna pleaded.

“Let him be!” Mina cried.

“I’m gonna kill him!” Sam shouted.

Falyn watched in shock as the scene unfolded in front of her. She knew that Sam could go off like this if someone really pushed him enough, but she’d never seen him like this. Whatever was going on, George seemed to be at the center of it.

Is this how it always is? She wondered. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a part of it if there was just going to be fights every time they got together.

She wanted to do something, but she didn’t know what to do. What was there to do? Sam was being held back by the girls, pretty impressively too, and George didn’t seem to be making any more trouble. He was just leaning back, right foot propped up against the wall, laughing. If she jumped in, things would only get worse. She wasn’t fond of confrontation. To be blunt, she hated it. Needless to say, she was less than comfortable in the position she was in.

The door to the battle room opened as Zeke stalked out into the hallway. “What the hell is going on out here?” When he saw the scene laid out in front of him, his eyes widened. Then his face relaxed and his lips curled up at the edges in a silent laugh.

Falyn was starting to get annoyed. Everything was falling apart. She’d never seen Sam so upset. George was being less than kind. Zeke didn’t look like he was about to do anything about it.

How long would this go on for?

“That’s enough.”

Everyone froze and turned to see Phillip standing only a few feet behind them. His arms were crossed, a disapproving look etched upon his face.

He nodded at the girls. “Let him go.” They obliged, dropping Sam’s arms. Falyn was terrified for a second, hoping that Sam wouldn’t go off at George again. But Phillip’s presence seemed to be enough to keep him calm.

“I won’t tolerate this,” he said in an even voice, one that didn’t match his tense face. He didn’t need to yell; he had everyone’s attention. “We’re a group. We work together. Fighting is unacceptable. George, why are you even here? You’re supposed to be—"

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” George grumbled, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m leaving. Glad to know you care that I’m here or not.” He turned and started down the hall. Before he took even four steps though, he swung back around. Pointing at Falyn he said, “Tell her of the future, won’t you?”

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For the LMS contest. Word count: 1,636