Chapter 16: Chapter 0016 – A thieving Magpie

“We opened your suitcase yesterday morning. So she had it for no more than twenty-four hours. By the way, what are these crystals?” Laena deflated.

 

Ravela ignored her question. “Does she have the crystals on her person right now?”

 

Laena frowned “Yes, she has them both. What are they?”

 

Ravela looked at Laena “They are mine, and what they are is dangerous and that is all you need to know. Alright, there isn’t much time left, since I am assuming your friend had them close since she stole them. I am going after her and you can explain to them that your friend took something from me I want back and that it is no big deal. If we’re lucky and there is no reason to believe that we will be, your friend may be just fine.”

 

Ravela took off without waiting for her response. ‘Screw how it looks. I have to get these crystals back.’

 

Ravela followed the path up the mountain through the forest. She paced herself to not scare Safora by just waltzing through the woods like a bulldozer out for blood. The last thing she needed was for Safora to have an adrenalin rush now.

 

She could hear the girl running through the forest.

 

“Safora, stop,” Ravela called out to her trying not to sound angry.

 

She could hear the same squeaking hiccup sound Safora made back on the field.

 

Ravela turned a corner and spotted the girl hurrying up the path.

 

“Safora, please stop.” Safora turned and looked at Ravela, who made an open-armed gesture. “What are you doing right now?”

 

Ravela expected reason to win out. Instead, the teenager vanished over a hill.

 

“Really?” Ravela called after her. “Really!” She repeated herself like this would change what just happened.

 

Ravela kept following the girl until they reached a cliff. The outcropping was a smooth rock leading out of the tree line. Safora stood dramatically on the edge looking like she was about to hyperventilate.

 

“Are you quite done? I only want back what you stole from me. Give me the two crystals. They are dangerous to you. Are you listening to me?”

 

Safora turned around. “You stay away! I will throw these off the cliff if you come any closer!”

 

Ravela stopped. This was stupid. Behind her, she heard Laena huffing up the mountain running at full speed out of the forest. Ravela caught her before she could charge past her and off the cliff.

 

“Really? Are you trying to kill yourself, Laena?” Ravela turned back to Safora done with the entire situation.

 

“Would you kindly return what you stole from me, please?” Ravela asked once more.

 

Safora instead tried to leverage her stolen goods against Ravela.

“No, you explain yourself. You come to our town. You lie about your memory loss. And have dangerous crystals in my friend's house.”

 

Ravela felt her temples throb. She was in no mood to be dicked around with right now.

 

“You do not deserve answers but fine. I didn’t lie. I didn’t know how to speak when I came here and the crystal isn’t what is dangerous. You holding them is! Now give them back before I regret saving you in that stupid bus accident more than I already do, or I swear on the Golden Path I am going to lose my patience.” Ravela said while stepping closer.

 

“W-Wait so you were there! And you did stop the bus! See Laena, I knew it.”

 

“Great, now give me back my stuff bef-” Ravela started before she was again cut off.

 

“Get away from my sister!” Someone yelled while running.

 

Ravela turned around and saw Markus charging at her in his sports gear. They made contact and Ravela lost her footing stumbling off the cliff.

 

“You gotta be shi-” Ravela pushed the boy back onto the cliff before gravity managed to fully drag her down. Safora and Laena had a look of shock and horror on their faces.

 

Ravela plummeted down trying to control her fall. ‘You turds are dead!’

 

She layered around herself a protective hull. The trees below her tossed her around. Ravela began to control her fall. The impact still hurt.

---

 

*Meanwhile atop the Cliff*

 

“Markus, what the hell?! Oh my god, he fell. You pushed him off. Oh no. Oh god.” Safora had a meltdown.

 

“I thought he was attacking you. Holy shit! Do you think he is alive?” Markus looked down.

 

Laena slumped to the floor. Safora screamed. “Is he alive!? That is like a hundred-meter drop. Is he alive?! Markus, what did you do? He just told us he was the one that stopped the bus.”

 

“What bus?” Markus said dumbfound.

 

“The bus we were in last week, dumbass! You just killed the man that saved us. No. Nononono, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I just wanted answers.”

 

Laena got up. “Safora, why did you do this? I told you to just give him back his stuff!”

 

Safora looked guilty. “Well, I just wanted answers, alright?! And it was fine! Until you pushed him off a cliff, Markus! Stupid brother, what were you thinking!?”

 

Markus looked down. “No way he survived this fall. There is no chance. What is going on? We need to get back to the training field. Tell the coach what happened. Come on girls, we need to tell the police and the adults, so they can organize a search party.”

 

Safora and Laena were pushed back down the mountain by Markus.

 

*Thud!* Something landed behind them.

 

“YOU! Aren’t going anywhere.” An angry voice growled.

 

Ramiel stood there with shredded clothes and bits of green needle twigs sticking out from all of the rags he now wore.

 

The teens went completely pale.

 

“You,” Ramiel addressed Safora, “give me my crystals.” Markus stepped between his sister and the horrifying-looking man.

 

Ramiel stopped. “Right, you’re planning to stop me. How? You know what, don’t answer that.”

 

The three teens suddenly floated into the air.

 

“Safora, kindly give me my property back, now.”

 

Ramiel held out his hand under the girl and waited. Two crystals were dropped into his hand.

 

“Right. That’s that. Nothing happened here. You three keep your distance from me AND my stuff. Most importantly don’t run your mouths about this, I have my circumstances. Let’s leave it at that.”

 

Markus and Laena slowly lowered to the ground while Ramiel Roice walked away.

 

“Um, Mr. Roice? What about my sister?”

 

Ramiel stopped and replied, “She especially needs to stay away from me,” without turning around.

 

Safora called out before he walked on. “Alright, but please let me down.”

 

Ramiel spun around.

 

“YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!” Ramiel stormed back to the group.

“I am no longer holding you there. Congratulations, you’ve successfully altered yourself. Now think of something impossibly heavy, like responsibility or common sense, and get yourself down here.”

 

“Hey! That’s rude! What do you mean, I’ve altered myself?!”

 

Ramiel put his hand on his hips. “The crystals changed you and now you fly by yourself. I am not doing this, you are. And you need to learn to deal with this right now. Wonderful, now I have to deal with you. You two.”

 

Ramiel looked and the shaken teenagers. “Will keep your mouths shut. You need to take responsibility right now. Am I making myself clear?”

 

Markus nodded.

 

“Good, you go back to the training field and spin some bullshit that it was some minor prank by Safora and it was nothing serious. And best forget about this whole thing. Your sister is safe with me, believe me.” Ramiel put his hands on both of Markus’ shoulders looking right into his eyes.

“Now git.” Ramiel shooed him away.

---

 

Ravela waited till the boy was gone before turning to Laena and Safora.

 

“You just put me in an impossible position, you know that right?” she asked the teenagers. “I need to trust that teenagers of all people can keep their mouths shut. And you better make me believe that you can do that because this isn’t going away anymore.”

 

Laena looked at him with big eyes. “Please, give me the crystals. If I am changed I can keep the secret.”

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Ravela recoiled. “Did you just try to blackmail me?! You did NOT just say that.”

 

Laena tried to look innocent. “Sorry, that came out wrong.”

 

Ravela didn’t believe her one bit. “We talk later.” Ravela put her off to the sidelines.

 

“You, need to stop floating up there, about now would be just splendid.”

 

Safora looked at her in a mixture of frustration and shame. “Well, you didn’t have-”

 

Ravela cut her off “I swear, if the next words out of your mouth aren’t ‘sorry, I stole from you and this is all my fault.’ I will leave you up there and see how you feel in the morning. I am in NO mood!”

 

Safora looked like she had just eaten a lemon. Crossing her arms over her chest.

 

Ravela shrugged. “Alright, Laena guess we can talk after all. I am going to change clothes now let’s say we meet at Betty’s after your training. And then I will explain to you why this idea you had is bad. We’ll talk this out like grown-ups. I promise to hear you out in full and you do the same to my side no matter what happens after. You will keep quiet about this. And remember, I saved all your friends' lives and your life. You owe me one already, not the other way around. Actually,” Ravela pointed at her clothing “more than one.”

 

“Wait! I am sorry, for stealing your crystals. Please, don’t leave me up here!”

 

Ravela sent Laena back down the mountain before turning around.

 

“Miss Pontis, couldn’t you have left well enough alone? Did you have to rummage through my things? Was it really necessary? Was it worth it? You are forever changed. I don’t yet know the extent of your alteration. It may be that you will forever be unable to experience gravity again.”

Safora paled at those words.

 

“Now we are going to try to get you back on the ground. You still remember how gravity felt, yes?” 

“I-I do.”

Ravela nodded. “Good. Good. Close your eyes. Feel the pull of gravity on your body. Imagine the drag. It is still there but something works against it. Either a willful effort of your body, like a muscle stretching or breath being held.” Ravela explained making small gestures with her hands while pacing around the girl.

 

Safora closed her eyes trying to feel what Ravela was telling her. She breathed in and out slowly. Calming herself down. She felt her body relax. Safora felt the weight of her clothes return. Then she fell.

 

And was caught. “That was too fast. Next time, you’ll have to try to come down slowly.” Safora opened her eyes. Ramiel was carrying her.

 

Safora turned red as Ravela put her down.

 

Ravela sat down on a bolder. “This is a big mess.”

 

Safora sat down on a different bolder. “Surely this can’t be all bad.”

 

Ravela looked at her like she grew a second head.

“Okay, let’s see. You stole my crystals and now can fly. If we are lucky you can’t just fly but are now at least strong enough to withstand flying through the air. This means a teenager now has superpowers she is wholely untrained to have. Honestly, I can be thankful that you didn’t turn into a salt statue or something horrible. You realize that was an option, right? No, of course, you don’t. Because you hear the word dangerous and think you stole two big rock candies.”

 

Safora opened her mouth and then closed it again.

 

Ravela moved on, “Alright, first things first. Let’s test your strength.”

 

Ravela got up and took a firm stance. “Try to push me. Not shove, but push me backward.”

 

Safora looked at Ravela skeptically. “Really? That is how you want to test my strength. Through pushing? Don’t you have other methods?”

 

Ravela put her hand on her hips. “Sure we could just go back to my spaceship and measure your strength through the machinery there.”

 

“Wow!?” Safora asked in awe.

 

Ravela slowly formed the words. “NO! Quit your complaining and start pushing.”

 

“Are you an alien? Or did you just say that?” Safora’s attention span left things to be desired.

 

Ravela blinked. “Will you focus, girl? Is that really what is important right now?”

 

Safora made a face at her and got up. “And what is pushing going to do?”

 

“First it will show me your strength without you swinging at me potentially killing me.”

 

Safora placed her hands against Ravela’s outstretched hands. Safora pushed against Ravela’s palms and the change in pressure could be felt.

 

‘She can’t just fly she became strong too.’ Ravela began to push against her hands trying to hold the pressure built by Safora. ‘She might be stronger than me. Ridiculous.’

 

“Alright, enough. Stop! Safe to say, you’re extremely strong now,” Ravela concluded her test.

 

“Is that your official opinion, doctor?” Safora sassed her.

 

“Well, you could easily kill your friend Laena by accident, if you wish me to be more precise. You could crush someone's hand during a nervous handshake or break someone's spine with a hug. Is this situation a joke to you? Because I assure you, you won’t be laughing when you pat your brother on the back and Markus never walks again.”

That intimidated the teenager quite a bit. The thought of seriously injuring someone within her family affected her attitude.

 

“Now how do I test your durability?” Ravela said.

 

Safora looked at Ravela puzzled. “My durability?”

 

Ravela shrugged. “Well, you have the strength of a moving car but can your body withstand the raw power, or do your bones turn to dust when you try to hit with your strength?”

 

Safora looked horrified. “Wait that can happen?”

 

Ravela looked at the girl not for the first time with doubt. “Yes, for example. If I pushed you down this cliff, as your brother did me…would you be able to survive the landing? Will you break bones? Will you die? You need to know your limits.” Ravela took a threatening step toward the girl.

“Wait. Wait. Wait. Nononono. You’re not throwing me off this cliff, right? Listen, Mr. Roice, I said I am sorry. Please, don’t throw me off the cliff!”

 

Ravela looked at her in disbelief. “I am not going to throw you off this cliff. What do you take me for? No. Try punching the tree over there. I show you how you do it.”

 

“I know how to punch a tree,” Safora interjected.

 

“No. No, you don’t. You don’t know anything anymore. If you do it like you used to do you might not have a hand left, don’t you get that? Now zip it and watch.” Ravela sassed back.

Ravela began slowly to probe the tree with small, controlled open-handed pushes. She went on to closed-fisted punches. Slowly putting more strength into her punches until the bark came loose and the tree began to shake.

 

“Slowly put more strength into it till you feel that it hurts in your hand. Not till you hurt your hand but till you feel your punches. Don’t punch all the way through. Be careful. We don’t know how durable you are yet.”

 

Ravela stepped aside and waited for Safora to take her former position.

Safora stepped up to the tree and tried to punch the tree.

 

“Stop!” Ravela said. “You don’t start with the closed fist. Come on, Safora. Do this properly. Palm first and check it for scratches after each strike.”

 

Safora rolled her eyes but did as Ravela asked.

Safora began to work away at the tree. The tree began to shake violently after a while.

 

“I feel nothing. This isn’t normal. Oh my god, the tree is breaking!”

 

Ravela saw the splintering wood and spoke up. “Alright, that’s enough. Let’s leave the tree alive for another day. Show me your knuckles, Safora.”

 

The teenagers showed Ravela her fists without comment. Ravela was impressed there were no marks on her skin. No scratches. No torn blood vessels under her skin. Nothing.

 

“Remarkable, you seem to be extremely durable. Training should be easy. I can show you how to hone your skills if you want. To ensure you don’t hurt your friends and family. Control is everything. You don’t want to have a nightmare one evening and wake up in the outer atmosphere suffocating.” Ravela pitched her offer.

 

The girl considered her words. It would be her best chance at a normal life and she’d get to know the one who saved her life better.

 

“Won’t you make me promise not to commit crimes with my powers?”

 

Ravela sat down on a bolder. She decided that she’d spontaneously lecture without lecturing. “With great power comes great responsibility, young lady. Your deeds will be your own. The lives you ruin by committing crimes will surely haunt you more so than any promise with a stranger. The first lesson of having these powers is that you are on the hook for your actions. Moreso than any other human being. The lives you save, the oaths you break, and the people you put at risk by your action or inaction. I teach you how to walk. I teach you moderation. Only you or the people you hurt along the way can do right by you. Be good and you will be exalted among man. Be bad and you will see humanity's lowest fates. The world has a way of rewarding everybody in due time.”

Safora looked at her hand. “You talk like you experienced all that already.”

 

Ravela laughed. “Oh no, it is way too early for you to know all my secrets. Not while I don’t know them all myself, Safora.”

 

Safora looked dissatisfied. Ravela laughed more.

 

“What? Did you expect me to tell you everything about myself? Look at you, being greedy, thinking I owe you the world. I showed you part of my power and now you think that entitles you to the truth. Really? Can’t you be just happy with what you got?” Ravela got up from her spot. “Okay, I think I am about ready to put on new clothes. This day developed so far from ideal. I have to talk your friend Laena out of the stupid idea brewing in her head too. Guess I will be seeing you more in the next few months. Maybe you can help me learn. I’ve got so much I forgot.”

 

Ravela didn’t follow the path back down to the field. She opted instead to run through the forest and sneak back into Ma Stone’s house to change clothes.

 

It was time to meet another teenager and talk her out of her grand delusion.

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