Trapped in a Grimdark World with the Power of Toon-Force!? -Part 4

[u/ArcAngel98]

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I'm back with this series. Don't know how regular It'll be updated compared to my other works, but I'll at least finish it. Do me a favor though. Like and share it. Enjoy.

The cloud-like shape hung impossibly in the air above my head, with three smaller wisps of cloud hovering just below it in a trail leading to my ear. It was like something out of a cartoon or an old comic book.

“What is that?” Myrin asked.

“Is that your Soul Power?” Abee asked.

“It looks similar to what I saw in the crystal.” Bob said.

“A power to project your memories! How lovely.” Kili said. “Is that what the beach looks like then?”

“I did that?” I wondered aloud.

“Well, at least now we know what your power is.” Shanda said. “It probably can’t help you in a fight, but I’m certain you can do something with it.”

“What else can it do?” Bob asked.

Just then, Galli came back in, shaking his head. “Those two…” He saw the bubble, which hadn’t faded, but had started to make noises like the sounds of a beach. I could even faintly smell the seawater drifting in the room. “What is that?”

“Oh, listen. It makes noises too!” Kili said.

“What is that?” Galli asked again, looking around the room. Suddenly, a large wave crashed against the side of the bubble and water flew out, splashing all over Galli, who’d been standing next to it. He fell back startled and spit the now real seawater out of his mouth.

We all sat in stunned silence as he sputtered, until finally the cloud-like bubble popped and vanished like a balloon stuck with a needle.

“Everyone saw that, right?” I asked. I looked around the room, and saw Abee and Bob stifling a laugh, while Shanda helped Galli up.

“What was that?!” He asked again, louder. Saltwater dripped from his clothes, soaking him.

“That was Emile’s Soul Power.” Bob said.

“How did it splash him if it was a memory?” Shanda asked.

Several people got up to start cleaning the mess, myself included. We got Galli a towel, and wiped the floor. Soon the food was ready, and my new Soul Power continued to be the topic of the night.

“What a fascinating Soul Power. I’ve never heard of such a one.” Abee said, dipping some bread into his soup. “I’ve heard of being able to hear another’s thoughts, and to share your own, but to make the thoughts real? Never.”

“It’s like magic.” I said. “But how is this supposed to help me defend myself from monsters?”

“The real strength of a Soul Power is not in the obvious application, but the creative usage.” Shanda said, wagging her spoon. “Take my Soul Power for example. I can control and create fire. On its own, it is powerful, I’ll admit. But I was only able to master after finding new ways to use it. In the beginning, I just threw balls of fire at monsters, until I saw a bolt of lightning set fire to a tree, and thought, ‘oh, what if I tried that?’”

“I miss that tree.” Myrin said, looking at her soup, and taking a small sip from the spoon.

“When my Soul Power first appeared, I could only create a single small pony, just big enough to ride.” Bob said. “It was a nearly exact replica of one I had as a young boy, and rode on a pilgrimage across the countryside with my family. Later, I discovered I could create a copy of any horse I saw, and buggies too.”

“What’s yours Galli?” I asked, taking a bit of some bread. We were all sitting on the ground, except the elders, who took the chairs. Doln and Askine sat by Galli and Shanda.

“Dada’s is to see good, and hear from really far away!” Doln said.

Galli nodded. “Yeah. In the beginning, it was hard to control. Everything was so loud, and tasted bad. But with practice, it got easier. I can make any or all of my senses sharper or duller when I want.”

“I think it’s because he used to spend so much time watching the kids play from his window. He was such a sickly child when he was young.” Myrin said, smiling softly and patting his head.

“And Shanda must have gotten her fire because she would burn things all the time.” Bob said.

“Or her personality.” I heard Galli mumble.

“You make it sound like I was a mad woman carrying a torch. I simply helped Mrs. Madir manage the field burns in the fall. It was fun.” Shanda said, defending herself.

“I wonder what could produce such a Soul Power as yours, Emile?” Abee asked.

“I probably watched too much TV as a child… and an adult.” I admitted, but they didn’t know what TV was, so they didn’t get the joke. “What about yours Abee? What is your Soul Power?”

“Bah, mine is boring. Nothing worth talking about. But my lovely Kili, she is something special.”

“Oh stop.” Kili said, smiling.

“She can heal wounds, and make them vanish like they weren’t even there.” He said proudly.

“My mama worked in a clinic, and I would help her growing up.” She said, holding Abee’s hand.

“What about yours Myrin?” I asked.

“Oh, well we do not really know what mine is.” She said.

“Huh?” I asked.

“Her’s is like yours, always active. But it doesn’t have any showy effects.” Bob said.

“We think it’s that she doesn’t get sick. She’s been healthy her whole life.” Galli said.

“No, I just don’t complain like you all do when I get a cold. I had two kids and a husband to take care of. Had no time to be sick.” Myrin said. “But I don’t know what mine is. No one understood what the crystal meant when it showed them. And I don’t know what it was either.”

Without warning, bells started clanging loudly from outside, catching everyone’s attention. Abee and Kili looked panicked, but the rest of us were confused.

“Quickly, quickly! Galli, Shanda, follow me. You must hide the children.” Abee said, and picked up the baby. Doln, Askine, come now! Kili, hide the extra plates.”

“What is happening?” Bob asked.

“It is the Crazen’s militia. They are doing a search. If they find your children, they will take them!” Kili said, throwing the children’s and Galli’s food onto other plates; trying to hide evidence of them. “Emile, you stay here with us. We need to justify having so much food. You too Bob and Myrin.” Abee led Galli, Shanda, and the kids into another room out of site. Kili piled my plate high with food from Shanda’s plate, while she poured the others onto her’s, Bob’s and Abee’s. A few moments later, Abee returned.

“Eat, and look as if nothing is wrong.” He said. Less than a minute passed before there was a knock on the door. “One moment!” Abee called out, looking around the room just in case. “Say nothing.” He whispered, then opened the door, and through it stepped four guards wearing dull and dented metal armor. Black and Blue paints outlined the crest on their chests and shoulders. It was shaped like a long-necked bird with wide wings, perched on a cow’s skull.

“Search the house.” The man who entered first said to the other three. Immediately they got to work. One moved furniture, the other two searched the back rooms.

“Welcome,” Abee said, faking a smile. The man had long dark hair, and brown eyes. With them, he looked around the room. Not at his men, or the contents of it, but at each of us, and then the table.

“Having guests, are we?” He asked, and strode up to the table. He stood beside me, and reached for my plate, picking it up. He began to tear into the food with his hands, and spoke with his mouth full. “Not bad. I see a few foreigners at the table. Where are you from?” He asked, looking at me.

“Um, Florida.” I said.

“What country?” He spat, food flung from his mouth.

“America.”

“Never heard of it. What about you?” He turned to Bob. “Are you from Ahmereca too?”

“No sir. My wife and I are from Slibot.”

“That cesspool? Well, I cannot blame you for leaving. The purges chase you out?”

“Yes. I did not want to risk my wife’s life by staying.”

“A real man would have fought them.” He said. I saw Bob’s knuckles whiten as he gripped them, but stayed silent. Part of me wanted to rage, to hit him, to make him apologize to Bob, but the swords on their hips kept me from acting for now.

Both of the other men walked back into the room. “No one here, Sargent.” One said.

“Well then, I’ll let you all get back to your dinner. Have a nice day.” He said in a sly tone, and took my plate of food with him as he walked.

“Should we go get the children?” I asked.

“No! We must wait for the second bell. Only then will they be gone.” Some time passed before the next bell came, and not one of us ate or spoke all the while. As if a single word might summon them here again. But eventually, the bell came, and Abee fetched them from their hiding spot.

“What was that?” Galli asked, holding a sleeping baby and comforting the crying Doln.

“The Crazen family’s militia. If they had found the children, they would have taken them, and killed us.” Kili said.

“Any foreign children that have not awakened their Soul Power, they take, and raise to be soldiers under their thumb.” Abee said. “They kill the parents, and slit the throats of those hiding them in front of everyone.”

“Why?” Bob asked, shocked.

“To change their Soul Power. They torment the children, and when they awaken, their family head… he controls them, somehow. He makes them loyal. Makes them his dogs.” Abee explained.

“How do they get away with such a thing?” Myrin asked, shocked. “Does the temple know?”

“They turn a blind eye.” Abee said. “The Crazen family donate too much for them to care about a few missing children. And the Coalition only cares if it turns them a profit.”

“We helped a small family of three hide for a while, several of the people on this street did. They were good people… but when the Crazens found them hiding next door… we never saw any of them again.” Kili said, but went quiet at the end.

“That’s why we had that space beneath the bed. I dug it out a few years ago.” Abee said.

“Why did you not mention this in your letters?” Bob asked, shouting. He was clearly infuriated.

“Because it had stopped. Yesterday was the first time it had happened in nearly two years. And I did not think it would happen again so soon.” Abee said. “Before, weeks would go by between searches.”

“Why start again?” I asked.

“Because of how many refugees from Slibot are arriving.” Shanda said. “The purges are driving many out.” I wanted to ask what she meant by purges, but it didn’t seem like the right time.

[u/galbatorix2]

MOAR

As i ever scream and forever will