Beyond the Thorns: A Novel

“Let’s get to the others before we discuss that,” Jyrasck says ineptly. Which I respond with a silent glare, he’s trying to hide it. What, did he escape from a Lab a long time ago? Did he escape with others? Can we free all the Tested?

“Are you coming? You’re the only one who knows where we’re going Mist,” Cana calls. I follow after a second and we leave without much of a fuss or commotion. Jyrasck was stopped a little, but quickly denied conversation, I felt slightly surprised every time he did so.

He seems to be the type to talk for an hour to a random sitty person*. We walk quickly and casually, as if we have somewhere important to be. I catch the glimpse of movement in the dark betweens of buildings and the crystal-like blue of two eyes. I pause, Luke..? No he’s dead. Right?

I start to process before Cana pulls me forward, making me remember my position as guide. We walk quickly until we reach the dirt and metal smelling building of the artisans. I rap on the door before opening it, I hear Lysa and Thane arguing for the manyth time. I let myself in, the others doing the same while I look for Ross.

I catch him as he leaves the washroom, “Ross.”

He makes a startled noise before I continue.

“Jyra and Cana are gonna’ stay here for the night. But we gotta leave in the morning,” I inform.

“Eh- wha? I- more details… please?” He stutters a lot, I thought someone my age would be more confident in their manner.

“In my room, with everyone else.”

“Everyone?”

“Jyra and Cana yes.” I say before leading Jyra and Cana to my room like a pair of blind sheep.

We all sit down, “soo,” I start. “We have a problem.”

“Yeah, mind telling me about it?” Ross snips.

I explain everything before turning to Jyra, “and we are wondering if we have another Tested on our hands.”

“Tested? Another?? Wha?” Jyra looks around, confused.

I sigh, “the Lab near here tests people our age on supernatural abilities. There, Cana and I were tested on,” I point to my scar. “And I received a vision, one of escaping. We allied with every other Tested there and broke out, not without sacrifice though. But either way, I want to get revenge on the Curio for what they were doing and what others are doing.” The talented don’t deserve to be outcasted.

“A vision? Wait- you- wha? Do you have Cassandra’s Tears or something?” Jyra says.

My eyes droop, “I have an abnormality called Clairvoyance. It allows me to see a possible future or another place in the present. It happens randomly.”

“Do all of y’all have abnormalities?” Jyra says sheepishly.

“No I don’t,” Ross informs.

“I can heal myself su-uper fast,” Cana chirps as I pull out a pocket knife Elyra left in the pouch and offer it to her.

“Lemme show you,” she takes it and stabs herself in the shoulder, blood splashing on her hand slightly. I hear Ross yelp in shock as she does, a mischievous grin creeping up to my face.

I cringe. Oww… I feel the pain numb until it’s nothing after a while before pulling the knife out, which hurt some more before I went to show them the wound.

“No- nononono, I don’t need to see that- I get the message.” Jyrasck quickly turns, thoroughly grossed out.

“So…?” I turn suggestively.

“So? Oh right- yeah uhm…” he makes his hands into odd positions before clasping them together like he’s holding something and looks like he’s concentrating for a second. He releases his hands to reveal a swirling, floating, green mass that has a slight glow.

“I absorb the energy around me and use it for whatever. But I don’t have full control over it yet,” he explains.

“Wow, cool!” I say rubbing the itching wound.

Ross smiles, “talk about feeling like an oddball.”

“How do you not have something you’ve had all your life?” Mist comments.

The green mass disperses, sending a rush of wind in every direction, “I only got the ability recently. Less than a month ago while I was performing.”

“Performing?” Mist inquires.

“Yeah, while I worked in an inn, I was a bard there but left because,” he did a show of hands, “y’know.”

Ross makes his lips into a fine line, “so where do we go now? We can’t stay here any longer since y’all got some Curio after you.”

“You’re coming?” Mist chirps.

“I mean, I come or get interrogated by government officers,” Ross shrugs. “I’m in too deep to turn back now.”

As he says that, he gets up and goes through his stuff before going through Mist’s, then leaving the room all together, telling us to wait a second.

It was while before he returns with a paper with a bunch of green and little black dots that were labeled. I notice Mist looked confused but brush it off. Emma probably didn’t get to her yet I guess.

I squint at the paper, trying to read each and every dot.

“We’re closest to the western stables so let’s go….” Jyrasck skims his finger right of the Yalev, landing on Lirav “that’ll take to long…” he mutters. Moving his finger left and down until he taps it twice on a dot, “ we’re going to Little D’melio.” I cringe at the name.

“Ho-” I start.

“Sounds good,” Mist nods.

“Le-”

“Little D’melio here we come,” Cana beams as I groan to myself.

“It’s around eleven o’ clock now, when should we get going?” I ask, looking up to the sky.

“I say around 12:45, one-ish,” Jyrasck says, the girls complying.

“What’s our finances?” I ask, trying to get everything settled out.

“I have a couple of ivory and gold on me,” Jyrasck answers as the girls look in confusion.

“Money?” They blink in unison.

“You trade it for desired items and services,” I explain. “I got enough for the horses, we won’t last long without a passive source of income though.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Can you two even ride a horse?” Jyrasck turns to the girls.

“Are those the huge clicky things I saw once?” Mist asks, tilting her head slightly.

I nod, “I’ll take that as a no, so one of you will ride with one of us until we fix that.”

“Okie!” Cana chirps as Mist does a barely audible groan.

I look up to the sky, noticing the moon’s location three quarters through the night airspace. “We better get going now,” I say, getting up.

And get going we did.

I take Cana as she sits backwards on the horse. I mean, it works I guess. Mist is doing the same with Ross so imma leave that alone. We made it through the trail, Mist keeping watch as she wasn’t controlling a horse or conversing consistently.

We arrive at Little D’melio’s northern stables without trouble. I go to pay off the stablehand before Ross swoops in to pay instead. Right, I’m poor. I smiled awkwardly previous to asking about an ideal inn.

“Right that way is a building called ‘Login’, it’s based on the AD timeline, but it’s really nice.” She points while petting Ross’ attention-seeking horse.

“Thanks,” I nod. “This way,” I guide the group to the inn relatively quickly.

The inn looked a lot like Yoliho. Small, but smartly designed. Instead of bioluminescent paint, they had fireflies inside hollow, colored tubes to light up “LOGIN” in green, block-like writing.

“Log in… Cool!” Cana bounces, reading the sign aloud before turning to Mist. “That says ‘Log in’ by the way,” she quips smugly.

“Stop acting superior,” Mist grumbles before we enter.

The place was large on the inside, with a stage that was attempting to be ‘techy’ and everyone working there had suits on some men and some women, floral outfits on both, and bright sequin shirts and sparkle skirts on the occasional female. On the bar, it had “Slay the day away” and other weird quotes hanging above the exhausted workers. I quickly asked a bartender for two rooms and paid him a few gold and walked up to each room, giving Mist the girls’ key and handing Ross our own. We claim our spots and fall quickly asleep as there was little moonlight left of the night.