He was just a boy. A boy as small and meek as a pigmy geomite. His thick curly hair was equally as black, though never slick with mud. Nilo wished he was like the other boys, but the blood in his veins was different—more powerful.
“I wish I had been born a judge!” Tar’itre shouted as he passed beneath the open window.
“No you don’t,” Nilo whispered. He would have said it louder, but he wasn’t in the mood to be teased, and he knew they would never understand.
Nilo sat against the far wall, holding his knees to his chest as he tried not to hear Mikal bellow, “You’d give me a privilege right? Control over light would be so cool!”
“That’s lame, I’d be the master of fire!” Mianna taunted. She did have a fiery personality, but Nilo thought that was a bad combination.
A set of quick steps raced down the hall leading to his room. Lala must have heard by now. Her soft knock and jiggly voice calling, “Nil, can I enter?” Were a lure he couldn’t ignore. His sister was the only one who could understand what it was like to be so different.
He twisted the knob and the door burst open. Long black hair and violet eyes shining with a mystic light pressed past his face as her arms wrapped around him.
“You didn’t mean it.” Her gentle words were like an echo of his own thoughts.
Of course he didn’t mean to order Ji’ari. The group was having so much fun playing in the creek… He’d forgotten that Ji’ari couldn’t swim. Nilo only meant to ask, but he got too excited and before he knew it, Ji’ari was waist deep in water, her eyes streaming with tears as she took another step towards him.
“Stop.” Nilo said, but the word only sounded in his mind.
He was panicking. This power was too much.
As the water reached her chest, Ji’ari cried out, “Please, can I go back?”
Nilo nodded. “Yes, yes, please go back.”
Essmy and Ashira hurried to reach her, but it was too late. Ji’ari lost her footing and slipped under the water.
Nilo didn’t mean to hurt her.
She would live at least, but the way her father looked at him when they pulled her out of the water; Nilo knew her parents would never forgive him. When Ashira’s mother pulled the water from the girl's lungs and everyone waited with bated breath, it was clear in their eyes. They didn’t see Nilo as a harmless geomite; he was a judge with no control. More dangerous than any beast.
Lala understood that as the only one born of two judges, they were both more powerful than any of the other children—more powerful than the adults too. Lala didn’t share Nilo’s curse though. Her power was more limited and she never gave a ruling without meaning to.
She never ordered anyone.
Lala’s voice was like a soothing breeze on a hot day, or a warm blanket on a cold night. Her embrace was the only thing that calmed Nilo; it quieted the fear in his heart, silenced the anger and regret in his mind.
He loved his sister, and as she rubbed his back he said, “I don’t want to be a judge. I just want to be normal.”
She kissed the top of his head.
Normal, like a simple geomite. A creature that could live a full and happy life, free from the fear and worry that came with the power to judge.
“You are special Nil, and everyone knows it. It’s because of you that we are—”
Nilo pulled away, his angry flaring. “That’s just what mother and father say, but it’s not true. The villagers say—”
“It doesn’t matter what they say. You’re kind and gentle, and one day you will be an amazing judge. A judge that makes me proud to be your sister. Don’t ever forget that, Nil. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Lala's words made Nilo smile. "You think so?"
"I know so. Now come, it's getting late, and you need to sleep."
She led Nilo to his bed and tucked the covers around him, the way their mother did when she wasn’t away trying to convince a family not to report Nilo to the nearest high lord.
He wondered how long it would be before the adults stopped believing her vision of a free and beautiful future. He wondered how long it would be before the predictability of life under the high lord’s distant and impersonal ruling would seem more appealing than the hope that Nilo could offer them true freedom.
Sure, they could choose their own path without considering their stats if they wished, but few ever did. It was wise to do what you were naturally good at. It was of course possible that their children would be taken and sent to work a mine if their stats were too poor. It was possible, but how many kids did that really happen to?
Nilo didn’t know what the adults thought, but he hoped his mother was convincing. He didn’t want to die and he certainly wasn’t ready to fight another judge. He was only eight years old.
Nilo lay there in the darkness, letting his sister's words lull him to sleep. They were like a song in his mind. A song that reminded him that he was special, that he had a purpose in this world. A song that erased the pain and fear of his mistakes. A song that gave him hope for a future where he belonged. A future where he could live in peace with the people he loved.
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As sleep took him, he imagined that one day he would be like his parents. He would have a wife, a child, and a small simple house to live in.
Then the sky was black with soot and ash. Smoke filled his lungs and flames licked away the happy picture. A rugged man with shimmering yellow eyes descended from the sky as terrible screams rose up. Nilo knew those screams, and when he looked around him all he could see were the bodies of everyone he loved lying dead on the ground.
He screamed.
The rugged man laughed and with a flick of his wrist, Nilo felt the power of a thousand burning suns tearing at his flesh.
Nilo woke, his chest tight and his face wet with tears. It was just a dream, but as he wiped the moisture from his eyes he wondered how long it would be before the fear and doubt he felt in his heart became reality.
He was just a boy, and the burden of the future weighed heavily on his shoulders.
A window shattered downstairs and a booming thud shook the house. The night sky glowed red as something hot tore through the walls.
Nilo jumped from the bed as he realized it hadn't been a dream.
"Lala?" He whispered.
His door creaked as it opened. Lala and their mother hurried inside then gently shut the door.
“Where’s dad?” Nilo asked.
With a sharp look his mother spun towards him, a stiff finger pressed against her lips. She huddled the twins into the closet. “If anything gets through, you know what to do.” Then she closed the door and sealed it with magic.
Nilo was frightened. He didn’t know what to do and he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Nilo was powerful, but he didn’t want to be. He didn’t know how to use his power and even if he did, he wasn’t sure if it would help.
Lala grabbed his hand and they crept to the back wall. Her gentle calm was gone. Nilo could feel her hands shaking.
She whispered, “We need to get out of here.”
Nilo nodded, but there was nowhere to go. Lala could move them through the wall, but their mother put them inside for a reason. Maybe this was the safest place.
Nilo closed his eyes. Using his senses he saw beyond the walls that separated his closet from the rest of the house. The whole village was ablaze. Everyone he knew was either fleeing or dead. Many children had been herded into a corral where they waited to be slaughtered. Magistrates chased after anything that moved while armored soldiers shot fireballs at the buildings.
Nilo wanted to scream.
There were so many soldiers, and he saw that the leader was a man with shimmering yellow eyes.
The man from his dream. It felt like the man saw him too and his heart pounded with panic.
Nilo pulled back and opened his eyes. He couldn't let that man see him. If he did, he might die.
The walls cracked and the closet shook. The air was so hot that Nilo could barely breathe. A terrible roar shook the floor and a blast of fire tore through the walls.
Nilo covered his ears, but it was too late. A high pitched ringing drowned out the sounds of battle as he and his sister were thrown to the floor.
A moment later the door swung open. Yellow eyes pierced through the smoke, looking directly at Nilo.
This was it.
The man stepped towards them, his hand outstretched towards Nilo.
Lala pushed her brother, sending him tumbling through the wall just as a black sphere enclosed the space.
Nilo screamed.
He was outside and all around him were the bodies of the children who didn’t escape in time.
Nilo couldn't move. The ringing was still in his ears and bile rose up in his throat.
As he forced himself to his feet, Nilo caught sight of his father. Nilo’s father clutched his side as he stumbled from the house. Dark fluid caked his hair and a red line ran down from the corner of his lips. Their eyes met with a knowing sadness, then his father collapsed.
Tears blurred his vision, but Nilo found his way to his father’s side. He was still breathing, but only barely. Nilo grabbed his hands, willing himself to help somehow. There had to be something he could do.
With the last of his strength father gripped Nilo. “Repeat…after me…” his father gasped as he fought to breathe.
Nilo nodded and his father spoke.
He repeated the words without thought, and as he did, the world around him faded away. Everything slipped into a black fog that swallowed his pain and fear. It silenced the screams, devoured the smoke and ash; everything was gone, and only Nilo was left.
What had he been afraid of? He couldn’t remember.
Where was he now? He didn’t know.
Buildings towered overhead, but none of them were recognizable.
Where was his home? His family… Did he even have a family?
“Out of the way, gutter rat!” A man called as he pushed the boy aside.
His face struck a stone wall before he fell to the ground.
“Are you okay?” A woman asked, reaching down to help him up.
He nodded.
“Who are you?” she asked.
Who was he?
The woman was kind though and as she helped the boy to his feet, he said, “I…I don’t know.”
She smiled politely. “Where did you come from? Do you know how to get back?”
The boy shook his head.
“I can’t remember anything,” he sobbed as confusion took hold of him.
“Hey, hey…” the woman wiped tears from his eyes. “It’s okay. I’ll take you to a safe place where they can figure it out, alright?”
The boy nodded.
He followed the woman for what seemed like a long time. She led him to a tall building and they stepped inside.
The boy stood there, looking at the strange people who surrounded him. They all wore uniforms with silver pins on their collars and each pin was unique, shaped differently and decorated with symbols.
What did they mean?
He hadn’t noticed the woman talking to a stout little man with a round face and red hair until the man gave him a great wallop on the back. “Your name, boy. Can you tell me that?”
“He said he doesn’t remember,” the woman said softly, placing herself between the clearly annoyed man and himself. “Can’t you just scan him and find out?”
The redhead let out a loud sigh. “They don’t pay me enough for this shit.”
He looked around at the many uniformed men and women gathered around. A moment ago they stared curiously, but now everyone seemed busy.
One writing on a pad, another sliding his finger over a glowing glass screen.
“Do you want coffee? I’m heading to Jazzy’s. Before I start my patrol,” said a brunette as she pulled another woman out the door.
The short redhead turned back towards the boy with a sour look. Grunting, he said, “Take him to room five-eleven, I'll send someone over.”
Then he turned and left, muttering something about getting paid more if they'd just let him do his job.
When someone finally did come the boy felt relieved. He would learn his name and then they would be able to find his family and send him back home. He just had to hold out his wrist for the scan.
“My name is Sania and I’ll be conducting your scan. Do you have any questions before we begin?”
He didn’t. The woman who brought him didn’t ask anything either.
Sania nodded with a pleasant smile. “Then place your hand through this ring and your stats will appear here.” She pointed to a translucent blue screen floating above the device.
He extended his arm, but the screen only flashed and flickered.
“Hmm… that’s strange. Let’s try the other arm,” Sania suggested.
The same thing happened.
Sania looked him over with a thoughtful frown, but after a moment she simply said, “We should take you to get a bath. You're a bit dirty and your hair is filled with twigs and leaves.”
The kind lady who brought him in sighed with disappointment. She turned to the boy, placing a hand on his cheek and said, “I’m sorry. I really wanted to see this through, but I actually have somewhere to be. I’ll have to leave you here, okay? I hope you’ll be alright.”
He didn't know why, but her words made him sad.
She turned away, leaving him alone with the woman named Sania.
The woman smiled. She was pretty. Her face reminded him of a flower and the way her dark brown eyes sparkled was captivating. A bath didn’t seem so bad, but he did have a question now. “Can we try again, after I’m cleaned up?”
Sania smiled, “Of course.”