Crafting
Elmore sat down at his workbench, the cured mountain lion pelt spread out before him. His fingers absentmindedly traced the texture of the hide as his mind wandered, imagining the potential uses for the material. He grabbed a pencil and a crumpled piece of paper, then started sketching.
At first, it was rough—a vague outline of a vest. But as he thought about it more, the idea of making something bigger, more substantial, began to take hold. Why stop at a vest? He could make a full overcoat. Maybe even padded leather trousers to go with it. The fur could be left intact on key areas to keep warm during the colder months, and the dense leather could offer protection.
He measured himself carefully, making notes on where the fur would be most effective for insulation and where it could be shaved down to allow for movement. His hand moved steadily, scratching out the measurements: shoulder width, sleeve length, chest and waist dimensions. Each new line on the paper refined his vision.
The next few days were spent shaping the pelt. He shaved down the fur in places where flexibility was more important, like the elbows, knees, and sides. He left it thick around the torso, shoulders, and legs for added warmth. As he worked, he occasionally paused, running his hands over the rough patches, knowing the final product would not be perfect. But perfection wasn’t the goal—durability was.
Without access to professional tools, Elmore had to improvise. He sharpened old knives and used thick needles to punch through the hide, threading together leather strips he cut from the same material. His sewing was rough but effective. He used the mountain lion's claws and teeth as buttons, stringing them through with tough, woven leather strips that he had shaped by hand. Every stitch was purposeful, every knot tied with the intention of keeping it intact through whatever the wilderness might throw at him.
The overcoat slowly began to take shape—a rugged, fur-lined coat with long sleeves and reinforced padding around the chest and back. He added a thick leather collar to help keep the wind out, and the trousers were no different, built for both protection and mobility. He took pride in using every part of the animal, knowing that even the smallest claw or strip of leather had a place in this project.
When he finished, Elmore stepped back to admire his work. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was something he had crafted with his own hands, from start to finish. The overcoat and trousers were heavy and sturdy, with just enough give to allow movement. He ran his fingers over the claw buttons and smiled at the thought of the fight it had taken to get here.
As he moved to put the coat on for the first time, something unexpected happened. His Nexus lit up, just for a brief moment. A faint screen, ghostly and translucent, flickered in front of his eyes. He froze, staring at the words, but before he could even make sense of them, they flickered out and disappeared.
"What the hell...?" Elmore muttered, trying to focus on the spot where the screen had been. He reached out instinctively, but there was nothing to press, nothing to grab. It had vanished as quickly as it appeared. As he stood there, trying to make sense of it, he felt a strange drop in the ambient Aither around him. He glanced around, but everything else seemed normal.
Shaking off the moment, Elmore decided to test his creation. He took the coat and trousers outside, draping them over a tree trunk. Standing a few paces back, he leveled his shotgun, loading it with slugs. Taking aim, he squeezed the trigger.
*BOOM!*
The echo of the shot faded into the woods, and Elmore approached the coat cautiously. There were no holes in the leather, no signs of the slug even breaking through. He frowned and fired again. Still nothing.
He poked at the leather, running his hand over the impact spot. Somehow, the pelt had stopped the slugs. The coat was bulletproof. A slow grin spread across his face.
Satisfied, Elmore put the coat on. He expected to feel the weight of the thick material weighing him down or the heat from the fur building up against his skin. But surprisingly, he didn’t. He felt... comfortable, almost as if the coat had been designed to regulate his body temperature.
"Must be the resistance kicking in," he mused to himself, making a mental note to rely more on that stat in the future.
As he stood there, admiring his handiwork, he heard the soft padding of small feet. Turning around, he saw Edward walking up to him, his wide eyes filled with curiosity.
“Dada, what’s that?” Edward asked, pointing at the coat.
Elmore smiled and knelt down. “This? This is a new coat I made, bud. You remember the big cat we brought back a few weeks ago? Well, this is its skin.”
Edward’s eyes widened even more. “You made it? Is it magic?”
Elmore chuckled. “Not magic, just hard work.” He held out one of the claw buttons for Edward to see. “Look, these are from the same animal. I used everything I could.”
Edward touched the button gently, then looked up at his father. “What does it do?”
Elmore ruffled his son’s hair. “It keeps me warm and safe, buddy. That’s all I need.”
Edward smiled, giggling. “Can I have one too?”
“Maybe when you’re older,” Elmore said, laughing with his son. “For now, you just stick to your blankets.”
Edward nodded, satisfied with the answer, and ran off back toward the house, laughing all the way. Elmore watched him go, smiling as he stood in the sunlight, feeling the strange weight of his new creation and the warmth in his chest from both his family and his hard-earned victory.
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Another winter
Six months had passed, and the world outside the small town was a different place. At Elmore's home, the smell of cooked meat and vegetables filled the air as the family sat around the dinner table. Brett had become part of the routine by now, sitting alongside Elmore, Ash, and Edward. Dinner was a mix of idle chatter and more serious talk about the state of the world, something that had become a regular part of their lives.
The TV in the corner flickered with images of newscasters reporting on global events. Brett leaned back in his chair, nodding in agreement as Elmore talked about how their hunting had made them one of the most reliable meat suppliers in town.
“It's crazy,” Elmore said, cutting into his steak. “The farmers still raising pigs and cows, sure, but even they can’t keep up. Most people rely on what we bring in. If it weren’t for the hunts, half the town would be out of meat.”
Ash nodded, scooping some mashed potatoes onto Edward’s plate. “And the prices for the things we don’t hunt are insane. Everything’s flown in now, but it costs a fortune. You try buying coffee lately? Ridiculous.”
Brett chuckled. “We’re doing well, though. Way better than most. People are starting to barter more, too. It’s like we’ve gone back in time.”
Edward, only half paying attention to the adult conversation, glanced up from his plate. “What’s barter?” he asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.
“It’s when you trade things instead of using money,” Elmore explained. “Like, say we don’t have enough cash for something but we’ve got extra meat. We trade the meat for whatever we need.”
Edward nodded, understanding, before going back to his food.
On the TV, a news anchor appeared, giving updates about the upcoming election.
“And in the next few days, we’ll finally learn who the winner of the election is,” the anchor announced. “But in the meantime, we turn our attention to other global matters. New governments are forming across Africa, as the continent recovers from the United Nations’ military intervention.”
The screen showed images of newly formed governing bodies, regions slowly rebuilding after the chaos of the past two years. “Some countries have made it legal to have powers but not use them in public,” the anchor continued. “Others have fully legalized the use of Nexus abilities, with regulations in place. And now, whispers of so-called ‘magic’ are beginning to surface.”
Brett raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Elmore. “Magic, huh? Next they’ll tell us they found dragons.”
Elmore shrugged, chewing thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t surprise me at this point. We’ve seen enough strange things out there. People keep talking about animals and their abilities. Maybe it’s not far off.”
The broadcast shifted to a video clip of a man standing in front of a camera, claiming to be level 5. He raised his hand, and with a brief shimmer of light, a small chunk of ice appeared in his palm. The crowd in the background gasped as he shot the ice at an iron block, piercing an inch into it.
The anchor, clearly fascinated by the display, leaned forward in his seat. “Astonishing, isn’t it? And now, here’s a clip from the infamous Fire Panel, the same group that was present during the incident with the general last year.”
The screen cut to a lively debate, with the panel discussing the recent events and what powers like this could mean for the future. The host stirred the conversation, asking provocative questions that kept the tension in the room high.
Elmore leaned back in his chair, his eyes still on the screen, his thoughts distant. The world was changing fast. Powers were no longer something to be hidden or feared, but a tool, something that was shaping the new normal. He glanced over at Brett, who had come so far in six months. Brett seemed more comfortable now, more at ease in his own skin, and his place in their small community.
Fire panel
The screen flickered as the Fire Panel continued, now shifting to the infamous general who had been a focal point of controversy since his actions a year ago. He sat stiffly in his seat, his jaw clenched, clearly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the host and the other attendees. The tension was palpable as the host leaned in, narrowing his eyes.
"General, a year ago, you made the decision to take an aggressive stance against those with Nexus abilities. Now, almost everyone on Earth over the age of 18 has them. How do you justify that position, especially considering the impact it’s had on society?" the host pressed, his tone sharp.
The general’s face tightened, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. He straightened, leaning forward to defend himself. "At the time, we were working with the best intelligence we had. I did what I thought was necessary to prevent chaos. My supporters—and there are many—still believe that these abilities are a threat if not properly controlled."
A chorus of murmurs erupted from the audience, and the general raised his voice over them, eyes flashing with frustration. "Look at the depopulation of smaller towns, the rural areas deserted because people can’t control their Nexus powers. Big cities are filled to the brim, and police officers had to step up and learn to use their abilities just to maintain order. And what do we have now? A situation spiraling out of control."
The host interrupted. "But isn’t this about adaptation, General? People have these powers now. Shouldn’t we be finding ways to regulate, not restrict? You’ve even developed abilities yourself, like everyone on this panel."
The general bristled, his eyes narrowing. "My point exactly. There *should* be regulation. Licenses for these powers, strict rules about who can use them and how. Jail time for anyone caught using them without authorization. We cannot allow unchecked abilities to destroy society from the inside out."
The bickering continued for a few minutes, the general’s voice growing more heated as the host pushed back. After some back-and-forth, the conversation shifted to the scientists on the panel.
A tall, bearded man, clearly passionate about his field, adjusted his glasses and spoke up. "We’ve been studying not just Earth, but the entire solar system. Changes aren’t confined to our planet. We’ve noticed atmospheric shifts on Mars, Jupiter, and even as far out as Neptune. Things are getting...strange. Some of the atmospheric effects we’re seeing are nothing short of astonishing."
He paused, the room hanging on his every word, before continuing. "We’re talking about phenomena that defy our understanding of physics. Clouds forming into strange, geometric patterns on Venus. Lightning storms that have started to mimic electrical circuits on Neptune. It’s as if the Nexus energy we’ve detected on Earth has permeated everywhere we can look."
The host nodded gravely, letting that information sink in before turning to the cold, composed female scientist next to him. She spoke in a calm, measured tone, but her words carried weight.
"We’ve been monitoring the animal kingdom, and what we’re seeing is alarming," she began. "Elemental abilities are cropping up in various species—creatures that can control fire, ice, or even electricity. And these aren’t just isolated incidents. There is now an international wet market for these animals. They’re being sold live, trafficked, and their mutations are becoming more dangerous. In some regions, they’re attacking settlements and farms. We’ve recorded new species emerging, particularly in places like the Amazon rainforest."
A picture flashed on the screen of a mutated jaguar, its fur glowing faintly with streaks of what appeared to be bioluminescent veins. The scientist’s voice turned more urgent. "The Amazon, once a thriving ecosystem, is now considered the most dangerous place on the planet. Entire cities and settlements within it have fallen to these new species and elemental wildlife."
A murmur of fear rippled through the room as the implications settled in. The host nodded gravely before turning to the last panelist, a geologist who had a few samples of odd-looking materials laid out in front of him.
"Thank you, Doctor. Now, let’s hear from the geologist who has something particularly unusual to share with us."
The geologist cleared his throat, lifting one of the samples into view. "These materials were found in various parts of the world, and at first glance, they look like ordinary elements. However, upon closer inspection, we’ve realized they are more than that. While they have the same number of protons, neutrons, and electrons as elements on the periodic table, they seem to possess something else. An unknown stabilizing force."
He tapped the sample with a small tool, the sound resonating oddly in the room. "This has allowed us to discover previously unstable elements that, under normal circumstances, would decay quickly due to radiation. But now, they remain stable—completely non-radioactive, thanks to this unknown factor. We’re still studying this phenomenon, but it’s a game-changer for material scientists and physicists alike."
The host raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating. So, are we talking about new building materials? New weapons, perhaps?"
The geologist nodded. "Potentially. We’re far from commercializing any of this, but the possibilities are endless. What’s more, chemists are making similar breakthroughs. There was a bizarre six-month period where chemistry, as we knew it, didn’t work right. It turns out that many of them were not purifying their materials correctly—something changed. But now, with the proper techniques, chemistry has adapted. There are new avenues for innovation, but it’s still early days."
The host leaned back in his chair, absorbing all the information. "It seems we’re at the cusp of something massive. Abilities, materials, and even nature itself is changing. Where this leads us, nobody knows."
As the panel moved to a commercial break, Elmore glanced around the dinner table. Brett sat quietly, his expression unreadable, Ash was happily eating her food and bickering with Edward about him needing to eat more meat and Edward complaining that it was too chewy the world outside maybe strange and dangerous but they have a happy home and apparently a new friend.