Starseeds: The Broken-Winged

| 3 | Attack

Aqua Lordaire

I do a lot of training lessons. I don't inevitably know the reason why, but my father insisted I should train in order to be healthy, fit and strong. He mutters about how precarious the world can be, therefore I need some knowledge to protect myself from dodgy people and things.

Dad and I train either in the basement or in the garden outside. Today, he's pumped up to train under the fiery, blistering orb in the bright, beautiful blue sky. The voice that spoke to me was silent ever since Dad's furious episode.

I'm dressed in black shorts and a black, loose shirt. My dark-brunette, helix hair is made into a cluttered, effortless ponytail. The garden outside is quite immense, with no bushes or flowers, just unadorned and grassy. Dad's standing next to Kiyoshi, dressed in a tight-fitting gym Nike shirt, black shorts and Nike trainers.

"You can't keep her like this forever, Chris," I heard Kiyo murmur. "You gotta let her go sooner or later."

"It'll be dangerous," Dad snapped. "If I let her go, she'll fall."

"She won't. She's strong. You of all people should know – Hey, Aqua." Kiyo grinned at me when he saw me. I returned the gesture.

Dad smiled firmly. "Finally. Thought it'll take you centuries to get dressed." Dad's voice still has that British Accent. He never allowed himself to get used to other accents besides than his original one.

"What are we going to do today?" I asked him.

"What have I been teaching you the last three months?"

"Martial arts."

Dad knows all kinds of martial arts – Karate, Jujutsu, Taekwondo, Aikido, Wing Chin, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and many more. I have no idea how he manages to memorise every single technique of each martial arts. It fascinates me, to be honest. Ryker said that it was his way to get Mom – just showing off his strength. That is something Dad would do. And something Ryker would do. Me? What do I have to show off to a guy? I have muscles, but they're perfectly small for my body figure. I don't need any muscles to get a guy.

In fact, I never attracted a guy before. I don't think any guy had a crush on me. Dad made sure of that. He gets very livid whenever it comes to guys. You're not ready for dating, guys or boyfriends, he scolded one time.

"Yes. Today, I want you to use your martial art skills to defend yourself from –" Dad nodded at Kiyo. Kiyo's hand went to the back of his trousers, and he drew out a weapon. "– a gun."

My eyes nearly popped out of my sockets. "Are you kidding me?"

"Does it look like I am?" Dad said, taking the gun from Kiyo's grasp.

"How do you even have one?"

He shrugged. "I have my ways."

"Why do you have one?"

"For protection."

"Protection?"

"Yes. The world is becoming more dangerous second by second. People mostly use guns nowadays to either steal or self-defend themselves. Guns are the best weapon to easily stop someone . . . or kill, for that matter.

"For today's lesson, you will learn how to deflect a bullet with your martial arts skills"

Can I even do that? It's a gun, for Christ's sake. The bullet can kill you in less than ten seconds. They're extremely fast, and extremely deadly.

Dad observed my troubled expression. "Aqua, don't be scared. Fear is the main demon that can make you lose. Fear is the main demon that can humiliate you. You must fight the fear, get rid of the self-doubt, and have confidence in yourself.

"The gun has fake bullets. The real ones will come in two or three lessons. For now, you need to prepare yourself. This lesson is worthwhile. Alright?"

"If I die, you better spend at least a million dollars for my funeral," I muttered.

Kiyo snickered. "You won't die. The bullets are fake."

"I can still die."

Dad rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Kiyo will shoot. You will block. I will analyse and help you. OK?"

The bullets are fake . . . I suppose I can be brilliant at this. I positioned myself into my preparatory stance. "OK. I'm ready."

For an hour or two, Kiyo shot at me. Just like Dad informed, the bullets are fake. They're actually cheese-balls. Yes. I know. Cheese-balls. Weird, right? Especially in a martial arts session.

Dad shouted at me here and then, providing me feedback, snapping at me whenever I done ridiculous or irrelevant moves. My mind, however, has been somewhere else. I've been wondering about the dagger. The Phanumdi dagger. My curiosity implored me to go upstairs and spend the rest of my time discovering information about the word or the dagger itself. And why did Dad reacted that way? Why did he tear up? Has he seen the dagger? Was the dagger part of his life? All these questions repeated themselves in my head, and every time they do, there isn't an answer to any of them.

My life is weird.

And I take that in a bad way.

Halfway through the session, Dad decided to put on some music. Just to make me pumped up and exhilarated as I train, train and train. Whilst I moaned in pain whenever a hard cheese-ball battered me in the rib, hip, stomach, arm, leg or face, Dad danced around, humming Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man, and Kiyo just guffawed at me whenever I got hit by a cheese-ball. I look like a walking cheese-ball now since my skin is covered in yellow-orange crumbs.

This is the best fourteenth birthday of my life. Literally. (Note the sarcasm).

I had my fifth water break, and when I returned to the garden, Kiyo has put the gun away. I groaned. I already knew what this meant. Kiyo must pretend to be a criminal who has excellent experience with karate. He "escaped" prison, and I'm the clumsy guard that fights Kiyo and put him back.

It's an odd game. Probably the worst created game in mankind's history.

I hate this game.

I pushed coils of my clammy hair behind my ear. My stomach ached from stitches. My head is throbbing. Kiyo wrenched his hoodie off, exposing his short-sleeved shirt that showed off his biceps and triceps.

By the time an extra set of two hours bypassed, the sun is sinking into the horizon. Streaks of radiant colours painted the sky beautifully. Birds flew into their nests for a siesta. I'm sitting on the floor, panting like mad just like Kiyo.

Dad stood up from his seat. "Good," he said. "Aqua, you've improved."

"Don't I always?" I gasped.

Dad smiled. "Lesson is finished for today. Go and have a shower. You both stink more than skunks."

Kiyo rolled his eyes and went inside the house, with me bounding after him. I went into my room, and collapsed on the bed. I heaved a pleasurable sigh, feeling comforted whilst resting on my snug sheets.

My eyes dropped, and in less than a minute, I'm already fast asleep.

This is the most unpleasant fourteenth birthday in the history of birthdays.

I jolted awake. My eyes peeled open as quick as lightning when I heard a hissing sound above me. The vague sunset-colours are quite visible to observe, but the Earth's obscurity is washing it away hurriedly. Kiyo is hovering over me, tresses of his soft hair falling over his alarmed eyes. He looked apprehensive.

I hauled up a little, placing one elbow on the mattress as my other hand rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "What?"

"We need to get out of here," Kiyo enlightened hastily. I noticed that he's holding a shotgun in his left hand.

I frowned. "Why?"

"We're under attack! We need to go!" He pulled me off the bed, catching me off-guard. I staggered forwards, my frown increasing its curiosity.

"Under attack?" I echoed. "What do you mean –" I was cut off by an impulsive tremor. The walls of my house quaked. Pictures of my family and other sorts of imagery in my room fell off their places, plummeting to the floor and rupturing their frames. I looked through the window. I saw about six spherical lights up ahead in the distance, driving closer and closer to our secreted house.

"Come on!" Kiyoshi yanked me after him, our feet rapidly bounding through the upstairs hallway and descending down the stairs.

Dad is standing by the door. His eyes are closed, and his hands dexterously rambled randomly around the air, his lips moving as if he's whispering a prayer. He turned to look at us after he was done with his business. "The nearby creatures will delay them for a while," he enlightened, "and I put up an illusion to distract them, but the illusion will fade away in less than three minutes."

"Dad, what's going on?" I demanded. "Who's attacking us? And why are they attacking us?"

Dad glanced at me. His eyes saddened temporarily, but the sentiment vanished swiftly. "I will explain everything to you later. For now, we need to move."

"Where?" Kiyo enquired. "Not only are the Demons following us, but the Starseeds, too. Chris, we're going to get ambushed."

"Demons?" I echoed. "Starseeds?" I looked at Dad. "What is he talking about?"

He shook his head at Kiyo, completely ignoring me. "No. I refuse to believe that. We will find another place to live in for as long as possible."

"And where is that? Chris, you and Aqua are like a beacon. You both attract other creatures not to help you, but to kill you. Where in the universe are we going to find a safe haven for you and Aqua that can shelter you both for eternity? Because Utopia and the other realms will instantly put you both into trial."

"Beacon?" I muttered. "Kill? Utopia? Dad, what's –?"

"They won't put Aqua into trial. Nor Ryker," Dad said, cutting me off. "They don't even know I have children. And who said anything about the other realms, Kiyoshi? I never planned to move into Utopia, or Andromeda, or any other realms, to find refuge for my daughter, you and me."

Kiyo looked confused for a second, until his face relaxed when he comprehended Chris's words. "Are you . . . ?"

"Yes," said Dad. "We're going to our country."

"Are you sure?"

Dad arched his left eyebrow. "For the past years, you were the only one who continuously suggested me to move Aqua into the country and keep her there for her own protection. Why do you seem nervous?"

"I don't know, Chris. The people over there are understandable, but what if they put you in trial –"

"I will accept the consequences."

"What about Aqua?"

"I told you before – nothing will happen to her. They don't even know I have a daughter and a son. And if they find out, they will see that she's innocent since she doesn't know anything about the real world–"

"Can somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on?" I shouted, frustration sweltering in my veins. They're both standing there, having their own discussion about safety, refuges, other confusing things and me, while I'm here trying to get their attention. What – am I invisible or something?

Dad and Kiyo looked at me. "We'll explain everything," Dad promised. "For now, just –" The walls vibrated. The lights in the ceiling flickered and died out, permitting darkness to consume us.

"What happened?" Kiyo asked, inspecting the lights.

"The illusion," Dad countered. "The Demons know about it. They're trying to destroy it."

"Well, they're doing a good job," Kiyo muttered. "So, Eskor it is, then?"

"Eskor," Dad agreed. "Follow me." He turned and fled through the entrance hallway. Kiyo immediately followed after him. I remained here, confounded and cantankerous. I have no idea what's going on, but staying here and doing nothing won't do anything to answer my questions, right?

I followed after them. Dad led us into the small dining room. Kiyo is by the window, staring into the shadows. He said that he can see the invaders, and that the illusion – whatever that means – was demolished.

"We're not going to come back here, are we?" I asked Kiyo. His silence told me the answer.

I ran out of the dining room.

"Aqua!" Dad shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm not leaving without Mom!" If we're leaving this house behind, then I want to take Mom with me. I never leave Mom behind for the hands of immorality to take her. Or just crumple her up and throw her into the bin. I have my necklace – the one Mom gave to me on my seventh birthday – but that's not enough. My memory of Mom is becoming a vague impression, a plain haze, soon to permanently expire in my mind. I cannot let that happen.

The lights in the house are completely out. The bulbs are destroyed. The dimness frightened me. It looked menacing, malevolence and repellent. Not the type of darkness that gives you a good thrill or keeps you calm at night. A darkness that . . . promises death and destruction.

I run through the opened door, and inspected the floor cramped with glass pieces for the frame of my Mom. I saw it, and I crouched down and tugged the piece of paper out of the frame.

She's beautiful. Her dark-brunette hair is coiled and made into a fine-looking, chaotic, indolent bun, with strands of them hanging down by the sides of her oval-shaped face. Her eyes are light-cerulean. Bright, benevolent and fearless. The type of personality that everyone admires. Her skin is fair and light-tanned. She's mixed-race. Her mother's side is from Sri Lanka, America and Germany. Her father's side is from Pakistan, Singapore and Colombia.

I folded the paper and submerged it into my cardigan. I analysed my room once again in case if I need some other things. I didn't think I needed anything other than Mom, but when I saw the dagger on my nightstand, I thought otherwise.

Do I need it? Is it worth it to take it with me? I don't know how to use a dagger, or a sword for that matter, but maybe I can pick up the skills along the way to whatever destination Dad and Kiyo has in mind.

Yes, Weird Guy whispered. Yes, I gave the voice a name. I didn't know if the voice really have a name, but I just gave it one anyway. It sounds like a guy, and the guy's voice is quite weird, so I named him Weird Guy. Take it with you. It will protect you and give you strength.

For a normal human being, he or she won't even take a random, spine-chilling voice's advice. He or she will consider that the voice is merely a minor hallucination. However, to me: it doesn't feel like a hallucination, or some foolish schizophrenic episode. It feels like a helping hand.

Suddenly, there was a blaze downstairs, big enough for me to notice at the corner of my eye. I grabbed the dagger and walked out of the room, wordlessly approaching the staircase.

The main door was demolished. Actually, it was smouldered, with tiny flames rising up from the edges of the remains. Six figures stepped inside, their feet crushing the leftovers and assassinating the flames. Their clothing camouflaged with the darkness, and luckily for me, so did mine. They wore masks, and attached to their sides were weapons – swords, pistols, shotguns, chains, daggers and knives. Enough to protect themselves.

I squatted down to my knees. My heart palpitated rapidly in my chest, each beat full of trepidation. The one in front of the others took of its' mask. It was a man, young and fair. His paper-white-skin stood out the most, along with his blonde hair and classy, left-hand silver watch.

"Are they gone?" one of them spoke up. The voice was slightly muffled due to the masks, though it sounded feminine. "Are we too late?"

Blonde-haired guy examined his surroundings. "Maybe."

"Hiding?" someone suggested.

"Do you think the Thaumaturge's most intelligent technique is hiding during an attack? No, my friend, he will not hide. He will run and find shelter." Blonde guy looked back at the others. "Go around the area and find him. If you cannot, then hack into the satellites to find him. He must've teleported somewhere nearby, or to a different country for refuge. We cannot let him get away. Not this time. We won't return to Lady Malum empty-handed. Understood?"

They bobbed their heads in unison, and meandered away. Two of them ascended up. I backed away, firmly pressing my back into the wall. Each of their steps guaranteed murder and end. Each of their steps was a step closer to bloodshed. My ragged breaths increased its' intensity and alarm when one of them glanced at my direction. I didn't close my eyes. I kept them open, fear observantly lurking in them. For a moment, I knew I was going to die. Until they proceeded forward.

I frowned. Did they not see me?

Yes, Weird Guy responded. They didn't see you. You are invisible to them.

"How?" I whispered. 

Your necklace has rare abilities, sometimes it conceals you from the eyes of both human and preternatural beings. Now go to your father. 

"But how? I can't just run downstairs to the dining room."

Go downstairs, Weird Guy murmured.

"What?!" I hissed. "Are you crazy? I'll get killed!"

You won't. Trust me, you won't. You can fight them off.

"How do you know I can go Karate Kid on them?"

I've seen your trainings. You're talented at martial arts – in less than two minutes, you're already professional and gifted at the techniques and skills.

"So you have been stalking me. You are a paedophile. Which means I cannot trust you."

I will pretend I did not hear that. Go downstairs and show them who is boss, Aqua.

"I can't do it on my own."

You won't do it on your own. Chris and Kiyo are there. They're already beating them up.

"What?" I crawled one step down only to see that Weird Guy is right. Dad and Kiyo immerged from their hiding spots. Dad is boxing them up – hammering his hands into the invaders' stomachs, punching their jaws or temples to knock them out – whilst Kiyo shot at them. They plummeted to the floor, lifeless. Beneath the layer of black clothing, I realised that they're skins are roasting, and in less than a minute, their skins turned into ashes.

What are they?