Remarkable

Chapter 7

We walked into what looked like an outdoor lounge with overstuffed chairs, fluffy couches and bean bags set up in small groups and benches and lounge chairs lining the borders, facing away from the center of the roof. The city looked different from up here; in extreme contrast to the plainness of the buildings from the street below, almost every single rooftop I could see was intricately decorated with twinkle lights, either seating areas like this one, privately curtained areas, or gardens and trellises. Some of them had a mixture of all 3. It was like something out of a dream. There was a fire pit in the center of the roof we were on with concrete benches topped with thick cushions surrounding it. I couldn't imagine it getting cold enough here to need a fire pit, assuming the weather was regulated by the Rems who could control the elements. I tried to recall what Mercer had labeled them, but was drawing a complete blank at the moment. But, it was still nice to think that Rems did anything as normal as gather around a campfire from time to time.

"So," said Lylah as she sat down on one of the couches near the center of the roof and patted the cushion beside her.

"Tell me what you think of Lyria so far!"

She smiled widely and patiently waited for me to sit while I contemplated my response.

"Um... it's..."

I said before taking a deep breath and looking around once more.

"A lot?" she suggested.

I nodded fervently, eyes widening in agreement.

"I understand. I don't know how you could feel any different. It's an intense world we live in."

She stared at me with a look of curiosity on her face and blinked a few times, seemingly waiting for me to speak again.

"Can I ask what your... um... ability is?" I said feebly, wanting to ask so much more but deciding to begin there.

Lylah chuckled, her eyes almost closing in amusement while a cheeky grin emerged on her face.

"I'm a Soother." she said simply.

"So, you can heal people?" I said, fascinated.

"More or less. I can heal most wounds and ease pain. I can also speed along the healing process for wounds that I can't heal completely. My powers are in the moderate range compared to other Soothers."

She spoke with a contentment that seemed completely serene, as though she had never wanted any more from her "powers", as though they were perfect for her.

"When did you find out you could do that?" I said, wanting to ask her to show me her ability but not seeing how that was possible at the moment.

"I was born a Remarkable. Our abilities usually surface between the ages of 3 and 7. For me, it was 6 and a half. I was a late bloomer, as they say. I was actually Dayton's very first charge."

This took me by surprise.

"Wait, so people who are born Remarkables still have to be activated?" I said, leaning a little closer toward her.

She nodded.

"Yepp."

"And how old was Dayton when this happened?" I asked, hoping to convey a tone of innocent curiosity.

"He was 10. He began his Conjuring training right after he was activated at the age of 4, but Alterers have to wait until they are deemed stable enough to access and change the memories of other people (which is usally around 13 or older), so Designator Talon decided to test Dayton's Sanctioner ability out on a group of the local Rem kids. Talon brought Dayton out onto this very rooftop, where we were having S'mores and swapping ancient Rem stories, and it took him about 10 seconds to point me out. All my friends 'Oooohed' and "Ahhhed' and became overly excited to see what abilty I would have. Talon directed Dayton to take me by the hand, so he did. Right after that, Johnny, one of my closest friends, jumped off of his bench to get closer to us and tripped over his feet, skinning his knee pretty badly. I immediately ran over to him and took his hand, and he stopped crying. We both watched as his knee stopped bleeding and a white, filmy layer of skin started to grow right over the scrape. It was scary but really cool. And that's how we figured out that I'm a Soother."

"Wow." was all I could think to say for some reason.

"Yeah, I had always hoped to be a Soother. That's what my mom was." said Lylah, sounding sad for the first time.

"Was?" I asked, hoping that I wasn't being rude by prying.

"Yes. She was deactivated when I was 5 and moved to a place in Philadelphia. Designator Talon thought that was the reason it took my ability so long to surface. Tragedy can often affect a person's abilities."

"I'm so sorry, Lylah." I said quietly.

"It's fine. I've made peace with it!" she said brightly.

And she really looked like she had. She didn't mention the rest of her family, and by that time I was too weary to even ask, so I decided to change the subject. I wanted to ask more questions about Dayton and his past, but I didn't want her to know that he seemed to be all I could think of.

"So, I'm guessing Designator Talon was Designator Spencer's predecessor?"

"He sure was. He was getting up there in age even when I was activated. But he introduced me to Soother Reyes, who taught me everything I know. She had also been really good friends with my mom, so she treated me like a daughter of her own. I was very grateful for that and still am. She is still the Head Soother here in Lyria."

"Aww, that's really nice!" I said, glad Lylah's childhood had included a happy turn of events.

"And Annemarie? What is her ability?" I asked.

Lylah tryed to stifle a mischevious grin. As a result, I got the feeling she had expected me to ask this way before I did.

"She's a Multi-Rem. She has 2 abilities."

I waited a few seconds before speaking again.

"Oh, cool... What are they?"

Again, she tryed but failed to hide the grin on her face.

"She's a Nature Conjurer and an Aquatic Primal."

"So, she can control... like trees and things?" I asked curiously.

"Trees, flowers, grass, and plants. And she can talk to marine animals."

I was taken aback by the second statement. What good could talking to marine animals ever do? I decided to shake that thought off for now.

"So, if one of her abilities is directly related to plants and trees, shouldn't she be working for the Sustainer?" I asked, trying to sound polite.

"She does. She helps grow some of our fruits and vegetables and helps keep the grass at the perfect length in certain areas. She also has a few other duties that help Sustainer Daniels, but she prefers to teach new Rems how to adapt to this world after they are activated. Designator Spencer prefers to have one Natural Rem and one Adapted Rem as her apprentices. The Natural Rem, which is me, has grown up knowing our history and is usually the one that teaches the new Rem about their ability before they are introduced to their primary trainers. The Adapted Rem, which is Annemarie, knows what it's like to be thrown into this world so suddenly, so she usually takes in new charges that don't stay with their Sanctioners for whatever reason and show them the ropes until they get adjusted."

My stomach seemed to tighten with dreaded anticipation at Lylahs last words.

"Does that mean I'll be staying with her?" I asked, again trying to sound as polite as I could.

Lylah chuckled once again, rather animatedly this time.

"I'm not sure. We haven't been given those instructions yet. But you will soon learn that Annemarie is actually very kind to most people. I have a theory as to why you are not one of them."

Lylah stared out into the city, apparently waiting for me to ask the question we both knew I was thinking. She seemed to do this a lot, just like Dayton had in his office in the normal world. It was like they were both bored of their supernatural existence and had come up with ways to make it more exciting.

"And.. what is this theory, if you don't mind me asking?"

She turned to look me straight in the eyes, holding my gaze for a few seconds before answering.

"She's jealous."

I blinked.

"Of me?"

Lylah scoffed.

"Yes, of you, silly!"

I stared at her, eyes narrowed and brows furroughed.

"You can literally have, do, or make anything you want. You're a Fulfiller. Most people you meet here are probably going to be very jealous of you, whether they choose to display it or not."

Fantastic, I thought. Not only am I in a completely new and strage world where I have no clue what I'm doing, I'm likely to be the center of attention and a prominent target of envy, neither of which I have ever dealt with before. Can I wake up now?