Mimicry

Chapter 1

10 years later...

"Come on, boy. Why are you so slow?" Michael taunted, his voice teasing and light. "Oh shut up, old man!" I hollered back, sweat dripping down my neck.

It was a quite early in the morning, almost 6 am, and my crazy friend and/or teacher decided that it was a 'great' time to get some practices done. I'd protested, but after he threatened me with harder combat drills, I gave in. And here we are, training at 6 am in the freaking morning.

I was standing in the large green yard that the orphanage who took me in owned, facing Michael. He stood there calmly, leaning on his wooden sword and staring at me. Not used to the sudden early day, I was already out of energy, or Aura. Aura was a unique substance that flowed through a Savage's blood, and what Savages like me used to manifest our powers.

For example, a Savage with the ability of Fire wielding would channel one's Aura into his or her dominant hand, then dispel the Aura in a burst of fire from one's hand.

My power, on the hand, allows me to see other Savages' Aura. By seeing and analysing the way a Savage would channel his Aura, I could copy it exactly. However, my body, unsuited to use any other ability other than my own, would actually mutate the way I controlled my Aura.

This allows me to use the Savage's ability, but in a more efficient and stronger way. So basically, I could take an ability and make it more powerful and easier to use. Confused yet? Me too.

When Michael first explained this to me, I was beyond confused. I kept asking him to repeat himself, so much that he'd eventually gave up explaining my ability to me. He just said something like,"Your ability is unlike anyone has seen before," or whatever shit like that.

Anyways, as years went by, I started to understand Michael's words better. For example, anyone who saw my ability would be considered a threat to me, as I was just a 'dumb little boy', as Michael kindly puts it, who would trust just about anybody and get used for illegal purposes.

Despite being the annoying old man he was, Michael had watched over me ever since I'd left my past behind me. He was the one who'd provided me with a home at an orphanage in Gord, a small sleepy town near the capital city of Krys, Solar.

I charged at Michael again, this time barely raising my wooden sword. As Michael raised his sword above his head to hit me from above I brought up my wooden sword in a large slash, jumping back at the same time.

I look back to see Michael holding onto his injured torso, exactly where my sword had hit him. "Not bad," Michael lowered his sword, and so did I.

"Ash! Mr Silvian!" Sister Nora of the orphanage, called. I turned to see her running towards us through the door that connected the orphanage to the yard. "What's up?" I asked, throwing down my sword to the ground.

Nora handed me a cool towel, which I used to wipe away my sweat, then left it hanging around my neck. "There's someone here to see you, Mr Silvian." Nora said in a timid voice.

Michael tensed, then dropped the sword and rushed back into the orphanage, leaving me and Sister Nora alone in the yard. I wonder who's come to meet him...my mind immediately devised a plan to eavesdrop on Michael's conversation.

No, no. I shouldn't do that. Not only will Michael punish me if he found out, he would literally kill me. Still, I needed to satisfy my curiosity. I jogged back to the orphanage and rushed past the door, only to bump into Michael and company.

Michael was behind two men in business suits, with a nonchalant air surrounding them. Instinctively, I searched for any traces of Aura, feeling relieved when my search came up empty.