The Elementals; Truth and Lies

Chapter 2: Hiro

I push my messy black hair from my eyes, as I rub them. The cat is sleeping at the end of the bed. Then I remember, we don't have a cat. It yawns and stretches, it does look like a skinny, gold-brown, cat. It looks up at me, with those lovely emerald green eyes, then grabs the rucksack at the end of my bed. How did that get there? A small part of my mind whispers.

My pillow starts breathing, I snap up instantly and look behind, a miniature black bear with white stripes is on my bed. Okay... I think to myself thoroughly weirded out by this point. I slowly wrangle myself from my sheets, what I now realise is a weasel, is watching me the whole time.

I take the rucksack from its jaws and empty it out onto the floor; there's a Bō, a staff from Japan that is used for fighting. There are a few handfuls of ninja stars, a freaking broad sword, in its sheath, of course. My mind is still foggy from sleep, but I still wonder, how the hell did that fit in there? There is a small tie-string bag full of darts attached to a bow and quiver full of real arrows. Once again, how the hell did that fit? I also find two axes, that look like there're from the age of Vikings and phones. This makes no sense.

While inspecting them I could work out what symbol was on what weapon. The Bō had the earth and nature symbol carved into it. The broad sword had the metal symbol stitched into the sheath. The ninja stars all had the water symbol branded into one corner. The bag of darts had the air symbol sewn on. The darts, arrows, and bow also had the air symbol engraved into them. Both Viking axes had the fire symbol cut into the handles.

"What the hell?" I take another look through all of these, probably illegal, weapons. To add to the weird list the Bō staff was perfectly crafted, it has the kind of carvings I would put on it. While I was inspecting the staff the earth and nature symbol on it seemed to glow... the bear suddenly yawned.

I snapped up straight with the Bō in hand, holding it up ready for any attack the animals could spring. It barely glanced at me.

"Daichi, is it morning already? I swear I only fell asleep five seconds ago." Then he does a double take and stares at me with those wide handsome brown eyes, "Is this our Elemental? I thought we would get a girl with lots of treats this time for sure." He seemed to pout if that is even possible.

The weasel also seemed able to show emotion, right now the emotions on showcase are annoyance, anger, and embarrassment. "Axel! Are you trying to embarrass me in front of our new Elemental? Because the last time you opened your mouth before I did our Elemental would never take me seriously! Besides, that is no way to talk to anyone, what have we said about manners and thinking before speaking?" She seemed to say this whole speech without breathing.

She was obviously quite worked up; her hair had even gone puffed out and straight. She looked like she had put her finger in an electric socket. At that moment I decide we needed some handsomely dashing devil, to step up and break the tension. I brought out the lady-killer dimples.

"Guys. Come on do we have to fight first thing on my birthday? I believe introductions are in order; I am Hiro Xiuquan, and you guys are?" The bear just stares at me blankly.

The weasel has it seems a goal to be known as polite, and chatty. "Oh yes! Of course, small talk. You, humans, are quite fond of it yes? Well, I am Daichi and," she gave the striped bear a glare, hey that rhymes! "This oaf of a badger is ... Axel." She huffed with plain distaste. "By the way, we are your Powermals." She adds as if that was just a minor detail.

My mind suddenly realised what was happening. The factors that lead to my final conclusion of this morning; it is my fourteenth birthday, two talking animals somehow made their way into my room, and the fact that these animals could talk to me. Hence my extremely late conclusion, these animals are my Powermals.

Powermals are animals who give their owner amazing powers, can talk to their owner, and help them master their own cool powers. I cannot believe this is happening! No girl could resist me now! Though how it had ever been possible is still lost on me.

"Oh, yeah!" I cry out, quite stupidly," It's my fifteenth birthday! That's why you guys are here! If you are lucky on your fifteenth birthday, you get an animal with either the power of earth, nature, fire, wind, metal, or water." Daichi targets her annoyance at me now, she lifts her eyebrow; how is that even possible? Talking magical animal. Right. Gotta remember that.

"You figure that out all that on your own?" she drawled sarcastically. "Need you highlight the obvious facts? We know how this strange little tradition works."

I turn crimson. "Oh yeah, sorry. Kind of just speaking my mind." I gave her a goofy grin. "Say... doesn't that mean I have powers now? Why are there two of you? I thought you only get one Powermal."

She huffs. "Must I explain everything? You ask too many questions. And you are too dense to understand any kind of logic. There will be no more questions until I can get some food." She snaps out each sentence so sharply it makes me wince. Forget what I said about politeness. She then stands on her hind legs, anticipation glitters in her eyes as she rubs her front paws together, "Now, what a jill gotta do around here to get a meal?" she started staring at me as if she would not mind snacking on me.

"Oh, I'll uh-get you some food downstairs... I just got to do my morning routine before breakfast." She nods as if she thought that was perfectly reasonable.

I walk over to my folding screen and put on the clothes I had put out yesterday to wear. I snatch up my broom and start to sweep my room collecting the dirt I had brought in yesterday. She takes in everything as if making sure the jobs were done properly.

I water all of the bonsai. As I straighten in front of the window I notice someone skulking near the front of the house who casually swagers over to some cursing accomplice in a similar dark conspicuous get up, the friend had stumbled out of blondie's yard. I try to crane my neck for a better view, as our favourite weasel Daichi gave out a loud exaggerated but high pitched cough, still staring at me. My gaze shifts around my room, as neat and tidy as ever, apart from my bed; Axel was too big and would not move.

That's when Daichi leaped off my bed and scurred to my feet and stared up at me as if waiting... I lower my arm and place the palm of my hand on the floor, the polished smooth, clean, timber floor. She climbs up my arm to my shoulder when I stand up a mini garden the size and shape of my hand sprouts up from the floor...

Something behind me throws me into the air and I land on Axel. "Watch this!" he cries. Then he ran to the stone stairs, suddenly I worried he'd run down them. Then the stairs flattened to a ramp, and we slid down into the kitchen.

My Okāsan and my Māmā stared at me, then at Axel who had fallen beneath me, with his great paws spread out, then at Daichi, who had dug her claws into my shoulder and was holding on for dear life. I must be a sight!

"Hey gals! Have you met my new pets?!"

Two Powermals? Interesting...

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