Mirae Walkers

Chapter XII

Ryley rubbed his temples, his eyes glued to the paper. The Miraen language was so unique. There was nowhere else for him to go. His dad had confined him to his room after a long, long lecture on how dangerous Mir-Cognates were.

It went something like:

"The Quuarks are here entirely to protect innocent people. Mir-Cognates are from another world. They carry magic around, and won't hesitate to send someone they deem worthy to go into Limbo and watch as every molecule in their body is torn apart! For Trin's sake, Ryley. I watched as a single, and just one single Mir-Cognate killed eighteen people in one slaughter, and not only that, he detonated an explosion so huge, it killed thirty more people! Thirty! That's forty-eight dead, in less than..."

Ryley zoned out during most of it. He knew, on the opposite side, the Quuarks had captured two-thousand Mir-Cognates and were forcing them using brutal methods to get what they wanted. Talking back might as well earn Ryley the same treatment.

Qaye had slipped him a book on the basic linguistics of Miraen. He had said it was a book specifically for people of the Physical world to study to learn the Miraen language after they moved to the Mirae. Ryley had found it quite helpful to learn all the terms of respect, the common gestures, and common sentences. And thank goodness, it taught him to say, "Quch Miraen ijn'h mokwoyh - My Miraen isn't perfect." Ryley would have to ask Qaye about some of the pronunciation later. If I ever get ungrounded.

He closed his eyes, reciting a few basic sentences, listening to how they sounded. It wasn't pretty. Ryley still couldn't roll his r's, so it didn't have that unique sound when he spoke. Ryley held back a sneeze and kept going. His reading was interrupted by knocking on the door.

Ryley pushed the book under his pillow before opening it. Andriel had knocked. Ryley was still getting used to the scar that trickled along his face.

"I'm leaving." He said in his deep voice. "Since that Mir-Cognate knows so much about Agamani, I'm assuming you do too."

"Why should I tell you?" Ryley responded before he could control himself. "I know you're going to hurt him."

"Agamani is incredibly dangerous, Ryley." Andriel narrowed his eyes, inviting himself in and sitting in Ryley's chair. Ryley sat across from him. "Any harm I do to him will be well deserved."

"On what grounds?" Ryley challenged. "Who struck first? The Quuarks, or the Mir-Cognate? I heard you dragged him out of a rehabilitation center." This was risky, talking back to his father.

Andriel didn't respond to his question. "So you know him. You've probably met him. What did he tell you? The Quuarks are the most evil people in the world?"

That was exactly what Caste told him. Ryley glared. "He did nothing to deserve what the Quuarks did to him."

"Oh really. Ever since he was brought in, he's killed any person, even when his magic was 'under control.' Somehow, he conformed things without using both of his hands."

"How do you know that?" Ryley snapped. "You've worked for them less than a year." He sneezed again. Must be some pollen nearby.

"We have records. Including records which I can legally bring you in for interrogation, to add to."

"You wouldn't seriously whip me too, would you!?"

Andriel was silent. Ryley was fuming. He couldn't believe what a monster his dad had turned into after less than a year. More than ever, Ryley wanted to be alone, in the library, where he was happy. He could make dumb jokes with Keoni, and help shy people, not Mir-Hunters.