Boy of Power

Chapter 12 - Regret

Branimir continued to strike the ground while engulfed in the pillar of flame. The sand around him started to melt into glass.

"I couldn't even help..." Branimir mumbled.

Branimir stood up and looked around.

"Where am I?"

Branimir noticed a small town of in the distance. Something wasn't right though. There was smoke and flames. Branimir could here screaming, gun shots, and explosions. He ran to the town. There were people running from others wielding guns. Some people were sitting against the wall with others pointing guns at them.

"What's going on here?!" Branimir shouted.

A tall guy with a gun turned towards Branimir and said, "Against the wall or your dead!"

"I'm not in the mood. What's going on here?"

"Stubborn brat! Against the wall. Now!"

"Make me."

The guy swung his gun at Branimir's head. Branimir caught the gun, ripped it from his grip, and threw it through a window.

"What are you?"

"A kid who couldn't save a single old man."

"Well your a dead kid, now!" he said as he threw a grenade at Branimir.

Branimir caught it and dropped it at his feet. The other guy smiled anticipating an explosion, but nothing happened. Branimir had filled the grenade with Aqua.

"I'll ask one more time. What's going on here?" Branimir asked.

The man ran yelling out to his comrades, "Kill that kid. He's a monster!"

They turned around, wondering what he meant. It was just a kid. Then they saw a swirling black and white aura surrounding Branimir.

"All men fire at that kid!" another person shouted.

All the men who heard him aimed at Branimir and fired, but it was in vain. Branimir stopped the bullets with Aer. Branimir started walking towards the men who were firing at him. His face was full of anger.

"Mommy, he's scary." a little girl said to her mom.

Branimir stopped and his eyes widened. He looked at his hands and saw the black and white aura. Startled, he fell back and landed on his butt. The aura dispersed.

"This is our chance! Fire!" a man ordered.

They fired at him once more, but Branimir disappeared. The men frantically looked around to find him. One at a time, the men holding guns started dropping to the ground. In a matter of moments, all the men were knocked out, and Branimir was the one who did it.

"I think he's a friend. You don't have to be scared of him." the mom said to the little girl. The little girl smiled.

Branimir walked to one of the townsmen and asked where he was.

"Your in Morningville, Southmeadow." the man replied.

"How far away am I from Aldfield Lake?"

"Pretty far. It's somewhere northeast of here."

"Which way is northeast?"

"I really can't tell. Though there is a map maker who's staying here for a while. I don't what building he's staying in. Sorry."

"It's no problem. Thank you."

Branimir started asking around for the map maker, but it was hard to find him with all that happened. After a while of searching, someone pointed him towards a run-down motel that they claimed to see him walk in and out of every morning.

Branimir walked up to the motel. The sign was faded to the point he couldn't read it. The windows were smashed and the walls were cracked and covered in vines. It looked abandoned.

"Why would there be a building in such bad shape in the middle of town?" Branimir wondered.

"Explain yourself!" A voice shouted from inside the building, "I thought you said no one in town was a threat and that there were no towns nearby!"

"I did! I don't recognize that kid!" another voice shouted back, "There are no towns or houses for miles."

"Then where did that boy come from?!"

"I think your asking the wrong question! How about 'How did that boy take out a group of men armed with guns?'!"

"Don't get smart with me! I don't care what he did! I care how he got here to do it in the first place!"

"If you'd think about it, that kid isn't normal! You saw it with your own eyes! He stopped bullet in mid-air and moved faster than any of us could see! Maybe he was here because he was so fast that he got here without any of us noticing."

"Without you noticing! It was your job not ours!"

"It's my job, because you couldn't do it yourself."

"Watch your tongue!"

"What are you gonna do, if I don't? Run from a little boy?"

Infuriated, the man through scout out the window. He walked up to the window and looked down on the scout. He started to climb out the window, when he noticed Branimir watching.

"Dang it!" he shouted.

He climbed back in the window and tried to run to the back door. He ran for the back door, but Branimir blocked his path.

"Where is the map maker?" Branimir asked.

"Why should I tell you?" the man replied nervously.

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Because it's none of your business!"

"I don't care. Tell me."

"Kids... Fine. He the guy I through out the window. Now get out of my way!"

"No."

"Wha..." He was interrupted by Branimir knocking him out.

Branimir ran back to the front of the hotel, but the map maker wasn't there. Branimir figured he couldn't have gotten too far. So he closed his eyes and started listening. He heard a lot of people talking about what had happened. Then he heard someone heavily breathing in the motel behind him. He went where the sound was coming from. It was a cabinet. He opened it and the map maker was hiding inside.

"Oh... H-hi... I g-guess you f-found me..." the map maker said nervously, "I guess I'll be on my way now."

"Wait." Branimir demanded.

The map maker's eyes widened, as he stopped. He was sweating from head to toe and was shaking in is boots. "Why?"

"I need you to take me somewhere."

"Where?"

"Aldfield Lake."

"Are you crazy?! I don't have the time to make that trip!"

"Can you make time? I need to get there?"

"That's too bad kid. I've got to get to Alphimire Shores in two days or I'll miss my boat to Raymount."

"How far is Alphimire Shores from Aldfield Lake?"

"I'm not sure what the exact distance is, but probably take about a month to get there on foot."

"There's no way! That's thousands of times faster than an Olympic runner, and your just a kid!"

"I didn't think normal kids could take out a group of armed men? If I was right then why wouldn't you consider I could run fast too!"

"As impressive as that may be, I find it hard to believe that you can run that much faster than others. It's just impractical!"

Branimir ran behind the map maker and said, "Are you sure?"

"What the heck are you, kid?!" startled from what just happened.

"Like you said, I'm a kid. Now, are you going to take me there or no?"

"Sure, but if we're late getting to my boat, then you're swimming me to the boat."

"Deal!" Branimir smiled.