The Sword of Fire-Trials Of Fate--Book I

CHAPTER 3: NATALIA

The second I heard her last sentence, I walked past her.

"Hey," she called, "Where do you think you're going?"

I didn't answer. Better not to overload my brain with Ancient Egypt all over again. I could get a headache.

She walked up to me, then grabbed my arm and said, "Wait. You have to-"

"Alright, listen up,punk-girl, "I whirled to face her, "If Hannah sent you, tell her I said she should get lost. If the deities really chose me, they can go choose someone else, because I'm out of commission, "I forced my hand away and turned to go, "Excuse me."

She whirled me around and pointed at my chest, "No, you listen, sunshine. I don't know whoever that 'Hannah' is, and to be clear, I don't give a damn. What's important is that if you don't act soon, humanity's toast. You're the only living person on earth who can do this job, so either you do it or you do it. Understand me?"

"I told you to go look for someone else fit for the job, "I told her, "You're wasting your time with me. Frankly, I don't believe in your 'gods', and I doubt I ever will. So goodnight."

I turned to go, but she walked beside me. " So you don't believe that gods are real?" I walked into an alley that served as a shortcut to my neighborhood, and she followed, "Even though they chose you?"

"You want me to believe in your 'gods'?",I said, "Then show me. Let me see the true power of your so-called gods in action, and then slap my face. Can't do that? I thought so."

"Freeze!"

We stopped. Peering into the darkness, I saw a bunch of gangsters staring at us, about six or seven in number. Glancing around, I realized that they'd let us walk into the alley so they could surround us.

The bulkiest of them, obviously their leader, growled, "What you doin' in my territory?"

Crap. Wrong alley.

"Uh..."I muttered, "Sorry. We kinda took the wrong turn."

"That no matter now," one gangster said, "You in our territory, which means ya gotta pay tribute. So let's have a look-see at that bag, kid.

I touched my bag. As much as I would love to give them my history assignment, I couldn't. "Sorry, guys, "I said, "I got no money."

"Oh, really?" another one growled, stepping closer, "Let's check it out, then."

Natalia narrowed her eyes and took a stance. "If you take one step closer," she said, "I swear I'll knock you down."

He stopped, surprised at her audacity. Then he laughed. The other gangsters joined in, and I admit, I was tempted to join them, too. Natalia looked too cute to be a fighter, even with all her punk style. Plus, she was so short her forehead was just above my shoulder, and the youngest person in the gang looked older than seventeen.

The gangster laughed and shook his head. "Adorable," he smirked, then came closer.

Natalia stretched out her hand at him, and a glowing purple ball flew from it to the gangster. The second it hit him the ball exploded, producing purple mist and a bang so powerful the force alone threw the guy ten feet. He smashed through a window, glass, burglary, and all.

She turned to the other gang members, who were as stunned as I was, and she said, "Adorable? Try me."

The gangsters rushed at us, and I yelped.

Natalia aimed at the ground in front of her, and purple mist formed around it as it began to crack. With a flick of her wrist, the cracked segments flew out and pelted one of the gangsters down.