LI

Li didn’t know when he woke up, but he was awakened by what sounded like clanging pots. For a second, he thought he was back in his mom’s house and expected the smell of braised pork and duck eggs to follow. Instead, he smelled lavender with earthy undertones. He leaned back in the pew he was sleeping in, only to feel a sharp sting land on the back of his head. He instinctively rubbed his head, and when his hand came away it had a small speck of blood on it.

Now awake, Li jolted up, surprised when he saw he wasn’t the only person in the church. The person next to him was a boy about his age. Half of his face was covered in an ugly, purple birthmark, though the rest of his face was handsome and blemish free. His hand laid on Li’s shoulder, pinning him to the sharp wood of the pew. Li squirmed and broke free, ready to run when the wind was knocked out of him. Or, rather, the wind knocked him.

He twisted, trying to free himself, but the boy was relentless.

“What do you want?” he exclaimed. “I have nothing!”

The boy looked at him, a bemused expression on his face.

“You have Talent,” he said.

Li felt his eyes widen. The only people who knew about his powers were worlds away. He was careful to not let his secret slip; an easy task for someone who can blend into shadows. How did this boy know? He glanced at the church exit- even if he tried to run, the exit was too far away. The boy would certainly catch up long before he could reach the door.

“I’m nothing like those freaks,” he repeated the words he had heard from numerous people in Ngai when they were under suspicion of having Talent. Those words hurt his heart, but he knew Kisin would hurt him much worse.

“Really?”, the boy’s mouth twitched, though the smirk was still on his face. Li wanted to wipe it off. “Don’t go hiding now. I know the shadows are your friends.”

Li’s heart stopped. Kisin was rumored to be hell, and he would find out exactly what it was like. I’m caught. He had once imagined he’d go to Kisin with an army behind him, ready to save every Talent. The irony punched him in the gut. He’d have to pray to be saved; no longer independent and free.

He wanted his taste of freedom one last time.

Like an animal caught in a trap, he thrashed; kicking, punching, biting every part of the boy who had caught him. Briefly he thought of the reasons this boy had come after him- he had to have done it for the money. Catching a Talent got you 10,000 bir; a small fortune. The boy stood still, deflecting his attacks with a mere raise of his arm.

“Are you done?” he asked after a while. Li spit in his face. The boy wiped it off with his sleeve, wincing in disgust.

“Very mature. Now, to the reason why I have caught you. You are going to help me, like it or not. I have a favor to ask of you,” he said. No mention of Kisin, or turning him in. Li pondered what this boy could possibly want, but came up blank.

“So you’re forcing me to do you a favor. Isn’t that a contradiction? Or are you used to getting everything you want?”

The boy burst out laughing at his statement, his eyes crinkling. He looked much younger when he laughed, Li realized.

“That’s hilarious. We should keep you after the task is done. You’re very amusing.”

Li felt his face go red with anger. The very idea of his being around for someone’s entertainment was appalling, and this boy was treating him like a pet. Granted, he had applied for a job which would make him entertain people, but that was long ago, when he was lost and desperate. His fury caused his fingertips to turn to wisps of air, trying to slip the boy’s grasp.

“Let him go, Pin,” a voice suddenly said. She walked out from a prayer room, her hair in delicate auburn curls. Her face was rounded, emphasizing her large brown eyes and small nose. When she rose an eyebrow, goosebumps appeared on his skin. Her stare was unnerving. “But he also has nowhere else to go. We have to convince him the proper way.”

What was the proper way? His hand was fully invisible now and iridescence crawled up his skin like vines. He wished he could stop it. He should have stopped it. Now one more person saw his Talent- one more person that he wouldn’t be able to convince otherwise.

She moved towards him, her wide trousers moving with every step. She stopped when she was in front of them.

“I apologize for Pin’s behavior. He isn’t exactly a good ambassador for the cause.”

Pin scoffed, his ears turning red as he shot her a look. Li felt like there was something more in the look he sent, because she grinned. Pin released his grip from Li, but Li was now trapped between the two and the exit.

“My name is Lana. We are Talents as well, and we would love it if you would join us.”

Li immediately tensed, the iridescence crawling up his skin halting to a stop. Many times he had been pulled into this trap and escaped within an inch of his life. It was easier to get 10,000 bir when you could convince the Talent that you would take them to safety. They promised food, shelter and warmth. In reality, Talents were exchanged for bir and sent to Kisin, never to be heard of again. Some would go so far as to ink the T into their skin to fool Talents. No one could be trusted.

“No.” The looks on their faces told him they were expecting that answer. Lana grinned again at him.

“Well at least he’s not stupid.” She knelt on the pew in front of him, facing him, her hands holding the wood. As she did, it began to disintegrate, turning into shavings. A Shaper. You could find one in every carpenter’s shop, but she seemed to have perfected her skill. Eventually she held a perfect wooden circle. She blew the shavings away and tossed it to him.

“Believe us now?”

Everything in his body screamed no, but he had been alone for so long that his life had started to seem meaningless. He couldn’t risk interactions with anyone; he had forgotten what friends were like. His only memories of social interactions were those with his sister and she was gone with their parents. While this girl was certainly a shaper, his instincts told him to run.

“No,” he said again. Now, Lana raised an eyebrow.

“Do I have to carve the moon with my hands then? Life on the run is no life at all. Be a little reckless and go with us; after all, we are much more interesting than this chapel. You’ll have a bed and everything.”

So tempting. He hadn’t slept on a real bed in so long, and the thought of a good night’s sleep beckoned him. He forced himself to avert her piercing gaze, dimly aware that Pin’s hand had left his own. He recalled a story he had heard on the run of traffickers using other Talents to lure victims, but he had never experienced it himself.

“You’re trafficking me,” he said carefully. Then, glared at them. “I am not a pet you can force around.”

“Oh Ravsko, get me a freaking leash,” Pin said. Lana blatantly ignored him.

“You can leave whenever you want. Promise. We’re just an organized group for Talents,” she shrugged as though it were that simple. “We find Talents and try to keep them safe. Our leader is out of town, but he’ll soon be back. He can explain our goals more, but-” she sighed.

“Do you believe us? We’re running out of time. If we don’t get back, the others will send a search party,” Pin said, tapping his watch.

“I don’t believe you,” Li said carefully. Disappointment was written on their faces. He sighed. He had been running for so long. “But I’m willing to try.”

He lost track of time as the three of them zigzagged through the alleys of Ngai, Lana chattering about how nice their headquarters were. They called themselves the Theater, a hiding place for talents. They were being vague about what they really did, he knew. It was shortened to “we save Talents and provide shelter and comfort and love and teddy bears and stars and-”, but after being on the run for so long, Li knew it couldn’t be that simple. They passed a sign that welcomed them to Chiri, then made a sharp right turn.

Here they followed a canal filled with boats carrying tourists and goods alike. It must be close to their beloved God’s day. They passed a man unloading turnips and cabbages, who winked at Lana as she passed. A gust of wind came and he went sailing to the ground, sending turnips and cabbages flying. Pin looked too pleased with himself for Li to think it was just a coincidence. He wanted to slap him for using his powers so blatantly and looked around hurriedly for police.

Lana took the lead, walking like she owned Chiri, past a convenience store with blown out windows. She didn’t look twice, but Li slowed. He saw the Kisin notice flashing on one of the counters, and felt his heart drop. In blue graffiti over the old convenience store sign, it said AZU. He felt Pin tug his arm, and turned.

Pin said nothing, just jerked his head in the direction of Lana. Li got the hint and swallowed the lump in his throat, his emotions drenched in an Azu’s blue flames.

He didn’t know how long they had been walking, only that blisters were beginning to form on his feet and his stomach was growling. He hadn’t eaten since mid-week, which meant he had starved for two days. As if reading his mind, Lana ordered three steaming plates of ribs and purple corn from a street vendor. They sat at a small table with an umbrella to eat. The canal was still bustling after Li inhaled his food. Sitting with these people- the closest to friends he had had in ages- he had never felt more complete in his entire life, and he was waiting for it all to end. There was no judgement in their eyes after he had eaten as though his life depended on it, even when Pin and Lana daintily ate, patting their fingers against their napkins as they went. They spoke quietly about people in the group, though the passing steamships covered up any bit of their conversation passerbys could hear.

“Masin should be back tonight. Hopefully he finds more Talents, but no promises. All the cities are implementing crackdowns on us.”

“Do you know where he’s looking?”

“He said around Chiri.” Then, to Li, Lana said, “Masin’s really nice. He’s a bit of a bossy type, but once you get to know him he makes the best chocolate chip cookies.”

“But where around Chiri?”, Pin interrupted.

“There’s rumors of a safehouse. It doubles as a pet store, holds five to six rooms from what we heard.”

At this Pin snorted.

“I trust Masin, but that’s a lot of people to bring back. It’ll be suspicious.”

Lana sighed, but didn’t disagree.

Then they were back up and trekking across the southern border of Chiri, until they passed another sign; Five miles to Triton. Triton was the second safest place for Talents, the first for anyone who knew how to hide well. It was a rural district, and Li watched townhouses and malls turn into fields as far as the eye could see. It was his first time coming here, and the fresh air cooled his dehydrated throat.

He had always wanted to come, but he didn’t have any motivation before this. Ngai was the district he was born and raised in; it was all he ever knew.

It was dark by the time a large farmhouse appeared, lights piercing through the night. They had turned off the road long ago, and Li was struck with amazement as to how hidden this place was. If not for the lights, he wouldn’t have seen it until he collided with the doorknob. It was hidden behind layers of vines and foliage. The house itself was black, making it even harder to see, though it wasn’t so much a house as it was a mansion. A buggie was hidden under a canopy and if he squinted hard, he could make out a swimming pool in the back, hidden by impressive wooden sculptures. He wondered if Lana had a hand in making those.

Part of him was nervous, another part excited. It wasn’t Kisin after all. Maybe for once, he could sleep at night without having to leap up at every sound.