Chapter Three

                                       

 

                               Sam’s Power

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

     Mai squinted as she stepped out into the bright sunlight.  It took a while for her eyes to adjust because it was very dark in Sam’s house.  All the walls were such a dark color and there were very few windows.  Sam was pulling Mai at a very fast pace, gripping her wrist as she had done the previous night.  Mai found she was still sore from last night and all the running they had done, so she was almost limping along. She was so confused about everything that was happening to her. Things had just been thrown at her and she had been expected to just catch them and go along with it, she didn’t know what to think.

     “Where are we going?” Mai asked breathlessly.

     “I’m taking you to see Master Chung,” said Sam.  The way she said this made it sound like she was going to take Mai to see the principle of a school.

     “Who’s Master Chung?” said Mai.  

      Sam stopped walking, let go of Mai’s wrist and turned to face her with her hands on her hips. “He teaches how to control our powers.  He does not have any powers, yet he knows how to summon them, even though he has never done it.  You will understand when you meet him.” Without another word, Sam turned around, grabbed Mai’s wrist once again and started walking.

     “Hold on!” Mai said as she pulled her arm out of Sam’s grip. Sam stopped walking and turned to look at May with one eyebrow raised. “You know, you don’t have to do that!  I’m capable of walking on my own! Of course maybe I’m wrong!  Maybe peasants can’t do anything right!”

    Sam looked at her as though Mai had just slapped her across the face. “What?” she hissed.

    Mai was still angry from her encounter with Fudo and of course had been referring to what he had said to her.  Her heart was pounding with rage and her blood was pumping hard.  “Sorry Sam.” She had just realized she had been yelling and blushed. “I guess I’m just upset,” she said with a shrug.

    “About what?” Sam said as she crossed her arms.

    “Nothing,” replied Mai as she started walking again.  

     But Sam grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. “Don’t lie.  What’s bothering you?” she said in a soothing voice.

     “It’s Fudo,” Mai admitted.  At these words Sam’s disgusted expression returned to her.  And this time, Mai knew why.  Sam didn’t like Fudo anymore then Mai did.  

     “Ahh, yes, Fudo.  I should have warned you about him,” Sam said in an almost business-like tone.

     “What do you mean?” asked Mai.

     “He’s a traitor.”

     “A what?”

     “A traitor,” repeated Sam. “He’s a traitor and a good-for-nothing coward, with a short temper and a mark on his face.  He’s always sulking in his room, feeling sorry for himself, like his life if so horrible,” she stated coldly.

     “Really?  Why do you say that?” Mai asked curiously, wanting to learn more about this strange boy.

     “I’d rather not talk about it,” said Sam.  “Well, come on then.”  She gestured for Mai to follow her.  Mai was glad that Sam wasn’t dragging her along anymore, but it was very hard to keep up with her now, she was really fast!  

     “Could you slow down a bit?” she asked.  Sam stopped abruptly and Mai bumped into her with an oof.

     “Watch where you're going!” said Sam angrily.

     “Sorry,” said Mai.

     “Now, what were you saying?” said Sam as she brushed herself off.

     “What?  Oh. I said could you slow down a bit?” repeated Mai, feeling a bit strange, and embarrassed.  

     Sam sighed. “We’re never going to get anywhere if we go any slower,” she said irritably.

     “Well, I can’t go any faster,” Mai said, trying not to sound too whiny.  Sam blew a puff of smoke from her nostrils making Mai laugh slightly as she was reminded of a dragon.

     “Fine,” Sam said as she rolled her eyes.  Mai gave her a small smile.  Sam started walking again, without a glance back at Mai.  Mai looked straight ahead, watching Sam walk, thinking about all that would soon be happening.  She would get to learn how to use special powers and help fight in a war to save the planet!  Mai snapped out of it, then started at a jog to catch up with Sam.  Sam led her down a few blocks before turning left.  Then they stopped in front of a house that looked very out of place.  Its windows were boarded and the paint on the walls was peeling.  The grass was very long and had several weeds growing in it.  There were strange vines growing up the side of the house and the fountain was dried and crumbling apart.

    “Are you sure this is the right place?” Mai asked as she stepped forward to examine the fountain.

    “Of course I’m sure,” said Sam.  She started walking towards the front door.  Mai turned her attention away from the fountain and followed her.  Sam knocked three times then waited.  The door opened and a bald and very old looking man appeared in the doorway.  He had a long, white bushy beard and a very wrinkly face.  His clothes were baggy and he was very skinny.

     “Hello,” he said cheerfully.  Sam gave a small nod.

     “Can I help you, Princess?  You don’t have training for a few more days.”  His face was very cheerful.

      Sam crossed her arms. “Well, actually, it’s not me that needs the training.”  The man raised one eyebrow. “This is Mai,” Sam said as she stepped aside so Mai was clearly visible.  The man gave Mai a gentle smile. “She’s from the Water Tribe,” said Sam.      

     The man turned his attention back to Sam. “Why don’t you come in?”

     He stepped aside so Mai and Sam could enter. Mai was amazed to see how much different the inside of the house looked compared to the outside.  The walls and the floor were made of some kind of tan stone that made the whole place look like a sand castle.  There were all kinds of pictures painted on the walls.  To Mai, they looked like hieroglyphics.  There were many hallways leading in different directions, all of which had several closed doors.  To the right, there was a big room with a very high ceiling.  There were two people sitting in this room.  One had gray hair and was wearing the same kind of robes that Sam’s whole family had been wearing.  He was a short, middle-aged man with graying hair.   He was surveying Mai carefully.  The other had black hair and sideburns.  Mai thought he looked sort of like a monkey with a rather large nose. Although he could have looked part bird as well.  He had the same color eyes as Sam and her dad.  He was wearing funny looking armor and was holding a piece of paper that looked like it had been crumpled up, and then smoothed out again.  Sam walked forward and sat herself down on one of the couches and gestured for Mai to do the same.  Mai hesitated then sat down next to Sam.

      “This is Master Chung,” Sam whispered as she jerked her head in the direction of the skinny bald man who had answered the door.  Chung was talking to the man that was holding the piece of wrinkled paper.  The man seemed to be getting very mad, because he was starting to turn red.  Mai had not paid much attention to their conversation, until the man started yelling.

     “Now listen here Chung!” the man yelled. “I came here for a reason, and I want to sort things out the way they should be!”

     “Now, now Karan,” said Chung calmly, he didn’t seem to notice that Karan was yelling.

     “No.  I don’t want to listen to your constant babbling!” said Karan loudly.  The shorter man stopped looking at Mai and stepped in.

     He seemed very calm as he said, “Well, I don’t think yelling will solve anything, Karan.  And neither will this punishment.”

     Karan started turning purple with rage. “Yes it will, Aldrich!  It is the ancient ways.  I have been trying to bring them back for a long time.  We can’t let these earth-people interfere with our culture!  And the Fire Chief agrees with me!  It was his idea in the first place.  I came here on his orders.  He will not be pleased to know that you are denying him!”

  “Karan, please,” protested Aldrich, he seemed just a bit more urgent now, he shifted uneasily.

     “No.  I don’t care anything for that filthy little boy and you know it!  I don’t care if you’re his godfather, Aldrich.  That doesn’t give you any right to stop me!”

     Mai looked back at Sam and saw that she was watching them with a look of satisfaction on her calm face.  At this point in their argument, Chung realized Sam and Mai were sitting in the room.

    “Well Karan, it seems that we must end this conversation for now,” he said calmly.  Karan squeezed the paper in his hand so it was crumpled into a ball. “Now I will ask you to leave.” Karan gave Chung a disgusted look then stomped out of the room.  They heard the front door slam behind him.

     “What was that all about?” demanded Sam. “Was it about the boy?”

     “Well Princess, General Karan's just here to—”

     “That doesn’t concern you, Sam,” Aldrich interrupted, getting to his feet and striding over to Sam.

    “Don’t butt in, uncle!” snapped Sam, standing and poking a finger at her uncle’s chest.

    “Aldrich is right, Princess.  Now, what is it you came here for?” said Chung, relaxing slightly.

    “Well,” said Sam, looking away from Aldrich, “I came here because of her.” She pointed to Mai. Everyone was now looking at her, and Mai felt she would like nothing more than to disappear, to hide from view.  She didn’t like that fact that Sam had said this as though Mai was nothing more than an animal, like a dog.

   “She’s from the Water Tribe,” Sam continued, “but she’s only used her powers once, and that was by accident.”

Chung smiled. “Oh good.  A new student,” he said, clapping his hands together.  But at that moment they heard the front door open and close, followed by the sound of many footsteps.  Sam’s whole family walked into the room.  Sam’s parents walked in first closely followed by Fudo and then Dakota, who was looking slightly nervous.  Mai noticed that Dakota had some sort of animal sitting on his shoulder. It looked like a mixture between a cat, a fox, a rabbit and a squirrel.  It had enormous ears that were almost as long as it’s whole body.  Its face looked like a cat's and a fox's put together.  It had a fox-like tail and had a puffy collar of fur.  When Dakota saw Mai he smiled at her, petting the creature on his shoulder.  Dakota took a seat next to Mai.“Have you met Tito?” he asked her.

     “No, I haven’t,” she said, eyeing the creature that she presumed was Tito.  The creature looked back at her with its big, round, green eyes.  Mai thought it looked very cute.

     “Well Mai, this is Tito.  Tito, this is Mai.  He’s a fox-squirrel,” Dakota added quietly as though he didn’t want Tito to hear.  Tito started batting at Dakota’s hand as he reached up to pet him, and then Tito started licking Dakota’s cheek. “Hey! Tito.  Cut it out!  Stop it.” He started giggling.  

     Sam’s stepmother had sat down on a small stool on the other side of the room.  Sam’s dad, the Fire Chief, walked over to a big stone chair that looked like a throne and sat down in it.  But Fudo did not sit down, he just leaned against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, looking at the floor, and Mai once again felt a wave of rage wash over her at the sight of him.  She couldn’t help herself, she did not like him in the least bit, and she never would, ever.  She just hoped that she would never have to spend time with him, because if she was now friends with Sam, and she would be training with her, then that would mean she would see quite a lot of this unpleasant boy.  That was something she was not looking forward to.  The Fire Chief stood up and everyone bowed and Mai followed suit.  

 

     The Fire Chief sat down again and said, “Sam, I’m glad to see that you are already here.  I decided after you left that we should hold a meeting.”  Sam inclined her head. “Master Chung, if you don’t mind, I would like Sam to show us what you have been teaching her.  I would like to see her progress.” Sam looked very pleased at these words.

     “Of course, sir,” replied Chung, bowing once more.

     “Sam,” said the Fire Chief. Sam stood up and walked into the center of the room.  For a moment she just stood there, taking deep breaths.  She lifted one of her hands and a stream of fire followed it.   She moved her hand in many different ways, making different shapes and patterns.  She lifted her other arm and started doing it with both hands.  She punched, and a ball of fire shot in that direction.  She started doing a series of fast punches and kicks sending fire in every direction.  Mai watched in awe as Sam controlled the fire around her.   It was very beautiful, like an art almost. Sam did a summersault and ended on her feet, then she started doing jump kicks. She would jump off the ground and do some sort of flip or kick in the air before landing on her feet only to start punching or kicking again.  She started running forward towards her dad, her hands out as though she was a plane trying to take off.  Then something happened that Mai would have never expected.  Trailing behind her as she ran forward was a stream of what looked like white fire.  Sam suddenly flipped in midair, sending a flare of white fire at her dad, which Mai now realized was lightning.  The lightning stopped and disappeared just before it hit the Fire Chief—who had not so much as flinched when he saw it coming towards him.  Sam ended in a crouched position, waiting for her dad to respond.  Mai caught a glimpse of Fudo and saw that he was staring at Sam with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open.  Mai could not have guessed what he was thinking.  He looked a mixture between upset, angry, jealous, and even mournful.  As much as Mai tried, she couldn’t keep him off her mind, his taunting words still rung in her head, and she couldn’t stop sending quick glances in his direction.  It was as if he were still insulting her, even though he was neither looking, nor speaking to her.  She had to draw her attention away from him as the Fire Chief spoke.

     “Very good,” said the Fire Chief who was smiling triumphantly down at Sam.  Sam stood up and started walking to sit down next to Mai.  On her way back she walked purposely close to Fudo.

      “You’ll never catch up to me.  You’ll always be weak. Yyou couldn’t even do what I’ve just done,” she hissed quietly.

      Fudo suddenly straightened himself up so he was standing at his full height. “I’d like to show what I’ve been learning too,” he said proudly. Tthere was a twinkle in his eye.  Mai didn't know why it was there.  Fudo shot a sidelong glace at Sam who by now, had already sat down next to Mai.  Mai looked over at Sam.  She was sure she had been the only one who had heard Sam’s taunt.  Dakota had been too busy playing with Tito, and everyone else was too far away.  The Fire Chief’s smile faded as he saw Fudo walk into the center of the room.  Fudo started taking deep breaths, just as Sam had done.  He started moving his arms copying Sam, but it looked like he was having a hard time producing fire, and it was only coming out in shot bursts.  A bead of sweat rolled down face.  He then started the punches.  His were much slower then Sam’s had been and were sloppier too.  He moved on to the summersault, which he did with no trouble, but that was about the only thing he got right.  Everything else was nowhere near as impressive as Sam.  Sam was watching him with a look of disgust and satisfaction.  Finally he came to the ending move.  As he ran forward, fire was trailing behind him instead of lightning, and when it came to the flip, no fire—or lightning—went shooting towards his father.  He didn’t even make the flip.  He landed flat on his back.

    “Why are you wasting my time with this?” the Fire Chief asked coldly. “Get out of my sight.”  He waved his hand as though trying to shoo a fly.  Sam looked very pleased with herself, and was smirking triumphantly.  Fudo got up slowly looking at the floor.  Aldrich ran over to him.  He put his hand on Fudo’s shoulder and led him away and over to the other side of the room next to the couch where Dakota, Sam and Mai were sitting.

     “I don’t want to talk about it, Aldrich,” said Fudo quietly.

     “I thought you were very good,” said Aldrich in a comforting voice.

     “I said I don’t want to talk about it, grandfather. There’s nothing more to say about it, nothing.”

  “For some people, Fudo, things come easy.  But if they do, they aren’t being challenged.  And if they aren’t challenged, then some things will come very hard for them.  For the ones who struggle, they have to fight for everything, and that makes them stronger then anyone could ever imagine—physically and….mentally.”

    Fudo looked down at the floor and said, “You don’t understand, grandfather, you just don’t understand.”  Mai was now aware that Sam was no longer sitting next to her.  She was instead talking with Chung.

     “Hey, Mai,” said Dakota cheerfully, bouncing up and down while sitting on the couch.

     “What is it,” she asked, her attention once again returning to the boy with the tattoo and the other side of the room.

     “I just wanted to tell you something…Ahh…Ahh…CHOO!”  Tito, who was not able to jump off his lap before he sneezed, flew up and hit his head on the ceiling, which had to be fifteen feet high.  He landed with a thud, and everyone was now looking at him.  Chung looked scared; Sam, Fudo, Aldrich and Sam’s stepmother all looked shocked, but the Fire Chief looked absolutely furious.

     “Oops,” said Dakota quietly, looking down at the floor, hiding his face, he became very stiff.

     “DAKOTA!” thundered the Fire Chief.  Dakota gave a little whimper, and then looked up at him. “How many times have I told you…?”

     “Sir, please. I didn’t mean—“

     “NO!  I don’t want to hear it!  Get out!” Dakota scrambled to his feet and ran out of the room, closely followed by Tito.

    “Soren, it was an accident,” Sam’s stepmother said to the Fire Chief, her pretty features contorted in a frown.

     “Etera, it may have been an accident, but it’s still happened,” said Soren softly.

     “Look,” said Sam impatiently, “I came here for a reason, if anyone remembers…so hurry up.”

     Soren looked at his daughter carefully. “Of course, Master Chung, if would please tell this girl about her training.”

     Chung cleared his throat. “Of course, sir.  Mai, I will help you learn to summon your powers.  I can’t teach you any moves or stances, you will have to find a Water Master for that, but I can teach you how to control them.”

    “Err…thanks,” said Mai awkwardly, not knowing what else to say, and her attentions still half on Fudo.

     “Unfortunately, I can’t teach you at the moment; I am very busy.  However, I can teach you tomorrow.  Twelve o’ clock sharp.  Don’t be late.”

     Mai nodded.

    “Come on, let’s get out of here,” said Sam.  She bowed to her dad and then to Chung, then started to leave.  Mai quickly bowed too, and then followed Sam back towards the front door.

     “Well, I guess now you’ve met my noodle-brained grandfather,” said Sam as soon as they were walking away from the house.

      “Aldrich?” asked Mai.  

      Sam nodded. “He is actually our grandfather. He was my real mother’s father, but who really cares about that?”

    “Oh…Who was that other man that left?” said Mai as she remembered the monkey-faced man.

     “That was General Karan.  He’s my father’s most trusted warrior.”  Suddenly, Mai remembered something.

    She couldn’t imagine how Sam had done it. “How did you do that, Sam, with the lightning?  I thought you had Fire Powers, and I don’t remember you saying anything about a Lightning Tribe.”

     Sam gave a small laugh. “That’s a power that some people from the Fire Tribe have.  Well, anyone with Fire Powers could learn how to do it.  But only a few can actually make lightning.  It is very advanced.  As you probably noticed, Fudo can’t do it.  He’s not talented enough.  He hasn’t even mastered his Fire Powers yet, let alone Lightning Powers.  Well, I guess if you want, we can go back to my house and I could give you a tour.  Or maybe we could go back to your house for a while, and you could show me around.  We need something to do… How about this?  We go back to your house so I can meet your family.  I could spend the night, and then we can come back here tomorrow for your lesson.  How about it?”

     “How are we going to get to my house and back?  Are we going to run again?  And shouldn’t you leave a note for you parents telling them where you went?” said Mai, tilting her head slightly.

     “I don’t need to leave a note.  And no, we aren’t going to travel by foot.  We can take the bus that normally comes around here.  What time is it anyway?” Mai looked around for a clock and spotted one hanging on the neighbor’s front porch.   

     “About eleven,” she said.

     “Good.  If we hurry, we can catch the bus that comes at eleven ten.  The bus stop is just a few blocks that way.” She pointed down the street to their left.

     “Alright.  That sounds like a good idea,” said Mai. “Let’s go!”