Everyone in the group froze. The expressions on the group's face turned into one of shock at the bold statement.

  Wrighty leaned towards the boy, “hey Doc, that’s pretty rude to say, and how can you tell?”

  “She has not moved her legs once since we sat down here. If she was simply sitting for the sake of sitting or even if her legs were broken there would’ve been twitching or stretching.”

  The group was stunned by the observation. The girl in the wheel chair looked at him with an unreadable expression before the boy sharpening his sword on a rock spoke up in anger.

  “Yah so what if she is, what’s the problem with it?”

  “It is illogical, there is simply no way a person could survive The Leviathan without the use of their legs. She should be dead.”

  Wrighty cringed as soon as the boy said that. While the girl in a wheelchair sighed.

  The boy with a sword suddenly grabbed the boy’s collar. “What do you mean by that, huh? She should be dead. I should kill you just for that. How could I call myself, Sheath of the sword, If I didn’t defend the honor of my friends?.”

  This guy isn’t the brightest is he? All I did was state the truth and he blew up, the boy thought as he was picked up off the ground by Sheath.

  Wrighty suddenly burst out laughing, “Sheath of the sword? That’s your name? I am so sorry but that name is hilarious” Wrighty began rolling around in laughter as Sheath’s face began to turn red. He pulled out his sword and pointed it at Wrighty and the boy.

  “I have had enough of you two!” He raised his sword preparing to strike.

  “Wait.”

  Sheath stopped for a moment and turned around. It was the girl in a wheelchair who spoke up. She looked at the boy and at Wrighty, who quickly stopped laughing and sat up.

  “I understand his question and I am very willing to answer.”

  Five then stood up and grabbed Sheath’s wrist and squeezed it with a crushing grip. Sheath dropped the sword and rubbed his wrists in pain. Five then turned and faced the two boys before bowing.

  “It is clear we may have come off on the wrong foot. I must apologize. It seems some of us clearly do not know their manners. We are all very on edge so I assume that’s why we have acted so…uncordial,” He gave Sheath a disappointed look before continuing, “how about we each go through and introduce ourselves so we can get to know each other and grow closer as friends.”

  Sheath cursed under his breath grabbing his wrist before sitting down on one of the logs around the campfire and returning to sharpening his sword. The girl in a wheelchair spoke up first, her eyes set on the boy.

  “My name is Shiela…and yes I am paralyzed. I can’t move anything below my waist.” She glanced at the boy before continuing. “When I fell I couldn’t move my legs. I don’t remember why or if I was born like that, but it didn’t get broken or anything.” Shiela sat back in her chair staring at seemingly nothing.

  The boy spoke up, “continue.”

  “Oh right yes, yes, I was doomed to die. When I first landed into the water it seemed death was approaching fast,” She paused and smiled at Five, who smiled back at her, making Sheath scoff. “It never came though. I was lucky that Five saw me drowning and saved me. He even found this island and built me a wheelchair, if it wasn’t for him I was as good as dead.”

  The boy nodded. That makes more sense. After all, he too had been saved from drowning and certain death. He studied her for a moment but then he realized something.

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  “There is something else, tell us everything.”

  Shiela paused for a moment before holding out her hands and a small orb appeared from it. She then grabbed a small, delicate flower nearby and put it inside the small orb. Then with all her might she threw the orb onto the dirt. When the boy looked closer he saw the flower was just fine, perfectly protected.

  “I-I got this ability to make shields. I can only ever make small ones.”

  Abilities? Shields? What the hell was she talking about? The boy’s thoughts went wild from the revelation. It didn’t seem possible, he was sure that making shields was not possible where he was from.

  Shiela stared at the boy, his face looking stern but confused. She then turned to Wrighty who was watching in amazement. She opened her mouth to explain but the boy spoke faster.

  “How—when did you get this ability? The fact you can do that is strange to me. Perhaps we aren’t from the same world as I thought.” Could it be that several multiverses were sent here?

  Shiela blinked before shaking her head, “No no no, you mistake me, this isn’t normal where I’m from either.”

  “I got the ability right before Five took us to this island. We were attacked by the sea monster—”

  “The Leviathan,” added the boy.

  “We were attacked by The Leviathan. Five put himself between the monster and I. As soon as the Leviathan charged in ready to kill Five. I wanted nothing more than to protect him, because he protected me, he saved me. Then when I opened my eyes there was a massive shield that stopped The Leviathan in its tracks. I—I don’t know how I did it. I can’t even make a shield that big anymore.”

  The boy and Wrighty were both amazed, this girl had powers, real powers. That made the boy think. Does Gravel have an ability like she does? Is that how he killed that disfigured canine? How do you acquire these abilities? What are the downsides? What does this world have to do with it.?

  Five smiled and patted Shiela’s shoulder.

  “You did well,” he said softly. “You always do.”

  The boy noticed the way Shiela leaned slightly toward him at the touch. Not in a clingy way but it seemed like she trusted his hand more than the ground beneath her wheels.

  Five straightened and looked toward the boy again, his expression still calm, still polite, but sharper now. He was assessing the boy.

  “You seem troubled,” Five said. “Questions tend to pile up quickly here.”

  “That’s one way to put it,” Wrighty muttered.

  The boy exhaled slowly. “You called it an ability.”

  Shiela nodded. “That’s just what we’ve been calling it. Others here have… things too. Not many. Not strong ones.”

  Others? Gravel must be one, thought the boy.

  Five folded his hands behind his back. “It doesn’t happen often. and it doesn’t happen gently.”

  “How does it happen?” the boy asked.

  Five paused for a moment, his eyes flashing as if searching for an answer.

  Just for a fraction of a second so small it would’ve gone unnoticed if the boy hadn’t been watching closely.

  “Usually,” Five said carefully, “It happens in dire moments or defining moments but I am not sure, not many people here have it.”

  That answer didn’t satisfy the boy. It wasn’t meant to. Before he could press further, Gravel’s voice cut through the clearing.

  “Heads up.”

  Every conversation died instantly.

  Gravel stood at the edge of the camp, one hand raised, head tilted as if listening to something only he could hear. The forest beyond him was still but not quiet. The boy felt a feeling of expectation.

  Gravel lowered his hand. “Ain’t close,” he said. “But it’s out there. Best relax and head to bed y’all”

  No one relaxed.

  The girl with a fur blanket pulled it around herself closer. The solemn looking boy stopped eating. Sheath stopped sharpening his blade. Five glanced around the camp once, measuring everyone in a single sweep.

  “We’ll talk more tomorrow,” he said calmly. “Tonight, we rest.”

  The boy laid down, his ribs protesting as he did. He looked at the fire, at the people, at the forest pressing in from all sides. This wasn’t safe. As he lay down near the fire, Wrighty settled in beside him, the boy stared up through the canopy. Leaves overlapped the sky, blocking the stars.

  Abilities, people gain abilities here. What is this place? The boy’s mind went wild trying to process all this new info

  He sighed, rubbing his ribs as he resisted the urge to spit out blood, suddenly, he heard rustling in the woods. Something was out there, but didn’t attack. He listened to the rustling until he drifted to sleep.