When the Gem awakens to call a Hero, the world is ill prepared...and its fate is placed in the hands of a 17 year old boy, named Wendell.Â
Some will say this is nothing but a tale of fiction.
Let them think as they may.Â
After all...I can't fix stupid.
Previously: A cheating S.L.A.G. pilot turns out to be a second chance miracle for Wendell. Directly addressing the public, he calls upon the mob to turn the tide against those seeking to eliminate him from the Trench Wars competition.
Chapter 70
Itâs frustrating when those who donât careâŚand those who refuse to play âby the rulesâ win so often.
But the Universe uses them for its own purposes.
âŚwhich may be to bring about justice for you.
âWhy do you read that trash?â Dax chided me. âThereâs a lot to do ya know.â
I grinned at him and tossed the borrowed copy of âA Clean Kill in Clockworksâ on my bed.
âItâs not trash, Dax,â I smirked. âBuddy Keisler is the most famous thriller writer in Clockworks history. Every record or award you can think of, this guy beat itâŚwith a fan base in the hundreds of millions.â
âGnomes,â he grumbled.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â I asked.
âTheyâre not exactly known for their ârefinedâ tastes, ya know.â
I laughed. âSays the elf who loves moldy cheese and raw fish sandwiches.â
âNot the same thing,â he grumbled again.
âYeah,â I said, âyour example is gross.â
Dax smirked, but didnât reply.
It was silly, I know, but reading about a half-gnome, half-Kutollum assassin for hire? It was kinda fun.
âŚbesides, when have you ever heard of a killer dropping a piano on a victim and making it look like a ânaturalâ accident?
I mean, come on.
But he didâŚand it was brilliant writing.
âThe main character, âBookwormâ, masquerades as a popular thriller writer.â I said.
âSo?â
âSo the writer, Buddy KeislerâŚis writing about an assassin pretending to BE a writer.â
Dax just snorted.
âTrust me, itâs addictive,â I said. âBesides, with all the violence Iâve experienced, the books help me relaxâŚand get my mind off whatâs coming next.â
âYou could also get yer mind off the next fight by focusing on yer training and not filling that space between yer ears with trash. Thatâs all Iâm sayinâ kid.â
âIâm telling you itâs notâŚâ but I stopped. âHonestly, itâs fantasticâŚwhich, okay, Iâm surprised to say out loud. Normally, I enjoy fantasy and science fiction. Comic books â a definite yes. But Freak swore by this author, and now I see why.â
Dax just shook his head. âWhatever.â
âCome onâŚdonât you ever read to relax?â I asked.
âReadingâs for research, not relaxation, kidâŚ.and only if you canât pay some other loser to do it for you.â
âOuch,â I said. âThatâs harsh.â
âDonât listen to the ninny,â Chuck snorted as he appeared in the doorway. âHeâs just mad that they stopped writing the âTardy Boysâ Mystery collection.â
âAh-HAH!â I laughed. âSo you DO read!â
Chuck scratched his scalp, considering. âI think he almost had the full 200-book series.â
â194,â Dax grumbled. âThey donât print the first six books anymore.â
I stared at him in disbelief.
âFINE. I read, but only things that donât suck.â He lit a match on his chin and stoked a cigar. âIf I could get my hands on a copy of âThe Tower Treasureâ I wouldnât care so much about the others. I just want to know how it all started!â
âGood stories?â I asked.
Dax grinned widely. âBest ever. Gnome brothers, Frank and Joe TardyâŚteen immature sleuths. Late to everything, but solved mysteries in style.â
âChildrenâs books,â Chuck grunted.
âMasterpieces,â growled Dax.
âYou wasted your money,â Chuck teased.
âI didnât buy them, old man. YOU did.â
The mägo paused. âI did?â
Dax nodded.
âWell then, they must be proper literature,â Chuck corrected himself. He leaned towards me and whispered. âI have impeccable taste, you know.â He tapped the end of his nose with his index finger and winked. âRemember that.â
We all laughed.
âThank you,â I said, clearing my throat.
âFor what, son?â Chuck asked.
âForâŚbeing hereâŚwith me.â I wasnât completely sure how to express what I was thinking, but there hadnât been much time for the three of us to engage in conversations. At least not in private. âIâm glad weâre here.â
Dax scoffed. âYou hit yer head?â
âYes,â I said. âI mean no, but yes. Or rather yes, but no.â
Chuck grabbed my shoulders, pulled me in and started inspecting my skull. âI think he hasâŚâ
I pulled away with a snort. âWhat I mean is Iâm glad weâre helping people. Doing good because itâs the right thing to do.â I looked between them and smiled. For the first time in a long while, it didnât feel forced or fake. I actually felt like smiling. âIâm happy to be here with you guys.â
âWow,â Dax breathed. âLook whoâs growing up all oâsuddenâŚâ
Chuck pulled a gray handkerchief from his sleeve and dabbed his eyes. âIt happens so fast.â
I rolled my eyes. âFine. I was trying to have a moment of gratitude, thatâs all. I appreciate both of you, and I thought youâd want to know that Iâm more confident about my place in this world.â I smiled again. âBecause of you two.â
âWouldnât have it any other way, kid,â Dax burped.
âNice response, Mr. Manners,â Chuck chided.
âIntegrity, old man. Gotta be who I gotta beâŚâ
Chuck nudged me with an elbow. âYou should show him.â
I frowned.
âGo on,â he nudged again. âReally. You should show him what youâve learned.â He looked at Dax, his eyebrows bobbing up and down. âHeâs been practicing magic.â
Dax took another draw of the cigar, then exhaled. âYeah?â
The wizard slapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. âOH yeah.â
âRight. Show me whatcha got, kid.â And with that, Dax pulled up a stool and plopped down, folding his arms.
You know those times when you THINK you understand something, and you know it well, but then someone expects you to perform on demand?
âŚand then canât seem to figure out how to do what you prepared for?
Yeah.
âUhhhh,â I looked to Chuck. âWe donât have the protections here like we do inââ
âWoah. Wait,â Dax blurted, hopping up and backing away from both of us. âYouâve been practicing with fire, havenât you?â
I frowned. âWhat?â
Dax glared at Chuck. âYou PROMISED me!â
Now it was my turn to stare at Chuck. âWhatâs he talking abo...â
âCause Iâm not interested in fire magic, alright? Iâll cheer you on all you wantâŚbut I want to do it preferably from next door.â
âOh, no,â I said. âI was shown fire magic, but I wasnât taught anything like that, no.â
âAh.â Dax sighed with relief. âRight. Okay.â He sat back down. âThen show me whatcha got.â
Right. Dance, chicken, dance.
Relaxing my stance, I tuned out the intense stares and let me arms hang loosely.
I exhaled.
Focusing on a special image in my mind, I whispered, âVälo.â
Over my head, roughly three feet above me, a large globe of light came to life. It started like the dawn of a new day, breathing a soft glow into the cold concrete room. Keeping my focus, I pictured a morning sun slowly appearing over the crest of a hillsideâŚand the orb of light reacted to it exactly.
Daxâs cigar dropped from his mouth.
Next, I whispered, âTeho,â and the light increased, sending out its warm glow throughout the room, brighter and brighter.
âKid, this isâŚAMAZING,â Dax gasped.
Chuck grinned. âHeâs not done.â
I imagined the orb splitting into four perfect sections. Iâd struggled with this for weeks, so Iâd come up with a perfect visual: a pie being sliced, each part floating to the furthest wall. As the parts drifted through the air, each âsliceâ elongated into what might look like those industrial tube lights you find in schools or old factories. Four perfectly identical tubes of light hovered at the top center of each wall of the room.
âMäjäkä.â
The lights then rolled into four smaller orbs. Cookie dough. Not exactly graceful, but it worked. Then imagining an invisible rolling pin, each orb flattened out, shining like spotlights.
Dax gasped.
In perfect harmony, they all pivoted down, focusing on me.
I stood there like a high school kid on stage trying out for the latest class play.
âWell, Iâll beâŚâ Dax whispered.
âWait for it,â Chuck giggled.
Itâs not easy to keep that kind of focus, and I could feel the sweat beading on my foreheadâŚbut this was my favorite part.
âSäko,â I hissed, and threw out my arms. Palms open, fingers spread wide.
All four spotlights crackled like miniature thunder, tightening to electricityâŚand jumped to both my hands.
âTA-DAAAA!â Chuck screamed. âHowâs THAT for talent!â
I couldnât help but smile at Dax, standing in front of him in my practiced âheroâ stance, holding two fistfuls of lightning.
Lightning!
My skin vibrated with the power of the electricity, small arcs of blue light darting between my fingers. Slowly I brought my arms down, turned my palms inward to let the electricity collect between my hands.
Dax hopped down from the stool and walked around me slowly, careful not to touch me. âWendell, Iâve rarely seen such control, and kid, Iâve been around a looong time. That is some serious skill.â
âThanks,â I said. âItâs taken me almost a month of practicing hard to figure this out.â
He frowned. âA month?â
Oops.
I clamped my lips together and looked up at Chuck.
The wizard averted his eyes and started whistling as he made his way towards the door.
âOh, no you donât,â Dax growled, then grabbed the hem of Chuckâs robe. âYou got back in, DIDNâT you?! You found your way into the Great Library, and youâve been messing with that freaky hourglass thingyâŚHAVENâT you?!?â
âUh, Chuck?â I said.
Chuck spun about, his face stern as he leaned down to the evolu. âI havenât TOUCHED it!!!â
âI donât BELIEVE you, Chuck! Youâre HOOKED on making time start and stop!!â Dax yelled.
My hands trembled, the arcs of electricity growing. âUm,âŚguys?â
Chuck raised his right arm to the square, palm forward. âI swear to you, monkey, on my BEARD, that I have not touched the hourglass or manipulated time once since I gave you my word.â
Dax glared at him through slitted eyelids. âYou promise?â
The wizard crossed his chest with a bony finger. âCross my heartâŚand hope Mahan dies.â
Thatâs when my whole body quivered. The charge I was holding between my palms popped and cracked louder as the muscles down my arms tensed. My fingers curved inward, an unseen force forcing them together. The hair on my head rose to stand on end. âLäkätä,â I whispered.
Nothing happened.
âLäkätä,â I said again.
âLäkätä, läkätä, läkätä,â I stammered, waving my hands about.
Okay, this isâŚuh, guys?!â
âThen how in spit is the kid finding the time to learn magic like this outside of his training schedule?â
Chuck grinned and folded his arms. âEva helped us.â
âGUYS!â
Both of them turnedâŚjust as the built-up electricity jumped from my hands to the stool Dax had been sitting on just moments ago.
ZZZAP!!
The stoolâŚexploded.
The pieces caught on fire.
I gave them a weak grin, then combed my hand through my hair, freeing it from static. âSorry.â
Chuck shrugged. âApparently, she didnât help enough.â Flipping his hat off his head, he pulled a fire extinguisher from it and sprayed the flames with foam.
âWENDELL! CHUCK! DAX!â
We sprinted to the kitchen to find Morty, Deloris, Alhannah and the crew standing in a half-circle around the TV.
A massive building was ablaze.
âWhatâs going on?â I asked.
âThings just got serious,â Alhannah hissed.
I looked to Chuck, but he shrugged, looking as confused as I felt.
âItâs one of the main factories,â whispered Lili. She was crying silently , her face red and puffy. âOne of Mr. Bellows factories. An explosion.â She turned and left the room.
âLadies and gentlegnomes,â said the anchorgnome on the screen, âwe donât have the full details yet, but sources say the Bellows Gearworks had a full shift inside when the explosion went off. Locals say the fire sprang up rapidly, air feeding the flames through a collapsed roof. Though many escaped through various exits, it is feared that most of the shift ended up trapped inside.â
Someone stepped up to the young gnome, whispering something to her. A slip of paper was handed over.
Her countenance fell.
âTGII help us,â she choked.
For a long moment, the anchorgnome fought to control her emotions, but couldnât say anything. She just stared at the slip of paper, and wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. She looked off-camera.
âYou sure this is accurate?â
Again a pause, then a deep shuttering breath.
Her posture changes.
Standing tall, she blinks several times, then turns to the camera.
âWHRN Breaking News: A catastrophic explosion has leveled Bellows Gearworks in the Lower Clockwork District. Witnesses report a male gnome, identified as Derrin Cogswill, running in and out of the blaze to save trapped workers before the main boiler ruptured. Officials say that more than 200 gnomes are confirmed deadâŚâ
The reporterâs voice is crisp.
Calm.
Like sheâs talking about the weather.
On the TV, we see looping scenes. The factory looks like something alive...a mouth belching fire. The roof groans inward, timbers snapping and jutting out. The heat can be seen rising, twisting the air, warping every surface around it. Gnomes run. So smallâŚsome dragging bodies, others limping together, blackened and coughing through the smoke.
Alhannah turned to stare me in the face.
Her jaw clenched, head slightly tilted forward, so the overhead light cast shadows under her brows.
There was nothing behind those eyes except the mild reflection of the motion of fire from the TV.
âThis just got personal,â she whispered.
It terrified me.








Excited for the next chapter. đ