Nature Rules - 2022 WATTY'S SHORTLIST

School's In

I'm feeling so belittled I don't hear even the teacher talking to me.

"Naia, Naia!"

"Uh – yes?"

"I'd like you to calculate the speed of the water through the wind speed that Ruby is going to send to you."

"Uh — what?"

The class titters at me and I wish I could run out of the room and never see anyone of these stupid kids again. Except for Crinae.

"What level did you finish on 33?" Mr. Cho asks, not unkindly.

"Uh – none?"

"Let's start from scratch then," says Mr. Cho as he sits at the end of his large dark brown desk. "There's always time for impromptu revision.

"Naia, what are your abilities?"

"Water?"

Man, I'm sounding stupider by the second.

"Great, thanks, Naia. That means you are a Nera, a water maker. Crinae, I think Solomon told me you're an Illuminae, a light maker. Ruby is an Anemmoinae, a wind maker. Ruby, stand up and show us what you do."

Ruby flutters her tiny hands and at once, a gust of wind hurls books into the air and shoots dust into my eyes.

"Thanks, Ruby," yells Mr. Cho over the din. "That's enough."

Ruby shrugs, picks her book off the floor and sits down.

"Thaidene is a Pryanae, a fire maker. Thaidene, if you would please show Naia and Crinae your skill."

A boy with short-cropped brown hair stands and goes to the front of the class. He flicks one finger against the other and an orange spark flies from his hand. Unfortunately, it lands on the foot of a student with a blond brush cut in the front row. Mr. Cho sprints to put out the ember and steps on the boy's foot. Hard.

"Oww!"

Everyone laughs, including me.

"Sorry, Dodney," says Mr Cho. "It's better than being a human torch though!"

Dodney's frowns and shoots a dirty look at Thaidene.

"Dodney doesn't have any skills yet," says Mr. Cho. "We're watching him. His abilities could present at any moment."

Dodney's frown gets deeper and he narrows his eyes at Mr. Cho.

"Aeternians used to be the protectors of Eden," says Mr. Cho. "But as we moved away from faith, people called us witches and sorceress and we went into hiding. Aeternians changed too and our skills became more and more about human stuff like money and having things. We've never lost of abilities though. Here's an easy way for you to learn how to use your Nera skills in the form of a spout.

"I want you to take your index finger like this," he demonstrates, "and paint the air like so."

As his hand moves, light streams from it. I put up my hand and copy Mr. Cho. As my hand moves, water streams from it.

"Wow!" I gasp.

The kids giggle at me. I ignore them.

"How is this possible?" I ask the teacher. "Most of the time I had to think and think hard and then it all ended up in a mess."

"Instead of forcing it, you need only to let go. Let go of all the thoughts that you're not doing it right or that you have to do it only one way and you'll master it."

Mr. Cho then instructs the whole class to do what we're doing. The room fills with dazzling light that hurts my eyes. I shut them but not just to keep from being blinded but because grit is flying everywhere and water is hitting my face. My left side is getting hotter and hotter and when I squint over, Thaidene's balancing a large ball of flame on his arm. Right beside me. (I think about putting it out with a waterspout but that wouldn't be nice and it's my first day.)