I sat down at the table in Mira and Agni's apartment. They seemed too busy making breakfast though. I was about to volunteer to help out, but I stopped myself when I recalled how I had accidentally walked in on them the other day. The two were close, really close.
Even as I thought this, I could hear them whispering to each other. It wouldn't surprise me if they someday married each other. That day would likely come after we had defeated the Avinish. Or if we did defeat the Avinish.
As if by chance, my mind went back to the night before when I met Mohana. He seemed like he was a nice guy, not that I was attracted to him or anything. I'm obviously not the type of person who looks for a relationship.
Mira and Agni brought the food to the table and we started our breakfast. I considered telling them about Mohana, but I stopped myself. There wasn't any use to bring up the topic.
There were more important things to be focused on.
Forty minutes later we met Veda to begin our daily training. During the training, she seemed determined to teach me how to swiftly shift between each form as I went through an obstacle course.
Veda sometimes couldn't be quiet when it came to training, "You need to trust your body when you jump, land, or when dodging objects. If you are in your tiger form and you have an arrow coming straight at you, there is only milliseconds before it hits your body. Your options are to dodge or shift to a smaller form as you dodge. A tiger is a large animal. It's a bigger target with more mass to receive a blow. Morphing into an eagle would allow you to have less body and a set of wings to give you flight..."
Veda went back and forth between the three of. She kept her focus on every person and what they needed to work on the most. There were things that I didn't even realize I needed to work on, but sometimes I got annoyed when she told me to do something I already knew well. Whenever I felt that negativity I pushed it down and told myself that I needed to calm down. The stress of the new environment and a deadly battle constantly weighed on me. Just five more days. Who wouldn't be worried by such a fact?
Finally, the day's training came to an end. Mira and Agni were obviously tired. Their steps had less energy and they dragged along slower than normal. The usual chatty conversation from before training was now a few mumbled words passed between the two.
"How about we go to that hangout place? It's called Cobalt, right?"
It was the only thing I could think of to help cheer them up some. They had seemed to like the place when they showed it to me the other day. I'm not a person who enjoys crowds, but I was willing to bare it for them.
Agni perked up, "Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me."
We returned to our apartments then changed into different clothes before going to 'Cobalt'. Once we were in the elevator I began to wonder if this was a good idea or not. Being the Striker, I drew unwanted attention to myself. That's not what Agni and Mira needed after a long day of training.
Maybe I should pretend that I don't know them and go off separately so no one will be staring at them as well. They need to enjoy themselves.
Too late. The elevator doors opened and we walked into the teenage hangout. The first thirty seconds passed without anyone noticing our entrance, but soon conversation about us blossomed and spread across the room like a fungus as we walked deeper into the sea of tables. I inwardly cringed, remembering and reexperiencing the attention I received the first time I went there.
Agni found us a nice table... in the very center of the huge room. Mira and I sat beside each other while Agni sat on the opposite side. We quickly ordered something to eat. Deep inside I hoped that Mohana might be here, but I already could tell he wasn't.
There was so much tension building up inside me. My instincts always pays attention to every detail happening around me, and it's only more stressing when there's so much taking place in the area. Plus, the ten closest conversations nearby were focused on only one thing, the Striker.
I took deep, relaxed breaths to keep it together. Mira and Agni were talking up a storm. They either were so ingrossed in each other that they forgot to add me in or they naturally knew I would remain quiet.
Then my hearing picked up a sentence that made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle, "I'll ask her if she's the real one myself."
Twenty feet away, a chair scooted against the black tile flooring and I straightened up in preparation of what the person had to say to me.
Ten seconds later I heard a deep voice say, "Excuse me."
Acting like I had not been expecting them, I turned to see a teenage American boy standing close by. His brown eyes were locked onto me. Like most people who first met me they noticed my abnormally blue eyes. Since my electic powers constantly ran through me, my eyes probably were glowing eerily in the dim room.
"Yes, did you need something?" I replied making myself put on a forced smile.
He shuffled his feet, an obvious sign of nervousness, "I'm just going to ask you straight out. Are- are you the Striker?"
My own tension drained away, realizing that this guy wasn't here to cause trouble.
I nodded, "Yes, I am. My real name is Shakti though."
He seemed to loosen up as well, "See, some of my friends doubted that you were, well, the Striker. So I thought I'd ask you-"
"It's no problem. Where are your friends?" I smiled for real this time.
The guy turned and pointed to where he had been sitting. Five other boys sat there watching what was happening without knowing what we were saying.
The idea that someone questioned who I was bothered me more than having people stare at me for being who I was. I'm not the type of person to show off, but I was going to do it just this once.
Letting my right hand hang loose by my side so that the boys at the table could see, I let my lightning energy pulse. Blue and violet lightning cracked around my cupped hand. The bright flash caught the eyes of a few others nearby, but my main goal gave me a satisfying result.
The boys at the other table had their mouths gaping wide open like fish. The guy who had originally approached me had the hugest half grin, half shocked look I had seen in a long time.
It was very pleasing to show off, especially since I had had few oppotunities to do so. Maybe it was a good idea to come after all.
Reminding myself to tone down, I pulled my hand back and placed it back on my lap.
The guy turns back towards me, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Shakti."
He then turned away, but I heard the faintest whsiper from him as he walked back to his buddies, "That was so cool. Dad won't believe me this time."
It was then that I realized disappointedly that I didn't get his name. He seemed like a nice fellow on the inside.
My eyes return to Mira and Agni who to my surprise were staring right at me. I should've known they had seen the whole conversation and my little 'show'.
Mira leaned towards me, "It's good to know that you're getting out of your shell."
Her sarcastic comment caught me off guard and I wondered if she knew about how Mohana and I talked last night. Then I brushed away the idea knowing that Mira would have been fast asleep at the time. Agni would have been in his apartment as well.
Agni became serious all too suddenly, "I understand that the conversation around us is focused on you. My hearing doesn't have to be superpowered to tell. Up until when that guy came over here I thought you were going to get up and walk out. Don't let the others' conversations around you affect you. Being the Striker is who you are. Don't be annoyed if they talk about you. Be proud."
I wasn't exactly annoyed by the conversations everyone was conjuring up, but Agni had a point. I needed to let it all fade into the background and be greatful for who I was.
I'd battled a giant crazed bear and fought many Avinish soldiers. Nonsense spread around a teen hangout was the least of the problems I'd had in those past weeks.
Somehow this only made me long to be free in the jungle where it was peaceful. Then my main priority slammed down on me. I still had a role to fulfull. The Avinish were still out there, becoming stronger by the the hour.
I suddenly no longer cared what people around me thought. My destiny still called out for me, and it was the one thing I obeyed primarily.