Chapter 19 – Perfecting skills

Estimated reading time: ±3 minutes

Two days later at Clara's country house

Sam was shirtless in the middle of the backyard with Wamien and Tiana sitting on the balcony.

Wamien: Come on, Sam, focus, you're capable.
Sam: I know Wamien.

Sam places his wings in his back and concentrates to make them smaller and gradually disappear.

Tiana: Come on Sam...

We all know that Sam will be able to walk freely if he learns to retract his wings. They eventually disappear.

Wamien: Congratulations Sam!
Tiana: Yay.

We both applaud and Sam slowly opens his eyes and looks over his shoulders to see that his wings have disappeared. He takes an inspiration and his wings come out.

Wamien: Is this about muscle?
Sam: Yeah, it's less complicated than I thought.

The three of us laugh and Clara comes in with Sam and Tiana's coffees and gives me my French vanilla.

Wamien: Thank you Clara.
Clara: A pleasure, sweetie.
Tiana: Sweetie~ Thank you Clara.

Sam approaches and takes his coffee to start drinking. Tim gets out of the house and joins us.

Tim: Good morning, folks.

Everyone says good morning to Tim. Tim, look at Sam.

Tim: You lost the wings?
Sam: Nope looks.

He gets both his wings out without any problem.

Tim: Hm, nice, so you're gonna look normal.
Sam: Yeah.

Kameron leaves the house with Kémyanne, they hold hands and laugh together. They're cute. I feel a hand slipping into mine. It's Clara, she definitely fell in love with me seeing the stars in her eyes when she looks at me. I let her hold my hand. Kameron goes to the center of the garden and takes off his sweater to send it to Kémy who grabs it by hugging it against her. Kameron takes a deep breath and let the flames be! His upper body turns into a flame and he starts to move. He forms a fireball in his right hand and concentrates on handling it.

Wamien: Go Kameron, 30 seconds to keep it without physical contact! You're capable!
Kameron: I try.

He's shaking a little, keeping it a foot above his hand.

Wamien: Another 20 seconds Kameron, it's fine.
Sam: Come on Kameron.

Kameron trembles more and more as time collapses.

Wamien: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

The others join me in the countdown.

Clara, Tiana, Sam, Tim, Kémy, Wamien: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Bravo!

Kameron makes the fireball disappear and lets his body become normal again. Kémy gets up and comes to give him back his sweater and takes the opportunity to give him a kiss on the cheek. I get up and decide to go home and start making lunch. Clara also gets up and joins me.

Clara: What do you want to do for lunch?
Wamien: Pancakes for everyone.
Clara: All right, I'll get the stuff out.

She took out everything she needed to make pancakes. Thalie still gets to sleep, always getting up later than everyone else.

Thalie: Yo people.
Wamien: Yo Thalie, sleep well?
Thalie: Yeah, where's Louann?
Clara: In the living room, she's watching TV.
Thalie: Hm, okay.

Thalie smiles a little and goes towards the living room. Louann starts screaming our names.

Louann: Friends! Come and see quickly!

Everyone who heard the call is coming. Louann points us to the TV, where there's a news.

"Earlier this morning, the Black Eagles struck again, this time they attacked a scientific laboratory in the kingdom of Mahinu. The lab was empty, so there were no injuries at the scene, yet we ask the population to stay outside the perimeter to let the clean-up teams..."

Wamien: My eye that there was no one! There were still test subjects in that place.
Clara: Relax, Wamien.
Wamien: We'll take care of these Black Eagles soon.