OverLand: Chapter 2

*The Beginning of a Grand Adventure*


     When Aiden could see the village he was happy. All of the buildings were short, each having only one to two floors each. They looked like pueblos, the little buildings sticking out of the sand in clusters. The village was near a large oasis. There were cattle and a few plants dotted around the entire edge of the oasis. There were a surprising number of buildings for such a small oasis, but it functioned well. As they rode in on her bike he was eager to meet the village commoners and explore. She fastened the bike to a railing on the side of a small inn. "Are these people mean like the ones from the other oasis?" asked Aiden in blankness. She was still figuring out how much he knew, "Where are you from? Under a rock? No, these people are usually nice, unless you pick a fight." He nodded and followed her. There was a small market area near the center of the village, but Elizabeth wanted to make a stop first. "You have any other marks?" she asked as they walked through the small spread out crowd. "I didn't know I had that one! And isn't it supposed to be impossible?" She kept walking, "Well...I haven't seen that mark before, and I doubt anyone else has. Are you sure you can't remember anything important?" He was a bit cluless, "Heheh......nope!" She dragged him further, "Uggh! C'mon!" They went to a little shop near the market. They stood outside, "What is this place?" Aiden asked as Elizabeth checked if they were open. "Well, if you want to have any advantage in the world anymore, you'll need another mark. I think you should get the basic manipulator's mark." He was watching the sky, "Huh? What's that?" She explained, "It's probably what that guy used when he made the machete back there. The manipulator's mark let's you convert things without it being limited to one item. But it's harder to master. That guy probably practiced for months before he could make a machete without having to stand still, probably waiting for a few minutes while it formed. That's the only drawback with the manipulator's mark. You have to visualize every little change and function of the thing your making, or else you'll get a pile of dirt or some warped object that doesn't work." He listened as she continued, "But...It's a lot better than the other way you can make things. You can get a specific mark that only makes one thing with ease, but it limits your capabilities a lot. Also, it eats up your mark-space. The mind can only handle so much." He was full of even more excitement now, "Yes! I want that! What's the most complicated thing anyone has ever made before?" She knew without thinking.


     When Elizabeth was a little girl she lived in a village farther east. Her parents had died after she was born, so she had lived with her godfather most of her life. His name was Ian and he had known her parents from their later years. He always had an eye on her. He protected her from the savage outside world. When she was twelve he began going on trips and leaving her alone for small amounts of time. They trusted eachother and it worked out okay. When she turned nineteen he said he had to travel west and he wouldn't be able to see her again. He said she was practically an adult anyway but it was still hard for both of them. He had always been a father to her, but where he was going was a place he said she wasn't able to go. To help her in many ways he gave her a gift using the manipulator's mark. The thing he made was the most complexe and functioning thing that had ever been made using it.


     She answered without having to think....it was almost a whisper. "...a motorcycle.... A fully working and maintanable bike." Aiden's head filled with questions but she had already pulled him in the little building. The little shop had many maps of various marks and technique motions. They walked in as an old man behind the counter hugged Elizabeth. She had known Demitri for may years, and he was the one who found out she could use three symbols, something few people could do. He was explaining this to Aiden as he sat down in what looked like a cross between a gurney and a chair you sit in when you get a tattoo. "Yep. Most people can only use one or two marks and they can still have headaches from that, but not Elizabeth here, she has a special mind." She half-smiled as Aiden watched Demitri's eyes cover his body. "Aiden here wants the manipulator's symbol." Aiden nodded as Demitri's eyes examined him. "Yeah, and I didn't even feel anything when I used the other mark I have." Demitri's eyes woke up. "Other mark? What is it? If I know I'll be able to mesure your mind better." Elizabeth smiled fakely, "Yeah......it's not......known." Demitri's eyes got wider, "Not known? What do you mean? I know all of the marks. And if not, I still have books worth in the back. I can mesure him, dear..." Aiden's face lit up, "I made water with conversion!" The room fell silent. Demitri's eyes were wide awake, almost trembling with excitement. "Did.....did you say...Water!" Aiden nodded with a childish smile across his face. "Yup, the guy can convert water...he's a freakin' miracle! We're heading west when we find someone who can convert food." Elizabeth said. Demitri's eyes were still big, "May....I see it?" Aiden looked at him happily, "Sure!....where at?" Demitri went and got a bowl. He emptied his small waste-basket into it and then got some sand from outside and mixed it in too. He sat the bowl down on the counter infront of Aiden as he stretched. Demitri payed close attention, "Please. Can you do it slowly? I'd like to copy the symbol into this book of mine. Imagine, water that can be converted from anything. The desert could be..." he rambled as Aiden slid his finger around the edge of the bowl. The edge began to give off a faint glow. Aiden pressed his hands into the bowl and the material inside began to disintegrate and reform into water. The liquid was crystal clear and practically distilled. Demitri copied the symbol down exactly. The mark looked like a black outline of a teardrop with three wavy lines running across it. The mark on the left side of Aiden's neck shown, a precarious place for a mark like that. After he was done, Aiden sat back in the chair. Demitri was almost unable to sit still from the enjoyment he'd just experienced, "Okay....let's give you that mark. And you say it didn't hurt at all?" Aiden nodded as he grinned, "Nope...not an ache!" Demitri smiled as he placed his hands on Aiden's chest. Demitri had a mark that let him place marks on other people. That mark is unable to be accompanied by any other on the person, other marks will be rejected by the placing marks' occupation already taking complete concentration from the host. Demitri explained everything Aiden could expect as he made preperations, "Now, don't expect to be making anything yet. You'll need practice with the simplest things first. In a week or two you should try making a solid brick out of sand. Simple things first." He began to write the manipulator's mark on Aiden, but it vanished after he started making it. "Well, that's strange. Aiden, are you sure you don't have any other marks?" Aiden nodded again, "Yeah... at least I think so. Why?" Elizabeth saw something, "Aiden, your wrist!" He looked at his arm, the inside of his wrist was glowing. He turned it over and saw a mark there. Demitri was shocked, "You already have the mark? That's why I couldn't give it to you, someone can't have two of the same symbol." Aiden stood up. "I didn't even know I had it! What's going on!?" He was still aimless, not knowing any of his past. "Apparently you had it already. What's your deal? Still no memories?" Aiden nodded again. "Well I guess you could give HIM the food-conversion symbol....Want it?" Aiden didn't see the long term decisions he'd make, but he didn't care. "Sure! That'd be easier anyway, right?" Demitri was uneasy, "Well he already has two symbols and that's the max for most people. I need to mesure Aiden's mind at work more than that if you want a third. I think you should, and I hate to say it, run into another bunch of hooligans and have Aiden here whip their butts, or get whipped a little. Then I'll be able to rate his head." Aiden was looking for a challenge, but not too much like this. "Aw...I have to meet with more of those idiots like before?" Elizabeth was leading him through town, "Yeah...shouldn't be too hard. I have your back, and most people around here eventually get robbed. But you should try to create a few things first. They went to a side street and she leaned against a wall. "Okay....try to make something with your new...uh..well with the manipulator's mark." Aiden looked at the mark on his wrist as he concentrated. It looked like a triangle, intersected by three equilateral lines. He put his hand on the ground and concentrated. As he pulled his hand up, a warped brick formed out of the sand, it was lop-sided. She sighed as Aiden picked up the brick with his hands. "I made something....but I think I messed up." She nodded, "Yeah. You need to learn how to make things. Think of how something looks, feels, tastes. Think of how it's constructed and what it's composition contains. If you visualize them all overlapping, you'll advance your abilities more." Aiden tried a few more times. He couldn't grasp it... Then they called it a day.


     As they walked back towards the inn they bumped into a guy as he ran out of a shop. He had a box under his arm and the shop keeper ran ot after him. The man was a thief. Elizabeth smiled, "Well there's a good coincidence. Go get him!" Aiden went after him. The man had gone down an alley that led to a dead end, the shop keeper was blocking the way. The thief was taller and thicker than the shop keeper, so when he turned to growl at him, the shop keeper began to back up. Aiden got there as the shop keeper ran past him and back down the street. "Hey! Stop you thief!" Aiden said as he rushed into the alley. The thief was taller than Aiden, and more muscular. "Huh? What....you gonna get in my way now?" Aiden had an almost silly grin on his face, "I'm gonna challenge you!" The thief was arrogant, "Well! You wanna fight? Alright!" He sat the box down on the ground as Elizabeth caught up to them. She stayed back and watched. Aiden saw as the thief's hands both showed the same mark on the back of his palms. Aiden was shocked, "Wait! I thougth you could only have one of the same symbol on you at a time!?" Elizabeth broke in, "It's one mark not two..." Aiden saw the thief smile as he punched his wrists together, connecting the two halves of the symbol. "Yeah... I'll crush you like an egg, kid!" the thief said as he punched his hands into the ground with great force, cracking the cobblestone further. Aiden jumped back, "Whoa! What does the mark do?" Elizabeth chimed in, "It's an enhance-mark. He can probably rip my bike in half with his hands..." She expected to see Aiden run off, but he did the opposite. "Alright!!! Let's go!" Aiden said as he rushed the thief without any thought. "How stupid are you, boy? Were you this slow as a kid?" the thief said as he slung his fist towards Aiden. Something snapped in Aiden's head. Elizabeth could see it as Aiden reacted, his voice sounded...a little more sophisticated. "Slow?....Quite the contrary.." Aiden said seriously as he jumped, kicking off of the thief's fist and flipping over him. As he landed behind him, Aiden saw the lug's other arm swinging towards him. Aiden leaned under it, holding himself up with his hands and feet alone. "Hey! Slow down you brat!" the thief said as he spun around, with Aiden's foot meeting his face. He fell backwards. Aiden stood up. His face was more serious than normal. The man stood up and began to use his other mark. The mark was on his chest. It was the manipulator's mark, "No more playing! I've got a surprise for you." He pressed his hand to the cobblestone as it began to form into a sword. Elizabeth felt like stepping in, but Aiden shocked her. "Watch this." Aiden said as he pressed his hand to the ground, his symbol glowing on his wrist. The stone began to convert. Aiden pulled a pair of swords out of the ground with his hands. The swords were black, and looked dangerous. The thief held up his sword, it was thicker and smaller than both of Aiden's. He charged Aiden, "RRAAAAHH!" he yelled as he slashed at Aiden. His blade fell to the ground, cut in two. He kicked the thief onto the ground. "W-!....What're your swords made of?" the thief asked Aiden as both their swords now laid on the ground. "The're made of charcoal......constructed so finely that they could cut through that iron club you made." The thief's face went blank and so did Elizabeth's. Something about Aiden's personality faded. "You lose!" Aiden said with almost a childish tone of voice. His face looked a lot less serious now. The man's face was sad and embarassed.....confused and shocked, "Bu.....but!....But I.....How....did you?" Aiden walked up to Elizabeth, who had been gaping at him for several minutes, "What?....You okay?....Need some water?" She was barely able to speak, "H..HOw did you do that? The fighting, the speed, the...expert conversion. You made charcoal so tough that it cut through Iron!!!" She almost shouted in surprise. He laughed as he tried to explain, "Heh...I guess it was instinct or something...I just kinda...remembered how to handle all that when it happened." She hugged him, "Wow your a miracle. C'mon you need that other mark if we're gonna go west." They went back to Demitri's shop. As they were about to go inside Aiden stopped, "Wait. Lemme' try something." She turned, "If you're trying to make food with the manipulator's mark, forget about it that's..." She jumped when he put an apple in her hand. "Gyaah! Why do you get to break the rules!!" She said as she punched him playfully. She looked at the apple, it looked normal, She tore it in half, in case it was full of sand. Then she took a bite....and started laughing hysterically. Aiden was almost worried, "What's wrong?! Are you okay?" She nodded through the laughter, "Hehe..yeah. I'm okay. It's just that....." Aiden leaned in, "What?" She almost giggled again, "It's....wrong.....it tastes like a pineapple." They both started laughing as they went inside. They told Demitri what happened and showed him the apple Aiden made. "By golly! It tastes just like a pineapple! What could have caused this? Regardless of the lack of the food mark." Aiden tried to describe it, "Well I imagined what an apple was...I could remember what it was like to hold one and to eat one. Then I thought about the word 'pineapple' and the word 'apple' in it. I guess I mixed them at the last minute..." They all ate the rest of the weird fruit. "Well, I guess there's no reason to stay here anymore..." Elizabeth said as they went to go back to the inn. Before they left, Demitri gave them advice, "Aiden, I don't know what it is, but your a special user of these marks. Be careful. You may be able help this world in a lot of ways. Don't get yourself killed." He nodded as they left. They'd leave in the morning. What's west? Why can no one go there? What's beyond the sea of sand?
How far does that one road in the sand go?....And who made it?