Rockstone: Scene 1, Instincts

 His eyes darted, as he tried to find a table. Everybody noticed the man in the orange backpack that walked into Nic-Nac. The guy noticed one table with two young guys chatting.

“We’ve been coming here for half a year already,” one guy whispered.

“Yeah,” the other said. “Too bad he hasn’t come yet.”

“Hey, what’s up?” The man in the orange backpack started. He blinked, there was something familiar about these people.

The two guys looked at him, seeming uncomfortable. They slowly walk away and went outside, leaving the strange man alone. He sighed, muttering to himself something about being more careful next time.

“You seemed disappointed,” a waitress pondered, as she give him the menu. Jared looked up and smiled. She has brown eyes with gold-flaked eyeliner. Her blue shirt had a pocket by the waist that held the menu. “You want something?”

“My name is Jared,” the guy said, “I’ll get a turkey burger,” he hands her a twenty and five dollar bill. The woman looks at him.

“Where are you going?” the woman asked. “I know that look.”

“To, uh, just let’s order that Bun Jovi, please.”

The woman smiled. “We only take credit, sir.”

Jared sighed. He started to walk out of the door, seeming upset.

“But,” the woman continued. Jared turned back and looked at the girl. “I’ll take your number.”

Jared smiles. Then he began to laugh. “Okay, what’s your name?”

“Don’t get any ideas,” the girl said sternly. “I’m Charlotte with an e.”

“Okay…” Jared stammered. “You want to know my story?”

“She wants to know your orders,” a big buffy guy that looked about sixty walked in front of Charlotte. The girl looked at the man. “Yeah, Ian,” she said casually, “Jared, he wanted a burger.”

“So?” Ian shrugged and pointed to the next table. Charlotte nodded and moved off. Jared watched as Ian left, and turned to leave. They didn’t take credit, and he already drew unnecessary attention. Why walk into a restaurant? What did this lord want from him anyway? He hated doing his bidding.

Jared walked toward Charlotte as he saw her going to the kitchen. “I’m running away if you wanted to know” he whispered. That should be enough to creep her out. Jared didn’t want any company. He didn’t even know himself yet.

Charlotte started to walk into the kitchen. Not seeming to respond to what he said. Jared sighed and went towards the entrance. He still saw those two guys at the table before. They were watching an artificial waterfall that was pouring down the garden next to the Nik-Nac patio. He walked passed the chairs and eyed the guys.

“Ethen and Greg. Right?” Jared smiled and pointed at the two guys. One dud looked back from the railing they were leaning on. “I’ll Greg you into this poll.”

“Hey, hey,” Jared held his hands up. “I’m going on a bit of a hike. You know up that hill back at the Red Valley Park. It’s eight hours. I could use a friend.”

One guy rolled his eyes. “I’m Ethan. How’d you know?”

Jared smiled. “Lord Urunk always speaks your names. Between the looks and the conversation you were having, I put two and two together.”

The two guys stared at each other. Then they looked back at Jared.

“Uh, Greg. Like I’m Greg. But I’m not sure if you really know what you're getting into?”

“I know,” Jared said. “I’ve met him before.”

“You mean …” Ethen looked back at the water. “You saw him, or heard him?”

Jared took a step back. He run towards the railing and jumped toward the pond. People didn’t seem to notice. Nobody could. In fact, Jared didn’t even land by the pond. He looked back at Greg and Ethen. They gasped. Greg cracked his neck, and shoot up into the air, meeting Jared. He grabbed Jared’s shirt. “Don’t listen to Urunk. He wants you to go into the mountain to find a transport.”

“Okay,” Jared shrugged. “So?”

“So,” replied Greg, “he doesn’t need you to be with anybody.”

Jared pushed back and shoved Greg away. Greg slid by the roof of Nic-Nac, but nothing broke. “He stopped time,” Ethen pointed out. “Urunk is encompassing us.”

Greg sighed. “Your right.” He lowered himself to the ground and tried to open the door. “Damn it,” he turned his head to Jared. “You closed it!”

Ethen bit his lip. “So open it. Just, quick.”

“I — I”, Greg stammered.

“Oh, for heaven's sake,” Jared wained. He jumped to the ground, and slide the door open. As he did somebody by the table moved her hand out to grab Jared's arm. But Jared stop, and the women froze. He looked at her and saw her blazing blue eyes directed at his. “She might be a terrainer developer,” Jared whispered. “How does she know?”

“Maybe she doesn’t,” Ethen suggested. “We're moving fast for them. Perhaps she thought you were falling or she was. Don’t know. Doesn’t matter.”

Jared saw Ethen head off towards the kitchen. But somebody opened the door this time.

“How?” Ethen cried.

“Oh no,” Greg ducked as Ian planted a punch at Ethan’s eyes, who stammered and fell back. He would’ve tripped on a table, but because of the situation, he simply slipped on the floor and started skidding toward the entrance.

“We need to separate. Urunk is probably causing all this.”

Jared darted, as Ian took a plate and flung it at him. Obviously, the plate bounced off the wall, and back to Ian. This couldn’t be. How could he make a plate in sparkwitz? He wasn’t for the Intellik, was he?

“Why did you have to perform sparkwitz?” Ethen groaned. “You idiot.”

Jared knew in his head that it was a dumb move, but he needed to prove that he was on the vordish side. Besides, how Urunk didn’t say anything about anybody accompanying him. He just started to follow his instincts.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself kid,” muttered Ian. “We’re only getting started.” Jared knew that this could be the one Urunk was looking for. He ran over to Ian, and stood there, waiting for his next attack. This time Ian didn’t form any object. He went straight for the punch. Jared caught it.

“Ian, maybe your not so smart after all,” Jared smirked.

“Oh yeah?” Ian lifted his hand up and pushed Jared to the roof, then to the floor, then repeat. After three times like that, Ian dropped Jared and he slide to the floor.

Jared caught a glimpse of Greg planting his knee into Ian’s back. Ian raged and formed a wine glass, and smashed it on Greg's head. Greg fell down, blood coming from his scalp.

“You ..” Ethan snarled. “You’re a keeper, no?”

Ian held his place. Ethan charged at him but quickly fell down without even attacking.

“You, you …” Ethan stammered. “You changed the rules. You must be a keeper. How could you break objects in sparkwitz?”

“You break rules,” Ian spoke, “and I …” Jared didn’t wait for Ian to finish his sentence. He jumped in the air and shot out a flash of bright blue gas, which headed straight toward Ian’s skull. Ian gasped in pain as the skull pressed against him and the floor.

“Jared,” Greg cried. “Stop. He’s a keeper. He’ll just, you’re only giving him more power!”

Jared knew it was too late, he was too impulsive, it was his downfall. Ian groaned and eyed the floor. A bolt of green gas shot out through his stomach. It went to the wall and bounced off to hit Jared, pinning him to the roof.

Ian laughed as he flew up and punched Jared in the stomach. Jard coughed up blood, but Ian kept punching him. “Stop!” cried a woman. Jared couldn’t see her. Nor did he know this place well enough to tell where the voice was coming from.

“It’s her!” Jared heard Ethen. Was it Charlott? She was a keeper or a vorder? Jared froze. The punching stopped. Ian hotted in laughter.

“Come again!” he yelled.

“How about no?” Greg responded. Ian rolled his eyes, but Jared followed Greg’s reasoning. This was a keeper. His job was to balance out the actions of vords. If they didn’t attack or do anything, what action would this keeper have to mirror? It was worth a shot.

Ian continued hosting in laughter, and Jared tried hard not to pounce on him. But he didn’t attack. Jared opened his eyes and spotted Charlotte. She snapped her fingers and a portal emerged.

“What do you have to say for this?” Charlotte asked.

“You can’t run away. You have to first stop sparkwitz,” Ian warned them.

Charlotte seemed to ignore him. She snapped her fingers. Jared and Ian fell to the ground. Everybody resumed their eating and continued conversing. They didn’t notice much, but it could be any moment until the public realized what transpired.

Jared noticed Ian slowly back away from him. Was he planning another attack? People gasped as Ian’s eyes turned wide. Jared watched as Ian disintegrated into the portal.

Nobody wanted to say anything like ask where Charlotte brought this man, or if she was a keeper. Instead, they looked back at the crowd. If the portal was formed, that meant that the spell continued while everybody watched. Which also meant it directly defied the government's orders.