Chapter 14:

Fragmenian Magic

Swim!

"You see, we Fragmenians can use magic with minerals." Finn showed the sack full of gemstones to Marina.
"Long ago, our ancestors could even move earth directly, but now we can only use magic if we carry gems around. It was extremely hard to do it back then, and it would exhaust a person very quickly, but it's not any easier to use our magic today either." As he was explaining, Finn searched for something among his belongings.
"Ohh, so that's why Camellia packed the book about the minerals. I was wondering about that part." Marina commented.
"But that sounds amazing."
"True, but it's not easy to master, trust me. There are over thousands of minerals in the world and probably even more that we haven't discovered yet, but you'd be surprised if you knew how many gems most people can actually use."
"Hmm, a hundred?" Marina tried to guess.
"Less," Finn said while still searching.
"Fifty?"
"Nope, less."
"Ummm twenty? Come on, it has to be at least twenty, right?"
"It's ten. Most people can control only ten minerals to use their magic, and ohh, finally, I found it." Finn pulled a small box from his luggage.
"Just ten?" Marina was surprised.
"Yup, but not because they can't; after all, there are those who can use more than that. It's because anything after basics is way harder, especially if you want to use more than one gem at the same time. Plus not all abilities have been discovered yet. Well, at least not officially." Finn was lost in his thoughts for a moment before opening the box.
"Oh, I see. Btw, what's in the box?" Marina asked.
"Oh, it's my ring. You see this gem on it?"
"Yes."
"This pink topaz has the property of a magnet. With that on, it's easier to control more than one mineral. Plus I can also use it to take away gemstones from the thieves too. That way we would gain an advantage." Finn put the ring on his finger.
"Cool." Marina was impressed.
"Thanks. I got the pink topaz as a birthday gift from my mom. She knows I like to collect the gemstones no matter if their abilities are discovered yet or not. I later turned this one into a ring."
"Aww, that's great."
"Yeah. I know my mom is impressive too; after all, she can use thirty-five gemstones, so I'm confident she will be fine, but I still don't want to leave her to fight on her own. I mean, I know the crew is with her, but still."
"I know what you mean. But thirty-five? Wow, that's impressive. Your mom must be really strong then."
"She is indeed." Finn smiled.
"What are the mineral abilities, though? Besides the magnet one."
"Oh, right. There are four main ones, the basics. We got gems that can boost a person's physical strength, create a shield or barrier, like what my mom did earlier, make you faster, and the ones that thief used before, the ability to attack with pure force."
"Ohh, that sounds epic." Marina commented.
"So I can count on your amazing powers to save me from dangerous seas." She teased Finn.
"Ha ha, I'll try my best." Finn chuckled.
"Oh, by the way, how many gems can you use?" Marina was curious.
"Ummm... Fff... Fourteen." He nervously replied.
"That's amazing too; you should be happy." Marina said.
"Yeah..." Finn spoke with awkwardness in his voice. The boy looked like he was hiding something.
"Alright, I got my ring and the sack; we should hurry back to the deck. Marina, you stay behind me and don't go too far so I can protect you. I know your bracelet has useful abilities too, but we haven't properly tested them yet, and we would need water for it too. The sea is far away, and I think that even the queen of the mermaids wouldn't be able to control water from that distance." Finn said.
"True." Marina agreed.
"Alright, my hero, let's go." She giggled.
"Oh no, now I'm afraid to disappoint your expectations. I'm not really a fighter, more a nerd when it comes to gems."
" Aha, well, I beg to differ." Marina smirked.
"I guess we'll see. Now let's hurry." Finn said.
"Yes." She took the boy's hand.
They ran as fast as they could until they reached the door that was now slightly burned and broken on the floor.
"What in the world happened here?" Marina commented out loud.
"I have no idea, but at least now I don't have to use my powers to unlock the door." Finn nervously replied.
"Let's just hope everyone is okay." He added. They heard a loud noise coming from outside.
"They must be still fighting. Let's go. Marina, no matter what happens, don't let go of my hand." Finn said with a serious expression on his face.
"I won't." Marina promised.
The two of them arrived on the deck.
Miss Cherry and her people were still fighting the thieves alongside Camellia and Tyson. They managed to beat a few of them and to tie them up. However, the five remaining were all really tough.
They are all using more than one mineral at once.
Finn looked worried.
He took a deep breath and then exhaled.
I can do this.