Kenji turns 16

The glass feels cold; I like pressing my face on the window for that reason. Wintertime is full of quirks, moments that remind you of the beauty of a stinging cold. It helps me forget that I sat in something wet when I got on the train, I’m sure it’s just snow. Winter break was almost over, and I spent my whole winter break trading shoes. It would have helped if I had any friends, but I haven’t stayed at a single school in years now.

The train shakes gently on the tracks, and I settle more deeply in my seat. If only dad’s job didn’t make him such a nomad, I might have been around long enough to get a phone number. I look around the car and see a warm glow coming from a young girl’s gloves. I could never afford an artifact like that, much less use it, but it would be nice.

The train begins slowing down as a voice speaks overhead, “The train will stop suddenly, please be careful.” I step off the train and immediately get greeted by a sharp wind. The walk from the train station to the house is bitter and miserable, but there’s still something charming about this town in the snow. They still use crystal fire bulbs that hum a warm yellow light through the storm, a cute reminder of how behind this town is.

It's another 20 minutes before I’m home. I fumble for my keys with frozen hands and turn open the door to find the lights out. Shouldn’t my father be home? Shouldn’t-

“SURPRISE!”

My father and two men jump out from behind the couch and turn the lights on. My father laughs and his whole belly shakes, he grins ear to ear at how well he got me.

“What a riot! You want a beer Yoshimi?”

One of my father’s friends dives into the fridge as soon as they stand up.

“This is Kenji’s birthday, not yours.”

“What’s up with the kid Yoshimi? He’s even weirder than you!”

The two men crack open a beer and laugh at the expense of the Yamamoto clan. It’s been just me and my father for 10 years now. Ever since mom passed away, we’ve constantly moved and hardly talked, but he’s still clearly my father.

“Would you two stop raiding my fridge? I put your drinks on the bottom shelf.”

“Really?” One of them rummages through the fridge. “Thanks Yoshimi! You’re the best!” They sit me down at the table and immediately start joking. I have no idea what’s happening. It’s an unfamiliar feeling having people laugh this much next to me, I almost want to join in.

Hours pass and the storm dies down outside. Chicken bones clatter from plates, and beer cans crinkle underneath them in the trashcan. The trashcan closes for a moment before opening with a small plume of smoke, an older model for sure.

“Yoshimi! You’re the greatest!”

My father’s friends stumble wildly into the snow towards the train station.

“Find that treasure Kenji! Happy birthday!”

My father slowly closes the door behind them and sighs. I walk over to the couch to nurse my stomach, and my father joins me once he grabs one last beer.

“Sorry about those two Kenji. I thought it would be a fun experience, or at least more fun than your usual birthday.” He gives me an earnest smile. He’s worked for the gate company as long as I can remember. We’ve never had money issues, but we never stayed in one town for long either. As soon as my father could fix the flow of magic or link the other gate, we were onto the next town. He worked long hours, but it showed in how much he cared about little things like a birthday.

“It was fun dad, I appreciate you. But don’t trouble yourself so much next time, it’s just a birthday.”

“Not this one Kenji.”

A cold air rushes from my father, he turns and I see a pain in his eyes I don’t understand.

“I haven’t been honest with you Kenji. You remember how your mother died?” I lean towards him.

“She was crossing the street and struck by a bus right?”

“No Kenji. She was killed.”

I don’t understand my father, he must be drunk, but that’s all the more reason for this to be true then.

“Your mother was very special Kenji, and I’m not just talking how lonely fathers see their wives in memory. She was a Goddess Kenji, a real one.”

“What?”

“You know all the magic types right?”

“Of course, there’s lightning, fire, earth, and water.” He sinks back into the couch.

“And what about Dragon magic Kenji?”

“Dragon magic is so rare it doesn’t even matter.” My father cradles his beer.

“It does matter, it matters a lot. It mattered to your mother. She came from a long line of Dragon God sorcerers, and so did you.”

That can’t be true, I failed every affinity test in school.

“But I have no affinities?”

“You have all of them Kenji. That’s what makes it special, that’s why they took your mother.”

He sits up, clearly getting closer to tears.

“When you were 6 years old Ligatio came for your mother. They knocked down the door on your own birthday and threatened us both. They’d been harassing her for weeks to come make Dragon God artifacts. Weapons that could project magic as well as enhance the user. Your mother refused for months, and they met their own breaking point. They grabbed you and threatened to raise you underground. Your mother snapped.”

Why don’t I remember any of this? How did this slip my mind?

“I remember a woman coming back days later. She had a terrible smile, so very clearly forced. She offered a deal, ‘Make me a Dragon God weapon or they die.’ Your mother couldn’t bear the thought, but she knew there was no way out. Your mother offered them her own deal, ‘I’ll make you the ultimate weapon and you leave my son alone until he’s old enough to fight.’ The woman smiled naturally now, a devious grin. The thought of an ultimate artifact and a future manufacturer was definitely enticing. She only took your mother that night.”

I can hardly hold back my own tears. “Dad, why don’t I remember this? Why can’t I remember anything?”

“She made you a water artifact before she left, you forgot it all immediately.”

“Then why? Why hide it?” I yelled at my own father.

“She wanted you to live. She wanted you to be a boy, to grow up joyous and free, to learn how to keep a glimmer in your eye.”

Tears slip through my fingers as my father hands me a tissue.

“I tried my best to keep you away from Ligatio, out of their surveillance, but it’s not worth it to hide you anymore.”

“Wha- What’s gonna happen to me?”

“You had until you were 17. Tonight marks the beginning of your last year.”

My tears dry under my seething anger.

“And you hid me this whole time? They’re going to come for me and I can’t do anything.”

My father stands up, knocking the coffee table with his knee.

“You CAN do something. You can do anything! You have the blood of the Dragon God in your veins, the blood of your mother! I’m sorry I kept you in the shadows, I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you what you are, and I’m sorry you didn’t learn until now. But it’s not too late! I can’t do anything about Ligatio, but you can. You can stop them, you can avenge your mother, you can protect any Dragon Gods to come.”

“Then how do I use my power?”

“I don’t know.”
“Mom told you nothing?”

“We had better things to talk about.”

I stare at my father. My anger has died away almost entirely. The absurdity of the situation is so much all I can do is laugh.

“He…he…he he… hehehe.”

“Haha…hahaha!”

We fall back onto the couch dying of laughter, the funniest thing I’ve ever heard and it’s my father basically describing my doom.

“Well dad, what now then?”

“Kenji, you’re moving schools.”

“What’s new?”

“We’ve got nowhere else to run, you’re there until you graduate.”

“WHAT?”