1st 5 Pages Feb Workshop - Adebayo

Name: Jide Adebayo

Genre: Young Adult Science Fantasy

Title: Chrome & Steele: Paradiso Trials

Steele heard the crack before he felt the pain. The agony rivaled that of when he first arrived to this new world, from what he could remember, but he had no time to focus on the drawbacks of his power. He needed to escape. Dwelling on broken bones would come later. Despite his condition, he felt relieved to be running on soft, even ground, considering that the burning river had charred the soles of his shoes just moments ago—at least his legs still worked. Darting across the field, Steele became lighter with each stride. He sprinted, then dashed, then started to glide. The second sun was setting, which was a good sign that he had made headway, distancing himself from Ruby. “A thief,” that is what she called him. How could he, of all people, be a thief?

The landscape shifted, and the motion shook the thought from Steele’s mind. As the surface beneath his feet churned and grumbled, Steele sensed his body growing heavy. Not now he pleaded. It was becoming more difficult to ignore his growing yet inconsistent authority over gravity. The field tilted, and Steele slipped. With his increase in weight, he descended at an alarming speed and saw a figure at the bottom of the slope.  Ruby? No, it was someone else. A grizzly and disheveled man.

Before Steele could come up with a decent strategy, his face met the earth. Dust and rock flew up and the surface cracked as Steele dented the ground. Pinned under the weight of his own gravitational power, Steele laid at the strange man’s feet. Steele slowly rose, getting a much better look at the guy from toe to head. The man was monstrous up close. He towered over Steele at least by six or seven feet and everything bulged out—arms, thighs, and head. He wore a shirt that hugged his frame a little too friendly around his protruding stomach. He was dark, much darker than Steele, and bald as a rock.

“Nice hair,” the man said. “Most deities only bow as a sign of respect; you don’t have to go so far as to lay your life down.” He let out a belching laugh and then lifted Steele by his broken arm. The pain nearly knocked Steele out but fear filled him with a much heavier realization. He’d been caught. Should he fight or surrender peacefully? After all, no one really made it clear as to whether he could die twice.

“Here, lemme fix that for ya.”

The man put Steele down and rearranged his arm back into place. The pain went away almost as quickly as it came. He crouched down to Steele’s level, bringing them eye to eye.

“What do they call you young fella?” The man’s gaze was full and friendly, catching Steele off guard. After a long silence, the strange and hefty man continued, “You must be a shy fella huh? Well, my name is Sumo, Sumo Bronze. Nice to meet’cha.” He extended his hand for a proper greeting. Steele wasn’t sure whether it was a trick or not, but if an overly large man ever extends a hand in kindness, it’s never wise to dismiss him. Steele’s voice cracked as he spoke, “my name is Steele, Steele Locs.” He reached out to shake Sumo’s hand, but Sumo embraced him with outstretched arms instead. He was quick for a big guy but had a gentle touch about him. The hug felt warm.

He laughed as he bear-hugged Steele. “What a fitting name for you, young fella.” He shook Steele a few times before putting him back down. “Now, do you mind telling me who you’re running from?”

How did he know that he was running from someone? Steele debated telling the man, Sumo, about Ruby, but if he told Sumo about her, would he then turn Steele back over to his pursuer? No, he couldn’t take the risk. “I was just practicing my stride,” he lied.

Sumo frowned. “A child that runs from something is worth saving.  However, a child that lies only draws suspicion. No worries. I won’t push the subject.” He folded his arms across his chest and his muscles pulsed as he tapped his fingers on his bicep. “I do have one question that you should probably answer honestly,” Sumo said. “You sure did hit the ground a lot harder than I’d expect for a kid your size. Tell me why.”

Steele froze. He didn’t fully understand his developing abilities himself; how could he explain it to someone else? If he revealed his powers, would Sumo make the same accusations that Ruby made? Would he think he was a thief too? Could only thieves do what he does? Another long and uncomfortable silence crept by, and Steele started to think his muteness prompted more questions for Sumo than he would have liked.

“The truth is, I don’t really—”

An overwhelming howl drowned out Steele’s response. His ears rang like drums and his eyes began to push against the walls of his skull as if trying to escape. Steele looked to Sumo for answers, but the oversized barbarian seemed unaffected.

“Ah, I almost forgot why I was out here,” Sumo said. He cracked a smile and turned to face the second sun falling behind the hills. “The little rascal must be beyond that horizon.”

Sumo started towards the hills then turned and gestured at Steele. “You coming or are you just gonna stand there? Regardless of who you are running from, I guarantee you it or they won’t follow us where we’re headed.”

Figuring that anywhere would be better than being caught in Ruby’s grips, Steele accompanied Sumo down a narrow pathway burrowed among hills. Steele’s ears were still ringing from the deafening howl, and a strange mixture of curiosity and anxiety now replaced his fear. If this intimidating but oddly approachable man was not out hunting him, then what had brought the big guy all the way out to the middle of nowhere?

The path began to coil downward while darkness slowly blanketed the skies. In his short time on this new world, Chrysos, Steele had noticed the skies tended to light up and darken at unexpected times. Maybe it was due to the many suns, the many moons, and the many stars that circled Chrysos, or maybe it was all just a hallucination in Steele’s mind. It was much different from the fading memory of his prior life from where he had originally come from, but Steele’s memory had been playing tricks on him lately, ever since he discovered his new-found abilities.

A few steps ahead, the pathway fused into a tunnel, which was much more difficult to navigate. By the looks of it, Sumo definitely would not fit through the opening, which left Steele at ease but a little disappointed. A part of him had a growing interest to see what lied ahead.

“What will you do now? There’s no way you can fit in there,” Steele pointed out.

Sumo smirked and then lifted both arms until they were pressed against the walls of the tunnel entrance. The walls began to vibrate and move, just as the ground did moments before when Steele had slipped and slid. With a slightly less than angry expression on his face, Sumo focused, and his muscles tensed. The walls quaked and rumbled, and rubble rocketed downwards towards Sumo and Steele’s feet.