At age sixteen, Mink Jollè still hasn’t discovered his Elemental affinity, which is an identity crisis unheard of on the planet Georra. He has endured constant bullying while being held back in school, and his parents have come to employ drastic measures to help him mature. Their current ruse is a camping trip on Rift Ridge, where they test Mink to the breaking point, to no avail.
Meanwhile, Mink and his parents run across a Machinist scout searching out a mother lode of ore, who finds more than he bargains for. An immense geode buried deep in the ground is fabled to be the Tear of God, and the first nation to claim it will hold power and protection unrivaled on Georra.
The race is on as Mink’s parents stand guard at the Tear of God, sending Mink back to his homeland for help. Defying the odds and surprising himself, Mink succeeds in delivering the news to his people, and is chosen to assist a Team in returning to the site to relieve his parents and acquire the Tear of God for Octernal. Along the way, Mink is forced to rely on his strengths without an Element in order to win respect and ultimately discover his true identity.
Raymond has enjoyed writing from an early age. He lives in Coastal North Carolina with his wife and two daughters. His character driven stories reflect the diversity of the places he has lived and the jobs he has had, focusing on animals and film.
During an innocent enough detour, Mink gets jumped by bullies on his way to give Jure's message to the High Council. As much as he can out-think his opponents, his inexperience with using Elemental effects leaves him completely overwhelmed. Not to mention he's outnumbered four to one.
In this excerpt, I was able to show many things. It's a good example of how Elemental types affect each other in a fight. It shows similarities in how bullying exists between our worlds, as well as differences in how one kid would attack another. This isn't just pushing around, intimidating, or humiliating. They are out to hurt Mink. Mostly, this passage shows how well Mink can think under duress, setting up a truth of his character that will carry far into the series.
Book Excerpt
Tear of God – Elements
Blin shot every which way in such a small area that he was able to surround Mink with a disorienting and deafening roll of thunder. Every time he tried to stand, Blin knocked him down. Looking over while he was on his back, Mink watched Thoy’s friend tend to him. This must’ve made him an Air user, which meant he couldn’t heal injuries very well, just aid in strength, energy, and pain management. Mink must have hit Thoy pretty hard to cause that much whimpering.
Mink kept trying to stand, but not because he thought he could. He knew keeping Blin on this task would buy him a little more time to think. The stomps and kicks didn’t hurt long. Meanwhile, he kept and eye on Thoy to avoid being disoriented by the thundercracks. Boun and the other guy couldn’t Attack Mink for fear they might Attack Blin, too. Their Elements drew power from Blin’s, so anything they did would hurt Blin many times more than Mink could hope to achieve.
Blin didn’t have to worry about hitting the other two, because his Element would only give them more strength and power. However, his Attacks would hurt Thoy. Mink needed to find a way to get to Dreh. If he was close enough to Thoy, he’d have time to catch his bearings and make a break in the direction of Dreh’s neighborhood through the fence opposite the Fire wall of the school. The Eternal Flames would light the way, if Mink could find them.
After Blin struck Mink from Thoy’s direction, Mink used Quick Legs to scoot and roll on his side toward Thoy. He took advantage of the resulting bounce to set his feet under him. Stepping toward Thoy, Mink stopped hard against Blin. He had become slower from all the knocks to the ground after all. Blin stopped him from falling backward by grabbing his neck with one hand. Then he chanted,
“I bring Lightning into this world.
My power makes it manifest.
Newly formed flowing from my palms.
I can mold its shape with my hand.
My Lightning provides energy.
By my intention be defined.
My creation ends with a fist.
Create Lightning upon my point.”
Mink listened helplessly and struggled to breathe as Blin chanted Charge, the Lightning Materialization effect. Blin poked the finger of his free hand right against Mink’s chest. Lightning rushed into Mink’s Body from both of Blin’s hands. Even as any damage caused healed immediately, the constant flow of electricity was unbearable. Boun and the Air user each took one of Mink’s hands, drawing greedily from the excess Lightning, and adding to their strength.
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