The spell named Incresco seemed to allude to growing things, plants especially if the poem was correct. Maybe these seeds wouldn't be as useless as I imagined. The question now was how to do it and if it would work. I looked around nervously, would it cause a commotion, I wasn't sure. I didn't want to do it out in the open like this, but drawing people to our camp seemed even worse.
I looked up at Rain. "We're going to start heading back and see if we can find some at least partially enclosed rubble to test a spell. If it works we can head right back." Rain nodded back to me before quickly flying off, to my surprise. Soon he returned and chirped to me, presumably saying he found a spot, hopping off and looking back.
"Good job" I said surprised. He chirped back before darting up and onto my head. He pointed his wings in a specific direction and we headed off, keeping to cover, making our way to a building with an untouched back door leading into a mostly upright lounge room. It was perfect for our purposes.
Unsure whether we needed any soil for it to work I decided to just try holding on in my hand and see what happens. Taking one out I held it in my hand and said the word "Incresco…."
Nothing happened. Scrunching up my face I said it again with more emphasis "Incresco." This time I felt my palm pulse and saw the seed shake a bit, encouraged I tried again with reverence and power.
"Incresco!"
It felt as though the world ran through my veins, shifting, pulling my arm as power pulsed through me. I watched as the small seed in my arm bloomed and grew, bigger and bigger, taking on an orange hue, before the power stopped flowing like a tap turned off. I took a breath remembering the rush that just flew through me and looked down into my hands where a juicy ripe carrot half the size of my forearm lay there.
A smile came onto my face as I realized that I'd done it, the impossible, I made a carrot grow from a seed in mere seconds. Our food worries were over.
Me and Rain ate the grown carrots like starving rabbits. Hunger had snuck up on us without to keen an awareness of it, but now that frugality wasn't necessary we filled up.
After eating our fill we carefully snuck back out of the garden centre watching carefully for unwelcome omens, but all seemed safe. At least in the beginning.
The first sign that something may be wrong was the slight pull that indicated Rain's speech. Quickly I stopped in nearby shadow watching warily for what Rain had picked up.
Soon I heard it, the whisper of steps and careful feet told me of the approaching beings around a corner. Panic suffused me but calming my breathing I slowly backpedaled to get out of the approaching party's path.
Thunk.
That was the noise my elbow made as it bashed into some hanging scrap metal whose purpose outside of hitting my elbow was long unknown.
The death quiet that followed filled the air, quickly followed by hasty feet. We ran, worried chirps leaving Rain's beak.
The steps were nothing like the wines of the previous chase but I was unwilling to find out if their owner could be considered a friend. Round the corner and off we went the all slap of boots following behind us. We twisted and sprinted as fast and quiet as we could trying to make it back to the relative safety of the hole by luck was not on our side.
Rearing up in our path a blonde man with short hair and sunglasses stopped us in our tracks, I scrambled back with the flustered bird, only to find ourselves surrounded.
My mind went to the last resort and prepared to chant the name of my most ominous seeming spell when a voice in whispered haste said "Wait! We aren't those creatures, we're survivors like you." I stayed my hand long enough to give everyone a good look. The speaker was a woman with auburn hair and golden eyes with a dark-skinned man and deathly pale androgynous person making up their quartet. They seemed human enough. Watching my pause their spokesperson continued.
"We're gathering survivors to try and make a somewhat coordinated group and fight against the invaders. Those with powers like you are quite welcome to help us." The easy exposé of something that close to me put me on edge, and I recited the unknown chants in my head before responding, "What powers?"
"Don't act ignorant" the dark skinned man spoke up, "We see the bird that follows you and we are no stranger to strange abilities." saying this he raised his hand and curling blue electricity jumped across his fingers. "You control creatures right?" the man stated and I saw no reason to correct him.
Their reports seemed honest enough and knowing what had happened to me I did not doubt the ability for other humans to spark psychic abilities, still I was wary of the fickleness and fear that had affected Allison and the potential for an alien trap. "How could I trust you?" I questioned.
"How about alien heads?" the golden eyed woman responded with a grin.