Cero and the Ninja of Fire - Middle Grade Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Cero and the Ninja of Fire – by Carmen DaVinleam – 65K
#MG #AC # AD #P #SF #F
One sentence pitch:
Tossed out of his ninja faction, the disgraced ninja of fire must find the sphere of life before it can fall into enemy hands.
Query:
This is how the world will be saved. A ninja. A boy. And the little girl they’d die to protect.
Far away, on the planet CERO, everyone has unique gifts—abilities that allow them to be remarkable. That is until the apocalypse awakens the talents of the young, previously ungifted boy Gideon. As Gideon searches for abilities to steal, the dishonored ninja Kroat searches for the great Sphere of Life. When their paths cross, a war like no other begins.
The partial manuscript is available upon request. Sample material copied below.
CERO and the Ninja of Fire
Prologue
Once upon an Apocalypse, there lived a boy. He lived in a small home with his parents. His parents were good, and they loved their son with their entire beings. One day while the boy sat at his desk drawing, there was a great storm. Rain dripped through the slatted roof onto his paper. As he looked up to see where the water came from, he was struck by a bolt of lightning. His parents ran to his aid, but to no avail.
The boy died. His parents, stricken with uncompromising grief, had to lay their son to rest.
The day he was buried was the saddest day of their lives. They lingered by the grave until nightfall when it began to rain. The boy’s father had to take hold of his mother and lead her away. With tears streaming down both their faces, they left their only child in the ground as they walked away, their hearts behind them.
What the parents did not know was that someone else was watching, waiting for their departure. Once the parents were out of sight, the dark creature started digging.
Stories of Old
There is a planet that dwells on the outskirts of the galaxy—Cero. This planet is one of the largest in existence, and it is shaped like a ring. If anyone on the south side of Cero looks up, they can faintly see the green tops of trees that look as though they may fall down at any moment in time. There are mountains and caverns. Deserts and oasis. Dark forests and places no one should ever go.
The size of Cero prevents anyone from knowing everything about it. Only a handful have ever traveled its entire surface. The few that possessed knowledge about the planet refused to share what they learned with others. Those few were the ninjas of Earth, Ice, Water, Air, and Fire.
On Cero, many humans had special abilities and long lives, but ninjas never died. This made each group’s knowledge base vast. Still, the five factions did not trust one another and therefore kept their knowledge to themselves. The only information that the groups shared came from The Book of Acumen. This book was the first book ever written on Cero. After the teachings it contained started a war, the books were gathered and destroyed—except for five copies. Now, one book is held by each faction of ninjas.
The book spoke of a prophecy… “Long ago there was a story told of the great Sphere of Life. Any who possess it will have power over life itself.” The search for the sphere is what started the war. The Brotherhood of the Five Ninjas are the ones who found and destroyed every copy of the book and stopped the war. But soon after, the Brotherhood of the Five Ninjas broke into factions, each believing they should hold the sphere themselves. Since then, each group secretly set out to find the sphere.
Feeling that the power would be best served to help mankind, the ninjas of Ice wanted to possess it and hold control over all the living creatures.
The ninjas of Water wished to use the sphere to control the other factions and learn all of their secrets.
Seeking the sphere, the ninjas of Earth wished to drink from the sphere and consume its power to be the strongest and most feared.
The ninjas of Air wanted to find the sphere, use it to leave the planet, and start their own. The sphere could do this for them; they only needed to hold it.
Knowing the power should be contained, the ninjas of Fire knew that they had to find it and keep it safe from all who would misuse it. The sphere was only needed if something catastrophic happened. The Book of Acumen spoke of such an event occurring one day. The sphere should be found and kept safe until that time, and then it should be hidden from everyone, even themselves.
After searching many lifetimes, the group’s divide was put aside, and the original five leaders came together for a meeting. The leaders decided that they would give up and stop looking. Deciding that the book had misled them as it had misled so many long ago.
Though the book’s author was unknown, it was decided that the author and their family would be put to death if they could ever be found. The leaders didn’t understand why the story of the great Sphere of Life had been made up. When the leaders returned to their groups, everyone fell in line and stopped looking for the sphere—all except one lone ninja—Kroat.
Kroat was the most loyal of all the Fire-ninjas. He refused to give up his search. He tried to convince others within his brotherhood to stay true to the mission, but they would not listen. As the story of Kroat’s undying quest spread, all of the other ninja factions began to believe that Kroat must know more about the book or its writer. By continuing his search, he directly violated the one and only treaty the ninjas had ever agreed upon. His death was demanded.
The loyalty held by the ninjas of Fire prevented them from killing one of their own, but they decided to strip away Kroat’s privileges as a ninja. Kroat’s red mask was taken, and a black one was sewn to his head in its place. The sewn-on mask prevented the wearer from removing it so that all would know of their shame. In this miserable existence, no one was allowed to acknowledge him. After he was cast out, he was hunted by all of the other ninja factions.
Kroat had to hide, but he did not stop his search for the great Sphere of Life. He traveled in and out of forests and towns, never staying in one place for long. Though he did not fear death, he knew he could not die until the Sphere was found.
Kroat was the ninja that would change the destiny of all.
Apocalypse
It was a bright sunny day as sixteen-year-old Gideon and his older sister went into the store to buy groceries on their way home from school. Their matching uniforms—black suit jackets and pants with white dress shirts, blue ties, and black shoes— signified to the other patrons that they went to the most prestigious school in the area.
Gideon was tall for his age, he was thin with spikey black hair. His sister was also slender but had bright golden hair like their mother’s, and she always told him what to do. Gideon ignored his sister—who had demanded he go and fetch a carton of milk—and ran to the bookshelves instead. Gideon was looking for the new Book of Gifts.
On Cero, everyone had extraordinary gifts. Abilities that allowed them to do things like reading minds or move items without touching them. Some could move objects as large as mountains. Everyone had something special they could do, that is, everyone except Gideon himself.
“You’re weak!” His father had said to him on his ninth birthday when his power had not appeared.
“You’re nothing but a rat. I should have tossed you into the sewer!” His mother growled as she tossed his birthday cake in the trash and canceled the party they’d planned.
“You’ll never be special.” His brother had said as he shot sparks from the tips of his fingers and made all of the party decorations disappear.
“How could anyone love something so useless?” His sister said while she cut her arm and then healed it with her unique power.
Gideon was intent on finding out what new Gifts had been discovered. Each year, on the first Pratadai of the month of Xeadas, an updated edition was released. New abilities were found from all over Cero. Gideon believed that if he researched enough, he would find his gift, and then he would prove his worth to his family.
As Gideon sat on a bench by the books and devoured the pages he held in his hands, he heard screams outside. Looking out the window, he saw fire fall from the sky. He heard his name screamed and saw his sister running toward him. A flash of confusion crossed his face as he saw concern for him in her eyes—something he’d never seen before.
As destruction rained down, a blast broke the window next to him. Shards of glass tore through Gideon, and he was flung to the side. As his sister made her way to him, a large shelf fell over. She must not have heard it falling because of the screams. Gideon watched as his sister was encompassed by the stand and its contents.
His legs would not carry him. He looked down and noticed that there was a large piece of wood in his thigh, so he crawled toward her and reached out to take her hand. His sister had healing powers, and he hoped that she would be able to heal him. He gripped her hand, but she was too weak. He could barely feel her pulse when his fingers stroked her wrist.
Gideon was so scared at that moment; the power he didn't know was in him awoke. As his fingers touched hers, he felt an electric tingle. The energy that everyone told him he didn’t possess came alive. Blue sparks jumped from her to him. They danced their way up his arm, slinking their way closer and closer to his heart. When they reached their final resting place, he screamed. The pain of those little electric sparks finding their home in his chest was too much.
The room grew darker as his screams grew louder until his voice was gone. The air was so black, he couldn't see. Then came the visions. The atrocities that had just occurred from his sister’s perspective. He saw her memories, and he knew he had taken her soul. He had found his gift—the one that didn't exist, the one that his family had tormented him over.
“You’re weak.” “You’re nothing.” “You’ll never be special.” “How could anyone love something so useless?” He had heard these things so much he couldn't believe he couldn't show them all now. Most of them were probably dead, like his sister.
As the visions danced for him, he began to see that he could pick and choose what to see. He could live in his sister’s world, though she no longer existed in this one. He noticed the deeper he fell into her soul, the more alive he felt. He now had the strength to stand. The glass that had been inside his body fell to the ground, clattering as it hit the floor. His body healed itself using the power that his sister used to possess. He grabbed ahold of the wood in his leg and ripped it out. He smiled as he watched his skin knit together. It was now perfect… new.
Gideon felt someone touch his ankle. He looked down and saw an older woman. Her lips were moving, but he could not hear her. There was a rushing beneath his skin, like an electrical current flowing fast. He felt his healing powers going ever closer toward the old woman. It angered him that she was trying to take his new power away. He kicked away from the woman’s grasp.
As soon as her hand was off of him, he felt the current slow. Gideon closed his eyes as his head fell back. He reveled in the feeling of power that coursed inside him. His hearing returned to him, and he could hear faint pleas of help. He smirked as he looked down at the dying woman. What could this new power be? He thought as he searched for the Book of Gifts that he held before the fire rained down.
Tossing debris aside, paying no attention to those around him that were crying out for help. Moving his sister’s hair to the side as if she were nothing more than trash on the ground. He found a copy of the book under her body and flipped it open. He ran his finger down the list of gifts, noticing the bright stars that sat next to each newly discovered gift. When he came to the Dark section, there was no star but a moon next to a gift entitled ‘Takers.’
Opening the book to the page, he read...
“Takers. This newly discovered gift is nothing more than conjecture. The Givers were discovered in West Alias just south of the Xain Forest. Our scientists have concluded that since all gifts have an exact opposite, if these ones can give gifts, there must be dark ones that can take gifts. No Takers were discovered during this year’s search.”
Gideon rushed to the page that spoke about the Givers.
“Givers. Newly discovered in West Alias, south of the Xain Forest. Givers are the most wonderful of the newly discovered. There was a set of twins born, and they received their gifts on their ninth birthday—as most do. Their parents got word to the ‘Book of Gifts’ immediately. The brother and sister pair can alter the gifts of others and bestow gifts to the rarely un-gifted. The charge for the un-gifted to receive a gift is measurable and will only be quoted to those that make the one-hundred-mile walk into West Alias, as there are no roads into the area. The charge to change gifts is measurable as well.
Due to the increase in the quality of life the twins have had since their ability awoke, it is thought that if the pair stop giving and changing gifts, they will perish.”
Gideon’s eyes zeroed in on the words ‘give gifts’ and flashed to ‘will perish.’ “If they can give gifts, then I must take them. If they will die without giving, then I will die without taking.”
Gideon knew that he could not stay alive without taking more souls. In order to continue living, others must die. Dropping the book, he walked back over to the old woman. He reached toward her, and when his fingers touched hers, the blue light danced again. It came from her and found its way to his heart. He kept his scream quiet as he felt her power become his.
Gideon could now heal himself and read the minds of others. A smile crept across his face as he made his way through the injured and the dead, picking and choosing new gifts to take. When he’d finished off all those in the store, he headed toward West Alias.
Dying Sun
Since the Apocalypse, one year ago, Cero’s sun had begun dying and only brings light for a few hours at a time. There is no day, and night, only dark and light.
The planet had been filled with people and technology, but most of it was wiped away in a matter of moments when the meteors crashed down from the sky. Electricity was destroyed, and there were many lives lost. It was also the day that those with special skills began to lose their abilities, and no one knew why.
In the days before, affluent families had true wizards, while less fortunate ones were plagued by false wizards. After the Apocalypse, the wizards too began to disappear. With the wizards disappearing and Gifts leaving, the innocent people of Cero were no longer protected. Only one group of creatures were unaffected by these things. Ninjas never died—this was the only gift that the Apocalypse did not take away. Their long lives remained.
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