“Teach as in…?”
Callier took over. “We’ve observed you excel in telekinesis, but have yet to successfully craft a barrier or project focused plasma and have yet project telepathy. We have permission to teach these in the absence of your Match as you are alone on a violent planet training as your people did for the warrior elite. If the event should happen you mistakenly destroy the planet, there is no loss of sentient life able to evolve before that star eventually ceases fusion.” She pointed out the cave. “My Match has not lost his mind even after many cycles of torture.” She took his hand and rubbed a thumb lovingly over it.
“If I get strong enough to rip a planet apart… Will your people stop me from going after Renee?” Oliver asked.
“Taking of one’s Match illegally for ransom will not hold back the wrath of the other. Should you seek the death of them, we cannot call for an arbitration. The Match’s wrath will not stop till all are slain even in our own laws. It is dishonor of the highest to do such. Had Callier known where I was, she would have destroyed Verard to rescue me. Should there be innocents you kill unjustly, we will be forced to step in for humanity is ill equipped to resist one of your known potential. Only ours is. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“I’ll heed your warning, but I thank you for all you’ve already done for me.” Oliver knew Creelin customs and stood tall, willed his torso free of clothing and held his left arm out over the fire, fingers curled up. It was uncomfortably hot. “By this I swear to listen and learn of you. Should I ever throw my honor away for the path of evil I hereby understand it is by your judgment to detain or slay me.”
“A blood oath you shall have. This will ease the Archivests’ worry. Thank you for suggesting it first.” Netul said as both he and Callier rose, sliding off their left armament looking made of solid gold.
He winced as six claws pierced his forearm, three on top for Netul and similar number on the bottom for Callier. Blood dripped over the fire and Netul as well winced as Oliver painfully scratched enough to draw dark blue blood. Callier drew a wound from one of her own fingers as she said “I Callier, Zeelin Bezlin, bore witness to the sacred sworn oath of honor for all that listen.”
“I Netul, Zeelin Beyleez, accept the oath and give it as well should I ever discard my honor for ill intent.”
They backed away from the flames and wiped the wounds.
“Now that that is over, before we begin, Netul back in prison, when you took Renee’s blood did you know she was Solarian?”
“I had to make sure so yes. It was too long since I had seen you and I had forgotten your face. I would have been in trouble showing you how to create Solarian armaments had she not been… I did not recognize her a Reten, but she was your Match. The Valek is not meant for humans to utilize. Their brains on average are not capable of utilizing it properly.”
“Valek? So that is the real name for a Multi-tool?” Netul nodded just once. “Sure does have a ring to it. She’ll be glad to hear you don’t see her as Reten too.” For the first time in a long time, he managed a chuckle. “Stop by one day and tell her. It’s been upsetting her that the battleship and nursery can’t tell the difference.”
“Technology limitation. They read by physical traits. Her scent and mind are not like Mantiv’s Match. General Reten was much more oppressive than Renee.”
“Give it time. They are still young yet.” Callier winked.
Humor waned as the wind changed in the cave and it happened. Having two Creelin warriors in telepathic contact told they felt the shift, but rather than be knocked out again they forced themselves deeper, taking over the hunger lust and suppressing it all without taking a single step. “Better?”
“Thanks, Callier… why… WHY did it do that?” He dropped hard on his ass in sudden fatigue.
“Your strength is still too low and it is too strong. Beasts from all over the planet A-Rank and up are converging here. They want to eat you to get stronger, just like you want them. The stronger you get, the clearer they will sense you, even without lost skin cells and odor particles. As you grow, they will find it easier to find you. You are not human, nor Creelin. You and they prey on each other to gather essence until the time when your potential stabilizes.” She explained, putting on the armament again. “When that happens neither side will enter into hunting lust. The Cerberus is a fortnight from here basted on human twenty four hour days, but many A and S-Rank are coming will arrive before then. In nine hours a Fire Wyrm will arrive here. We cannot interfere in any but the X-Rank as you’ve proven plenty capable with the S. By our calculations it will take six months to return you to your optimum strength by records of your past persona.”
“Then let’s get started. I want to master my abilities, get my woman back and find out what happened to my people as fast as possible.”
“Admirable and you are on the correct path. Finding the five Queen castles will lead to another clue if you can unlock the secrets.” Netul said as he already knew Oliver had figured that out after saving Renee.
“So how do you want to do this?”
Callier said “Begin by showing me your maximum gathering.” The lever opened so amber eyes lit up yellow and hair lifted on a different breeze. “More than I estimated, but less than I hoped. Nonetheless, we’ll begin by focusing where your talent lays. Telekinesis. You’ve shown aptitude lifting heavy objects, but still rely on climbing up the rock by physical effort. Take a meditative seating arrangement and levitate.”
Crossing his legs, Oliver lowered the total opening of the valve and knew the principal of flight. Sending the gathering to his left hand he lifted it and with the motion, a force gathered beneath the rear and the hard, cold stone of the ground vanished. He stopped rising about a meter and made his hand go still.
“Simple, effective, but lacking should you need both hands to fight off the ground our find yourself in space with a fighter destroyed.” Oliver watched carefully and aside from a lifting of her tied back antennae, she didn’t twitch a single muscle as she levitated. “It is within the mind that controls telepathy and telekinesis. Focusing the Gathered energies to your hand for lift is not needed for those who master the mind. Leave focused Gathering to a limb for discharging and barrier erecting. I will show you the way. Let me pull your consciousness in my mind so you can understand how it feels to truly master telekinesis.”
An alien sensation gently made Oliver go blind, deaf and lose all sensation, but the hand pulling him out of his own body was soothing.
All at once he could see and feel again, but found himself looking through Callier’s eyes as he looked back at himself with closed eyes and completely still. The softness of her voice seemed to come from everywhere and she sensed his distress. “Fear not. Your body is held as it was when I took you. See the flow of energy through my body and eyes.” She looked down and through her glowing eyes there was normally invisible currents flowing gradually and consistently down to her feet.
He spoke, but came out as thought. “I feel you sending a little you Gather as if it were blood flowing through your body… through your feet and make it feel like you stand on a semi-hard surface.”
“Correct. Now to go backwards.” Movement varied from standing position.
“Gentle pressure pushes all over evenly on your body… like water.”
“You are very astute. That is precisely how I imagine it. Think you are always around liquid and have it under your complete control. Think buoyant to rise and weighted to sink. Feel through me for a short time and I will return you to your body.”
She spent minutes flowing around the room, twisting and turning her body like a swimmer in complete control. It was disconcerting how she moved around his completely unmoving body. And as promised she returned him back to his body after the example. It felt immediately better after the second loss of sensation.
The moment he was back and whole again his concentration slipped, but remembered Callier’s lesson and stopped mere millimeters from a pai
nful landing. Without his hands to act as guides he moved them differently as he would have during the lift to levitate. “Wow… so simple and effective. It does free my hands up as you said.” He floated upright with an easy smile, enjoying the sensation.
“You learn quickly. As expected of your talents. Impressive, but now do not touch the ground, not even to sleep. Just as you’ve trained to Gather at all times to block weaker minds from invading. As you’ve witnessed, it isn’t enough to block me. When you can do that while levitating, we will proceed the lessons.”
“Kind of like Renee teaching me to Gather in my sleep. Have to say it took awhile… wait, how can you read my mind when I’m gathering?”
Netul answered as Callier took her place at his side by the fire. “Greater control of our skills and greater individual power. When she teaches telepathy you can choose whom to let in and what they can Read. As she said a moment prior. I will teach projection as that is where my own natural talent lays. Callier is a grand master of the mind.”
“You two are a definite match in more than biology. You have opposing skills the other lacks.”
“Such is the way for true matching pairs. What we lack, our Match completes. You have telekinesis whereas Renee is exceptionally telepathic like the Drake Sparky.” Callier told him. “Cease speaking. Move around till it is as easy as it is to breathe.”
“Alright.” Going slow, he relaxed his muscles and began tumbling around the cave, constantly watched by the two. It was a lot like being buoyant and let the water do all the work.
Having power of a lower Class Twelve after another scan from harvesting and assimilating the second Thunder Lizard earlier meant to do simple levitation meant he could hold himself indefinitely. He was left alone with his thoughts to rest up for the incoming battle after all he had learned from the unexpected visitors. After an hour though he watched as Callier stripped out of her armor and wore a sleeveless shirt and pants to lay down between Netul’s legs and rest her back against his chest to patiently watch.
Eight hours later there was a supersonic screech closer than ever than the week of being here. Oliver flipped upright to say. “Looks like my little friend has come for the party. Might as well invite him for supper.”
“Remember, fight only in the air. Only if you are hit by the sonic scream and are slain are you allowed to touch the ground. If you do touch, your consequences will be that I bind your dominant arm for the next Beast that comes. If you touch ground again will both arms be bound. Understood?”
“Yes, Netul. Don’t go easy on me. Rather than bind, just cut my arm right off. It’ll be more motivation.”
“Then I shall. Best of luck, My Friend.”
Oliver found his sword, dagger and shield next to the much larger Creelin golden ones. Without touching the ground he reached out and sheathed the dagger to the left leg and held the main weapons before flying outside. A look back showed two pairs of glowing bluish eyes watching to make sure.
Remembering the last Fire Wyrm encounter wasn’t pleasant. He still remembered the chunk of Inferno wood splinter in his body after its scream turned the tree into shrapnel. The sap burned badly to put it mildly.
Flying above treetops meant no cover and it also proved beneficial as it gave ample warning as the Fire Wyrm also flew out of the forest far from the Thunder Beast’s destruction. The finned serpent opened its glowing mouth and Oliver tucked in his arms and spun while suddenly jerking his body out of the way as a ripple in the air fired through where he had been. The supersonic scream was concentrated enough to blow him apart had it hit. As it kept flying for its next meal, breathing in for another attack, Oliver, with the aid of the chip, flew fast and dodged again.
When in range for a slicing wave the Fire Wyrm also spewed liquid flame. Oliver made the swipe that cut through the liquid and Beast as it had no time to maneuver away, but Oliver managed only a droplet of natural napalm, dodging the rest high above the canopy. A thought removed the volatile liquid along with the full grown Fire Wyrm, at least the part that didn’t get separated with the prize. A quick few slices and using the shield as a bowl held the grey matter. Dropping the rest, he made way back to the cave.
“Excellent application of combat levitation.” Callier welcomed him back as he finished the last remnants and washed the shield before hooking it on his back.
Chapter 5
Eight days were spent nearly completely in darkness because of the unstable planetary rotation and in them Oliver struggled. He mastered flight and was allowed to walk around, but sleeping proved a difficult and painful experience till at last levitating in sleep went uninterrupted. For a full week and much resting proved that when the mind relaxes it doesn’t like to work more than it had to. Training it was no simple feat. The first five sleeping arrangements resulted in crashing to the ground and crying out in pain, especially after landing incorrectly and dislocating his right shoulder. Netul popped it back in place and didn’t scold. They never did. They gave constructive ideas because they had once trained in a similar way in their earliest memories.
During the time he could not enter sleep training it was filled with Beast combat or good companionship. Callier and Netul were very pleasant to speak with and had a calm about them that spoke of great age and wisdom, but a strength of will that could not be broken should their ire be raised. Oliver learned more about Creelin society that he didn’t know from research all their children and descendants they always spoke fondly of. It was clear they were in every bit in love as they had been for over forty eons. Forty million years. They loved telling stories of their children and the countless glorious battles they had fought in. Oliver didn’t ask to skip to learn more about his training because of a promise, but also he felt it would be frowned upon, though Creelin couldn’t frown. Body language and ever shifting eye color visibly showed their mood and it was enough to trust and not push.
More than a hundred A and S-Rank Beasts came by and each one fell to become one with him. Becoming stronger inside him, to never be forgotten in a way.
Because of them, more had changed. His pointed ears that peeked through thick brown hair had grown a little more and stiffened. The cartilage remained soft, but would spring right back. Hearing sensitivity had skyrocketed right up on par with his sense of smell. The tiniest sounds were his to sift and it had saved him on multiple occasions that would have proven fatal. An example being two S-Ranked Sand Sharks able to pass through most solid matter as if water attacked from either side. Only advanced hearing caught subterranean movement before mouths able to swallow him whole appeared, but got away to finish the off first.
The most visible changes were of his Class and of the armor. Now a Class Twelve that the medical pen scanner that went above its parameters to read so it meant he had already surpassed even the rarest of human potential. The armor was no longer smooth around the edges. Everything about the armor was solidified and sharp, especially the spikes around the shoulder. Spiked pauldrons. Individual parts looked interconnected to allow freedom of movement like plates. The plates never left a weak spot, but when it no longer was showing it wash sharpening and becoming more defined Oliver began to see the armor was growing more dense. It made him think of a crab’s shell. Once it is defined, the shell hardens into something dense. The armor did the same except for shedding its exoskeleton in order to grow.
Netul had explained once the armor solidifies it will reflect the strength of its host and be more durable as an outward sign on what laid beneath the surface.
Then it at last happened as Oliver opened his eyes to find it was Callier awake staring at the fire. Netul had done something with his Beyleez shield as it became a cot to sleep on. Still in the air he asked quietly “Did I finally do it?”
Her eyes and body language was clearly pleased. “Yes, your trial has passed. You slept deeply without touching the ground. Your slumber has went through all four cycles of sleep and the levitation did not waver more than what it should.”
�
�Great.” He chuckled and turned in the air to sit by the fire with her. “Did you enjoy the bath?” He asked, noticing how clean she was.
“It was a wonderful experience. I had forgotten how wonderful primitive bathing can be. It is slow, but relaxing.”
“Any changes with the Cerberus?”
“None, it is still six days away. But another has reached this continent’s shore and will be six hours behind. You must not be wounded if you manage to defeat the first. In four hours a flock of ninety Salamanders will reach us.”
Netul shed sleep about then to blink and sit up. A quick exchange with his Match had him up to speed on the situation. “A rather formidable opponent indeed. Now that you have slept under levitation, are you prepared to learn from me?”
“Like you need bother asking. You are in my head all the time so we both know I’m anxious to learn.”
“Quite so. As a benefit you show great restraint in not losing patience over time sensitivity. Come sit with me.” Netul patted the cot, turning to cross his legs in comfortable meditation. Oliver eagerly sat down, surprised the shield’s cot was so comfortable and could hold his weight atop of Netul’s. “Projection is what I do best, but for most it is not so simple without practice. I will teach you defense first and offense later. As what my Match did to show you how it is the mind that truly controls Telekinesis, so shall I do. Let me do so. If you resist it will cause mental damage.”
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