The Gamer: Battle Of The Ten Kings

Chapter 9.3

King Ravi's Log - Why is speaking so difficult?

28 January, 2015.

Yamunotri, India.

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"Wait, Ravi" Grandma said as I started to leave for my bedroom.

"Yes, Nani?" (Nani= Grandma in Hindi).

"What happened to your finger?"

"Oh, it's nothing...I accidentally burned it while creating fire." I replied.

"It's not nothing. Where did you learn to do that? And where did you learn Ki control?" She asked as Dan held his laughter in the background. He started making faces at me and laughing dramatically while pointing his finger at me, all silently of course.

"I learned Ki control from this book that a friend of mine gave me and I taught myself how to conjure flames." I replied proudly.

Grandma lifted her hand and I thought she was about to smack me again but then she just placed it on my head and closed her eyes. Dan stopped his childish antics and came around from behind Grandma to look closely at what she was doing. She opened her eyes after what seemed like an eternity.

"As I feared, you only have control over internal Ki. You skipped learning to control external Ki and generated fire with your internal Ki. That's not the way to do it. You can die if you use too much internal Ki. Generating flames with it is very difficult and has several requirements that need to be fulfilled. Don't you feel exhausted after doing it?" She asked with concern in her voice.

"A little...I mean it cost me 300 Mana Points the last time I cast it."

Grandma looked confused.

"Dude." Dan said.

"Oh. Sorry. I mean I can measure my Ki, Nani. And I can use it accordingly so that I don't use up all of it. But you mean to tell me that I can conjure up flames without using my own Ki?" I asked her.

"You have to use some of your internal Ki even if you're using external Ki. But that aside, what were you thinking about when that meteor arrived?" She asked as she twisted my ear rather firmly.

"Ow. Ow. What meteor, Grandma?"

"The shooting star that you probably saw the night of your birthday. The gift of the seven saints."

"Oh. That? I was thinking about computer games." I replied.

"Game ke alava kabhi kuch sujha hai tujhe!" (Have you ever thought about anything else than games?) She yelled as she twisted my other ear.

As you might have realized this already, my Grandma shows a lot of tough love and is very violent.

"He is an idiot. I apologize on his behalf. Sorry Grandma" Dan smiled at her.

"Ise bol meri side lene ki zaroorat nahi." Grandma whispered to me. (Tell him not to choose my side between the two of us.)

"Haha. Itna dheere se bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Ise bhi Hindi nahi aati." (No need to whisper, even he doesn't know Hindi.)

I laughed despite the pain in both my ears.

"You making fun of me, Ravi? I'll kill you in private later." Dan smiled at Grandma again.

Why is he so hell bent on impressing her? I wondered.

Grandma released my ears and I rubbed them with both my palms.