VARSITY 9 | BL

TWENTY-SIX | LIFE MANIPULATION

"Ahhh, why can't I figure out how to solve this one problem??" Toma tossed his stylus on the table in front of him before clutching both sides of his head. He had been working on the assignment due in their calculus class the next day and had spent nearly the entirety of his break between lunch and afternoon training trying to complete it. 

"Which one?" Liyam asked as he stood from his chair at a nearby table and walked over to Toma. Toma happily showed Liyam the question he was struggling with as the tallest of the seven came to lean over him.

The seven were studying in the student union shared between the two residential buildings as their end-of-term exams were quickly approaching. They were scheduled to have their introduction into the dion kind during their training session that day and had been instructed to meet in the student union for their training. Thus, the seven were already dressed for their training and were using their time to study while waiting where they had been told to meet for their dion session.

The academic schedule had been structured so the students would learn the basics of martial arts and be introduced to three of the seven kinds in the first half of the year. They would then learn the remaining four xaiyon kinds during the second semester. 

"Oh, that's an easy one," Liyam commented openly as he saw which problem Toma was finding difficult.

"Easy??" Toma questioned with wide eyes. "Easy for you to say. This is calculus!"

"Exactly, it's just calculus," Liyam deadpanned.

"J-Just calculus?!" Toma was at a loss for words. 

"Mm. And it's basic calculus, too."

"Well, I'm sorry not everyone's a genius," Toma muttered in return while giving Liyam a side-eye.

Noticing he was not helping soothe Toma's frustration, Liyam sat down beside his friend and picked up the stylus Toma had abandoned. Pointing to the math problem, he then began to walk Toma through the steps to solve it. "Look, it's like this..." 

While Liyam helped Toma solve the seemingly impossible problem, Lay and Wen silently studied the history of the xaiyon gene evolution, and Stryke, Kean, and Brix quizzed each other on chemistry terminology. As the seven diligently studied their subjects, the minutes quickly passed, and it was time for training to begin. 

The remainder of the students had already gathered by the time Chaka arrived at the student union. And with her was a guest; a guest whom Toma, Wen, and Lay recognized. The three's eyes widened when they saw the woman standing beside Major Chaka.

"Good afternoon, class," Chaka's strong voice called her students to gather around her and her guest, and she very quickly earned the full attention of her class.

"Today's session will introduce you to the abilities of the dion kind. You will have the opportunity to experience the wonders of the dion through the work of Dion Femerys who has graciously agreed to present her abilities to you today." Chaka then motioned to the woman standing beside her, inviting her guest to introduce herself.

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet such talented, young xaiyon," the woman began. Her voice was soft but strong. "I am Femerys, caretaker to Calanthae. And I have been given the opportunity to introduce you to the wonders of the dion kind. I hope you will be able to learn much today and leave this session fascinated. 

"Calanthae's the tree, right?" Toma whispered as he leaned toward Wen who nodded in confirmation.  

The three who had met Femerys when they first arrived at Azari had an inkling of where they would be hosting that day's session, so they were not surprised when Chaka and Femerys began leading the class through the student union and to the large atrium. Most of the students had done a fair amount of exploring, so they were not surprised entirely when their instructor brought them to stand before the grand tree that glowed in the afternoon sun.

There were a few who, believe it or not, had not seen the tree as of yet, so a rare few's jaws hung open upon viewing the massive, glowing tree. Femerys gave the students a few moments to take in the wonder of the large tree as well as look around at the rest of the atrium which was filled with majestic flowers, trees, ferns, and vines. 

"I assume most of you have already laid eyes on the great tree of Azari," Femerys began after a moment of standing in silence. The students then turned their gaze to the woman as she continued, "She is Calanthae, and she is but one of Azari's guardians. Calanthae is no specific species; she is unique. There is none like her."

"Calanthae is one example of the wonders of the dion class. She was birthed to serve and protect Azari, to protect you." Femerys looked over the students gathered around her and took a moment to allow for any questions. When no one spoke up, she continued, "Dions are stewards of the earth and all living beings. While the dion kind is not flashy like kyros and raikyns nor elegant like arlex and lyr, its power and influence are arguably the vastest of the seven."

"How so?" A question arose from the front of the group. "I always heard that the dion are the least valuable of the seven."

Femerys smiled softly at the student before answering, "While we dion are not strong in terms of the ability to bring about calamity, we are strong when it comes to information and sustainability."

"Those don't seem like very important qualities..."

"Hear me out before you draw any conclusions," Femerys requested upon hearing a student's comment. "Dions have the ability to share thoughts and emotions with every living being. While most categorize us as the 'earth' kind, we are more similar to the 'life' kind. Every plant and animal has life. They are all living. And so, dions can communicate with them as well a manipulate them if we so wish."

"However, what makes dions truly special is our ability to manipulate life itself."

Gasps sounded through the students at Femerys' words. 

"Manipulate life itself??"

"Woah..."

"Dions actually are powerful!"

Femerys lifted her hand to quiet down the students and hush their whispers. "However, this ability is limited to plants and animals. Dions are not able to manipulate the lives of humans or xaiyons."

"Why is that?" A student inquired. "Humans and xaiyons are living beings after all."

"You are correct," Femerys returned. "In theory, dions should be able to manipulate the lives of both humans and xaiyons, but no dion has yet to unlock that ability. And perhaps it is for the best." Femerys' tone shifted to be deeper and more stern as she added, "It is no light thing to give or take life."

Silence fell over the group as the students contemplated all they had just received from the dion. After a few moments, Brix then raised his hand and asked, "So, how are you able to manipulate the earth itself? Does dirt also have life?"

"Excellent question, student." Femerys smiled at Brix as she answered, "Think of the dirt on the ground like the skin on your arms and legs. Just like your skin covers and protects the interior of your body, so does the dirt on the ground. It protects the earth and its interior."

Brix furrowed his brows as he began to digest Femerys' response to his question. 

"So..." A girl toward the front of the group spoke up, drawing the attention of her instructors and classmates. The girl was visibly nervous to ask her question, so everyone quietly waited for her to gather her courage and eventually ask, "In theory...what would happen if a dion was able to unlock the ability to manipulate the lives of humans and xaiyons...?"

Femerys took a deep breath and lowered her head for a moment as silence fell over the group. Chaka tilted her head at the girl's question, but she remained quiet and let Femerys answer. After exhaling her breath and lifting her head, Femerys responded to the student, "In theory...that dion would be sought after by every government founded on this good earth. They would forever be hunted for that skill. Whether they would use it to bring harm or to bring good entirely depends upon them. They would have unlocked the one power that everyone fears and yet covets."

"Let us be grateful such a power has yet to be unlocked."