The Yarian Chronicles: Second Life

Chapter 13

The next morning I spent most of the day getting ready to go out later that night. It was hard to believe all the laundry and dirty dishes that pile up over just a few days. I spent most of the afternoon just scrubbing out the bathroom and kitchen. I forced Xan to do laundry, dishes and vacuuming. It blew my mind that Xan had lived here this long on his own. I mean, every time I came over it was tidy, not spotlessly clean or anything, but livable. Since V and I had come to live with him, things had gone rapidly down hill. Every dish we used was sitting in the sink waiting to be washed. The towels were thrown on the floor of the bathroom, the floors needed to be swept and mopped. Clothes were everywhere. It looked like a hurricane had hit and torn the place apart.

By the time we had it cleaned it was nearly two in the afternoon. Then of course Xan didn't want me going out without practicing using my powers. He was still terrified that I'd be attacked in the restaurant. I personally thought it was ridiculous, but I was willing to agree to anything just to be able to get out of the apartment. And, it was kind of fun to test my limits and see what I was capable of.

I was past rings now and was working on slightly heavier objects, such as the couch. Xan was always behind me though, because he said he couldn't afford to pay for damages if I sent it flying through the roof. He also taught me how to freeze things, heat them up. Control energy in people as far as making someone tired or energetic. It was hard to believe that with just a bit of energy one could do so much.

My personal favorite though was creating these balls of energy. What I'd do is sit cross legged, with my hands resting palm up on my legs. Then all I had to do is relax and concentrate on sending the energy from the rest of my body into my hands. It was the coolest feeling ever. As I sat there I could feel the tingles of energy running down my arms, and heat fill my hands. It was almost like holding a snowball of heat and energy. I could get them quite big too. I even got them to jump from one hand to the other, and combine in the middle in an arch of energy. Each time I practiced it got that much easier. Xan told me the whole point was that I'd be able to throw them and it would be almost like a fireball, but pack a punch behind it, as if it were solid. I wanted to try, but he promptly refused, reminding me we lived in a very flammable place, and that, like a couch going through the roof, it was something he couldn't afford if and when damage would be done.

Just before I had to get ready to go, Xan wanted to teach me one more thing. I wasn't too happy to be honest. I just wanted to go take a shower and get ready, but he insisted, promising me it would be the most valuable thing I'd learned yet.

"Alright," he started, "you know how lots of the offensive type techniques work but the most important, especially while dealing with someone like Than, is going to be being able to use defensive techniques. Personally I don't know why I didn't show you this one first, but anyhow, what you need to do is imagine yourself making almost a plate of glass around you, like a dome. Just focus the energy around you. Just like this." He lifted his hand, and a bubble like dome appeared around him. "Now touching me."

I walked over and reached my hand out, apprehensive of the dome. My hand hit what felt like glass. The dome was solid. But then within an instant the protective force field shifted and began to shape itself around my hand, and progressively over all of me, pulling me into its sheltering enclave.

"Whoa! How did you do that?" I was completely amazed. Looking from the inside out, it was just like looking through a clear window. The only way you could tell that there was anything around you was the blue yellow aura the edge of the shield gave off against the light.

Xan smirked at my amazement. "I already told you." He dropped his hand and the aura shield was gone.

"Ok, Ok. So something like this?"