Dawn broke as my second month with Xavior started.
As usual I woke up before Zanepher and snuck out of the tent to not wake her. As I stepped outside I looked up, the stars were a little faded from the full moon but they were still as bright and beautiful as ever. I looked around the meadow - all was quiet save for the morning sounds of the surrounding woods. All the other soldiers were still sleeping I guessed. I walked over to the middle of the field and did my warm up stretches and started going through the all the movements I have learned so far as a basic warm up routine - concentrating on trying to channel my energy through me body. Zanepher had mentioned once that all soldiers can throw fireballs and that meant me too. It was because I was intrigued be the idea of having great power that I agreed to become Xavior's student but so far the only active power I've been training is telepathy.
Every soldier had three kinds of powers. There was the innate powers that every soldier had in one form or the other like the ability to generate either energy balls or fireballs, mental shields, the power to see into the soles of others known as channeling. Then there was the innate-acquired powers. The unique set of powers that every soldier is born with such as telepathy, projection, mind control and so on. And finally there is the acquired-acquired powers. Basically what it come down to is that a soldier could learn a power that he wasn't born with but this was something not all soldiers could do.
By the position of the stars I estimated that it was still an hour before the moon would set and so was much too early for me to be awake. It was as if - even though I was still blocking any pain I might be in - my body aching body had woken me.
Done with my warm up, crossing my arms in a circular movement in front of my chest - taking in a deep breath - before bringing them down to my side with my fists clenched - breathing out. I unclenched my fists as n stepped forward with my left leg - knee bent at a ninety degree angle - and my right leg strait. At the same time, turning my body slightly side ways and from my chest stretched out my left arm - palm facing forward - right hand at my side. Also as I made this movement I concentrated on feeling the power behind such a slow movement. I brought my hand to my chest again and without lifting my feet turned, transferring my body weight from my left leg to the right, I repeated the movement to the other side with my right arm. I straitened up by repeating the movement that I started with.
"Good form. Strong movements. Your making good progress, my pet." I heard Xavior behind me. I immediately, on the spot, turned to face him.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that, sir."
"I wasn't sneaking... It's quite beautiful out here this time of the night, isn't it." he said as he looked up at the stars.
"Yeah it is." I had been meaning to have a word with him for some time now but I haven't had the time. "What are you doing out here so early. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to be up at this hour."
"Of all my soldiers, you are. But I've been awake for hours. You've been working hard this last month. I thought I might give you a week off to rest and have some fun. After that I will make good on our deal to train you. What do you say?" him training me was what I wanted to talk to him about but a week off sounded great.
"Sounds good but I can't. Not now when I am so close to finding the door to a new power." It was my craving for power that drove me.
"I'm sorry you feel that way but it wasn't really a suggestion. It was an order and not one where you get to choose either. You are exhausted and since you've been blocking the pain you aren't a where of this but your body is close to reaching the limit of abuse it can take. You are close to breaking point, both spiritually and physically. I'm sorry my pet but you need a break and you need to stop blocking your pain and allow your body to feel it so that you can heal." What he was saying made sense and protesting was not going to do much good.
"Okay, but what does one do around here for fun?" I asked and realized that the idea of some down time did sound good.
"Not here my pet, in town. There are a lot of villages and towns in the area. You and Zanepher can go and do what ever you want. Here take this, you're going to need it." he tossed me a small bag and left again. The bag was full of gold coins. Nice!
"Are you serious? The whole week. He gave us the whole week off." Zanepher said when I woke her up.
"Yes, and look what he gave me." I showed her the bag of coins.
"And you're sure he said we can do what ever we want."
"Yes, I'm sure. Now get dressed and lets go."
"Okay okay." she said and got dressed. "So what you want to do anyway?"
"Maybe go explore the area. Xavior mentioned towns and villages near here. I thought we could go check it out." I suggested.
"Sounds good." she thought about something for a moment. "I know just the place to start with. Take my hand." I hesitated for a second before I took her hand. She lead me out of the tent and then without warning I felt as if I was being turned inside out as my body was being pulled through a vacuum of space. It was over in seconds. I had only ever teleported once before and that felt like such a long time ago. I opened my eyes when I was sure I was standing still on solid ground. We had landed in a the middle of a dirt road surrounded by miles and miles of green open fields of grass. There was a slight hill here and there but no mountains, a few large threes stood scattered in the field. When I looked ahead I saw that the road lead up to a huge wall with a heavy iron gate. As we approached the city I could make out the guards at each side of the gate and in the towers above the gate. The two guards on the ground were armed with swords and long spears. The guards in the towers also had sword but instead of spears they had crossbows that was armed and held at the ready. About a mile way from the gate we passed a sign that read:
City of Perseus
"You know, Xavior isn't known for being as generous as he was by giving you that bag of coins." Zanepher said as we walked. "Normally we get at most ten silver peaces a month to send on our time of and if we worked really hard we might receive one gold piece as bonus but never has anyone gotten a whole bag full."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." I felt like I needed to apologize.
"You nothing to be sorry about, I'm trying to tell you that you're the new favorite." it sounded like she was congratulating me.
"The new favorite?"
"Yes. It is the most coveted honor that Xavior can bestow upon a soldier. He hasn't chosen a new one in a long time. Not since the last one was promoted to the king's army about five centuries ago."
"That's interesting but why would he choose me. I didn't even do anything to deserve it. I didn't even know about it."
"Maybe that's why. don't question it. Just go with it. Right now the others are still oblivious to this but it won't be long and once they figure it out you will have the respect of everyone that serves under Xavior"
"In my experience people tend to be very cruel to a teacher's pet."
"Not in this army. Xavior is too protective of his pets and you call it." she said as we reached the city gate. She looked at the soldier.
"State your business in Perseus." said the guard to the left as he and his partner crossed their spears in front of us.
"We seek entrance not for business but for pleasure." Zanepher replied. The guards uncrossed their spears and the gate opened to let us in.
I had dived the gold coins equally between us. We walked from merchant to merchant. It was a very large city - bigger than anything I had ever seen - with hundreds of merchants all over and thousands of civilians moving around. There were blacksmiths and all sorts of traders, there were even entertainers with hats on the ground for spectators to though money into.
By noon Zanepher had spent so much gold had bought so many things that she had to buy a carried too. I on the other hand had spent one piece of my share of the gold. We were getting hungry and went to the nearest tavern for lunch.
We were having so much fun. At times we would split up or accidentally get separated but we always found each other again. We had spent most of the day and it was getting time for us to go back to camp. Zanepher and I had gotten separated by the crowd again and as I search for her I past a very funky looking tent. There was a sign that informed passersby that there was a fortuneteller inside. I laughed at the thought and just walked past. As I walked by an old lady that had been standing by the entrance of the tent grabbed my hand. I stopped and turned to look at her. She was almost as tall as me and her long silver grey hair hung loose and to her back. Her eyes were sad.
"I'm sorry." she said. I tilted my head and looked at her a little taken aback. What was she apologizing for? "You haven't changed anything. Your destiny is still the same, only one undecided choice remains. Which side will you be on when the day of judgment comes?" she continued. I pulled my hand away from her and without a word turned around and walked away. I found Zanepher not long after that.
"Let's go. I had enough of this place." I said. We exited through the city gates and then teleported back to the camp.
"Did you ladies have fun." Xavior had been waiting for us. The setting sun on the horizon lit up the sky in red and yellow streaks.
"Yeah. We had a ton of fun." Zanepher answered. "I think we'll go have a picnic tomorrow."
I had put the words of a crazy old woman out of me head. "Picnic sounds like fun. I haven't had one in ages."
During the course of the week I started to unwind more and more. Unfortunately as I relaxed I started to feel what Xavior had meant by saying my body was close to breaking point. By the second last day of the week I was completely relaxed and was discovering new muscles all over. I didn't think someone my age could hurt so much. Zanepher and I agreed to just spend our last day off hanging around the camp and annoying the other soldiers.
Close to nightfall Xavior called me to his tent.
"How are you feeling?"
"Um, I'm okay." I didn't want to complain but he looked at me so skeptically that I had to confess. "Okay so I feel like I'd been trampled by a herd of wild horses."
"Thought so." he said and took a vial out of his coat pocket. "Here, take this. Drink it before you go to sleep tonight." he handed me the vial.
"What is it?" I asked examining the red smoky content.
"It's a potion called Paratosin. It will rejuvenate you, mind body and sole. It'll take all the aches and pains for the last month of training away."
"And you couldn't have given it to me sooner?"
"That potion contains some very rare ingredients and they are not easily acquired."
Back in my tent I sat on the bed with my legs crossed beneath me, twirling the vial with my fingers. I pulled out the cork and smelled the contents. I half expected smoke to come out but it didn't. It was pure liquid that had the appearance of red smoke. I sighed heavily, thinking what the hell and drank the potion. It tasted like it smelled: salty and metallic. The potion made me feel warm like that day in the cave when the angel healed me. I passed out before Zanepher came to bed.