“From Clan Williams? You’re from Clan Bill?”
He laughed. “My mother is. My father was the Mystic Enforcer from the Oden.”
Naero recalled Shalaen mentioning something about the Oden. Another advanced race of humanoids with cosmic abilities. Like the Yattai.
“I’m from Clan Maeris–”
“The daughter of Tarthan and Lythe? The one who just fought in the Annexation War?”
“Yeah, that’s me all right.”
“You’re already a legend, almost like your parents. What made you want to train with the Mystics? And who in their right mind told you to start with Chaos Mastery?”
“Uh, there was this incident, sort of. I have powers I can’t always use or control. My head is damaged. I hurt some people pretty bad during my first testing. I think the Mystics kind of see me as some sort of threat now, so they sent me to Janosha. It’s a very long, complicated story. In any case. Here I am.”
“There seems to be a lot of that going around. Sorry, Naero. You have a very tough road ahead of you. I know what that’s like. The Mystics couldn’t have chosen a tougher path for you.”
“Perfect. What about you, Khai? Wait a sec. How are we doing this? How do these crystals work any way? Where exactly are you?”
“These crystals link our minds in the Astral Plane when we sleep. Time-Space and distance mean nothing there. They form a direct telepathic link. I brought them with me to Janosha. They were a gift from my parents. You might not believe this, but things were once much better between Hashiko and I. She was very difficult to get to know at first, but she finally opened up and let me get close to her.”
How much of this did Naero really need or want to hear? But it seemed like Khai really needed someone to talk to.
Just like she did.
Naero understood that need very well.
In her current mess, she could in fact desperately use a friend on Janosha, even if it was a disembodied voice in her mind, with the owner half-way across the galaxy somewhere else.
Khai paused a moment and then went on.
“We both knew the contest would end things between us. One way or another. But I still had hopes that Iko and I could remain friends and comrades afterwards. I guess I was wrong about that too. I don’t think I knew her as well as I thought I did.”
Naero held her tongue. “She seems like a very driven and complex person to me.”
“I think that’s a bit of an understatement. But I’ll take it. Thank you. “
“It’s…nice to talk to you, Khai. Would you mind staying in touch with me from time to time? It’s nice to talk to another Spacer and have a secret friend here. Especially someone who already managed to survive all of this.”
“I’ll try, Naero. These astral crystals will only work when we both enter a deep sleep at the same time. To tell you the truth, I could use a friend myself. I was hoping to reach Iko and make peace with her somehow. But if she threw the crystal away, I’m guessing that ship as already jumped.”
“I’d say so. Do you…want me to try to talk to her?”
“Haisha! No. Don’t ever try that. Not with her. I wouldn’t advise that at all. At best it will just make her even madder at the both of us. If she ever learned that we had even spoken together, I don’t know what she might do. Let alone us become friends in any way.”
“So, then Khai. What do we have to lose? Can you start by giving me some idea of what I’m up against here? What do they expect me to accomplish over the next three years so that they won’t kill me?”
“The basic Mystic stuff: Explore any psyonic or Cosmic abilities completely. Develop them as far as you can. Start to increase your raw speed, strength, and agility to Mystic levels–a painful, gradual process. Comprehend, manipulate, and master Chaos force and Chaos energies at will. Explore Janosha and eventually the Astral Plane itself. It’s actually quite a lot to accomplish in three years’ time.”
“You did it.”
“Just barely. And I had already mastered the other two Wisdoms first. You’re starting from scratch with the hardest one to master.”
“Work with me here, Khai. At least I know in theory that it can be done. I’ve been told that if I can’t master my powers and get control of them, Master Vane is going to destroy me, in order to eliminate me from becoming some kind of Cosmic threat to everyone.”
“You know, Naero. They threaten that a lot. But it actually happens very rarely. A lot less often than they let on. I know that much. You’d really have to be out of control, insane, or an actual serious threat for them to reach the point where they would truly want to destroy you.”
“Uh…I just might be that rare exception, Khai. I can’t take any chances. These three years could very well be life or death for me.”
He sighed.
“Well…I know how that is.”
Naero tried to recall what Hashiko had said about him and the path he’d chosen.
That Khai had doomed himself by choosing some kind of impossible task. One that would most likely lead to his death.
“Hashiko let slip that you were attempting something for the Mystics that was deemed by many to be impossible. Why then would you even attempt such a thing?”
Khai sighed. “Because someone must, for the sake of all.”
Khai hesitated. “Whatever the risks, that is my path.”
“Okay. I have to ask then. Just what is this unspeakable, Mystic task that you have chosen to pursue?”
Khai sighed. “If you can believe it, I’m preparing to take incredibly rare and indestructible proto-matter from the prior universe into the heart of a super-giant, blue-white Pulsar.”
“Say what?”
“Let me finish. To do so, I must first find a way to transform into a being of pure energy.”
“Even the Mystic High Masters cannot do that,” Naero said. She thought of Shalaen and the Yattai.
“Neither have my people, but they have come very close. Once I descend into the giant pulsar, I must use the powers of all three Cosmic Wisdoms to forge these materials into a sword.”
“Huh?”
“Not just any sword. A very special sword. A Mystic weapon that has only been foretold in visions. A Cosmic and Astral weapon unlike any other.”
“Khai. That all sounds insane. Travel into the heart of a star? Even the three High Masters combined couldn’t accomplish such a thing. Nobody can.”
“You see my problem then. Yet this my task. And I prepare myself for it as best I may. And I must accomplish it not once, but twice.”
“Twice? You won’t even survive the first attempt. That’s insane.”
“Even so, the High Masters say that in the long run, if this task is not achieved, the universe as we know it…is doomed. Therefore, I cannot allow myself to fail.”
“Do you hear yourself? None of that makes any sense. But it looks like we both face impossible trials,” Naero said.
“It appears so,” Khai said. “And likewise, we both face an unpleasant demise.”
“Could you really call any kind of demise, pleasant?”
Naero laughed and shook her head.
“I see very little humor in both of our dire situations,” Khai observed.
Naero laughed again. “I strongly disagree. The Universe, it appears, has a very decided sense of humor. It just looks like the jokes are on us.”
“I suppose so,” Khai said, finally chuckling along with her. “Friends then?”
“Friends it is,” Naero said. “We’ll help and support each other as best we can, to the demise if need be.”
“Death is to be avoided, if at all possible,” Khai said.
Naero laughed again. “Agreed. I know I want to live.”
The two of them spoke long into the night through their Astral link, as both of their bodies slept deeply far away from one another.
19
And it was a shame as well that Janosha was such a beautiful planet too. Pretty scenery. Amazing sunrises and s
unsets.
Naero dragged herself back toward her cave the next day after her daily morning smack down by Hashiko, and yet another crippling Chaos lesson from Master Vane.
She collapsed down below at the base of the cave complex, and needed to rest for a time before she could climb up. So intense and thorough were the beatings Hashiko administered each day.
Tua stopped and tended to her. They stepped over her casually and moved about their business as if the routine were now completely normal.
Perhaps it was to them.
Maybe they were used to Vane’s adepts beating on each other daily and collapsing from exhaustion.
Once she did make it back up in her cave, Naero fell promptly to sleep within an hour after eating, letting her body heal and regenerate.
If you put that astral crystal on your head, I won’t be able to speak with you.
That is the plan, Om.
She chatted with Om while she munched her daily fare. It actually kept her very healthy. The Tua did know a thing or two about what to eat and how much. They always seemed to send her just the right amounts of everything she liked. Nothing ever spoiled or went to waste.
After she voided and drank some more clear, cold water, she began to feel the evening grogginess overtake her.
She almost didn’t remember to tie the astral crystal around her forehead that night.
Goodnight, Om.
Sleep and heal well. I will greet you when you awake.
Sure thing. Another day forward.
Sometime later, she reached out with her mind while her body slept and healed, trying to link with Khai once more.
But as soon as she did so, she immediately sensed that something was very wrong with her friend.
“You’re really hurt,” she noted. “I can sense that. How bad is it?”
“Pretty bad. I’m trying to learn how to shield myself in a fusion field and manipulate the three wisdoms at the same time. It is extremely difficult, and dangerous.”
“Khai, you’re talking crazy. No Spacer could do such things without getting radiated and vaporized.”
“The Oden can, for short periods of time. They have nearly evolved to the point where they can transform themselves into energy beings. Almost creatures of pure thought and energy, at one with the Cosmic forces of the universe. In such forms, they would be able to manipulate matter and energy at will.”
“Almost isn’t enough. And you are not even a full Oden. You’re mother is a Spacer. You’re still half-Spacer, you fool.”
“A fact that has been made abundantly clear to me. I…kind of burned off my arms and legs.”
Naero gasped. “Oh, Khai. That’s horrible.”
“It was. But don’t worry too much. Even if we have not achieved a full transformation yet, the Oden are very fast regenerators–even faster than Spacers. My limbs are growing back quickly now, and I’ll have the full use of them in a few days once more. But I admit, it was extremely painful. I barely survived.”
“Why are you doing this? Why are they letting you risk your life like that?”
“Naero, you must understand. The High Masters, and even my own people say that someone must achieve these things. I must discover a way to achieve this transformation. My task grows even more dangerous and desperate. If I were not able to focus my biomancy with the help of others to resist and regenerate the serious damage I keep inflicting on my physical form, I would already be dead.”
“Be careful Khai. You’re exploring way into the unknown. One misstep too far and you might not get another chance.”
“Yes. I agree. Yet at least I have a great deal of help here. The Oden and the High Masters are are all working together, doing all they can to protect me and solve the problems at hand. But we still have a long way to go, I’m afraid.”
Naero sighed and winced at her own healing injuries.
“You’re not the only one.” Yet her aches and pains were nothing compared to what Khai endured each day.
“Let me guess. Hashiko?”
“Every day. Like clockwork. Plus training sessions with Master Vane on top of that.”
“I remember. Let me guess. Is he making you fight Janoshan monsters?”
“All the time. Everywhere we go.”
“I’m sorry, Naero. I know you’re all alone there on Janosha. You don’t have an entire team there to help or advise you like I do here.”
“That’s why I look forward to our little astral chats so much.”
She still hadn’t told him anything about Om or the KDM. Naero wondered if she should. She had so many secrets to keep from people. Secrets became burdens very quickly.
Khai struggled to laugh. “Yet my advice can’t be that much help. I know. Increasing your speed and strength through the Mystic arts will be erratic. Some days it will seem like you have breakthroughs, and then you’ll regress. Back and forth until you can sustain your progress and what you have learned.”
“One step up, and two down. Is that how it was for you?”
“Yes. When I was very young it took me quite a while to master all of the techniques, abilities, and disciplines involved.”
When I was very young.
Khai’s words struck a deep resounding chord with Naero, bringing back a rush of memory of all her years training with her parents.
“Once I reached a certain level however, progress grew steadily as I continued to practice and hone my abilities to the level they are now.”
And he had even defeated Hashiko.
That fact alone gave Naero hope.
And she just began to realize how much she owed her parents.
“I’ve got nothing but time ahead me it seems. But in reality, I don’t have that much, Khai. I want you to take your time and explain everything you did exactly. All the breakthroughs you had and how you developed yourself. Perhaps we can find a way to speed things up on my end.”
“Be patient, Naero. You can’t force it. Your strength and speed will increase as you gain wisdom and the ability to harness, manipulate, sustain, and master Cosmic energy in all three modes. They are signals of your progress.”
“So what is the pattern? The grand plan? What will Master Vane and Hashiko teach me and in what order? If I know, perhaps I can get ahead of the game somehow. What will the other two High Masters teach me about the other Wisdoms? I already have some experience using Cosmic energy. I learned it through trial and error, on my own.”
And with some help from Om. And dumb luck.
“But you said you burned your abilities out fighting your demented brother. You’re brain is damaged. You’re a nud.”
“Former-brother. Danner’s not my blood any longer.”
“I know. Sorry. Hmmm…Let’s stick with Chaos Wisdom for now. Master Vane will continue to teach you about understanding Chaos theory and energy. You’ll need to get past your physical block somehow and more or less learn to biomance. That will unlock many things for you.”
“Then I guess that’s my goal for now. Neither of them is going to do anything for me, that’s for sure.”
“I agree. And I think your progress is going to be minimal at best until you do so.”
“Consider something else,” Khai said.
“What’s that?”
“Perhaps they don’t want you to progress, Naero. Perhaps they’re holding you back on purpose. Trying to run out the clock. You never know with practitioners of Chaos and their mercurial motives.”
“I’ve considered that. I sense that too, but why would they sabotage me like that from the get go?”
“Naero, you might not be able to sense it because to you it seems normal. But I sure can. Even from here through our link. You have an immense amount of raw, untapped Cosmic power deep inside you. And potentials beyond that which I can’t even imagine. You are a more than a little scary. Anyone with that much untapped power that she can’t control could be a threat to anyone.”
“Master Vane said I was a walking Cosmic disaster, just waiti
ng to detonate.”
“That does seem like a definite risk. I’m sorry.”
“So…they’re afraid of me. Of what I might do. Of what I might become. I am too.”
“If I can sense all of this from this far away, I betting they they can sense even more up close.”
“I guess it makes sense then, in a way. If they hold me back and declare me both a failure and an unstable threat, then they can just eliminate me. Both of them are so obsessed with their own destinies. They could care less about mine.”
“Chaos practitioners are notoriously self-centered an egocentric.”
“So, what if I learn to biomance and get past my block? What’s the next step after that?”
“That still remains a big ‘if,’ Naero. But after that, they’ll teach you to channel and attempt to control Chaos energy directly and spar with it. You’ll need a focus at first, to give the Chaos energy a form that you can summon, control, and use at will. Yet the focus is just a tool, a toy really. Then you’ll expand your mind and grow beyond even the focus, and manipulate energy freely with your imagination and sheer force of will. Understanding Chaos Wisdom is the key to tapping directly into all the Cosmic energies of the Universe directly. It is the gateway to all the Powers.”
Naero hissed. Shivering with frustration as if it were cold. “Ugh! I can’t see that far ahead yet. And I’m already sick and tired of being Hashiko’s practice dummy.”
“I’m sorry, Naero. But make sure that you pay very close attention to what Master Vane teaches you. I know he acts crazy and outlandish, but in his own way–to his mind and least–he will be fair to you and give you the chance to grasp these concepts and learn all you can from them. And he’s a sucker for a challenge. He’ll give you the same chance he would give to any adept. No less. No more. Just don’t expect any favors from a Chaos Master.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“Cut through his crap and ignore his attempts to bait and anger you. He is not the Chaos Master for nothing. He really does know his stuff, and he will impart his wisdom and knowledge to you if you find a way to perceive it. I am not a Chaos follower myself, but Vane is right in many respects. Chaos energy is the driving force, the impetus for everything in the universe. Nothing can be achieved without it. You must fully understand that, if you are going to be able to use it, and grow beyond it to learn the other two Wisdoms. Order, and Change.”
Spacer Clans Adventure 2: Naero's Gambit Page 14