“I mean look at the school we are in, I feel it is a perfectly valid question.”
“I’ve been shot at.”
“Maggie hasn’t even gotten you with an arrow?”
“Naw man, damn! Don’t put dat shit on me! You tryna give me bad juju!”
Anaar strokes his chin in contemplation. “Hmmm, we might need to remedy that… Welp, let’s get a move on!”
Dan watches as Anaar strides away in what he felt to be unreasonably high spirits. Unsure how he felt about what was headed in his direction, he traveled home, stocking up on paper and grabbing his sword. He messaged Anaar when he was almost to the Combat Complex North, expecting to get in some practice while he waited. It did not surprise him at all when somehow Anaar was already there, a large duffel bag in tow and a broad smile on his face. He noticed the sword at Dan’s hip and immediately pointed to it.
“What’s that for?”
Glancing down at the sword confused, “You told me to get ready.”
“Yeah, to train for missions! Okay, lesson number one: Fights in the real world are nothing like here at school.”
“How’s it different?”
“For starters, people shoot to kill. Literally. No one is coming at you with a sword or the like, and even if they were, they want the threat eliminated completely. Who knows if the person you knock down and restrain is a hyper Regenerist and then jumps right back up and kills you after a few minutes?”
“That ain’t no different from here.”
“It’s completely different. Okay then, come at me.”
Dan questioned how he should respond to Anaar’s challenge. He knew that even when he was taking it easy on him, he was no match. It felt futile to even try, but if he knew anything for certain, it was that Anaar Vorpahl always had a reason for what he did. Knowing there was little chance he posed a true threat, he decided to give his best sneak attack that was capable of seriously injuring someone.
With no warning, paper sprung forth, gathering into what appeared to be a deadly spike. He had never gathered his paper so fast in his life. Driving it directly into the back of Anaar’s neck, he almost stopped his attack for fear the lethal blitz would outright kill his best friend. He never had the opportunity to rethink it however, because his eyes could barely follow Anaar’s movement as it appeared he flowed just to the side of him, well out of the trajectory of the attack. As it buried itself into the ground, Dan felt something cold against his temple.
“Boom. You’re dead.”
Body shivering, Dan turned his head, inch by inch until he was staring down the barrel of a gun. Anaar takes a step back, which causes Dan to subsequently crumple to the ground, everything about him thick with perspiration. His chest heaving, he looked up at the giant of a man, his eyes begging for an explanation.
“Wat da fuck was dat man?!”
Lowering the pistol, tucking it into a holster on his back Dan did not see, “That was you dying on your first and last mission.”
A stammering Dan was left in disbelief. “That… that cain’t be how them shits go down!”
“I can’t say that is how your first mission will go, or hell, any of your missions for that matter. What I do know is I failed to properly impress upon Peter the dangers associated with missions and he was unprepared, nearly giving himself a heart attack. I refuse to make that mistake again.”
Extending a hand, Anaar helps Dan up from the ground. His head hanging, Dan says what he always assumed about the life he had come to know.
“But we got powers though man! Don’t that mean we better than them who don’t?!”
“No, it doesn’t. Death isn’t going to give you a pass because you are a Quintessence. Also, you assume that people who aren’t Quintessences can’t be more formidable than those who are. Look at someone like Thom. He eats most of the people in our class for breakfast! There is also the fact that you don’t know when you are facing a Quintessence yourself. You must have your guard up at all times. Your life seriously does depend on it.”
“If it be like dat in the real world, why we be playin’ pretend here?”
“Yeah… Pretty sure the school having a high mortality rate would not be good for the brochure… The point is, we are here to train. Training is never intentionally designed to seriously place the trainees’ lives in peril. Not usually at least. We have to be ready to face the cruelty of the world when we leave the safety of the Sophangence bubble. Be honest with yourself. Do you really think that being a Quintessence is going erase the fact that you are an Earth Affinity? People are still going to treat you like shit for no reason.”
Anaar’s sobering words hit Dan like a wet towel across his face. He knew fully how hard it was outside the walls of Sophangence. It had only been two years since he became a resident. It seemed silly he allowed himself to be lost in the dream world of happiness and equality. The pain of reality was the very reason he committed to plunging headlong into danger. It was time he faced the truth and took what he was doing seriously.
“Alright. I’m ready.”
“Good, your eyes tell me you mean it. Nice speed on that attack by the way. You are going to need it.”
Pulling on some of the tufts on his head, “Dat shit ain’t even come close to hittin’ you!”
“I’m not exactly the best example… The thing about that though, it makes me both the best and worst training partner for you!”
“How ya figure?”
“Because the chances of you hitting me are extremely low, but as such you have an everlasting goal to shoot for.”
“That shit don’t sound good!”
“Calm down… By that same token, the level at which you will become accustomed to operating will be far more advanced than typical opponents which means when you do meet them, it will be a breeze.”
“Oh! I get it! It be like liftin’ heavy weights, and then when da light ones come, you don’t even notice!”
“Correct. Now let’s resume our program. This is going to test how quick you are at the draw. Normally you have warning of where something will likely come from and target. I want to get you to the point where you are fast enough to block a bullet with no warning.” Dan opened his mouth to say something but Anaar immediately cut him off. “Consistently.”
Dan sighed because even though he was capable, consistency was always his weakness. From there Anaar stood thirty meters away from Dan and began firing off rounds. For the first dozen, Anaar gave warning the shot was coming, but not where it was targeted. He instructed Dan that the paper must be in his holsters before the shot happened. He did not care how large the barrier was, as long as he blocked the shot.
The telegraphed rounds were very successful for Dan. Beaming with pride, he said he was ready for the next level. With the warning gone, Anaar gave Dan a bulletproof vest. Sensing he might have bit off more than he could chew, Dan asked for a moment to put on his paper armor. Finding it to be a good idea, Anaar allowed it, while also secret placing a regenerative orb in Dan’s body. Unbeknownst to Dan, Anaar was rejoicing inside that his normal healing abilities were not overwritten. He placed it to the side and proceeded with Dan’s next trial.
Suiting up in his paper armor proved to be exceptionally prudent. Dan gulped hard as he awaited the shot. He felt knowing yet not knowing was agonizing. When the first shot rang out, Dan screamed while falling to the ground holding his leg.
“Fuck!! Shit, fuck, FUCK!!”
Anaar walked over to Dan to examine the wound. This was all an act however, since even he was shocked he could tell exactly what was wrong from where he was standing down to the slightest detail. He pried Dan’s hands from his leg, lifting his pants to examine the damage. He let out a low growl then slapped Dan in the arm.
“Get up you baby! It didn’t even pierce your armor! All you have is a bruise.”
“That shit hurt!”
“When the bullet goes though you or gets stuck inside of you, then we will talk.”
Dan moped as he was forced to
stand. Anaar, against his better judgment, cranked up the healing of the orb and started their session again. It only took five more bullets, each with Dan falling to the ground, moaning in agony each time before Anaar stopped the exercise. As Dan was recovering for the last time, Anaar grumbled to himself.
I can’t believe he is making a big deal over being half shot! Try having half of your body blown off, or hit so hard you basically splat against a wall! People these days…
“I do believe no normal human could boast such grisly injuries and live to tell about them...”
Maybe you have a point… Either way, I really wish Ripp was here so I could pawn this part off on her. I bet she would reward me for giving her someone to shoot.
Anaar tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Dan to stop moaning on the ground. When five minutes had passed with him still curled into a ball whimpering, Anaar knew he had no choice but to play dirty.
“Dan, get up or I’m calling Maggie.”
The speed at which Dan was at attention, ready for the next wave of training was indescribable. Anaar made a note to genuinely sit down with Maggie to interrogate her on the state of her and Dan’s relationship. Thinking to give Dan a physical break, Anaar moved on to hypothetical scenarios.
“Ok Dan. You are undercover on a mission using an alias. One of your targets says something that implies your cover might be blown. How do you respond?”
“Run like hell!”
“Is that your final answer?”
“Is that wrong?”
“Very.”
“I’m just sayin’, when it goes to shit, abandon ship.”
“Yeah… You won’t be getting many missions after that.”
“What would you do?!”
“First, I would take a moment to review the statement, the context, and the body language of the target. If they are over the phone, I would be mindful of their inflection to indicate it being a joke or something else. Then I would attempt to salvage my cover by steering the conversation toward something that could strengthen the backstory in place. Only if all that fails would I then prepare for a confrontation.”
“So you gonna go through all dat just to still get ya ass beat…”
“The point is to prevent that in the first place!”
Anaar began taking deep breaths, doing his best to calm the annoyance rising inside of him as he watched Dan stand before him with an expression that indicated his mind could not be changed. He had to remind himself of his love for Dan and that it was all for Hekiah’s sake. For some reason that utterly failed to calm him down, so he instead painfully reminded himself that his powers were not in their most stable state. The thought of something breaking and the subsequent tongue lashing from Ixnes was enough to bring him back to his senses.
“Okay, that is enough for today. I don’t think we are going to get any farther.”
“Hot damn! I killed dat shit! Wanna grab a bite to eat?!”
Anaar could only stare at Dan with a deadpan expression as a vein in his temple throbbed. In this moment the company of Phavian was far more desirable. Letting Dan know he needed to take the equipment back, he declined the offer and set off in the opposite direction. None the wiser to Anaar’s attitude, Dan clomped merrily toward the nearest shuttle with an extreme sense of satisfaction.
8
Phavian had been much happier in the past few days because Anaar was finally spending more time with him. He had worried their relationship was headed back to troubled waters, but the sky looked poised to be bright again. Though they still did not sleep together, Anaar had made a concerted effort to give Phavian more attention.
They ate most of their meals together, worked out together even though it was pointless for Anaar, and spent most of their downtime together. It was getting late in the evening, signifying it was almost time for Anaar to leave to go back to his room. Much to Phavian’s annoyance, Anaar refused to send him home since it was next door, so in protest he refused to go to Anaar’s room, making him instead bear his own humble lodgings. He was not exactly happy his plan was not bearing fruit.
When it had become almost midnight, Phavian’s curiosity got the best of him. “Why are you still here?”
“Wow, am I bothering you? Did you want me to go?”
Immediately realizing his mistake, Phavian rushes over to snuggle Anaar in apology. “No, no, no, no! It’s not like that! I just… I’ve gotten so used to me leaving me…”
Somewhere in its neediness, Anaar found the sentiment sweet. Rocking back and forth in his embrace, Anaar finally extricates himself. Turning to Phavian, he could barely contain his excitement for the news he was about to share.
“I’m planning to stay the night.”
Phavian’s arms shoot into the air as he releases a loud whoop. Scrambling out of his pants and shirt, Anaar looks on in exasperation and confusion.
“What are you doing?”
Steeping out of his pants, Phavian stops midway like a cat that had been caught in the act of doing something devious. “You said you were staying over. That means it is time for sex, right? It has been so long since we have had sex!”
“It has barely been two weeks…”
“Which is like two decades in dick time!”
“Yeah, no. Sex is not on the menu.”
“Why not?! You are staying over! How is sex different from my snoring?!”
“The snoring is your problem, but I think I may have a solution. The sex… I’m still pretty sure I’m going to break you by mistake.”
“At least it is on my sheets this time!”
Sighing, “That is absolutely not the point…”
Closing his eyes, Anaar begins scanning Phavian’s body. During his search he finds a number of curious items he takes note of, finally coming upon what he was seeking. Cross referencing the information he found with Hobb, he had a good feeling about his diagnosis.
“You have sleep apnea. That is what is causing that abomination you call snoring. Also you have a cyst in your right armpit.”
Phavian examines his underarm to find Anaar was right, and it was the source of the discomfort he had been recently feeling. Squeezing behind the mass, it bursts, releasing a greenish yellow viscous fluid. When he sees Anaar staring at him with disgust on his face, in the most innocent of tones he defends himself.
“What? You know that shit is satisfying as hell!”
“If you ever do that in my room, I promise you will die. Know that it will not be accidental. Also, I would stay away from jackfruit if I were you. You are deathly allergic. I wouldn’t be surprised if just a whiff kills you.”
“I don’t even know what jackfruit is.”
“Good, should be easy to stay away from it.”
Moving over to wrap his arms around Anaar from behind, Phavian leans into him with his weight, whilst grappling him in a bear hug. A couple months prior and he would have been annoyed to no end with the display. With his greatly enhanced strength and durability, it was much more endearing to him.
“How did you know all this stuff about me?”
“I have made progress understanding this Biokinesis. I think it is the reason I can understand people’s wellbeing or things about their genetic code. Still a lot of fuzz, but I think my internal reference dictionary will fill up over time.”
“What does that do for my snoring?”
“Thus far, I have only utilized the synesthetic portion of the ability. Being a kinesis, it must have the ability to influence something. If I can understand the makeup of things, I can only surmise I also should be capable of controlling it. If possible, I hope to stop the cause of the snoring which is the sleep apnea.”
“Sleep apnea… Never heard of it.”
“It is basically like you being choked in your sleep. Incidentally, that is what I am tempted to do when you snore. If it wasn’t so unbearable, I would just bide my time and let your body finish the job.”
“That isn’t funny!”
“Wasn�
�t intended to be a joke.”
“How will we know it worked?”
“If you awake tomorrow it is a good sign. It means I didn’t kill you.”
Proceeding to ignore Phavian, Anaar sets about his task. He was not sure what exactly he should be doing, but he figured it was worth the risk. As he contemplated how to enact his change, he remembered his Unfettered Healing managed to heal preexisting conditions Master Shin had. In the event he failed miserably, he would try that next, hoping sleep apnea was something the body considered a malady. After a while of complete silence, Phavian could not help but interrupt.
“You don’t need to touch me or anything?”
“No!”
The only word Anaar spoke, he continued his experiment while Phavian did his best to leave him in peace. Anaar asked Phavian if he felt any different, but much to his dismay there was no feedback Phavian could offer. Turning back the bed, the two of them prepared for sleep, the moment of truth to reveal itself during the night.
Anaar’s slumber found itself unmolested by the cacophonous snoring he had always endured from Phavian. Though he was not aware of it, his meddling with Phavian’s biological makeup not only cured his sleep apnea, but also reprogrammed his body to fall into near stasis while asleep. This had the added benefit of making Phavian the perfect companion for him now that everything he normally endured was all but erased.
As the night passed, Anaar enjoying his first night of restful sleep alongside Phavian, he began to tremble violently. His breath appeared as a thick fog when it escaped his mouth and nose. Though Phavian’s breath did the same, his body had not shifted in the slightest bit, it in complete comfort. Along the walls, frost began to creep, and from the bathroom and kitchen the sound of creaking could be heard.
Anaar awoke with a snap, his body now shaking so violently he appeared to be vibrating. The temperature continued to plummet more and more, the very air becoming a haze. Anaar found the room to be so frigid his mind was beginning to go numb, the sensation of cold stunting his ability to think. He was not sure if it was his enhanced senses that made the cold so unbearable, but it was truly agonizing.
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 11