In the morning dew, Lila yelled her injustice.
Her chest heaved and eyes reddened. He looked down and her fists were clenched, but her appearance was a lie.
He didn't expect it, but she was hurt than angry. Whatever way she'd regarded their night was causing her to feel betrayed. And not the kind you feel when cheated by a con artist, but from a close person.
Lazaro felt odd. He usually had good eyes, but seeing at how she bit the cheeks from the inside to not cry and show vulnerability he knew he made a mistake.
The women on his world, at least the warriors, were all casual about it, virginity rarely mattered, and the way Lila behaved until now, made him think she especially would care less. her behavior on their night he took as common for a virgin and missed her strings attaching to him.
When the mistake is acknowledged he let out a deep sigh for his plight.
"Don't worry about it, I'll protect you. I promised you that."
Her heart tightened with his deep sight, 'I'm a bother? Is it troublesome to deal with me!?'
With even more hurt she showed even more anger.
She stomped on the ground.
"No! You promised to protect my life over theirs! Then you go and put me on the frontline!!? You know who my family is, do you think you can get away with doing that!?"
She yelled but knew it was a lie, no other of her family besides her sister would care for her, That's wh she had to live and go to the rehabilitation center so that, she at least doesn't lose her sister. She needed to live!
The will to live shone through her eyes.
Lazaro's eyes went cold, he could convince or soothe her. But unfortunately there wasn't much time.
"You'll go to the formation, and you'll work vanguard, it's that or wander alone, in the forest." The cold on his voice sent her nerves tout. Her eyes glimmered 'bastard! bastard! you promised me! you even took me yesterday!' She thought it but did not voice her feelings instead, a cold indifference etched o her face.
She walked by him and took her place in the formation.
"Imagine when she discovers her Super elite lover is just an opportunistic hoodlum." Larissa's annoying teasing came to his ear.
He laughed and stared at her. "That won't matter, I doubt any elite force can outdo me. Even if she's angry, little brash girls are easy to please."
'A bastard indeed;' Larissa concluded and went along her way.
(Acting all cold. Those who see might think you don't care for the girl.)
'Lazaro always care to soothe little girls.'
(Can't you just say you care for her like a normal person!?)
*****
"You'll keep a one-meter distance from one another, the group will use Larissa as a center with Sophia, Avilá," Lazaro pointed "You'll stay in front of them, Silver and old man Gerald will be on your left and right. Lila, you be right in front of them. Lastly, Boar will defend our rear. Do you all understand?"
"Yes," They agreed.
But Sophia, Gerald's teen granddaughter raise her hands with a pout.
"Speak."
"I can help Lucas on defense if he pins down something with his earth affinity I can punch them to death."
'Are you sure this world is different from mine? even in my world little girls don't usually offer themselves to punch things to death.'
(She's a case apart.)
"Only in the worst-case scenario girl, otherwise you stay there and defend our only chance of surviving death's door."
She pouted but when she saw the gently smiling Larissa immediately stoped.
"I-I don't have enough potency to kill a beast above the F class." A meek small voice echoed.
Lila glared at hi mas the eyes locked on her, it was her last stance, her electricity bolts only killed a common animal and hurt badly the bigger ones. If they relied on her to kill wild beasts they would die.
She had talked to him about it yesterday so why was he still doing it!? She wondered. But as she was already appointed as the attacker she figured nobody would allow her out of it since it was the most dangerous position, and everybody wanted security.
"Beast classes" Lazaro stated and the screen popped up in fron of him.
{-------------------------Beast classes---------------------------}
Beasts are graded on their inteligence and strenght
from 'F' to 'S'
'F' Being common animals, and 'S' being the strongest and dangerous beasts before they develop a conscience.
After conscience is formed than the beast is no longer a beast but a Lesser mortal.
{-------------------------Beast classes----------------------------}
'So normally she would only be able to kill a common animal?'
Lazaro walked up to her and touched the center of her back.
"W-What -"
"Demonstrate it, shoot a bolt."
His calm eyes silently urged her.
As the others looked she simply pointed her finger at a nearby rock. and willed it, the essence formed from her gut to her chest, then cursed through her arm and shot through the tip of her finger.
A sudden flash came together with the sound of cracking rock.
She was gasping and sweating, it took a toll on her. Lazaro frowned and turned to the rock. it was slightly blackened with a small, thin crack in but nothing more.
Lazaro took a deep breath and looked at her sternly, Lila found herself expectant of his evaluation.
"That was horribly weak."
"That's why I told you to protect me you asshole!" She said in anger.
He pulled her back to his chest.
"What are you-"
"Breathe." He commanded.
He put his indicator finger on her bellybutton and breathed in. "Imitate me, and move your essence according to my finger."
She hesitated, but again, his calm and serious tone compelled her.
She felt his chest move behind her and followed his method until she learned and memorized the sequence of the breathing rhythm
He felt her relaxing and started to speak softly.
"Lightning is one of nature most destructive elements, it's normal to be afraid of it. Even more when it's inside of you, If you're not on your toes for something that can come and go leaving destruction and ashes before its sound can even be heard, then you're crazy. It's already courageous enough to do it at your level."
She knew he could see through her, and knew he was only speaking gently like this to soothe her, but she couldn't hold the relaxation of her body, and the comfort on her mind.
"Your first mistake is to simply take energy on your gut and throw it as fast as possible. It's a process, and you're doing it wrong.
He took his finger down her belly, almost taking her out of her calm state. He stopped three fingers under her belly button. "This is the lower Dantian." He traced his finger upwards and stopped between her breasts, "This is the middle Dantian." Then at her forehead. "And this is the upper Dantian."
She was almost feeling like she was in another world at how peaceful she felt.
"Your body naturally pulls essence form the surrounding, pooling it on your stomach. With your mind, lead that into your lower Dantian." She did almost automatically. "There, it'll be converted and purified into your own essence with your traits and affinities. Now, bring the purified essence Into the upper Dantian, now, you want the bolt of lightning to strike down that rock, so picture that image. On your upper Dantian the mind picture fuses with the essence forming the 'Intent' that's your attack, lastly, move it to your middle Dantian. "
She did and feeling the destructive element forming as she did mad her start to panic.
"Don't worry it's yours it won't ever hurt you. The middle Dantian is where your intent comes to life. Now, let it act."
Since his voice started reaching her ears softly; Lila found herself amidst a storm of different essence, then in her lower Ddantian She found a lake of calming blue essence that behaved like water, her mind at peace, she brought a small current of the lake into the cloudless blue sky- her upper Dantian, the image of herself as she shot a furious bolt and the rock being destroyed formed. And then. The small river went down again with cackling electricity, and it scared her, but soothing tone calmed her and it followed her will, it spread through her body then condescended on her finger
Her eye snapped open, she looked at her hand and the overwhelming light energy emanating from her hands and the snakes of lightning striking around She closed her eyes to not see it and be afraid. But a pair of hands secured her back, "AAAHHH!" She yelled and shot it forward.
A Flash of light blinded them for a second then a thunderous roar echoed, Lila opened her eyes wide and in the eyes of everyone watching the dust slowly settled, a crumbled rock with a hint of melt in the middle appeared, the blades of grass had burnt down and the cracks spread into where they were.
Lila didn't felt the usual brunt of her attack only a small emptiness o her lower Dantian. She put a hand on her chest and sat down non the ground in a daze.
"D-Did I actually cause t-that?
Lazaro nodded at her.
She became talented, from nothing, she turned into something, she could finally be someone to her sister and not just a brash girl who got hooked on drugs.
Her eyes filled with tears, the selfish brash girl had melted and hugged him.
"Now, the vanguard doesn't look so bad right?-- AHHH!"
She shocked him.