Under the pale glow of the just-rising sun, Niris crossed the region's only river, a wicker basket full of the day's catch on his head. As usual, he had set off at the crack of dawn to fetch what the small group needed for the day. They kept almost no food, as the master of blades refused to let them waste time preserving food instead of training. Instead, she used this daily exercise to train her pupil, making him responsible for the daily sustenance of their group.
Niris had been very recalcitrant at first. Hunting and gathering were exercises to which he was not accustomed for many reasons. He had relied heavily on Egea's hunter-gatherer system to free himself from this task, which he approached because of his great sensitivity to living things, conferred by his gift. He had to fast for a day and make Viknard and his master fast because of his refusal to comply, before he finally came to terms with Lou's total lack of inflection.
The first time, he'd made a point of gulping down what little liquid remained in his stomach. But he'd made up his mind and returned with a full-grown hare and some wild sage leaves. He was rousted by his master, who promptly sent him back to the exercise a little further on, scolding him that there was clearly not enough food for three people for a day.
He had thus spent almost the entire first week hunting in the hostile mountains. After six days of this derogatory exercise, he had climbed to the very top of the mountain in the night and perched on its summit, brooding over his anger. His master was an angel, though, so she could understand how he felt! And he had spent his first day of rest meditating on his actions. The wind blowing through his hair and the calm surrounding him calmed him, however.
The angel had to admit that Lou was right when she called him a pampered prince. While he'd learned to revel in the comfort of not having to hunt, that didn't mean prey didn't actually get killed. He wasn't the one doing it, but by consuming them he was indirectly approving the killing of these beasts for his consumption. In the end, whether he killed them himself or had someone else kill them for him, it came down to the same thing. So he might as well do it himself and learn to overcome his disgust rather than delegate the task.
That evening, he went back down to the camp, serene and determined. On the way back, he'd caught a jackrabbit from a litter of five and picked a few berries, retrieved some eggs for a snack, and for the first time, he did it with his soul at peace, transferring gratitude through his gift of life to the surrounding nature.
The following week, he was much more efficient at exercise. He would return at sunrise with the day's catch and prepare the meal while Lou finished his morning meditation. He put what was left for the day in the daily storage bin, and went off to train with his master. Little by little, he discovered a new dimension to his gift that he'd never explored before.
He could communicate with his environment and gather a wealth of information by opening himself up to it. It cost him a lot of energy at first, but as he remained constantly connected, he gradually got used to it.
The exercises Lou put him through had more to do with the connection he was developing. His aim was to get him to develop his own use of energy, not a copy of what might already exist. As his master used to say, you never master natural energy, you bend to it and take what it gives you. Niris was beginning to understand what she meant since he'd started spending his days crabbing in the wild. He rose before the sun without needing an alarm clock and went to bed with it. The short astral cycle made the exercise much more bearable, cutting sleep and limiting meals to two a day.
So he spent a lot of time trying to keep his balance on a protruding peak, staying still underwater for as long as possible or walking on an unstable gravel floor without falling. These exercises worked as much on his physical stamina as on his patience. And the more he developed his gift, the easier it became, and the harder the exercises became. A month passed very quickly without Niris returning to Kampalera or contacting Seiran with the Gojiak. But the little seed continued to grow as he held it close to him in his sleep.
That morning, he had gone to the river below to catch some fish and was returning to camp with his load. Lou was already up and Viknard still asleep. He placed his basket on the ground and picked up the fish to start scaling them when his master called out to him.
"You've made good progress in your training, faster than I thought," she said to him bluntly.
Niris didn't reply. He knew that this was a sign of things to come, and that he had to be prepared to step up the pace and intensity.
-What you've done this month will form the basis of your training. If you keep it up, in a few years you'll be ready.
-A few years???? he couldn't help repeating with a silly look on his face, stopping his hand dead in his tracks as it was about to throw the entrails of one of the fish.
-Ah! What do you think, it was going to take you a few months? laughed Lou, who found his apprentice's expression hilarious.
-Yes? pretty much? replied Niris, still shocked.
Lou realized he was serious and sighed.
-Listen Niris, you don't become powerful overnight, and you don't enslave a demonic spirit in such a short time either. You'll need at least two or even three years to be able to face what lies ahead. I don't have a magic formula for making you suddenly powerful, no matter how promising you are.
Struck by the sudden realization, Niris' first thought was for Seiran. Lou must have sensed this, for she immediately reassured him.
-You know, no one's stopping you from going down to Kampalera while you're resting, on the contrary. Finding a good balance between your love life and your training will be a very good thing for the future. I encourage you to do so. Eventually, you'll be able to train by doing anything else, so the more you diversify your activities, the faster you'll train.
The apprentice nodded thoughtfully. She was right. It was up to him and nobody else to take care of the people he loved.
-Yes, Master," he answered obediently, earning a surprised look from Lou.
He'd never answered her like that! What had bitten him? Normally, he would have ranted and raved, demanding an explanation! But she didn't dwell on her pupil's strange change of behavior. They had more urgent matters to deal with. Niris poked the scaled and gutted fish into sticks and stuck them in the ground around the fire. There was one fish each. Then he attacked the ash berries, which he began to degrease and wipe dry to ensure their edibility. He sat down next to his master to do so. Slowly, the sun began to peep through the branches of the trees.
-Listen carefully, Niris, what I'm about to tell you is very important. We're about to enter the essential phase of your training. Now that you've got a solid foundation, it's time to get to the heart of the matter. Every day, you'll continue to do the exercises you've been doing for the past month, but you'll increase their duration and intensity, whether it's hunting or meditation exercises. You'll go further to hunt, and you'll hunt bigger. As for meditation, you need to be able to keep your energy system in a meditative state at all times, even when you're asleep.
Niris thoughtfully began to eat the berries he had prepared. He could see what she was getting at: perpetual meditation of the energy system was an ancestral technique for developing the speed of circulation of natural energy in the body, increasing its quality and, ultimately, the ability to draw this natural energy directly from the surrounding environment. But this would take a lifetime to accomplish.
-Master, I don't wish to disappoing you, but I doubt I'll be able to reach the state of permanent meditation in such a short time," he said, chewing on one of those small, round, juicy fruits.
-You've managed to overcome your apprehension about hunting in spite of your gift in a month when I didn't think you could," she confessed, catching a fish that was already quite golden.
Niris gave her an inquisitive look, but Lou remained silent for a moment. She took a mouthful of the prey before continuing.
-Possessors of the gift of life certainly have the incredible ability to give new life to all living things, but this comes with the extreme handicap of the unbearability of their death. If you're connected to life, giving death with your hands is a real ordeal. That's why people with this gift usually become powerful healers, but never warriors. You're the first exception I've come across, although there aren't many carriers of this gift.
The student felt his hand tighten on the piece of wood he was holding, from which his fish hung, but it soon relaxed. She hadn't hidden anything from him, and he could have guessed on his own that such a thing was unnatural. In any case, if he wasn't prepared to face such difficulties in his training, he might as well give up right away.
-So? What do you suggest now?" he continued, with no further emotion in his voice.
-You're a creator manipulator, you have to use that to your advantage, but in an intelligent way," continued the master, throwing away the piece of wood that had served as a spit for his food. As the bearer of the gift, logic would dictate that you turn to creation via elemental energy, i.e. based on the four elements. It's the easiest thing for you to do. But I think you need to steer clear of this voice, because it will be very difficult to use Niyarii's natural energy, and you need to do what others don't expect you to do. In other words, go for what is least natural for you.
Niris thought for a moment, taking a sip from the gourd he'd filled this morning with spring water from the mountain hollow.
-You mean I use pure natural energy? With creation?
Lou nodded vigorously.
-Exactly. Just like your father does. You need to develop your own use of pure natural energy.
She stood up and continued.
-The knowledge you've developed on Selanpe has given you a perfect mastery of the internal energy network. You've strengthened your energy channels to the maximum, your flow is faster and more condensed, and the quality of your natural energy is already very high. This mastery will be an asset for you if you create directly from pure natural energy.
Niris reflected. It was true that he found it much easier than before to handle his natural energy, and he felt it was stronger for the reasons she had cited. But handling pure natural energy, without any elemental or other transformation as most manipulators did, was extremely difficult. Lou persisted in her reasoning, however, when she saw the young angel's hesitation.
-The best way to acquire great power very quickly is to use pure natural energy.
-But it's far from easy," said Niris, rising to his feet.
-No, but that's why we're going to move on to the second phase of your training. From now on, every other night will be spent in restorative meditation. Continue to strengthen your energy system, as you've been doing since our stay at Selanpe, and learn to connect with the energy around you, as you're already doing through your gift of life. Become aware of all that animates our world, and know how to ask to use its energy. That's the only way you'll get there.
She took a few steps, grabbed her borrowed katana, slung it around her waist and put on her traveling jacket. Niris watched her without saying a word, but he understood that she was preparing to leave.
-From now on, you'll do the physical exercises I've shown you every day in addition to the rest, and at the same time you'll stay in restorative meditation. Increase the series every day, even if you can't take it anymore. I'm warning you Niris, if one day you fall and don't get up straight afterwards, the training will be over, and you won't be my apprentice anymore.
Niris swallowed. It was the first time he'd heard his master make such a threat. And he knew she wasn't joking. She was perfectly serious, he could feel it. His senses, heightened by the continuous use of the gift of life in communication with his environment, had made him sensitive to what others around him were feeling. Their emotions were transmitted in vibration, and he was certain that what he sensed coming from his master was unwavering determination.
-I won't give up, I promise," he replied in the same serious tone.
The master of blades nodded in satisfaction.
-Well, then. I've got to go somewhere to see an old friend. It'll take me a few weeks, since I'll have to go by land. In the meantime, you must continue your training with the same rigor and regularity. I'll know if you've weakened even for a second. So don't even think about skipping any of your exercises.
Niris responded by almost standing at attention, which surprised even him, given his tendency to question his master's orders. But this was no time for levity. He knew it, and his body was certainly reacting unconsciously, as if tamed by days of intensive training. Lou put on his wide-brimmed hat, typical of the locals, and started to leave before turning around.
-Oh yes, I forgot," she added a little slyly. While I'm away, I forbid you to use my blades, Flaming Charisma, Deadly Dance and Fashionista. You'll have to forge a blade of your own, which you'll name.
-What's that? But I don't know how to forge a katana! retorted the angel, who had quickly returned to normal.
-There's a blacksmith on the other side of the mountain. Go and see him and tell him I sent you, he'll help you...maybe. In any case, when I come back you must have a blade that's yours, otherwise the training will be over. And tell Viknard to go back down to Kampalera while I'm gone, and I'll come back for him when I get back. All the best!
She raised her hand in farewell and quickly disappeared into the woods. Still frozen in place, the angel stood motionless for a moment, mouth open and eyes wide with shock at what his master had just told him. He barely had time to come back to reality when he realized that the fish reserved for Viknard was burning.