C289 - Opportunity
The time spent recovering was lonely, and Khan also felt restless during the first days stuck in the bed. He had trained every day in the last period, so being bedridden bored him. He could meditate freely, but he often found himself forced to sleep, which annoyed him due to the nightmares.
The following days went better. Khan came to terms with his situation and managed to make the best out of it. He had forgotten what it was to rest properly, but he slowly recalled it now.
The short interactions with the alien doctor and the long hours spent meditating allowed Khan to keep track of his recovery. His hands were the first to heal, and his shoulder and internal injury followed in the next days.
Khan ate and slept a lot, making sure to prioritize his rest over eventual attempts to perform his usual exercises. He wanted to resume his regular schedule after spending almost two weeks bedridden, but the Ef'i threatened to sedate him if he tried, so he gave up on the matter.
The Ef'i cleared Khan after two and a half weeks. He could finally leave the bed, and his duties returned as soon as his feet touched the floor.
The medical bay's entrance opened as soon as Khan finished donning his new military uniform. He and the alien doctor turned to see a happy Lieutenant Unchai barging inside the room and reaching Khan in an instant to pat his shoulders. The soldier never stopped laughing during the process, and Khan let him have that moment.
"You really did it!" Lieutenant Unchai shouted. "I can't believe it! Incredible, incredible!"
"I told you that I would have won," Khan chuckled. "How did the celebration go?"
"They have been great!" Lieutenant Unchai shouted again before clearing his throat and lowering his voice. "It's a pity that you couldn't come. You have lost the chance to meet many important figures."
"That's fine," Khan sighed. "It's enough that they have learnt my name. I bet that Colonel Norrett has also left."
"He has been one of the first to leave the planet," Lieutenant Unchai explained. "His duties stretch over multiple planets. He couldn't remain here any longer."
Khan nodded before walking toward the entrance. However, a doubt appeared in his mind when he was about to leave the room. He turned toward the smiling Lieutenant, and a question left his mouth. "What do I have to do now?"
"What do you mean?" Lieutenant Unchai asked.
"Do I have new orders?" Khan wondered.
"Right," Lieutenant Unchai exclaimed. "There will be an event tonight. After that, you are free to do whatever you want."
'That doesn't help,' Khan thought while the Lieutenant approached him.
Khan didn't know what to do for his next step. Remaining on Onia felt pointless, but the same went for going back on Ecoruta. He had sort of made peace with what had happened on Nitis. He wasn't happy, but he didn't feel awful all the time anymore.
"The Colonel has reserved a position for you," Lieutenant Unchai suddenly announced as he placed a hand on Khan's shoulder and led him inside the corridor. "You don't have to accept, but I think you shouldn't miss that opportunity."
"What opportunity?" Khan questioned as his eyes lit up, but a series of presences claimed the two's attention and interrupted their conversation.
"Mezmac," Khan called when he saw two Ef'i approaching him from a side of the corridor. He recognized his last opponent and her superior, and his eyes quickly went on her injuries.
Mezmac was wearing a yellow robe that left her arms and most of her legs uncovered. Khan could see bandages from the opening under her armpit, but his attention eventually fell on her tail. The Ef'i had reattached what Khan had severed during the battle, but the solid white structure covering the tip area stated that she had yet to recover fully.
"You healed faster than me," Mezmac said while wearing a proud smile. "No wonder I lost."
"It's nice to see that you are fine," Khan responded. "I hope that you'll recover completely soon."
Lieutenant Unchai pushed Khan toward the two Ef'i before whispering the reason behind his gesture. "They will be your guides today. We'll see each other at the event."
The sudden revelation surprised Khan, but he didn't let the Lieutenant repeat himself. He nodded before approaching the Ef'i and following them across the corridor.
Mezmac summarized their schedule, and Khan felt more than happy to follow it. The two Ef'i led him across the underground structure and back to the surface, where he met other aliens of a similar age. He also had the chance to meet a few older Ef'i, and everyone congratulated him for his victory in the tournament.
The schedule was pretty easy. Khan would have to spend the entire day with the Ef'i and follow their training. He approached the event with enthusiasm and joined every exercise the aliens threw at him.
The Ef'i made use of Onia's hot temperatures to bring their bodies to their limits. Khan found himself jogging around the camp for a few hours, performing many different exercises that involved the entirety of his muscles, and meditating among them to recover his breath.
The tiring day reached a major break during lunch hour when Khan joined the Ef'i in a messy and loud meal. More meditations followed that event, and a long sparring session arrived next.
Needless to say, Khan was pretty popular during the sparring session. All the Ef'i wanted to fight him, but their superiors made sure that they didn't go all-out. They actually put rules to avoid turning those battles into something similar to the tournament.
Khan obviously won every fight. His opponents were weaker than the Ef'i met during the tournament, and the rules of the sparring session allowed him to claim victories as soon as he landed a few kicks. He had retrieved his knife during the day, but the aliens never got the chance to test it.
The long day spent among the Ef'i allowed Khan to gain deeper insights into that battle race. The Ef'i were relatively simple-minded, honest, and battle-thirsty. They didn't care about the deeper uses of mana unless they could deploy them during their fights. Still, they had a profound respect toward strength, which put Khan on a pedestal during the event.
Some Ef'i eventually led Khan toward one of the habitations in the camp, where he took a long shower to remove all the dirt, sweat, and sand accumulated during the training and sparring session. The same aliens then accompanied him underground, in a large hall that contained many adult Ef'i and human soldiers.
Khan also found the contestant of the tournament and Lieutenant Unchai in the underground hall, but he never got the chance to interact with them. The event was a dinner that saw many Ef'i approaching Khan to exchange conversations about his performance. He did his best to behave as politely as possible, but the messy nature of the aliens eventually affected his interactions.
The long day and dinner allowed Khan to improve his accent and establish valuable connections among the Ef'i. He heard many names that night, but his conversations with those alien figures never involved deeper topics or proper political matters.
The Ef'i only wanted to talk about the battles, and he could only go along. They even used a device to replay all the matches of the tournament, and Khan found himself forced to give his opinion many times.
The dinner eventually ended, and the Ef'i led Khan back to the surface. The light had already returned on Onia by then, but it was still too early for the camp to come to life. The streets were empty and silent, with only occasional soldiers and aliens patrolling them.
The Ef'i began to lead Khan toward a habitation, but they left him when Lieutenant Unchai appeared on their path. The soldier took care of escorting him for the rest of the road, and the two didn't hold back from conversing.
"They are a lively bunch, aren't they?" Lieutenant Unchai laughed happily.
"They are indeed nice," Khan smiled. "I didn't expect them to welcome me so warmly."
"The Ef'i only care about strength," Lieutenant Unchai explained. "They aren't stupid, but they choose to remain simple. There's beauty in that."
Khan couldn't help but agree. He had a good time among the Ef'i. None of them had treated him differently because he was a human. They were a bit too battle-oriented for his tastes, but they weren't bad at all.
"Well, the life of an ambassador isn't too different from what you have experienced today." The Lieutenant stated. "Do you still want to go down that path?"
"Of course," Khan honestly declared. "Learning about different cultures, languages, and traditions is fun. The universe is so vast. Remaining ignorant feels like a waste."
"Good answer," Lieutenant Unchai laughed while patting Khan's shoulder.
"What will you do now?" Khan asked. "Will you go back to Earth now that the tournament is over?"
"Most likely," Lieutenant Unchai revealed. "I have a few options in mind, but I have yet to decide. I might find something temporary before joining a training camp at the beginning of the next academic year. The entrance tests are in less than six months."
Khan sighed when he thought about those tests. He still recalled the fight against the Tainted boar. That battle seemed to belong to a different and simpler life.
"You were only an idiot with a shovel back then," Lieutenant Unchai chuckled when he noticed Khan's pensive expression.
"A lot has changed," Khan stated before recalling something. "Right, you said that the Colonel had reserved a position for me. What was it?"
"Oh, that," The Lieutenant exclaimed. "I'm sure a formal offer will come in a few days, but there is no reason to keep it from you. Istrone's crisis has exposed a weakness in our education. The Global Army is adding a few courses meant for real-life struggles, and the Colonel wants you to teach one of them."
"What?" Khan couldn't help but shout.
"In your case, the subject will involve the dangerousness of real battles," Lieutenant Unchai explained. "Many soldiers can fight, especially those from wealthy families, but it's rare for them to develop killing intent before seeing the battlefield. Imagine how many would have survived on Istrone if they were all like you."
The Lieutenant's words made sense, but Khan still couldn't accept them properly. He was merely seventeen, but the Colonel wanted him to become an actual professor.
"How am I supposed to teach them that?" Khan asked.
"I have no idea," Lieutenant Unchai admitted, "But I'm sure you'll figure it out. You'll also have the help of the other professors, so everything will be fine if you decide to accept."
Khan thought about the matter for a few seconds, but his first instinct was to refuse the offer right away. He wasn't a professor, and he didn't want to go back on Earth. He wasn't ready for the eventuality of facing his father.
"I'm not ready for that," Khan revealed. "I wouldn't even know where to begin. I'm just a soldier."
Lieutenant Unchai scratched his chin without saying anything. The two eventually arrived in front of the tall building containing Khan's habitation, but neither took a step inside.
"Look, Khan," Lieutenant Unchai broke the silence, "You have spent the last year fighting. No one can question your prowess, but you need more skills to become an ambassador, and the battlefield can't give you those."
"But still-," Khan tried to complain.
"Besides," The Lieutenant interrupted Khan, "You deserve a break. Go back to Earth, teach other soldiers how you have survived until now, and study alien languages on the side. You can do good by sharing your experiences, and your knowledge will only benefit from the lack of battles."
Khan wanted to finish his complaint, but no words came out of his mouth. Lieutenant Unchai was entirely right, but Khan still felt hesitant in front of that opportunity.
"Can I think about it?" Khan asked.
"Of course," Lieutenant Unchai stated. "You can do whatever you want for now. No one will say anything even if you decide to spend time on Onia. I'm just saying that you should focus on your education for now."
Khan nodded before stepping inside the building. The Lieutenant followed him, and the two soon stopped in front of a large flat that featured multiple rooms and comfortable furniture.
"I've left the bottle you gave me here," Lieutenant Unchai explained before performing a military salute. "It has been an honor to be with you during the tournament."
"Thank you, sir," Khan sighed before entering the habitation and sealing the entrance. He had a lot of thinking to do, and he needed to remain alone for that.
To be continued