We went to a discreet place, littered with massive rocks, what she described jokingly as pebbles. These 'pebbles' were bigger than most mountains I ever saw in my life.
"We'll start with basic energy gathering. By today you should be able to do something like this."
KABOOM
She casually blasted a hole through one of those gigantic rock-structures, that was big enough to fit a person through.
"Just do what I do." She inhaled deeply while visibly tensing her fists. Then I saw more of this energy, 'navitas' flow around her, like it was attracted to her.
I tried my best again and again, but whenever it seemed that it was working, the energy would dissipate.
"That's not what I did. She reprimanded. "Take a deep breath, and feel the energy around you come closer. This world or as we call it 'Aqua' has an energy density of up to 582,000 times that of your Earth. Its is the perfect condition to practice basic energy gathering."
After listening to what she said, and a little bit of faith, I could finally gather visible amounts of navitas.
"And now in the next few hours, you'll be able to do something like this". She lifted up her palm above her head, and gathered so much energy, compressing it to a ball, about maybe 300 feet in diameter. I had learned to use feet to measure distance from constant working in the gar cave. I was knowledgeable about distances, but I could not put a finger on what to do to achieve such.
"I'll be back in two hours, so by then figure out what to do, and structure a detailed explanation. Then we'll go to more crucial topics.
I must have been out of my mind, considering that I did not rebel. How would I even do that?
Well, that doesn't matter, the slacker is folly's tool.
After 2 or 3 hours, Venus came back looking stressed, different from her usual cheerful demeanor.
"Have you completed your assignment?" She asked.
I didn't respond, and proceeded to just show her. I did it successfully.
"And how did you do that?" she asked.
"I realized it after a lot of meditation. I had to gather some energy, then used that to gather even more energy. It seems easier to gather energy, when you already have some of it." I said this at least with some confidence.
"Good. If you couldn't figure that out, then I wouldn't have known what to do with you. When you return to Earth, you will learn a suitable technique, because you are not yet compatible with anything we have, even the ones we don't use anymore. Now, can you read?" she queried.
"Not as well as I should be able to, I suppose" I answered with a lowered tone.
"Then how are you able to structure your sentences properly?" , she seemed a little bit curious about that one.
"I can't remember anything about my father, and I can only recall fleeting memories of my mother. Since I was forced to mine for long hours, I would find a spot in the depths of the cave, where I hid books I stole from the library, and practice reading the contents out loud. Along with my good sense of distance, my basic proficiency of addition and subtraction, that is all I could grasp. I couldn't understand division and multiplication by myself". I was visibly dejected.
"We'll focus on that, then find a way for you to go back to Earth. I went to a meeting with the elders, and they don't like visitors. So you'll have to go back and get strong enough to speak for yourself" she said in a serious manner.
We spent what seemed like days going over reading and writing, even multiplication, division and all sorts of arithmetic. I feel like I got more from her than I could have gotten from any tutor.
"Now that we're done with that, we'll find a way for you to go back. I said 'find because it's almost impossible to find a one-size-fits-all method, since we've been here for donkey years, and I've taught just two people--you and Xilan." she was not looking way to far from happy, her usual countenance, so I had to ask.
"Why the sad look?" I said with a little bit of affection.
"Well, the council wants you out, and when you leave I'll be lonely again. Well it's nothing you have to wor–" I just wanted to cut her off. So much so, I said nonsense.
"Well in that case I can do anything for you before I go back." I could feel my body trying to physically retract that statement.
"Anything?" her mood lighted up.
"Yeah sure" I murmured.
I looked back just out of pure embarrassment and disappointment for what I just did.
But then, she softly moved my face, and just when I was about to say something, she stuck her index finger in my mouth, and I could feel it damage my tongue.
"Hwat dwhid wyou dwo dthat hwfor?" I tried to say 'what did you do that for, with the best of my ability, to no avail.
"I gave you a little bit of me." she said proudly.
"We will be able to telepathically communicate, and I should be able to see through your eyes."
"Alright, you're going back now. All you have to do, I presume, is to quickly get rid of any energy within you, and quickly recover that same amount, then repeat.
"I tried and I can feel my consciousness shifting, if that's normal." I was still trying, very hard even.
"Then I felt a little bit dizzy and my vision of her faded."
I was back in the dungeon again. I looked around, and the baskets, bones and even the insect on my left foot were still in the same position.
"What did you do to end up here?!" I heard a voice, but hollow as if in my head.
I almost got up to check who it was, before realizing it was Venus.
I had no time to reply, as I heard someone break through the doors. I felt a lot of energy from that person, a male. I could make that out from the stature in which his energy took. I knew instantly he was high level, because of how dense his energy was.
I retracted all my energy, as much as I could've, to seem less of a threat. He was about an advanced level, while I was merely 2nd rate. Then he came up to my cell. He didn't look like any guard, and he was covered in blood and fresh marks. That and the muffled screams I was hearing could only mean one thing.
We've been invaded. Can I catch a break? No, could I ever even just rest?!