Chapter 16 - Training

Erika sat on the floor of her room. The candles that lined the wall had been lit, and the dim glow reflected off her face. Her legs were crossed tightly and one of the large books that had been stacked on her floor now lay open on her lap. Her eyes quickly glanced down the pages, taking in all the information. Suddenly her head flicked up from the pages and stared towards the door. She quietly shut the book that had once occupied her attention, and slid it off her lap. Still without a sound she carefully stood up and walked to the door. Her hand found the cool metal handle naturally and with her lightest force it turned under her hand. Behind the door she found Red X staring at her in shock, hand raised just about to knock on the door.

Can I help you? She asked slightly annoyed by the awestruck expression displayed in the way he stood.

He laughed lightly, apparently amused by her annoyance, and then spoke, his amusement still clear in his tone. I never believed anyone could be more naturally gifted than Gypsie, but apparently I was wrong.

She rolled her eyes; I dont have natural talent. I trained several years to get my abilities to be as sharp as they are now. She paused and waited for him to ask her the real question. When he didnt respond, she asked it for him. Im sure you didnt come here to tell me what I already know, so what is it that you really want?

They way he just stood there proved that he was no longer listening to her; she didnt need her powers to know that. Impatiently she crossed her arms in an irritated way. He noticed her change of stance and realized that she was speaking to him, bringing his mind back to the present.

Oh, I dont really want anything, however, Gypsies in the practice room; she said you were ready to begin your training? He didnt wait for a response to his question. He just quickly disappeared down the hallway and into his room.

She reentered her room and placed the book shed been reading back on the proper stack. She then ran off towards the main room. She passed though the room and went without hesitation to the door in the far right corner. She opened the door, just enough to slip past, and hurried through. She stared down the stairwell. They didnt fit the upper half of this place. They could have easily belonged in a medieval castle. They were made of a grayish stone. They wound steeply down the would-be hallway, and no doubt extended past more than two flights. She ran down the stairs quickly, but kept careful tabs on her feet. If she slipped she would be sure to tumble all the way down to the very end of them.

She made it to the bottom and entered the room that followed them. This room betrayed what the rooms on the upper floor didnt. The room looked dismal and the cool draft sent chills down her spine. The wall on the left was lined with machinery. The lights on the keyboards flashed neon colors, but only gave the room a more horrid look. Each machine served a different purpose, and she knew them all. The left wall was mostly lined with maps. Cities, roads, and underground tunnels, no two were the same. At the farthest distance from where she was standing there was a large window. This area was completely underground, so the window wasnt there to let sunlight in.

She walked towards the window. The closer she got the more she could see the door to the left of it. When she reached it she paid no attention to the window she merely slipped through the door.

Inside the door was a large room. The room resembled a large field. There was green grass, dirt, and even trees. In the very center of the field there were three large, thick, round post, practice targets. On the top of the middle target Gypsie sat legs crossed, and eyes closed. Her boots had been placed once again on her feet. She didnt speak when Erika entered the room but she knew that she was there. Erika didnt acknowledge her she just walked in and leaned against the post that she sat atop. She was meditating and it was best not to disturb her.

Although she wasnt looking at her she knew that Gypsie had moved from her position and she now saw her standing in front of her. There was a long silence in which the girls only stared at each other. Erika was the one to break the silence.

Tell me something. Why do you need me to perform the special technique? Im just wasting your time. You already know how to do it, by now we could already have her and be back.

You see its much more complicated than that. Sure I can do it, but only on a small scale. I have a lot of powers, but unlike you Im not a specialist in just one. If I tried to revive Terra myself, chances are highly unlikely that I would succeed. However, you are a specialist when it comes to the mind. Im positive that you can break through and bring her back. Also I have a new trick Id like you to learn.

A new trick? How, exciting. Lets get to this. The sooner Im completed, the sooner we can put this plan back into action.

She gave Erika detailed directions on what she was suppose to do. Gypsie had inserted an object that had something like the human mind in the center of the middle practice post. All she had to do was awaken it and that would bring it out. When this technique would be performed for real it would be through stone, but this was her first time trying it. Naturally she had her use something a lot less solid.

Her first attempt proved to be a failure. Shed located the objects mind, but was unable to break through to it. They continued practicing this for several hours. Each time she got closer to reaching her ultimate goal but never actually got all the way there.

This would be her last attempt for the day. She started just like she had the rest of the times. She shut her eyes tightly and focused to find the objects mind. This time she found the energy much faster than the rest of the time shed tried. She sent a quick jolt of her own energy through the connection waves that she made. She then opened her eyes and waited. The target shattered revealing the chip that had been frozen in the wood. She couldnt believe it. It was such a simple technique to perform.

Gypsie watched Erika with a satisfied look now that she knew how to do it they could move on to more solid substances and the new trick she wanted her to learn. She walked over to her side and then spoke. Well done, now we can move on. That is all we will practice of that technique today, however, your training isnt complete yet.

She understood exactly where she was heading so she interrupted. So what about the new trick?

Yes of course, Her voice was slightly irritated by the fact that she was using her powers constantly now. Well you know the whole mind trick.

The one that adds power to whatever youre controlling? She guessed.

Yes, that one. It seems very clear that you now posses the power to attempt it. She waited for her response. When she didnt respond she thought nothing of it, just began with the instructions on how this would be performed. She told her that the first object she would attempt it on would be the chip that shed just freed from the target. Now place your pointer, and middle fingers on the chip, its a lot like the human mind so I think it will give you a good sense of what it will be like when this is performed for real. She paused, waiting for her to follow her instructions. Once she had she began again, Now you must insert the exact amount of your energy into its central core. Itll take a little while to figure out what the proper amount of your energy is. However, when you have it figure out youll be hard to stop.

She concentrated hard on her energy. She focused it all into her two fingertips and sent a little of it in to the chip. She had put to little in and she knew it, so naturally she tried again. Hours passed and she could never quite get the right amount. Finally Gypsie declared that shed practiced enough for today and was free to go.

A week past and Erika practiced the exact same way every day. She kept at it until she used so much of her power that she could barely stand. Shed moved on to much more solid substances with her first technique and she was becoming quite skilled with the other one. For the second skill she really didnt have anything that she could practice properly on because only three humans lived here. Two of which were already under the mind poisoning.

Today was the day that every thing would change. On the first technique shed just yesterday begun working with stone. It was thick and was hard to find the energy signal through; just like it would be when she tried it for real. She tightened her mind and found the signal, this time with decent speed. She pushed the quick jolt of her self through the stone and waited. The stone shattered and the chip revealed its self. She couldnt believe it. Everything she practiced for she finally had. That however was not the best thing that happened to her that day.

Gypsie had been watching her from the window of the practice room. She had found her a suitable subject to practice her other skill. A boy had wandered by the entrance of her hideout. Shed Taken a power reading and discovered that he had a good potential once in her hands. Erika would practice her controlling skills on him. She entered the room and motioned to her. Once she was by her side she spoke. I have found something quite interesting.

Erika read her mind and finished her statement for her. A boy has wondered in to our area and youd like me to make him one of us.

Precisely.

She left the room and Gypsie behind, she knew that she would be watched from the monitor. She climbed the stairs that led to the main room. Then she found the door that led to the stairs that would take her to the exit. She climbed them quickly. When the valve as within her reach, she turned it and the large circle door opened.

Itd been a long time since shed been outside. Shed forgotten how beautiful sunshine was and how it warmed her skin. Right now she couldnt stop to enjoy it she had a job to do. She shut her eyes and tried to find the boy. When she found him he wasnt that far from her. She hurried towards where shed seen him in her vision. Finally he came into view. He was trying to climb a large mountain. It was very windy so it was very difficult to climb free hand.

The boy struggled as she clutched her head in pain; shed seen something. He was going to fall. She rushed to the foot of the mountain and placed her arms in an outreached position. She looked up and saw his foot miss and him fall from the great height. Before she could blink, he landed with a large thud in her arms. He wore all black and had sandy blond hair. His eyes were brown and were pulled very wide with shock.

He stared at her face with a bewildered expression. He was sure hed fallen to his death, but here he was alive and in a strange girls arms. She smiled and laughed lightly no doubt amused by his dumb struck look. The he realized that she was speaking to him.

Are you ok, you fell pretty far?

He took a moment to comprehend what she said and then responded. Yeah, I think Im ok. Good thing you were here or Im positive that I would have fallen to my death.

She laughed at him again and then sat him back on his feet only for him to discover that she was considerable shorter than him. He just stared at her for a moment while she continued to laugh then he joined her.

Hey who are you? She spoke through her chuckles.

My names Collin, He stopped laughing, And to whom do I owe the pleasure of saving me?

Erika, tell me something what are you doing around here?

He considered her question carefully and then he said the only reason that came to his mind. Looking for adventure.

You know its pretty dangerous around here, next time you feel you need some where to test youre luck Id find somewhere a little safer. Her tone didnt match the concerned words shed just spoken, she knew that there wouldnt be a next time. She hadnt noticed that theyd both begun walking as they spoke. She stopped and looked at him a worried expression crossing her face.

Collin, your face what did you do!

Huh? He couldnt feel anything wrong.

Youre bleeding really bad! Hurry, sit down I think I know how to help you!

He sat down and she knelt in front of him she placed her fingers on his temples just like what shed practiced and paused for a second to think. There was really nothing wrong with him shed just used it as her chance to try this. She focus her eyes into his mind, then sent some of her own energy into him and waited for what would follow. She was surprised to find no screaming and that he was still conscious. This technique was suppose to be extremely painful and cause a loss of consciousness, but he just stared at her with a blank expression.

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