Entering the lobby, Helena looked over the signs. She found the changing room two halls down and to the left. Following the hallway, she entered the room and saw the clothing racks in a glass-enclosed room. The see-through doors slid open as she neared.

Examining the attire at her disposal, she picked out a pair of small black spankies, a white t-shirt that would fit her thin body, white socks, and comfortable fitting white running shoes. Entering a room with a female sign, she changed and set her clothes in a locker, hacking one for quick access.

Making her way back to the front, she waved to Belesis as she mournfully examined a three-dimensional video of a beach. She waved weakly with her left hand, showing she’d start the count. Taking a deep breath, Helena began her jog, while applying a small amount of push from her magnetic field. She passed Belesis four times in two hours. Each time, Belesis gave her a new bottle of water and smiled with encouraging, yet at the same time gave undesired information.

“Good job, three minutes faster than the last lap, which is odd, did you know if you push yourself too much it’ll lower your immune system.”

“Fantastic time, two minutes faster, however, did you know that your body will start breaking down muscle you’re trying to build if you exercise too long?”

Belesis also talked about the southern beaches and how wonderful they were. I’ve never been to a beach, but I guess I’ll have the chance at some point in WITCH. She hadn’t seen Booker since he’d ran off. Perhaps he quit for the day or has some other duties?

Switching her concentration back to the run, she was shocked by how much easier it was getting to create the fields with each step. However, her head slowly started to ache as her Focus dwindled. I’m wasting more water from just the heat of the greenery than bodily exertion. Physically I’m not tired at all, but mentally … I’m starting to struggle.

As she reached the fifth lap Belesis replaced her small water bottle and their hands brushed against each other. Belesis halted her, humming thoughtfully. Right, she’s a Biokinetic. She probably analyzed my body with that simple exchange.

“You aren’t physically tired, but you’re experiencing elevated intracranial pressure, a standard diagnosis for onset Esper Fatigue.”

Slowing her breathing, Helena nodded. Meaning, I’m getting a headache.

“Eplilis’ Standard states that light headaches signify a loss in sixty percent of Focus, heavy migraines at seventy-five, and nose bleeding at eighty. At percentiles reaching ninety to ninety-five, loss of consciousness, seizures, loss in memory and time are the most common cases, while at a hundred percent depletion or often called CFD, Complete Focus Depletion … death is inevitable from brain hemorrhaging.” I didn’t know the exact statistics, it's good information … even if it is a strange declaration.

“Your ability has depleted consistently throughout the past two hours and your headache is becoming more severe, while physically your muscles are still fairly unstrained—perplexing with your extreme exertions and age. Perhaps a rare lactic acid condition that disperses more quickly than average … but no, that wouldn’t account for your muscles efficiency and suggests that I missed something in my previous analysis. I’m left with only your ability being the cause of such a phenomenon, care to explain?”

Should I answer her? She did go through her entire theorycraft aloud, but with her condition, she might not expect an answer. “Then again, I was told not to ask questions by that … eel … so perhaps you’d like to keep it concealed … or the squirrel does.” Squirrel, maybe it’s a comparison toward Kara hiding things? Helena nodded silently.

“You should take one of these?” Belesis produced a thin purple tablet from a capsule in a handbag at her side. It looked like the exact same pill as the ones in her room that Kara had given her. Wait … I didn’t take the HCID … how could I have forgotten it? The HCID and not questioning Kara about Drake’s demands … this isn’t like me...

“I think I’ll be fine.” Helena protested.

“I created these myself … are you doubting their authenticity … mistrust my ability?”

“Of course not,” Helena replied earnestly. “What reason do I have to mistrust you?”

A hum escaped Belesis’ throat as she thought internally. “What reason do you have to trust me?”

Helena was about to respond when Belesis popped the pill into her own mouth. “It dissolves on contact with saliva, but … I assume this won’t be of sufficient proof since I’m a Biokinetic.” She mumbled with narrowed eyes as she glared into the forest. I need to get back to training and I highly doubt the pill will have any adverse effects. Not with both Kara and Belesis giving me the tablets. Not only that, but this Biokinetic spent so much effort in repairing my body and dislikes Kara. Kara wants me a part of her Faction … it wouldn’t make sense to destroy what she restored.

“Give me a tablet, I trust you.” Helena smiled as she looked into her reflected eyes.

“Again … those dimples.” Belesis commented as she stared at her cheeks with interest, but her hands nimbly darted into her bag and unscrewed another capsule, handing it to Helena.

Taking it, she popped it into her mouth and felt it melt in her saliva, swallowing. “The pills have been designed to fight beta-amyloid plaques, tangled tau proteins, and slowly reduce C-reactive protein; in general it acts as an anti-inflammatory for the brain, while also promoting brain tissue longevity. A pill should be taken daily for maximum effect.

“However, only by Espers, human brains react in different ways to the chemical induction as inflammation is a lifesaving process the immune system uses to combat infection. While esper brains are continually bombarded with swelling due to Focus depletion and brain dependency.

“Side-effects may include, but not excluding; nausea, vomiting, pain in the cerebral cortex, expansion of the frontal lobe, counter inflammation of the temporal lobe, damage to cellular continuity in the parietal lobe, and rupture of the sensorimotor areas.”

Helena’s eyes widened in horror as Belesis continued her explanation of adverse effects and her stomach heaved. I just ingested such a dangerous pill!

“However … no cases have been documented of these conditions … in espers. I speculate that they could happen … possibly … to humans.”

Helena breathed a sigh of relief as she tried to ease her racing heart and churning stomach. The timing of this woman’s comments is downright morbid at times and her statements seem to carry foul humor, but it’s most likely due to her condition.

“Oh—have I upset you? Dilated pupils, the exertion of sweat, tension in facial muscles and bodily convulsions … I seem to have caused you fear … I apologize ... yet, it is worthwhile information.”

Letting out a deep breath of air, Helena gasped. “No problem—Belesis. Thank you for the medicine.”

Belesis blinked a few times before answering. “You’re … happy with it?”

“Yes, I can already feel my headache fading. Thank you.” Helena repeated.

Taking out a few more small capsules from her bag, she shoved them into Helena’s hands. “Whenever you feel a headache coming on, take one … although, more than three in a six-hour period may cause a loss in consciousness. Klen has proven that diagnosis several times … unwillingly.”

Helena giggled uneasily but tried to conceal it with a wave as she ran back on the trail. She certainly is an offbeat woman, Belesis. She seems to be highly intelligent to have created her own medicine and in a pill form. Her disorder could be a variance in her corpus callosum that, among other things, filters out information.

Yelling after her, Belesis said. “I’ll order something to eat … although it may take some time to get here.”

Helena ran around the track twice before she started to feel her headache return, her speed increasing. The light outside was starting to dim as dusk set in. On her fourth roundabout, she found a neat table set up with two people sitting, Belesis and to her surprise, Klen. The wooden table had plates of bread, meat, fruit, cheese, vegetables, and three containers filled with some kind of liquid. Klen was with Kara a few days ago. Is he also a part of their group?

Slowing, she huffed to a stop. Her muscles were starting to leave a light burn, meaning they were being worked out. “Oh—Lady Vandred, you’ve returned.” Belesis aloofly stated. “Come, sit with Klen and I. The waiter brought food, although, it’s a little cold.” Waiter, I’ve never heard of a waiter before? Does she mean the butlers and maids? Maybe they’re called waiters in WITCH?

“So, this is the girl Kara’s interested in?” Klen asked with an unimpressed tone as he examined her. Belesis’ hand darted out and smacking Klen on the back of the head with an audible thump. Klen jumped with a yelp and stared wide-eyed back at Belesis. “What was that for?”

“She’s a Lady, Klen. Show respect … even if she was kidnapped and usurped of her possible future.” Belesis said while pouring some tea. She froze in her action for a split second. “Not that she can’t reclaim her position … it just seems unlikely.”

Klen rubbed the back of his head and huffed. “Ok, she’s a Noble, but what about her ability? Is she strong or not?”

“She's run continually for the past four hours,” Belesis said with an impressed tone. “You couldn’t do that with your small body; maybe I should give you some more growth hormones.” Belesis must hit hard, being a Biokinetic. However, Klen seemed to take the full blow.

Helena noticed tiny slivers of fragmented light dancing down his back. Extending her active reception, she found a closely fitting shell of some kind slowly chipping away where Belesis had struck. He used some kind of crystalline substance to cushion the blow.

“What do you mean more growth hormones?” Klen asked suspiciously.

“Nothing … they just don’t seem to be taking much effect, it’s odd.”

Klen had an incredulous look on his face. Sighing, while shaking his head, Helena noticed more fragments falling to the ground as his black hair flailed around. Below, she found water starting to run across the ground where the shards had fallen. Two abilities instantly came to mind. Cryokinesis and Chionokinesis; reducing atomic kinetic energy to generate ice. He could also be a Thermokinetic, which is an extremely powerful ability. Being able to reduce and magnify atomic kinetic energy, thereby creating fire or ice.

“Are you going to keep staring or come eat?” Klen asked irritably. He quickly held up his hands in defense as he caught a rising hand from Belesis. “My Lady!” He quickly added.

“I have no problem with being called by either my name or handle,” Helena said evenly as she took the chair across from Belesis. She certainly is adamant about me being a Noble. What’s the hierarchy of WITCH? I know Booker’s a Captain, but what about Klen and Belesis? It probably isn’t a great topic to bring up right now, best to get to know them first.

“Everything should taste fantastic,” Belesis commented while piling food onto a plate in front of her. “These yellow fruits are especially delicious … but they have been known to carry a dangerous insect that can cause full body paralysis, leading to organ failure, without proper attention.”

Helena noticed both Belesis and Klen’s attention shift to her as she prepared to eat. “She really does act like Kara.” Klen whispered with a lifted eyebrow. “I was a bit skeptical when Booker said...”

He cut off as he caught sight of Belesis’ shining face. It was the first time Helena had seen someone so fascinated with eating etiquette. Blinking, she quickly regained her composure and clumsily tried to emulate Helena’s actions. Does she have some interest in proper eating etiquette or in Ladylike behavior?

“Wait!” Klen said as he took a closer look at Helena and then Belesis. “Did you actually copy her eyes—and perfectly?” Klen burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you’d be so obsessed with trying to refine your unladylike attitude. I mean, put a Kiyohime in a dress, but it’s still a...”

Helena saw something flash across Belesis’ eyes that made her pause between bites. With my eyes reflected, it really does seem to show a sense of fierceness and what’s this about unladylike behavior?

He cut off as Belesis’ hand darted out with serpentine quickness to grasp the back of Klen’s shirt. Apparently, without effort, she tossed him five meters into the air, over the table, and into the forest. Klen had enough time to let out a yelp before crashing into the foliage. Helena watched him disappear into the jungle as he fell down some kind of hill and seemed to stop with an audible splash.

She took another bite of fruit, before hearing Klen’s revolted voice climb up to them. “Disgusting—you knew this was here, Belesis, didn’t you!” His tone suddenly switched to a lilting tease as his voice carried up to them. “Lighten up a little or Booker will never like you!” I see! Belesis likes Booker, that’s what her reaction was, but what about Booker? He also acted somewhat strangely.

Helena watched with interest as Belesis picked up a hard circular vegetable and threw it in Klen’s direction. The projectile shot into the foliage with surprising speed and she heard Klen’s high pitched squeal as two splashes sounded. Klen yelled back with anger. “You could have killed me at that speed!”

Biting into another fruit, Helena found it did have a rather rich flavor that tickled her taste buds and put a strangely sweet smell in her nostrils.

“Wait!” Klen exclaimed in horror. “You weren’t aiming for me, but the Kolisq Hive floating in the water.” Klen screeched and Helena heard him running away from them through the underbrush, sounds of displaced water filling the area.

“Kolisq Hive?” Helena asked in-between bits.

“An insect species that has a very interesting venom. When used against their small natural pray, it causes a form of paralysis by loosening muscle tissue, harmless to humans. However, in large doses, it can cause … certain effects—in humans.”

“Is it lethal?” Helena asked.

“Oh—no, not really, just produce … unwanted bodily functions to act on their own accord … and in some—very rare cases, partial loss in muscle constriction.”

Helena couldn’t help but let a small smile escape her lips. I’m starting to enjoy Belesis’ company.