Stevenson

Adron never uses my name, the mere word increased the weight in his voice. I understood it now, more like he beat it into me now, why the gliders flew by me unguarded when I was walking but they charged away the moment I moved my hand.

He was right, I was annoyed and I think, now that I know they are also a blest of sorts, I can't help but envy them.

Control my thoughts? I wouldn't have taken him seriously if I hadn't seen Argen nibbling the glider's flesh with his beak a few trees away. I had gotten familiar with the bird in the last few days but seeing this side of him, I realized I never really knew him.

The image of his innocent look shattered when I saw the same beak that used to gently peck my cheeks covered in dried blood. Imagining being taken by the bird's apparent cuteness and then being eaten by it gave me chills. Now I understood what controlling my thoughts actually brought with it.

It all looked too obvious all of a sudden. For the gliders I was a maniac wandering about in their habitat so of course they were wary of me but Argen, he was like a monk to them, they never knew they were in danger until his beak pierced through their soft flesh.

"But how am I going to do it?" I asked.

Adron was really irritated. I could tell he was doing his best to hide it but it didn't work.

[Your body training regime, I am changing it a little. Now you will be doing eight hours of mental training and your physical training time is still five-]

"What? Eight hours?!" I yelled, truly shocked.

[Don't cut me when I am talking Brat!] He howled, his voice practically hammering my head. [You got any problems? Look, I want to go back as soon as possible and for that I don't care even if I have to work you to death so try considering things from my eyes, I am being generous here giving you plenty time to rest.]

I frowned but stayed quiet. He was right, I have to think things from his shoes too but thirteen hours of training is...Aah, never mind. I guess I'll pull through...somehow.

[Now onto the mental training. Sit however you want to too, just don't get restless later.]

"Wait! Let me eat something first!" My insides rumbled as I yelled as if to support my point.

[You have to earn your meal. Your first meal here will be the squirrel, catch one or starve.]

"What?! You are being unreas-" My mouth froze midway along with every part of my body. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead but even it seemed to have frozen in its place.

My body screamed at me to just stay petrified.

I managed to roll my eyes very slightly to search for the source of this chill inducing aura. There was no one nearby. I think I saw Argen rushing back towards me, scared, but even he paused momentarily feeling the palpable aura.

My heart felt like it was being crushed by cold claws. A lump formed in my throat which I dared not to gulp down as any movement meant my death.

It was Adron. He had released his suppressed presence.

[Look Stevenson I am saying it only once. This thing has to work both ways. Don't take me for granted kid.] His cold voice made even my thumping heart freeze. Not the slightest hint of any emotion and yet I felt what I heard weren't words but spears of ice that skewered my very soul in its place.

I gasped as he withdrew his aura. Even my lungs had refused to move in his presence. Argen who perched on my shoulder seemed worried unlike his normal self but even so, he stayed silent.

A long silence accompanied his words and there was a void inside me where I usually felt his presence.

"Ugh...So?" I wheezed. I tried standing up but crumpled on the ground having all strength sucked out of my legs. "What exactly do we do in mental training?"

[Sit down first brat.]

I was relieved to hear his usual haughty voice. He was right, I may have taken him too much for granted, not considering how much he'd want to go back.

I sat back down calmly this time before he started explaining what exactly he meant by mental training.

[Kid your mental training will have three parts.

One- I'll try possessing your body. We'll do this until it becomes something autonomous, when you don't have to think about it. No enemy is going to give you time to meditate during combat.

Second- I think I can grant you my strength at will. Although it will be very less compared to what you saw near the lake, you will still be stronger than most of your kind if you can control it.

You will have to learn how to direct raw power into any desired part of your body otherwise your body will be overwhelmed if you simply let the strength flow through it whole. Of course I will have to control the amount I give to you too since too much and you will be crippled.

And lastly, this is the only step where it's all up to you and hence the most important. Control your thoughts. Know that there is a reason behind what you are doing and strengthen your resolve.

I am sure the life ahead isn't gold and roses, it will be hell kid. And hence, this is what will keep you together when the time comes. Kill the doubt before it ever starts to fog your mind. I can always tame you like I just did but in the long run it will tear your body apart so you need to have absolute control over your thoughts.

Also kid, we may be going to the city in a while but remember this training of yours is not going to end, even when we reach there or after that..]

He said the part about taming me with a hint of guilt.

Although the duration and difficulty of this training kept nagging my mind, even then, a smile crept up my lips surprising Adron for a moment which he tried to hide but wasn't quite successful.

"It's going to be fun huh?"

We survived...somehow. My cheeks were sunken and skin got several shades pale but I survived.

We fought several small beasts in the past few days. Howlers, canined bears, seeth lion cubs, all of them but didn't kill any. Adron was stern about not letting me kill a being because of what its corpse was worth.

But above all these, I had my first meal after a fortnight.

I was infuriated by Adron's stubbornness when he didn't allow me to eat anything but the glider's meat. But in the end, it made catching my first glider all the more thrilling.

Right now, I don't have the control over my thoughts to an utmost degree, since the thought of eating the glider's juicy flesh always popped in my mind while I tried to approach it without any murderous intent, but I have controlled my mind just enough that allowed me to catch the glider before it reacted.

Even Argen dashed away, frightened, seeing the smirk on my face as I finally managed to catch one of these vexing squirrels.

Having the first meal after so long, it felt even better than the feast I had the night before I left home even though the meat was half raw and half charred.

It was just now, when I was relishing myself with the glider's wing, that I realized Adron felt hunger too.

I was getting a restless feeling from him for a few days but it suddenly relieved as I filled myself up with three gliders, eaten to the bones. I was shocked. All this time, I thought he didn't know the slightest about things I go through but I guess my body has made even him vulnerable to such things.

"So? Eating isn't all that bad huh?"

[Yeah right kid! Not bad at-] He replied impulsively only to stay silent for the next few moments. I could feel his embarrassment that soon turned to pure rage. [Don't act snarky with me brat!]

So I wasn't the only one in pain?!

Now that I think about it, it's Adron who gives me strength to pull through things. I can't bear his contempt leaking onto me when he sees me exhausted so I end up doing things till my body gives out. Although his contempt remains the same nonetheless.

One of my goals is to make his jaw slacken in surprise someday.

[Hey Kid. Today's our last day in the forest. Better make it memorable.] He sent as soon as I got done with my meal.

"I know right!"

We will go back to the village tomorrow before leaving again for the city. I'll also sell the pelts of the gliders I caught today, they are very expensive but I don't mind even if the price I get is a bit less. This forest isn't much explored since Durlan is a small and poor dominion so probably that's why it hasn't made it to the eyes of merchants yet. People don't know that the rare gliders are flourishing here.

I am really happy today for some reason, maybe more than I ever was. Getting my price after this hellish training has really lifted my confidence up. But then again, it's Adron I am acting confident in front of, for catching a mere 'annoying squirrel' in his words.

After saying that I sat cross legged on the ground.

[Hey, I will start today.]

"Wh-What?"

[Yeah, yeah. Don't worry it'll be fine.] He replied calmly.

"You really sur-"

[I have told you several times, brat! Never make me repeat myself.] He rebuked.

I have no choice since he was ready to use "other means" if I don't listen.

I imagined my figure standing away from me. This was the usual regime but something was odd this time. He wasn't there.

"Boo" I heard a voice from behind.

"Not scary"

It was him, I saw him walk past me towards my body with a smile.

Apparently he was not restraining his presence as much as he could when we first tried it near the lake. 'First expression is all it’s about, kid.' He said candidly when I asked about that.

Now seeing him wasn't as imposing to make me grovel in my own mind but I still avoid saying anything in front of that figure of his.

Anyways, this process of letting him have control has become far less time consuming now. We can do it in about five minutes contrary to the hours it took earlier but still it's not to the point where we can use it in battle and progressing has become much more difficult now.

I feel like a spectator of my own body's actions when all this is going on. I can see, hear, smell and feel even but can't influence anything. This does make me a little anxious but since I know it's Adron in control then I get a little relieved. I think it's the same with him when I am in possession. He is a tank, I really hate how he is so strong mentally that he never shows even a trace of worry.

Although strong as he is, what he practices after taking control are just basic movements. At first he felt head first on just his third step, somehow fracturing a few smaller bones which did get healed due to him but it was all painful nonetheless. Of course he blamed my "bug's" body for being incompatible with him.

That's why this part of training was usually kept for the last but he seems very excited today.

He said he had lowered his power to a hundredth near the lake which I definitely wouldn't have believed if the words weren't coming from his true form. Now he said my body has definitely improved but he still reduces his strength to a further hundredth of what he had used for the first time. He called this basic amount "the threshold".

We can't make ditches with this much strength but it enhances the senses, strength and agility significantly without putting much strain on my body.

Though he was struggling with just walking in a straight line as of now, he said once he get used to it then we could beat quite a large number of people in this world.

Furthermore, the time that we can stay in this form is very less as of now. If he just sits then it's around five minutes but if he starts moving then it comes down to two minutes or less and this form dissipates immediately if he tries anything other than basic body enhancement.

I think he thought over all these potential problems when he first said to me that this training wasn't going to get over soon.

"Steady yourself kid! We are kicking up the pace today." He declared in a tone reeking with excitement. Before even fully comprehending his words, I was exhilarated. It was probably because of his fever taking over me.

Then it happened.

Before my eyes could catch up to what was happening, my cheeks felt the cool breeze turn into a sharp current, almost tangible. Then I saw the surroundings flashing past me.

Adron was running.

Although running wasn't the right word. It doesn't do justice to the speed at which my body was ripping through the forest.

[But...how?] I asked, curious and excited at the same time.

But I got my answer not long after I asked, not from him but through a pang in my leg.

"We are at five times the threshold" His voice muffled in the air due to the speed but his excitement could still be felt clearly. A broad smile was plastered on my face at the moment. He sure knows how to ignore pain.

I knew this was going to take a toll but even I forgot about that, immersing myself in this experience. I felt invincible.

Though he did place a few missteps but avoided a fall somehow. That's when a sense of worry crept up my mind, just what all was going to break if we stumbled now? I ignored that in the end. Why not enjoy the present?

Again I was astonished.

My hand jerked upwards, then there was a feeling of something furry in my palms. A glider's tail!

Before I could even say anything, he just tapped it on the neck and flashed towards another tree. Another glider in his hand and he tapped the neck again.

The feeling of being invincible came crumbling down as I saw him getting the results it took me two weeks to get at so effortlessly.

It was all over in less than a minute. I crumpled down due to the strain in my legs near the pile of ten gliders that he caught. They were all alive, just unconscious.

I could name a hundred other beasts, stronger or faster, nearby but he chose to hunt the gliders.

[Haha. Wasn't I supposed to take a fortnight?]

My hand subconsciously reached to the pocket where I had kept the medallion my aunt gave me. A smile crept up my face as I imagined the future with great zeal. A future that was only possible because of him.

"No, not you Adron Athav."