Chapter 33

No One Cock-Blocks Me, Like I Cock-Block Me From Myself

The Endarian Military Academy was much as I expected, in that I had no clue what to expect when I arrived. Then after touring the campuses, I still had no clue how everything would work out. My arrival came with several students and cadre, a few of the cadre I instantly understood were there to watch me. I was guessing that they, and by they I mean the human leadership, messed up by keeping me confined to military posting for so many months when I first arrived.

I had to admit that the aesthetics of the place was impressive, even though the Academy seemed to be willing to concede functionality for appeal.

“That’s you?” Rayquel said, point off to a human youth with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. Seeing the kid with his noodle arms, I couldn’t help but take in a deep breath. Especially as the person next to him was her, my future-ex from another dimension.

“Yeah.” I manage to say without too much strain in my voice, I hope.

“You look better, stronger than he does.” Rayquel states, as she compares the two of us.

“A lot is likely due to the fact that I started with higher overall Physical Attributes, especially with my Agility and Dexterity being at the fifteen-point threshold.”

Hearing that she raises an eyebrow. “That would make a huge difference in your ability to improve.”

I nod, I knew what I was doing when I wanted to avoid speed drills. Not only were they painful, but they were so repetitive that I felt I would go mad with a thirteen time through the same process. Even if this was still technically my first time through.

“I see that you work out daily, but your Dexterity, or your hand movements have also increased. What are you doing for that?” She asks.

With that I smile and tap my trusty violin case at my side. Even in this universe I am allowed to carry it with me. Fortunately, the Endarians seem to be more amenable to having aesthetics over uniformity, as such I think they would rather force everyone that came to carry an instrument than not.

Quirking an eyebrow she asks, “for Dexterity?”

I nod.

“Now this I have to see.” Rayquel said as she bit her lower lip in what was clearly a forced human form of flirtation.

“I’ll do it, so long as you don’t do that, again.”

“What?”

“That cute flirty thing you just tried.” I say gesturing to her lips.

With that she just smiled coyly. “A girl has to try.” This is part of forced integration with Endarians, most female Endarians tend to play up the overly cute female role to win trust and build camaraderie earlier. This tactic almost never works out how the humans think it will, as such I try to cut it off early.

Shaking my head I say, “I understand your ways, but I am taken.” With that I pull out the violin and begin playing. Since I am on Endar, I don’t do anything as monumentally stupid as play Endar Rising, see I can learn.

Instead, I begin with begin with one of my all-time favorites, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. After the intro, I close my eyes and am lost in the music. Turning every portion of the symphony into a violin portion, at times playing so quickly and violently trying to get overlapping sounds and competing cords to harmonize in one resonance. That is the true way to increase one’s Dexterity, at least after the fifteen-point Attribute threshold.

I cast Cleanse on myself quite a few times. I also continue to press myself. Being as this is the morning workout time; I figure my spending part of my morning improving my Dexterity isn’t a complete waste of time. So, I continue.

This event right here proves a huge difference between Endarian and Human cultures. If we were at the human military academy, such an event would never be tolerated. In fact, while I had to continually train with the violin by my side, I was never allowed to play until the day was over. Here I was allowed to use it as it added to the aesthetics of the place. At least that was what I assumed to be the case as I continued to play in the morning practice field.

Finally, the song was over as I went through all the different portions that I could recall. I was drenched in sweat, but it was a good deep sweat. The type of sweat that comes from doing something that you love.

Only after I was done did I open my eyes to see Rayquel there, eyes wide in something. Again, I am not good at reading Endarian emotions. If I could smell her pheromones, I might be able to understand more of what she was saying, but as it stood, I could only stand there and watch.

It was at about this time that Rayquel’s glances around showed that I had become the center of attention. Most of the Endarian instructors moved their formations closer to us. One of the formations was the human platoon. It appeared that at least for morning formations they would all be training together. No doubt to still build unity, before they were broken apart to fulfill their different obligations.

“That was good. Your music is so passionate and violent.” Rayquel said.

With that I feel a bit of embarrassment as I try to defend one of our truly great composers of history, “I don’t know if the song is truly meant to be violent, but it feels best to play it as such. Not bad for a song that is close to a millennium old.” I admit.

Hearing that her eyes grew wide. “Wow, I never knew you had such long and varied culture.”

Hearing that I smile, “well if you were impressed by that perhaps I could interest you in a composer who is almost as old.”

“Oh, who might that be?”

“The artist known as David Bowie.” I say picking up my violin as I prepare to play one of the all-time greats.

Before I could play however, we were interrupted by General Fellina. Once again, her eyes glowed in a way that I don’t remember from my universe. I almost wonder if this is her use of Precognition? She always seems to have something different going on with her eyes every time I see her in this universe.

Then again with my unique universe theory, this might be something that just happens to her eyes in this universe. I make a mental note to follow up on this.

I know there are so many other things that I should possibly pay attention to, like finding out who all my human informants are. Find out what types of reports are being sent back to the humans about me. Finding out why this universe’s version of myself and my, well his, girlfriend are here? Well scratch that I have a pretty good reason for that last one. The last one is likely to see if I will react in any way shape or form to that version of me.

“Cadet Goldman.” General Fellina says, locking eyes directly with me.

“Ma’am.” My voice calls out, but it isn’t me. We all turn as one to the confused Cadet Goldman who is still in the human formation. A quick glance shows that he is in the push-up position. I almost want to tell him to keep going, but then think better of it.

“Not you, the other Goldman, Goldman-X.” She says, remembering my unique designation that the humans bestowed upon me. I know, super original, new person comes from unknown origin, slap a dash ‘X’ on their name and be done with it.

With that the here me nods and lowers his head though I can tell he is still listening. In fact, everyone from the human platoon is listening. I think their listening is just human nature and not a sign that they are all spying on me. Then again, maybe they are. If that were the case, then my handlers would make sure there was plenty of annoyed in my paranoid. It sounds better than it reads.

“There is a matter of your classes.” General Fellina says, drawing the attention back to me.

I raise an eyebrow. Apparently, she either understands the human gesture, or my pheromones tell her to continue, because she does just that.

“I need you to fill in as a teacher for the Spirit and Healing classes.” She asks.

Hearing this I raise an eyebrow at her. Spirit I can sort of understand as I am listed as a top percentage user for this universe as well. Though healing does seem to be an odd choice.

Perhaps sensing my hesitation, she continues.

“We know of your relatively low affinity with healing, but after seeing what you were able to do with both Rayquel and yourself.” She says, gesturing to our stomachs. The gesture alone is enough to cause a hot spike of pain to strike through my gut, as I mentally experience the phantom pain of being stabbed by a branch of the sacred tree again. Speaking of which I have both the fertilized world tree seed and its branch in my room here. The branch still feels like a weird trophy for that mission, like here is the knife that stabbed you. But still, I can see the reverence that the Endarians have towards the tree and its branch and can’t quite bring myself to discard the branch. I almost feel like there is something I should do with the branch, like turn it into a wizard’s staff from legend or something. Still every time I pick the thing up, I feel the foreign power of the world tree still locked within the branch, but nothing happens.

“…Which is why we would like you to teach your effective use of healing magic. Especially as the techniques of your home universe seem to drastically out pace our own methods.”

Right, she was talking that entire time. Totally spaced out there. I just wish people would get to the point. Just state your intention and then boom wait for a response.

Silence.

I look around to see that everyone is looking at me. Right, they are waiting for a response.

“Sure.” I reply. I’ve found that I generally get out of a lot of trouble by saying that over can you say that long annoying speech again, but get to the point quicker?

General Fellina’s eyes glow brightly for a bit, then she seems to come to some type of conclusion. “Rayquel, go with him and make sure he doesn’t get lost.”

Was she on to me? No way, I totally played that up.

Finally, the General left, along with a few other instructors who had dismissed their morning formations. Only once they were out of earshot did Rayquel say anything.

“You should pay more attention. Well, that, or not be so obvious that you spaced out on her comments.”

“I was obvious?” I ask, but then realize that is almost like admitting my own guilt. “I mean, what do you mean?” I say trying to sound overly offended with a grandiose tone.

“Your pheromones.” She said, doing a wafting motion with her hand as if to smell the funk coming off of me. I am mildly concerned as I know I have been sweating a lot this morning and this can’t be all too pleasant of a smell that I am giving off.

Seeing me and perhaps reading something in my pheromones she answers my unspoken question. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t smell that bad. Again, to us it is likely one of the strongest smells I have come across. This is also why you need to be careful about…” She trails off.

Just when I was about to get into my own head about what to do next, she stopped talking abruptly. I stop to turn to her.

“Well, that was rude.”

“What was?”

“You were about to zone out on me, like you did for the General.” She states.

I was about to deny such a claim, but then thought better of it. “This is going to be a quick learning curve, isn’t it?” I ask.

“You better hope so. Most people won’t be as tolerant as the General.”

Hearing that I nodded. Making a note to see if I could use healing magic to alter my pheromone smell.

“Whatever you are thinking stop.”

“What?”

“You smell devious, that is not a good smell to come from anyone. Especially not you.”

“Devious?” I say, I am about to protest when a voice cuts in.

“Um, excuse me.” A familiar voice speaks up, and I almost feel my heart begin to race at the sound and sudden closeness of the voice. Turning I look to see, her.

The smell of vanilla and honey instantly fills my nostrils and I wonder almost immediately if this is an odd part of my Endarian physiology kicking in. Why I always associate that complex smell with her.

She is still beautiful, especially in her tight uniform made even tighter as sweat causes her uniform to form to her body.

“Hey.” I reply, not a single hint of nervousness in my voice.

“Sorry. I just wanted to say that was amazing. Beethoven, right?”

It takes me a moment to realize what Jess, no Cadet Childers I need separation, is talking about. Only after ward do I remember the impromptu performance this morning. “Yeah, his ninth.” I say.

With that she blushes and moves a particle of hair behind her ear. “Well, I just wanted to say, it was really good.”

“Thanks?” I say, as I look around for a lifeline. Only to look and see that I, well this universe me, is looking at me with jealousy.

“Yeah, no problem.” I say, with that I look around and turn to Rayquel. I hope that every pheromone I create right now is screaming help me out here. Seeing my plea for help Rayquel smiles devilishly as she moves next to me.

“He is good isn’t he.”

Jess nods.

“I will see if we can make his music part of our morning routines. You know, to help you all get acclimated to your new dwellings. This will also be good for us, as we can learn about your culture.”

Culture? You are doing this just to torture me, aren’t you? I think to myself.

“Thank you.” Jess says, then grabbing my hand, well the me from here’s hand, she walks away. As they leave me, well evil universe me stares at me with a look of jealousy and something else.

Once they are gone, I think out loud. “Man, I think I cock-blocked myself there.”

“It’s her, isn’t it?”

“Her?” I ask confused.

“The girl from your universe that you are with.”

I want to protest, to yell at her that she is crazy. But then I realize she is likely reading my pheromones.

“No. That was…” I trail off trying to think of what to say. “That was a different lifetime entirely. She and I could never be.” Pausing for a second, I begin to think of Mel and how she is so much better, how we don’t have any broken moments of cheating. “I have someone else.” I answer.

Seeing my response, and likely feeling or smelling? My pheromones, she nods in understanding. “This is part of your PDD?” She asks.

I look at her wondering how they knew. Then likely figured it was part of my debriefing to be transferred. Like here is a broken toy, it is broken here, here, and here. Now play with at your own risk.

“Yes.” Is all I answer.

Silence.

We both think for a moment. Then she finally cuts in. “Well come on. The general tasked you with teaching your Healing and Spiritual secrets to the students, didn’t she?”

With that I nod and begin to follow her. So many deep emotions going through my mind all at this moment. The only thing I can think about is how this universe’s version of me has it easy, as he will never have to worry about the betrayal of our brother.

At that a deep thought fills my mind, as I feel a shiver run down my spine at the fact that my brother is still up to his old tricks and abilities in my home universe. I look to the sky, and wonder what if anything is happening right now over there? I also wonder if Mel is safe.