A trench is a simple standard defensive structure that becomes complex in the middle of a forest. What was I thinking! Ten soldiers and four general workers were busily chopping down a large number of trees and digging down into the earth when Frank decided to lend a helping hand. Frank waved to the guards and workers, climbed into the ditch, chatted with each person for a few minutes, and then started his work.

He would dig for a while, fill up a crate with dirt, and use telekinesis to lift the crate and dump the dirt on the growing pile. After three cycles of digging and using telekinesis, Frank climbed out of the ditch sat down and closed his eyes. The familiar warm and rhythm of his meditation process brought him peace as he worked to refill some of his power point pool. Frank did not notice the lieutenant motion for a female guard to stop working and take up a guard position to protect the Emperor. He drifted within the peaceful sensation for a subjectively short period, it was actually an hour, before noticing more than half of his power pool was filled. Frank ignored the notification that appeared when he finished meditating and noticed the guard.

"Thank you for watching over me during my meditation. How are you today Melinda?" Frank asked.

"I am well Your Imperial Majesty! Thank you for asking and for an excuse for light duty instead ditch digging." She replied.

He climbed back into the trench to repeat the cycle of digging and telekinesis until meditation is required. Melinda stayed at her post after a signal from her lieutenant since he knew the Emperor would meditate again. When Frank finished his hour long meditation, he noticed two one foot deep and one foot wide grooves extended out away from the current end of the trench in the direction of the beach drilling through the ground, tree trunks, and even rocks. Soro must have arrived during his second period of meditation and decided to use his Shape Mass power from the Mass Manipulation discipline to create the grooves that defined the path for the trench to follow as a guide for future expansion. Frank checked his messages while waiting for Soro to return.

Congratulations! Your Meditation skill increased to Beginner 5 10%. The new effect is 2.5 PP per minute. You earn 50 XP. You have advanced to Level 4. You are awarded +1 Vitality, +2 Inteligence, and +1 Wisdom. Your realm master skill point may be added to Strength or Intelligence.

. Narius informed him.

. Frank replied.

Frank could see the scouting party returning to town via the road. It was clear that one of them was injured, Frank knew it was Barki, but it was difficult to tell from a distance. Tara and Narius met the party by the time the trio reached town. Tara made Barki sit down; so that, she could employ her heal other power to speed his recovery and repair some of the damage.

"Hello Namon. I hear that you were in a pitched battle with a jaguar." Frank stated as he approached the group.

"Yes we did Your Imperial Majesty! I still do not understand how the beast managed to surprise us." Replied Namon.

"Perhaps, it had a power or skill that helped it hide. Either way good work ensuring the safety of the scouts within your patrol. Do you have the carcass?" Narius asked.

"Yes, sir! Namon replied. The jaguar appeared upon the ground in front of the scout. Startled gasps and exclamations were heard as the crowd got the first look at one of the dangers of the forest.

******

The end of day meal outside of the outdoor kitchen was an opportunity for the people of the town to share the news of the day. Very few fish were caught in the nets from the fishing expedition to the sea. Yukao, the fisherman, had been a foul mood grumbling about greenhorns after the poor results. When Frank informed him of the price he would pay him to assemble the fishing poles, his mood improved. The current fishing poles had yielded just one fish, but both of the workers had learned a new skill.

The hunting party had returned with two deer and a couple of large snakes. Therod paid top dollar for the meat and a craftsman paid for the skins. Everyone in the hunting party was please with their monetary gains, and Frank and Therod were please to increase the food supplies even if it was just two extra days. The leather and fur craftsman was pleased to have acquired a pelt, two deer skins, and two snake skins. Soon there would be some new goods for him to sell.

******

"Your Imperial Majesty! It is a pleasure to see you." Tara said as Frank entered Soro's training area near the base of the hill.

"It always brightens my day to see your beauty light up a room Tara. I assume that Soro would like me to work on h along powers if you are here for my training time" Frank flirted with the beautiful healer.

"That is correct my forgetful and undisciplined student. You may be my Emperor, but I expect punctuality and focus during our train periods." Soro interrupted. "Please sit and listen to Tara describe how she feels when activating the Healing Sleep power."

Franks smiled at Tara as he sat down in the lotus position.

"Healing sleep is the base power from which all of the healing Sub powers derive. Students learn and practice this power while laying down. A deep numbing and warming feeling occurs when the power is correctly activated, yet an individual must analyze the collective components of the body with a deep focus upon the injuries to be healed before activating the power." Tara lectured. "Please lay down and I will observe the state of your healing energy while you practice.

Frank spent half an hour struggling to focus inward upon the state of his body. The state Tara wished him to reach was similar to meditation yet one could not allow oneself to reach a peaceful meditative state. Relaxed awareness allowed one to analyze that state of ones body, but Frank kept slipping into meditative state. It was an epic fail. Soro excused Tara from the training to allow for one hour of practice upon Frank's other skills.

The training began with moving objects around the training area for one minute at a time. Soro would strike Frank with a bamboo stick at random moment within the one minute period. Usually, the object would drop as Frank's concentration failed but once he managed to maintain his focus. Between each period of telekinetic training was a short 5 minute meditation period. Next, a period of telepathic conversation with random strikes with the bamboo pole. When the hour training period was over, Frank felt bruises all over his body.

"That is not the correct way to treat an Emperor" Frank growled at Soro.

"It is the best way to treat a talented student. It gives you motivation to succeed at activating Healing Sleep when you go to sleep tonight." Soro replied. "Do not disappoint me!"