Chapter 9 - Seil's Training

The Young Veetan man sat and read a short article.

[Eight days ago the Human-operated research-oriented space-station, Gaia, was under attack by pirates. 

The Lek Pirates, a fierce crew made up entirely of Tothans, managed to severely wound five in their attack, including the bright and promising Trial Ranger Hayden Kelly. Only one fatality has been confirmed so far. 

In light of the Unending Promise, the defenses of the facility were minimal, but fortunately, Trial Ranger Quin, with no known surname, was being kept at the station and served as a proper line of defense against these villains. He has officially received his promotion to Ranger.

Upon interrogation, the pirate captain Lek seems to have admitted to being associated with the Partition.]

The Veetan smirked.

“As if,” he held his mod over his shoulder, “What do you think of this, Lasia?”

**

A little over a week and a half had passed since Quin’s training began.

Seil and Fenres opened the door to the sparring room. Fenres was carrying waters and some crackers. 

Quin and Teek were sparring intensely. Quin was wearing a blindfold, but was somehow going blow for blow with Teek. 

Teek threw a heavy fist at Quin’s head, but Quin moved out of the way and gripped Teek’s arm and threw him over his shoulder onto the ground using all of his body weight. 

“Gotcha,” said Quin.

“Shut up, I was distracted by those two at the door.”

“Whatever,” Quin shrugged it off and lifted up his blindfold.

“You’re working hard, I see, Quin,” said Fenres.

“Yeah, he is,” said Teek, “He’s kinda scary, actually. He got past five minutes in just a couple days, and he’s really starting to be able to feel Arima radiation now.”

“Seems like it,” said Fenres as he handed Quin his water and food.

Quin shoved the crackers into his mouth and gulped down the water like a starved beast.

“In that case… do you think he’s ready to start phase three, Teek?” asked Fenres.

“I think so. We don’t have all that much time left, anyhow. He’ll learn quick. He likes to play dumb, but I think the kid’s actually a genius.”

Quin stayed silent.

“What do you think, Seil?” asked Teek, “It’s your method, afterall.”

“If you think he’s ready, then he must be,” Seil shrugged, “Although, Quin really ought to decide.”

“Decide what?” Quin asked, mouth full of dry crackers.

“Do you think you’re comfortable enough with feeling people’s auras to try to take it to the next level? This is a highly specialized method of training, afterall.”

Quin gulped down his food with some water and put his hand on his chin, staring at the ceiling. He turned his gaze back to Seil.

“I’d say so. I feel like I haven’t been getting much of anywhere with the current method for the past couple days.”

“Splendid,” said Seil, “Captain, Teek?”

“Got it. We’re out of here,” said Fenres as he exited the room.

“Good thing this room’s soundproof,” said Teek who followed suit.

Teek shut the door behind him.

“So what’s on the agenda?” asked Quin.

“Did you know that a Ranger’s raw strength begins to plateau after about three months or so of proper training?”

“No. I guess this is the first I’ve heard of it. Does that mean I’m not that far away from my peak?”

“That’s not what I’m getting at. A Ranger’s raw strength plateaus at about a month in, and generally gets ever so close to their peak after about eighteen months on average. So how do you think a Ranger continues to improve?”

“By using their strength more efficiently?”

“Exactly. Only by learning to be more efficient in their strikes and finding better ways to apply their Study effectively can a Ranger become stronger after their raw power is set in stone. Take Chugol for example. He’s in theory far weaker than any of us on this ship, but he can still keep up with us and then some.”

Seil sat down. Suddenly, there was a string instrument in his lap. It had a single string stretched along a board.

“That’s your Manifest?” asked Quin.

“The goal of this training is to get you used to fighting through even the worst of chaotic scenarios. Are you up for it?” asked Seil.

“You all keep training me as if you’re desperate to make me strong as fast as possible. Will we be fighting someone on Talis?”

“Most likely. It’s one of our primary functions as Rangers alongside research and reconnaissance, afterall,” Seil hesitated, “Well, at the very least, this should help you be able to run away if the going gets really rough.”

“I wouldn’t run away,” Quin interjected.

“How brave of you,” Seil giggled, “You must be ready for this exercise, then.”

“Whenever you are.”

“Right, now put on your blindfold, and don’t take it off under any circumstances until I say you can.”

Quin put on his blindfold. 

Seil put a finger on his Manifest and gently caressed the string. A sudden, horrid screech came out of it.

Quin covered his ears and crouched down, but it didn’t block the sound. 

Seil lifted the finger off of the string and waved his hand. Deafening silence.

Quin was greatly confused. He moved to lift up his blindfold, but put his hand back down as he remembered Seil’s instructions.

“My Study is Sound. Ever since I was born, I was able to see sounds as colors. Right now, I’m blocking all the sound in this room from traveling.”

Quin did not respond, as the sound did not reach his ears.

“Well, it’s not like you can hear me anyways.”

Seil plucked the string on his instrument. Another screech emitted from it. Quin dropped down to the ground in agony. Instead of blocking the sound out again, Seil let it naturally subside.

“I’ll tell you how this is going to go. In between strums, you need to locate me and prevent me from plucking the string again. I’ll ask you again, are you up for it?”

Quin picked himself up, and silently got into a stance.

“Very well,” said Seil.

He plucked the string once more.

Quin started walking towards Seil, but the clear image that he could feel of his aura scattered as the sound hit his ears. He lost his sense of balance, and stumbled in whatever direction he could get his feet to move in. Eventually, he fell down.

He began to pick himself up, but another sound hit his ears and returned him to the floor. He reached his arm out towards Seil, but his arm didn’t even come close to him before it went down with the rest of his body.

This continued for over a day.

**

“Why don’t we take a break here?” asked Seil. 

“Not… yet…” replied Quin, sprawled out on the ground. Blood dripped from his ears, and his eyes were red.

“Nope. You don’t get to decide,” said Seil, “You’re a hot mess right now. Get some rest.”

“Tch. Fine.”

Quin slowly got up off the floor, took his blindfold off, and went to the kitchen.

Chugol was inside chopping up some sort of vegetable.

“Woah. You’re looking a little rough around the edges,” remarked Chugol.

“No kidding,” said Quin, frustratedly, “Aren’t you supposed to be in the cockpit? I thought we were getting pretty close to Talis.”

“We are. I’m just making one last meal before we get there. I try to eat as little Veetan food as possible.”

The Veetan diet mostly consisted of meat and nothing else. There was very little in terms of seasoning or plants served in the restaurants on Talis.

Quin sat down at the table.

“You gonna want some of this, Quin? You could probably use the energy,” asked Chugol.

“I don’t know, I’m just thinking,” responded Quin. He rested his face in his hand.

“Suit yourself.”

Quin sat in silence. The sound of the knife hitting the counter as it sliced through the food.

“Hey…”

“What’s up, Quin?”

“You’re pretty good at controlling your powers, right? How do you think I can get past this.”

“Hmm…” Chugol hesitated, “I think this is something you gotta figure out on your own, Quin.”

“Please? Just a hint.”

Chugol exhaled deeply. He raised his knife into the air, and threw it behind him.

Quin didn’t have time to react before the knife grazed his arm, leaving a deep cut in its path. He gripped his arm.

“What the hell, dude?”

Chugol walked passed Quin and pulled the knife out of the wall

“Can’t you just heal it? You’re a proper Ranger, now.”

Quin did not respond.

“That’s the most I can do for you,” he said as he went to wash the knife off in the sink, “By the way, that hole in the wall is coming out of your pay.”

Quin stared down at the wound on his arm.

Heal it? How?

Quin put all of his focus on his cut. The Arima radiation in his body covered his wound. As the light seeped into the wound, it was visibly closing up.

Well, how about that.

Quin kept looking at the healing wound. His bloodshot eyes opened wide as he understood something.

“I see how it is, now.”