“This is certainly an interesting development. Your body hasn’t been keeping up with your power growth. You were essentially locked in at the age and size you were when you first traveled to Aysela. Now you’re experiencing some level of growth.” Themis stroked his chin as he studied Charlie. “You don’t appear to be growing rapidly. We’ll take daily measurements during our time together and look for any other changes as well. It would help to know just how much stronger you need to get before growing.”
Charlie felt around his mouth. The two little teeth had only just started peeking past his gum line and already they were driving him crazy. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He was growing teeth. Teeth! Charlie was too young for teeth. Not really, but it felt like a lot of pressure. He’d have to brush them now. It wouldn’t be bad when he just had a couple. But what about when his mouth was full of them? This was a nightmare.
“Can’t I just get dentures like Bleedy has? I don’t even eat anything. Why do I need teeth?” Charlie protested.
Merlin covered his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. “Of all the things to complain about, you’re picking teeth?” He lost it, and a hearty laugh filled the room.
Vetica swatted a hand toward him. “Leave Charlie alone! It’s a lot to take in. Teeth are useful, Charlie,” she said, leaning forward so she could see his face. “You can use them during fights if you get close. A well-placed bite can get you out of a dangerous situation. Oh, I wonder if your teeth will be harder than usual? If that rock skin ability of yours applies to them as well, you’ll have a deadly bite.” She smiled encouragement.
Charlie’s lips pulled to the side, and he looked up at the ceiling of the room while his mind wandered. When Vetica put it like that, it did sound kind of useful. He turned to look at her and nodded. “Okay, I’ll give it a shot.”
Themis clapped his hands. “We’ve spent too long here. I’ve heard about your exploits thus far, but I’d like to see your powers in action, Charlie. Our time together is limited, and I hope to help you further develop your abilities while you’re here. Gather yourselves and follow me.” The researcher turned and strode toward the hallway leading out of the room. Zephyr floated behind him, trailing just after the man.
Vetica lifted Charlie up by his sides and turned him around, so he was facing her. She positioned him in the crook of her arm, and he rested against her. Mousifer scurried off Charlie’s shoulder and onto Vetica’s, hiding amongst the hair behind her neck. She swung her leg around, hopped off the examination table, and followed Themis. Orb and Parent floated on either side of her. Merlin hurried after them and Bleedy finally gave up his search through Themis’ belongings. He looked disappointed that he hadn’t found a spare set of teeth.
Geby stayed behind. As Charlie left, she swayed her tail back and forth. It almost looked like she was waving at them. He smiled and waved his own hand toward her. Geby started happily swaying her head in response.
Charlie liked Geby.
They followed Themis down a hallway. They passed several sets of metallic doors reminiscent of the ones they’d taken to leave the elevators. But whatever room Themis was leading them to was much further in. They eventually reached a split in the tunnel. They couldn’t travel straight anymore unless Themis planned to open some kind of secret passageway where the wall was. Instead, they would need to move either to the left or the right. Themis guided them to the right, and they followed. Charlie peeked over Vetica’s shoulder to look down the left path, but it seemed ominously dark in that direction. He wondered if Themis controlled the natural lighting in here. If the researcher was keeping them from being too nosy.
Finally, they reached a room. “Seal!” Themis commanded, and the doors slowly swung open. The room was a fairly sizable rectangle shape. But unlike the lab they’d first entered, it was unbelievably barren. It was just a dirt room.
Merlin pursed his lips. “Okay, I have to admit I was expecting something…cooler? What exactly is this?” he asked.
Themis chuckled. He held a hand out and spoke a command. “Shift!” On either side of the room, two circular platforms rose four feet into the air. A series of steps appeared behind each one. Along the wall in the center of the room, a small bench formed. A short wall appeared in front of the bench as well, as if to protect it.
Orb studied the strange set up. “That looks kind of like a dugout. What’s going on?” he asked.
“This is my training room. It’s the best way for Charlie to demonstrate what he can do. I think a game will help me get a grasp on his abilities. Please set Charlie on the platform closest to the door, and then all of you should go and sit behind the wall for your own safety.”
Vetica and Merlin exchanged an unsure look. Charlie smiled at them. “It’s okay! That’s why we’re after all. So, I can learn more about my powers! Let’s try it,” he said to them.
Vetica reluctantly did as Themis had asked. She ignored the steps and sat Charlie atop the first platform. The platform was pleasantly soft against his hands and knees. But overall, he didn’t think it was in danger of falling or anything.
Themis approached the opposite platform and walked up the steps. He sat and crossed his legs, facing Charlie. He called out the shift command again, and the stairs behind each of their platforms receded into the ground. It also appeared as if the ground around the platform softened. All the others went to sit along the wide bench to spectate. Merlin looked uneasy. Vetica appeared tense, like she was ready to shoot forward and come to Charlie’s aid at a moment’s notice.
“So, how does the game work?” Charlie asked.
Themis smiled. “Each of us has a platform and we have to stay on it no matter what. If you fall off, you lose the round. Lose three rounds and you lose the game. Your goal is to use your powers to knock me off, and make sure you don’t fall yourself. Altering the pillar of your opponent directly is forbidden. Destroying the enemy pillar with external is allowed. Attacking each other directly is also allowed. Know that if you hold back, you will lose. I’m tough enough to handle whatever it is you can throw me.”
Charlie wasn’t sure about that. But he also didn’t want to underestimate Themis. There was a lot he didn’t know about the strange man. In some ways, he was probably just as curious about Themis as Themis was about him. One question was nagging at him the most. “How are you able to control this dungeon and all the beasts? Do you have a unique class, too?” Charlie asked. It was the only thing that made sense. How else could he do all the things Charlie had watched him do?
“No, I can’t use magic at all, actually. If you want to know how I do the things I do, then beat me. If you beat me, I’ll tell you,” Themis said.
Charlie grinned. That was good motivation. But despite his excitement, he was a little unsure of how much fighting he’d be able to manage. “I’m still recovering from the fight in Sange, so I don’t know how long my powers will last,” Charlie said.
Themis nodded. “I have relinquished control of your half of the room. It should be simple for you to seize control of it, like you described doing when you fought the last core guardian. This will get around the limitations of your dungeon integrity.”
Charlie blinked in surprise. Themis was several steps ahead of him already. He focused on the platform he was crawling on. On the ground underneath and all around him. Charlie could feel his authority spread throughout the room and even a few yards beyond it. The material beneath the ground, above the ceiling, and outside the walls. Themis was right. It was simple. There was an invisible line that tore the room in two parts. On one side, Themis had full authority. On the other, Charlie was in control. If he wanted to win, he would need to use his powers effectively to attack Themis while defending against the researchers attacks himself. “Okay, I’m ready,” Charlie called out to Themis’ mind.
Themis nodded. “Then we begin. The game starts now. Round one.”
Charlie focused. He readied a series of pillars beneath the ground so that Themis couldn’t see. At the same time, he formed a wall just in front of his platform. When Themis attacked, he could force it upward to protect himself.
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Themis seemed to be doing the same thing. At least, that was what Charlie was assuming. He hadn’t made a move, despite the game starting. Charlie looked around, wondering where Themis’ first attack would come from. A minute passed. Charlie was ready to attack, but what was Themis doing?
He squinted and leaned in. Charlie gasped. Themis had closed his eyes. Was he asleep?
Since Charlie had taken full control of this part of the dungeon, he could tell he didn’t need to activate any skills itself. Instead, he simply threw his hand forward, unleashing his opening volley. Even if he was annoyed at Themis for closing his eyes and not taking Charlie seriously, Charlie didn’t want to hurt him. Instead, he aimed at the platform beneath the researcher.
“Interesting strategy,” Themis said without opening his eyes. The pillars collided with the platform beneath Themis and dust filled the room.
Charlie swatted at the air, waiting for it to clear. When it did, he shook his head in disbelief. Most of the platform beneath Themis had crumbled. But the researcher remained in exactly the same spot. Only the thin piece of the platform that he was sitting on survived. Several long beams of dungeon material had shot down and fused with the platform. It looked almost like an upside-down table now. The researcher’s eyes were still closed.
Merlin’s jaw dropped on the sidelines. Vetica’s brows furrowed. They were just as surprised as Charlie was.
“You attacked the platform instead of me. You’re holding back, Charlie. I warned you about that. I can see now you won’t take me seriously until you lose your first round. So…” Themis swatted a hand forward. “Shift.”
Several beams of earth shot toward him. Charlie raised his hands so the rock wall he had prepared rose. But the beams were fast. They rocketed straight towards him. It looked like the wall might rise in time to stop them, but moments before they collided with it, the beams curved in a way that made Charlie’s skin crawl. One of them approached from Charlie’s left and shattered the pillar below him. The other approached more rapidly and aimed directly at Charlie’s side. It slowed a second before impact, and rather than smash into him, it simply nudged him away from the crumbling pillar.
A short fall later and Charlie was picking his face out a pile of mud.
“How dare you!” Vetica yelled. She hurried toward Charlie when a wall of rock cut her off.
Themis looked at her disapprovingly. “You heard what happened in Sange. Charlie only won because he pushed himself to his limit. Are you going to baby him now? Are you going to stop him from developing?” Themis asked.
Vetica’s lips parted, and she turned to look at Charlie.
Charlie wiped the mud off his face and shook his head. He felt so dirty. His onesie was a mess and there was mud everywhere. He looked up as the pillar rebuilt itself next to him.
“Round one goes to me. Are you ready for round two or do you need a moment?” Themis asked.
Charlie looked over at his friends. Mousifer and Bleedy shouted their encouragement.
“Squeak!”
“Baby!”
Merlin looked unsure. “Charlie, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want…” he said.
Themis didn’t challenge Merlin as he had Vetica. He waited to see what Charlie would do.
Charlie took in a deep breath and then used his powers to lift himself up with a pillar. He crawled off the pillar and onto the platform again for round two.
“Begin!” Themis said.
Charlie tried to attack Themis directly in the next round, but rock clawed its way out of the ground and ceiling and interrupted the pillars he sent forward. In the third round, Charlie tried to send a mass of rocks toward the researcher, losing sight of the fact he’d been trying to hold back. Not even one reached the man.
Before he knew it, rounds two and three were over.
When Charlie demanded a rematch, the next two rounds went just as poorly for him. He was caked in mud, and he felt sore all over. Themis was going easy on him. Every time an attack reached Charlie, the man would pull the force back and simply brush him over the edge. No matter what Charlie did, he lost.
As he rolled over in the mud to rest on his back for a moment, he laid there and contemplated life. “I hate this game,” he said.
Themis sighed. “Perhaps I made a mistake wording it like that. I thought you might think it more fun if I called it a game. But this is training, Charlie. It’s important.”
“Well then, I hate training,” Charlie said. He’d enjoyed fighting before. The rush of battle was exhilarating. But this was…not the same. There wasn’t any rush to it. No adrenaline. It was just doing the same thing over and over, looking for a way past the researchers’ defenses. “It doesn’t feel the same as real fighting,” he said. He tasted mud and wrinkled his nose. He turned his head to the side and spat it out.
Orb floated over to him. “I wish there were cameras in this world. This would be a great postcard. Oh! I’d make it my phone background. If you knew what that was, you’d be super embarrassed right now.”
Charlie pretended to ignore him.
Orb floated closer. “Hey! Listen up! I’m talking smack, son! What are you—”
Charlie reached up and grabbed the dungeon core and then rolled over and shoved him deep into the mud.
Orb’s words came out muffled. “How dare you!” he said.
Merlin rolled his eyes. “You’re speaking telepathically. Why are you pretending the mud is muffling your words?” he asked, leaning back on the bench.
Orb shot free of the ground. Mud spilled off his body and fell back to the earth. “For comedic effect, obviously. No one has any sense of humor. I hate it here.” The dungeon core floated off to sulk in a corner.
Charlie settled back into a crawl. “Can we do something else now?” he asked.
Themis shook his head. “Shift!” he yelled, and the pillar beneath him sank into the ground. He hurried toward Charlie. “Do you know why people train, Charlie?” he asked, a sudden seriousness in his voice.
Charlie swallowed. The change in the researcher’s speech was unmistakable. It seemed Charlie had struck a nerve. He shook his head.
Themis crossed the room and knelt in front of Charlie. “We train, so when the time comes to protect the people we choose to protect, we don’t fail. In Sange, you almost failed. You almost let the people you wanted to protect down. You had a burst of inspiration, you fought harder, and you won. But guess what? The world doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, the good guys lose. When they do, it’s because the bad ones trained harder or were more powerful. Look at your friends,” Themis said, pointing toward the bench.
Charlie looked over at them. Vetica looked lost in her thoughts, as if the man’s words had affected her as well. Merlin seemed to be unsure of whether or not he should stop all this. Even Mousifer and Bleedy wore more serious expressions on their face. The mood had shifted.
Charlie turned back to Themis.
“I know it feels like there isn’t anything at stake here. But there is, you just don’t know what it is yet. You’re preparing to protect them. One day, when their lives are on the line, you’re going to think back to this moment, and you’re going to ask if you did everything in your power to get stronger. If you have even a single doubt in your mind, it will haunt you for the rest of your life. So, work hard now. Train hard now. So that you can protect them in the future.”
Themis stood and walked toward the door. “I’ll be back soon. Collect yourself and get ready for the next round.”
Charlie spoke without thinking. “Did something happen to someone you care about?” he asked. He regretted it immediately.
Themis paused. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he turned around. “You asked me how I control the dungeon.” Themis held his hand in front of his chest, with his palm facing inward. “Seal.” His trousers and shoes remained. But the red and purple robe covering his upper body disappeared. The man was thin and lacked any visible muscle. Based on looks alone, Merlin might be able to take him in a fist fight, and Merlin wasn’t very strong at all. But Themis hadn’t uncovered himself to show off his physique. He’d done so to show them his arm.
Dungeon cores.
Seven dungeon cores were embedded in his arm, starting just past his shoulder, and trailing down to just above his wrist. Each one was a different color, and they had varying levels of brightness as well.
“You asked how I could do the things I do. Well, this is it. A self-inflicted science experiment. There is no one else in the world who can understand what you’re going through. No one else who can help you develop your powers like I can. Our time together is limited, so ready yourself, Charlie, for I intend to make the most of it.”
Charlie tightened his fist. “Train hard now so that I can protect them in the future…” he said to himself. He understood. He got it now. It didn’t matter if it was fun or exciting. It was necessary.
“Okay. I want to keep going! I want to get stronger.”