What happened next may seem radical, but you need to understand: not all attributes were born equal. Some were harder to develop and grow, some were simply more important and powerful than others. The Beam was obviously more important to a Griidlord than the ability to smell really well. And, as it was revealed to me, the Beam was much more challenging to attain than many of the others. Fields were another matter; we'll get to them before too long. They had their own unique learning curve. For now, just understand that senses are quicker to fire up than combat skills.

I experienced a mental explosion, a oneness with the suit I had never felt before. My brain bloomed and exploded as I connected with it, my nostrils swelling and filling with awareness. But no, it wasn't my nostrils. Though I perceived the explosion of sensitivity as being part of my flesh, there was an intense knowledge that the sensory information I was suddenly feeling came from the suit, feeding straight to my brain. My body was telling me that I really scented the air differently.

Lauren looked at me, interested, maybe even concerned. "What is it?"

I turned my head to her, feeling nearly blind as my brain was overwhelmed by the scents. I detected and became suddenly aware of many smells: the earth, the trees, animal scents, the floral smell of Lauren's perfume flooding me. The scent attribute flashed on my HUD, the 0.0 flashing, fading, replaced with a 1.2.

She looked at me, disbelieving. "You didn't just..."

I nodded. "It's working."

She took a long breath, observing, measuring, marveling at me. Then she said, "Can you smell it?"

I scented. It was hard to believe we couldn't have smelled it before. Fiends are foul things with a stink all their own. Survivors of attacks speak of the clouding stench that pulses from them, their blood smells of rotting meat. I could smell it; I couldn't miss it, which was just as well because, despite my brain exploding with new awareness, I had barely gained one point.

I pointed down the slope. "It went that way."

Lauren stood aside, saying, "Lead the way." Her interest in me had crystallized; I could tell.

As I walked down the hill, stumbling and clumsy, I felt stupid, sure I was infuriating her. But she said nothing to indicate as such.

Each step was a struggle to maintain balance. My movements were poorly coordinated and the ground was uneven and tangled. The overpowering stench of the fiend guided me. I focused on the smell. The scent attribute might have made me more aware, but it didn’t make me any more graceful. Every few steps brought another opportunity to nearly trip over something.

Lauren followed closely. She walked in silence. She didn’t want to distract me from my focus. I was only too aware of how she could see be plodding along. She must have regretted having me with her for my poor affinity with the movement of the suit. I only hoped that my new attributed redeemed me to her.

We continued through the dense foliage. Brambles and branches deflected from the armor harmlessless. Occasionally a thorn would find some bare flesh and draw blood. The going was slow.

There was a heavy silence for a time. Lauren seemed to be deep in thought. I concentrated on trying to follow the scent. It wasn’t easy as I might have suggested. I had just gained the attribute. I only had one level in it. I was learning how to use it. It was a blessing that the fiend’s smelled so strongly. I couldn’t have tracked a man or a rabbit at this level.

As I walked, I felt the tension of the pregnant silence from Lauren. I concentrated on the smell and worked hard on placing my feet, feeling clownish as I lifted my lightly armored legs and set them down, thinking through the difficult process of heel striking ground, ankle flexing, hip turning, as though I was responsible for every action that my unconscious brain normally managed. The voice was gleeful, hooting and giggling.

"You did it just like that," the voice said. "Gained an attribute just by thinking about it."

I spoke quietly, Lauren trailing, absent and distracted. "Am I getting better at it? If I can gain attributes this quickly, then maybe I really can develop enough to pass the others and win the suit."

The voice cackled. "Oh, no, no, no. It's not like that. I am excited, I really am, but that's not how it works. Some attributes can be gained quickly, like scent or sight. Some take much, much longer, like the beam. But the more you learn, the harder it is to progress to a higher level of attunement with the suit. You might be able to meditate a level or two from a 0 to a 1 or a 2, but certainly after that, the only way to evolve your abilities is to actually use them, actually train them."

I sighed. The tone was so condescending. There was something about the character of the voice that was vaguely sinister. It made my neck chill. I tried to remind myself that thing had been helpful. But I couldn’t ignore my unease. The voice had helped me so far, helped me gain the beam to defeat Olaf, helped me gain scent just now to give me a chance to stay in the competition, and a chance to impress Lauren.

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I tried to focus on the task at hand. The scent was strong. At times I could barely detect it. At other times it wafted so thick as to nearly choke me. It was a filthy smell. Like something not-quite rotten mixed with excement. The trail led us through thick underbrush, over uneven ground, and I struggled to maintain my balance.

As we continued through the dense underbrush, I could sense Lauren’s growing frustration with my plodding steps. Though her steps were still awkward, they gained fluency with every moment we walked over the uneven ground.

"Tiberius," Lauren said, her voice clipped, "we need to move faster. At this rate, the fiend will be long gone before we even get close."

"I'm trying," I replied.. "This suit... it's not easy to move in."

Lauren stopped, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "I know it's difficult, but we can't afford to fall behind. Here, let me show you something."

She stepped behind me, her presence suddenly very close. Her hands reached out to guide my movements, touching my arms and shoulders. Her breath was warm against my neck, and I could feel the heat radiating from her body. My heart pounded, and I felt my cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and excitement.

"Remember," she said, her voice softer but still firm, "it's not really your musclesthat you use, but your mind. The suit responds to your thoughts. You have to think about moving, not just try to muscle your way through it."

She guided my arm, showing me how to lift it smoothly. "Like this. Imagine your arm moving. Let the suit do the work."

I tried to focus, feeling the suit respond more fluidly to my mental commands. Lauren's hands on my arms were steady.

"That's better," she said. "Now, your legs. It's the same principle. Think about walking smoothly. Imagine each step in your mind."

I did as she instructed, picturing my steps clearly. The suit responded, my movements becoming slightly more coordinated. But the closeness of her body, her breath on my neck, was distracting. I could feel her chest brush against my back as she adjusted my stance, and the sensation sent a shiver down my spine.

"Good, keep going," she said. "We don't have all day."

I concentrated harder, trying to ignore the blush creeping up my cheeks and the way my heart raced. The voice in my ear giggled. "Oh, look at you, so flustered by her closeness. Aren't you a little lovesick puppy?"

I clenched my jaw, trying to shut out the teasing voice.

Lauren stepped back, watching me take a few more steps on my own. "You're getting it," she said, sounding more satisfied. "But we need to keep moving. Try to keep that rhythm."

I nodded, grateful for her help but also painfully aware of how clumsy I still felt. We continued through the underbrush, my steps becoming more fluid.

"You're doing better," she said after a while.

"Thanks," I said, my voice a bit breathless both from the effort and the lingering excitement of her touch.

The voice in my ear couldn't resist another jab. "Oh, how adorable…”

It was never easy, but it kept getting easier.. The sense of Lauren moving my arms for me had helped me understand the powerlessness I needed to give myself over to, a movement outside myself. I started to feel more comfortable, my steps becoming more confident. The voice in my ear teased me, "All the tutors and Griidlords who have ever instructed you failed to hold your attention quite so well as her soft, warm body."

"Shut up," I snapped at the voice, frustrated and embarrassed.

Lauren, behind me, said, "What?"

Humiliated, I stuttered, "Ah, my mind is so busy, so many senses, it's hard."

Lauren spoke a little hesitantly. "You might have something, Tiberius. That's a second attribute you've gained. I have to admit, it's a little intimidating. I feel belittled by the way you've done this."

I mocked myself. "You could take me in two seconds if you wanted to. I'm not even a hint of a match for you."

She seemed thoughtful. "Today, maybe. Tomorrow, maybe. But if you keep growing like this... I've never heard of anyone gaining attributes so quickly."

We descended the dewy grassed hill, moving towards thicker cover again. My steps grew surer, my excitement rising as my movements became less child-like. The terrain was challenging, but each step felt more natural, more controlled. The suit and I were beginning to move as one.

The landscape opened up, revealing a beautiful stream bordered by wild growth. The water flowed gently, its surface glistening in the soft morning light. The air was filled with the sound of trickling water and the rustling of leaves. Even with my mind occupied I couldn’t help but pause.

I stopped at the stream's edge, taking in the scene.

Then I jerked my head, my heart pounding, panic rising in my chest.

Lauren looked at me. "What's wrong, Tiberius?"

"The water," I stammered, "it's the scent trail. It's broken. I can't follow it anymore."

Lauren gasped, her mouth turning in a grimace. Then she spoke quickly and surely.. "Let's look for signs. If you can't smell it, that means it must have entered the water. Let's cross to the other side. You hunt for smells, and I'll look for tracks."

I marveled at her determination. The problem was done away with it just like that.

We crossed the stream together, the cold water splashing around our ankles. On the other side, I cast about, trying to pick up the scent again. Panic rose as I found nothing. My movements became clodding again, heavy and uncertain.

I paused, remembering Lauren's breath on my neck, the way she'd held my wrist to guide me. I surrendered myself to the suit once more, my movements becoming more smoother again. We searched the area, looking for claw marks in the bank and soil, depressions in the grass, broken twigs. I scented, scented, scented, detecting nothing but my own sweat and Lauren's heady perfume.

Then, a distant whistle and bang caught our attention. We turned and looked up through the foliage. In the sky, we could see the fading wisps of an exploded rocket, purple smoke curling and blowing away in the breeze.

"Lance and Zara have already won," Lauren said,