-- Rowan --

"Did you really, mind control me." I stared daggers at the man, I now knew as Borage. He had somehow controlled me and got me to trust him in less than a minute. I didn't even think it was strange at the time. I just thought he was really nice to help me. Then I realized what he had done. The feeling was of complete betrayal from a trusted friend and that was because he had somehow put those feelings inside me. What else could that be but mind control?

"Was the simplest way to get you away from the crowd. Besides if a random guy came up to you and offered to train you...admit it's your run." The man was so calm and unrepentant, that I could barely hold myself back from attacking him.

"Still contemplating it," I growled through clenched teeth.

"Hey, it kept the people from attacking you." He said, as though he did me a favor. Was being mentally manipulated really any better than being attacked. At least then I would know who my enemy was.

"Did it?" I challenged, "I don't really know if anything you say is true." How could I trust anything he was telling me. I couldn't even feel his emotions. He could have been a wall for all I felt.

"Fair enough." He relented, "But you're here now to train."

"Why?" They hadn't really given me a good explanation of what was even going on. They mentioned some types of monsters but didn't expound further. Maybe the others know, but I forgot to ask, "Why should we fight in this...what was it called again?"

"Migration."

"Why should we do anything? We are practically prisoners." I still didn't understand why everyone else was going along with this. Despite the threats.

"Try not to think about it."

I narrowed my eyes, "Fuck you." See I did learn some things from Violet.

That finally got a reaction from the man. His voice became deeper, "First, you will learn."

Suddenly, I was filled with inexplicable panic. I wanted to run, to flee. I would do anything to get away from this man. What was he going to do with me? What could I do? Was he always that big? His eyes burned into my soul. I froze. I couldn't move adrenaline flooding into my veins with no release. I couldn't breathe.

"Those who cannot control their emotions will be controlled by them." Somehow his words were clear. Easily breaking through the panic as it fell away leaving only anger.

"What kind of stupid ass saying is that? He who can't control will be controlled. Get fucked." This time I did lunge at him, knowing it was him who did that to me. He just took a step, easily dodging my attack.

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"You will learn if I have to beat it into your head," Borage said, with a sadistic smile.

I wasn't in the mood to listen, "Then it will just fall out."

"Why are you being so obstinate?" He asked as though he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Are you fucking serious?" Did he really not understand? What was wrong with this guy?

"So, I pacified you once, big deal."

"You mind-controlled me!" I yelled. How could he not understand how much of a violation that was?

That finally got a reaction, "I am no siren. I am a ranger. I pacified you so you wouldn't get hurt."

"Still mind control." I smiled, needling him.

"No. You still had free will just not the desire to fight it. Mind control you are fully controlled." Borage tried to explain.

That sounded like mind control with extra steps. "I've felt a Siren and it was similar."

The man's eyes widened, "You've had a run-in with the Sirens?"

"Yeah."

"No wonder they were so late." Borage seemed to forget about me, speaking under his breath.

"What?" I wanted him to explain.

He waved it away, "Doesn't matter."

I wasn't going to let it drop, but suddenly I fell deep into the throws of sadness. All hope was gone, and everything was lost. I had never felt such intense, all-encompassing sadness before. I knew it was Borage's doing and I was trying to block it out but it was so hard to focus with such intense emotions.

"Learn to block it out like I've been trying to show you," Borage said annoyed.

"I am." I snapped.

Borage tilted his head, "Then why are you crying?"

The man was both subtle and brazen with his emotional attacks, I found myself going from happy to sad, to angry, to afraid, to blissful, in a matter of seconds. Sometimes so fast I couldn't even process the fact that he had done something before it changed again. I felt like I was going crazy, especially when he would claim he wasn't doing anything to me. Those were the moments where when I was truly afraid. Could I get lost in this tide and forget myself?

The exercises Borage gave me did help but with his relentless attacks I could barely ever get my defenses up in time. Even then I could only hold out for a few seconds before he broke me down again, and once it was broken it was near impossible to bring back up while he cycled.

"You will need to learn to block during fights too, and we have little time. So tomorrow we will spar while you block out my emotions."

How could I possibly do that? I could barely even move with him screwing with my emotions, "I still can't even block you standing here."

"That will change. We still have hours to go." He said it calmly, which made it worse.

I wanted to cry at his words, but instead, I was suddenly flooded with hits of happiness. I was excited to do this. In the back of my mind, I knew everything that was happening was wrong, but it didn't seem to matter. Until he stopped.

Every emotional change drained me, "I fucking hate you."

"Do you?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"Yes," I growled.

A sudden swell of love and family affection flooded me. "How about now?"

I fought it with everything I had. Gritting my teeth, "Fuck you."

"Good." I could hear the satisfaction in his voice.

The day went on like this for hours, as rapidly improved in keeping him out. Though he seemed to cycle the emotions faster, as soon as he realized I was able to hold him off. That just made the man more excited as he then made the emotions more intense. That shattered any little defense I had near instantly.

By the end of that day's training, I was able to block out the intense emotions for a short duration, but he could still easily breakthrough. He did this by demonstrating an all-consuming fear so intense I literally couldn't move my body.

"Emotions are more than they seem. Why would I need a word or spell to lock someone in place when fear could do the same?" Borage looked over to a clock, and sneered, "Our time is up. Go get some sleep."

Borage released me, but the fear lingered and it was only when he left the room did I fall to the ground of the training area exhausted.