Michael

Sometimes I think I'm a protégé or a savant or something. None of my trainers in all my time here have told me so but the little looks of surprise, the way they push me more than everyone else, the 'casual' attention amongst other things makes me think im not a normal case of earthly ascending. Now that I've stayed here long enough to compare myself to others who should be at my level of development I think my development is abnormal.

I shake my head to get rid of that thought. We are leaving at dawn and that gives me 10 hours to meditate and for the first time in months I'm going to do it without supervision or guidance. I've figured a few things out from my many sessions with the Zen Masters though, that's what I call them, 'zen' masters and they seem to like it.

I've figured out that I am unusually good at chakra cultivation. My chakra pools all seem to be without limit, continuously being filled from an outside source when my crown is fully opened, according to the Zen Masters that shouldn't be possible.

Not only that but my chakra pool is continuously growing deeper and deeper regardless of the outside fuel source. Then the is the fact that when all my 7 chakra's are opened and flowing I see/hear/feel things that I shouldn't, things that are not of this world. Things that are beyond this world, some even beyond any type of mortal world maybe.

I've somewhat figured how to commune with Storm, the entity that has planted a piece of itself within me I still don't know why but its an interesting occurance and doesn't seem to be harming me. Through it I've learnt a lot about my affinity to storms and the weather, the power of nature and renewal and by reading up on some of the things Awakened mages are supposed to be capable of...

I don't really want to try it yet in case I'm right but I really think I could control the weather even without Awakening, and the power that I feel I'm capable of unleashing onto the world terrifies me as much as it trills me. So yea because of Storm and the secrets it whispers to me I think I'm either a genius or I'm completely insane.

I've also figured out that the Zen Masters are afraid of the thing within me and by extension me. So I've been underplaying my development and relationship with the Storm and my affinity to it.

But the chakra I have been unleashing shamelessly against my sparing partners in ninjutsu as we practice hand to hand. I don't know how to do a lot of the more fantastic magical seeming things with my chakra yet, that takes skill more than power. But I have learnt how to hone my entire body in an invisible layer of chakra like most people do with aura and I have been using those chakra enhanced attacks shamelessly in the dojo for months now.

Speed, perception, focus, strength, resilience, balance, flexibility, awareness, agility, damage dealt. All of those attributes and more are quadrupled in efficiency when I circulate all my 7 chakra energies within me as I fight. The homeostasis skill seems to add somehow as well, allowing all these energies to find balance until I achieve a state I now call Chakra Blossom.

Being in Chakra Blossom is being in a meditative trance whilst simultaneously being consciously aware of what's happening with my body. I am somewhat of two minds, removed from my physical actions and interactions but also much deeply in tune with my physical surroundings in a visceral way.

It's living life whilst continuously in tune with the sound of the universe. It's deep, even whilst I fight in this state I realise the futility of it all because I get a better perspective of how little I really am in the greater expense of things. Yet I still remain a vital part of the universe. Without me it just wouldn't be the same, so many preordained destinies would be disrupted and the cascade that eventually becomes a universal event would be disrupted. I'm necessary for the will of the universe to unfold as it should, I'm a vital part of life.

I've realised that Chakra Blossom isn't actually primarily a combat ability. It seems to be a sort of prelude to some greater awareness of chakra and a unique way my own chakras balances when all are opened simultaneously.

I close my eyes and sink deep within myself, within my body and I know my body completely for a moment then I'm awash in the energies of my inner being connected to myself and connected to the human hive mind network. I'm in Chakra Blossom and it takes only a moment these days for me to be at the center of the revitalizing energies.

I sigh as I practice my ninjutsu release, chakra sense . Its a very difficult skill for me to grasp but it could be very useful if I could use chakra itself as an extra sense not just a tool to shape the world. Examine using chakra I have learnt, it wasn't easy either, in fact none of the skills are easy to learn for us earthlings but me especially for some reason.

They teach us to bend our minds in ways that almost resemble unlocking a rubiks cute puzzle and that's what it takes to learn a single mental skill, the easy ones. I try to send my feel sense out around myself, that's what they call the sixth sense here, feel. I suppose its an ept enough name for it but it isn't to 'feel' a sensation or emotion but somehow a combination of both.

Feel is the ability to walk through a completely dark room without bumping the furniture, its about stopping your foot before stepping into a snare, its about knowing when someone is watching you and their intent. It's a very versatile sense the sixth sense and on earth we've all been actively suppressing it our entire lives, almost breeding it out of existence like so many other things we no longer have.

I still can't believe not once have I seen a fat Gaian, not once, nor an ugly Gaian for that matter at least besides Mirabilis. Max pointed these anomolies out to me and seems a bit obsessed with pointing out differences between earthly humans and Gaians. There are beings known as demi-humans that mostly look human at first glance but at second glance you notice the tail. At third glance you notice its not actually hair but fur on their head, and believe me there is a distinct difference once you see it.

Then you notice the ears, I had never even imagined a person with 4 ears before I came here but Zachary and his entire species of demi-human has them. Two feline like ears at the top of their heads that are as active as any animal's that can move it's ears 180°. Then another set of more human looking ears at the side of their heads like 'normal' people.

They call themselves Samaan, in honour of their ancestral beast ancestors the now apparently almost extinct 'billed ke samaan' a communal type of shape shifting tiger like creature that was hunted to near extinct for the magical attributes of it's fur coat. But though their progenitor ancestors are endangered the samaan are apparently one of the most common type of feline beastmen and they are very beautiful and pleasing to look at.

Even the orcs I've seen are not actually ugly but fascinatingly different, I wouldn't go as far as to call most of them pretty but its hard not to stare at an orc and not because they are hideous. In fact a lot of them look like the average joe on earth if we had tusks and stood an average 7 feet tall.

The bones of Gaians are different than earthling bones, apparently ours are more brittle when we initially get here. There are organs in my body this very instance I wasn't born with on earth, that no human has been born with on earth for at least the past 5000 years of our devolution. Max nearly went apshit when I told him about our current differences in our anatomy I learnt from humanoid biology class.

*

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I bring my focus back to my sixth sense, this always happens when I try to meditate in the chakra blossom state. My mind wonders a lot when my crown chakra is open like this and I find myself wondering about random things. I try to focus my chakra on my sixth sense, letting them merge somewhere within my belly harmoniously.

I let them saturate there for a while anchoring them together as I have been taught, then I slowly let go of everything I've been trying to do like I'm slowly unclenching a fist. They remain mixed together homogeneously as they should, that's the most important step. Now I actively use my sixth sense to quest around me, I swear its like having raider sometimes.

My sense isn't just itself now though, its indistinguishably mixes together with my chakra as I feel all around me, and that is chakra sense . I've been achieving this state for about 12 days or so now, I need to work on making it seamless now, instantaneous.

* *

I open my eyes, I've used up 8 of the 10 hours I had before we have to leave. My pack is packed, I have a new very well made spear, short sword and dagger from Wes. I'm wearing boots I'm told will keep my feet from getting wet and won't wear down from our travels.

Saya has two changes of clothes for me she's carrying, she's also carrying the eating utensils and all other crockery, I have a map that's good for the first 2000km of our trip. A distance we are apparently going to rush through, how, I'm eager to find out. I've since coming here learnt that this continent is some sort of reserve owned by the Conclave or a member of the conclave, not sure if there is a distinction yet.

I don't really understand who these people are and how powerful they must be to own an entire continent with dinosaurs roaming about the place. There are a few demi-human villages here sure but the vast majority of the land is apparently claimed by the Conclave and they guard it jealously against other claimants.

I'm yet to see a complete map of Gaia in all my reading and everyone I ask about it gives me vague noncommittal answers, could it really be that the world is so big and dangerous that it hasn't been thoroughly explored and mapped by now? Unlikely, but that's what its starting to feel like.

I'm wearing very comfortable pants made of a sort of cotton sort of linen material, a cream tunic with a little logo on the sleave and a very cool leather jacket with a lot of pockets inside. I have never felt more competent or handsome in my life yet I'm humbled because I'm still nothing to the majority of these people.

I can't even sense aura yet let alone use it, definitely not one of my strong suits but I've seen its use, bloody scary stuff. I've said my goodbyes to everyone I know here and I'm not even sure I'll ever be back. Abdul and Jessica are staying a while longer and starting a family. I sometimes forget that they were grandparents on earth and that mentality doesn't just go away regardless how young and vigorous one becomes.

Max was only in his 60's, the age where you know you're now old but don't want to accept that you're slowing down and though he accepted aging, I think being feeble scared him. I grab my stuff and look around the apartment one last time, I think I will miss this place.

*

Outside there seems to be some commotion going on, I know no one really sleeps so every hour is a peak hour but it seems particularly active for this time of night. I head towards the tavern and even that area I don't get pick pocketed once, it seems everyone is preoccupied by something.

Inside is our traveling group and there is incessant talking all around me, "what's going on?" I ask the first person I recognize.

"The world transition pools all dried up." She says seriously before going back to whatever discussion she was having.

"Wait, what do you mean they dried up?" I ask trying to work it out in my head, I didn't even know that could happen.

"Mike, over here." Max calls out waving me over.

I go there still bewildered, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"The transition pools man, no one else is going to be ascending from earth anytime soon." He says as we join the others.

"I don't understand, was there a draught?" I ask and even as I do I know its a stupid question.

"Don't be silly, the pools don't work that way. Only the Ancient would know why they disappeared anyways." Lavander says giving me the once over.

"Our traveling group has expended slightly for part of the trip though, so there will be some delay. Relax, enjoy a drink, everything happening is so far beyond you that worrying about it would be useless anyways." She says passing me a drink.

"Thanks", I say taking it. Lavender is one of the very interesting to look at sanaam, if I'm not looking at her top ears twitch I'm watching her tail slash through the air seemingly with a life of its own.

Eventually as the dawn sun breaks the horizon there are about 26 of us ready to go and heading to the horse yards outside the compound proper. These horses are all Awakened to intelligence and carry people at their own volition if at all, and they chose to live here with easy access to the forests and velt, true free spirits.

Saya, Wes, Master Aaka, Master Aynaird and a few guards are already at the horse yard to see us off. I'm intrigued to see that John Ranger is amongst our group along with two other enlightened I can't immediately name.

"May you be fleet footed and sharp eyed." Master Aaka says to our group waving his staff in our general direction. Strange blessing or goodbye or whatever, but even as I think that I feel something happening to me. I'm getting lighter and my vision is getting broader on the edges.

"A buff, you people can buff?" John says with surprise evident on his face and voice.

Aaka nods solemnly, "It will help you on your way. Come, meet the people that will be escorting you on the first leg on your journey." He says and the horses come forward out of the shadows of the huge wooden building behind him.

Calling these things horses though is like calling a McLaren P1 a vehicle, it just doesn't convey the full scope of their splendor. I'm mesmorised as they step forward and I find myself stepping forward, meeting a corsa for the first time in my life.

* *

I can't stop myself from taking several more steps forward until I'm near enough that one of them could step on me if it so pleased. I can almost see the amused intelligence behind those eyes even if I can't read horse expressions. I slowly move the last steps forward towards a majestic oily black mare that has a light albinic splash of colour across half it's face.

I lift my hand slowly and bring it down to brush against the soft indescribable suedish feel of her coat. The thing stands close to 2 at the shoulder, well above my head yet it retains it's unawkward athletic appearance. It is a beast of muscled biological engineering at its best. The cords and sinews visible and bristling on its sleeck muscles on muscles yet it is still soft and slightly yielding to the touch.

An animal that has dedicated fat cells that never get depleted past a certain point despite how enthusiastically it chases the wind or prances about. There is actually a little forehoof at the inside of the main hoof that yields slightly like the suspension on a car with every step. The hooves themselves are the size of plates, looking capable of stepping onto the torso of a person and cut them in half with the pressure.

Her mane is a coarse silk that seems to be able to bristle and stand on end like arm hairs. Her size is intimidating, implying a power that is bellied by the sleek speedy appearance. She has antenna like protrusions 4cm thick now flat against her body coming out of her upper chest like arms, its obvious they can lengthen but they are currently only protruding a few centimeters from her chest.

I've reqd up on these creatures in one of my classes but it never even occurred to me that they may be just outside the compound, how could it?

"That is Dianasus, they will be carrying you from here to the coastal village of Forest, we you will leave the reserve." Master Aaka says with an amused smile.

"Alright everyone, get acquainted with a corsa that likes you." Saya says with a clap of her hands. This will be a very interesting trip it seems.