Chapter Sixteen
After my duel, Sorel cuts off the intercom and excitedly turns to the warden.
“His rate of development is unlike anything we’ve ever seen!” commends Sorel.
“Indeed,” says Conall, watching me leave the arena. “He’s quite strong.”
His vacant countenance not giving Sorel or anybody else insight into his real thoughts, the warden turns away and heads back to his office.
***
Enjoying mango slices again today, this time I ask Sorel about my new power. Extremely happy with the data from the duel, Sorel agrees and spins around the iris scanner for me to read while he continues logging stuff onto a computer.
‘Velocity Pulse, Soma ability. By accelerating the movement of one’s molecules with a brief surge of iris, the user can rapidly ramp up the speed and intensity of what their body is naturally capable of. Offering only a temporary upgrade, velocity pulse can grant the user traits like super speed and super strength.’
It increases strength too? I wonder if velocity pulse can be combined with heavenly flames?
‘In association with the tattoo, three separate “pulses” are available. When one pulse is used, it takes a brief period for that pulse to “restore”. Suppose the user attempts to use their pulses in quick succession of one another. In that case, the pulses will take longer to restore. If the user uses up all three pulses, they’ll become temporarily fatigued until at least one pulse has been restored.’
No surprise there are drawbacks… the ability sounded too good to be true.
‘With each pulse, the user’s temperature will also increase due to the accelerated movement of their body's molecules. Frequent use of velocity pulse may cause dehydration, excessive sweating, and hunger. Overuse may cause more severe symptoms such as heatstroke, hyperthermia, and death.’
Well… I guess on the bright side, I don’t need to worry about organ failure this time. I’m able to create my flames from iris, an energy source. My flames increase my body temperature... but they can also heal my body in various ways. It will definitely take some time to get used to; however, I wonder if I could counteract the effects of velocity pulse with my heavenly flames. Since they both increase my body temperature, my level of control will have to be top-notch. Still, if I can use my heavenly flames to mediate my body temperature, I might not have to worry about the consequences of the velocity pulse! It’s just a theory, but–
“Mateo, you are good to go man,” says Sorel, interrupting my thoughts as he turns off the scanner.
“That’s it?” I ask.
“Yep. Since you’re a tri-wielder now, you’ll have to wait a little longer for your next duel.”
“Makes sense,” I say, relieved I’ll have more time to explore my limits.
“But… if you keep going at this pace,” says Sorel, returning the scanner to its designated drawer. “I’m sure you’ll regain your freedom in the next few years.”
My eyebrows raise for a quick second before I forcefully lower them again.
That’s right. I’ve won two duels now, which means I only need to win eight more. Eight duels until I can help Mom and Eric again… please, hang on a little longer, you two. And dad, Kavi… I’ve never heard of these rebels… but I’ll find out exactly what Paulie meant.
Escorted back to the left by some guards, I’m dropped off in the block. Walking past my fellow inmates, I get mixed looks as people move out of my way.
I almost forgot what being a tri-wielder means. If I’m treated anything like Toriana, people will see me as both a target and a threat. It doesn’t help that I’ve only been at Soulbell for a couple weeks, either. While some have been here for decades, I’ve managed to leapfrog past all of them in Sorel’s games. I’m sure many will envy my position and despise me for it. Joey is also right about my abilities not being a secret, and now people will look to take them from me even more. It’s only a matter of time until people learn I have a Los ability, too.
With a flurry of thoughts bouncing around my brain like some pinball machine, I’m not feeling up to any socializing and head to my cell to relax. Exhausted, I make sure to keep one eye open so nothing unusual happens until lights out. Once I hear Makani return and deem most people are in their cells, I allow myself to crash.
***
Looking around the mess hall while Makani and I wait in line for breakfast, the scathing gazes of my fellow inmates solidify my suspicions.
People are already beginning to realize what I’ve done. I bet my victory over Russ has already been forgotten, and the cheers I got last night mean nothing. The general population may have been rooting for me before, but everyone wants their freedom back.
“Don’t worry, I’ll always have your back,” says Makani, and I reciprocate the same words to her.
With a tray of oatmeal, some fruit, and toast, I turn to face the entire mess hall. Hundreds of different faces flash at me before disappearing behind another. The only person I lock eyes with who doesn’t shy away is the only other tri-wielder in the hall. In her usual spot with a straight face, an intense atmosphere simmers between us.
The line stops behind me as people nearby feel compelled to see what will happen next.
For a reason I can't determine, I am the first to look away, and I start heading toward our table. A few steps later, immense pressure bears down on me and everybody else nearby. Metal clatters against the clay floor tiles as people drop their trays to hold their heads or cover their ears. Barely able to withstand her pressure, I catch Makani’s tray as she reaches for her head in agony.
Her pressure is almost unbearable. Am I really this much weaker than her?
Slowly turning back toward Toriana, her mouth molds into the subtlest of smiles. And just as quickly as the pressure started, it disappears, and things are back to normal.
“Are you okay?” I ask Makani, looking away for only a moment.
Makani tsks as she takes back her food tray, “I’m fine.”
Shifting my attention back to Toriana, her smile is gone. Nudging her head toward the table I sit at, Makani and I begin walking again. I make sure to check over my shoulder a few times on the way.
Why did she frown?
Sitting down, I asked the two basketball rivals if they just felt what we did. Not rattled at all, they both claimed they didn’t, mainly shrugging it off. I didn't push that topic any further, but it wasn't something I could easily forget.
A little into breakfast, while he didn’t straight-up apologize… Joey approved of my strategy to win against Paulie, which is enough for me.
After another round of basketball games in the yard, we prevail over Ayden’s team, and things seem to be going back to normal.
Too shaken to have brought it up at breakfast, I ask my friends at lunch if they know anything about the Amlovos rebels. Ayden and Makani shake their heads, but Joey offers some answers.
The Amlovos rebels have been around for a while. They're a group of people who oppose Nevism, and the theocratic style of government Opuree has enforced. Besides that, not many people know about the Amlovos because they haven’t really done much or been very active. That said, the rebels who have done something stupid or violent enough to get caught usually get thrown in Soulbell due to their open disbelief in Nevism.
That information isn’t much, but it’s a start, and that explanation is enough for me to draw some theories. At one point, Kavi was a popular tepran who preached about Nevism, something the Amlovos rebels are against. The person who might’ve killed him can easily be a rebel who framed me to deflect attention. And that rebel probably knows Paulie or other rebels in Soulbell.
Something I do not understand, however, is how my father is involved in all of this. He never really went to church all that much. Was his connection with Kavi way more significant than Mom led me to believe? His death has always felt inconclusive…
I ultimately decide that drawing any conclusions now isn’t worth the trouble until I learn more. Paulie and other rebels in Soulbell might be able to give me some concrete information. The problem is... they have no reason to unless I can offer them something in return.
And in that regard… I shouldn’t have to owe them anything.
***
Following lunch, I finally got to test out my new ability, velocity pulse. I haven’t even really grasped iris management with two abilities, so being able to juggle three is a long road away. But still, because my abilities are so dynamic, the others can’t take me one-on-one anymore, so Makani and Ayden began teaming up.
Training flew by, and we have to head back to the left before long.
After we all wash up and exit the room, I groan, “I feel a lot more sore today.”
“Just a guess,” sarcastically says Makani. “But it’s probably because you just became a tri-wielder and decided you wanted to spar for over two hours.”
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“Yeah, you’re not getting sympathy from me,” adds Ayden.
“Seriously?” I utter, genuinely confused.
“Shut it. Trying to keep up with all your little tricks is tiring.”
“Wha– Joey, no way you–”
“Leave it Mateo.”
“Huh,” I pause. “Joey, you don’t even spar much!”
“And you should work more on circulation and mastery,” he says, his tone lacking vigor as we round a corner.
Suddenly, Toriana walks into view, and all four of us are immediately on edge. While she rolls up her sleeve to show us she is not wearing her armor, the guard behind us has already begun slowly stepping backward, reaching for a device from his pocket.
“Guard, if you alert anybody, I’ll kill one of them,” says Toriana, making the guard freeze in place.
She’ll… kill us? Even if we all somehow manage to get our armor off… she’d probably still hold her own in a fight! No, she’d win! I’ve gotta do something!
Quickly raising my fists, I say, “If you guys can buy me some time–”
Joey puts his hand on top of my fist, “All your hard work will be for nothing if you fight.”
As I transfer my gaze from Joey to Toriana, Toriana’s eyes spark, and her lips curl upward.
“Incredible, you’ve improved so much in only a few hours, Mateo Hernandez.”
“Whatever,” I scoff. “Why are you here?!”
“You may be a tri-wielder now, but you’re still only a novice to wielding iris.”
“So? I’ve only been using these powers for two weeks, of course I’m a novice!”
“That’s not what I mean,” she pauses. “Time is not an excuse for weakness. You’re a living example of that. You’ve won two duels through intellect and instinct, and because of that, you’re now a tri-wielder. But having multiple powerful abilities doesn’t make you stronger by nature. Mateo, out of the four of you, your iris is still the weakest. However, you’re catching up at an incredible speed.”
Considering her words, my fists lower, and my gaze drops slightly. Although I don’t see it, Joey is closely observing my reaction.
Am I really still the weakest?
Toriana says, “Iris may be an energy source, but it also works like a muscle. Training and developing the muscle is a different journey for everybody, but it’s a necessary process if you want to grow stronger as a wielder. Right now, your muscle is powerful but flimsy. One wrong move, one over-exertion, and your muscle will be more of a hindrance than a benefactor.”
“Why bother saying this? I saw the looks in the hall this morning… why help me? Should I even consider that you’re telling me the truth?”
Toriana tilts her head toward Joey, “How about you ask your friend. He may only be a solo wielder, but his iris is the most advanced out of all of you. Your name is Joey, right?”
Joey nods, and Toriana tugs down on her shirt to show a tattoo resting between her collarbones, “As you’ve probably learned Joey, there’s a lot more to iris than what Sorel told us. For example, you’re seeing an orange gemcore right now, aren’t you?”
Joey activates orasi and nods, “I learned orasi just before your second duel. But it wasn’t until a couple weeks ago that I started being able to separate the colors of wielders gemcores.”
Orange gemcore? Separate the colors? What are they talking about? Now that I think about it, the gemcore I stole from Russ was purple, and Paulie’s gemcore was red…
Toriana faces Ayden, “You haven’t fought in a duel yet, but I can see you have an Ano ability.”
“Th– that’s right,” stutters Ayden, a bead of sweat gliding down his face.
“And you,” Toriana turns to Makani. “Tochi.”
“How do you know that?” asks Makani.
Toriana moves on, “Joey, you’ve got a Resu ability.”
While Joey hums in accord, Toriana turns to me.
“And Mateo, you have a Resu, a Soma, and a Los ability. A legacy wielder… how rare.”
Unable to figure out what to do or say, I teeter in place.
“No– I… I don’t.”
“Don’t lie,” she says, exerting a threatening wave of pressure.
Taking a step back and raising my fists again, I stammer, “My… my Los ability… doesn’t concern you. You already have three.”
“I know,” she says. “I’ve known about your little secret since you showed up.”
“How?”
“Every iris core is colored based on what category the ability falls under, and the gem sheltering the iris core matches that color. Tochi cores are orange, Ano are green, Resu purple, Soma red, and Myalo blue. Which just leaves the mythic class. And I hadn’t laid eyes on either a Los or a Kadil gemcore until I saw you,” she says, pointing at my forehead. “Los gemcores are golden.”
“You’ve never seen a Kadil ability! How do you know mine's a Los?”
“I didn’t, not until I watched you fight. It’s been rumored that Los abilities have impressive healing capabilities and that much was clear when you fought Russ.”
Using orasi, I inspect Toriana and my friends, but all I can see are gray cores, “How come I can’t see different colors?!”
“Because you haven’t trained your iris enough,” answers Toriana.
Unable to put thoughts into words, I go quiet.
“As I was saying, the more you connect with iris, the stronger your muscle will grow. It’s that simple. Meditation, circulation, practicing how to use iris with and without your abilities... these are fundamental components of iris that you need to develop further. Fighting might be fun, and spars can be helpful in certain ways, but you often ignore the basics. Adapting to a fighting style where you neglect iris’s endless evolution will only harm you in the long run. Grow into your potential, Mateo. You will have to if you want to survive."
“If I want to survive?”
“This morning, I was finally able to schedule my next duel. Once you become a tri-wielder, you can only fight against other tri-wielders, and one has finally cropped up,” says Toriana, and what she’s saying dawns on me. “I like you, Mateo Hernandez. I’m glad you’ll be my first true opponent.”
Walking past us and the guard, Toriana leaves me with one final message, “I’ve given you ninety days. Don’t be a waste of my time.”
***
Everything shifted once again following that brief interaction. My main priority for the next three months was preparing for that duel. I would eat for energy, play basketball to gain stamina, and during every other waking moment, I’d focus on broadening my understanding and capabilities with iris. I meditated when I woke up, during downtimes, and after dinner. And as for what Paulie said, my search for answers had to be put on hold.
I still sparred a bit during afternoon training, but I focused far more on circulation and mastery. I learned about channeling early on, but mastery was something I neglected. While channeling was the act of circulating iris to certain body regions, mastery involved using that iris to also complete specific tasks, such as running faster on the wall or jumping higher. There were instances where I applied these concepts aggressively in battle because I had heavenly flames, but learning how to balance everything out proved difficult.
Before, if I messed up, I knew my flames would heal me, which was a dangerous mindset. So instead, I refused to use my abilities for two months, and time after time, while we sparred, I would get hit again and again. Being knocked down every day forced me to learn, and little by little, I adapted. My circulation and mastery became natural, and along with my constant meditation, my iris capacity grew profoundly. By the time those two months were over, I still wasn’t winning much, but the improvements were there.
My friends also felt inspired to improve. Each having secured a duel victory, Ayden and Makani are now dual wielders, while Joey opted to remain a solo wielder. Ayden’s new power is a Soma ability called ‘Mineral Remake’, which allows him to transform his physical body into various rocks, ores, and gems. He had some trouble against this ability in his duel since it countered his own, but now, combined with gem grip, Ayden’s even more formidable to fight against in close range.
Makani beat her opponent easily, and she picked up a Myalo ability called ‘Neuro Rush’. Neuro rush can mentally influence another wielder to go beyond their limits. It’s more of a support ability, but her tempest gale is so versatile that Makani hasn’t complained much.
Over these two months, Makani and I also got quite close. I can confidently say now that she's my closest friend here. We even came up with a nifty little handshake that I think Ayden is jealous of.
After not sparring much, I understood why Joey rarely jumped in and sparred. By sitting out and watching, I wasn’t only able to continue raising my capacity for iris, but I also began to pick up on tiny mannerisms while Ayden and Makani sparred. Using orasi, I could see when either fighter channeled iris into different parts of their body before activating their ability. I became so fluent in seeing these changes from the sideline that by the time I jumped back into intense sparring myself, it just came naturally to me.
More abilities don’t equal more strength. That’s something that stuck with me ever since Toriana spoke with us. I thought it was strange… she had three abilities, too, after all. But now, I see where she’s coming from. Iris provides me with strength, and my abilities are merely the tools. I have more flexibility in combat because I’m a tri-wielder, but it’s become increasingly clear how much more dangerous it is to have three gemcores instead of one. Iris is more difficult to control for me, and while I have a larger capacity, I eat through my pool of iris much faster.
Honestly, I owe Toriana a lot. If she had never mentioned these things to me and never given me the time to understand what she meant, I would’ve just continued down the path stunting my development. But now, I’m no longer falling behind due to ignorance… I’m striding forward.
***
Leaning forward in his chair, Warden Conall studies the individual sitting across from him.
“What’s your true motive for coming here?”
***
We weren’t trying to amass a reputation for ourselves, but with every win, the four of us made more noise. We apparently have become so intimidating that some other inmates have joked about how it seems like we are always on the lookout for our next prey in battle, or at least that’s what Aaron said. Anyway, a nickname for our little group has been making its way around.
“The Scouts”.
My once clumsy, reckless fighting style has been honed through time and experience. My movements are fluid, and while my control over my iris comes naturally to me, only now am I doing things correctly.
One day while we were walking back to the left after training, Joey told me that my muscle has grown sturdy and robust. I was shocked. He hasn’t complimented me since I dueled with Paulie, but in typical Joey fashion, he tacks on that I can’t let up now.
I know I can’t. Not until I’m home.
Five days before my duel with Toriana, Ayden and I take on Joey and Makani in a sparring match. We haven’t practiced two-on-two sparring much, but for whatever reason, I have the revelation during this battle where I recognize that I have indeed grown. Utilizing iris, my abilities, and the environment all to my advantage, everything felt smooth. Until, out of nowhere, an abrupt surge of heat erupts across my forehead.
Screaming out in agony, the spar instantly ceases, footsteps running over to me.
“Mateo, your tattoo is glowing!” says Makani as I kneel down.
Feeling strong but tamer surges of heat flare up underneath my other two tattoos, I grit my teeth. In intense pain, I focus enough to rotate my right arm to check my wrist, my tattoo brimming with a prominent glow. And just like that, the bizarre sensation is over, and I am back to normal.
“What the hell just happened to me?” I ask the others crowded around me.
“Not sure, give me a moment,” says Joey, activating orasi.
Ayden directly asks me, “You good?”
“Yeah, I feel fine. But that wasn’t normal, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t,” replies Joey. “Mateo, your gemcores seem… different. Especially your heavenly flames core. It's... dense.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I don't know... it just looks... stronger.”
After that incident, Joey forced me to sit out and meditate for the rest of training that day. Something feels different, but I can’t figure out what that is.
That night at dinner, we are on the way to our table when a powerful pressure bears down on us. It is the same pressure I had felt months ago, and while most people around us still succumb to it, the four of us stand strong.
Glancing at Toriana, I activate orasi and say, “Tochi, Resu, Myalo.”
A satisfied smile appears, and she nods her head.
***
Come the night of the duel, I’m prepared. I’m ready.
Shoving a mango slice into my mouth, the guards escort me into the arena. Immediately, I can tell this is the largest crowd I’ve gotten yet. Everybody wants to see the first duel between tri-wielders, and Sorel is no exception. I just know he’s jittering with excitement up there.
As we step into our starting positions, Toriana looks at our raving spectators, “Could’ve gone without ‘em.”
“I’m with you there,” I add, glancing over. “But it adds to the thrill, don’t you think?”
“We’re all entitled to our own opinions. Let’s just hope you don’t get distracted.”
I smirk, “Hadn’t planned on it.”
“Toriana Kwan, Mateo Hernandez. The duel will start in ten…” announces Sorel.
I don’t know her abilities, but she knows all of mine, so the name of the game is evasion. Find a weakness and exploit it!
“Begin!”