“How do you feel?” The old lady asked me two days later when I opened my eyes.
“Is that soup?!?” I asked and took in a deep breath through my nose. “You're an angel!”
The old lady laughed and handed me the bowl. “Don't guzzle it.”
I took the bowl and cupped it in my hands, then took a long sip from it. I let the warmth of the broth fill me and used my new energy to move that warmth and the nutrients from the soup through my abdomen and out to my limbs.
The old lady watched my efforts and nodded. “Good. Good.” She said. “Can you do anything yet?”
I shook my head. “I've still got another day of work before I can use the energy externally.”
“Oh? Just a day?” The old lady asked. “How do you know it will only take that long?”
“Thanks to you.” I said and she raised her eyebrows. “I'm using your techniques as a guide.”
“You're using...” The old lady stopped talking and reached a hand for my face. I closed my eyes and dropped my mental shields as she touched my skin. I could tell that she barely managed to continue her mental probe when it touched my enhanced Presence. “What are you doing?”
“I'm adapting all of the things I learned to be used with my new Presence.” I said. “Thanks to you, I now know what was wrong with me. I was blind while I was trying so hard to make my Presence and my mana work together, that I didn't notice that there were two versions of each.” I chuckled. “Now that I don't have four different energies competing against one another, all of the techniques I had adapted in error have to be reset.”
The old lady let my face go and I opened my eyes. “You're relearning everything.”
“In a sense.” I said with a smile. “What I'm actually doing is using your technique of combining to go back through my memories. I'm replacing what I remember about Presence and mana with the new energy into them.”
She made a little 'o' of surprise with her mouth, and I laughed.
“Yes, when I'm done, I should be able to do everything I used to do, except with the new energy, because I'll 'remember' that I've always used it.” I said. “Would you get angry if I said you look even cuter with your face like that?”
She snapped her mouth closed and frowned. “Yes.”
“Okay, you're just cute, then.” I said with a smile and took another gulp of soup. “Did you infuse this with mana or is it natural?” I asked and took another drink.
“Both.” The old lady said and I could see her debating about whether to get angry at me or not.
“You remind me a lot of Afyne, so I can't help it if I think you look cute.” I said.
She looked at me for a moment, then sighed. “You're stubborn.”
“And you're not?” I asked and took another drink of soup, which finished it off.
The old lady took the bowl and poked the middle of my forehead. “Get back to work.”
I nodded and entered a meditative state and continued to integrate my memories to accept the new energy. I had been tempted to call it something else, then I realized it would be better to leave it as 'Presence', then I could mold it into my memories that much easier, because all I had to add was how it felt and not actually have to change the memories references. That's why it wasn't taking me very long to do it. Even the scale of learning was the same, because all that would have to change would be how intensely I felt it at the time.
I was surprised at how easy it was to do it, and I knew that it was because the old lady hadn't tried to hide what she did inside of me. She easily could have kept me in the dark and let me wake up with it completed. Instead, she let me 'float' right there beside her as she worked and I saw everything that she did. I was very grateful for that, and that was why I flirted so blatantly with her. I knew she wouldn't be embarrassed by it and she knew that I wasn't embarrassed, either.
She knew everything about me and she knew that I knew. She also knew that I was okay with that and that I wouldn't block her when she checked on me. What would be the point? She had risked a lot to stay inside my head as she put me back together and integrated the competing energies, so the least I could do was give her affection. She definitely deserved it.
I pushed those errant thoughts aside and dove deeper and deeper into my mind as I went back to where I had stopped to take a break. Once there, I continued my mental reworking.
*
What a novel concept! The old lady thought as she stood there and watched her non-student use her technique to alter his own memories to essentially trick his body into 'remembering' that it always had the same energy, even though it just attained it. I thought he would need months, or even years, to get his body back to the condition it would need to be in to use the same techniques! She chuckled and gave him one last appraising look, then she left the little room. It's no wonder why the young ones are practically falling over themselves for him.
The old lady went to her kitchen and refilled the bowl with soup and sat down to eat it, then she remembered what Hunter had done. She put her spoon down and picked it up and cupped the bowl with her hands, then drank from it. She did the same as him and let the broth warm her insides and used her energy to swirl it around and push it out to her limbs. She kept drinking and spreading the nutrients around her body, then she finished it off and put the bowl down. It was then that she realized something.
There was only one set of lip marks on the bowl.
She had, completely by accident, drank the broth from the same spot that Hunter had. She was much too old to be concerned about having a second-hand kiss, and yet, it made her wonder what the young man would say if she told him about it. Her mind raced as she imagined him laughing it off, and then she imagined him telling her that he wouldn't mind getting a first-hand kiss.
“By the ancestors.” The old lady said as she blushed.
She shook her head and dismissed her flights of fancy as she went to the sink and washed out the bowl. She scrubbed it like Hunter had shown her, and to her utter surprise, she missed the feel of him pressed against her back.
“Silly old lady.” She mumbled and rinsed the bowl and dried it, then she put it back on the shelf.
*
“The queen wonders how things are progressing.” One of the elders said as she entered the guest room where Princess Sylvana was staying.
“You know as much as I do, Elder.” Sylvana said. She hadn't been concerned when the first day passed without word, then the next passed and the next. The guards had started looking nervous then, and that had been two days ago. Even the captain of the guard was looking nervous now, and Sylvana couldn't fault them. She was feeling particularly nervous about Hunter being inside that invisible house with the retired Elder, mainly because she had no idea what was going on.
“I told her that he was undergoing special treatment by the Elder.” The elder said. “I couldn't tell her what treatment, though.”
“I don't know, either.” Sylvana said. “Perhaps you could view...”
The elder shook her head. “It can't be looked into.”
“You've tried?” Sylvana asked, surprised.
“We don't know how she blocked remote viewing temporarily, so I hope to ask her the next time she comes in for a visit.” The elder said. “We definitely would like to put whatever it is into place inside the Protection Trees.”
Sylvana nodded. “The queen would like that for the castle as well.” She said. “I suppose you don't know how long she will be?”
“We can only guess at this point, considering it's been six days already.” The elder said. “Rest assured that you can remain here for as long as it takes.”
“Thank you, Elder.” Sylvana said, and the elder left the room. When should I start worrying? She asked herself. How long before I should take matters into my own hands and go there to demand answers?
Sylvana sighed and laid down on the bed. Of all the things she had done during her life, waiting with no end in sight was by far the worst thing for her to experience. Her body urged her to do something, and she had to ignore it for now. She knew that wouldn't last long and she would have to do something. It didn't matter what it was, as long as she did it.
I'll give it one more day. Sylvana thought. A week to see what was wrong with him was a bit excessive, in her mind, so she resolved that a week would be all she would allow.
*
It was about midday when I finally completed my work. I felt a wave of relief and energy flow over my mind as my body vibrated with contained energy. It took me another hour to skim over everything in my head and made sure that it was all properly altered and re-integrated. I hadn't slept in a week and my mind was just as clear as if I had just woken up from a great nap. I knew that was just a mental high and my mind and body would need to actually rest soon. I wasn't going to do that here, however.
I had imposed on the little old lady for far too long already. My welcome, although genuine, was wearing thin. How long would someone let a relative stranger stay in their home? A day? Three? I chuckled at my audacity at staying for an entire week. I knew she would never say anything about it and I also knew that she liked her privacy as well. We hadn't discussed it, and I realized why I knew these things. My skills and abilities were working in full force. A lot of them were passive and my mind did them automatically, and that made me happy.
I had done it! It worked!
I took myself out of my full meditative state and opened my eyes. The world looked just like it was supposed to, except I could also see the energy signatures of everything. The glows and intensities were muted automatically, thanks to my previous experience with the technique, and I was happy to see that I didn't have to initiate it and it had started automatically. I saw the world as it was meant to be and the energy was just a very thin overlay. I saw the old lady as she left her kitchen and came over to the little room I was in. I used a Presence Hand to open the door for her.
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“I have to assume it worked.” The old lady said with a smile.
“It did.” I said and unfolded my legs. They should have been stiff from staying in the lotus position for three straight days; but, they worked just fine because my body cycled Presence through them to keep them healthy and in peak condition. I rolled up onto my knees and that put my head at almost the right height to be at eye level with her.
“I, Hunter, am deeply grateful for all that you have done for me.” I said and bowed to her. It was a little awkward because I was on my knees, so I used Presence to hold myself steady and pulled it off.
“Now, now. Stop that.” The old lady said. “There's no need to be so formal.”
“Ma'am, are you sure?” I asked and stopped bowing. “You deserve to be treated properly for what you did.”
The old lady looked like she was going to be angry, then she smiled. “What you've done is enough.”
“I want to argue that and give you a big hug, but...” I smiled at her rolling eyes. “...I haven't had a bath in a week.”
“Come with me.” The old lady said and I stood up to follow her. She went to her bedroom and off to the side was a tiny little bathroom with a small tub. “Enjoy.”
“Ma'am, I don't know if I can even sit in that thing, let alone take a bath.”
“Are you refusing my hospitality?” She asked, her voice in a higher pitch.
“Of course not.” I said and put a hand on her shoulder. “I was warning you that there's going to be a lot of splashing and probably soap everywhere.”
The old lady sighed. “Just do your best to keep the water inside the bathroom.”
“Yes, ma'am.” I said and slipped off my long sleeved t-shirt and hung it on the door handle, then I unhooked my pants and took them off. I folded them up and put them on the toilet and bent over to fill the tub with water. I could hear a bit of heavy breathing behind me, so I stayed there and made sure the tub was half-filled. I didn't want the water to overflow when I stepped into it. I stood up and reached for my underwear, then heard the patter of feet as they made a hasty retreat.
“Chicken.” I whispered with a chuckle and took off my underwear, then settled down in the tub. I had called it right and the water level rose almost to the top when I sat down. I formed a Presence Wall, which was slightly blue, around the tub to keep the water inside, then used the soap and a cloth nearby to lather myself up. I didn't rush and made sure to clean everything, including my hair.
I absorbed the Presence Wall and dried myself off, then drained the tub and wiped it down. I put on new underwear and dressed in a normal outfit, because I needed to air out the armor. I left my hair down and used some Presence to fluff it out to give it some extra volume, then I stored the long sleeved t-shirt and the armored pants. I left the bathroom and went to the kitchen and stored the uniform coat.
“You can look now. I'm decent.” I said to the old lady's back.
“Are you intentionally trying to make me angry?” She said without turning around. I walked over to her and stood right behind her. Almost as if she expected me to do that, she leaned back and rested against me, as if that was the most natural thing to do. I put my arms around her waist and she rested her arms on them.
“Actually, I was trying to tell you that it's okay.” I said. “You've been in my mind, and you know I've only done that with two other people. Both of which I grew to love. Letting you see my body doesn't bother me in the least.”
She didn't say anything and just hugged my arms.
“You've also given me a gift even greater than I thought was possible.”
“Oh?” She tilted her head up to look at me. “What was that?”
“I feel complete.” I said as I looked down at her and let my emotions flow through our mental link. “I can't thank you enough for that.”
“You are giving me too much credit.” The old lady said.
“I'm not giving you enough, actually.” I said and eased my hold on her. I felt her disappointment and smiled as I eased her around to face me instead. “You've done for me what two divine beings couldn't. You made me whole and gave me the chance to fix myself.”
The old lady blinked her eyes for a moment. “Fix yourself? What do you mean?”
I used Presence to pull a small knife to my hand, turned it over, then stuck it into my skin. It took quite a bit of force for it to pierce through, then it was only a small cut and a little dribble of blood came out. In the next instant, the wound closed and healed over.
“By the ancestors.” The old lady looked at my hand and then into my eyes. “That's not possible.”
“Self Healing and Regeneration are two of the skills I have.” I said with a smile.
“You know your skills?” She asked, surprised. “I thought I would have to give you an itemized list!”
I chuckled. “You still can, or we can compare.” I said. “Shall I go first?”
“Please.” The old lady said.
“In no particular order, I can see normally and detect everything within a thousand feet. I can both listen to anything within that distance and also talk within that distance. I can use Presence to disguise myself, to a much greater degree than I have been.” I said and took out the blast shield. “I can sense people's intentions now. I 'know' things about them and I'm pretty sure I can read their thoughts if I concentrated.”
The old lady nodded.
“I can close off my mind completely from mental attacks, without resorting to external spells. I can use Presence Lightning in any capacity, including close combat and as a reaction to being attacked. I can use any basic weapon and I have master proficiency with swords and especially Light swords.”
“All those years of training are paying off.” The old lady said and she rested her hands on my abs.
“I can empty my mind of all distraction during a fight and can focus completely on battle. I can also sacrifice some of my life force to increase the power of my attacks with Presence.”
“Don't do it unless it is absolutely necessary.” She said and let her hands roam up to my chest.
“I can see the inherent weaknesses in things, thanks to my detection technique. Oh, and I don't have to activate it anymore. It will always be on, even if I suffer head trauma or lose consciousness.” I smiled. “Actually, a lot of my skills are now passive and are on all the time.”
“It's not weakening your energy at all.” The old lady said and stopped her hands when they touched the scars around my heart through the thin cloth of my shirt. “I can't maintain so many things at once.”
“I'll skip over all the physical things I can do, like climbing, jumping, riding, reinforcement, and even strength and speed boosts, since a lot of them are also on all the time.” I said. “I barely have to think about it and I can increase my speed and strength to ridiculous levels.”
“You sound so full of yourself.”
I chuckled. “It does sound like I'm bragging, doesn't it?” I asked. “I can use my abilities like Presence Lightning and Levitation anywhere within my detection range. If I have a medium to work through, I can reach any distance. The limit of Presence Hands I can generate and not be strained has doubled. I could handle making six of them easily and use them for an extended period of time, and twelve strained me after a couple of minutes. Now I can do twelve easily and twenty-four would strain me.”
The old lady stared at me and didn't know what to say. I could tell that she expected a fifty percent increase, not one hundred percent.
“I can add Presence to my attacks to increase their damage and impact. I can tell when people lie, even little partial lies. I can meditate with part of my mind while staying completely conscious, which means I can replenish both my Presence and mental capacity without diminishing either.” I said. “I can catch incoming projectiles and return them without having to think about it. I've actually done this once or twice with a single arrow before.”
“Keep going.” The old lady said as her fingers traced the scars over my heart.
“With concentration, I can cover myself with Presence and make it solid, like armor. I've had lots of practice making things solid with Presence before, and not once did I think about making armor with it.” I laughed. “Boy, was I short-sighted or what?”
“You can't think of everything.” The old lady said.
“I can use my own Presence and make it be felt by others, whether they can originally feel it or not.” I said. “I didn't think I could do something like that until I realized that god has been using my body to do it this whole time, which means I could do it. I just had to learn how.” I chuckled. “I've actually been learning things from him without realizing I was. Levitation falls, enhanced jumps, speed boosts. I know them all.”
“You need to keep your self-confidence under control.” The old lady said and I looked down at her fingers playing with my scars. I didn't comment on that, though.
“I can stun people from a distance and wake them up. I actually did this in the full bath last week. I hadn't even thought about how quickly I had used it on fourteen people in an instant. I just did it and watched them wake up.” I shook my head. “I've had access to these skills and didn't know that I did.”
“I think that's why you received the class. These are all things and variations on things, that you've already done at one point.”
I nodded. “I realized it when I went through my memories. All these amazing things I can do now, I've already done.” I said. “I've manipulated different states of matter by using its Presence, like covering things in water, and it didn't occur to me that I can manipulate anything that has Presence in it.” I reached out and held a hand towards a candle on the windowsill. I used Presence to increase the friction of the atoms around the wick and it burst into flame. I increased the oxygen around it and made it become like a blow torch, then closed my hand and extinguished it.
“You are an elementalist?” The old lady asked, completely shocked.
I laughed. “No, dear lady. You were right. I have no magical affinity. I just have what could be considered supreme knowledge about how things work.”
The old lady shook her head. “You don't need to keep explaining.”
“I can form anything into a solid using Presence. I can use its own Presence to control it, too.” I said. “Like a puppet.”
“A what?” She looked at me with confusion. I used Presence to create a simple furry sock puppet beside me, then I put my hand inside and opened and closed its mouth.
“This is a puppet!” I said in a squeaky voice without moving my mouth. “Kiss me! Mwua! Mwua!”
She laughed as I dabbed her cheek with the soft puppet, then I absorbed it.
“I can communicate telepathically with anyone I have established a connection with. Unfortunately, it's still limited to my detection range. I tried to contact Maylia and Afyne with no luck. I'll try again after I rest, then I'll try boosting both my ability and my body to see how far I can send messages.” I said. “I've always been able to change and alter sounds and their directions; but, I can also create sounds. I need to practice to get it right, obviously. I can throw things using Presence, and not with a Presence Hand. Mind you, I'm a heck of a lot more accurate using a hand to throw things.”
“Hunter, you can stop now.”
“I can tell when people are spying on me now.” I said. “I've felt people's eyes on me before and couldn't tell who was doing it; but, this is a full on 'I'm being watched' feeling and I'll know who it is.”
No sooner had I said that, when I felt something form in the air nearby. Both I and the old lady looked at the spot and we both swiped at it at the same time. We felt the viewing bubble backlash onto Sylvana and the elder she had convinced to look at us, and that made us laugh.
“I have a few more skills that I can tell you about.” I said and put my hands on her shoulders. “I think I need to go, though.”
“Yes, the princess will be quite angry at you for this.” The old lady said and ducked her head.
“Hey, don't be sad.” I said and rubbed my thumbs on the sides of her neck. “She didn't see anything.”
“That will be why she is angry. It will make her think we've been blocking this whole time.”
I chuckled. “I sure as hell hope that you would have blocked her if she checked in before.”
The old lady opened her mouth for a second, then closed it and nodded.
“Good. Then don't worry about it.” I said and slid my hands up her neck and cupped the sides of her face. “Thank you very much for everything.”
“Hunter, please... don't...”
“I'm sorry.” I said with a smile and leaned down and kissed her. I let a touch of my new Presence pass between us and her whole body shivered as it dropped into her mana reserve. Her mana rippled and flowed out and over her to make her body glow. I kissed her for several minutes and let the glow fade, then I broke the kiss and leaned back. The shock on her face was priceless, so I leaned back in and gave her a very light kiss as I brushed my lips on hers. She reacted automatically and puckered her lips, which made the kiss last a second longer.
I felt her surprise at reacting like she had, so I let her face go and stood up straight. “What do I owe you for your services?”
The old lady reached up and touched her lips and didn't say anything.
“If you won't say a monetary value, then I have no choice but to give you something I've been saving for people that helped me.” I said and took out a garglemacer scale and a tooth. “Please accept these gifts as a token of my thanks.”
She kept her hand on her lips and stared at the scale and tooth.
I could feel her trying to come up with something to say, so I took her hand and placed the scale and tooth in it. “I'm probably never going to see you again, so I hope you have a good life and enjoy yourself.” I said and closed her hand. “Be safe and take care, okay?”
The old lady looked up into my eyes and I felt her regret that she had missed an opportunity.
“I've only been here a year and I love someone else.” I said and leaned back down to kiss her cheek. “I couldn't be a part of your family, even if I was allowed to marry into it.”
The old lady sighed. “They've all moved away to a quieter area, anyway.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.” I said and then smiled. “I can only imagine what you looked like in your younger days.” I stepped back and turned to leave, then turned back and bowed. “Goodbye, Master.”
The old lady's bones shook from the feelings she felt from me and stared at me as I left.