Advancing Abilities
After that first mission, the Frear Squadron spent the next several days drilling over basic weapon forms, and formations they might use next time out in the field. Logan still didn’t know exactly what everyone could do, but he at least knew their general roles now.
The training itself was intense, lasting from dawn until about an hour before dusk, with hardly a break for meals. Even the members who had been a part of the Squad previously struggled to keep up with the pace set.
Logan himself… was keeping up perfectly. He’d been forced to keep avoiding sleep by his recurring visions, but for some reason he hadn’t felt any more tired than if he was getting a full eight hours in. His body was slightly sore, but it wasn’t even bad, as Logan was expecting hell considering he was pushing himself to run for about six hours a night.
It was strange, but Logan wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If Logan could keep up with the Legion’s training without having to see the Void again, that seemed like the wise decision to make.
So he continued with his routine, realizing that worrying more about it would not accomplish anything. If anything, getting extra exercise seemed to be helping Logan catch up to his peers in the Squadron.
However, there was someone lagging behind.
Remy the Rizzel had given Logan his most important ability, teleportation, which had saved Logan’s life on more than one occasion. However, it was growing increasingly obvious though that taking Remy anywhere near a battle was an irresponsible decision.
Although the little guy was hard to pin down for the same reason Logan was, Remy couldn’t really contribute offensively which made his presence in a fight a distraction to Logan instead of a boon.
The worst part of the problem was that Logan didn’t know what he should do about it. On one hand, Logan knew that Remy wanted to help keep him safe, and would gladly step into a fight for his sake. On the other hand, Logan wanted to keep Remy safe, so keeping him away from conflict was the obvious choice.
Logan didn’t know what the right decision was, but thankfully he had some resources he could check with. He figured that the Captain was probably the best bet, as she had likely dealt with previous squad members with companions. Or at least Logan hoped she had, as he had no idea how common such Bonds were.
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“Huh? You want me to teach an animal?”
“No, ma’am, if you would just teach me any offensive Abilities that might help I can teach them to Remy.”
“And why should I do more work just for your benefit?”
“Uhhhh… I… don’t know…?”
“Exactly, there is no reason. But… If you were willing to do some things for me, I might be able to free up a little bit of time to teach you. How does that sound?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
It sounded extremely sketchy to Logan. What things would he be doing, and why wouldn’t she just say?
“What exactly do you want me to do, Captain?”
“Oh, nothing too big. So what do you say?”
Logan thought back on how the conversation with Captain Frear had gone. He had managed to secure some individual training on an ability that she insisted would increase his offensive capabilities.
Still, as Logan massaged the Captain’s back, he couldn’t help but feel like he was being taken advantage of.
“Oh, yeah… Stay on that spot for a while.”
Her muscles were tough as an iron rod, and just as reactive to Logan’s ministrations, but it seemed like the Captain was enjoying it at least. Logan kneaded his hands against the skin just inside the shoulder blades, applying as much pressure as he could.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, but aren’t you a bit young to be so completely bald? Did your hair start to go, and then you leaned into it?”
A single tear rolled down Logan’s cheek.
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As Gregor worked on projecting the Aura Ability once again, his thoughts drifted to his friends. Even though he hadn’t been with them that long, it felt strange to have not seen either Amar or Logan since enlisting.
Gregor couldn’t complain about the conditions he was living in, of course. As the Major’s apprentice, he was situated in a suite that connected to Micah’s rooms. Even though he had been the Mayor’s son, Gregor had never lived in luxury like this.
In the restroom, there was even an attachment that dripped water onto your body from above. Gregor had to ask someone what it was, and apparently it was for washing your body at your own convenience. It felt nice, but was slightly unnerving to Gregor, so he avoided it until he noticed that he was particularly pungent.
No, Gregor could not complain about his situation, except to say that it was lonely. He would wake up, have breakfast with the Major, and then practice in solitude for most of the day. Major Micah tried to be present as much as he could, but the duties of running Marineford took most of his time.
Shaking his head, Gregor tried to focus on the Aura Ability. Although he could now use it somewhat consistently, it still took a decent amount of charge up time, and the additional senses still caused Gregor to lose control. Improvements were being made nonetheless, and for that Gregor was proud.
Concentrating his efforts, Gregor once again expanded his perception. He had quickly learned that the nature of his aura was an extension of himself, in the most literal sense. Gregor knew it was similar for other people, but for him, the nature of his being made it manifest at the extreme.
Scintillating scents and crazed colors flooded Gregor’s mind as he struggled to maintain his focus. The rush threatened to overwhelm him, but Gregor was determined to hold on this time. Straining, Gregor forced himself under control as vertigo started to assail him.
Then, amazingly, Gregor’s body adjusted. Instead of becoming more unbearable by the second, his brain started to be able to process the information, and slowly, Gregor was able to relax.
When ten minutes later, Gregor was still exuding an aura with no mental strain at all, he knew he had successfully learned his newest trick.
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After massaging the Captain, she did actually show Logan a new Ability that he could apparently learn. Logan still didn’t know the exact system for Abilities, so Captain Frear informed him of them first.
“First of all, there are several different types of Abilities. A vast majority of all Abilities are what we refer to as the Attuned Abilities, the users of which are called the Attuned. Being Attuned simply means you have an Affinity, or predilection for a specific God’s Domain, be it Earth, Fire, Wind, Air, Light, Shadow, Life, or Death.”
“Then there are General Use Abilities that everyone can use. What I’m about to show you is one of those. That does not mean it is inferior to any other Ability. In fact, it’s something that I use quite regularly when I fight, so I’m definitely not screwing you over here, recruit.”
“Thank you, ma’am, I appreciate that.”
“Don’t get smart with me Brewer.” Captain Frear said. “Watch how I do this carefully now. Use those eyes of yours to really pay attention.”
Did Captain Frear know Logan could see souls? It seemed like she did somehow, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but Logan did watch as she spun her soul in a tight pattern, like braided hair. Suddenly, in her hand was a blade of energy, almost four feet long.
“Woah…”
“It’s called the Soul Sword Ability, and this is what you get in exchange for your daily massages.”
“Woah thanks so mu- did you say daily?”
Captain Frear just raised an eyebrow at Logan.
“You didn’t think one massage was worth great power did you?”
Logan most definitely had. It looked like he would get to know the Captain a bit more than Logan was expecting during his stay at Marineford.