Osman and Kang’e watched the dancing flames on the pond as the sun continued setting. Neither spoke, simply staring at the ever changing flames before them. Eventually Kang’e rose from her sitting position on the banks of the pond. She shambled into the small hut and returned with a small lit torch. She used that small flame to light the many standing torches around the perimeter of the pond. After lighting the torches, she returned to her sitting position on the banks of the pond. Osman lifted himself from the log he was sat on and neared Kang’e.
“How much longer you think he’ll be in there?” Osman spoke softly as he sat down next to the old woman at the banks. She turned to Osman and then back to the fire before them. The dark flames cast an eerie black glow on them as they sat in front of the pond.
“Can’t say, it’s all on him,” she replied.
“Watch this,” Kang’e said as some of the black flames slowly approached the banks. Kang’e waved her hand through the flames, passing through unharmed. Osman stared in disbelief. Slowly he extended his hand out to the flames and waved his hand through them. Osman felt a small force in the flames, like it attempted to stop his hand as it passed through. Yet the burning sensation one has grown accustomed to feeling from fire was nowhere to be found, no heat to even feel. It felt like passing your hand through room temperature water, but it felt much too viscous to be water. Too thick, yet no thickness at all, Osman could not place how those flames felt.
“You plan on leaving with him after this?” Kang’e sternly said as she turned to face the now standing Osman. Osman stared at his hand for a few moments before placing it in his jean pocket.
“Probably head out in the morning, best he gets some real sleep after this,” the old man said gruffly as he turned to retreat to his log.
“You give me one week with him,” Kang’e called out to him stopping him in his tracks.
“What is he to you?” Osman called back.
“The future,” the old woman softly said as she continued to wave her hand through the flames.
The two watched the flames dance for a few more hours before Thomas finally awoke. He showed off a brief moment of control of the flames, before jumping with glee and passing out shortly thereafter. Kang’e and Osman carried the young man to the small hut and dried him off before placing him in a small cot. As they watched the young man sleep, Osman turned to face Kang’e.
“You can have your week,” He sternly said before retreating from the hut. Kang’e watched the young man sleep before she too retreated from the hut and followed Osman back into the jungle towards the small village. Kang’e stopped and listened for a moment, all the sounds of the normally vibrant jungle night were quiet. No bird calls, no rustle of the winds through the leaves, no monkeys howling to each other, no roars of the occasional leopard. All was quiet in the jungle surrounding that dilapidated hut, where Thomas Stone slept.
Thomas woke to the thick layer of moisture that had condensed on his body in the early morning. As the Sun rose further into the sky, the humidity became more unbearable. It filled the air with a thick moisture that seeped into anything that found itself unlucky enough to be outside. He slowly rose from the cot and found his clothes piled up neatly at the base of it. With a quick sniff he could tell they had been cleaned. He dressed himself and exited the small vine covered hut to see the empty clearing with the small pond.
Thomas felt weird, he could not place it. He could feel these senses in his head, like something was watching him or he was watching them. He would turn and he could feel the senses turn with him, never moving from their location. The tensing of his body remained as well, he had to slowly get used to finding himself containing the tenseness. Thomas felt a large throbbing sensation in the back of his head. He spun on his heels to see Kang’e slowly shambling to him, wearing another long ornate dress that stretched well past her ankles.
“You can feel now, can’t you?” she called out as she slowly shambled towards Thomas.
“Feel what?” Thomas called back, intrigued by her knowledge of his newfound skill. Kang’e slowly neared the boy, motioning him to her as she did. Thomas slowly approached the small woman, his boots squishing in the soft dirt beneath him with every step.
“Life,” Kang’e said as she stopped before Thomas. She held out her hand to the young man, who quickly kneeled and lifted his right palm out, letting her set her hand on it. Thomas could feel the sensation in his head go from a throbbing to a cool calming, it felt like a layer of water in his head. He could still feel the many other sensations around them, most in the jungle.
“There is energy that flows within every living thing, most live their entire lives never perceiving it. That is what you are feeling young man,” Kang’e softly said as she held her eyes shut and slowly pressed her hand into Thomas’ palm. Thomas could feel the energy of the old woman, what was once a layer of cool water in his head had now grown to envelop the young man, a thin layer of cool water over his entire body. He could feel the energies around them more clearly, picking up on plants and animals and noticing the differences. Plant energy was very stationary, slowly moving only within the plant, it felt hard in the young man’s head. The energy of animals was very mobile, constantly flowing in and around the animal, it had a warm sensation in the Thomas’ head.
“Now that you feel, you must learn to hone it ‘till it is as sharp as mine. Like how you had to learn to walk or to speak, you must learn to feel what is around you. Against foes who can use this power, you cannot trust your eyes or your ears, only what you feel.” Kang’e said as she gently pulled her hand from Thomas’ palm.
“Sit in that pond once again,” Kang’e said to Thomas she slowly began shambling to the hut.
“Where’s Osman?” Thomas called out to her as she entered the hut. She exited the hut with two buckets with a long pole hanging through both bucket handles.
“I’m training you for the week, forget about Osman and forget about Wyatt,” she replied as she approached Thomas. She slowly knelt to the ground and filled the buckets up with water from the pond. Thomas begrudgingly sighed and began removing his clothes and piling them up at the bank of the pond. Kang’e stopped him before he removed his underwear, laughing as she did.
“Hold these above the water, and sit down in the center,” the old woman said as she shoved the buckets and the pole into Thomas. He slowly waded out into the pond and sat in the center, taking a moment to find the comfortable position to hold the buckets above the water. The buckets were filled to the brim, each little movement moved them wildly and slightly spilled the pond water within them.
“Focus your breathing, don’t spill the water.” Kang’e called out to Thomas. He closed his eyes and began slowly inhaling, holding it for a second and then slowly exhaling. Making sure to not let his arms move at all. For a few minutes Thomas sat there breathing, struggling to keep the tensing of his body up.
“Now on every inhale I want you to tense your body up as much as you can, and with every exhale release that tension as you do. Can you do that Thomas?” The old woman called out as she began to sit at the banks. Thomas nodded and slowly inhaled, tensing up his body so hard he could feel the wood of the pole begin to splinter his hands. When he exhaled, he let that tension go, with it releasing a flurry of black flames from his body that spiraled out him like webs on top of the pond water. His body beneath the water remained, as did his hands holding the pole. The rest of his body was entirely the black flames, surrounding the dark skeleton where Thomas’ sat. He began his inhale, slowly tensing his body back up, and the flames retracted like the claws of a cat.
Thomas continued to inhale and exhale with the flames, slowly finding himself able to release them and retract them faster and faster, until it became second nature. The flames would release out across the pond, and Thomas could feel with the flames. He could feel the cool water beneath them, like he was running his fingers across the top. He began to visualize the pond in his head as he released the flames, trying to find and touch different spots to better the image he had in his head.
Stolen story; please report.
“Good now I want you to extend them beyond the pond, feel my energy and try to reach your flames out towards me,” Kang’e once again called out to Thomas.
Thomas began searching for Kang’e. He could feel that large cool energy in his head, but he could not visualize where she was. Thomas released his flames and slowly began to extend them beyond the pond, he felt the dirt beneath his flames as he did. Slowly he could feel the energy of Kang’e through the flames, like he could in his head. He could use the flames to sniff for her energy, like the tongue of a snake. He could slowly feel himself getting closer to her with every exhale.
The visualization of the pond in his head, began to extend out into the dirt in front of him, slowly painting the picture of the world around Thomas in his head. Eventually he found her energy and stopped his flames just before her, before retracting them with his next inhale.
Kang’e stood near the hut and watched as a lone flame would reach out towards here on each of Thomas’ exhales, like a tentacle from a writhing mass of flames. She knelt down before the flame and waved her hand through it, still feeling no heat. Kang’e had to use slight force to pass her hand through the viscous flames, like running one’s hand through molasses.
“You’re touching Thomas, but try feeling,” she said as the flames quickly retracted back into Thomas at the center of the pond. Thomas nodded and with his exhale, the tentacle of fire raced back to Kang’e from the growing mass of flames. She again wave her hand into the flames, finding it stuck within them. She struggled to pull her hand free, only regaining it when the flames retracted back into Thomas.
“Good, years of repressed control are pouring back into you, but you still have a long way to go. Try burning something,” Kang’e called out as she quickly shambled into the hut. She returned carrying a large pile of sticks. She set them down at the bank of the pond.
“Feel your flames, feel the wood, and burn it, but do not sear the dirt beneath them. Control your heat until only the wood burns.” Kang’e called out to Thomas as she backed away from the pile of sticks.
Once again the flames exploded from Thomas upon his exhale, and raced to the edges of the pond. Thomas searched for the wood on the banks, he found it just before he inhaled and retracted the flames. Upon his next exhale, he directed the flames towards the wood pile, swiftly drowning it within the flames. Thomas began to feel his energy become warm, he focused on the warmth and thought hotter. His energy soon became hot, and he could feel the wood burning beneath his flames. He could feel it weaken and as his flames burned deeper and deeper. Thomas’ energy soon became scorching hot, quickly incinerating the wood within the flames.
A scream echoed in Thomas’ head, and quickly his visualization of the burning wood became people. He felt as his flames burned their skin off, penetrating deep into their bodies and searing their organs. With a bloodcurdling scream, Thomas retracted the flames and dropped the water buckets. He sat in the center of the pond heaving and trying to catch his breath in between heaves as Kang’e watched in dismay. She turned to where the wood had been, which was now a dark pile of ash over the scorched dirt beneath it.
“That’s enough for today,” she said as she turned towards the jungle surrounding the clearing. She began shambling towards the jungle as Thomas stared back at her.
“Just keep feeling your surroundings, try and identify the different animal and plant energies you feel. I’ll be back tomorrow to continue.” Kang’e called out to Thomas as she slowly faded into the jungle.
Thomas eventually waded out of the pond and redressed himself, his wet underwear soaking his pants. He returned to the hut to find an unopened pack of cigarettes on the table. Thomas grabbed the pack and returned outside.
Slowly he let his left arm ‘loosen’ up and ignite into flames. He watched as the flames kept the shape of his arm. He moved each finger and watched the flames react to his movements. He looked down at his feet and saw a small stone just before him. Thomas slowly reached his fiery arm towards the stone and reached for it. Slowly the fire forming his hand began to extend down towards the stone. His arm of flames extended itself until he could feel the stone within his flaming grasp. Thomas clenched the stone and his arm began to recede itself back to its former length. He lifted his hand, feeling the weight of the stone within in it, to his chest and looked down at the stone as it sat in his hand.
Thomas tensed his arm and watched as the flames retracted and the stone sat upon his palm. His stomach growled as he gazed upon the small stone. Thomas looked into the sky and noticed the Sun was halfway through its cycle.
Thomas gazed out into the jungle before him, sensing the many flowing energies of the animals within. He set out into the jungle, weaving through the dense foliage. Thomas could feel the many animals around him, but nothing of big enough size to eat. Little birds sat high in the canopies above him, many monkeys and bugs too. Thomas could feel what he thought was some kind of pig or boar deeper in the jungle. The animal’s energy rapidly paced through it, in a constant state of alarm.
Thomas honed in on the energy of the pig, he could feel its frantic breaths. He could feel the animal constantly turning its head, checking its surroundings. The pig could not feel Thomas as he neared it. Slowly the pig became visible, standing amongst the many branches and roots that covered the ground. Thomas knelt lower to the ground as he slowly approached the pig. He slowly loosened his arm until it was fully ignited by the black flames.
Forming the shape of a gun with his fiery hand, Thomas aimed his finger at the pig. He let the energy in his fingertips become very hot, focusing on the heat. A small fireball began to form on his fingertip, slowly growing bigger as Thomas focused on making it hotter. He shot the energy from his fingertip like a gun, sending the hot ball of fire careening at the unknowing pig. Just as he did, Thomas could feel another animal’s energy appear around him.
The sharp energy felt like pins and needles in the young man’s head. He watched as a leopard pounced onto the pig as the fireball struck it and entered it. Thomas was too focused on the fire within the pig, controlling it to quickly expand within the animal. In an instant, the pig collapsed, smoke billowing from its orifices. The leopard quickly dismounted itself from the pig and turned to Thomas, quickly leaping in his direction.
Thomas barely dodged the leopard as it pounced at him, falling to his knees the animal jumped over him before aligning itself once more for another pounce. Thomas was not as fast and could feel the animal’s harsh energy as it pounced at his back. Thomas could feel its claws slowly approaching his back, time had slowed down in his head.
Thomas felt as the claws of the leopard finally began to touch his back, but instinctively his back ‘loosened’ itself and lit into flames, the leopard sliding right through them. The leopard paused for a moment as it faced Thomas now, before pouncing once again. Thomas again instinctively held his hands out and felt a wave of his energy rush out from them. He watched as his hands ignited and a wave of black flames shot out at the pouncing leopard, frying it in the air and burning the surrounding foliage. The leopard collapsed on the ground, still steaming from the hot wave of fire, its body twitched in agony as it cried out in pain. Thomas stood up and raised one of his hands to the leopard before once again spewing a stream of fire onto the leopard. Like a flamethrower, the fire shot from his hand incinerating the leopard beneath them.
Thomas felt as its fur disappeared within the flames, its skin and bones, its organs and finally the leopard was no more than a small pile of ash. Thomas slowly approached the dead pig and lifted it up over his shoulder before retreating from the jungle back towards the hut and the pond.
He ate the pig that night, continuing his slight practices of his ability. Kang’e returned the next morning, and they continued Thomas’ breathing training. She began to have him find and burn different objects, the screams never returning to Thomas’ mind as he did. At night she would head to the village and bring Thomas different stews the village people had cooked.
After a few days, the tensing and loosening of his energy became second nature. Kang’e attempted to strike him with wooden poles, only for Thomas to turn that part of his body into flames to absorb the strike and burn the pole. He learned to use his flames to extend his arms to strike things far away, as well as to shoot fire from his fingertips and his hands. Thomas learned to control his heat, only using it to burn what he wanted and nothing more.
Kang’e had Thomas develop defensive uses of his ability as well. He could create a small wave of fire shoot out from his body like an explosion, controlling the heat in case he needs to kill or to just incapacitate. He learned to use his flames to wrap things up and prevent movement like ropes. By the last day of the week, Thomas could use his flames as easily as he could use his hands or his eyes.
Osman returned to the hut on the seventh day. Thomas gave him a show of his newfound control of the blackfire. Osman and Thomas had stew that night with Kang’e before they left. Not a single word was said as they ate, only the occasional cough or burp filled the silence. The lawmen left the hut as the sun began to set, Kang’e watching them as they did.
They trotted through the dense jungle beyond the clearing back into the trail from the village. They followed it for a few minutes, still exchanging no words until they came upon the village. Thomas followed Osman back to the small clearing where the stinger sat. The two got into the stinger and then swiftly departed into the twilight sky above.