He removed his shirt so he didn’t burn it and laid it next to his bags, learning from his experience on the highway. He kept the rest of his clothes on but unbuckled his pants just in case the flame got away from him, allowing him to quickly take them off. He did not want to be completely naked again. He was thankful he had another backup pair though just in case.

Ready now, James stretched in preparation, trying to alleviate the stress he felt at the possibility of this going wrong. James breathed, feeling the resonance between his breath and his reservoir. Looking inwards, he looked at the pores and channel. Trying to intuitively understand what pores lead to where in his body. James found himself seeing the channels and pores as one solid entity, rather than distinct things.

With one last shaky breath, James focused in on the pore that opened up to the channel into his right arm. He traced it, trying to understand it. The channel empty from energy was a clear crystal white. Looking like white stained glass, but with none of the rigidity of glass. It traveled in a straight line from the core of his body where the reservoir was to his arm, bending around his shoulder down to the center of his palm where it completely stopped.

It had no return route, so any energy released into the channel would likely need to be burned off or released in some way. James would have to be very careful. Stepping closer to the water, James was ready to open the pore and see if he could control whatever happened.

Focusing on the pore, he exerted his will on it to open. It was his to control, and it would obey him. It listened in kind, and it immediately opened. Crimson specks struggled against one another as they flooded from the reservoir into the channel.

He felt the sheer force of energy entering, the sensation of his right arm swelling like a balloon. As the channel couldn’t fill any further, he watched as the crimson torch shot out of his right side, shoulder, arm, and hand where the channel traced. Even though he has already experienced this before, the sheer power still astounded him.

The intensity of it was audible, it didn’t just look like a blow torch, it sounded like one as the flame assaulted the air around it. The forest around him, under the gray darkened sky that has served as a reminder of humanity's oppression, was brightened by the spectacle.

More awe settled into him, James had a wide toothy grin, looking like a lunatic. To James, it was a symbol of his triumph over this cataclysm. James knew when he was able to control this it would be a ruthless weapon. Nothing would stand in his way that he couldn’t turn to ash.

James wasn’t even upset his goal wasn’t met, the sheer power of what he was taming motivated him further. He had the reassurance he could just close the pore and turn the flame off if anything went too wrong. He would not quit his training for the day until he was able to get the flame to come only out of his palm.

His sustained determined grin was lit up by the roaring flame. James watched as the flame flicked and twisted as if in an unbridled rage it was looking for something to char and burn. In stark contrast stood his reservoir, barely draining, still very full. The consequences of the ability to sustain such power had huge implications for the world. This probably would not be a good thing for the tendency for humans to warmonger. He shook his head, it was up to good, powerful people to protect the vulnerable and innocent.

James directed his thoughts back to his training. He had a suspicion his inability to control it was due to the pore being completely open. He focused on the pore and closed it halfway, it effortlessly obeyed. Immediately, the power behind the flame was halved accordingly. Its reflection through the forest was aptly described as a candle in a dark room.

The pressure on his channels was now alleviated. The flame now more resembled the intensity of a campfire, fortunately far enough away from his pants to not cause another getting-naked situation. But, the flame was still coming out of the entire length of the channel. James couldn’t help but frown, his suspicion incorrect. At least it was a step in the right direction, James reassured himself.

James analyzed further, specks of energy in his channels were not moving smoothly. They raced around in zig-zagging unpredictable paths, impacting other specks and the walls of the channel. It put pressure on the specks around it, forcing it to leave the channel and race to the surface of his skin, where it was immediately converted into flame.

Even with the pore half closed, the energy wouldn’t leave the channel until the pressure was too much, where it would then leave and turn into flame. James wondered if he could will the energy to flow in a straight path, relieving the pressure. It could then build up at the end of his palm, where it would then concentrate the pressure at that point, sparking the flame in his palm. That is his theory, at least.

With that train of thought, he focused on the energy as they raced through his channel. He willed it to flow in a straight line. Expecting more resistance, James was ecstatic when it completely obeyed. The flame slowly retracted from the rest of the channel, inching closer to his palm, concentrating the flame.

The flame was now raging out of his palm, the energy doing as he expected. Flowing smoothly through his channel before hitting the end of the path-way at his palm, concentrating and being forcefully expelled from the pressure. The flame was about a foot long due to the concentration of the energy.

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It was such a powerful, concentrated flame he had to change his stance to keep himself from being off-balanced by the force of it. The implications of this created several possibilities, but he saved that thought for later.

His channel was becoming very sore, each bodily movement caused pain, and it was getting slowly worse as the flame continued to burn. James wasn’t ready to quit though, intoxicated by his accomplishment.

James was curious about how well it burned. It held his palm to the water and it immediately bubbled into steam, resembling a pot of water that sat on full heat for a while. He grabbed a nearby stick and held the flame to it. It didn’t just burn it, it burned with such intensity it almost instantly vaporized the stick. Instantly charring the surface before it swiftly burned through, leaving nothing where the flame was held.

James' eyes opened wide, dropping his mouth in pure astonishment. What was even more reassuring was the fact that his reservoir still had energy left in it, even after all the training and unrelenting torching on the highway. The crimson specks still radiated power, but the pool it sat in was smaller, the reservoir only at a quarter capacity compared to it being nearly full when he started. It filled quickly and drained slowly. His prospects were looking very good.

“Will I even need this gun?” He said out loud while looking at his AR15. James realized he might be becoming a bit arrogant, as of right now it was only a short-range tool. It wouldn’t help much help for hunting or fighting opponents at long range like a gun would.

James couldn’t help but imagine how strong he would be before his food supply ran low and he would be forced to return to society. James decided before he called it a day and set up camp first he would fine-tune his control of the flame at his palm.

He closed the pore a little more, leaving about a quarter of it open. The flames' intensity dropped further, leaving a comfortable, controllable fire. Almost as if a campfire sat on his palm, the flame about half a foot long. James analyzed the beauty of the power now at his fingertips from start to finish. How he felt the energy absorb into his lungs from the air around him and flow into his reservoir. How it pooled into a mass of oscillating, rapidly moving energy. How it flowed through the pore, up his channel, into his palm where it was forced out into a flame.

He wanted a more dynamic control over it, but his time was limited. The pain in his channels was turning from minor to severe. He willed the energy to flow slower but kept the pore in its current position. The flame’s intensity further dropped, now resembling a wooden torch. James realized adjusting the pore wasn’t the only thing that changed the intensity of the flame, providing insight into his power’s nature.

Now, he willed the energy to oscillate from flowing faster to slower. James squinted his eyes with exertion. Either this was a complicated feat, or his mental energy and channels were quickly waning, most likely both. With squinted eyes, James didn’t let that stop him as he kept trying. First, it hiccuped, fluctuating randomly between slow and fast. Eventually, James watched as the flame did as he wanted. The flame bounced as the energy successfully oscillated.

Even though the pain was now excruciating, a deep sense of pride was settling inside of him, he felt unstoppable. James closed the pore, and the flame slowly tapered off to a flicker before it fully extinguished. Despite the searing sensation tracing through the channel, James smiled in contentment. He had successfully achieved all his goals. Moving his right arm caused shooting pain that shot down his spine. Only then did he realize he overdid it.

Seeing the sun starting to set, James realized just how insane of a day it had been. Emotionally and physically, it has taken a great toll on him. He has even more to do, though. No use dwelling on that.

Pulling his tarp out of his bag, making sure to only use his right arm when he had to, he tied one corner of the tarp to the side of the tree. Spreading the other corners of the tarp out, he placed three mid-sized rocks he found nearby on each corner, creating a quick and easy structure to keep him warm and dry tonight. He gathered sticks and logs for the fire and extra wood in case it burnt out during the night.

He decided to create the fire far enough from the tarp where he thought it couldn’t catch flame, but on the side where the wind would carry the heat inside. Creating a teepee of sticks in the middle and surrounding it with bigger logs, he made the structure for his fire and soon enough it was ready for James to light. Gritting his teeth, the hard part was next.

Not wanting to damage his right arm further, James decided he’d try and use his left arm to start the fire. Doing it with his right hand was a simpler matter, he already had practice with the pore and channel. He regretted not starting his fire while he had the chance. At least he would know the concept behind what to do this time.

He traced the channel back from his left hand to his reservoir to find the connecting pore. Finding it, he stepped away from his tarp as a precaution and willed the pore to open to an eighth of its capacity, slowly allowing the energy to flow in. Before the channel could overfill and the pressure to form he willed the energy to move slowly in a straight line. It subsequently flowed to his palm, where the pressure built up. In a few seconds, a small flame appeared in his palm holding it to the bundle of small sticks that quickly took flame.

Shutting his pore, the fire from his left hand went out instantly, not having much energy in the channel to burn off. James was once again swelled with confidence in the control he now had. He watched as the fire slowly spread to the logs.

It was an excellent day of training. It went nearly too well. He felt extremely accomplished and confident. At this rate, when he returned to society he would have nothing to fear. He doubted others were making the same amount of progress. The weight he felt from his experience on the highway sobered him. No accomplishment to James takes away from the loss of life that started this power he now wields.

If the entire world experienced what he did on that highway, where he didn’t see a single other person around him survive, billions of lives have been lost. He was one of the fortunate ones, and he would not let that go to his head. It was more a responsibility than it was a privilege.

James dropped his head in grief, his eyes still full of determination. Tomorrow would be another day he could grow stronger, not just for himself, but for the ability to help as many people as he possibly could. He would rise above the tyrants, and walk beside those who share his mission. The weak and innocent will not be trampled on as long as he has the power to do anything about it.

Breaking away from his thoughts, James walked over to his shirt that he had taken off and put it back on. It wasn’t that cold, spring had just started but it was a fairly warm day. He would keep his coat off for the time being. Entering his tarp on the side where the fire wasn’t present, he laid down and got comfortable, using his bags as a pillow. The fire now burning bright and hot, soothing him under its warmth. Exhaustion quickly came over him. He forgot about his aching arm, his grief, and all the goals that his mind demanded he meet. Soon enough, he found peace in his dream world.