23 Company

I was sat on my bed watching the two bother my peace, tinkering with my guns and knives.

"Why me?" I asked watching them treat my room like their own.

"People repellent, that is all." He said not even making eye contact.

"Yeah... no get out, both of you. I'll only say it once." I would not be treated like a tool... not again.

"What! Uhhhh I... uhhhh." Zack said looking over panic in his eyes.

"I'm not the one who said it." The princess said lookin a little panicked herself.

"See you around." I said laying down, ready to peer into my mind.

"Please reconsider... my words were..." She talked over him.

"As a member of one of the twelve pure royal families and a possible heir to a throne. You are going to help me, as your duty to..." She spoke as if to command me, I would not tolerate it.

I slowly lifted myself off the bed, standing up. I could feel a burning anger, one I was not sure I could control.

"I said leave." I pointed towards the door.

("What is this? This fear, this aura, this thirst.") I was all the way across the room, yet I could feel it.

He stood there at the side of the bed, his finger pointing out as if to pierce us. A fear overtook me, I couldn't move. I could see it, a purple flame flickering around him. But why, why would a simple flame all the way across the room cripple me.

I didn't have enough time to think, soon Sculpy had grabbed me by the arm and pulled me outside the room. As the door closed, the control of my body returned, I wanted to vomit, cry, run, scream, anything. I was confused, I didn't know what had happened, in all my life, nothing had made feel such fear, such confusion.

I fell to my knees beside Sculpy, he sat there, panting, eyes so wide open they could pop out at any moment. He looked panicked, sweat all over his face, hands covering his mouth as shaky as they were.

"Why did you have to go and do that?" He asked me in a panicked voice, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Me... I didn't know he'd react tha... wait... me! Your the one that called him people repellant. This is your fault." I said angrily, ensuring to get my point across, I was right.

"I called him that before and he was okay with it... now they'll flock to me like flies to a cadaver." He slowly stood up as he spoke, his eyes not subsiding. He walked away.

"So you're just gonna leave me here?" I said standing myself.

"I don't want to talk right now..." He said walking to the door over, swiping his I.D over it, it opened.

He was this close. I wasn't far myself, I was the door to the right. I entered my room and laid on my bed, tiered. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

"Calm down... ahhh... Psychí... Chaménos... what do I call you." He said, his words echoing in my mind.

"I'm calm, you don't have to call me anything." I said sitting on my bed.

I felt it, a flame, a warmth that surrounded me an impatient and angry one. While I myself was angry, I didn't think I was that angry. Even the look on Zack's face, it was that of terror, as if staring down a wild beast.

It wasn't like I couldn't see it, the flame, the purple flicker... that of the panther. I was subconsciously using it, and I didn't want to. Though it was strange, after all that it put me through, I wasn't afraid of its power, I'd killed it with my own two hands.

It was more like I didn't want to. Why would I use a power like that, a power so barbaric and brutal, a power so painful. I didn't want to use it on anyone, at least not yet. I wasn't naïve, if I was to continue living in a world such as the one I was in, I would need its power eventually. The strength to subdue and eliminate an enemy without touching them, to torture them.

And most of all, to use its body. Even if using the power wasn't on purpose, I had learnt how to use it. My observant nature had betrayed me or blessed me who to tell. It was simpler than I thought. Just like transforming the body except the mana would be expelled from the body and as it did a slight mist would appear, or was it a manifestation of the panther, I did not know.

All I knew was I had learned something new against my better judgement, something I couldn't control, not then anyway. It would be handy eventually, and that's all I needed to know, so all I had to do was use it without having a panic attack.

Bored and down, as usual I decided to do something to take myself out of the dumps. I'd go to the training center and shoot some shots. I fastened my holsters and took my guns, taking a few extra magazines and bullets with me, even some throwing knives.

I walked over there in what seemed to have become a bustling school. Paying attention to none I followed the white washed paths.

I got there and it was empty. It was what I had hoped for. I walked all the way to the range and readied myself. I took out my pistols, turned off the safety and changed it back to single. I was going to practice my aim.

"I can help with that." He said drawing me into my mind.

"Help? I just need practice." I said leaving.

"What about the basics? Do you know them?"

"No, go ahead." I said reinstating the safety.

"First we need to find your dominant eye. To..." I already knew this.

"Right, just like my hand. Have you not gone through my memories?" I asked confused, he had absorbed everything, it didn't make sense.

"My computing power is based on your cognitive capacity, if I do too much it will hinder you. I am slowly churning through your... our life... soon I'll be done. And if you recall a memory then I will immediately experience it by default. Don't do that, I don't want spoilers."

It was an interesting development, to think I was now a computer.

"Why not speed it up in my sleep?" It seemed reasonable, I was asleep after all.

"If I have permission, I will. Though while this is happening, while your body will rest, you will be neither asleep nor awake, you'll be in a limbo. If there is a threat I'll wake you so don't worry, the spatial spell will still work."

"You have my permission then." It was pointless to waste valuable time, plus I wondered if the limbo would be serene.

"Thank you... me... us..." He was confusing himself again.

"Stop, don't think a bout it." I said slightly amused.

The conversation soon ended and another begun.

"Aim with your dominant eye and then take a deep breath as you pull the trigger. Calm down and focus."

Doing what he said was rather easy, to clear one's mind. It was necessary to survive in such a manor. To cast away focus to fade the pain away, just reversed.

I followed the instructions and I had hit the target. It was not a bullseye, far from it, but I had at least hit it. I continued with both hands as I planned to duel wield them in the future. I shot and shot till I lost track of time and space. I was hyper-focused, but for the first time ever. I had someone to watch my back.

"Their are four people approaching, sneakily it seems. From the rear of course." My voice was reassuring.

As I focused I could feel them coming my way, again he proved useful.

"I recognize those figures as the two obsessed princesses and their goons."

"So what do we do? Are they going to attack me for stealing their beloved princess?" I said sarcastically.

"There is something I want you to try. Are you willing?" His voice or rather my voice rung with excitement.

"Why not?" I agreed, what could be the worst to happen.

"Ok, focus on the spatial spell, the mana that covers everything you perceive and change its color, its nature."

"Are you sure about this?" I didn't want to mess with the spell.

"I'm sure, it will just return to normal, the spell you are worrying about."

"What color?"

"Red ofcourese."

As I focused on the mana engulfing the distant target, I imagined it red, and slowly it changed. Then it exploded into a small pillar of flames, the target was engulfed and many dinging sounds were heard.

"What was that?" I asked surprised.

"First, you subconsciously coagulated the mana, bringing it together before it changed causing the pillar and second I meant on the heathens." It was at that moment, with his last words, I realized he really did have my personality, albeit with a chatty mouth.

I wanted to test the flames before hand and now that I did, I had the perfect subjects to try out my new method.