The Time of the Prophecy (Ch.5)
#1 of The Time of the Prophecy
The Time of the Prophecy (Ch. 5)
***Author's note: My deepest apologies for the extended wait for this chapter. Bullshit, drama, and business, 3 things I strive to avoid, all came together to keep me from doing any work. Due to recent changes in my love life, what I had originally intended to be a developing romance between me and my former mate will now just be an action story. I may make up a fictional mate down the line to allow for yiff, but that's later, not now.***
*Reminder from last story*
My dick retreated back into my genital slit as I panted through my afterglow laying on the bed. I had just managed to pull my robe back on when Andarus appeared. "Well, you look much less tense today," he said with a knowing glance. Did he peep on me while I was going at myself like a rabid hyena? "Now, let's go meet your trainers." I didn't have anything snide to say. If I can wring that much pleasure out of my body, then I might just be able to cope with this whole thing after all.
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We walked along in silence for several minutes, Andarus acting smug, me praying that he didn't know what had happened in the room. The silence went from awkward, to uncomfortable, and came to a rest at irritating. Okay, time to make conversation in my "patented" way.
"So what the hell's YOUR problem? You usually would be taking this opportunity to talk endlessly about nothing." Ahh, it's so good to see subtlety at work.
"Actually," Andarus said, still maintaining a maddeningly superior attitude, "you seem to be of the opinion that nothing I say is worth hearing, so I've decided to not bother you anymore."
"So why the smug attitude?" He wasn't fooling me, he struck me as the type who couldn't stop nagging without gene therapy. "You have something on your mind...you probably just want to try to make me curious enough to ask you. Sorry, but I wasn't born yesterday, that bullshit trick won't work on me."
If Andarus was disappointed that I'd figured out his game, he didn't let on. Even more grumpy that I didn't noticeably spoil his fun, I also added. "Not that you'd have anything to say that I'd care to hear anyways."
"And now you're trying to bait me into telling you what I'm thinking without having to ask. I wasn't born yesterday either you know." Idiot, he walked right into it.
"True...you were born the day before yesterday. You just confirmed that there IS something you want to tell me." His look turned sour. HA! That'll teach him not to play mind games with me. And I'm still not gonna ask what he wants to tell me. Eat that tight ass.
Andarus stopped outside a large door. "This is where your training will begin for the day. One of our High Priests will be training you today."
"Aren't you a High Priest? Not up to the job?" I don't know why I was goading him now. Maybe I was a little offended that I was being tossed around like a hot potato. The least they could do was keep me with the same asshole.
"Yes, I'm a High Priest. I wasn't given the opportunity to train you since you so clearly dislike me. The Elders feel I'd just be a distraction." Ouch...Dammit, how dare they make me feel guilty? I'm the one who got fucked here. I guess I need to show that I do have a soul...a little bit.
"Andarus, I don't dislike you....I hate everybody. It's nothing personal. I promise that I'll be just as unpleasant and nasty to whatever is behind that door as I am to you." He just stared at me. I went back over what I'd said in my mind, looking for errors. Ahh fuck me. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm just angry. Very angry. Like really, extremely, mind numbingly angry. And when I get angry, I take it out on others."
"I understand. I knew that was the problem from the beginning. I'm sure that you're really a nice per-"
"Hold on there cowboy. I'm NOT a nice person. Even when I'm happy, I'm a dick. I don't go out of my way to make everybody else miserable, but I'm a dick just the same." Don't want him to get too attached.
"Um...yes...well," Andarus tried to get his train of thought back on its rails before continuing. "Regardless of how nice or mean you are, this decision comes from the Elders, so I have no say. Now, the High Priest is waiting for you, and you're already late."
As inclined as I was to say "fuck the Elders," it probably would have been a bad idea. Andarus opened the door and I saw the most decrepit looking old Orphoz sitting there on a cushion. When the door opened, the old fart slowly looked up and gave a bleary smile that clearly indicated he had no clue what was going on. "Fuck the Elders," I said with wide eyes. "I am NOT gonna spend hours a day with Father Time."
"Thomas, watch your tongue!" Andarus looked completely mortified. "Please forgive him my lord, he is young and rash."
The geezer gave a lazy smile. "Do not let it bother you Andarus, the child likely thinks me old and senile. I must admit, I do look it." He cackled a bit.
I still wasn't amused. "Gee thanks Master Oogway. Now what exactly am I supposed to be learning here?"
"I am going to teach you to meditate, so that you can commune with the Light element. Our strongest priests and savants are only capable of using the power of Light energy with limited success, and with immense effort. You, however, have a great natural affinity for the element. But before you can use it, you must first learn to contact it." Grandpa Moses blinked at me, still with that "I'm old" grin plastered on his face.
"So am I to understand that I will be sitting here, in silence, completely still all morning long? That is not going to work. I don't do 'still'." I posted my hands on my hips, glared, and tried to look resolute. I caught a look at my reflection in a polished silver idol in the room. I looked more gay than anything...fuck.
"It must be done." The old coot was still smiling and bobbing his head at me. "To be honest, I don't like to sit still either."
"You can move?" I wasn't feeling polite or reverent today. "Without breaking a hip I mean."
"Oh yes." Still smiling, completely immune to everything I said. This is going to suck balls, and not in the good way.
I turned to Andarus. "They stuck me with him because he's completely oblivious to insult, didn't they," I asked. If I could go red in the face, I would. Andarus just nodded. Those BASTARDS! First thing on my magic agenda, learn to pants someone with my mind.
"Best be getting started," the prune said from behind me.
"Why, will getting started sooner let me leave sooner?" That was a goal I'd be willing to work for.
"Oh my, no. We have lessons until noontime. That's 5 hours away. The sooner, you get started, the more you will learn." Wow...an old dork. Just what I need.
"What's your name anyways, unless you want me to keep calling you Oogway?" I didn't particularly care except that he might not realize I was talking to him if I used nicknames.
"My name is San'ro, but you can call me master if you like." He said it without a twitch. He must be serious. I burst out laughing. Call that thing master? Not gonna happen.
"Okay San'ro, how about we get this started. I may get some sleep while we're at it." He just bobbed his head amiably. He made a gesture in Andarus' direction. Andarus promptly left.
San'ro indicated a cushion next to his. "Please be seated. You have meditated before, yes?" I just grunted as I sat down next to him. He smelled like old. What a perfect time to learn how long this body could hold its breath.
Three hours passed this way. I was barely conscious by this time, and bored off my ass. All of a sudden, San'ro reached over and placed his hand on top of mine. The sensation was freakish to say the least. It was like a flash-bang had gone off in my brain. Blinding light blasted through my body. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even think. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the feeling disappeared and San'ro removed his hand.
I jumped up, trembling. "What the FUCK did you just do to me???" My heart was pounding and my mind was racing.
"Dear boy," San'ro chuckled, "did you think you would ever get anywhere by just sitting here? That would be as pointless as giving a book to one who couldn't read and expecting them to learn from it. What I did was simply introduce you to the light. You remember the feeling, yes?"
"Yeah," I said shakily. I was still trying to slow my heart rate.
"Good, then sit back down. This time, rather than sitting there dwelling on how bored you are, instead search for the Light. You should be able to do so fairly easily now." San'ro chuckled to himself again and closed his eyes, a look of elderly serenity crossing his face.
I sat back down, but this time, I scooted over enough that the crank couldn't reach me. I closed my eyes and tried to focus. I immediately felt a difference. There was a glow hovering just beyond the edge of my perception. Every time I tried to touch it with my mind, it retreated further. It was infuriating. It reminded me of one of those illusion pictures that you could only see if you looked at it obliquely.
As I was trying to coax the elusive energy out of hiding, I felt a tap on my arm. I opened my eyes and saw Andarus standing there. "Come to rescue me early?" I tried to stand up, but my legs were stiff. I looked to my left, and San'ro was gone.
"No," Andarus said. "You're late for combat instruction. It's two hours after noon. Master San'ro left to take his midday meal." He gave me a look of approval before continuing. "Your focus is incredible. Master San'ro tried to get your attention at noon, but you were so deep in meditation, you didn't notice."
"So I've been sitting there for four hours???" That couldn't be right. They were playing a joke on me or something. "It felt like no more than twenty minutes. Something doesn't seem kosher with that."
"Assuming I'm taking the word in the right context, it seems perfectly ko-shur to me." I rolled my eyes. It was like an old person trying to talk to a skater dude. "When delving into your own mind, it is easy for your perception of time to become skewed. You can ask Master San'ro more tomorrow. Right now, you're combat instructor is waiting."
"Yay, violence," I said unenthusiastically. "Can this please wait for another time...like never? I can't fight, and I don't particularly want to learn."
"You agreed to help us defeat the Koeran. How did you expect to do that without fighting?" He was looking at me as if I was crazy.
"I don't know...as a figurehead? A tactician?" I don't usually enjoy playing stupid, being honest, I knew this was coming. Regardless, I was gonna milk the "innocent kid" image for all it was worth.
"You will be both, but you need to also be on the front lines. Unique powers such as yours are of little use in a planning room." We walked along the musty hallways as we spoke. We came back to the large training room that we'd visited last night. Andarus opened the door, and I looked in.
"Oh shit..." Not good.
To Be Continued...