Codename: Freedom - Book 4 - Chapter 34

I continued struggling to remain in the air while fighting to stay on the platform without a word from Krato. He hovered in a relaxed state and didn’t move an inch in any direction. It seemed unfair at first glance. His entire fighting style revolved around Othisi. Peter had called him a push specialist, and I’d confirmed it when fighting him. I knew he had access to his aura and inner walls, but it was likely that was it, though I hadn’t yet been able to confirm it. So this was his element.

However, as I tried again and again, I knew what he’d said was true. Though I doubted this exercise was used for children as he implied, it didn’t even require rank E psionics. Rank F was enough. He was right. I lacked control.

There were two separate problems I had to solve. First was launching myself into the air with the appropriate amount of energy. It was too easy to push too hard, or not hard enough. The last year of my life had consisted mostly of training: strengthening my body, developing skill and muscle memory, and most importantly honing my mind.

Secondly, sustaining the appropriate consistent flow of energy wasn’t nearly as easy as I would’ve guessed. Almost all of my training had been focused on using intense bursts of energy. It was also far easier to hold it at a steady rate when using it near your max output. It was like a limiter on how hard you could push, but I didn’t need to use my max output now. I wasn’t using under have of it.

I had to admit that I was terrible at executing this exercise, but I already knew exactly what I had to do to change that. After practicing it one hundred times, I’d aim for a thousand. After a thousand, I’d practice it so often I’d spend more time in the air than on my feet.

It was kind of embarrassing since the idea of the exercise was so simple, but how many human psionic users could actually do it? If I was honest, I’d be surprised if there was a single person in Genesis and Freedom that could even come close. There were probably some humans that could do it. The first people to unlock it had done so ten years ago. It would be interesting to know what they were capable of. As for the Ekseliksi—we really were newbies in light of their hundreds of years of practice and tradition.

It reminded me that Victoria wanted me to focus on training with Kline, Mel, and Barrell. The only one of the that had even unlocked Othisi, or push, was Mel. Still, I’d get him to try it right away.

It wasn’t long before I ran into another problem.

I had Destiny bring up my detailed psionic status.

Psionic Status

Psionic Level: Rank E

Psionic Energy: 302,590 (Units)

Psionic Power: 308 (Maximum energy use per second)

Psionic Recovery Rate: 4.02 (Units of Psionic Energy recovered per second)

I immediately noticed my max energy had shot up from 260,000 units to 302,590… It was always improving the longer I practiced psionics, but it was easily the largest jump I remembered seeing. Was it because my max psionic power had been forced from rank F (297) to rank E (308)? It had to be. Either that or the Psionic Recover Chamber (PRC) was having more of a positive effect than I thought. My recovery rate had had a nice jump as well. It would take me approximately 21 hours to fully recover. In the PRC is would be far faster.

After doing the math, I’d only be able to continue hovering for approximately twenty minutes. Because of my main falls, it had already been longer than that, but I could already feel that I was beginning to run out.

As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, Krato finally broke his silence. “Halt.”

Before cutting off my energy flow, I looked him in the eye and straightened my poster and drew my feet in closer together. Like a soldier standing at attention, I floated there for another long moment before dropping a few inches to the platform.

“Now, pressurize your energy internally.”

I had to take a second to realize what he meant. By then it was already too late. Psionics pressure billowed out of him like a wall of wind proceeding a thunderstorm. How he remained hovering in the same spot baffled me, but I didn’t have the time to think of it.

As I stiffened my internal walls, I understood that’s what he’d meant.

This wasn’t the first time that I’d felt this pressure. It had been present when I’d first faced him, but feeling it come on suddenly made me realize how terrified I should’ve been. There had never been a chance for me to defeat him and I hadn’t even known it.

“You are low on energy, so this is the perfect time to temper your internal defense. You have enough energy to execute it, and increasing the pressure won’t spend psionic energy directly unless you’re leaking it. I will be looking for this. If you have questions, now it the time to ask.”

His scarred face had a high intimidation factor even when emotionless. I studied him as I considered what I should ask. The pressure he was applying was intense, but it wasn’t enough so that I couldn’t hold a conversation. “Krato, will this tempering overtax my psionics?”

He inclined his head. “Explain.”

I then told him how my walls had been attacked by Sergeants Brice and Xavier with their unique fist skill. It had ultimately forced my walls to fail, only to rebound with a hold new level of power.

“So that means you fought me with bruised psionics,” he grumbled, though it might have been a laugh. “I really have gotten rusty. Forcing breakthroughs in a fool’s game except in very specific situations. Though it won’t harm someone in the long term, it will put a lot of stress on their psionic body. It is never used on someone so new to psionics. Normally, the instructor would be demoted and disciplined, but since you have support of the Epithumia such things are excused. This tempering is not that. If your internal pressure starts to fail, then I will decrease the pressure so you can handle it.”

Even after seeing Krato with Victoria, hearing their conversation, and the one he’d had with Peter, I’d been worried of saying too much. It was an old habit I suppose. Hearing him mention the Epithumia himself confirmed that he really did know who she was. This was an opportunity.

“It is excused because of who Victoria is, or what she can do?” I asked.

I saw him cringe when I mentioned her name. If something bothered him though, he didn’t mention it. “Both. For the Ekseliksi there is no distinction between the two,” he then lowered his head as if bowing to the very idea of her. “She is of the Epithumia because her control and understanding of psionics is beyond all Krato. Her strength, equally so. It is an immense privilege for us to be in such a position to serve her.”

I’d half expected him to say something like this, but his subservient body language and docile tone was far more instinctive than it seemed to be for Oliver, and especially Peter. Oliver was so quiet most of the time that what he was really thinking was almost impossible to get a read on, and Peter… Well, he undoubtedly had respect for her but also looked upon her like she was his own daughter. Neither of them was good examples of how the average Ekseliksi would view the Epithumia. Krato, however, seemed like a much better subject. Not only that, he had a high status in the Ekseliksi culture. He was one of their elite soldiers, after all.

“When I used Victoria’s name, I noticed your reaction. Why is that?”

He didn’t answer right away but licked his teeth while considering something. “It is not appropriate to use the name of the nobility absent of their title.”

“I have no intention of being disrespectful. Outside of this place, I have constantly been watched for the last year of my life. It’s the same for Peter and Oliver. If I were to use her title—”

He held up his hand to stop me. “I understand this. In this context, the offense does not stand. It is still grating to hear for one like myself that has known nothing but Ekseliksi tradition.”

I nodded my own understanding. I had a thought to say something but hesitated before deciding to go through with it. “Thank you for helping her.”

For some reason, what I said seemed to confuse him. His expression turned sour. “You speak as her equal, néos. To the Ekseliksi, this is a great offense.”

The pressure I was feeling increased, but not to a dangerous degree.

A voice blared to life above us, “Krato, you will remember your duty.” It was Peter. He’d been watching all this time.

“Pardon,” Krato said, lowering his head in agreeance. The pressure I was feeling returned to what it was.

“It was mentioned before that there were limits placed on you. Might I know what they are?” I asked.

It was Peter that answered. “He is to answer your questions, but not instruct you on Ekseliksi culture.”

“There can be a lot of overlap, so as long as he’s just answering my questions directly, can he still provide the answer?”

“Yes. It was more the Krato’s reaction I was responding to, not the information he provided. And Lucius, I can answer many of your questions and Victoria will want to as well. The Krato is an honorable man but remember this is still a clash of cultures. As a new Ekseliksi, it might feel like there’s a lot to learn, and there is. However, we have plenty of time for you to become familiar with what it means to be Ekseliksi.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Krato added, “Understood.” He then turned his attention to me. “I have never participated in the instruction of new Ekseliksi. I doubt this will be the last time I have such a reaction, but I do have children, so I’ll try to apply a father’s patience to your training even if it conflicts with traditional military training philosophy.”

I mimicked the way I’d seen him bow his head in respect toward Victoria and replied. “Okay, but if it will hinder training, I’d prefer not to ask at all. Or maybe leave my questions until we’re finished.”

He snorted. “Your willingness serves you well. You will survive this just fine I think.”

“You mentioned you had children?”

“Yes. Twenty-three boys and sixteen girls. Two of which have joined the rank of Krato.”

My jaw would’ve touched the floor if I wasn’t keeping it abnormally tense because of the psionic pressure surrounding me. I’d never heard of a woman having so many children. I said as much.

He gave me a real smirk. “I have three wives. Each one I received upon reaching a new rank. Their own status corresponds with my advancement. My Thalia’s beauty is equal to a Krato’s strength, but even my lesser wives’ looks are beyond their status. I’ve been blessed.”

What the… I stared blankly. Three wives, and he has ranked them? And what did he mean by their own status. I understood that Victoria was royalty, but it sounded like Ekseliksi society took status to a hold new level.

He took my reaction as approval and gave a throaty chuckle.

“Do all Ekseliksi have multiple wives?”

His smug look told me all I needed to know, but he clarified anyways. “It’s not uncommon, but few people advance in status or rank enough to entice those of a higher status. There are also those that practice monogamy. Divorcing a lower status spouse is also forbidden except in instances of infidelity or an equal or greater crime. There are also those who are not so lucky and limit themselves to one wife since women can be difficult to please.”

Well, at least his last point was true to both cultures.

“We will discuss the statistics to why polygamy is a terrible idea in almost every case,” Destiny said suddenly where only I could hear.

I winced. Why would she think I even needed convincing?

When I opened my mouth to ask a follow up question, I felt a tremor in my internal walls.

Krato immediately lessened the psionic force I was feeling. “You’ve been periodically leaking energy. As you recovery energy, it increases your internal pressure. You’ve been venting a small portion of it to stabilize, while absorbing the rest. You need to keep all of it. Now that you’re aware, fix it.”

I would’ve liked better direction, but it didn’t seem like that type of question he’d be willing to answer. He’d already said how he’d handle training. If he didn’t give me extra direction, he expected me to figure it out myself.

I wasn’t sure how long it took, but I was able to locate my leakage fairly quickly. Fixing it wasn’t too difficult either. Because the pressure was increasing as I recovered energy, I’d been subconsciously letting some of it go to speed up the regulation process. By keeping it in everything else took care of itself. The only difficulty was that I had to think about it.

Before I knew it, Krato cut off his energy and dropped to the platform. “We are done for the day. Continue to practice hovering periodically throughout your day. Tomorrow, I’ll test you and it will be more trying.”

“Thank you, Krato.”

“No,” he shook his head. “To salute a superior officer, take a knee, and lower your gaze.”

I didn’t hesitate to try it.

“That’s it. There are variations, but we will leave those for another day. Farewell.” With that, he looked at the training menu and ported out a second later.

Climbing to my feet, I shrugged. “That was interesting, at least.”

“Very much so,” Destiny replied. “That gave me a lot of good data on him and Ekseliksi in general.”

“Great. Let’s check in and see what’s next on the agenda.”