Chapter 6 - Taming a Human?
Sam spends half the night teaching English to Tenka, but his mind keeps drifting toward dangerous ideas. Since he has the ability to tame creatures—and the weaker they are, the less power they demand—he wants to test the theory. He wants to try it with the weak girl.
- Sam P.O.V. -
This time, I cut my palm and hers, then slowly channel my power in. Immediately, I realize what a monster I've become. The three-week trek through the wilderness didn't just harden my body; it broadened my energy pool into something massive.
As soon as I start pushing my power to "scan," her eyes fly open wide. I close mine, ignoring her shock, and feel the energy coursing through her. Slowly, I build an image of my power, and I can feel Red's nearby, too. Then, I find hers...
If mine and Red's channels are raging rivers, coursing through our every fiber and bone, hers are more like dried-up capillaries that barely manage to nourish her fibers. It's pathetic. It's fragile.
When I open my eyes, I see her sweating profusely. Her eyes look totally blank, rolled back slightly.
(Oops. Hahaha, I think she is not broken yet. She doesn't hate the feeling, but this is way too much for her system.)
I close my eyes again and force myself to slow down the rhythm. I place my hand over her heart. She doesn't even realize or care at this point; she's too far gone in the sensation. I concentrate the energy at the same spot as in my own body—the cavity between the lungs and the heart. To my inner eye, it looks like a huge neuron connected to the rest of the body, but invisible and intangible.
The organs themselves create an E.M.F.—an electromagnetic field. The heart is the first most powerful emitter, and the brain is the second. Then, the more sensitive the place, the more waves it produces. That's my opinion, anyway, based on a paper and translated data pictures I remember from Earth.
I slowly build a core within her so she can generate her own energy. Her body is difficult to work with; it's like dry, oily clay trying to be dissolved in water. It resists, then crumbles. It's such a shitty body to begin with, and the life she led... sad. Just sad.
She is not even responding to my voice anymore, just fuzzy and sweating. I scoop her up—she's light as a feather—and tell Red to stand guard for me. I go to the bed, holding her palm in mine and her back in my other arm. I keep channeling my power into her, just a trickle now. I slowly fall asleep, surrounded by her nice scent.
When we finally wake up, it's already close to noon.
At first, she was a bit shy. She's probably never felt herself being carried or held with any kind of care. But then, she notices how good she feels. Looking at her, the change is obvious. She is not only skin and bones anymore. Her sallow cheeks have filled out, losing that deathly gauntness.
(I was right. She is a beauty.)
I smile at her, keeping my voice gentle.
-Good morning. -
-G... good morning. -
Nice, you learn so fast! I bet it's because you never had much to do. You became smart by observing. Now, your body should feel a lot better. But don't tell the others. Just you and me. We need to do more than one session for it to be complete. -
I still have to gesticulate a lot to get the point across, but she understands very fast. It seems like my power didn't just change her body; it created a link. We can tell each other's emotions. Well, hers are just a whisper right now, since she has just awakened and her power channels aren't any bigger yet. But I can tell her body is recovering, repairing the dead and dormant cells first. I don't know how long a full recovery will take, but the process has started.
She is only beginning to feel the change, and her face tells me exactly how happy she is. When she grabs the water tub to go and dump it, she pauses. She realizes she isn't shaking. She can hold it without struggle. She starts to cry.
I grab her in my arms and hug her, rubbing her back soothingly.
Tenka! Promise to keep this between you and me. -
She looks at me with those big, wet eyes.
-A secret. -
I make a gesture not to open my mouth about it, like a harsh shush.
She nods frantically.
-Good. -
-I'm so hungry I might die... -
I throw my cloak over her shoulders and send Red with her to dump the water and get more. I slump onto the bed with a bunch of jerky, chewing thoughtfully. Of course, now she will work for me only.
I can tell the taming—no, that's the wrong word, more like a connection or whatever—worked. My emotions must feel overwhelming to her. I just lit her candle, while I'm a blazing sun standing next to her. The effect on me is negligible, barely a drain. I have to actually concentrate on her power pulses to feel her thoughts, whereas she probably feels mine like a wave.
Animals have larger energy pools than unawakened humans. Well, maybe I should check with the strongest of this tribe later to confirm that theory.
Now, what to do with this place... It's mine, no matter how you put it. If I leave them here, they will die. Or worse.
1: Census.
2: Gather who wants to leave.
3: Show of strength.
Damn, I know I'm awesome, but I never made a show of it... maybe I can throw a charged rock at a tree? With some power in the motion, it should pass straight through, or at least get stuck deep in the wood.
My most amazing power is taming, but let's keep that a secret for now. Besides, it's not guaranteed that if the others awaken, they would have the same power. There must be basic functions that everybody can use. Until Tenka shows what she can do, let's lay low on the magic stuff.
She comes back with the water. Red takes his post, guarding outside.
She peels away my green robe. Once she tries to turn around to give me privacy, I grab her wrist gently. I remove her robe, too.
Poor girl, you're so skinny. Let me take good care of you. -
I can't help myself from tearing up. Maybe it's the reflection of my past self, or just my empathy for someone that went through the same hell I did. Her internals are starting to get better, but on the outside, she still looks anorexic.
I start wiping her down first, keeping a warm, reassuring smile on my face.
Once she is clean, it's my turn. She looks at my thin but muscular body with wide eyes. I have to admit, though I'm super well-cut, my skin doesn't have a spot or blemish, except for my arm scar. She makes sure to wash every part. Even when I get an erection, the whole interaction feels so pure. Of course, I feel lust—I'm a man—but she can tell that I don't want to hurt her. Or maybe she is just ignorant of what that means.
Once we are done, I put back on my clean outfit... It's still better than the robes for moving around. I give her some granola and jerky and force her to eat it all. I then gesture to her to lie down on the bed, face down, naked. While she is shy, she trusts me and does it.
I massage her back and limbs, sending my power inside every tight knot and damaged muscle. She can't help herself from moaning, but I concentrate on the massage. I try to "wake up" and untangle all the strings inside her biology. Then I flip her onto her back and do the front. I put a bit of time on her head, neck, and chest, then her limbs, climbing to her belly and descending to her core.
She feels butterflies all over her body; I can sense the flutter of her energy. I reach her crotch and massage it like it is natural, my body hard, hot, and I send my power directly there. In only seconds, she sprays all over the bed. It was probably her first time experiencing anything like that. I spend a few minutes just holding her, then kiss her forehead and go out to try and talk with the ladies.
I let her sleep, post Red to watch over her, and project a thought to him:
(This is the first human that I will tell you to trust. Trust her almost like you trust me. Of course, our relationship is different; you protect me and her. She makes children and protects them. My children... Of course, that is in the future, not now.)
I finally step out of the hut. Not before grabbing my staff, spear, and five spare spearheads.
They seem to have been waiting for me... A girl is standing there, red as a tomato. Oh... well, she definitely heard the moans.
We walk to the center of the village. I notice all the huts are built facing the center. In the middle, there is a clearing where everybody is gathered. Unlike yesterday, they seem calm, and all eyes are fixed on me.
I already prepared a "speech." I grab a few skins I prepared with drawings of stickmen—crude, but easy to understand.
Drawing 1: Stay here = Skull (Dead).
Drawing 2: Follow me = Food and Life.
People don't understand at first; some scorn me. They almost fight among themselves. The one Red put down a notch yesterday is silent. She knows the truth, even if she hates me. She seems to be the matriarch or something similar.
The one to put a stop to the madness is the baby woman. She seems to make them understand that it's better to leave than to stay and be under some rapist asshole's rule. She would do anything for her baby boy anyway, so she comes to my side immediately. Her name is Tali.
That's when a cloaked Tenka, accompanied by Red, also takes my other side. Right now, there are 32 people here, including the baby. All women.
In my head, I start filtering them. I exclude people under 16 and over 25. I check their physical condition and select the five best potential warriors. I ask Tenka to bring them a bit closer and tell them I want to train them. I observe their reactions carefully.
Luckily, they seem very happy to be chosen. I shush them down. I can see Tenka is full of energy. She has three times what she had yesterday, at least.
I let the others chat among themselves about all this while I bring Tali (riding on Red's back), the five warriors, and Tenka away from the main group. Once we are far enough, Tenka helps with the presentations.
Their names are:
Temate: Around 22 years old, 5'6". Brown hair, blue eyes, coffee skin. She looks sturdy.
Salaba: Around 20 and 6'. Black eyes and brown hair, pale skin. Tall and rangy.
Lily: Around 18. Black and bluish hair, abyssal black eyes, jade white skin, 5'4". Exotic look.
Pama: Around 20. Red hair, green eyes, 5'7", creamy skin with freckles.
Tati: Around 16. Light brown hair and almond eyes, 5'4", light coffee skin. The youngest.
Instead of talking, I just pull out the spearheads, then give one to each of them. We go find a shaft for each girl, and I spend the next hour showing them how to use a spear and staff. Stance, thrust, recover.
The matriarch tries to sneak a peek, but Red alerts me instantly. I disappear from the group and sneak behind her using my speed.
-Hello! -
She spins around, startled, and sees me smiling.
-I'm Sam. -
-Matema. -
I try to gesture and ask if she will come with us. She nods, but still tries to nag about something. I ignore it and say:
-Ok, ok. Just don't do anything stupid. -
I frown a bit, waving my finger around like a maestro conducting an orchestra, and leave her there confused.
We don't have much time, so that's all I can show the girls for today. With the completed weapons of their own creation in hand, they are excited. They feel empowered. They are loyal and a good deterrent for any trouble in the main group. Tenka seems to be trying to convince them of something hard, too. They all redden all of a sudden.
Seems like I did not tell her not to say I'm a man. But I thought that was obvious! Especially without my cape—you can see my ripped arms. The one with the flame scar looks undeniably cool. But, I suppose to them, with my long hair and no beard, I look feminine.
I chide Tenka a bit. We laugh, but I seriously tell them to keep the secret. I will keep my armless jacket closed, hehehe.
They look weirded out. I tell them I don't want all the women to know! Just them for now! Of course... Tali?!
I turn around and see her standing there with her baby. She heard everything... She smiles at me innocently.
-Dammit! You better keep it to yourselves. -
They all laugh, but I can feel their trust and sincerity in their laughter. They just nod.
We all put our index fingers on our mouths, signaling silence, then laugh and talk while we head back to the others.