Orphan 7
“Are you ready for our first lesson?” SoYa asked, dropping his pack on the table near the window.
KiNa still ached from the training with Hunt earlier, but that wouldn’t keep him from learning something new. There was only one problem, one thing that he never addressed with his new teacher yet.
“Sure… uh… just something I guess I should have told you,” the boy approached it gingerly.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t really know how to read,” KiNa looked down, feeling decidedly stupid. He wasn’t sure how he’d be a good student if he didn’t know what to do with a book.
“I see,” SoYa said slowly, tapping his finger against his chin. “That’s not a problem. I didn’t expect to use books for this, anyhow.”
“What? No books?” the boy furrowed his brows. “What kind of class has no books?”
“My class,” the man smiled. “You think that mind magery is something someone has written down in a book somewhere? What with so few of us, so little that’s known of the magic?”
“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think about it,” KiNa answered, feeling somewhat relieved.
“We’ll work on the reading issue, too. Don’t let that worry you about what we’re going to learn here,” SoYa came over and sat at the table, across from him. “Okay?”
The boy nodded, looking thankful.
“Now, we’re going to start this slowly,” SoYa told him. “Remember when I said that your thoughts give you away and that your feelings are really loud?”
“Yeah?”
“We’re going to work on that. Learning how to silence your mind and block others who might try to peek in on you is not only good defense, but it strengthens your control,” the man spoke grimly, like one who had too much experience. “Reach over here and let me see your hands.”
KiNa did as he was asked, stretching his hands across the table towards where SoYa sat. The man placed his own hands over top of the boy’s. A tingling feeling danced over KiNa’s skin, something he identified as the beginning of mind magic.
“Now close your eyes. Relax for me.”
The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“I’m going to make a mind-connection with you, so don’t be alarmed. We’re going to start by letting you feel what it’s like for another mind mage to tap into your thoughts,” SoYa’s voice was distant, almost lulling.
Then it came, an immense feeling that nearly knocked the breath out of his lungs. KiNa slammed his eyes shut in response, teeth gritting, body growing rigid. He realized instantly that SoYa removed his normal mind-silence, the block between his mind and anyone else who might be able to sense his abilities. The strength behind the man’s will left the boy shivering.
“Relax,” the voice intoned softly.
A flash of color began to spread behind his eyes, moving more and more quickly. KiNa could feel his heartbeat racing, his limbs growing weightless as if he was pulled straight out of his body and placed somewhere else entirely.
“You can open your eyes now.”
The boy started slightly, eyes flipping open. There was nothing there. Nothing but a blank white world.
“Where am I?” he asked, turning around, looking for any sign of anything.
“This is a mindscape,” SoYa’s voice sounded near his ear, though KiNa couldn’t see him or anything else. “It’s sort of like a waking dream. I created a blank one for you to work with.”
“This is an illusion? We’re in your mind?” KiNa asked in awe.
“No. We’re in your mind,” came the answer. “First thing to remember is if you are the host of the mindscape, you are the one with the most control. Even if your mind is being invaded by something else, and you think it’s stronger, you have the ability to control things that something from the outside cannot.”
“I hope you’re right,” the boy frowned, still looking around.
“Why don’t you give it a shot?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you change it? I made it, but it belongs to you,” SoYa told him.
“Like what?” KiNa mused.
“Anything you want.”
KiNa sucked on his bottom lip, considering the blankness around him. Then quite promptly, the ground around his feet began to change, a soft blush of red-violet spreading like spilled paint on the white. Before long, much of the area had changed color to match his favorite bandanna.
“Pink?” SoYa asked, sounding amused.
“It’s mauve,” the boy retorted, looking offended.
“Oh. Oh, right. Mauve. I’m sorry.”
KiNa hardly noticed due to his excitement, “I did that!”
“Yes, you did,” SoYa answered. “Now let’s try something else.”
“Okay? What?”
“Why don’t you make a door.”
“Door?” KiNa frowned, wondering how he could do that. He didn’t have any wood or supplies.
“You don’t need anything like that,” SoYa encouraged. “Do you ever see anyone build the things in your dreams every night?”
The boy shook his head. “No, I guess not. Then, what do I do?”
“Try drawing it with your finger.”
“My finger?” KiNa looked up with a quirked face. Then he sighed. “Alright.”
Sticking his hand out, the boy began to draw a line through the air with his finger.
“You have to believe it,” SoYa instructed. “Visualize it. The top of the door. The sides of the door. Make it an open door if you have to. Just a door frame.”
KiNa concentrated hard, moving his finger across the mauveness. As he squinted, he began to see something that looked like a line appearing, following behind his motions. Eyebrows arching up, he worked more diligently, until he saw a rectangular outline floating in the middle of the air. Pressing one hand in the middle, the center area gave way, leaving a doorframe that opened into another area of white.
“Wow,” the boy whispered.
“Good job, KiNa! You’re really catching on quickly!” SoYa praised.
“That’s crazy,” KiNa shook his head. “Are you sure you’re not doing this?”
“It’s not me. I promise,” the man’s voice laughed. “Alright. Let’s try something else again.”
“Okay.”
“Now, I want you to look at the door you just made and I want you to think of it like a doorway into your mind,” SoYa instructed slowly. “Anything that wants to peek into your mind or step into your mindscape must first come through that door.”
“If that’s true, why did I open it?” KiNa asked.
“Because right now, your door is open to everyone,” came the answer. “Your first job is to learn how to push things through that door, things that don’t belong there. Then to close it and keep it closed unless you want to open it to someone.”
“That sounds hard,” the boy frowned.
“It takes practice and time, but I know you can do this.”
“If you say so,” KiNa pursed his lips. “What do I do first?”
“Probably the easiest way to go about this is to create a form for my mind-presence.”
“Do what?” the boy blinked.
“Not as hard as it sounds. Just… imagine a shape. Something simple. Enclose my presence in it. Basically, let it physically represent the mind connection I’ve made with you,” SoYa tried to explain.
KiNa didn’t seem so sure about this one. But he tried. Again, drawing with his finger in the air, he made a large square shape and put all of his will into imaging SoYa inside of it. Taking a step back, it seemed pretty lopsided, but a good enough box all the same.
“Now what?” the boy asked.
“Now, you’re going to practice pushing that presence out of your mind. Break our mind connection,” he answered. “If the box represents me and the doorway is a threshold into your mindscape, shove me out the door.”
KiNa rolled up his sleeves. “I can do that.”
He placed both palms against the side of the box and tried to push. Feet squeaking against the slick mauve floor, he found it much heavier than he first imagined. The boy pushed and shoved and threw his shoulder against it, but it wouldn’t budge. Finally, the boy slumped down next to the box.
“Is that all you can do?” SoYa’s voice sounded near to him. The boy realized it was coming from inside the box.
“You’re doing this, aren’t you?” KiNa accused with a huff.
“This is your mindscape. You can choose to make things however you want,” the man replied. “Don’t think so literally. If you’ve convinced yourself that you’ve locked me in that box, you’ve got yourself thinking that the box is as heavy as I am.”
“Well, isn’t it?” the boy frowned.
“Only if you let it be,” SoYa answered.
“Oh,” KiNa pushed himself to his feet again.
Then, narrowing his eyes at the box, he placed his palms on it again. This time, he willed it to be as light as air. Much to his surprise, the box became instantly easy to push, so much that he almost fell over when he shoved with too much force. The sides of the box slammed against either side of the doorframe, stopping the advance. When the boy looked up, he realized that he visualized the box too wide for the doorframe.
“The door’s too narrow,” the boy commented.
“Or the box is too wide,” SoYa added. “When working with mind-structures, it’s always better to alter the less complicated shapes. In this case, change the shape of the box, not the door.”
“Okay,” KiNa rubbed his hands together, then getting clever, touched the box again.
Instantly, it shifted in size and shape, becoming a globe.
“Not bad,” SoYa said.
“I should have thought about that to start with,” the boy huffed. Then he went to push it again, expecting the motion to be much easier before. When it didn’t budge once more, the boy looked puzzled. “What’s wrong now?”
SoYa only laughed. “Make sure that you keep in mind the shape as a whole. Not just the things that you can see.”
“What?” KiNa knelt down, looking at his creation. While the top area became a globe, the area that touched the floor was still flat, defeating the purpose of the concept. “How did that happen?”
“Think things through slowly and don’t get ahead of yourself,” the man instructed. “Now fix your sphere and push it out the door.”
“I’ll get it this time,” the boy sucked on his bottom lip, touching the globe and watching the shape shift and round before his eyes. This time, when he pushed, the shape rolled, slowly tipping through the doorway and into the white nothingness.
“Yes! I did i–”
His triumph was cut short as everything came jolting back to him. KiNa’s eyes flipped open, startled like one wakened from a deep sleep. A sudden headache began to throb in his temples.
“Ow,” the boy complained. “What happened?”
SoYa grinned and opened his eyes. There was silence from his mind again, but KiNa couldn’t forget the feeling of the man’s overwhelming will. “You didn’t maintain the mindscape after I left. So when you shoved me out, you woke up.”
“That hurt,” KiNa rubbed his head.
“It’ll go away in a little while,” the man told him. “Just rest it off. You did a very good job today.”
“I did?” the boy looked over.
“You did,” SoYa answered getting to his feet. How the man already shook off the lingering after effects of the mind-scape, KiNa didn’t know. “In fact, I think this calls for a celebration supper. What do you think?”
“Yeaaaaah!” KiNa sat up, feeling a little dizzy. “Does that mean you’re going to stay here tonight?”
“Maybe for a little while,” the man said. “AsaHi expects me home, I’m sure.”
“AsaHi?” the boy paused, looking at him. That was the first time SoYa spoke that name. “Who’s that? Your girlfriend?”
SoYa paused, with the expression of someone who realized he let something slip. Then he sighed, “I suppose it won’t hurt for you to know. She’s my wife.”
“Wife?” KiNa boggle-eyed him. “You’re Bonded?”
“Yes, I am,” the man nodded.
“Is she pretty? What’s she like?” the boy bounced in the chair.
“Well,” SoYa stopped again. “How about we talk about it over supper? Does that sound like a plan to you?”
“Sure?” KiNa tilted his head. Something about the way the man said that made it sound as if he wasn’t too excited to discuss his family life. KiNa couldn’t sense why. The boy decided it was probably better to sit still and let his teacher choose his own place and time.
Still, he wondered as he watched SoYa head to the kitchen alone. It wouldn’t be until later that he realized his fatal mistake.