Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

Trint woke up on the ground. Unsure how much time had passed, he looked up and saw Jack sitting a short distance away as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“How long was I out?” Trint asked the darkness.  He found that he was waking up and finding himself in strange, new places more and more often. Frankly, it was a distressing experience, and he did not want that to keep happening.

"Not too long, all things considered,” Trint nearly jumped out of his skin, not expecting an answer, having forgot about Jack. Trint shook his head at first in annoyance but quickly that morphed to anger.

He got up a little too quickly, expecting to have even more injuries after opening his gift. Shockingly, he felt fantastic. The pressure, burning, and pain was gone. Vanished. He could feel an energy he had never experienced before coursing through his body. He felt strong and energized. Completely forgetting Jack, Trint began testing his miraculously healed body. Standing on tiptoe with palms outstretched toward the sky, he could tell his skin and muscles were denser. His chest felt like it radiated energy where the molten stone had settled. Touching his now healed chest he was surprised to see his body was more muscular.

Looking around he saw there was no light or wind, or sign of the acidic burns anymore, but when Trint closed his eyes, he could feel the stone and sense it emitted a constant force like a blazing fire. But simultaneously it seemed to be breathing in and out. He was lost in the feeling as part of him he never knew existed seemed to inhale and then exhale. The breathing corresponded with his lungs, but it wasn’t pushing air through this new “heart” it wasn’t even physically inside him. It was infusing his body with something. He could feel a refreshing energy spread from his chest with each breath.

Shaken from his thoughts he felt something, or more like someone, was watching him. A predator was near. On edge, his eyes snapped open and he scanned his surroundings but couldn’t place the source of his fear until Jack stepped out from the trees.

“Right, that would be distracting at first,” he sympathized. “You will not always fear him, however. It should now be obvious to you that you are much more than you previously were. A moment ago, you looked like any other freshly-minted i11 mortal, although you were more handicapped than most, given your injuries. Now, you are more made more than whole. I can feel a power radiating from you.” He stood and looked Trint up and down, a glint in his eye.

“Part of it pulls from even me. My spirit is able to resist the pull, as I am constantly blocking out the fear. Pneuma will teach you to control that soon, or you will be forced to stay outside town to avoid the recruiters,” he warned.

“What do you mean, i11, new ma...?” Trint cut in unsure of all Jack was alluding to.

“Well, you are no longer on Earth,” Jack stated. “This is i11: a completely different universe. You will learn more later. Just ask Pneuma.”

“What?! Another universe?” Trint challenged.

“Just save your questions for the end,” Jack sounded like a tenured professor quieting the class. “Regarding your earlier question, you were out for about two hours after being paired with Pneuma and successfully joining your new family.”

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Trint decided the best chance of getting answers was to be listen and be patient. He walked over and sat on a protruding boulder and raised his eyebrows at the man, less-than-patiently awaiting an explanation.

“The wind and fire you saw were the first part of the gift as Pneuma paired with you and connected both of your spirits, minds, and bodies. The effects will get you past the first few Iterations fast enough to find the help you’ll need. The blood created the bond with your Benefactor and confirmed your familial ties,” Jack began.

“You are now inseparable as your souls have been linked. You also have a Seat and Name in your new family's Kingdom. You must become much more than you imagine standing amongst that level of power. You must endure and fight and forge yourself. But you don’t have to do it alone. I will be taking my leave, but you are in good hands. Not literal hands, mind you.”

He paused for a moment before offering up a bit of advice: “I suggest you don’t try to ignore his advice. He won’t force you to listen, but at this point, he knows far more than you. He will keep you alive till you know how to fend for yourself. You are not the master but are now companions.”

Jack reached into his pockets once more and produced another small item. Turning his fist palm side up, Trint realized it was a ring of some sort. A signet ring, perhaps?

 “Another gift,” he explained. “This is your father’s family ring. Before you place it on your finger, notice the color of the metal. You won’t see this material again till you meet your father, as it was Soul forged by him.”  The metal was a matte black with flecks of blue that slowly swirled in the metal and a gave a slight internal glow. It reminded Trint of the black flames and blue flecked wind.

“But more importantly, you need to memorize the symbol design of 3 interlocked circles. This is a family symbol that no one can fake or attempt to use without the System allowing it. The status and power your family command allows them System privileges for Symbols of Power such as this. If you ever see this symbol after today it means that your family has influence over whatever is marked.”

Trint carefully took the proffered ring. The circles on the band seemed to be overlapping a triangle. Looking closer, the interlocked circles were threaded with the triangle. The triangle corners were at the center of each circle with each circle overlapping the next ring like three links in a chain. 

“Now put it on,” Jack instructed. “The other way. The single circle should always face toward you.”

Trint felt the invisible runes previously burnt into his skin flare with power as he slid the ring on his finger. The ring changed from an ornately designed ring with a broad circle top for the family design to a plain, dull black band—the basic description after it changed popped into his view as another holographic message:

 

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