Chapter 15: Binding Friendship
Dante's training regimen was taking its toll on him, yet producing results. The day consisted of series pushups, meditation, and the thing Dante' despised most, power balancing. It's simple on paper, there's a thin wooden spike to balance on. The trouble wax you balanced for hours, but you technically didn't balance, you floated centimeters above the spike with the power of one finger. Dante' would last for about an hour, and then usually pass out. Tenomas was easy at first, but after a month, Dante' found him to be the biggest jerk he ever met. He would constantly scream, "Get up! You have to focus, or would you rather Akeo kill you where you stand." Dante' usually just shrugged and tried again, but was getting really frustrated, until he finally snapped.
Dante' had just finished his mourning warm-ups and was preparing to try balancing for the 100th time it seemed to him. He lasted 2 hours before he fell to his knees. Tenomas' face turned red as he yelled "You know what, I'm surprised you lasted this long, you are pathetic." That was all Dante' needed. He used a technique he had jus learned, he sent a telepathic grenade at Tenomas.
"Pathetic am I?" Growled Dante' as he sent hundreds of telepathic waves at the dust cloud that formed from the explosion. Dante' was exhausted after throwing all he had at Tenomas. The dust cleared and he was gone. Dante' froze, "What have I done?" he said to himself.
"Less than you know", said a voice from above. Dante' looked up, but it was too late. Tenomas flew down and landed a sledgehammer punch to his jaw sending Dante' into a tree. "So you thought you have what it takes now, huh? Well let's see." Tenomas put a hand over Dante's head and began to inject it with countless blue bolts of power into his mind. Dante' fell to the ground in a trance. He looked around, and again was standing in the training room he fought Akeo before. Akeo was flying toward him and he barely dodged his lunge attack. He lasted a lot longer than he did last time, but still was utterly devastated. Dante' started the battle with a barrage of grenades that stunned Akeo. He followed up with a circle maneuver to catch Akeo by surprise. It didn't work. Akeo spun around quickly and grabbed him by the throat and through him into a pillar. Dante' spun and grabbed the pillar, thus forming a sort of boomerang effect with his own body. Dante' used the momentum to land a kick on Akeos face that seemed to only make him mad. Akeo grabbed Dante' again, but this time pushed him against the wall and began to unleash devastating power attacks on Dante's ribs and head. After a few minutes of this butchery, Dante's eyes went black and he awoke in the woods again under the watchful eye of Tenomas.
"So I still don't have what it takes", said Dante' in utter disappointment.
"So, are you ready to train under my instruction? Are you ready to follow everything I say without question?" said Tenomas in a strict, yet somehow compassionate voice.
"Yes!" Dante' yelled I've been ready." Dante' was fuming.
"No you haven't. You haven't been ready yet. You don't get it; your pride will destroy you more than Akeo will. You must get rid of it." Tenomas was just as persuasive as Dante' in an argument and sometimes even scared Dante'.
"That's not as easy as you think. All I've ever had is my pride. I had nothing, I lived on the streets, and my pride was the only thing that gave me comfort." Dante' was obviously troubled by his past memories, as his eyes shifted as he thought.
"If you want to train under me, you must!" Tenomas was losing his patience and Dante' looked uncertain.
"Ok, I'll try", said Dante' as he looked up into Tenomas' bold brown eyes.
"There is no try, it's yes or no. Whatever it is I won't mind, but your planet and…….Lyss….was it may." Tenomas nodded as Dante' pondered what had just happened.
"Ok, let's do it." Dante smirked as he nodded his head as Tenomas did before.
"Ok then, bend down." Dante' looked awkward.
"What?"
"Bend down. Trust me Dante' you won't regret it." Dante' did as he was told and went down to one knee. "Ok now we will perform the ceremonial pass."
"What's that?" Dante' seemed to be curious, yet still uncertain."
"It's when a telepathic elder passes on some of his power to the student, thus making them one." Tenomas put out his hand and motioned for Dante' to do the same. "Now close your eyes and tap into your deepest hidden power." Their hands glowed as power was transferred between the two. "How do you feel?" Tenomas smiled.
"Great!" Dante' felt a kind of other presence, and knew it was the part of Tenomas. "Ok when d we start."
"As soon as possible!"