Over the next week, I work with my group at the Academy, and train strenuously with Tanner who seems insistent on not showing me anything else in my chest, and instead teaching me hand to hand fighting, close combat with my sword, and increasing my range with telepathy. I don't mind this much, other than it's cutting into my reading time.
Right now we are training my telepathy by walking through the space museum.
"Alright, see that tour guide over there?" He nods his head towards a man about 150 feet away.
"Yeah, I see'em."
"I don't want you to look at him while you transmit a message, you need to learn how to do it without focusing."
I have my Aurator around my neck and I walk over to an exhibit with my back towards the tour guide.
"Hey, hey man, I hope you didn't forget your lines, that would suck if you did." I think of his mind opening up and I know the message got through.
Tanner starts to laugh behind me, I turn around and see the tour guide looking around in confusion and the group he is entertaining are looking impatient. Tanner seems to like this type of training, because he records the people's who I mess with reactions.
"N-n-now tell him that he is going t-to explode in 10 seconds!" Tanner is laughing really hard now.
I turn back around and send the message. The guide starts to scream and is running for the exit as I turn around.
Tanner loses his shit and is laughing so hard he starts to cough. The tour group is looking after the guide as he runs through the door, confusion on their faces. I start to laugh also and some people are giving Tanner and I strange looks.
"Alright, alright, okay," Tanner wipes a tear from his eye and tries to recover,"We should get outta hear. I've got a good 2 hours of footage Adam." We start walking towards the exit as the tour guide runs back in.
"Excuse me sir!" I call towards him," Are you okay? You look like you are about to have a heart-attack."
He blinks and wipes some sweat from his brow,"I'm okay, I think I'm gonna take the rest of the day off though."
Tanner chuckles some more,"Nice one kiddo."
"I like to pride myself on my work." He tussles my hair fondly.
"Alright. Do wanna go camping with Joey? He will be here shortly to get you."
"Yeah. He's bringing along a friend of his, and 3 girls."
"Just be safe out there. Apparently the area you are going camping in has been the site of Loric disappearances in the past few years. No one is sure why. So Take your Aurator and your sword for safety measures." Tanner pulls into the front driveway and we hop out.
My Aurator rarely leaves my neck. I feel weak without it. My sword is on my nightstand also, knowing it's all that's left of my family makes them more important than what is considered healthy.
"The only reason I'm allowing you to go on this trip is because you need to learn to socialize more. You are to valuable to Lorien, I really have a bad feeling about this Adam... Call me if anything happens out of the ordinary." He looks rather worried which is unlike him.
"I'm going to finish packing, we'll be gone for 3 days, Please don't worry about me Tanner."
"You are like a son to me, It's my job to worry kiddo."
Joey introduces me to everyone on the way to the camping area. We are in a large vehicle with two seats up front, two in the middle, three in the back. All our camping stuff is in the storage trunk at the back of the vehicle.
"Everyone, this is Adam! He's my friend through training. That guy over there is Jaime. "
He point to a dude in the middle row of seats. He has long light brown hair, and is rather skinny, just slightly shorter than me.
"Hey man," He says to me,"Glad you are able to come along."
"Those three weirdos in the back are Madison, Lilith, and Karli."
Madison is tall and slender, with dark green eyes and light brown hair and skin. Lilith has a mane of dark curly red hair extending past her shoulders, light blue eyes, and slightly shorter than me, she is incredibly oblivious to her introduction because she is reading a book. Karli has long silver-blonde hair and brown eyes, and pale skin. We all look so different, but we are all garde of different levels of development. That much we all have in common.
Joey has a pleased look on his face.
"You guys have heard of the Loric disappearances in the area we are gonna camp in right?" Jaime asks.
"That's why we are going there!" Joey smirks,"To see what all the fuss is about, I am super curious myself."
"Plus there are six of us. We can handle whatever happens, if anything happens, which isn't likely." I add, mostly because I need convincing myself.
"Exactly what I was thinking!" He continues on,"Anyways, we are almost there. So everyone get ready to go for a bit of a hike to get to the camp site."
We arrive soon like Joey said, and get are stuff on and hike into the heavily wooded forest, the sun is starting to set and we don't have much daylight left. Joey shows everyone how to set up a tent, and the girls have one and we have another. After everything is set up Madison uses her pyrokinesis to light a warm fire. I sit between Jaime and Lilith, although Lilith hardly notices since she is still nose deep in her book.
"Whatcha reading there?" I ask.
"A book about the planet Mogadore. They have a really messed up history. I'm surprised they lasted this long." She eyes me curiously.
"I've read a lot about Mogadore," I continue," They're fucked is all I can say about the matter." C'mon Adam, that's not how you talk to a girl.
She smiles," Do you read a lot?"
"Yeah, to much, according to my cepan." I respond.
"Mine says the same thing, you can never read to many books." She scoots a little closer to me.
"So what legacies have you got?"
"So far, enhancement, telekinesis, impenetrable skin, which means I cannot be hurt by anything on the outside, chlorokinesis, I can control any type of plant life, and Animo, I can animate objects at my will, such as making rocks transform into golems to fight for me. What about you?"
"So far just enhancement and telepathy." I feel weak in comparison. She must see this on my face because she surprises me by what she says.
"Don't worry if your legacies are late, you seem humble because of it, unlike some garde." She looks towards Joey who is talking to some animal with his mind and telling it to run up and down the other girl's backs, while they screams and laugh.
"Plus it means I can talk to you in your head." I think.
"Woah, that is pretty cool!" I hear her think back.
"So what part of Lorien are you from?" i ask her.
"Ohhhh... I'm from around a suburb in an area right near the Lorien Academy" She thinks back.
"Hey! Me too! We should hang out sometime?"
"We totally should, we could talk about books!"
"Yeah, most people aren't into reading like I am. So I never get to talk to anyone about it." I think and smile at her.
"Hey Adam! Stop flirting with Lilith inside your head!" I hear Joey's voice in my head now. On a different signal though. So Lilith can't hear him.
I flip him off and he grins at me and starts to giggle. Everyone gives us weird looks.
"My bro Adam over there has telepathy. So everyone should train there thoughts at him."
We ignore him and our heads all snap towards the same direction. A branch breaks and a little girl walks out into the light. She has dark black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin. She looks to be about 8 years old, and she is in pajamas.
I walk towards her and lean close to her."What are you doing out here alone sweetie?"
She grasps me and hugs me and starts to cry. "They got my grandparents. I ran as fast as I could..."
I hug her back and walk her over to the fire. She is leaning against me still crying.
"Adam! Get away! Now!" I hear Joey's voice in my head.
"She needs help Joey... She just a littl-" I am cut off as my voice turns into a scream. The little girl has an odd smile on her face... I look at my stomach and see an odd silver looking knife in my stomach.
She stabs me again and I fall onto the ground behind my seat and scream even louder. A little metal ball flies over my head and explodes... the other garde disappear behind the smoke that is excreted form the ball. I see a bunch of men that look similar to the little girl, except for their armor and their glowing metal swords. Then all hell breaks loose.
They walk towards us and then start to run. Joey yells something and sends a burning log flying at one of the pale men. He screams as he burns before my eyes. The little girl has run off and I am jerked up by my shirt. I am face to face with one of the pale men... When it hits me, these are mogadorians.