I'm becoming quite tired of saying I'm sorry I'm such a lousy writer. So, I'm just saying to the true believers, don't worry, and have faith!
Chapter 6 : Teaching
The next day, while everyone gathered for the ritual of breakfast, Frank noticed something beneath all the glorious mood that was engulfing them; sure, a great Seeker and husband and father had been found, a young girl had discovered the ultimate secret about herself. Yet, even Cathy's open nervousness and slight confusion didn't distract him to notice a tinge of wonder, at least from the Huntik team plus his old friend.
"Ok, let's just get it over with. The question most of you have in mind is, now what?" he casually said, while carefully watching over his famous pancakes. The temperature of the kitchen fell about ten degrees in a pico-second.
"Ladies and gentleman, 'Blunt-tongued' Norton for ya!" grumbled the elder Lambert, caressing his moustache as he did when he was nervous or irritated. Frank grinned openly as he masterfully shoved a pile of pancakes before him, wailing : "Ooh, your tone hurt me so much I'll retire and go to Oregon to be a lumberjack!" "Not helping!" was Sandra's answer.
Lok spoke up matter of factly : "Ok, but his question is right. Now that Dad is here with us... well, what can we plan? The objectives we had since their days are all done : the Legendary Titans, the Amulet... What else is left?" His sincerity had the effect of wiping the half-smile his father wore besides himself. Zhalia herself bit her lip and, tapping her fingers on the table, confirmed : "Lok's right. We need something to do. And, with all respect, I doubt that Cathy's training will do!"
Dante slowly nodded; he looked up at the American seeker and asked : "Frank? What was your idea?" Everyone looked up at him; it was evident that he wouldn't have brought up the matter without having a solution ready.
He didn't disappoint; folding his arms on his chest, he seriously pronounced a single word : "Rassimov." Cathy had heard the name the day before, but had missed the effect it had on the others; pretty much everyone cringed, even Sandra. Her father muttered : "Yeah. I'm afraid that his actions during the showdown demonstrate he had a plan of his own... and with the Organization in complete disarray and the Huntik Foundation still unable to capitalize on it to strengthen its hold on the new generation of Seekers, I'd bet everything on the fact he's recruiting like hell right now!"
For a moment, even the gentle rays of the sun that peered through the window seemed feebler. Frank quickly jumped in, to exclaim : "That's right. But worrying about it won't do us any good : Metz is not a fool, he realized this as much as we did, and they'll keep a tight watch on any suspicious activity in the Old World. We'll just have to do the same in the New one!"
His confidence and his determination managed to get some smiles. "Alright, Mister Big Boss!" Eathon approved, looking greedily at the pancakes. "May I inquire what are our next moves?" The tall American smiled dangerously as he answered : "First, we get some weight and health in you again, and we get Cathy to know some spells and stuff; then, there is plenty of Titans to get around here, I've kept my mind busy with those. As soon as you are back in shape and Cathy gets the hang of it, we're off. Just like old times!" His smile changed to one of nostalgia, as he forked down the poor pancakes; he repeated, his eyes lost in the past : "Just like old times!"
"Hmmm. Very good; Sandra kept you athletic enough, you're at a good level already!" Frank approved, caressing his bearded chin. Cathy shrugged, while regaining her breath. "We Lamberts are no slowpokes; we pride ourselves in our physical fitness!" Her mock proud tone caused a strangled sound from Sophie, which was immediately silenced by Lok's glare.
The America grinned again, and said : "Ok, time to step up!" He reached for the table, and grabbed a book. "As it's explained in here," he began, not really looking down at the pages, "both the summoning of a Titan and the utilization of spells draw power from your reserves; the amount of those reserves depend on your innate potential in the broad sense, but you are limited by your experience. Right now, you would just be able to throw one or two spells and summon your Titan, but that's it. And even when you'll have some fights and more training under your belt, always remember that you have to manage carefully the powers you have, as well as the Titans; your life could depend on it. Got it?"
The girl nodded, listening with great attention. "Very good. Most spells you learn by studying on these," he patted the cover of the book, "but the most simple ones are easy enough you can grab them just by observing them. And this reminds me I think I got cut while running in the bushes!" He looked down at his feet, and yes, some scratches had reddened his skin and let some blood out. "Watch carefully!" Frank said, kneeling down; he put his hands on his ankle and pronounced clearly : "Everfight!" An orange aura immediately caused the scratches and the blood to disappear. "This is useful if you have a physical match to fight in, but for more serious injuries it can drain your energies pretty badly. Try it!" The daughter of his best friend nodded again and lifted her left arm : she had some cuts on her elbow. Taking a deep breath and concentrating, she remained silent for some seconds. Then... "Everfight!" she ordered; the spell worked perfectly, healing without leaving any scar.
"Nicely done!" Eathon said from his seat, beaming. He had protested against such a precaution, but Frank and Sandra had been inflexible; he was still in convalescence. Sophie didn't let go of the opportunity, and snickered : "Yes, this is the way to do it! Lok didn't manage it on the first try!" The poor boy sighed, moaning : "Why are you so mean to me lately?" Zhalia smirked : "Not bad for a rookie!"
"As they said!" Cathy's mentor said in an approving manner. "Now, Titans. As long as you have the energy, you can summon any Titan you want, but there are two ways in which it can return into it : by your choice, when it is no longer needed, or by enemy. In the latter case, it will take some time for you to be able to summon it again; right now, after summoning Jirwolf, you'd have to wait at least three or four hours. In time, you'll reach your father, who could summon it thirty minutes after its defeat. But let's take that one step at a time; would you call it out to play?"
Cathy obliged, and took out the only amulet in her possession; acting on instinct alone, she yelled : " Answer me, Jirwolf!" With the usual coreography, the astral wolf appeared in all his glory, sparkling like the starriest night on some mountain. It remained near Cathy, looking up at her inquiringly. "He's asking me what do I want!" she exclaimed, amazed. "Right. The Bond is the only way to communicate with your Titan, and luckily only Cherit there was able to learn how to speak!" The snickering it caused easily overcame the small dragon's indignant "Hey!"; and privately, they couldn't help but somewhat agree : sometimes Cherit could be too much talkative for their liking.
Cathy knelt down and hesitatingly put her hand on the blueish mane of her Titan; his answer was a pleasant purr. The eldest Lambert kid smiled. "He's very cute!" Her teacher and her father carefully avoided each other's gaze; they would explode with laughter otherwise. Frank coughed once and continued, in a somewhat embarassed tone : "He's not only, er, cute, he's also a fella with some interesting tricks! It's impossible to deceive and to confuse him, his sixth sense prevents that, and he is specialized in freezing the enemy with his cosmic aura, allowing other Titans to easily finish them off. And he can also take quite some damage; but of course, he's better off if not used as a purely fighting Titan!"
"Ok, I get it. Means that for the first missions I'm not staying in the front lines?" Cathy asked rhetorically, still petting the approving Jirwolf. Lok, who had stepped from the wall he was leaning on, said in a disgusted tone : "God, is, another minute and you'll start putting some ribbons on the poor guy. Why do you have to be such a girl?" That was his mistake : his sister stood up at once, and, her eyes blazing, ordered : "Get him!" The astral wolf obeyed at the speed of thought : running towards the dumbfounded Lok, he jumped at the last moment; the net result was that Lok gasped, completely blocked by the aura. As everyone else laughed, Frank cocked an eyebrow, and Cathy looked at her brother thoughtfully. "Hm, I see what you meant. Pretty clever power, huh, Jirwolf?" From the struggling figure, came a ragged : "Please... enough..." and Frank said : "Ok, fun is over. Boltflare!" The spell dispersed the aura, and the youngest Lambert was freed. Trying to regain his bearings, he snapped : "That wasn't cool, Cathy!" She pouted. "Awww, poor Lok met his equal; someone tougher than him?" The blonde boy growled, and roared : "I'll show you tough!" And tackled her.
While Lok's growls and Cathy's shrieks filled the air, Frank turned towards the rest of the gang. Zhalia and Sandra were observing the scene coolly, with detachment; Sophie was laughing her ass off, and soon sprang towards the siblings to join in the fun; Cherit was unsure whether to worry or to enjoy the show. Dante was trying to hide his smirk. And Eathon?
Eathon was peacefully sipping his tea, not even bothering to look at his children. Frank glared, and then declared : "She's just reacting to the news; we'll still get a level-headed Seeker... I hope!" Without looking up, his Irish friend quipped : "Yes. Let's bear with them!" "A bear would run for his life right now, I'm afraid!" Frank said, incapable of resisting the urge.
Their laughter joined those caused by the end of the fraternal struggle; all was well!