Void's Psionics (16 page)

Recognition took a moment as he noticed an
oval Creelin shield displaying the mark of a Beyleez warrior. A
high ranking general in human military. Their armor was standard
for Zeelin, military warriors like Marines. Both of them were, but
the other shield was marked slightly less than the larger oval.

A closer examination had Oliver sniff and he
remembered that scent. “Netul?”

The tall sitting Creelin
dipped his narrow chin and telepathically spoke like all of his
kind.
“Yes, it is I, Oliver. And it is I
who forced you to sleep so we could return you here.”

“
Huh… Why?” he asked,
rubbing the base of his skull.

“
Had you continued on that
path, the Beast would have crushed you. It is an X-Rank known to
your peoples as a Cerberus. You completely lost yourself to the
hunt bloodlust and I intervened. In that state you would be forever
lost.”

Oliver looked from Netul to the female at his
side and sniffed, learning her scent as well as finding Netul’s all
over her. “You must be Callier. Hello, I’m Oliver Void.”

Surprise turned her energy
misting blue eyes brighter, leaning more on the white side.
“Greetings, how do you know me?”

“
After we broke out of
prison,” he pointed between himself and Netul. “I contacted Grand
Elder Talon for advice on how to bring those responsible for the
illegal lab and for holding Netul captive. She gave me the
information and happened to drop your name. She said the two of you
are friends.”

Callier’s eyes turned a
darker blue, a Creelin sign of fondness.
“Yes, we have fought together in many honorable battles and
twice have we bore young around the same time and let them
play-fight when we met. Young Vanishing Claw and my match are also
bonded in combat and friendship.”
Eyes went
azure.
“I have wanted to give my thanks for
having my Match return to me. I have worried longer than at any
time we have ever been apart. Hearing of what you did for him makes
it an honor to meet you…”
she felt like she
wanted to say something, but stopped.

Too bad for her, Oliver was much better at
learning to figuratively read between the lines. He smiled though.
“You mean, ‘again.’ You both knew me as Mantiv didn’t you?” The
Creelin looked sharply to each other to say nothing. “I’ll take
that as a yes. Was I really that bad or what? My past self is
eighty three million years old… I was bound to make enemies. Were
we enemies?”

“
You tread on a dangerous
and delicate subject, My friend.”
Netul
spoke with extreme care.
“Many oaths were
sworn, but personally all that I can say is the man I knew as
General Mantiv and I never had cause to do battle to the death.
Also, you and he are entirely different in some ways and similar in
others.”

“
If I slip up, which I may,
I want you to know if I pester you just tell me. If you swore
oaths, I trust you know better for reasons I’m ignorant of. Since
you brought me back here can I assume you’ve been observing events
since Creelin would keep an eye on the last Solarian?”

“
That is
permissible.”
Netul nodded and relaxed,
leaning back on his arms.
“Yes, after you
saved me from unjust prison and I was reunited with my lone Match,
I told the Archivers you had been found. When I no longer needed my
hands to communicate with you, I read all that you know just as I
did in your sleep. It was not easy.”
Green
eyes spoke of an attempt at humor.
“So yes,
when I told them my tasks from the council were to rest with
Callier, our brood and people again, but my underlings reported to
me on everything pertaining to you.”

“
So you also know Renee is
Solarian born of humans and that she was kidnapped?” both Creelin
couldn’t hold the anger in his gaze. He continued. “And you also
knew I was here, but didn’t intervene till I went after this…
Cerberus. Why did you help me and not her… surely you…”

“
Enough, My Friend.”
Netul’s eyes flashed danger red and the mist
escaping the corners seemed to linger longer before dissipating.
For the first time, Oliver could sense a spike in psionic energy
and Netul’s was far greater than his own. That was clear
immediately. The red glow gradually went to soft blue. Netul’s
mental voice was precise, but understanding.
“You know all three hundred Solarian laws. I can tell. One of
ours is similar to the two twenty ninth. What does that one
basically say?”

“
An Elder race cannot
interfere with a younger that has yet to unite into a whole body by
eliminating the younger one’s threats for them, even should an
Elder race be captured…” Oliver breathed a long sigh. “So since
Renee was taken by lawless human mercenaries you could not step in
and apprehend them to get her out as it would require
bloodshed?”

“
Without an allowance from
the Archivers I could not… though I owe Renee as much a debt. I did
request though, but was denied.”

“
I seconded it on behalf
Renee’s biology as the only match to a near extinct
species.”
Callier added
solemnly.

“
I believe you. Thank you
for trying at least.” He rubbed the back of his stiff neck, calming
down as he stared across the cheery fire. “Then how could you come
and save me from myself?”

“
A rather vague loophole as
the humans say.”
Netul made an odd sound
through his chest and out his nostrils that told he was laughing at
his own cleverness.
“You were alone so
there was no chance on a younger species being influenced by our
race and superior technology. As an untainted Solarian alone, you
cannot be influenced by us as you are
our
Elders, even with memory being
stripped. In the Archivers’ minds, you fall under a different
category than humans. The moment word was sent to me of a change of
behavior and your path was heading for the Cerberus, you had been
consumed with the hunger lust without the influence of your Match.
Since Beasts are not sentient we could allow an injunction to lend
the service of any volunteer Zeelin warriors. The moment the
Archivers’ agreed to the injunction I petitioned for an allowance
to guide on the grounds the only one able to teach is your Match
and she is held captive and they agreed again. With permission
granted I and Callier arrived to render you unconscious and
returned you here until such time as I and she see fit you aren’t a
danger to yourself. What better guide than a Beyleez and a
Bezlin.”
Beyleez being akin to a six star
general. Only one was ranked so high per galaxy. Bezlin is compared
to a five star in the military. Now it made sense about the
slightly smaller shield and its markings.

“
Teach as in…?”

Callier took over.
“We’ve observed you excel in telekinesis, but have
yet to successfully craft a barrier or project focused plasma and
have yet project telepathy. We have permission to teach these in
the absence of your Match as you are alone on a violent planet
training as your people did for the warrior elite. If the event
should happen you mistakenly destroy the planet, there is no loss
of sentient life able to evolve before that star eventually ceases
fusion.”
She pointed out the cave.
“My Match has not lost his mind even after many
cycles of torture.”
She took his hand and
rubbed a thumb lovingly over it.

“
If I get strong enough to
rip a planet apart… Will your people stop me from going after
Renee?” Oliver asked.

“
Taking of one’s Match
illegally for ransom will not hold back the wrath of the other.
Should you seek the death of them, we cannot call for an
arbitration. The Match’s wrath will not stop till all are slain
even in our own laws. It is dishonor of the highest to do such. Had
Callier known where I was, she would have destroyed Verard to
rescue me. Should there be innocents you kill unjustly, we will be
forced to step in for humanity is ill equipped to resist one of
your known potential. Only ours is. Do you understand what I am
saying?”

“
I’ll heed your warning, but
I thank you for all you’ve already done for me.” Oliver knew
Creelin customs and stood tall, willed his torso free of clothing
and held his left arm out over the fire, fingers curled up. It was
uncomfortably hot. “By this I swear to listen and learn of you.
Should I ever throw my honor away for the path of evil I hereby
understand it is by your judgment to detain or slay me.”

“
A blood oath you shall
have. This will ease the Archivests’ worry. Thank you for
suggesting it first.”
Netul said as both he
and Callier rose, sliding off their left armament looking made of
solid gold.

He winced as six claws
pierced his forearm, three on top for Netul and similar number on
the bottom for Callier. Blood dripped over the fire and Netul as
well winced as Oliver painfully scratched enough to draw dark blue
blood. Callier drew a wound from one of her own fingers as she
said
“I Callier, Zeelin Bezlin, bore
witness to the sacred sworn oath of honor for all that
listen.”

“
I Netul, Zeelin Beyleez,
accept the oath and give it as well should I ever discard my honor
for ill intent.”

They backed away from the flames and wiped
the wounds.

“
Now that that is over,
before we begin, Netul back in prison, when you took Renee’s blood
did you know she was Solarian?”

“
I had to make sure so yes.
It was too long since I had seen you and I had forgotten your face.
I would have been in trouble showing you how to create Solarian
armaments had she not been… I did not recognize her a Reten, but
she was your Match. The Valek is not meant for humans to utilize.
Their brains on average are not capable of utilizing it
properly.”

“
Valek? So that is the real
name for a Multi-tool?” Netul nodded just once. “Sure does have a
ring to it. She’ll be glad to hear you don’t see her as Reten too.”
For the first time in a long time, he managed a chuckle. “Stop by
one day and tell her. It’s been upsetting her that the battleship
and nursery can’t tell the difference.”

“
Technology limitation. They
read by physical traits. Her scent and mind are not like Mantiv’s
Match. General Reten was much more oppressive than
Renee.”

“
Give it time. They are
still young yet.”
Callier
winked.

Humor waned as the wind
changed in the cave and it happened. Having two Creelin warriors in
telepathic contact told they felt the shift, but rather than be
knocked out again they forced themselves deeper, taking over the
hunger lust and suppressing it all without taking a single
step.
“Better?”

“
Thanks, Callier… why… WHY
did it do that?” He dropped hard on his ass in sudden
fatigue.

“
Your strength is still too
low and
it
is too
strong. Beasts from all over the planet A-Rank and up are
converging here. They want to eat you to get stronger, just like
you want them. The stronger you get, the clearer they will sense
you, even without lost skin cells and odor particles. As you grow,
they will find it easier to find you. You are not human, nor
Creelin. You and they prey on each other to gather essence until
the time when your potential stabilizes.”
She explained, putting on the armament again.
“When that happens neither side will enter into
hunting lust. The Cerberus is a fortnight from here basted on human
twenty four hour days, but many A and S-Rank are coming will arrive
before then. In nine hours a Fire Wyrm will arrive here. We cannot
interfere in any but the X-Rank as you’ve proven plenty capable
with the S. By our calculations it will take six months to return
you to your optimum strength by records of your past
persona.”

“
Then let’s get started. I
want to master my abilities, get my woman back and find out what
happened to my people as fast as possible.”

“
Admirable and you are on
the correct path. Finding the five Queen castles will lead to
another clue if you can unlock the secrets.”
Netul said as he already knew Oliver had figured that out
after saving Renee.

“
So how do you want to do
this?”

Callier said
“Begin by showing me your maximum
gathering.”
The lever opened so amber eyes
lit up yellow and hair lifted on a different breeze.
“More than I estimated, but less than I hoped.
Nonetheless, we’ll begin by focusing where your talent lays.
Telekinesis. You’ve shown aptitude lifting heavy objects, but still
rely on climbing up the rock by physical effort. Take a meditative
seating arrangement and levitate.”

Crossing his legs, Oliver lowered the total
opening of the valve and knew the principal of flight. Sending the
gathering to his left hand he lifted it and with the motion, a
force gathered beneath the rear and the hard, cold stone of the
ground vanished. He stopped rising about a meter and made his hand
go still.

“
Simple, effective, but
lacking should you need both hands to fight off the ground our find
yourself in space with a fighter destroyed.”
Oliver watched carefully and aside from a lifting of her tied
back antennae, she didn’t twitch a single muscle as she
levitated.
“It is within the mind that
controls telepathy and telekinesis. Focusing the Gathered energies
to your hand for lift is not needed for those who master the mind.
Leave focused Gathering to a limb for discharging and barrier
erecting. I will show you the way. Let me pull your consciousness
in my mind so you can understand how it feels to truly master
telekinesis.”