Duskrise Ch.5: Graduation

My breath came in a cloud like fog as I panted.  Running forward fast as I could, I felt my bandaged feet dig into the mud, pushing against the earth and launching me forward.  Bunching up the muscles in my legs, a simple command from my brain and they came undone.  I jumped high into the air, leaping easily over an eight foot fence.  Landing lightly on the other side, I skidded to a stop and grinned.  Lily and our staff sergeant Charlie were waiting for me at the end of the course.  Surrounded by cloudy gray skies and towering evergreen trees, I breathed in the cool air and felt the rain strike my pelt.  It was invigorating.  This was where I belonged.  Outdoors, not cooped up in some barrack.  Wiping the sweat from my brow, I walked towards the two with a smile on my face.  

“So, how'd I do?”  I asked them.  Lily returned my smile.  

“Not bad.  Not bad at all kid.  You just broke Garth's record.”  Charlie announced, looking down at his timer.  I laughed.  

“I can't wait to see the look on Garth's face when I tell him.”  Lily came forward and put her arms around my neck.  I stared into her eyes and leaned forward.  We bumped our noses together and kissed.  Charlie chuckled.
 
“I'll meet you two lovebirds back at the base.  Remember Dusk, you have an appointment with the therapist in an hour.  Don't be late.”  

“Mmhm.”  Was my response.

It had been many months since my awakening.  The warm days of summer had left us far behind, but I didn't mind.  My fur and body were well equipped to dealing with the cold.  Months of intense training brought me back to peak physical condition.  I was tall and muscular, strong and swift.  Combined with weapons and mental training, I was regaining my status as the perfect soldier.  A lean mean killing machine!  My bones itched to get back in the action.  I was dead tired of sitting back while my squad went out on heroic missions.  Now that I was back up to speed, I was sure my time would come.

Laying back on a comfortable sofa, I kept my head on an arm rest as my eyes perused the darkened room.  The dark was calming, but the therapist, he was downright creepy.  He had sunken green eyes, pale waxy skin and lank oily long hair.  His name was Drew.  I don't know, something about him made me... angry.  Perhaps before I got shot in the head we knew and hated each other?  I didn't know.  

“We're going to try an exercise to recover some of those lost memories.”  Drew whispered in a soothing tone.  

“Okay.”  I replied quietly.  “What do you need me to do?”  Drew smiled.
 
“Close your eyes.”  I closed them.  “Now, imagine that you're in a deep forest...”  Trees sprouted up all around me.  Great, magnificent and soft pine trees.  “From up above come green slanted beams of light.”  As he spoke, gentle pillars of jade green light dappled the ground.  “Now, interspersed through the forest are mossy boulders.”  And enormous and ancient stones popped up in my mind's eye, covered in blankets of vibrant green moss.  “Just imagine the wonderful smell of the fresh pine needles, and the fresh scent of water.”  Scent exploded in my nostrils, sweet pine and refreshing water.  I felt as if I was actually in this forest...

“Now, imagine that you're lying down in an unusually warm stream... the water flowing around your body, relaxing every muscle.”  I sighed in contentment as all my tension melted away.  I was completely relaxed, the current pulling out all my stress and anxiety.  It all bled away from me like blood in water.  “Are you relaxed?”  

“Mhm.”  Was all I said.  

“Good.  Now go back to when you were but a wee pup.  Can you hear a loud crash?”  In my mind's eye, I felt myself shudder as a harsh clang of metal grated against my ears.  

“What is that?”  I whispered.

“A car crash.  Both your parents were killed.  You stumbled upon their mangled bodies when you were only six.”  I whimpered.  “Remember that day.”  I did.  It all happened so fast.  That day was rainy, the roads so slippery.  My parents were laughing.  And then they weren't.  I could remember the car being flipped and we went over the edge of a forested cliff.  I lost consciousness after my head hit the door pretty hard.  When I came to, I whispered for my mother and father, but they didn't stir.  Clambering over the wreckage, I saw what had become of my beloved parents and screamed.  They'd been crushed to death.  There was so much blood... It was seeping everywhere.  

“Dusk, wake up.”  I opened my eyes.  The fur beneath them was wet with tears.  “Is it coming back to you?”  Drew asked in a sympathetic tone.  I wiped my eyes and sat up.  

“Yeah, but I wish it wasn't.”  

Slowly, I was beginning to piece together my past.  My name was Dusk.  Born in the year nineteen ninety four in the month of August, I had two wonderful parents.  This, however, was short lived.  Orphaned in a car accident at the age of six, I was raised in an orphanage until I turned eighteen.  Thrown out on my ass, I joined the military to escape a life on the streets.  They took me in, gave me a family and for that, I am ever grateful.  That was when my latent abilities were discovered.  I was found to be in possession of incredible psychic power.  If only I could master it...

Concentrating so hard I was sure a blood vessel was about to burst, I tried to lift a small metal square.  With my mind.  Suffice it to say, it looked like I was wasting my time.  

“For the fifth time, no.”  Drew shook his head.  “You have to extend your consciousness to the object, wrap your mind around it.”  I made a face.  
“And how do I do that?”  Drew sighed.  

“Okay, let's try meditating for a bit.  I want you to feel the edges of your mind.  Apply pressure, and it should mold to your will.”  

“Hmph.”  I fumed, but sat down cross-legged on the concrete floor anyway.  Closing my eyes, I cleared my mind.  My psyche was infinite in scope, but also contained within a limited space.  How strange.  Concentrating on its border, I was transported to a thin transparent membrane, like the edges of a bubble.  Pressing against it with all my might, I could feel it beginning to budge.  And then it gave way completely.  Opening my eyes in surprise, I felt the raw energies of the natural world brush against my consciousness.  

“Move the cube.”  Drew commanded.  Narrowing my eyes, I stared at the cube and said-

Move

-It fell over onto its side.  Eyes widening I flicked my gaze to and fro.  To my amusement, the cube slid back and forth across the table with a grating noise.  Smiling, I turned to look at Drew.  The cube shot off the table and hit him on the forehead.  My jaw dropped.  

“Ouch!”  He cried furiously rubbing at the site of impact.
 
“Shit!”  I whimpered jumping up into a standing position.  “I am SO sorry!”  Drew grit his teeth and sighed.  

“No... It's okay.  You're a rookie, so something was bound to happen.  Just learn how to control it.”  Even though he said everything was fine, I could tell that he was seriously pissed.  His eyes were smoldering and his voice was strained.  I could feel my tail slip between my legs.  My ears flattened against my skull.  Drew shook his head.  “That's enough for today.  Now, get out of my sight.”  I was only too happy to lope from the room in a hurry.  

Breathing softly, I was out in the rain all by myself.  My fur and clothes were soaked through with water, but I wasn't cold.  Gripping the chain link fence, I stared intently out into the forest.  The scent of nature and the base wreathed around my nostrils.  Dust, fern and pine, water, metal and wood... all these scents and more my keen nose could detect.  There was also the delectable and musky smell of wild animals roaming the woods.  I licked my jaws.  I felt a terrible longing to romp through those woodlands to chase elk and birds.  Being cooped up in the base these past few months was driving me mad.  I wanted to see the world, meet new people!  This planet must have been a fascinating place, and I was only familiar with the smallest portion of it.

I could hear feet crunching in the gravel and smell Lily's scent even before her words could reach my ears.  

“Hey handsome, what are you doing out here all by your lonesome?”

“I'm just thinking.”  I said without turning to face her.  She came to stand beside me and put a paw on my shoulder.
 
“About what?”  Tearing my gaze away from the forest beyond, I looked at Lily and smiled.  

“About the outside world.  I don't remember any of it, and I want to go explore.”  Lily returned my smile.  

“Then you're in luck. We're going on patrol tomorrow and you're coming with.”  My smile grew broad.  Excitement quickened my heart and I felt joy pierce through me.  

“Awesome!”  I was stoked.  “I can't wait.”  Lily shrugged at my excitement.
 
“I bet you are, and I know you'll do good by us.”  She gave me a big hug.  “Now, let's go brush up on some weapons training.  I know you've been through this with the staff sergeant, but I want to see how good you are myself.”  I shrugged.

“Sure.”  

I fired a couple of rounds into a dummy.  The kickback of the rifle into my shoulder wasn't too bad and my aim was spot on.  All my bullets hit the dummy where its heart should be.  Months of arms training had finally paid off.  I was now proficient with a variety of martial and weapons skills.  My favorite was hand to hand combat.  There was nothing like pitting yourself against a combatant of equal skill and just duking it out.  The rush of adrenaline, the joy of fighting... Oh it stirred my blood!  

“Nice shooting.”  Lily remarked, patting my shoulder.  “There isn't much more we can teach you.  How about we spar?”  I smiled.

“Sure.”  

We stood in the center of a room empty but for a padded floor and walls.  The rest of our squadron stood watching at the back.  Lily and I took our places a few paces from one another.  I took a few sniffs.  The room smelled like sweat and blood.  The stench of combat.  Lily shot me a wicked grin and widened her stance and put up her fists.  

“Put 'em up.”  I did.  Widening my stance like Lily, I took deep slow breaths and stared at her intently.  Narrowing my eyes, I charged with a war cry.  Leaping into the air, I kicked my feet out and came down like a bullet.  Lily moved so fast she was almost a blur.  Sidestepping my attack, she smiled.  

“That might work against a clumsy human, but did you seriously think that was going to get me?”  I grinned, baring my sharp teeth.  

“Of course not!  But you taught me to probe your target, assessing strength, speed and any weakness first.”  Lily nodded approvingly.  

“I did.”  And she came zipping across the room with a fist pulled back for a swing.  It was too easy to raise my arm in defense.  That was when I noticed she had pulled back her other paw for an uppercut.  Jumping back, I managed to dodge the strike in less than a hair's breadth.  Laughing gleefully, I tried a round house kick, only for Lily to block with a forearm and grab my leg.  Twisting, she forced me onto my back and threw me hard against one of the padded walls.  I didn't have much time to recover.  Sliding down to the floor, I saw her charge.  Rolling out of the way, her fist smacked against the mat where my stomach once was.  Leaping up, I stood still and panted.  My heart was racing.  Bringing my fists together, I narrowed my eyes and concentrated deeply.  Controlling my breathing, I sped up my reaction time using my talents and watched as the world slowed around me.  Lily charged, and I could tell she was moving at top speed, but to my perceptions, she was inching along at a snail's pace.  Zipping forward, I grabbed her outstretched fist and threw her over my back.  She emitted a slow motion yelp as her back slammed down against the mat.  I smirked.  All at once time caught up to me as my concentration broke.  

Panting, I fell to the ground in exhaustion.  Speeding up my reflexes took a lot out of me.  I still wasn't good at this psychic stuff.  It was really demanding.
 
“Cheater!”  Lily breathed, tired as well.  

“How...is...it...cheating?”  I panted, taking in huge gulps of air in between each word.  


“Because I can't do witchcraft like you!”  I faced her and smiled.  

“Then maybe you should learn!”  Lily narrowed her eyes at me in mock anger.  The door slammed open.  Our entire squadron looked at the source of this disturbance.  It was Charlie the staff sergeant.  Immediately Lily and I leaped to our feet and all of us gave a salute.  Charlie walked into the room with his hands clasped behind his back.  There was a stern expression on his face.  

“Change of plans soldiers.  We leave immediately.  There's a situation.”