Empire's Son: An Epic Science Fiction Novel Series

Markus took a moment to finish the bite he was chewing and said, "The healing that happened with you? It was… well… I was told that those with the bond, at least on the Protector side, would experience enhanced healing. But in the sense that small injuries could heal without a Remaker, and more extensive wounds would heal a little faster, but depending on the severity, might still need a Remaker to help it along." He paused, as if not sure how to go on.

"I was near death," I said quietly as I remembered the examination I had by the Caretaker after coming back up from the caverns.

"Yes, I got a peek at the Caretaker's report. You healed completely. There is nothing there to suggest you were ever injured down in the caves or any sign of your injury from Pledge Pezeri."

I was getting what Markus was saying, and I looked at him with what I knew was a questioning expression. "Then how?"

Markus shook his head. "I don't know. All I can figure is that because we got the bond directly from the dragon, maybe its effects are stronger?"

"Then why doesn't the College do that for all their Pledge bonds?"

He shrugged. "I was told the process was streamlined to be the most effective and potent. They harvest blood every three to four years and store it so not to be constantly disturbing the source because the dragon goes into deep sleeps for years at a time. They said the storage of the dragon's blood did not seem to degrade it in any way as long as it's kept in a cool and damp place. But maybe they were wrong."

I doubted that. The College had been harvesting blood from Razivi for centuries. They had to know if the benefit of getting the blood directly from her was better or not. Though the real question was if it was better, then maybe they had hidden that fact for a reason. After all, it didn't seem the higher ups in the Protectorate had a problem with keeping secrets. There was another possibility, though.

"Or it's because of the double bond?"

Markus nodded. "That's possible. We got almost no information about double bonding in our lectures. Only that it was possible, but had a rule against doing because of the extra risk to the charge. Maybe I can ask Dexter or Shiperii?"

I could tell Markus wasn't thrilled about that prospect. I shook my head. "Maybe, but I'm not sure they would be very forthcoming."

Markus nodded his agreement. "It might be prudent to at least wait until they cool down to talk to them."

I gave him a raised eyebrow. "How long do you think that would take?"

Markus snorted. "A while, maybe a long while."

"It would be nice if we could talk to Razivi. She'd be able to tell us."

Markus shook his head. "I wouldn't count on them letting either of us near that dragon anytime soon."

I was surprised at how disappointed I felt at that prospect. I had not known Razivi long, but I had a strong affinity for her and found myself excited about the prospect of being in her presence again, not just because she was a dragon, which I found fascinating, but because of the connection I felt to her. A part of me even now could feel a deep sadness in her. She was terribly lonely, and I knew she would enjoy a visit from a friend.

"Well, super healing is a good thing, isn't it?" I asked.

"If it lasts. I also considered that maybe it happened because it was the first healing. It is said that a fresh bonding can have unexpected and extreme effects until it stabilizes."

"So the super awesome healing won't last?" Well, that was a total bummer. I had finally gotten used to the idea of having advanced healing with a Remaker, but the healing I'd received down in Razivi's lair was mind-boggling fantastic and nearly instantaneous, and I had hoped it was one of the new perks of the bonding with Markus.

"I don't know," he shrugged as he sat back from finally finishing his meal. "I hope it does, but we shouldn't expect it. "

And I realized this was where Markus was trying to go all along. He wanted to curb my expectations for my new found healing ability. "So don't go around thinking I'm Superman, and impervious to destruction. Got it."

Markus gave me a strange look. "Who?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the perplexed look on his face. I then attempted to explain to him who Superman was, but it only made his expression deepen.

"And this isn't even a real person?"

"Nope. Completely fictional."

Markus blinked at me. "Why?"

"You don't have fictional characters or stories here in Ethia?" It was my turn to be flabbergasted.

"Well, yes, but nothing quite like that." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I like it though, this Superman. And I suppose those bonded might have some similarities to this fictional character of yours. Though the shooting heat from the eyes seems…"

"Impossible." I finished for him. "I know, but that's half the fun of it. Trust me. When you are watching one of the movies, you definitely can appreciate the laser vision. Though, I'm more of a fan of the freeze breath myself."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Markus shook his head in wonder. "I think I'd like to see that."

"Well, when I go back to Earth, you can come with and we will binge watch the movies. All of them, even the Christopher Reeve's stuff, though I'm a huge fan of Henry Cavill."

Again, I got the confused looked.

"They are the actors who played Superman. Both of them did multiple movies. Do you have movies here, or actors who put on plays?" I realized I had no idea what Ethians did for recreational pastime. I had had little of it since arriving, except for when I was healing from being shot in the back, but then I had Markus to keep me company with stories of our childhood and I had slept a lot.

"We have dramas, which are acted out in playhouses."

"Ah, so like theater," I said with a nod.

"Yes, and there are some that are projected onto screens, similar to what you describe as 'movies.' Though I suspect the technology might differ."

I leaned forward, genuinely curious. "Do you ever go see them?"

"Rarely," Markus admitted, pushing his now-empty plate aside. "That's not something I was ever interested in. I think the last play I watched was when I was a teenager. We have recordings of important historical events, ceremonies, and educational materials, but I'd much rather spend my time sparring or drinking than watching something off the Nanite Network."

I found myself keen on the idea of knowing more about Ethian entertainment and vowed to carve out some time to satisfy my increasing curiosity. "You will have to show me how to pull that stuff up."

"I'll put it on the list, along with some bonding training."

That last part got my attention as I quickly shifted gears. "Bonding training?"

"We got off topic a little, but yeah, that's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about." Markus ran a hand across his hair and blew out a breath. "Look, I have a pretty good idea of what can be done with the enhancement of bonding, but there's a bit of training to it as well. That's why the College uses the MX4 suits. They help Pledges get used to having increased physical abilities like speed and strength before they have it, well, at least for those who don't already have those sort of Dome-ni. Though, I have been informed that the bonding can enhance physical abilities even beyond what most with physical Dome-ni can do, but not always."

"Well, I definitely noticed a big difference in the caves," I said, recalling how I'd moved with such precision and strength, and how I'd climbed the extremely long ancient stairwell without even breaking a sweat. "So, what kind of training are we talking about?"

Markus leaned back in his chair, his eyes thoughtful. "It's about control, mostly. The bond gives you enhanced abilities, but without proper training, you can easily overextend yourself or cause unintentional damage. Imagine trying to pick up a delicate object and smashing it instead, or taking a hold of someone's hand and breaking their fingers."

I winced at the mental image. "Point taken."

"Plus, there's the sensory enhancement to get used to. Some newly bonded Protectors get overwhelmed by all the new input—sounds that are too loud, lights too bright, smells too intense. It can be disorienting."

I thought about how clearly I'd been able to see in the dim light of the caverns, how I'd picked up on subtle sounds and movements, but so far I had not been overwhelmed by sensory information. "I think I've been handling that part okay so far."

"You have," Markus agreed, with an approving nod. "But the bond is still in flux, so that could change at any moment. You could go about daily life and accidentally crush something you pick up or leap ten feet when you meant to take a normal step."

I hadn't considered that. "So, what does this training look like?"

"We'll start with some basic exercises to help you calibrate your strength, speed, and reflexes. Then move on to practical applications," Markus's eyes lit up with something that looked suspiciously like mischief, "including combat training."

"Combat training?" I said in disbelief. Didn't Markus already know I had the quat-lo training? "I already got that with my dad––I mean Aragon."

"Yes, but now we need to do it with the enhancements. Don't worry, we aren't starting it all over, we just need you to get used to doing it with the new abilities so you don't kill someone when you intent to knock them out or just give them a bloody nose."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of what Markus was saying. The last thing I wanted was to accidentally hurt someone because I couldn't control my newfound strength. I had already done that with Gunther, even without the enhancement.

"When do we start?" I asked.

"I know you have this new assignment for pavi, and that takes precedence, but I figured we could put an hour in after we rest up and before you meet with the other scientists."

I nodded. Surely they could afford one more hour to get started with this training? "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Until then, you need to be aware of what you are doing at all times. Think before you act. Focus on being slow, deliberate and exact in everything you do, so we can hopefully reduce any incidents." He nodded down to the low table between us.

I looked at my plate in confusion, then my eyes fell to my eating utensil. It was the first time I noticed that the silver shaft was bent where I must have gripped it. I blinked as I took in the sight. I hadn't even noticed I'd done that.

"Oh."

"Be glad that it usually takes some time before all the physical enhancements from the bonding to come in. It can take a month or more to be at full strength."

I grunted at that. A full month to get used to stronger physical abilities didn't seem like a long time, but if I'd had training like all the other Pledges, that wouldn't have been a problem.

"And this isn't just for the benefit of not breaking everything around you," Markus continued. "It's also to hide what you can do. Everyone knows what your Dome-ni are, and neither of them are of the physical variety. You will raise eyes brows and questions if people see evidence of your strength or speed––which are the hardest of the abilities to hide. You should only ever use your enhancements in extreme circumstances." He said that last part with a stern warning.

I felt more than a little disappointed at that. What was the point of having new abilities if I couldn't use them? But I heard what he was saying. I shouldn't even have these enhancements, or even be alive right now, so I would do what I had to appease the powers that be and to keep Markus from getting into any more trouble with those at the Protectorate. He had been the one to save me, after all.

"Alright," I said.

Markus looked relieved, and he stood up. "I'll let you get some rest then."

I just nodded, and then a thought came to me as I realized he had never told me where he would be staying. "Where will you be?"

Markus pointed to another door I had not noticed before. It was near the back corner and the far side of the room from the open archway that led to the bedchambers.

"My room in right through there. Most royal suites have an extra room for the Protector. There should be an intercom in your bedchamber. If you need me, just press the button and call."

I blew out an air of relief. "Okay."

He then made for the door. "Get some rest," he said before he palmed the door open and stepped inside.

I sat back in my chair, suddenly feeling so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I stood up and stumbled through the archway to my room. Once at the enormous bed made up in varying shades of dark green, I collapsed onto the pillowy surface, and it wasn't long before sleep coaxed me into its dark and restful embrace.