Broken Glass - Taekook

56

"Did I just-" 
"You did," Namjoon responds before I can even finish my sentence, his eyes filled with pride. "I know it felt like it took forever, but you did incredibly well for your first time. I think all those dives into the golden river made it easier for you to find your feet, and easier to figure out what you were doing." 

"I just did something with the energy of the golden river," I murmur, half to myself, and his smile widens. 
"You just accessed and tapped into the flow of the energy beneath us, beneath all Eithyrians. It's hard, and it will be for a while. But now that you have managed it, you will find it easier and easier the more you practice." 

I nod, the sensible part of my brain taking over once more for a moment. "So I need to do it again?" 
"Exactly. Small tasks like this can help you to understand how much energy and how much life force to give away and take with each communication with the golden river, and that will lead to economical choices," he explains quietly. "For example, think about Yoongi's explanation of lifting water versus transforming dirt into water. Both methods work, but one is a lot easier than the other. That is the exact same mindset you need to take with this."

"And if I learn to use less energy, and easier methods, then I'll learn how to do more things?" I ask, and he nods a little. 
"Precisely. It's important to keep things low-effort to start with, so you can properly understand what it takes, and so that you don't put yourself in danger. Experimentation is a vital part of your journey, but we cannot let you get too hurt. The entire kingdom is relying on you, and you can't defeat a tyrannical king if you accidentally die doing too much too soon." 

I shift a little, suddenly all too aware of a stone just underneath my left butt cheek, avoiding his eyes. When I feel less awkward, enough to look at him again, there's a knowing look in his eyes. "One of the sacrifices we make when we learn how to use this power is to learn the truth of our own mortality, and our own fragility. Living things are here by chance, after all. And we are thrown up against fortune far more than most. Learning how to make that work in your favour could quite literally save your life." 

I run a hand through my hair, looking down again at the clean leaf before me. "So has that told us anything about what abilities I might have?" I ask next. He shrugs, shaking his head in response. 

"I don't know. That particular trick is common, and it's hard to say whether or not you have a wider variety of options thanks to your status as the Saviour. I've never encountered an individual like you before, as you are probably well aware of, and so I'm just as curious as you are. We're learning your abilities together, and so we will stumble into confusion along the way. That is inevitable."

"So we have to rely on trial and error?" I guess, tilting my head a little, and he winces slightly at that.
"I think that's the only option we have. The golden river doesn't seem keen to offer up answers for free, and I think there are elements we'll have to work for. But I understand that. Proper understanding and experience is vital. Otherwise the knowledge you gain is useless. If you don't know the meaning of what you do, you may not know what you damage in the attempt to be helpful." 

"Thanks," I mutter quietly, and he chuckles. 
"You're welcome," he returns, playfully. "Now, I think we should get some food and water before we do this again. You've done well, but it takes a while to come back to yourself after your first few tries. Now that you've succeeded, we can take our time with it. I'll meet you back here in an hour, and we'll do the exact same trick again. I want to keep you doing this first, because it's proven to be a safe exercise, twice a day. And once you're confident with it, we can figure out what else you can do." 

"Alright, that sounds like a plan to me," I return, slowly standing up. Namjoon watches me carefully, from where he's sat, as I stumble a little before gaining proper balance. "My brain does not like me right now," I murmur, and he laughs. 
"It's a little disorientating, isn't it? You'll get used to it in time, don't worry. It's a slow process, and I don't want to rush it, even if this is a unique situation. The last thing we want is to risk your health in our attempt to do too much too soon."