Mayne

11. Time to Train

                           As soon as Mayne was tucked against them all bundled up nice and warm against the boys she relaxed into a deep sleep and the vision started.

Mayne woke up to the smells of breakfast; sausage, eggs, bacon, pancakes and toast, they always went big for breakfast. The sounds of a busy household were present in the standard way Cogent was picking a fight with Ardor and Rime and their grandma was laughing and warning Cogent to be ready for hellfire while a casual discussion up and down the hallway took place between dad, other members of the family and a phone. It was several days into the future, and she recognized the signs quickly that this was a vision. Her peripheral vision was blurry, and the standard buzz of energy was abundantly around too. This must be an important message because the point of view kept shifting from hers to a camera view behind her.

"Okay, let's see what I need to learn this time" She made her way to the kitchen where she was greeted warmly and given an ample breakfast. "Eat up" mom said "your training starts today and Ethan is waiting outside, be cautious he is brutal." She frowned "you will need your strength not to slap him around." She left the kitchen and proceeded to do the many chores needed to keep the house running smoothly.

Breakfast tasted as good as it smelled, as soon as Mayne finished she made her way outside to face her new teacher. "Stop dawdling and get over here!" She walked over and faced him expecting an explanation but was immediately attacked. Mayne quickly discovered that mom was right, Ethan was brutal and unrelating. He didn't like explaining, he expected you to get it or get your butt kicked. When he realized that wasn't going to work with her he growled under his breath and changed tactics. Instead he spent most of the morning running her through drills that were guaranteed to send her tumbling. By noon she was bruised and cranky. "Again!" He screamed and glared as he leaned over her crumpled body.

Mayne tried to concentrate but found herself very irritated at his lack of concern for her and lack of communication skills. Mayne paused the vision and addressed whatever deity guided her "He is treating me like I'm a disposable robot that happens to be malfunctioning." The vision started up again, not giving her a response.

Ethan stomped over to her angrily "if you can't focus enough to obey me then why am I bothering" He grabbed her arm roughly and yanked her back to her feet. "AGAIN!"

Something off to the side caught her eye, it was mom. The vision expanded suddenly and showed Mayne what she was feeling. She paused the vision again and looked to the vision's alternate point of view and asked hoping this time for an answer "How could she be lonely when she has so many people around her?" still silence.

The sudden slap across Mayne's face startled her back to looking square at Ethan. "Good" he growled "now that I have your attention maybe you can actually learn your place and DO. AS. YOU'RE. TOLD..."

That was it, in that moment Mayne saw exactly what Rime and Ardor didn't like about him. "I will not be talked too like that." She flung her hands back in a gesture guided by the vision and released them forward sending a cascade of electricity right at Ethan that sent him flying backwards by a good dozen yards.