Samarra

2

Ugh! Why is this so difficult! This is so frustrating! I managed to master creating a shield on myself in less than 5 minutes. It took about 15 minutes to get a shield around an object but I've been working for over two hours and I still cannot get a shield around both me and the book.

It's okay, you're doing great so far. Let's try something different. Instead of trying to create two individual shields, one around you and one around the book try creating one big one. I sigh,

Okay. I close my eyes and imagine a giant bubble going around me and around the book. Enclosing us together. I open my eyes and gasp. Aphrodite! Aphrodite! I did it! Do you see?

I knew you could do it! I can hear the smile in her voice. I smile too,

Thanks for believing in me. After my success, I take a break and eat lunch, read a little, practice some more, eat dinner, and go to bed.

The next couple of days look pretty much the same. Around a month later when I could easily create a giant bubble around me and another object, Aphrodite suggested that I try to do individual shields again.

Are you sure? Do you really think I'll be able to do it? I ask,

Yes, now concentrate. I focus on the book, a light glow surrounds it. While holding it there I imagine it also surrounding me. Slowly I start to see the light glow surrounding me as well. It holds for a couple of seconds and then both shields fade away. Before I could react, Aphrodite started praising me. Good job, I knew you could do it! With practice, you'll definitely become stronger and you'll be able to make as many shields as you need! Suddenly she stops and growls. Someone's here. I sniff the air, she's right.

What should I do? I ask, starting to get scared.

Go see, I'll be with you and you have your shield, remember? I take a deep breath and walk towards the entrance of the cave. When I get there I see a man checking out my bed. Aphrodite lets out a growl. The man swings his head towards us. His eyes are red.

Aphrodite?! I ask frightened, what's wrong with him?!

Rogue. The man shifts into his wolf and charges at me. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for pain when I hear a whimper. I open my eyes and the wolf is laying on the ground. I look down at my hands and see a light glow surrounding me. You need to kill him. Aphrodite says,

Wha-what? Why? I ask,

He's seen your shield, he knows who you are. If you let him live he'll tell other werewolves and soon you'll have packs and rogues trying to get to you and you're not strong enough yet.

But I-I've never killed anyone before!

Do you trust me? Aphrodite asks,

Of course. I say, then everything goes black.

***

I sit up and look around. I'm on my bed of pine needles and the rogue is gone. Did I imagine it?

No, you didn't.

What happened?

You let me have complete control. I killed the rogue, threw him into the river, and then came back to the cave.

***

For the next month or so I worked hard on being able to create more than one shield. By the middle of the second month, I was able to make up to eight shields at a time. We'll keep working on improving your shield but we should start working on your strength and fighting skills.

Okay, how will I do that?

We'll start by doing what regular humans do: push-ups, planks, squats, etc. Then we'll move on to werewolf stuff!

Like what? I ask, curious.

Oh, you know, uprooting trees, lifting boulders the usual. Then I'll teach you how to fight should you ever need to.

The next day I started strength training and she was a tough coach even though she was just in my head. When I was shaking like a freaking washing machine Aphrodite made me hold the plank for an extra 15 seconds before letting me stop. When my arms were numb she made me do 5 more pushups and didn't even think about the squats. I won't be able to walk for the next three hundred years. You're so cruel, you know that? I ask, wincing as I sit down.

Yup! She replies cheerfully, but my ways work better. She was right about that. After two months I was able to do 1000 push-ups in 5 minutes, hold a plank for at least an hour, do at least 500 squats, and lifting up boulders and uprooting trees was a breeze. After Aphrodite was satisfied with my strength she started teaching me how to fight. She said that I needed to be able to run fast. I had the shield to protect me. I just needed to be able to escape. She taught me how to fight, weak spots on men and women but she also had me running and doing sprints. 

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Thanks for reading!

The name Alaya means Highness/Gift from God/Brave and the name Aphrodite means Goddess of Love. 

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