Etched In Stone

Chapter Nine

The first thing he's aware of when he wakes the next morning is the dull ache seeping into all of his muscles. He stirs, rolling over onto his side and groaning to himself - Ian and Saren had him train for hours yesterday, and every muscle in his body felt like it was burning from the physical exertion. But he still wasn't any closer to unlocking his powers. He was beginning to become more and more curious as to what his powers could be, and why Serena wanted him, specifically, to help them protect her. Why he had been in her dream.

He swings his legs over the side of the bed and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and inhaling deeply. Standing up, he stretches gingerly, wincing. It feels like his muscles are grinding against eachother. This was going to be a long day of training.

- - - - - -

"Okay," Saren speaks clearly and loudly, facing the three of them. Jake stands alongside Chris and Claudine, waiting for her instructions.

"I'm gonna be in charge today." She grins, pointing a thumb at her own chest, "And we're going to be doing something a little different than sparring." She whirls around and points directly at Jake, "Specifically to help Jakey here."

"Saren," he says through gritted teeth, "Don't call me that."

"I'm sorry," she glowers at him, "Was I finished?"

"Do go on, your highness." He says, injecting as much sarcasm as he can into his voice.

"As I was saying," she continues, ignoring his comment, "We're trying a new exercise today. The three of you, line up in front of me on that mat. Stand equally apart - a little to your left, Claudine - okay, perfect. Now."

She gestures towards Ian and he lugs over a wide basin, water sloshing over the edges. Then, he does the same with another basin filled with what look like rocks.

"Uh, why do you have those?" Jake asks, raising one eyebrow in confusion.

"Just wait and see." Saren brushes him off.

She and Ian move the basins either side of them and stand next to eachother so that they're facing the three teenagers directly head on. Then, without, warning, Saren's wrist flicks, her palm facing outwards, and a stream of water flies from the still basin straight towards Claudine. She lets out a small gasp when she sees it coming, but instead of moving, she does something bizarre - she closes her eyes, tilts her head back, and then all of a sudden, she has disappeared in no more than a flash.

Barely a few seconds later she reappears on Chris's other side, an empty spot where she was standing.

"How did you do that?" Jake exclaims, looking back and forth between the place she was standing in and the place she was now.

Claudine grins at his confusion almost proudly, placing a hand on her hip. "My powers are that I can teleport."

"Enough chit-chat already!" Saren orders, "Back in line. Let's go again!"

This time, Ian moves his arms forward like he did that time in the facility when he broke the door open. A stone flies from the basin that he brought inside and aims towards Chris. Instead of being hit, he reacts swiftly, raising his arm and facing the rock head on. It smashes as it collides with his closed fist, dust exploding everywhere.

Jake guesses without asking that Chris' power is probably some kind of inhuman strength.

"What's the point in this exercise?" Jake questions, "To hurl rocks and water at us?"

"To test your reactions," Ian corrects, "See if we can force you to use those powers. Help you unlock them faster."

"Ah. Makes sense." He nods.

"Your turn," Saren smirks, drawing her arm upwards and then directly across. A stream of water whips through the air towards Jake, but even when he raises his arms in front of him, nothing happens - the water slams into him at full force. He coughs and splutters, soaked to the bone in just a few moments.

"No, no," Saren groans, throwing her head back, "You're supposed to use your powers!"

"I tried," Jake grumbles, shaking his wet hair. It drips over his forehead, and he shivers from the sudden shock of cold water.

"Let's try again," Ian says, facing Jake once more. He raises his hand and a rock flies towards Jake's chest. He raises his arms once more, trying his best to make something, anything happen - focusing on his palms and willing for his powers to unlock there and then. But he fails for the second time, and before he gets a chance to move out of the way, the rock slams into his stomach. This shocks him more than the water did, the sharp edges sticking into him and knocking the wind out of him. He doubles over, hands on his knees, breathing in sharply. Trying to pretend that it hurts less than it does.

"You have to try, Jake." Saren sighs in exasperation.

"I am trying." He hisses through his teeth, straightening up once again.

"Come on, let's go again." She urges. So she does, another stream of water flying full force towards him. She and Ian hit him again and again, urging him to try something, make anything happen. And although he manages to dodge a few times, the training session mostly consists of him being hit over and over again by their powers and failing countless times to unlock his powers. Nothing happens, and over the hours he can feel any hope he'd felt slip away little by little.

He wasn't talented like the rest of them. It didn't look as if he'd be unlocking his powers anytime soon.