Cutlass Sharpened (15 page)

Tension in his chest evaporated and he took a
deep breath as much as physically capable, held it and let it out
slow. Then decided to do as recommended for a man with women
troubles.

Oliver crouched. Muscles bulged, tendons
stretched and pressure built. He then jumped and immediately lost
control and screamed. He had no muscle memory or knew what his
capabilities were in such low gravity.

Flipping end over end made the world tilt in
a sour stomaching way. Bile rose in his throat and could not be
stopped in its bid for freedom. He flew and smacked head first into
the ground two hundred meters away, bounced twice and rolled to a
stop.

“
B… Bhm… Ba. HA. HA. HA!”
Steven doubled over laughing at Oliver’s first leap gone wrong. He
expected a perfect landing, but it seemed his body and mind weren’t
equally as fast in memorizing. It was so unexpected he and his
brothers were caught unprepared. He was so believing Oliver could
do everything instantly, finding a flaw was too much to retain all
the tension built up since finding him. “By… By the stars! That was
the funniest thing I saw all month.”

Stone recovered first, shook his head and in
the lower gravity it took him two expertly execute bounds to reach
Oliver rising to his feet and wiping his lips. “Are you well?”

“
What the hell do you
think?” He retorted and touched his lip that split enough to bleed.
“I’m as awkward as a child learning to walk. I’ve been holding back
all this time and the one time I want to see what I can do beats
the shit out of me.”

“
You just need practice,
Brother.” Stone clapped his shoulder. “Now that you are talking
again can you tell us
what
that was back there?” Steven was wiping tears from
his eyes like Deegen, but they too had bounded over as if child’s
play.

“
After learning math,
history, science, biology, anatomy, basic medicine and astrology I
started learning about relationships and how badly I reacted… and
learning the many ways people express love both benign and intimate
made me embarrassed. From stories of women with red hair, I’m
surprised Renee didn’t castrate me.”

“
Stars! You did learn.”
Steven said, finger brushing back wavy brown hair.

“
Yes.” Oliver nodded to the
simple fact. “And I came to many conclusions why you all have been
so hesitant around me…” Amber eyes fell to his comfortable boots.
“I’m dangerous. Too dangerous to be around anyone till I figure it
all out.”

“
It’s good Hunters aren’t
afraid of danger.” Deegen said as he pulled a string from his back
pocket to start tying his long dreads back. “Brother, I know you
wish to be alone and all, but you’re right. Since you can see how
different you are all on your own, you need guidance. I didn’t
agree to Mrs. Menann’s contract so I can give you the option to
teach you how to move. What do you say?”

Oliver’s pensiveness melted slightly. “If you
can help me feel like I won’t keep crashing into the ceiling each
time I take a step in this low gravity I would be beyond
grateful.”

“
Stone we should do the
triple line formation. Oliver is no lightweight… even in this
environment.” Steven’s smile turned serious. “Not like we do with
our kids.”

“
Triple? Like slack training
we did as children with our parents and teachers?”

“
Yeah. Usually one would be
good enough, but as I said, Oliver is larger than any one of
us.”

“
Alright. Hook him up. I’ll
be lead.” Stone decided as he went to his belt and drew out the
grappling hook and the thin nano-fiber wire. Deegen and Steven
likewise got theirs out. “Oliver, we’re going to lead you in basic
maneuvers. We’ll start in this environment since it is a quarter
less than Old Earth’s equivalent. Your task is to do as I do.
Landing on your feet is key. Follow me. Move as I. This will teach
balance and show you where your center of gravity lays.” He hooked
the grapple to the front of Oliver’s pants before the other two did
the same on either hip.

Stone turned and touched his belt when five
meters of line separated them. The others did exactly the same to
even the slack. The lead seasoned Hunter saw the look of intense
concentration in those eyes that looked more like miniature stars.
Stone leaned forward, bending one knee and watched Oliver follow.
He leapt and so did the man in the center, but too hard and fast to
be properly controlled. Three lines snapped tight, but the combined
weight of Stone and the two jerked Oliver to a stop.

They started coming down and Steven gave a
tug on his line which corrected Oliver from hitting face first.
Steven had to step back into position as the tug also brought him
closer to the trainee. The result of equal and opposite force in
action.

The thing is Oliver
thought
This is GREAT! Moving is so much
better than sitting still. Whoa!
He jumped
again, feeling a flutter in his abdomen. He knew scientifically for
a moment his body was weightless, but drops back on landing. It was
jarring. Exertion was exactly what was needed. They jumped
again.
I can do this all the time. Uh
oh!
Oliver stumbled in the landing and fell
hard. Deegen was right there to offer a hand. “Let’s keep
going!”

“
We got ourselves an
adrenaline junky, boys!” Steven grinned fully.

“
All Hunters are, Dumbass.”
Deegen taunted as they readied for another forward leap.

“
We
do
love the rush of adrenaline when a
Beast comes knocking at our front door.” The tan man with a lance
agreed with fondness.

“
Hold a second.” Oliver
called. “Twisted my ankle.” He rolled the foot around and around.
“Alright.” They leapt again and this trip he caught himself by both
arms rather than his face again.

Stone led to the port edge before changing
direction to the bow. The first hundred or so leaps were a total
disaster for Oliver as he needed help of the guiders on either side
to keep from hurting himself. He had little control of how much
strength to apply. Usually going too high.

In around seven kilometers of jumping, close
to the forward mast, The Hunters began to notice a subtle change
occur within Oliver’s moves. His leaps were making fewer jerks to
their lines, but it was how he spread his arms out with his legs
trying to maintain a vertical balance through the air. His landings
stumbled less and less. Only when he got too excited did he relapse
into a bumbling fool. Scold himself and get back.

Repetition trained reaction time. Over and
over. Land, lean forward while crouching, push ahead, leap, glide,
drop, land. Again and again. By the tenth kilometer Oliver said
“Let me try on my own.”

“
Fine. Word of warning. I’m
going to laugh when you bust your ass each and every time.” Steven
warned as he unclipped his hook along with the rest.

Oliver launched himself like before, but the
Hunters stayed lower and faster than his more lazy bounds. Steven
hadn’t have given forewarning as Oliver began moving unaided and
continued the motion with another launch. Sweat slicked his skin
and he was getting slightly tired. Just because he was chemically
strengthened into his physique didn’t mean his endurance wouldn’t
be endless.

Halfway back he came to a stop and huffed
“This is about all I can handle for now. Thanks guys.”

“
I think he’s got
potential.” Deegen commented as he let his dreads fall free around
his back and shoulders again.

“
No doubt about it.” Stone
nodded slowly and tuned his head just as Satellite swooped down and
landed on his raised arm. “You look flustered. What is the
matter?”

“
Word of warning” the woodsy
patterned falcon said. “Renee is on the warpath looking for Oliver
and is on her way.”

“
Oh hell! We got to run
before it’s too late.” Steven’s eyes darted left and right
suspiciously and with dread.

“
It’s already too late… I
smell her, but cannot see her.” Oliver said as he sniffed the
air.

“
What are you? A
bloodhound?” came a feminine voice and suddenly Steven yelped as an
ark of electricity zapped him in the ass. Enough to gain attention
and more.

Oliver looked to where her voice came from,
but saw nothing at first. As he stared out over the deck there was
a ripple. A distortion. A shape he knew well. It struck a cord and
he gasped at what it meant “No way! Renee, you’re… you’re a
Phantom!?”

Blue psionic energy rippled away from being
wrapped around, to stop concealing her from the visible spectrum.
She was again in her skintight white flight suit, but didn’t
activate her helmet. A waterfall of crimson curls tumbled down her
back and her green eyes gradually lost their brightness. But not
their heated intensity. Still she was surprised enough to ask “So
you know what a Phantom is do you?”

“
Not until I fully finished
psionic uses. Phantoms are psionically gifted people class ten and
above who can cloak themselves in a kinetic shield to hide their
bodies.” He gulped and instinctively stepped back. He’d seen many
pictures of what the last three classes were capable of and he did
feel fear towards her now.

Renee’s grin grew more as
she saw what most do when figuring it all out. It gave her a great
deal of satisfaction. “So you finally get it don’t you? It’s no
secret, but since you have yet to come outright and say it… I’m
class
twelve
.”

Oliver fell back, his legs suddenly giving
out. “Stars, you’re beautiful!”

Silence.

Stone managed to move only because Renee
wasn’t glaring at him, grabbed his men and got out of dodge.
Leaping for all they were worth.

Did he just… no, he’s too
simple to still understand. Too stupid…
Renee though asked is a neutral tone “What did you just
say?”

“
I didn’t say anything.” He
got back up, stopping against the ship’s railing as it seem to just
suddenly appear, trapping him. Getting cornered by a wild
lioness.

“
You just called me
beautiful.”

“
NoIdidn’t.” he said so fast
it came out one word.

She stepped closer and he had nowhere to go.
She was much taller and sturdier than an average woman, but even
with his bulk he felt tiny under her withering glare. “Liar.”

“
I swear I only thought it.”
He slapped a hand over his mouth.

She got up close and personal and held still
as her hair began rising without wind and her eyes faintly glowed
once more. Air faintly hinted with the smell of ozone. “I don’t
care who you lie to, but no one lies to me. You got that? No
lying!” She shoved a stiff finger in his chest enough to sense
pain.

“
Then tell me why you hate
me!” he poked her chest right back. Anger suffusing him.

Renee faltered, misreading
how far she could push him. He suddenly glanced over her, grabbed
both her shoulders and lifted her up till they were face to face.
He was about to say something, but she cut in first. “I warned
you
never
to touch
me, Oliver.” He seethed and her green eyes flashed
bright.

Oliver was slammed by a kinetic black. It
shot him up over the railing and every muscle felt to go rigid from
the electrical attack. A human taser. He then slammed into the
ship’s barrier to keep from being thrown aimlessly forever and his
rage ignited like a star.

Renee at fist felt a smug satisfaction seeing
him feel the smallest effects of her powers, but it changed as his
clothing reverted to the body suit and cape. And that was not all,
the cloth crept up his neck and around his entire head. All she
could see were his eyes. He no longer looked at all human with that
organic helmet covering every part of his whole body.

Oliver grabbed his sword and freed it while
sliding down the barrier. He landed on both feet and right hand,
the left sticking out.

Before Renee could mount a defense against
the fury of Oliver crouched, he sprang off the railing and would
have taken her head if he had aimed for it.

A ship wide siren blared as space fairing
Beasts had gone unnoticed by radar and managed to start attacking.
These Beasts were Stingrays, but were the size of elephants and had
bodies as supple as real stingrays, but the hide was tough enough
to live in the harshness of space.

A pod of sixteen Stingray Beasts attacked the
Dorgenox, all aimed at the choicest morsels upon it’s deck.

Three aimed for Renee and the remainder split
up to target the Hunters drawing their attention from the other
crew fleeing to the airlock.

Renee had been too livid with Oliver to sense
the Beasts coming in from behind, but Oliver did only because he
tried getting her behind him and end his first argument.

He leapt just over her and brought the
cutlass around, connecting with the flat snout of the gray and
black Beast. He yelled and its sharpness coupled with what little
psionic energy at his disposal, cut through with almost no
resistance. His sword coupled with the momentum of the leap slid
all the way along its thin body. Barely did he avoid the stinger of
the flying Beast.

Two asymmetrical halves of Stingray landed on
the deck to twitch with nerves.

Unfortunately Oliver’s
mastery of movement was
far
from perfection as he hit the ground awkwardly and
yelled through his mouthless mask as his shoulder hit wrong and
dislocated. The density of his bones would be difficult to even
fracture, but joints slipping were another matter.