6 The God's Power

Neither Alec nor Waze quite knew what to say. They sat there for a moment in stunned silence. Waze spoke first.

"A god...huh?" Waze looked confused to say the least. Which she was. She let out a nervous laugh. "There's no way a god would possess me..." she said, emphasizing the 'me' part.

"No... I can kind of see what you're getting at gramps. If you look back at studies and stories from the past..." Alec paused, deep in thought.

"Exactly, Alec," Abbus continued. "Throughout time, most have merely accepted their power and focused more and cultivating it, or strengthening it. But there are those who yearned to know what the source of these powers were, and how to truly connect with them and grow stronger. Many did this through careful and deep meditation, and described dreams like yours, where they woke up stronger and enlightened. They described these supernatural beings seen in their dreams as 'gods'. These figures, the gods, are said to plant seeds of power in people as they are born, and these seeds grow into the powers most see today. You were never given a power like this, but now a god seems to have granted you one this late in life. This god has bestowed upon you a great gift, and is urging you from behind to cultivate it."

"It may seem confusing, but I do have some semblance of a theory as to why you were born gift-less and only given power now." Alec looked at Waze with a concentrated expression. Despite his bubbly and animated nature, Alec took after his grandfather in terms of smarts. He had spent his life in the book store, studying and learning all about the world. Abbus had passed down his own wisdom to Alec. However, before he could continue Waze spoke her mind.

"Wait wait wait, let me get this clear. Gods give people powers, but I didn't get one, so now a god has possessed me and given me incredible powers...?"

"Yes, however since your body has never dealt with such power until today, it's probably why you felt so much pain. It seems like you didn't use much power in defeating that six-step, rather your main power was the element of surprise. If you were to face him again, using that same level of power, you would probably lose." Abbus looked at Waze with a wise expression as he explained this.

"Okay... I can kind of understand this all now. But Alec, you said you had a theory on why this might have happened?"

"Yeah. In our society today, it's become a world where the strong trample the weak. You are only respected by how powerful you are, and many don't have powerful abilities or can't step-up past a certain step. Those people are put down by those around them with no way to fight back. As someone who has lived your whole life without a gift, you've felt this humiliation first hand. You've had to rely on other aspects of yourself, like your smarts and resilience to get you through life. A person like this who is suddenly blessed with incredible power can easily shake the social order as it is now. You are someone who can give a name to the weak, and help them rise up beside you. Basically, since you've lived your life powerless, you can bring a new perspective to the world of high-steps." Waze might have been surprised by Alec's wise words, but she had grown used to his sudden perceptive speeches throughout the years. His pretty face and air headed personality may have fooled most, but after being by his side for so long Waze could see the wisdom he had built below the surface. It was his greatest weapon.

"But what should I do? I can't just go around kicking high-steps asses like this, it'll destroy my body. But at the same time I don't want using that power to be a one time thing." Waze looked almost desperate as she turned to the insightful people who listened to her with rapt attention.

"I'd say train. Cultivate this power, learn how to use it." Alec shot her a smile as he said this. "I know you, you're hard working and determined. When you set your mind to something, you get it done."

"You have great potential, Waze. You have a god's power at your finger tips, and the rationality to use it correctly. Do not abuse it, as I know you won't. However, you can grow stronger like you want to and have always wanted to." Abbus gave her a smile as well, and she could see Alec's face reflected in his. "We have confidence in you, you know."

"But how? I've never had a gift before, I wouldn't know where to start."

"Hmm... I suppose you're right. You'll need someone to help you, to guide the way. There is one person who you may be able to turn to. She will work you down to the bone, but I promise you will come out stronger than ever. Even if I have eyes that can see a hundred miles, hers can see far more." Abbus had a far-sight gift, so what could he possibly mean by that? Waze stiffened slightly. This person he spoke of almost scared her, but her curiosity and thirst to grow stronger out weighed that.

"Where can I find her? Can she really help me? How should I train? What if-"

"Jeez slow down, Waze! You should probably take a day to rest. Not only is your body wrecked, but you're probably pretty shaken too. How about you stay home tomorrow, I've heard about your school and I can only imagine the hell you'll go through tomorrow if you go. Gramps and I will drop you a bit away from your house, since I'm guessing you snuck out again, and then you should sleep some. Get some rest, and you can worry about it tomorrow. Whoever this magic lady is doesn't matter yet. You need to recover first."

Waze nodded slowly. It was true she still felt like she got hit by a bus and then beaten with a metal rod. It was a miracle she had been able to walk all the way to the bookstore, though. She was always one to push through pain. But often, her fear of the unknown held her back. Would she really be able to grow strong? Was she really worthy of a god's powers? Whatever the case, she would worry about it tomorrow.

"Okay. Let's head home."

"Let's." Alec shot her a radiant smile as he helped her up and to the car. Abbus looked on at the two of them, unspoken thoughts running through his mind.

They dropped Waze off about a block from her house and she climbed back through her window. Luckily, it seemed as if no one had noticed her absence. She curled back into her bed and checked the time. 9:47. She'd been gone a little over an hour. As she drifted to sleep, she felt the sensation of something warm and calming holding her. A warmth she sunk into, a power she one day hoped to hold.