W

C356 - Trust

Khan couldn't hide his surprise, or, rather, he couldn't think about his reactions when the entirety of his attention was on the lake. He wanted to give some meaning to the recent event, but he failed to translate that answer even after putting his whole self into it.

"[What even happened]?" Khan wondered as he struggled to accept the recent event.

"[The mana heard your request]," Jenna softly explained.

Khan wanted more than that short explanation. He had already expanded his mindset once after learning the Niqols' approach, but that new path went in a completely different direction.

Understanding what had happened wasn't too problematic. Khan knew that the mana as a whole was a deep and complicated topic. He would be the first to claim that he was still ignorant about it, even if his knowledge was far above human standards.

The issue came from the lack of tangible connection between his action and the lake's reaction. Spells and similar techniques would always leave a trail of mana that Khan could study or follow, but the recent event almost entirely lacked that aspect.

Khan had sent mana into the water, and the lake had reacted almost on its own. To put it into simple words, Khan had increased the amount of chaos in the environment until a natural reaction unfolded.

That reasoning still had flaws that Khan couldn't ignore. Usually, the chaos element would cause abrupt reactions that messed with the environment's harmony. However, the recent event had been in line with the symphony. It had been an active part of that melody.

'Can I actually destroy without destroying?' Khan wondered as questions connected to the very nature of his element filled his mind.

"[What is it]?" Jenna asked since Khan remained silent.

"[I'm trying to make sense of what just happened]," Khan revealed.

"[You won't get anywhere if you use your human perspective]," Jenna scolded.

"[But I need to try]," Khan stated. "[I can't abandon my knowledge to embrace yours. I already carry two perspectives. I can add a third]."

Jenna couldn't argue with that. Khan wasn't a Nele, and asking him to become one would be unfair toward his past experiences. Assimilating different approaches and turning them into a single path was no easy feat, but she had to respect his decision.

'So,' Khan tried to summarize, 'I can use the mana as mere energy, and I can acknowledge its different natures to manipulate it according to my desires. Yet, I can also obtain similar effects by talking to it. Does this make any sense?'

It didn't make any sense, but Khan couldn't deny what had just happened and what Jenna had shown before. The mana could act on its own if he asked nicely enough.

"[What can you do through this approach]?" Khan asked while glancing at the face lying on his shoulder. "[I understand that the mana consumption is low, but what are the limits of these arts]?"

"[Do you mean in terms of power]?" Jenna questioned before raising her free arm and pointing her finger at a spot in the distance.

Khan saw and sensed mana leaving Jenna's arm to fuse with the water and flow alongside it. The lake didn't oppose that invasion at all. It almost looked happy to accept the faint requests carried by Jenna's energy.

The mana gathered in a distant spot before creating two slim currents of water that left the lake's surface and intertwined as they rose higher in the air.

The currents created large arcs whenever they touched, but they didn't lose water during the process. They appeared almost solid as they continued to rise to build a simple and tall transparent structure.

Jenna didn't let the demonstration end there. She pointed her forefinger at the structure and waved it left and right as she sent more requests. She appeared connected with the mana in the distance, so the water reacted without delay.

Drops fell from the various arcs and ended on the intersections below before giving birth to simple figures. A tree, a dome, and a hut appeared in the spaces delimited by the currents, but the structure never trembled during the process.

The level of control necessary to build something similar made Khan's mind go blank, but he quickly recalled that the demonstration didn't involve that field. Jenna wasn't using her mana to order the water around. She was asking the lake to create that structure.

The approach allowed Jenna to use less mana and limited her mental efforts. Something so complicated was easier than a human spell for her, and Khan could confirm that by how relaxed Jenna's body remained through the whole process.

"[I realize it might be strange for you]," Jenna admitted as she lowered her free arm to make the structure crumble back into the lake. "[Establishing a conversation with the mana and voicing requests is as easy as breathing for me. I barely have to think to do things like this]."

"[Is the same with synthetic mana]?" Khan wondered.

The Nele didn't use those exact words to describe synthetic mana, but Jenna understood what Khan meant, so she quickly answered. "[The fake mana makes things both easier and harder. It's easier to establish a conversation, but it's harder to produce powerful effects through it]."

"[Because it lacks innate natures]," Khan declared.

"[Exactly]," Jenna uttered while lifting her head to shoot a pleased glance at Khan. "[You did understand then]."

"[I'm still wrapping my mind around it]," Khan sighed. "[I think I need to experience talking with the mana a bit more before getting a clear idea]."

"[You can do it here]," Jenna revealed. "[We won't kick you out after introducing you to our customs]."

"[Thank you]," Khan smiled, and Jenna revealed a similarly warm expression.

"[It's quite late already]," Jenna eventually announced. "[Should we get out]?"

"[Sure]," Khan limited himself to say, and the two slowly left the lake. Of course, Jenna made sure to remain close to him through the whole process.

"[Don't wear those]," Jenna said when Khan wanted to reach for his clothes on the ground. "[I'm sure someone will bring new clothes when we wake up]."

"[I think I won't sleep]," Khan revealed. "[If it's not a problem, I'll spend the night training here. I can't stop now]."

"[So, we won't sleep together]," Jenna added in a disappointed tone.

"[Why would we sleep together]?" Khan scolded, but Jenna laughed as she clung tightly to his arm.

"[Fine]," Jenna continued to laugh. "[I'll sleep on your lap while you try to talk with the mana]."

"[Do you realize that we are still naked]?" Khan commented.

"[You'll have an easier time connecting with nature like this]," Jenna pointed out. "[Also, you'll be too worried about hurting me to fail if I remain here]."

"[I know that you have far naughtier thoughts]," Khan complained.

"[I know that you have already given up]," Jenna joked, and Khan could only sigh at that answer.

"[You are impossible]," Khan eventually whispered.

"[Aren't you enjoying this]?" Jenna asked as she left Khan's shoulder.

Khan could see Jenna in her entirety again. She was still holding his hand, but his attention inevitably fell on the drops running over her smooth skin and curves. Many would kill to get a glimpse of that perfect beauty, but he was there, treating her as an honest friend.

"[It's really hard at times]," Khan admitted, "[But it becomes incredibly relaxing when I can ignore some stuff]."

"[It's the same for me]," Jenna exclaimed while glancing at Khan's groin. "[I'm getting used to seeing it]."

"[That's not something you should brag about]," Khan scolded, but his voice transformed into a laugh when Jenna jumped on his neck to hug him closely.

"[Thank you for indulging me]," Jenna whispered. "[I thought this stress would remain with me until I found my one]."

Khan never underestimated Jenna's urges. He was open-minded enough to understand that her curse had deep repercussions on her character, but he realized how profound they were only now.

Khan didn't do anything special in his view, but Jenna appeared genuinely grateful. His mind instinctively ignored the soft sensations pressing on his chest as he reached her hair to caress it.

"[Don't get so serious about it]," Khan sighed. "[We are friends, right]?"

"[So, can I sleep on your lap]?" Jenna asked while breaking the hug to make their foreheads touch.

"[Sure]," Khan agreed, "[But watch your hands. We don't want your future loved one to say that I've defiled you]."

"[I can't fall in love soon enough]," Jenna cursed.

Khan laughed before sitting cross-legged on the ground. Jenna didn't hesitate to lay her head on his lap, and he adjusted it to make sure that it remained as far away as possible from his manhood.

"[How does it work with attacks]?" Khan asked as he caressed Jenna's hair and went back to the main topic.

"[We fill the environment with more mana]," Jenna explained. "[I can use attacks even in the absence of water. The mana in the air can gain its nature easily]."

"[What happens in the absence of mana]?" Khan wondered.

"[We surround ourselves with our energy and create a small environment]," Jenna responded. "[Our attacks won't be as strong in those conditions, but we won't be powerless either]."

'Maybe that's how they contained them during their years in slavery,' Khan thought. 'I guess I can't avoid learning their weaknesses.'

"[What about your predictions]?" Khan continued.

"[That's a complicated topic]," Jenna stated as she turned to face the ceiling and seize Khan's left arm in her grasp. "[All the Nele are born with innately high sensitivity to mana, but there are rare talents even among us. I'm one of them]."

"[Do you sense deeper aspects of the mana]?" Khan guessed.

"[No, it's more about memorizing patterns]," Jenna explained. "[I've seen most of Milia 222. I know how its environments feel, so I replicate its layout in my mind. As for the predictions, I add a variable to that and see how it transforms]."

"[Chaos in my case]," Khan stated.

"[I don't know what it will involve]," Jenna revealed in a vaguely apologetic tone. "[I don't even know if it will happen. I wish I could tell you more]."

"[I wish you would let go of my arm]," Khan reassured Jenna through a joke.

"[It's like you are hugging me]," Jenna giggled as she squeezed Khan's arm, uncaring that it pressed on her chest.

"[Sleep already]," Khan ordered. "[We'll have more time to talk tomorrow]."

Jenna smiled before turning to her side and closing her eyes. Initially, she struggled a bit, and Khan could even feel her skin heating up. Yet, she eventually relaxed and began to approach her slumber.

Khan had to limit his caresses to Jenna's arms since every spot around them would lead to impure thoughts. The fact that they were both naked remained a constant distraction too, but deeper thoughts made their way inside his mind as he managed to ignore those aspects.

'What would have happened if I met her before Liiza?' Khan wondered while inspecting Jenna.

The answer arrived quickly. Khan knew that he would have fallen for Jenna. Her honesty, beauty, and innate understanding of his situation weren't details he could ignore.

Jenna was also kind. Khan couldn't see much during their short interaction, but he had realized how she tried to make him comfortable even when she pursued personal interests.

Moreover, Jenna's radical idea of love matched Khan's dark side. She was probably more extreme than her peers due to her talent as a fortune-teller, so Khan knew that she could accept him in his entirety.

Yet, Liiza was even more than that. If Khan had to compare the two women, Liiza remained above. She shared his lack of trust toward her own species, which made her unique even among the Niqols.

'Friends doesn't sound too bad,' Khan eventually thought. 'I might even prefer that right now. At least George isn't here to mock me.'

Jenna eventually relaxed until she fell asleep, and Khan waited a few minutes before focusing on what he had learnt that night. He closed his eyes and spent a decent amount of time studying the environment before attempting to release mana.

Of course, Khan's approach to the training was extra careful. Jenna was defenseless right now, so a mistake on his side might hurt her seriously.

Khan waited until he felt confident avoiding mistakes before striving to repeat what he had achieved in the lake. He still recalled the sensations that had established the first connection with the mana, but replicating them turned out to be complicated.

That outcome felt almost natural since Khan had already experienced his first time. His worry mostly came from Jenna's position, and his shyness couldn't be as honest as before. Moreover, he lacked actual favors to ask the mana.

Khan didn't want anything specific from the mana around him since he only knew how to destroy with the chaos element. He preferred to obtain a mere reaction in the water nearby or something similar instead of damaging the Nele's home, so he focused on that.

The immersion into the area's symphony wasn't too hard to achieve, but Khan had to invest hours in reestablishing a connection. Still, he rejoiced whenever his mana caused a faint gust of wind or a slight tremor on the lake's surface.

Those small reactions were enough to give Khan an idea of what worked during his attempts. They slowly allowed him to establish a method that went beyond the mere "talking to mana" preached by the Nele.

Ideas on how to fuse that approach with Khan's arts appeared, but he kept them in the back of his mind for now. He wanted to prioritize getting used to and learning more about the Nele's methods before finding common points and building on them. Yet, everything felt promising, which made him work even harder.

Spending entire nights training had become a standard part of Khan's routine, and the new project made him forget about the passage of time. That isolated environment didn't help either since it replicated Milia 222's constant illumination. The morning arrived, but he realized that only when a figure approached his position.

"[Hi]," Khan announced when he turned to glance at a young Nele carrying changes of clothes.

The boy wasn't older than thirteen, and he expressed no curiosity for Jenna's naked figure. He could only see her back from his position, but his attention remained fixed on how close she was to Khan.

The boy placed the clothes on the ground when he managed to ignore that scene, but his attention eventually went back on it. He appeared hesitant, and Khan finally decided to address the matter. "[Is something wrong? Do you want to ask me something]?"

The hesitation vanished at that question, and the boy stopped holding back. "[Are you two lovers]?"

"[No, we are just friends]," Khan replied without forgetting to wear a reassuring smile.

"[Can we trust you then]?" The boy continued.

The curiosity and worry carried in the boy's question left Khan speechless. That behavior perfectly expressed how the Nele felt about foreigners. They didn't innately hate aliens, but they had grown up hearing awful stories about their history, which made them hesitant.

"[I'll do my best to earn your trust]," Khan declared since he couldn't find better words.

The boy seemed to like that answer. His face remained aloof, but he nodded before turning to run in the distance. A few voices mixed with the noise of the woods, but Khan couldn't hear much. He could only guess that the young Nele had reached some friends.

"[Why did you leave me on my own]?" Khan whispered as he stared at the spot where the boy had disappeared.

"[I wanted to see your reaction]," Jenna replied in a sleepy voice. "[You are good with kids]."

"[Don't get strange ideas already]," Khan sighed.

"[I had a wonderful dream]," Jenna exclaimed. "[We did so many things]."

"[Let go of my arm, and get dressed]," Khan scolded before his expression turned serious.

Khan couldn't get the boy's face out of his head. He felt terrible knowing that someone so young had to live in fear of everything and everyone past that small settlement. He almost didn't realize that a few words left his mouth while he remained immersed in those thoughts. "[I meant it.. I'll earn your trust]."

To be continued