The Chosen: the Age of Corbin Tyler the Undying

Chapter 12

I drove my sword into the chest of another basilisk. (I had elected to call the bird lizards basilisks) 

I let it fall to the ground, and then looked around, panting. 

How many hours had it been? It was the day after the second night, so I knew there wasn't much time left, but these creatures seemed to be simply spawning out of nowhere. One minute their presence just simply didn't exist and the next it was three feet behind me and closing the distance fast.

I regained my breath and looked down at my hands. I felt weird looking down and seeing myself covered in blood. Was this how I was meant to live? Definitely not how I envisioned myself. I had planned to finish school, go to college, become a history professor and settle down with a decent income and raise kids peacefully. 

I no longer thought that was going to happen.

I sighed and put my sword away. 

"Don't worry about what has to happen, Corbin," His voice said in my mind. "You are following the path I've laid out before you."

"I trust you, Lord," I whispered.

"You will come to trust me even more."

Then there was a small pop behind me, like the sound of a single popcorn kernel exploding.

I turned and there was Tritan. 

"Congratulations, you have passed."

I sighed in relief. 

He looked around. "You went a little crazy, it seems."

"They started it," I defended. 

He chuckled. "I believe you."

"So will you teach me how to warp, now?"

He nodded. "Corbin, the fundamental concept behind our abilities is the tampering with the fabric of reality. Everything we do stems from that. So view it like you are grasping the very fabric of reality, grasp it and fold it. Warp it, bring the place you want to be to you."

I closed my eyes. 

"Corbin, you are not simply a three dimensional being," the Lord said.

I reached out with my mind and grasped at what I felt. I opened my mind's eye and found myself in a blank white landscape. 

"Follow the feeling of familiarity," the Lord said. 

I did as He said and I found myself looking at the living room in the manor.

"Now step forward."

I did, and my foot landed on hard stone. I opened my eyes and saw I was now in the manor. 

"Fear not about the time taken this time. It will become more natural."

Tritan appeared next to me. "Well done."

Alexa walked out of the dining room just in time to see me covered in blood.

She took one look, covered her mouth, turned around, and left.

"She not do well with blood?" I asked.

"She just ate, so that does not help," Tritan said. 

-

I spent my next few days waiting and perfecting my teleportation. I read up on different methods, because I wanted to see which one worked best for me. I ultimately decided to stick with the stepping method. 

Teleportation was a lot of fun though. Especially after I got it down pretty good. I learned that even if I flipped upside down and teleported while in midair, if I imagined the ground beneath my feet, then I would teleport to wherever I wanted to be on the ground right side up, which was nice. 

I wasn't just perfecting my teleportation; I was perfecting my swordplay and overall battle skills. I asked Tritan to set up some dummies with some training swords that he would animate with his abilities. 

I got pretty good, even if I do say so myself. 

"Corbin," Tritan said to me one day after training. "You do not have to remain here."

"Where else should I be?" I asked.

He looked down at the deck boards. "Do not take your family and loved ones for granted. The time left with them is fleeting; whether it be several decades, or mere weeks, no one can say for sure."

I looked at him curiously. he seemed more solemn than usual. "What happened?"

"My past is of little relevance to the present."

"History repeats itself," I argued. "You and I are living examples of that."

"So you put the pieces together, did you?"

"Wasn't hard," I responded. "You made them so big, after all."

He sighed. "True, history does repeat itself. However, right now, I believe you should be focused on the enemy at hand, and not the one down the road."

"I'm all for burning bridges when we get to them. But I don't see a problem with stocking up on accelerants in preparation for the inevitability of it."

He chuckled. "Not a bad quote."

"Thanks, just came up with it on the spot."

"I see your point, however, I am going to hold to my decision."

I sighed. "Fine. Be stubborn."

"I think I will."

I walked inside after grabbing my sweat towel off of the railing.

Mrs. Furlong was at the sink doing some dishes from lunch. "Don't take it personally, Corbin. He hasn't told anyone of his past."

"Do you know anything?"

She shook her head. "But he is right: don't take the time you have right now with your loved ones for granted."

"You think I should go home?"

I know it may seem like you need to stay here, but you don't, Tritan himself has said that he has nothing else to teach you. He helps you with your personal improvement because he never had anyone to do that for him."

"I see."

"You are a very fortunate Chosen, Corbin. You are the only one to have a former Chosen teaching him, and the only one that I am aware of to have been selected to bear the amount of power that you currently do."

"What do you mean?" 

"You are improving at an impressive rate," She said. "Faster than anyone else I have ever seen. And that could be a part of being the Chosen, but there is also a distinct aura surrounding you that I have never felt. Not even around Tritan when he was in his prime."

I didn't answer. 

"Well, I suppose, that doesn't have anything to do with anything does it? The ramblings of an old woman. Why don't you get showered and head home. I'm sure your family would be thrilled to see you. If anything happens and we need you, Tritan will find you."

I nodded and went upstairs to do as she recommended.