Expanded Horizons: Beyond the Blue

Cast Away: Chapter Three

Colm focused his energy forward, through his fist and the object in front of him. The dummy flew back and slammed into the wall, its crash echoing through the nearly empty room. Colm felt the backlash in his hand, but the destroyed punching dummy put a smile on his face.

"Filth," Colm spat under his breath in a poisonous tone.

"Colm, what did I tell you about controlling the magnitude of the force?" Master Abdo chided. "Too much force is dangerous. Magic is not exempt from the laws of the natural universe. Any force you project will have an equal force put back. That's why your hand hurts right now."

"Yes, master," Colm replied. "I just need to control it better."

"You need to control yourself better," Master Abdo said. "You have grown rather rash of late. I recommend you get that under control."

"Understood, master," Colm replied. "The mushin."

"Exactly," Master Abdo said. "I don't expect you to master it completely, by any means, not so young. But the sooner you start, the greater you can become, the more you can learn and discover."

"I will, master. But why do I have to waste my time in these other subjects?" Colm crossed his arms. "I could better progress if I could focus on one thing."

"Because, many perspectives create many possible branches of thought, and open many possibilities" Master Abso said. "This is critical to mushin."

"I understand," Colm said, slightly deflated

"I hope you do," Master Abdo said. "You have always been a different one, and I believe that difference has great potential."

"Truly, master?" Colm said hopefully.

"Yes. You appreciate the most basic level of complex ideas. Hand to hand is the most basic form of combat, though complex when delved into, and understanding it will give you a powerful lead on others who never wanted to learn the most fundamental concepts of combat to the same extent. Your choice of focusing on fundamental magic last year when you turned twelve could have long-standing effects on the understanding of more complex magics we rely on for everything else." Master Abdo nodded his head with his usually neutral expression. "I have high hopes. Now, to meet those hopes, I need you to continue your studies elsewhere."

"Yes, master," Colm replied. He bowed, and took his leave of his primary master.

Colm left the training hall and continued to his next lesson, something or other about geology and rocks. Colm didn't care for it, nor for the other students in the lecture. He grew to resent most of the other students as of late. Many of them were the same kids from years prior, friends with each other but certainly not with him. The older kids either left the monastery, or moved onto greater studies, so none really spoke with him any more.

Colm would overhear kids talking about plans on leaving the monastery to find extended family, how they would probably be welcomed with open arms. Colm wouldn't have the freedom to leave, not really. These kids understood the outside world, even if just a bit, and had people to go to. Colm just didn't.

When he practiced his fighting against the dummies, sometimes he would let himself slip and pretend his degenerate father was the dummy. He would imagine what he would do to him if he ever got to see him. The monks let him know the truth of his origins when he turned ten, and nothing was the same. Everything Colm thought was great about his situation, everything he thought was positive and happy, was a lie. He was cast away here because he wasn't wanted.

Colm sat through his lesson with no interest or desire to even pass the subject. He grew indifferent to the subjects he didn't care for, much to Master Abdo's chagrin. Colm outright refused to participate in some, and skipped others. The punishments didn't phase him any more, and the masters knew that.