“I am focusin’,” the descendant Troy hissed back, sitting on the floor of the stable with his legs crossed, posed to meditate as instructed. He tried to let his mind go blank, but instead his mind drifted to much more tawdry subjects that weren’t exactly helping.
“Let your mind go blank,” Oreius said, circling his great-grandson. “That shouldn’t be difficult for you.”
Troy frowned with frustration.
“That ain’t ******** helpin’, just making me mad,” Troy argued back.
“Then think about the wonder, your surroundings,” Oreius tried further. “Close your eyes and imagine the space around you, your position in the space. Be fully aware of all your surroundings without using your sight. Connect with the spiritual world within your wonder.”
Troy concentrated. He imagined himself, sitting on the ancient floors that stretched out to the four corners of the room. He thought of the stalls lining the walls.
“Think about the past, imagine the stables at its prime,” Oreius pressured. “That means when it was still lively.”
“Like with ponies and s**t?”
“Yes, Ricky, with ponies,” Oreius sighed. And with so much s**t.
Troy focused and thought of the wonder in the past. He imagined the stables filled with hay, a strong horse living in each of the stalls. He imagined the chariots, now old and rusted, in their perfect condition, with glistening silvers and golds. And he imagined Oreius, tending to the wonder. And beside Oreius he saw himself, only he wasn’t quite Troy Page…
He was Troy Squire.
“RICKY!” Oreius shouted, snapping Troy out of his concentration. He felt different. He looked around. He looked different. He was showing a lot more skin, as if someone just hacked away at his uniform with some scissors.
“What the---,” Troy started.
“You’ve done it! You’ve connected with your spiritual side, with your wonder,” Oreius beamed, feeling pride in his descendant for the first time. “You are Troy Squire of Chronos now, Ricky.”
“Troy whatnow?” he questioned, still confused about his uniform change. He felt stronger, he felt more powerful, but he wasn’t sure what any of it all meant.
“I must say, when I first met you I was ashamed to call you my descendant,” Oreius went on, ignoring him. “And then visit after visit, I got to know you more and more…and wanted less and less to do with you. But today you’ve proven to me that you might just have what it takes to carry on my title after all. Whatever you have done, some spirits out there feel that you deserve greater power. Perhaps you aren’t as obtuse as I have always feared, as unfocused as –“
Troy started to ********, my nipples are going to be really cold during winter like this,” Troy laughed.
“Well. I’ve been wrong before.”
