Chapter 24

Sam was still smiling when he felt Queen Triada’s thoughts. [Are you well? We felt a great evil advancing upon the planet. Though, it seems that you reacted far faster than any of the triad could.]

Surprised, Sam replied, [I’d have thought you faster with as many of the minds that you have making up the triad.] Sam wondered what in the hell Triot was up to.

Queen Triada shook her head, [We have to gather before we act. We had detected Triot approaching, were almost ready when you struck out.]

Sam nodded, understanding though feeling a little foolish, knowing that the queen couldn’t see him.

Sam walked out, heading toward where his parents were. A smile slowly crept to his lips as he could feel their power far higher than he thought they would be.

He was about to speak when an older male with black and white hair appeared. Next to him was a slightly younger female with red hair. Shaking his head, he tried to remember the male’s name, forget the female, as he’d never seen her before.

Slowly approaching the two new people, Sam stopped the male a moment. “I apologize, I know you, though I can’t seem to recall your name.”

The male smiled as he shook Sam’s hand. “You were rather out of it when we met. I am Rycon, Raydy’s father. This gorgeous creature,” he said, indicating the red-haired female, “is Natita, my mate.”

Almost as if called, Raydy appeared, looking at the three of them. “Are you feeling better, Mother?” she asked.

Natita looked into Raydy’s eyes a moment, then smiled. “How could I forget my baby girl?” This led to a lot of hugging and kissing that Sam quietly excused himself from.

He’d turned toward his parents again when there was a soft tap on his shoulder. “I did as you asked. At first, nothing happened, then it felt as if something was flowing from me into him.”

Sam turned with a smile, then nodded to Thantas. “You will have to use it as often as you can when your power comes back up.”

“I wanted to ask,” she started, pointing to Rycon, “he is...”

“Yes, I saw the damage. I also saw the new tissue. You did a good job, even with the little you did. You have saved him, gave him more time. I’ll finish. You did very good.”

Thantas could only stare at Sam with her mouth open. Could he read minds too?

Sam smiled at her, then walked back to Rycon. “I think it’s time you no longer had the threat of death around your neck.” When Rycon put his hand to his neck, Sam had to explain that it was a saying on Earth where he had grown up.

“I have heard the others speak of your extraordinary healing abilities. I also heard that it weakens you significantly. I don’t want you weak if we are attacked again,” Rycon said.

“I recover far faster than you might believe,” Sam said. “Besides, with as much as she managed to do, this will be easier for me.”

Rycon nodded as Sam placed a hand on his chest. Within a short time, Sam then removed his hand, nodding to Rycon. “There, I can no longer detect any more damage.”

Rycon and his mate could only stare at Sam. Rycon took a deep breath, amazed there was no pain at all. Triann approached a moment later, running a small black box over Rycon’s chest. A huge smile came to her lips as she nodded.

“You are clear of all damage. All the tissue is healthy with no ill effects left,” Triann said. She then turned to Sam, running the box over him. “It appears that you are nowhere as weak as you were when you healed Tynco. I’d say that your body has finally started to adapt. Your healing is far stronger than it was.”

Triann was about to turn when Sam grasped her wrist. Triann’s mouth dropped open as she felt several things that were wrong with herself start to right themselves.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I wasn’t complete with your healing. Perhaps now you feel more like yourself?” Sam said, a small smile on his face.

“How? I have never heard of an osmosis healer being able to achieve this!” Triann said, her eyes wide in surprise. Taking out her small medical apparatus, Triann’s mouth dropped even further open. “All the damage, down to the microcellular level, is gone.” She turned back to Sam, shock and surprise on her face.

“Like I explained to Thantas, I want to help as much as I can. I suppose my desire for that has helped,” Sam told her.

Sam’s father walked up at that point, concerned for Triann. “My dear, are you well?” After she explained to him what Sam had done, a broad smile broke out on his face.

“So, it appears that you have far more control than any thought you would,” Fino said. Then he was in shock when he felt a stirring in his body as soon as Sam touched his shoulder.

Again, Triann was passing her medical handheld, this time over her mate. Her mouth still open, she dropped her device, grabbing her mate in a tight hug.

“I hadn’t thought it possible, all anomalies within both of us are gone. All the genetic errors that I had been trying to correct are as they should be,” Triann said. They both turned to stare at Sam for a moment, their faces held shock, then large smiles.

Well, large smiles until they both started to float slightly off the ground. Fino looked at Triann, then back to Sam. “So this was your plan? To accelerate us so we would be ready far faster. Impressive, though as I told you before, we haven’t had a body for a long time; we still need the time to reacquaint.”

“I realized that when I did this, though you might consider I did more than just accelerate your bodies,” Sam replied.

Fino’s eyes got even wider when he felt inside. “It’s ... by the whole of our race! I feel as if I almost never lost my body.” Turning back to Sam, Fino nodded his understanding. “Though I know we won’t be fully powered, we will be further along than the enemy expects. We may not win at our present levels, but we won’t go down easily at all. I commend you, son. Very good.”

Sam nodded in agreement. “So far, I have only advanced you, Mother, and Rycon. Rycon’s mate is still recovering, so she will have to wait. I am almost finished with Tynco, though I need to do more for his mate, Cyan.”

Like she’d been called, Cyan appeared with her daughter, Mellos. A small smile touched Sam’s lips as they approached.

“So, I take it you are adjusting well?” Sam asked Mellos. With a slight nod, Mellos was about to speak when Sam slyly grasped Cyan’s hand. “I am glad that I was able to at least bring back some of our people.”

“It is a great day indeed, and to have my mate cured of the malady that was afflicting him. I was...” Cyan started, then her mouth dropped open. “What ... what is happening?! I feel strange.” She turned her attention to Sam. “Is this your doing?” Sam was nodding as Mellos had to grasp her mother, who was starting to levitate off the ground.

“I am afraid that I had to accelerate all of you. I want all of you safe when I am gone. I...” Sam was saying, then his head snapped around to stare at a section of the sky. “Shit,” Sam mumbled under his breath. “I don’t know who they are, but they feel a hell of a lot stronger than the ones I fought before—no less than two.”

A movement next to him had him turning to see Thantas rapidly approaching. So, he thought, I’m not the only one to notice, the look of concern on Thantas’ face apparent.

“This isn’t good, not good at all. They’re still a ways off, though coming this way fast,” Thantas said, the concern growing deeper on her face with each moment that passed.

“You know who or what they are?” Sam asked. “They are strong, though not as high as I am now,” he said, almost unconcerned.

“Yes,” Thantas hissed. “They are Tetricon Elite. They have the same amount of power as those that captured me. Though I am far stronger than I was, I am still nowhere as strong as them.” Here, Thantas turned her eyes toward Sam, “nor as well as you, apparently.”

Sam could only nod at Thantas as he was already in deep thought. A moment later, her words hit him. His head snapped toward her. “We could work on that,” Sam said as he punched Thantas in the arm, knocking her back a few feet.

Thantas’s mouth was open as she looked at her almost useless arm. “What was that for, Sam? I thought...” Thantas started, then her mouth dropped further open while Sam healed her. Sam stood back, watching Thantas shake her arm, then her eyes flew open when she felt her power creep up a bit. “I ... I don’t understand how?”

“I learned some time ago, each time I have to expand energy to use my abilities, the stronger they tend to return. Getting beaten somewhat also tends to increase them. I’m not sure how. Also, getting beaten by one of us Osmosis healers also increases it. For you, I think you got a double dose from me and you,” Sam tried to explain.

Thantas could only nod in shock as her power was still creeping higher. “I think we need to deal with the present problem.” When Sam looked at her, she said, “Triot, that one seems to have lost most of his rational thought.”

Sam’s smirk almost had Thantas laughing, though the whole situation kept her serious. “From most of the shit that I have seen, I’m not sure if that is an improvement or not. He already seemed to be quite a bit unbalanced.”

Thantas nodded a moment then continued, “Be that as it may, he is the one factor in this that is a total unknown. I believe that we should go after him.”

“We?” Sam said. “You are still recovering. I’m not sure if, even with the higher levels, you could do much.”

Sam was suddenly knocked off his feet when Thantas punched his arm. “You want to restate that?” Thantas said with a sly smile.

Sam picked himself up, looking closer at Thantas. “Hmmm, I just might after all. You are almost as strong as any one of them, though not near my nor these elite’s level yet. I am afraid that the seven might overwhelm you, forget about Triot. I’d rather you stay here and watch out for them. They aren’t weak, but I am afraid they might not hold up that long.”

Thantas’ eyes narrowed as she stared at Sam. “I don’t think you want to try and keep me here. I was a warrior for our people. I am not about to stay here while others do what I was trained for.”

Sam let out a sigh. He could see that there was no stopping her. This was about a lot more than just pride. “If I let you go,” Sam started.