The hivemind is conquering for me?

I looked over at who stopped the fight, but before I could ask them why, I felt Janine hug me, teary eyed. ”Apollo, are you ok?” I pulled away from her, not out of discomfort, but due to the fact she was wearing a white t-shirt and I didn’t want to get it bloody.

”I’m fine? Minor concussion, he did not hold anything back let me tell you, but that will buff out. My kidney almost ruptured when he hit me there, but I’m good. It was a good fight, so I am curious as to why it was stopped?”

I said turning towards the man in question. It was a man I had seen before a couple of times now, an older gentlemen with white hair. He was stroking a small white bear in his hands. He put the bear down on the ground and the creature ran over and began licking Fergus’ face, prompting the man to begin giggling in his sleep.

”I am very sorry to cut your duel short, but Fergus took it a step too far using his untrained domain like that. He should not be using it against you, nor on this planet, it was out of the question.”

I blinked in surprise. ”Domain? Like used by gods?” The old man then looked at me and blinked in surprise. ”Well, I suppose the rumours are true, you do have quite the head on those shoulders. Come, let’s not discuss, here. Now, take a seat.”

I looked around warily at my surroundings changing without warning. From where I just was, I was now in a warm toasty study with bookshelves and doodads. I then watched as the little, but slightly elongated bear walked over to a fire in the corner and curled up next to it.

”Hmm, another surprise. You don’t look queasy. Familiar with Teleportation are we? Ah, no need to answer, I have not abducted you here to interrogate you.” The old man said, taking a seat at his grand desk.

”Then why have you brought me... Wherever this is... Also what is wrong with this room? It feels so.”

”Still?” He finished my statement, prompting me to nod and take a seat in front of him while he lit a pipe. ”Do you smoke Apollo? Don’t answer that. Take this and try it.” He said, passing me the pipe he had just lit before he began filling up another one in the same exact motion, confusing my brain a little.

”The stillness you are feeling, young one, is the absence of Psionic energy in its entirety. This isn’t anti Psionic, so you are in no danger and it’s not a dampener, forcing you not to be able to use Psionics. This is just a lack of Psionics. The result for us is stillness. I find it comfortable in long meditations, I can’t get distracted that way. We also cannot use our Psionics here either. Give it a try. Don’t worry, there won’t be any backlash.”

With the pipe hanging out my mouth, I attempted to conjure up a simple bit of fire, but I couldn’t... I couldn’t feel anything. My natural senses felt... ”Mundane? I must say Apollo, you are surprising me over and over here. A lot of people freak out upon realising they no longer have access to a part of their existence.”

I simply shrugged my shoulders at him saying that and taking some pipe smoke into my mouth. ”Well, I can still feel it inside of me. I still have Psionics with-Ooh fruity!” I got distracted by the nice tasting smoke.

I then quickly gathered myself and asked. ”So, I have seen you before. Are you the headmaster?” The man continued packing his second pipe for a moment before answering me.

”Yes, yes I am. But please, no need to be formal, I am far too old for it. I am Maximus, and that over there is my pygmy long bear companion, Perpekto.” I looked over to the little bear, who was twitching in its sleep before turning back to Maximus. I then took a few more puffs from the pipe before asking

”Ok, Maximus. Would you kindly tell me why I have been abducted? I am sure there is a reason, and I am even more sure it’s not hostile considering the atmosphere.”

Maximus blew a few rings from his pipe after using a match to light it. A tool I don’t think I have ever seen in this lifetime. ”Oh, I brought you here for a couple reasons and you are right, nothing hostile.

Firstly, I came across you by coincidence. I walk the grounds a lot, unperceived by almost all. Perpekto doesn’t like being cramped up here all day after all, he needs his walkies. I was walking by when I felt young Fergus using an ability he is not authorised to use on campus grounds.”

”The domain?” I interjected.

The headmaster wobbled his head. ”Yes and no. First things first. Fergus isn’t a god. He hasn’t reached that level and I doubt he will for another five thousand years minimum and that is being generous. But he does have something similar to a domain. I am sure you felt the odd sensation of being unable to perceive him despite him not using Psionics? It’s tied in with that. To put it in its most simplistic. Fergus has mastered stealth to such a degree that he can break universal laws without using Psionics. That is what that was. In an area around him, he can decide who and what can see him. Very handy in his line of work, but it does have a weakness, he can’t mask his scent. Makes it less usable against enemies like Drakoshi and a good deal of Coalition species, but ironically it is sort of a perfect counter to other humans... For the most part.” He said, giving me a smirk.

I, however, was still tied up on breaking reality without Psionics. That was something I didn’t know was possible. I don’t even think Jewel knew about that... My thoughts must have been painted across my face as Maximus said.

”Don’t bother trying to figure it out now, Apollo. You will be stuck for decades. It requires an almost zen-like state of existence to do what he has done. I am incapable of doing such a thing and I am over two thousand years old, but then again. I don’t need it hehe.”

’Two thousand? Wow. That’s awesome.’ I couldn’t help thinking. This was an old ass human and he looked good. ”I must say, you are looking good for someone your age. You only look like what? Seventy? Eighty? And a youthful seventy-eighty at that. Though can I ask? Why aren’t there more of you? I’ve seen and spoken with a few couple hundred year olds so far, but most of those that are stronger than me that I meet are in their eighties and nineties.”

”Ah, I’m sorry kid, I’m not at liberty to discuss-” ”-Is it to do with ’them’ at all?” I interjected and the headteacher went silent. I decided to take a gamble with this man, I just had a hunch and...

”Hahahaha! How the fuck do you know about them!?! Oh this is brilliant! Did you find a way past their laws? Oh that is brilliant. Don’t tell me actually, better I don’t know. Short answer: Yes, it’s to do with them. They take people, willingly, after a certain age for whatever it is they do. I don’t actually know myself, I was never a part of their plans so I wasn’t invited in. Also, don’t worry, they won’t care about you. You aren’t of a pure bloodline. They aren’t malicious, just secretive. But to answer the other part of your question. Most people my age are dead. At some point the psionics you can take in just become too much and some are unable to accept that and go beyond. And they undergo Psionic decay. Others are probably just sitting on a rock somewhere in the galaxy, chilling until they are needed. When you get to our age, all this war and xenophobia malarkey just gets boring so we focus on ourselves and do what we want to do.”

The man then took a break to smoke on his pipe before carrying on. ”I just so happen to enjoy aiding young whippersnappers in their growth and find running a school for the Psionically gifted fun to do. Perpekto also likes this moon as well, very Psionically dense and he is still a baby. How old is he again? Oh yeah, nearly four thousand. He is going to be a toddler soon, that will be fun.”

After listening to everything he said and resisting excruciatingly hard to follow up on the whole ’four thousand year old chibi bear’ info, I hastily asked. ”So, did you say you had another reason for teleporting me here other than just out for your walk and ending a fight?”

Maximus frowned before opening his eyes wide. ”Oh of course! Sly dog. You had me monologing and I forgot. Haha. Yes, yes of course the other thing. Yes.” He then took a few more puffs of his pipe before he said.

”Yes, so the reason I wanted to talk to you is...”