He could be a huge asset to get more people trained. I hope he's as good as the paper in front of me says he is.
“North and Nox are both out of commission for the day. We'll just have to make do.”
Unser side-eyes me and waves his hand around at the doors. I glance over my shoulder to see that they're open again, more bodies streaming in. “I’m not sure we can simply ‘make do’. We're not going to get through everybody today. At this rate, we'll have to start turning them away.”
I definitely don't want to do that. “I have someone who can help faster than anyone else, and I have backup.”
I reach out to Oli who has been spending the morning resting, at North's insistence, under Atlas’ watchful eye. He was so happy to have North’s trust in the matter, and I know how happy it made my Bonded that we were all able to pull together during this time of unrest.
Can you pull on your training gear and come down to the Tac Training Center? We are overloaded with new recruits, and I need a set of eyes I trust down here.
She sends through a flash of pure joy, and I have to stop myself from smiling back at it.Atlas as well? Or just me? He can always go and help Gabe if you just need it to be me.
I don't have to think twice.Bring Bassinger. We're trying to weed people out who aren't going to be useful for Tac missions. Those who aren't will be given other work on the construction sites. I'm going to use the Soothsayer to process faster. We’ve discussed it before, and it's much quicker than I am. It'll also be a good way to see who's uncomfortable around the gods.
Atlas, who is listening in now that Oli let him into the mind connection, chips in,Everyone should be uncomfortable around the gods, that’s just smart.
I get what he’s saying, and that’s the real question here.We’re looking for those who can't handle them or who feel a negative reaction towards them. Any sort of hatred or distrust. Fear is natural and won't be held against them.
They both agree. I can feel them getting things together quickly, the perfect operatives, even though they’ve never really been recruited.
I look up to see Vivian raising his eyebrows at me as he takes more pages from people, directing them over to Kieran. “Anything you want to share with the class there, Shore?”
I nod my head. “My Bonded and Bassinger are on their way down to help.”
Vivian just shakes his head at me. “I don't feel like that's going to be much help here. Fallows will end up pushing someone into a sparring match with her attitude, and Bassinger will only egg her on. You know I love that kid, but she’s got a mouth on her at the best of times. All hell breaks loose the second her eyes change color. Then we’ll be dealing with a stampede situation.”
I smile at him, and then my own eyes shift to black. “I’m three steps ahead of you there.”
“Fuck me, that’s still as creepy as ever,” Vivian grumbles as Unser flinches back from me.
The Soothsayer fills my mind, taking control of my limbs, and I can feel as the emotions and personality melt away from my facial expressions. The Soothsayer reaches out to take the clipboard and Vivian gives it to him quickly, damn near shoving it in his direction, as though he’s afraid to touch it.
It starts to hand the pages back to him with nothing more than a yes or no, its mind moving faster than mine ever could.
Vivian and Unser scramble to set up a system to collect them, and I have to speak directly to the Soothsayer inside my mind to change the way that it speaks, not wanting it to piss anyone off right now. The last thing I want my Bonded walking into is an all-out brawl with hundreds of people using various Gifts. We'd win that fight, but how many would we lose in the process? It's just not worth it to me.
It agrees for her safety alone.
The moment the doors open and Oli walks in, the Soothsayer drops the paperwork and marches straight towards her, the terrified crowd parting like the sea as everyone gets a good look at the void eyes.
Oli lets out a little squeak of joyful surprise, grinning and throwing herself at the Soothsayer. I would say that she was putting on an act just to rub everyone's faces in the fact that we are her Bonded and she loves the gods within us as much as she loves us, but the joy is oozing out of her very pores.
She is thrilled to see him, the same way she is thrilled to see me. “What can I help you with, my Bonded?” she asks, and the Soothsayer rumbles back at her happily, pleased at being acknowledged by his eternal purpose, his love, his reason for existing.
I reach out to her through the mind connection,We will send recruits over to you and Bassinger. Then you can set up a sparring match for them. It’s working through the lists faster than anyone else can at this point. I will get Vivian and Unser moving people into the construction area if they don't check out.
She nods and reaches her hands up to cup the Soothsayer's face, drawing him down to her lips for a kiss.
Anything for you, my Bonded.
She has the gods wrapped around her fingers as tightly as the Eternal within her does. I can feel the pleasure and satisfaction thrumming through the god at such treatment. She is the perfect vessel for them to worship along with their god-bond.
I lose track of the time as I wade through the scores of people who come through the doors, moving them off into the direction that the Soothsayer sends them. At one point, I look over to find Oli staring at the mat that she has people sparring on. Kieran murmurs to her, pointing things out to her as he accepts her help seamlessly. Atlas watches over her as much as he watches the mats, stepping closer to her side the moment anybody approaches our Bonded, but everyone in the room treats her with respect.
Out of close to a hundred and fifty applicants, two-thirds of them are accepted to start training here in the center. Of the third that we move to the construction process, only one has a bad reaction to seeing my void eyes. His fear borders on an angry reaction, something the man can’t control, but it isn’t smart to be around us.
I reach out to North to let him know the Gifted’s name and family so that we can do more research into him. We need to see whether or not we should remove him from the Sanctuary and find some other safe lodgings for them. All in all, it feels as though we have won something today.
