During the first few months of exile, every day, Pietas worked on his compulsion ability. He had no one to target but Six, a human.
Prior to imprisonment, for practice, Pietas would ask for some item he needed, such as a stylus. He wouldn't say which one or what type, but instead, as whoever was near reached for one, Pietas extended a wave of compulsion to choose the desired item. It never failed. Each person always picked the one he wanted. People who entered his presence would turn around and leave without Pietas saying a word. Practicing with small things made the big things second nature.
He had once turned a whole division and made them attack their comrades. But coerce Six? Might as well ask the sun for ice. Was it because he was reanimiated? A ghost? Or was it inherent in his nature?
Pietas sent Six a strong wave of compulsion to come to him, but the ghost continued filleting a fish without the least pause.
Casting himself back onto the grass in a fit of pique, Pietas stared up at the sky. He'd had more control as a child! Would he have to start over and relearn everything? Was the gift lost? He'd honed it for centuries. Surely, it was not lost. Please, let it not be lost...
No matter how hard or how long it took, he would reclaim every power, every gift, and every ability. He would own everything he'd lost. No one robbed Pietas ap Lorectic, First Conqueror, War Leader of the Ultras and got away with it. Humanity had tried to rob him of his birthright, but they would not prevail.
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Sounds like he has a real problem
He sure does. He’s a bit hard-headed, too, so it’s going to take him awhile to get over it. 🙂
Love those eyes! Nik is a perfect Pietas.
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Dee
#PMInc
You are so right! He amazes me every time he does this cosplay.
I once attended a lecture on the difference between surviving and prevailing. Pietas is definitely a prevailing kind of guy! The relationship between Pietas and Six is one of the best I’ve read anywhere. Kudos to you!
that is a huge compliment, especially coming from a writer of your caliber. Thank you, Dee.
Interesting character.
Beverley
Gee, doesn’t seem like Six is going to cooperate. Pietas is not pleased, but not much he can do. Interesting character. Thanks for sharing!
I love writing these two. They start out as oil and water but blend so well once they become friends. Each changes the other’s life in this series. I have at least one and probably two more to write for them.
The snippet makes me wonder if Pietas really lost his powers or if Six is just especially good at ignoring those powers.
That gets discovered in the series. There’s more to Six than Pietas suspected.