Training for powers (Jacob)

Terry turned around with a nod. He looked at the dummy, standing before it. It was slightly hard to take it seriously and concentrate with that ridiculous drawing of a smiley face on it. He looked at Jacob for instructions.

Terry turned with an exasperated look at Jacob. "There's no way I'm doing that!" He was quite serious when it came to training. He was a serious person. He sighed.

Terry blinked. He was slightly stressed from the recent events, so he just nodded. He closed his eyes and slowly began to concentrate on one thing. He imagined a gray tendril of energy forming itself. He opened his eyes to find nothing. Frustrated, he tried again. Shut out everything. All sound, sights. Just one thought. Energy. Suddenly, something else began to happen. His body began to glow faintly gray. Then it grew in light, making a shield of silver wrap around him.

He opened his eyes in surprise, recognizing it immediately. The blessing of Minerva he had begged for. Was this his power? So..it wasn't a blessing from his mother, but power? He blinked, remembering what it did. When he got injured, pain would cause him to slow down while fighting. But this war shield blocked his feelings temporarily. He could fight and not feel the pain. But when it faded, it would hurt more...

"I don't think that this is..." Terry slowly stretched out a hand, the silvery light flowing off of his fingers. They lashed out momentarily at a dummy, but dispersed quickly before it even reached it. The minute they were away from his body they disappeared. The energy faded from around him and he felt somewhat dizzy.

"No, I'm going to keep going." Terry said firmly as if he was trying to remind himself. He ignored the nausea and tried again. The silver light reappered on his hands, and he tried to stretch it away from him into a rope, but again as the energy left contact with his body, it dispersed. Terry sighed in frustration.

"Do that...?" Terry blinked and fashioned some ear plugs from the wax. He blindfolded himself. Not a thing. The world was dark and silent. Terry took a deep breath, shutting everything off. His whole figure began to glow bright silver again. Then he stretched out a hand. A sliver of the energy began to twist itself at his fingertips. He waved his hand, trying to force out the energy in a long rope. It snaked out slowly, but disappeared immediately again as it left his body. "Did I get it?"

Terry gritted his teeth in frustration and put his earplugs back in. He took a deep breath. Again. Try again. He held out his silvery hand and a line appeared again, thickening. But again as it left his body it faded. Terry felt it happen this time. He pulled off the blindfold in frustration, still glowing. "It's not working!"

Terry let out a small sigh of frustration and sat down. Then he winced at Jacob's last question. He had family. They were all dead except for his brother and mother. But his brother was being held by Gaea. And she claimed that every time he resisted her, his brother would feel a world of pain. What was she doing to him? Terry closed his eyes, feeling about ready to snap.

"I kind of can't now that you just reminded me..." He thought to himself. Terry nodded in reply instead. "Just a quick break." He told him, trying to clear his mind.