The core principles of training are the same as those of all forms of teaching. The best way to tackle them is through my own development method. I am not the originator of this concept, merely the organizer. It’s based on people’s work who are much smarter than me, but I condensed it to a simple three-principle guide. This is the method I focused on when I was training Emanuel over a long period.

First is the fundamentals—the basic core of everyone’s training. From my previous fights, I wouldn’t be shocked if he thought I would teach him hand-to-hand combat as this main way of fighting. My hand-to-hand combat style is nearly impossible to replicate. I mean it. I will buy them a huge wheel of the most expensive cheese. Anyone worth their salt knows good cheese is worth its weight in gold, but I digress. My fighting style is based on many fighting styles I had the opportunity to study, as well as my unique godly gelatin physique.

Though I taught him the basics to build on more advanced techniques, my true talent is developing my unique style. My divine technique is getting Emanuel to make the best fighting style that fits him specifically. It is truly a one-of-a-kind teaching. Once it gets out, people will come flocking to me for the opportunity to learn. Granted, this is my first time teaching it. So I need to ensure it works, or Emanuel will end up… let’s not think of that. I can’t handle that thought.

To get this down, I first focused on the basics of a few tent pole fighting styles. We went from basic one-handed weapons to two-handed weapons, firing projectiles, long sticks, short sticks, and things on ropes. I had to go steal big guns and small guns from a local gun shop—just kidding. I said I wanted to try some out, and they gave me free samples to test them out in the wild, and I never returned. The gun laws in this city are garbage.

Focusing on this lets Emanuel grow accustomed to multiple scenarios. I’ll give it to him. He is a quick learner, and thats his best talent. He absorbs information and retains it at a rapid pace. However, I feel I am not a naturally born talent. Instead, I think it's a skill he developed during his short life. To get to where he is at such a young age is inspiring and heartbreaking.

Recognizing this, I make sure every time we stop training and explore the woods, read a book we borrowed, or play a game, something to let him enjoy his younger years; he is a cheater at chess; I swear, I would always be one or two. Moves away from winning, and then BOOM, checkmate. He laughed and said I should stick to checkers. The day he said that, I made him run extra laps. He still said it again in the next match.

This leads to the second step. Improve what they are good at. From there, I learned he shined in two specific areas, wielding two buttons and firing handhelds. There was relief and disgust at the realization of that discovery. One Emanuel could see on my face.

“Are you not happy with my improvement?” he asks, worried

“No, you're doing great, fantastic even.” He can hear the hint of disappointment in my voice. I hope he can tell that it isn’t aimed at him but at me. I think thats asking too much from a kid.

“Then why do you look sad?”

“It's… I pride myself on my fighting style.“ I say. Emanuel glares at me as he sees a slime basking in my ego. To his defence, i am standing in the sunlight, and my slime glistens in the rays of light like a jewel shining on a crown. It’s not my fault I was born beautiful. Still, i digress and continue to talk.

“It's versatile, not just in use but in force. I have a heavy degree of control over what is considered lethal force or, most of the time, non-lethal. I can get them to give up or knock them out long enough to get away.”

“You said most of the time,” Emanuel says, catching on to the one section I hoped he wouldn’t. “You’ve killed someone.”

“There is no King or God with unstained hands.”

Emanuel takes a step back. I lower my gaze and shrink in size. The shame is strong.

“I did what I did to save the lives of many.” My words rattled up my throat before coming out steady and in control.

Emanuel's eyes beg to hear the story. My chest aches, as even though I don’t have a heart, my guilt and shame gather there. I think it started to happen there after people told me the heart carries the burden of the body and soul. I guess subconsciously, that became where the burden lives in my body.

“It was a ship called Melted Metal.”

“That’s cool! Was it because it was equipped with cannons so hot it would melt any ship that it came across in the stars?” Emmanuel asks with excitement.

“It was made of scraps that the crew melted together to construct the ship. It looked like wax at the top of an already lit candle.”

“Ok then, who did you kill?”

I sat down, and with no enjoyment, I told him the story of Melted Metal. It was earlier on in my life. Sometime after, I woke up alone on a floating rock. It was the second crew I ever joined. I will help back the story of my first one as I would like to keep that to myself.

We said the stars and throughout space for years together. i grew close to them all, especially a certain member. Ethan. A young man with dreams of being captain. It made sense as he was the son of the current head of our ship, his mother, Captain Lein.

She was a strong leader and one I would follow into a black hole if she commanded it. Our relationship went from trusted crew member to trusted friend to the ones who held each other hearts. My loyalty melded with love, and I could feel time slow. This was a rare moment. i wasn’t alone in space anymore. I had a home that I was welcomed to. I was given a promise that no matter the fight, no matter the heartache. Waiting for me was forgiveness and open arms. It was a promise I reciprocated back. Most of all, we had trust.

We shared every aspect of our day and every minute we had. The crew thought he was gross and ”over romantic,” but we were happy. Lein had only one rule for me. We don’t ask about our past. She wanted a fresh start for both of us. All she had to do was ask. However, that meant she didn’t know that I was already older than her by many years old I am. Only that I am a god. Something she chuckled at every time I mentioned it.

It was no secret from the crew or Ethan. In fact, he encouraged it. He was in his mid-twenties, so to him, he wasn’t a child who feared his mother snatched away. Instead, he was a proud son to his mother and a good friend to me. Though there were jealous crew mates.

Our job was simple, we would transfer goods from one place to another. This ranged from important seeds to help populate other colonies or supplies to the outer reaches of the colonies, but not many dared to go.

Around our third year together, I noticed portions of our deliveries missing, and cyphered communications were coming from our ship. With the help of two crewmates, Onto and Plus, I could track and decipher the messages. I learned that this person had been selling our goods and something far worse was coming.

We were transporting a large palate of what I thought was a medicine that would bring salvation to a dying colony. The messages revealed the truth. It was a new bio-weapon meant to start a plague. The area we were entering was a war zone, and we were bringing death, not hope.

We arrived two days late, but we had to stop at a docking station to resupply. There, the message was planned to meet a group of men with a bioweapon and sell it for an unimaginable sum.   Everyone was out partying as we three were left to guard the ship, so it made sense why they would do it then.

Onto and Plud ran to the lower quarters immediately as I went to alert Lein. She was never a partier and preferred to take advantage of the silence and read. I returned to our quarters, but she wasn’t there. My mind slipped for a moment, and I thought, “What if she is the one selling?” I ran out of the room, pushing that thought away. I trusted her; there was no way she could. Yet, she lied about our delivery. How many deliveries were untrue? Then it hit me. We weren’t a cargo ship. We were smugglers. Every delivery is a falsehood, but to how many?

I reached the lower deck and felt a puddle of warmth mix with my slime. I looked down to see blood splattered on the floor, leading to the dead bodies of Onto and Plud. I saw the glisten of familiar gauntlets. On the tops are gems that emit powerful energy. It is a power of battle and a powerful weapon that can manipulate and shape the Source around us. I knew who the wielder was from the moment I saw how the bodies were mangled, but I refused to believe someone so kind and gentle could do this.

I saw them with a menacing grin that looked uncharacteristic on their face.

“Why did you kill them?” I shouted as the bloodstained killer, Ethan.