9 – Out for BreakfastHector walked around Sass, watching as she breathed. She was doing well—better than the day before, at least. He’d enjoyed the last few days, training with her, recalling the things he’d learned from his Invicti instructors and the various mentors they’d assigned him. He’d never taught anyone before.That’s not true, his critical inner voice reminded him. He had to give his surly alter ego the point; he’d spent some time training the members of the Conti security team, especially Stefan and Aiko.Sass continued her castle breathing, her timing perfect, and Hector decided a distraction was in order. “What color do you want your aura to be?”Without hesitation, Sass replied, “Red,” and her breathing changed.Hector reached down and flicked the back of her neck, resulting in a solid thwap.“Ow!” Sass cried, slapping her hand over the spot and glaring up at him. “What was that for?”“You need to focus; tune out distractions.”“You’re a distraction? I thought you were my instructor!”Hector held his hands on his hips, turning his face to the morning sun. He closed his eyes and soaked in the warmth as he replied. “Well, you can listen to me; you can even respond, but you must always maintain the rhythm of your breathing.”“You expect me to maintain these counts while talking?”He shrugged. “It’s the next step.” He glanced at his time display and sighed, holding a hand out to her. “Come on. That’s enough for today.”Sass gripped his hand, and he hauled her to her feet. “Kindness? From you?” She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. She was flushed and, even after half an hour of breathing exercises, drenched in a sheen of sweat. The humidity probably didn’t help; the greenbelts nearby—part of the local terraforming efforts—were heavily watered, and the air processors constantly pumped moisture into the atmosphere. (...)