New Companion

"You need to learn to keep your emotions in check."

Ming scolded Ryker. She had witnessed his outburst earlier thanks to the surveillance cameras that were in the cell room.

"Tck, I didn't know what came over me." Ryker faced his plate.

The two of them were having a meal in the dining.

"Well, whatever it is. You have to be more careful. You were releasing pulses of your astral energy. Any more and you could have fried the circuits of the room thus freeing that psycho."

"Sorry..." Ryker said.

'Hmm, no snarky comment? That shows at least that he knows to accept his mistakes.'

"Well, no real damage occurred. But just be more careful please."

"I will."

'I thought I had my emotions in check. Why did I lose control? He didn't really say anything to vex me that way.' Lost in his thoughts, Ryker was unaware of the alarm that was sounded off.

"Ryker!" Ming snapped him out.

"Huh? What?"

"We have more intruders! They've already boarded the cruiser!" She warned.

"Great," He rolled his eyes. "Is finishing a meal in peace too much to ask for around here?"

"We don't have time for that, get ready!"

They rushed to the entrance of the Cruiser.

"I sense two heat signatures."

"Do you think they've sent reinforcements?"

"We're about to find out." The steps of the intruders got louder as they crept closer.

Ming stretched her arms before transforming her palms into a cannon.

"Get ready..."

Ryker mentally prepared himself for not one but possibly two S-ranked hunters.

"Where's the captain when you need him?"

The door opened revealing the two figures.

"Attack!" Ryker charges forward.

"Master Knight, lookout!"

Bam!

"Oww!" Ryker cried out in pain.

"Woah there Al, snow-white here means no harm."

The man pinning Ryker against the wall and twisting his arm was the Grandmaster of the Elfiem Tower.

"Oh, my apologies." He let Ryker go and pulled away.

"Captain!" Ming's eyes lit up like a child that was offered candy as she puts away her cannon and rushes to their captain.

"You're back!" She gives the captain of the black stallion a back-breaking bear hug.

"Haha, it's good to see you again, Ming."

"You took all the time in the cosmos to get here."

Ryker cracked his neck as he walked towards Jackal.

"Snow-white! It's great to see you and Ming are getting along."

"And who told you we were getting along?"

"Well, she hasn't turned you into minced meat yet."

"..."

"Haha, look alive, snow-white!" Jackal slaps the back of the ex-hunter.

"Your captain has returned!" He announced triumphantly.

"Who the heck is this?" Ryker still annoyed by the submission he was put in earlier snarled at Aleister.

"My apologies for my brash actions earlier. I did not recognise you from the posters of the stallion's members so I figured you were an enemy." The elf bowed his head.

"Yeah yeah, that doesn't change the fact that you almost tore off my arm!" Ryker snapped.

"Now there," Jackal intervened while waggling his finger. "That's no way to speak to your newly cremate."

"Eh!?" Ryker and Ming exclaimed.

"My name is Aleister Reigns. Former Grandmaster of the Elfiem Tower of Magic and your newest companion, I hope we can all get along?"

Moments later...

"Haha, you two have been through a lot in these past few days!" Jackal grinned.

The four of them were seated in the dining. Ryker had his eyes glued to his plate as he devoured the content on his plate like a wild beast.

"Jeez, grumpy much?" Ming said.

"Leave me alone, bot."

"Okay."

"And you, snow-white. I'm glad to hear you've gotten better at controlling your powers, we'll spar later!"

"Pass." Ryker rejected nonchalantly.

"Master Ryker..." Aleister said.

"What!?" Ryker glared at his new companion.

"I believe we got off on the wrong foot earlier and I hope we can be friends seeing as we'll be voyaging the cosmos together."

"Yeah, yeah. I look forward to that as well." He replied in an unconvincing tone.

"Great!" The elf grinned.

"Anyways... On to more pressing issues." Ming glanced over at Ryker as they nodded their heads.

Ryker shared his plans for bringing Kinkaid to Zera.

"The information an S-ranked hunter has will be far more valuable than a mere A-rank."

"Hmm..." Jackal rubs his chin. "You said this Kinkaid fella could manifest astral blades that moved like the storm and drain astral energy?"

"Yes." The two answered in unison.

"I'm afraid hexes won't work on him."

"Eh!?"

"What colour was his astral blades?" Jackal turned to Ming.

"Purpl-." She gasped before face-palming. "Of course."

"Precisely." Jackal nods his head.

Ryker tilted his head in confusion. "Will someone tell me what's going on here!?"

"As the captain said, Hexes won't work on him. He's a psychic."

"You mean psycho?"

"No! I mean, yes he's a psycho. But he has psychic powers. A rare power that only a few purple astral users could harness. Having this power also makes them immune to Hexes."

"So, we can't get intel from him?" Ryker slammed his fist against the table.

"I'm afraid so," Ming said apologetically. 'I know how much you were looking forward to that.'

"Tck," Ryker jolts from his seat.

"Where are you going!?" Aleister asked.

"The only reason I kept him alive was to gain Intel from him. Now, he's useless." Ryker said with bane in his voice. His astral skin fluctuated around him.

'It's happening again.'

"Ryker," Jackal stood up and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Calm down."

Bam!

Ryker's fist flashed before Jackal's eyes slamming his nose and sending him flying across the room.

"Captain!"

"Master Knight!"

"I'm alright," Jackal said as he gets back to his feet. Blood dripping from his head, he grinned. "That's not Ryker!"

They heard a peal of malefic laughter coming from Ryker as they focused their gaze on the ex-hunter. Ryker's sky blue eyes were no longer there. Rather a pair of dreadful looking Purple glowing irises were seen.

The look he gave them sent chills down their spines. Ming was certain at this point as well. The man in front of them was not Ryker Steele...

With a malicious grin, he tilted his head.

"Are you ready to despair?"