[Flashback] ... to the challenge of our rivals.

[Ialari Pythone]

Season of Summer, Day 4, 509 AV (Evening)

It took Ialari no time to fall asleep as soon as she flopped down on the bed at the White Swan Inn. The journey from Sultros had taken so much out of her yet she hadn't realized it until she finally had the chance to sleep in a quiet, safe place. In her sleep, in the safety of the inn and the peace of her own mind, Ialari dreamed of the past; of a time not all that long ago. She was a bit younger then and had begun to enter the intermediate stages of full apprenticeship within the Silver Tower of the Pitrius Citadel. She was expected not only to train in the arts of magecraft, alchemy and of course her specialty, poisons, but as with all Isur she was required to maintain her physical perfection.

The physical aspect of her training took the form of a sport passed on to the Isur ages ago by their God, Izurdin. It was the sport of wrestling. This test of strength and endurance was what molded an Isur into a being of strength and power rivaled by few others in the world. Family and clan disputes were settled in wrestling matches between two champions. All Isur were expected to learn the sport and shape their bodies in a way that epitomized their devotion to Izurdin. By molding their physical forms to resemble that of the God of Strength, the Isur were engaging in one of the ultimate devotions.

She was returned to the past through the essence of dreams; back to the time she was preparing for her first major test of physical ability. All Isur had to do it. It was a part of their schooling no matter what field of study they chose. Though Ialari was accepted into the Silver Tower for training, there was no exception to the rules. She would be pitted against a number of other Isur; all of whom were striving to achieve a single goal; to defeat their opponents in physical combat and attain a higher status not only in their profession but most importantly bring greater status to their family. To lose would mean losing progress in their schooling, but also diminishing their family's status within the clan.

Though all Isur are encouraged to play at wrestling from an early age, formal training does not begin until they are older, choose a profession and gain an apprenticeship. It was finally time for Ialari to take that next step and begin formal training. She already had the chiseled body of an athlete but lacked the endurance and skill required of a true Isurian wrestler. Her mentor in this area, Gideon Stoneshatter Pitrius, was a veteran wrestler and trainer with almost a century of experience behind him. He was the one who would train Ialari and her soon-to-be challengers. They would train and practice together until Gideon was confident that they were ready to take on one-another.

They were all standing together in the training hall. Five of them in all not including Gideon. There was Valon, Fizier, Misil, Kriger and Ialari; three men and two women all of the Pitrius clan but from differing families.

Gideon addressed the five, "You all know why you are here so I won't waste words explaining it. Today, and for the next few weeks you will be doing the same thing. I expect you to do it without question and without complaint as that is the Isurian way. Conditioning ladies and gentlemen. That is the name of the game. In a match, you will be required to use ever muscle in your body for extended lengths of time against an opponent who will be doing the exact same thing. Although strength plays a major role, endurance ensures that you can outlast your opponent regardless of strength. So to build endurance, you will run from our citadel to the Sultros citadel five miles away. You will make a round-trip there and back and will do so twice a day until you can do it without tossing up your last meal. Oh, did I mention you have a time limit? I want you back here before night falls on the outsiders. Get to it!" That was it, the students had no time to question or even think about what had been said. They all took off in a run, out of the training hall, down the central road to the main tunnel that led from the Pitrius citadel to the Sultros citadel five miles away and then back. Even for an Isur in respectable physical shape, it was a challenge.

Back in the present waking world, Ialari lay motionless on her bed, completely consumed by sleep and locked into the illusions of her own mind as she dreamed.

[Ialari Pythone]

Perhaps it was just Ialari experiencing a bit of homesickness that brought about dreaming of that particular time in her life or maybe it was the exhaustion that brought to mind memories of another time when she experienced great physical strain. Whatever it was that caused it, Ialari was lost in her dream; reliving bits and pieces of her life as if it were happening for the first time.

The dream snapped forward and Ialari was running down the main transport tunnel between the Pitrius and Sultros citadels. Although a casual five mile jog would have been little more than a moderate workout normally, the fact that it only a quarter of the total distance she had to run that day made it more of a daunting task. Also, even though it wasn't mentioned, it was known that to not complete the entire 20 mile run before the others would reflect poorly on her own physical endurance, regardless of having completed the run or not.

Ialari was now three miles into the run and was ahead of Valon and Fizier while Misil and Kriger were still some distance ahead. They had begun the run at a sprint while the others, including Ialari, chose a slower pace to start. She was still doing well, she was breathing normally and her muscles hadn't tightened and there were no signs of cramping. She would pause only long enough to grab a few gulps of water from small basins set along the way.

The main transport tunnel was a unique Isurian design. Dug over the course of many years by the hands of a few hundred Isur, the transport tunnel stretched for roughly five miles from one citadel to the other; passing through the mountains and around a couple of above ground lakes. The craftsmanship was such that only at a few key points were foreign supports required to reinforce the tunnel walls and ceiling. The reason for such a distance between citadels was the Valterrian. When the first Isurian Kingdom was destroyed in the divine war, the majority of the Isurian race was almost wiped out. This was blamed in part on the fact that save for a few outlying settlements, the majority of the Isur lived in a single vast city. When a volcano erupted through the center of the city, they had little chance.

Thus, the survivors of the Valterrian built the new kingdom deep in the mountains; away from the chaos of divine fury. They built their new home so that each of the surviving clans had their own citadels located a good distance from all of the others. This insured that an single future disaster would not do as much damage.

The tunnels that now connected each of the four outlying citadels to the central capital of Sultros were designed with strength and functionality in mind. A series of natural springs from below and lakes from above had their water channeled through the tunnels in an aqueduct system carved straight from the surrounding stone. Thus water channeled from the larger sources so that there was always fresh supplies available to each citadel as well as throughout the tunnels for travelers journeying back and forth. Although there was always water available, if ever the unlikely instance of a cave-in happening in a transport tunnel, a fail-safe system was in place at various points along the route. If something were to happen to cause a major cave-in, one need only find one of these fail-safe systems and activate it. The system was composed of a series of Isurian steel disks embedded in the tunnel wall every hundred yards. In ever the tunnel were to be in danger of flooding, one need only strike a disk with their arm to set off a series of directed vibrations into the aqueduct system. This effectively causes calculated mini-collapses in that 100 yard section which seals it from the water source and stops any potential flooding.

She couldn't help but wonder what her parents had to do during a similar time in their own lives. All Isur underwent physical training in their introduction to wrestling like this but the exact form that it took was different depending on the individual, their chosen profession, clan and trainer. Some trainers, like Ialari's, focused on endurance while others chose strength or skill and technique. She would have to ask her father what he had to do.

[Ialari Pythone]

Ialari's dream flashed forward once more. She was still running; the first leg of the trek behind her.

Fatigue was starting to enter her muscles as sweat slid easily down her face. Ialari's hair was soaked and sticking closely to her head as continued to run at the pace she began at. She knew that pacing herself for the first round-trip was important to conserving energy for the second. She was still ahead of Valon and Fizier and was slowly catching up with Misil and Kriger. There was still another mile left before she returned to the Pitrius citadel before having to turn around and do it all over again. Her calves were starting to feel tight and traces of burning were beginning to creep in. She was wearing a short black skirt that now stuck to her upper thighs with each movement of her legs. Her shirt too was feeling cumbersome as it stuck to her chest and upper arms. Tiring of the distraction it was causing, she reached up, grabbed the collar and pulled down creating a split in the soft fabric. She let the tatters fall free and continued running with only a narrow, black silk band wrapped around her chest; a style common to female Isur.

The cool underground air now had more freedom to cool her sweat-covered skin which brought about a renewed exhilaration. Ialari, somewhat refreshed now, picked-up her pace. The tunnel was as dark as any other subterranean tunnel as the only light was that which trading caravans and other travelers brought with them. However, the Isurian sense of direction and darkvision was usually enough to navigate by without the need for light. It was this keen sense of direction that Ialari relied upon as she ran down the tunnel. Just on the edge of her sight, she could that she was closing in on Kriger with but a mile left to the citadel.

[Ialari Pythone]

Day turned to night as Ialari slept. While only a few hours passed in the waking world, in her dreams, minutes, hours and days went by. Ialari enjoyed dreaming as it was often a way to recount long forgotten memories and revisit lost times both pleasant and dreadful. Those first several days of running 20 miles each day was a mixture of positive and negative and the dream provided her with the memories of both.

That first day of running was more than Ialari had expected it would be. She had come in second at the end of the run right behind Misil. Although angered, Ialari was not discouraged by this since it was the final run that mattered most. Along with coming in second, there was something else that made that first day rather unpleasant. As the five runners returned to the training hall, they all collapsed one by one from exhaustion. Ialari's body was almost numb; almost. She wished it had been moreso as her muscles felt like the ooze that one scrapes off the walls of a tunnel for ingredients in a poison. She could barely walk. Her calves and thighs were cramping and she could barely take a breath without dry heaving; she had emptied her stomach contents after the 18th mile of running. If not for the fact she would be ridiculed for it, Ialari would have probably broke down in tears from the near breakdown of her entire body. The run had began in the early afternoon and ended just before the sun set on outside world.

The trainer stood before the trainees and said bluntly, "Welcome to the end of day one. Get ready for tomorrow. As soon as you are finished with your morning sessions at the Tower, you will return here for the next run." The next unspoken challenge however was who would be the first one to be able to stand and return to their quarters in the Tower.

Each of the trainees were also students at the Silver Tower; the center of all studies related to Djed for the entire Kingdom. The Tower was raised from a single vein of silver by some of the most powerful Isurian wizards to date. It was founded nearly 300 years after the Valterrian and was where all Isur came who wished to take up the practice of manipulating Djed. The Tower also employed instructors who specialized in some of the more forbidden arts such as poisons as well as more dangerous, experimental forms of Djed manipulation.

Of the trainee/students, each had their own specialty. Valon was studying reimancy while Fizier practiced magecraft. Kriger was being instructed in morphing while Misil was a budding alchemist. Ialari was into poisons. All together, the five of them had some of the same instructors and shared many of the same classes on theory and history. They were grouped together based on comparable individual achievements in their own fields. The idea is that they could learn from one another while also experiencing some amount of competition much like they would as adults.

Leaning on a nearby pillar for support, Ialari threw everything she had left into standing. Her legs buckled and she almost fell. She would have if not for the pillar and was slowly able to regain her footing. She was the first to stand.

[Ialari Pythone]

Four days into the physical training and the group of students had ran a total of 80 miles. Since that first day, Ialari was finding that her body was being pushed to its limits and beyond. Even though it was but a short time since the beginning of the training, Ialari had lost track of how many times she had collapsed in a fit of vomiting. She was starting to get used to the feeling of cramping and burning muscles. She had even finished some of the runs ahead of the other students; an achievement that helped to numb some of the physical pain.

Unfortunately, the stress was far from over. In addition to the daily running, the students now began the actual wrestling practice. The first couple of days consisted mainly of more exercises; stretching and routines meant to build endurance and agility. These warm-ups preceded each practice session. When they were done warming up, their trainer began showing them the basic stance that an Isurian wrestler performed in. First, the students had a fishhook attached to their hindquarters with a string sewn to a cloth collar around their necks. They were required to squat lightly while keeping their backs straight, their heads up, and their elbows tucked with their hands out and open. They were to retain this stand for up to an hour at a time while moving side to side, feet shuffling and never lifting fully off the ground. If they leaned too far forward, the fishhook would pierce their hindquarters and bring no small amount of surprise and pain. This, combined with the physical strain left over from each daily run, was something Ialari found excruciating yet she never complained. There were more than a couple of times that the fishhook stuck her, causing her to yelp. Never did she complain or lighten up her effort.

At one point, the trainer; even in her dreams she could not remember his name, was displeased with the perceived lack of effort that the students were putting forth. As reprimand, he made them run around the perimeter of the training hall for five hours; stopping only for a few drinks of water. While that in itself would not have been too bad, he made them do it with their hands held up above their heads. If they lowered them, an extra hour was added to the punishment. "Isur are the children of strength and the chosen of patience" The trainer would say. There was no giving up, no tolerance for failure.

[Ialari Pythone]

Hours passed while Ialari and the other students continued to run around the perimeter of the training hall with their arms raised high. When their trainer decided that they had paid the price for their previous lack of effort, he called the run to an end. That was not the end of the day however for there was still a bit more practice to be done. According to the trainer, one could not choose when they found themselves challenged by a physical test. Just because one test had ended it did not mean that there would not be another waiting in line to take its place. So, he instructed the students to pair off and take positions in the training circles. The students took their stances; legs bent, back straight with their elbows bent and tucked to their sides with their hands out in front of them and their heads up. When the signal was given, each pair of students began to circle one another. Their movements were choppy at first but eventually grew to become more graceful. Exhausted as they were, they were still Isur and not a one would let fatigue get the best of them. Never crossing their feet or lifting them from the ground, each student glided their across the ground in a unique dance. Ialari could remember the trainer shouting out instructions while he occasionally tripped a fumbling student; there would be no failure and each student was expected to be patient enough to endure the ridicule and get back up.

"Shuffle, do not walk! Your feet will never leave the ground! Let them cross and you will lose! You are Isur! Isur do not fail; WE do not lose!" Her trainer's words echoed through time and she could still hear them as she remembered back to that time of growth and learning.

Finally, after many hours, practice was called to an end for the day and the students staggered out of the training hall and back to their appointed chambers in the Tower. Ialari could still remember the pain that coursed through her body stronger than her blood pumped in her veins. She had to steady herself against every surface she could as she made her way back to her room.

Ialari finally woke from the dream and memories of the past. Though the dreams had ended, she lay in bed still remembering fondly her training and life in Sultros. It had been a life sheltered from the world of humans; a life were her unique hatred for them had time to grow into the poisoned thoughts that were now a part of her. For now though, Ialari chose to focus on the past and leave the present alone. Her remembering continued...

[Ialari Pythone]

Each practice continued in the same format as the one before it although with every one the workouts became more intense and the training expanded. Following the basic stance and movements, Ialari's training included a handful of basic takedowns as well as escape maneuvers. The majority of the takedowns were taught from a standing position where both wrestlers circled one-another while looking for an opening. Feigning strikes and shifting direction as well as body position were all methods used to throw the opponent off balance thus creating an opening for attack. One of Ialari's first real matches involved her facing off against a male student by the name of Viros. The two started their match; circling one another. Ialari feigned a few strikes while Viros changed his direction of movement and body posture several times both trying to throw the other off. It was finally Ialari who feigned a sweeping grab for Viros' leg forcing him to step backward thus leaving his other leg open. She quickly swept to that side, sliding her feet across the ground in a wide arc while reaching for his leg. Snatching hold of his ankle, Ialari followed through with her sweeping, circling motion and came back to her feet with Viros' leg held outward. With her own leg, she swept her foot against the only one he had left to stand on and knocked it out from under him.

Ialari followed Viros down to the ground and grappled in an attempt to bring one of his knees to his own face; cradling him and thus pinning his back to ground. The two struggled for many moments with Viros looking as though he may power his way to an escape. Unfortunately for him, Ialari was not about to play fair as she positioned her knee so to drive it at a very uncomfortable angle against his groin. His body and mind exploding in pain, Viros' relented his struggle if only to cease the agony he was in. It was then that Ialari fully realized how best to use such a weakness against a male opponent.

Ialari recalled further that after the match and following that day's physical training and Tower studies, she explored the weakness of men by seducing Viros in his chambers under the pretense of a sincere and intimate apology. Viros had been studying magecraft at the Tower and after their initial coupling, Ialari used Viros' weakness for her to get him to reveal some of secrets he had learned about the art. She then used that very same information to boost her own studies. It wasn't long after that Ialari sabotaged one of Viros' projects thus causing him to fail in the eyes of his masters and get turned down for apprenticeship. After all, she couldn't have him trying the same thing on her first.