The Mind's Eye to the Inner Souls (Flux Training / Self Mod)

[Akuaysun]

There was a time when Akuaysun was a proud warrior, he could remember parts of it, back then, all those years ago. He had been a very successful man amongst the Myrian People, a skilled tracker and fighter, gifted as a tiger rider, and strong in every sense of the word. Many times his mother had said how she wished he would have been born a girl for he deserved all the praise of any woman. Taking deep breaths he focused on this time, remembering those days when he knew not of the things he knew now. Those were easier times, and though on the cusp of the great cataclysm he would trade all that he had to return to those simple days.

One skill that had brought him more honor then others was his deep knowledge of the self, and in turn his fortitude with Flux. It had originally been a skill developed by the great military force of the Suvan, something he had picked up from a retired soldier during his youth. The man, while old still moved and fought with the grace of any youth, and after seeing something in a young Akuaysun, agreed to teach the young man his secrets. The core of the personal magic was knowing your inner soul, channeling its energy into your movements and strikes to push them past their limits. It was through this thorough knowledge of self that one could manipulate their inner Djed and push their body beyond its normal boundaries after bypassing the normal physical inhibitors.

In those days Aku started and ended his day with meditation. He would reflect on all that had happened and all that needed to be done. The young Myrian would give his praise to Leth for all which he had been given and ask the moon god to bring him great strength. Then when his thoughts were clear and his mind was focused he would turn inward, seeking his inner peace and realigning his soul. While in this state he could sense the Djed that flowed through him, and made up his spirit. With practice he found he could manipulate and redirect it. It was through pure determination and self reliance that the man slowly formed an inner spiritual working of himself, and with it the focus to manipulate his inner powers.

Through his teachings from the old warrior, and his self practice Akuaysun eventually gained the understanding necessary to become a competent practitioner of Flux. He knew what levels his bodies Djed was supposed to be at, and how it reacted to different exercises. With time he found it easier to transfer this energy through this form while working by focusing upon it and rerouting it from areas he did not need. There was a time when he could lift incredible amounts of weight, move with the speed of the great jungle cats and deliver strikes with his bare flesh that would cause more damage then any weapon.

Indeed, it was Akuaysun’s hope to relive some of those memories and take from them the knowledge of his past lives. If he could focus, and once more find his inner peace then it was possible that once more he would be able to regain his former strength. For some reason in the coming days he felt he would need it.

[Akuaysun]

The room was quiet, it was evening and Syna rested in the distance perhaps an hour before her decent into the waters that surrounded Ravok. Akuaysun sad upon his bed, the light of the day shined through his one window and softly cascaded upon him as he relaxed. It was warm and comforting, and in the distance he could hear the lapping of the lake against the great wood pillars. Closer the breath of a living city circulated below and added to the soft hum of his surroundings.

The Myrian listened, though he did not focus on any one thing. Instead he let it all flow into his ears, trying to absorb as much as he could at once. Bronze flesh glistened in the light, and as time slowly burned forward his muscles began to relax. This was the key to Flux, in order to manipulate your inner Djed you had to know your inner self. One’s spirit had to be in line, focused upon its flow and free of all inhibitors. His teacher often called it the art of unfocused concentration, the ability to absorb all instead of one.

It was true that in order to properly use flux you had to be attuned to your soul. If not too much or two little Djed would accompany the action and cause damage to limb. Force too much energy in and you could snap your own bones or leave another part of the body enfeebled. Pull in to little and your blow would be little more then a slap to the face. So in order to properly use Flux one had to know exactly how much djed they could spare then further know exactly when to add it to the action. Balance was key, a balance with the self and the surrounding world, a balance that was determined by every outside influence. Unfocused Concentration…

Slowly Aku’s body relaxed, he took in the sounds and felt as his muscles broke form and loosened. It was beautiful, not only the sky set afire by Syna’s fall, but also the quiet hum of life slowing down. Breath was drawn in, and then slowly released, time continued on and Aku’s eyes grew heavy. He was on the way to his inner relaxation, and with it, a pathway that would bring him the ancient knowledge of a past life.

Inside as the outer world slid away he could feel the many pathways of his body. The mental, physical and spiritual coexisted in some harmony, and if one took the time to realize they were in fact there, it wasn’t hard to find them. The blood pumped through his limbs, and messages from his flesh relayed to his mind. His inner spiritual being connected with both forms and fed upon their energies, relaying back commands to continue the process as the planer being sought out his spiritual alignment.

Inside he could feel the energy flowing through every inch of his form; it coursed through him just as his blood ran through his veins, traveling on infinite little pathways and renewing his life. It was a part of who he was but at the same time one part that could be manipulated and crafted to his will, and when done properly give the man insurmountable power. Djed was the power of creation and destruction, it rested in every being just waiting to be released.

[Akuaysun]

“As if cursed to feel my patron god’s pain each day; while Syna’s beauty vanished from the sky and Leth once more returned to hold domain I was wrought with indescribable agony. While I watched her last beautiful rays vanish, an event I failed to appreciate until my time outside of the cycle, I was allowed a few moments of peace that lingered with twilight. However, as my lord was pulled by his duty into the starry sky, my body was then transformed back unto its celestial being. To be forced into change is not something any creature takes lightly, and with these changes there often comes the pains of growth and adaptation. For me this was a literal matter, my bones fractured and broke, healing and stretching, muscle tore and nerve burned as every inch of my body resided in chaos and I became something not of this plane. That is the way of the cycle however; when you introduce things that do not belong there are always issues that arise. For me, and my place in this world, I was given the pain of a god, forced to suffer along side him as his loyal child.”

Journal of Akuaysun


Things were progressing quite smoothly at this point; the world was in harmony as evening sat on the crest of the horizon. Inside Akuaysun was at peace, he could feel his Djed flowing freely through spiritual channels. In the moments between day and night he at last knew peace once again. Over the course of his time in the realm of the gods this feeling surrounded him always, it was something he had taken for granted as of late. Now though, being back in the plane of mortals, he knew the chaos that ran rampant through the lands. It was good to once again find focus though he had only been missing it for one day. It was as the old sayings went; you don’t truly realize how good things are until they are gone.

Such was the case as Leth rose from the waters that surrounded the city however. With his ascension came the disruption of harmony, the broken bonds of love and the sorrow that accompanied it. Inside, Aku could spot this, a flood of energy from his celestial form overwhelming his Myrian body and breaking it down to recreate. In the blink of an eye harmony broke into an inferno of chaos and with it came the transformation, and further the pain.

It was just as before, overwhelming in every sense of the word. Bone stretched and broke, muscle tore and rebuilt and with the moons light dark skin faded into a luminescent glow of pure white. Eyes shifted from their earthly hues to an ethereal deep blue that caught the light and sparkled with it. Appendages smoothed out and lengthened just enough to give the man an overwhelming presence of beauty, like the inspiration to some great artist. Then as quickly as it started the pain subsided, heart rates slowed, pupils un-dilated and muscles relaxed. The change itself was tormenting, like being thrown of a rack and having your limbs torn from your body. Now though, the soul was once again at peace and with it the study into Flux could continue.

[Akuaysun]

“Some would call it a blessing to have every memory of every life, others a curse. Personally I find it sits on each side of the argument, if anything I would call it enlightening.”

Journal of Akuaysun


Back in his Ethaefal form Akuaysun was able to realign his spirit with relative ease. This was, after all, his more natural form, the physical manifestation of his celestial being. The spiritual pathways were quite different from his Myrian body but when focused upon needed little concentration in the moonlight for centering. This form was designed for inner peace after all, a state of pure consciousness where thoughts and pathways were easily pondered and manipulated.

The recently reborn decided it best to find an area with plenty of open space to practice. He had an idea of how he wanted to manipulate his inner Djed at first in order to stay focused. If he could function in this way he would move on to greater things and larger ideas. Wrapping the leather cloak about his form, he slipped from his room locking it behind him and cautiously walked down the hall to the upper stairwells. With a bit of searching, and a lot of luck, the Ethaefal was able to find his way onto the roof of the lodge.

Standing atop the relatively high building the luminescent man had a clear view of a good portion of the city. His cobalt eyes looked at the different shadows and shapes with a soft smile and were naturally drawn skyward where his lord Leth hung, looking over this plane of existence, guiding his soft light upon them and keeping the complete darkness at bay. Around him sparkled the different constellations, glimmering like tiny precious stones and forming out shapes in the night sky. It was quite beautiful, especially since the lapping of water gently filled his ears and the soft musings of the night time folk could distantly be heard below.

Taking slow steps about the area, Aku centered himself up on the roof and began to stretch out his muscles. The tight form of his new body began to relax and give, its natural grace only adding to his flexibility. His mind focused on the martial art he was most familiar with, the Myrian form of unarmed combat. Crouching low his eyes scanned for his opponent, a shadow who was not truly there. Feet were tucked neatly under him and joints all bent at forty five degree angles. Suddenly his hand shot out across his form in a half open palm strike at where an average mans face would be. His right leg accompanied it in a cross over step, and in an instant the left slid back behind him as the form dropped low in a reverse roundhouse leg sweep. Hands hit the ground and pushed off it, launching the ethereal warrior back to his feet, the left of which he snapped out in a front ball kick that would have finished the fake man off trying to regain his composure from the ground.

It was a quick set of combinations that brought back a bit of memory. Not from a Myrian life but instead another. As Aku rose he had a quick vision, one of looking down a line of men neatly ordered and wearing finely pressed uniforms. None smiled or laughed, instead they moved through their routines, calling out the corresponding number to their movement. Each peered at him with respect as he passed by, obviously a man of great honor in this life. It was hard to say much more, for as fast as the memory came it also faded away. It did however give the Etaefal an idea of how to better train his regimented body. When he used flux he would need as much concentration and control as possible.

[Akuaysun]

“They say that the more power one gains the more chance they have of misusing it. I am inclined to believe this as I watch humans, though I still debate this for the gods. There are strong arguments both for and against, the great cataclysm for one, and Myri’s ascension to godliness for a second. In both cases the particular gods pride and power ran rampant and in turn caused dire circumstances. The first being destructive on the whole while the second caused self destruction. Could it be that as we grow in strength that we are in turn destined to destroy? If true, any that claim to fight for the sake of good are doomed to become their own enemy or die in the process. What then is the point in standing up to darker forces?”

Journal of Akuaysun


“One!” A pale but strong white fist rocketed forward from Akuaysun’s right side at chest level. As it shot out and retch its climax a sharp exhale accompanied it, thereafter a slow inhale as the limb was drawn back. “Two!” Again the process was repeated with a forward ball kick from the right side, his thigh lifting to waist level and then snapping out at the knee for a quick strike with the ball of the right foot. “Three!” This time the body rotated from the left to regain the forward stance. With it the left shoulder dipped down as the left fist came up in a body shot uppercut. “FOUR!” The right leg swept back forward, its knee projected as to catch an opponent along his own knee while simultaneously the right elbow moved in a counter clockwise windmill like motion that would bring down a blow on the opponent’s face from above.

Each of the movements was disciplined, snapped forward with military precision followed by an inhale between. Akuaysun was practicing form more then anything at this point, committing the strikes to memory, and thus taking his time with each. The series was designed for quick incapacitation, a short flurry that would leave the enemy as little of a threat. If each connected in the quick series the first would knock the opponent off balance, the second taking his wind and bowing him forward, the uppercut was designed to be a phasing blow to the are just below the ribs that would leave most dazed and the combination finisher of knee and elbow a powerful set that would knock the opponent unconscious, while laying them flat on the ground to give a positioned advantage. Of coarse the technique could be mirrored to the left side, but it suited the users stronger limbs, in this case Aku’s right.

Myrian’s were brutally efficient when it came to combat, seeing anything as either a weapon or something to use a weapon on. The unarmed forms were the fist techniques that were taught, and upheld and conditioned through out their lives. It was said that the body was the first weapon you were blessed with, and the last one you would use. As such, Myrian martial arts were some of the most efficient in the world, at least they were five hundred years ago when Aku was alive. Even the Suvan had adopted many of their practices,

Taking up his stance again, knees bent into their forty-five degree angle left facing forward parallel to the body, right perpendicular and tucked beneath him, Aku looked out over his left shoulder. Moving his left up in a direct line from the shoulder, and then an upward ninety degree at the elbow, while his right arm ran along and then across his body, both clutched into fists he began his focus. “One!” Again the pale fist rocketed forward from Akuaysun’s right side at chest level, rotating from the wrist up to a wrist down position with his body’s weight behind it. Again it shot out and retch its climax with a sharp exhale accompanying it, thereafter the slow inhale drew breath back in as the limb was drawn back.

Focusing on the inner channels of his Djed Aku pushed the energy into the leg he was about to strike with. “Two!” Again the process was repeated with a forward ball kick from the right side, his thigh lifting to waist level and then snapping out at the knee for a quick strike with the foot. The energy of the flux flowed through it this time, the action kicking out with blinding speed and force… to much in fact. The action itself pulled the Akuaysun off balance and forward. He fell to his left knee, his right foot slamming into the ground as he tried to regain composure. He had forced too much Djed into the strike and unbalanced himself. Carefully he relaxed, thinking on this as his leg throbbed with energy. Of coarse there would be repercussions to practice…

[Akuaysun]

“There are many stories about the creatures of night. Great feral beasts and seducers that prey on the weak are the most common. I can say that while Leth does have a dark side, his power does not support such things. He represents thought, and reflection two traits deeply tied to the being of sentient creatures. While Leth may be the god of change he does not give his wisdom to fools. If he did then they surly would not be foolish beasts in any form. A true follower examines his surroundings, makes the best of them, and always knows his limits.”

Journal of Akuaysun


After an hour worth of sequences the Ethaefal was beginning to get the flow of his Djed reeled in, the circulation and identification of just enough being key. It took quite a bit of focus and was easy to loose control of; already numerous times he had lost balance thanks to a miscalculation and went tumbling forward or back. However he was seeing results. By channeling the energy into his legs he was able to run faster and jump higher, even deliver powerful kicks that sent his body into a swirl. Punches shot out with force, and he knew that if he were to strike something solid enough it would likely shatter his hand over the blow.

Physically he was exhausted, sweat rolled down his form and his joints and muscles ached from the workout. Mentally he felt unstoppable, as if he could punch through a solid wall if need be. Luckily his ponderous mind could see this for the lie it was. However, it needed to be kept in check, during the heat of battle when adrenaline pumped and clouded ones mental processes it would be all to easy to over give.

Akuaysun, sat, slowly for the pull he felt in his legs and arms. They burned like fire, and in his chest the steady thumping of his heart seemed to have more in common with a Myrian war drum then a life pumping artery. There he relaxed, his mind already in a haze as his focus drifted in and out. The art was a drain on every aspect of Akuaysun’s body. Slowly eyes began to drift, the night was still early but already the pale figure was spent. He could feel the creeping hand of sleep crawling up his spine, slowly wrapping about his thoughts.

Forcing himself to his feet the celestial warrior went back to his room, careful not to alert anyone of his presence, and slid into his room. Within moments he drifted off into a deep slumber, secure in his locked quarters, awaiting the transformation of the morning rise with Syna.

[Gillar]

An enjoyable read to be certain. The shouting of "One, two, three, etc." that accompanied different actions was a good touch of discipline into this. I tossed in a little bit of meditation too since I got a meditative feel during the beginning-middle. Reminded me a lot of martial art practice. Flux: 3 pts Unarmed Combat: 2 pt Meditation 2 pt