Solo [Tuvya Sasaran] Blind Discipline Pt. 2

[Aoren]

17th of Spring, 515 AV

The Tuvya Sasaran was as lively as when Aoren had first visited it. The sounds of students learning the fighting techniques that the masters had to teach them rang through the halls of the training rooms. It was not but a few days ago that he had begun his lessons with one of the instructors at the training facility. He had to admit that Zeklan’s method of training was beyond what he would have expected for someone learning hand to hand fighting techniques. Still, he couldn’t deny that the Akalak was a formidable warrior in his own right. He had defeated Aoren in a very brief sparring match easily enough. As he stepped into the school he removed his shoes making his way further into the interior.

“You’ve returned.” Zeklan’s voice reached him. It was almost eerie how easily the warrior, who was at least a full foot taller than Aoren, snuck up on him. Aoren nodded.

“I have more to learn.” The response seemed to please the warrior who nodded. Zeklan turned making his way toward a corridor. Aoren followed eventually reaching one of the training rooms. It was not the one that he had begun his lessons in but it was not unlike it. He imagined all of the training rooms were similar in appearance. As soon as he slid the doors closed behind him and turned around, Zeklan was standing in the center of the room. He held in one of his hands a blindfold.

“Let us continue.” Aoren nodded stepping up to his teacher accepting the blindfold. He wrapped it around his head covering his eyes and tying it in the back.

“Focus your spirit, Aoren. Center yourself. Visualize the air flowing in and out of your lungs.” Hands gently but firmly grasped his own. Aoren complied with the direction that Zeklan was providing. His palms were opened with both facing the sky.

“Inhale.” As he inhaled, Zeklan guided his hands upward until they were level with his chest.

“Exhale.” Aoren released his breath. As he did his hands were rotated so that the palms were toward the ground and lowered as he breathed out. Zeklan released his wrists.

“Again.” Aoren breathed in bringing his hands up visualizing the air flowing into his lungs. As he exhaled he pushed downward against an unseen force thinking on the air that was flowing out. He repeated this technique for several minutes all the while being prompted by Zeklan to concentrate on the rhythm of his own body. He would need to be in tune with himself before he was fully prepared to take on the skills of others. It was a lesson that had been made abundantly clear to him in short order upon first entering the Tuvya Sasaran.

“Are you ready?” Aoren nodded.

“Yes, Teacher.” He could feel more than see, a dim acknowledgement from the Akalak.

“Today we are going to train your reflexes.” Aoren’s wrist was grasped and something was placed in his hand. He felt it. The object was softer but with weight to it. The material felt like burlap, like the sacks used to carry horse feed. He quirked his head. Zeklan answered his unspoken question.

.

[Aoren]

“They are small sacks filled with dried beans. You shall stand as you are now. Unannounced I shall throw them at you. In this first exercise, you will block them.” Aoren’s brow furrowed.

“You have a question?” Aoren shook his head.

“No, Teacher. Merely…thinking on how to go about blocking that which I cannot see.” In his mind he could see Zeklan nodding.

“Do not think, Aoren. React. You have more senses than just sight. Use them. Feel the world around you.” Aoren could feel the world around him in more ways than one. The magic of Auristics would enable him to become aware of many objects around him but he felt somehow that would have been cheating.

“Yes, Teacher.” He heard Zeklan take a few steps away. Aoren readied himself. The muscles in his body tensed as he awaited any sign that a bean sacks was being thrown his way.

“Relax, Aoren. You will only weaken yourself if you try to focus on that which has yet to come. Leave your awareness open. Do not concentrate on the anticipation of what is to come, rather be aware of your surroundings and that which enters it.” Taking that advice as much to heart as he could, Aoren eased the tension he felt in his shoulders. He willed his body to be less rigid instead directing his attention to the world around him. Zeklan had at least given him a tool to use. The sound of his voice. It had come from in front of him. If Aoren was going to be blocking assaults it would be from the front, for now anyways.

He heard the rustle of the sack before it hit him square in the chest.

Aoren wasn’t even able to bring his arm up to block it. The suddenness of it startled him. Zeklan chided him softly.

“Do not get so lost in your thoughts.”

“Yes, Teacher.” That was going to be a rather difficult thing to achieve. Aoren was prone to thinking rather deeply for long periods of time. To completely abandon a habit that was ingrained into who he was, was going to be—

Thud.

Another sack hit his thigh and he had been completely unprepared for it. Aoren frowned. He needed to broaden his focus.

“Alright, Aoren. Pay attention. Stop thinking. Listen.”

.

[Aoren]

Easier said than done but Aoren pushed aside his frustrated thoughts. He took in a calming breath bringing his hands up visualizing the flow of air through his lungs followed by the downward press as he exhaled. The motion truly did help him focus. He worked on centering himself again and Zeklan seemed content to wait until he did. When Aoren felt as though he could pay better attention to the task at hand he assumed the stance that Zeklan had shown him in their previous lesson.

And waited.

Silence was what he found. Until that silence was interrupted by the rustle of a bean sack. Aoren raised a hand to his left intent on blocking it. The sack hit his shoulder as he moved slower than he would have hoped.

“Good. Still, you could do better. I know that you have it within you.” Nodding, Aoren simply resumed his stance. He waited. The rustle of the sack came from his left again. Aoren raised a hand. This time he felt the sack brush across the back of his hand as he swiped out to swat it away but still it struck his upper arm. He was not dismayed however. He’d been much closer to actually blocking it that time. He took up his stance again. All he could see was the dark of the blindfold. He would have to rely upon his senses other than sight to get through this training. Aoren probed his consciousness for any semblance of heightened awareness that he could grasp. He focused on his hearing. The rustle of the bean sacks was indeed a warning but he would have to listen more carefully in order to ready himself for it.

A rustle to his right.

Aoren brought up his leg swiftly kicking in the direction that he’d heard the noise. His shin came into contact with nothing but the air as yet another bean sack thudded against his torso. He sighed in frustration. This was getting nowhere. It seemed an impossible battle as he attempted to anticipate what was coming before it even came his way. How could he be ready for everything and yet not tensed against anything at the same time?

“Do not give up, Aoren. It will be frustrating at the start. We live the whole of our lives relying on being able to see what is in front of us. I am trying to teach you an entirely different way of perceiving the world. You will not be successful from the start. It will take time, practice, repetition and training. That is why you are here.” Aoren chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before nodding.

.

[Aoren]

“I apologize, Teacher. I am just not used to being so…helpless.” He could almost feel the smile directed at him.

“It is my place to teach you how to not be helpless.” This lesson was beginning to resemble ones he endured as a boy. He could recall Leoshan trying to impart to him the concept of djed. It had boggled his mind as a child until he was actually able to manipulate it. That had taken work. Leoshan had spent nearly an entire year explaining djed to Aoren before he inducted him into Reimancy. And how far had he come since that day? In the beginning he had been able to barely exert control over a single element, now he could command all four of the base elements and combinations of many of them. He centered himself once again determined to make progress in this just as he had with many other things in his life.

“Are you ready?” Aoren nodded and awaited the bean sack.

The rustle of the sack reached his ears. Aoren struck out with one of his hands attempting to block it but was unsuccessful. The sack thudded against his left shoulder. Still, he would keep at it. Another sack was thrown at him. He could hear it headed his way. Aoren swung a leg out hoping to veer the bean sack off course before it could reach his torso. Again his leg struck nothing but air and the sack hit him in the stomach. The impacts were not particularly hard. It was the fact that Aoren kept missing that was most frustrating.

Once again a sack was thrown at him and again as he jabbed out intending to smack it away, he missed. The cycle continued, by the end of which Aoren was becoming increasingly aggravated and disheartened. Finally as the last bean sack struck Aoren in the hip, Zeklan spoke.

“I think that is enough for now.” Aoren reached up undoing the blindfold. He looked around him to see at least fifteen of the bean sacks all around him. He had not blocked a single one of them. He stared at them, his face devoid of any real emotion. A hand came down on his shoulder. Aoren looked up to meet Zeklan’s gaze.

“You did well. I did not expect you to block the bean sacks.” Aoren blinked at his teacher.

“Then what was the point of this?” Zeklan nodded to the sacks that littered the floor.

“For you to keep trying.” He found himself at a loss for words at such a simple explanation of an even simpler exercise. It hadn’t really registered in his mind that the point of the lesson might not have been for him to actually succeed at blocking one of the bean sacks. Then again, in retrospect he could see why Zeklan wouldn’t tell him that.

“That you kept trying despite meeting no success is what will make all the difference.” Aoren took some solace from that. Still, he wasn’t entirely pleased with himself for having failed so miserably. But he hadn’t failed completely, had he? He gave his teacher a smile and a nod before Zeklan pointed to the blindfold.

“We are going to go through your drills again.” Wordlessly, Aoren placed the blindfold back over his eyes. He listened as Zeklan picked up the bean sacks. He tried to focus on where the Akalak was walking so as to anticipate where his first command would come from. He adopted the stance that he’d been shown readying himself. This was going to be a long journey. Longer than he had expected as he was beginning to see just how unpracticed he was in the way of martial training. When the command came it came from in front of him.

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[Aoren]

“Hit.” Aoren swept his left hand across the front of his body before jabbing out with his right.

“Lunge.” He kicked out with his opposite leg then took a step forward. The command came again and Aoren repeated the exercise. This continued for a little while longer with Zeklan alternating which direction he gave the command.

“Hit.” Aoren redirected his body to the rear sweeping his arm out in front of him then jabbing with his other hand.

“Lunge.” He kicked outward followed by a step forward. Finally after what must have been half a bell of going through the drills, Aoren both heard and felt Zeklan step in front of him.

“You may remove the blindfold.” Untying the strip of cloth Aoren blinked a few times as light returned to his eyes. He handed the blindfold to Zeklan who set it on the floor just outside the training mat. Aoren peered at his teacher expectantly.

“What now, Teacher?” The warrior took up a calm stance, not as aggressive as the one he’d assumed during their initial sparring.

“I am going to teach you a series of motions to help in your meditations. These motions will also better prepare your muscles and when applied with speed, allow you to deflect blows to your body more effectively.” Zeklan rocked forward on one foot extending an arm with the his palm open and facing upward. As he rocked back on the same foot he alternated his weight to the opposite leg sliding the arm back switching sides. He extended the opposite arm eventually leading into a more graceful pose with one leg balancing his weight, the other brought half-way up toward his chest and the toes pointed downward. One palm was extended outward as if pushing against a wall. The other arm was tucked in at his side before he lowered himself back into the beginning stance.

“I will need to be guided through the steps but I think I can perform that.” Zeklan motioned for the Drykas to begin. Aoren positioned himself in such a way that he mirrored his teacher’s beginning stance. The warrior reviewed it making minor adjustments where Aoren was a little off before guiding him into the first pose. Aoren extended an arm outward with his palm facing up toward the sky. He rocked back and forth on his foot alternating the weight between both sides of his body. With Zeklan’s help he eventually came into the rising stance with one hand pushing away the imagined wall and the other arm tucked in at his side. They repeated the meditative stance slowly, Aoren being prompted into the correction positioning either by word or by mirroring his teacher. When finally the exercise was ended, Zeklan gave Aoren a nod.

“You did well today. I know it was frustrating but if you continue training you will find success.” The Drykas believed him. All things took effort. This was all simply just very new to him. With a bow, the two parted ways. Aoren would return and the lessons would continue. His resolve hadn’t changed but the belief that he would master any of these skills quickly was lessened. It had been foolish of him to think he would condition himself in a short period of time when it took season after season of training to master.

.

[Caesarion]

Grades, my darling, grades

Aoren :

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Blindfighting	5 XP
Unarmed Combat	4 XP
Acrobatics	3 XP
Endurance	2 XP
Bodybuilding	1 XP
Meditation	1 XP

Lores

Lore Earned

Blindfighting: Center Yourself, Visualize

Blindfighting: Don't Anticipate, Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Blindfighting: Patience Required

Loots

Notes :

Kinky.

If you have concerns, questions or praise (inmydreams;_;) for your grade, drop me a PM and we'll do a number!