[Closed - Imass][Stone Garden]Communication is Key

[Ball]

1st of Summer 512AV

The living ball of clay stopped his furry four-legged companion at the entrance of the Stone Garden before dropping down onto the ground and waiting his larger two-legged blue 'pycon' companion to usher him into this sacred ground. Inside were rows upon rows of gracefully and artistically placed stones with carved names in them. This was a makeshift grave of honorary heroes. This was a place of glory and honor. To Ball is was a foreign land, so he waited for Imass to usher him in, like a protector or a bodyguard.

Once inside of the Gardens the pycon rolled his spherical being from stone to stone before pausing at one and staring at it. The name was meaningless to him, as it probably was that way to many of the other people that come here that don't know their family history. It wasn't the name or the words on it that caused the Pycon to stop, it was

Before anyone could step on him or mistaken him as garbage or another stone Ball struggled a little and started to form rudimentary stubs in four locations, two on the underside of the ball and two sprouting from what could only be considered the sides of it's body. So it looked like a Pac-man without the face.

Motioning towards the stone in front of him, and then the next, and then the next, and so on and so forth. Once he felt he got the idea through to his blue friend Ball tiled back a little on his stubby legs and scratched the side of his sphere with his right stub of an arm before his legs buckled from underneath him and he dropped back into a spherical shape of clay once again, his body hungrily pulling his stubby appendages back into the main part of his body.

[Imass]

Imass walked into the stone garden somberly with Ball riding next to him on his stout and faithful dog mount. The two entities where liked minded and went straight to work without talking much. There wasn't much to say, this would be like any other training session except he had to give time for the pycon to learn. No doubted the ball of clay would have some difficulties, but Imass would train the magical and mystic object until it could go no more.

The Akalak was no drill instructor though. He would lead this ball of pycon by example. He would work as hard as he possibly could, to show to his new friend he wasn't just there to use him. He wanted to motivate the ball with positive reinforcement. It was obvious that this clay ball had a lot of potential and Imass planned on bringing it out.

Imass watched as the ball sat motionlessly next to one of the stones. The Knight could only wonder what the ball of clay was thinking, for the perfect sphere showed absolutely no expression. Not only that, but the Akalak wasn't a master a judging emotions. No matter. The best way to learn to communicate was to train together.

He leaned over and spoke softly to Ball, "The best way to communicate is through the blade. Words can carry you far, but the only way to gaze into a person's soul is to fight them. There is no lying in a fight, there is nothing but truth. I will train you. We will make your body strong. You will learn to communicate through martial arts."

Imass sat on the floor and continued, "This place is called Stone Garden. It is the location where all our fallen brothers before us are remembered. Honor this place and know that we are privileged to train here."

That is when Ball began to try to walk. He tried to emulate Imass and produce two legs of his own. This made the Akalak grin. He knew exactly what to do. Running to the far side of the area he grabbed a stone about the same size as Ball. It was gray and almost as perfectly round. He placed the stone in front of the pycon.

"Push this stone across the courtyard! I will be at your side and I will work just as hard as you!" Imass knew this would be a change for the pycon, because of all the stones in the floor. It would mean that the ball would have to use extreme amount of energy to push the stone or learn to form legs so he would only need to use half energy. Either way the pycon would learn to grow legs.

Imass on the other hand would follow ball in a push-up position doing non-stop drills until Ball succeeded. Although he couldn't do the same exercise as Ball, this is how Imass planned to lead by example.

The Akalak got in a push up position right next to Ball, "Let's do this! Go!"

[Ball]

Ball, as that is what he was shaped as, but as of yet he didn't have a name to accompny himself, watched as the blue guy placed a round stone in front of him. After getting the jist of what his new found friend wanted him to do. Push the rock.

After a near full minute the Pycon managed to form himself into a near replica of what he held before, two stubby legs and two stubby arms. with some exterion on his behave to form the stubs the Pycon placed himself forcefully against the rock and started to strain against it. At first all the was visible was the Pycon's arms were mushing against the rock's curved edge. It was long though that Ball managed to gain some advantage against the rock and slowly started to push it forward, as Imass suspected it was hard going.

Once though it got started, Ball got the rock moving pretty easily, slowing down on the first curve upwards with the rocky path, but once he crested it and started down the dip, Ball released the pushing momentum and learned real fast that the upward curve before him caused the rock to stop rolling uphill and reverse its momentum and movement. So Ball, being the crazy little ball of clay that he was tried to stop the rock, seeing as it weighes more than he does the pycon was mushed underneath it slowly, but that was remedied quickly with Ball climbing out from underneath it again and trying once more, this time once he got it to the crest of the first rock and it started its descent Ball kept right on pushing it, making quick work of the rock's forward motion, slowing slightly going uphill, but still managing nonetheless.

Once to the designated stopping point Ball pushed it over the last uphill just beyond it and allowed the rock to roll downard on its own accord. The pycon was exhausted from the exercise and finally collapsed into it's standard spherical shape.

[Imass]

Imass began doing push-ups immeadiately. His arms were slightly wider than his shoulder, so that his arms were in a ninty degree angle. He dropped his chest all the way down to the floor then pushed back up into the initial position. He breathed deeply, taking a deep breathing in as he lower his chest and a forceful breath out when he pushed up. Imass took extra caution to make sure his back was completely straight.

As Ball struggled to push the stone, Imass kept doing push-ups non-stop. Down, up. Down, up. After only twenty push-ups he was already sweating slightly. A bead of sweat dripped off his nose and landed on the stone under him. Imass keept his new friend encouraged, "You can do it Ball!" For some reason Imass simply called the pycon ball, "Let's go Ball!" The name stuck. Imass would simply call the clay ball: Ball. It was simple and nothing rang more true. He needed to name him something anyways.

Imass kept pushing and kept his breathing regulated. As long as he kept the oxygen flowing, all the exercises would be easier. Up and down. He was nearing on almost fifty push-ups when finally Ball got the stone to move, but unfortunately it only rolled back on top of him. Imass encouraged him more, "You got it Ball!"

The Pycon pushed again and finally got it rolling. Imass finally stopped doing his push-ups and feel on his chest. After thirty seconds of rest Imass instructed Ball again motionging with his fingers to show the pycon what he wanted him to do, "Run to the stone and push it back here. It will be way more difficult, so get ready!"

Imass got back into the push-up position and got ready to do some planks while he followed Ball trying to walk with his two legs.

[Ball]

Ball. He finally had a name to respond to. It did make sense though.

Watching the large blue man drop once more into some sort of exercise positioning Ball once more took his stubby appendaged form and placed himself behind the rock. With some strenous pushing the pycon started the rock rolling once more. The rock felt heavier, but the pycon was willing to push his limits if the one known as Imass was willing to do the same.

Even though the rock felt heavier, the movements were the same as before, a continual push. After all was done the pycon was exhausted. It took close to five minutes to do it the second time around.

Once Ball released the rock from his pushing control the rock rolled down between rocks and lodged itself there. It was at that point Ball collasped into his spherical shape and stayed that way. It was visible that the ball of clay was heaving heavily as if it was breathing hard.

EDIT: Changed the amount of time to complete from a half hour to five minutes

[Imass]

Ball formed his stubby apendages once more and braced himself behind the stone and on Imass' count the clay ball began to push with all it's might.

The Akalak began to exercise as well. Lifting his right arm and left leg off the floor Imass balanced on the opposite hand and foot. In order to do this, Imass needed to tighten his core and ab muscles. Holding this position for as long as he possibally could (about thirty seconds), he then switched it up. Now his left arm and right leg were picked up off the floor. Imass took great care to regulate his breathing. He breathed in through his nose and out with his mouth. Thus, Imass strengthened his core as Ball strengthed his legs.

"Keep pushing Ball! I believe in you!" Imass said as he began to work up a sweat doing the plank exercises. Up and down he went. As time dragged on, Imass could hold himself up less and less. Soon he was only able to hold his arm and leg up a few seconds at a time. His muscles began to burn; his quads, his shoulders, his arms, and especially his core. The burn felt good and he would keep going until his body couldn't do it anymore. That was the key of successful training; pushing yourself beyond your limit was the only way to get better. This was a mentality he would try to instil in Ball.

Nearing the end of the lap, Imass was breathing heavier and sweating a lot. Droplets of sweat fell onto the floor in front of him, which made it hard for him to consentrate. Either way he continued alternate planking. Finally Ball relesed the rock and went back into his Ball like form.

Imass continued planking harder and harder, "You are not done yet Ball! Look you are only half way there! Come on, you can rest later, now it is time to work! Ball! Let's go! Ball!"

[Ball]

Ball kept heaving for a while before he formed his stubby legs and arms again and took a running shove at the rock before him, but it was lodged to much and the ball of clay literally smashed against it and then flopped over the top of the stone and onto the otherside of it. The pycon remained in a mushy state for several moments before reshaping himself into a ball of clay. After several more moments of waiting the ball pycon rolled over to the side, heaved several times before he spat out everything he stored inside of him. Miza, Small sized equipment, and lastly the fabric swatch from earlier.

Once he finished vomiting up everything he owned the pycon rolled back to behind the rock and then rolled back to the top of the slope behind him and then rocketted himself towards the rock, smacking it square in it's side. Repeating the process a few more times the rock tiled foward and then Ball kept pushing against it to get it up the incline. Once it hit the crest and started rolling down hill Ball froced his stubby appendages out once more and caught up to give it more pushing to keep it along it's up and down path.

After about 6 minutes Ball was finally finished and rolled back to his personal affects in his typical ball form and started to pull them back into his body one item at a time.

[Imass]

Ball tried to push the stone again, but he was having trouble. Suddenly, the pycon decided to empty out all these stuff from inside his body. Imass' eyes widened. It even made him fall to floor. He lost all concentration when he saw hundreds of mizas pop out from Ball. Was this clay pycon able to hold any number of items inside its magicial body. Before Imass could even fathom what was going on, Ball began to push the stone once again.

The Knight would try to figure out what the pycon was doing later, for now he needed to exercise. This time he would do something different. Positioning his body laterally to Ball, the blue man began to crawl sideways. Holding his right hand and foot steady. He reached as far left as he could go with his left hand and foot. Then he brought his right hand and foot. Basically, Imass was doing a crab crawl, but he kept his arms, legs, and back straight.

Ball was moving much slower this time, but the pycon was still making progress. Imass would surely have time to go all the way down and all the way back. He moved as quickly as possible and began to build up a sweat. He moved his feet and arms as quickly as possible. After going down one length he already felt the intense strain from the exercise. His arms, legs, and core where burning. He was sweating hard too.

Finally both Ball and the Akalak finished. Imass flopped down on his back and began to catch his breath next to the pycon who had already gathered all his possessions.

"Good job Ball. How do you feel now?" Imass said out of breath.

[Ball]

It was a few minutes londer before the pycon tore a split into the side facing Imass. It was a horizontal split, almost like a crude mouth. "Feel. Tyrud." Each word came out with a crude pop accenting each word.

Then the split sealed itself over with a popping sound as the clay formed a bubble to seal the split and then popped at the edge to reveal solid mass behind it.

After the speaking overcame him the Pycon known as Ball was seen to apparently be eating his insides, but the truth be told he actually had some clay rations he forgot about deep within his inners that was currently chewing on.

[Imass]

Imass flipped over on his side in astonishment when he heard Ball speak. It was very strange but the pycon was actually able to verbalize something. He told Imass that he was feeling tired. The fact that Ball actually talked was amazing it. Not only did it mean that he could understand Imass, but it also meant that he could communicate. The outcome of the bodybuilding training was splendid!

Imass pondered for a few moments then answered Ball, "You can talk! This is splendid. Speak some more! What else can you say? Talk some more Ball! Do you understand everything I am saying?" The Akalak wanted to hear the extent of the Pycon's speech. Everything else could wait, even training.