Completed The Bully, the Zith and the Immovable Great Grandfather

[Felavik Dysodamus]

Timestamp: Day 41, Summer, 492 AV The young, blue boy takes shaky hesitant steps as he nears the stone structure. The house of his Grandfather looms before him the shadows reaching out like icy tendrils to pull the young boy to his impending doom. The very same shadows had been a cool reprieve from a sweltering day not so many hours previously. The Azurite Watchtower was red that day of the year 492 AV. It was a stifling day in Riverfall and all of the Akalak boys Falevik's age had decided to visit the Menagerie. Of course this only constituted five boys, Falevik included, and a young human girl named Chevis (shevi) who often hung around with them. She was a Kuvan but even at their age her significance as a female was enough to make the boys forget their higher social status. The animals had been lifeless that day the sweltering sun causing them to hide wherever there was shade and generally laze about. The boys grew restless. Deciding, after a hushed 'boys club' meeting, to play a little trick on Chevis they neglected to visit the Zith enclosure instead heading toward an unlocked feed shed. Falevik, the leader of their little gang, stopped abruptly and put his arm out to motion the girl who had been walking beside him to stop. “This is no place for a girl.” He stated abruptly and resolutely an overly sly eye peeking over to check if the girl was buying his act before turning and ordering “Come on guys. Let's get out of here before Chevis gets scared.” The little girl was indignant. “Huh? I'm not scared.” The girl declared before looking over to the shed nervously. “What's in there?” She asked her false bravado easily cracking. “I didn't want to say but...” Felavik took a long and dramatic pause before suddenly turning and declaring in a spooky voice “the bloody and terrible Zith!” The girl tensed up and even made a sort of strangled eep noise as she tried to contain a scream of terror. “I told you,” Felavik said smugly “No place for a girl.” The girl quickly wiped the fear from her face making an unusual amount of huffing sounds befotre angrily declaring “I'll show you!” making sure to emphasise the 'you' with a prod to Felaviks chest. She then marched right into the shed. One of the boys darted forward and brought a little metal bit down through a loop to catch the door in place. The boys were just about to celebrate their victory when a terrible, thunderous roar echoed from behind them. “What do you boys think you are doing?” Came the sound of an enraged zookeeper. The tall, blue man pushed past the kids opening the shed door and bringing Chevis out before she had so much as realised their traps. “I am taking this girl home and then I am going to each and every one of your parent's homes and your Grandfathers too!” The zookeeper made sure to inform Felavik that he knew of his guardianship before dragging the girl away in the direction of the exit. Chevis managed to stick her tongue out at the boys in one last act of gloating before she disappeared out of sight. Four of the boys left on the spot hoping to gain some favour in telling their parents themselves leaving Falevik and his cousin Rahken to ponder their options. They both knew they were dead. Falevik's Grandfather and Uncle would not judge their deed as the playful nature of children. No, they would be severely punished and they knew it. After a little while of wandering the streets Rahken suggested just getting it over with and going home. They argued and Rahken went home. Felavik wondered for half a bell before finally sauntering home taking the longest route in the slowest speed he could muster... So we bring you back to that moment where Felavik inches closer and closer to home. Felavik didn't get halfway across the courtyard before the door swung open. His Grandfather framed the doorway peering down at the boy sternly. “Where have you been, Fel-a-vik?” His Grandfather asked in that slow, measured way of speaking that gave one the impression he chose his words carefully. It was the way that he mulled over and exaggerated his name that told Felavik the zookeeper had already come. Despite how calm the old man looked Felavik knew that at any second he would explode into rage. “I...” Felavik started his mind working furiously to come up with a way out of trouble. Felavik suddenly dropped to his knees with his head bowed. “I have failed you, Grandfather.” It was his last hope. Grandfather Soryn's eyes narrowed dangerously. Felavik did not see as his head was still bowed. Soryn moved over to the child and placed a hand on the child. “You have not failed me, young Grandson.” He said as he pulled Felavik up with a gentle smile. “Just try to be more on time for training.” Felavik's confusion was evident. Had the Zookeeper came yet? Maybe that meant he still had time to tell Grandfather and lessen his punishment a little. “But...” He started before his Grandfather cut him off. “No buts. It is dishonourable to be late when you have made plans with another.” His Grandfather declared dismissively. “Now stand straight. For your lateness I shall teach you a new stance.” Felavik straightened up taking several deep breaths to prepare himself for whatever challenge this session would present. “Copy me,” His Grandfather said flowing into the Tukant language seamlessly. “The stance itself is easy to take but only the disciplined may master it.” “Make sure your shoulders are square with your hips.” Soryn instructed as he did so himself. “Bring both arms out in from of you wrist up and then being them back into position in an L shape alongside your chest as if you were trying to elbow yourself.” Soryn instructed. “[i]Harder! Stronger! Quicker!” Soryn added such a command every time the boy attempted to bring his arms into place. He made the boy do it twelve times until he had it just right. “Now you must bend your knees until you feel your body lock into place. Do not misjudge. An over or under bent knee can mean the difference between falling and a successful block.” Soryn commanded as he slowly, for his pupil's benefit, dropped down until he felt his body go as rigid as it could. “Yes, well done.” Soryn encouraged the young boy who looked to have gotten it down in one attempt. Soryn stood out of his stance and walked toward his pupil. Falevik knew not to drop out of stance until he was told. “This is the Form of the Rock.” he told Felavik switching to Common. “Your Great Grandfather Dysodamus admired this form greatly. Every eighth day he would wake at dawn and climb up to a rock overlooking the waterfall. He would drop into this stance and would not move untill dusk. Your Great Uncle was born on one such day. I was the only one who knew of his secret place so I was sent to retrieve him. When I arrived he was as I had expected him to be. He stood knees dropped, arms by his side stoically watching the sea. I told him that his wife had went into labour. His eyes did not even move to recognise me. I told him to quit his foolishness, his nonsense, and still nothing. After some time I grew furious. I tried to drag him away and when that didn't work I hit him in anger. He did not flinch or grimace or register me in anyway. I struck him some more times. I used all of my knowledge of unarmed combat to try and get this man to budge or grimace thinking that if I could make him move one bit he would drop the whole thing and go to my mother's side. Do you know what happened, Felavik? I was there till dusk. When the sun finally set my father stood, stretched and greeted me as if I had just arrived.” Soryn was suddenly very aware that he was rambling. He had lost topic and he was finding it hard to remember the significance of the lesson. “And that is a powerful lesson. Never give up, Felavik. Stand true like the Rock and face your opponent head on. Even if you think you will be beaten or punished.” A chilling wind swept across Felavik's bare chest. The sweltering sun was officially starting to sweat and the young Akalak was getting cold. That and he had the chilling feeling his Grandfather knew what had happened earlier on in the day. “Do you have something to tell me, Fel-a-vik?” His Grandfather asked his exaggeration of the boy's name betraying him. “Eh, umm, well – oof!” Felavik had been stumbling with his words when suddenly his Grandfather had crouched low and swept his legs with a practised low-kick. The boy, who had not been concentrating on his stance fell sprawled on the ground. “Huh, what was that for!?” The boy cried out angrily getting to his feet. “Get in your stance.” His Grandfather replied sternly as he stood. Felavik angrily brought his arms out. “Square your shoulders.” Soryn instructed. “Huff!” Felavik huffed angrily as he squared his shoulders with his hips. “Don't huff at me.” Felavik scowled as he brought his fists out. “Wrist-up.” The boy done so still angry about his Grandfather's recent attack. He locked his elbows in place with a bit more focus though as the anger diminished. “Now bend your knees until your body becomes rigid as Rock.” Felavik done so finding this part the easiest of all. He looked up at his Grandfather the last vestiges of anger gone replaced by determination and focus. “Is this good, Grandfather?” He asked trying to remain focussed in case his Grandfather attempted to hit him again. Soryn's hand tapped at the side of Felavik's knee. Then he tapped at the other knee. “The leg's are acceptable but the chest is lacking.” Soryn concluded laying his hand flat on his Grandson's chest. The next thing Felavik knew he was catapulting toward the ground. His Grandfather had full on shoved him with his superior strength. He fell hard on the ground and, worst of all, when he tried to get up he felt a painful twinge in his chest. Felavik's face was grim when he stood. He didn't even wait for his Grandfather to tell him before he started into the Rock stance. He only had to retry bringing his elbows in this time. “To properly utilise this stance you must predict when and where your opponent is going to strike and tense that part up as hard as you can. Only someone more Competent can tense his entire body for any length of time without serious consequences such as full-body cramping and great fatigue. You are too weak..” Soryn instructed his pupil. Felavik listened finally understanding the point of the first two attacks. His Grandfather was teaching that if he had tensed up when the strike was dealt he would have stood his ground. “Yes, Grandfather.” He replied. He wondered what the question had been about though. Was his Grandfather just guessing that might throw him off or was there still some horrible punishment in store for him after training? “Do you have something to tell me, Fel-a-vik?” Soryn repeated peering down at his son with a knowing look. Huh? Now Felavik really was confused. Was it a tactic or did he know? It was only when it was too late that he saw his Grandfather's body shift downward and his leg sweep across his own. Felavik once again found his ass the grand winner of some hard stone. Felavik rose to his feet and took his stance. The pain in his chest, legs and, most importantly, his behind were reinforcements of his concentration. “You will not make me lose foc- ah!” Felavik cried as his Grandfather grabbed his arm and swung over him twisting it behind him in a traditional arm lock. Felavik cried out as his Grandfather twisted his arm higher. “Do you have something to tell me, Fel-a-vik?” His Grandfather repeated this time his anger was very clear in his voice. “Ah, ah, ah!” Felavik was unable to answer the old man. Soryn let go of his arm kicking his student lightly in the back causing him to fall into the ground in his weakened state. “This is not a training session, Fel-a-vik. The story about form and your Great Grandfather was true and this is a stance but it is not one for someone of your level to train in. I was hoping you might have gotten it by now.” His Grandfather sighed. “Get up and back into the stance. I'll be right back.” Felavik stood rubbing his cold muscles. The cold was biting now and shadows danced about as the sun neared it's destination. Forgetting about the form as it was not his true lesson of the day he began to think of his Grandfather's actions since he returned home. He had been unusually mean and he seemed to know about what had happened earlier. So, what was the lesson? When Soryn returned he held in his hand a long black cape. He stopped before him and a puzled look came over his face as he noted his Grandson deep in thought. “Have you worked it out yet, Felavik?” Felavik brought his hands together and bowed before his master. “I believe so, Grandfather. You know about the mischief that I got up to earlier in the day and also that I avoided coming home for fear of punishment. You were teaching me the value of accepting consequences. I must take my punishment head on like a rock.” Felavik seemed more and more reassured as he went along before finally finishing and looking up at his Grandfather hopefully. Soryn chuckled. “That is admirable, young Felavik, but you have completely missed the point of the lesson. Get into your stance.” Felavik's face dropped. He had completely missed the point? Completely? He had been so sure. Sluggishly he attempted to get into stance. “Quicker. Tighter. Wrists-up!” His Grandfather descended into Tukant again as he made his pupil do it right. When he was in stance Soryn draped the fine cloak over the boy's body. He took a step back and sighed. “Stay as you are. You may come in when you finally figure it out. Be warned. The first time you give me a wrong answer I'll take away the cloak. The second time I'll give you some more examples.” His Grandfather left the boy then. For several hours Felavik struggled with the answer amidst muscle pain and a growling belly. He didn't know if he were missing something or if the answers he thought were too basic were correct. He was also too scared to offer any answers he wasn't sure on for fear of the cold which was now a full on whistling, whipping wind of alienating alliteration. It was by the the fortieth chime of the twenty-third bell that Felavik limped into the house. He had been standing out there himself for some hours now. Despite the late time of night Soryn was still awake sitting in a chair by the fire. A chair that was suspiciously pointing toward the door. Felavik didn't note the look of relief on his Grandfather's face when he entered only the stern expression it was replaced by. “Do you have something to tell me, Fel-a-vik?” He asked, hopefully, for the last time. “Y-yes, Grandfather.” Felavik replied shakily. “I... You... were...” “Spit it out, boy!” Soryn demanded loudly. “You were bullying me!” Felavik shouted. “You were showing me what it's like to trust someone who keeps hurting you. You pretended it was all for my own good but that was only so you could hit me more. So I'd play along. With words we were doing that to Chavis. You were teaching me how it feels so I know how she feels.” Finished with his revelation he slumped to the floor his legs too tired to hold him up any longer. Within seconds he was snoring. Soryn's expression softened immediately. He got up and moved over to the child lifting him up over his shoulder. He undressed the boy and put him to bed planting a kiss on the child's head affectionately. Standing over the boy's bed he couldn't help but sigh and whisper “If I'd only taught your father that...” OOC Notes : Full phrases in Italics are in Tukant.

[Limey]

Skill and Lore Rewards Skills Lore Observation 2 The Fear Of Looming Punishment Unarmed Combat 2 The Form Of The Rock Endurance 1 Grandfather: Wise But Unyielding To Feel The Pain You Inflict Additional Notes : Nice job, mate! I liked this, very different from the usual training threads. Hehe, had a real Karate Kid kinda vibe to it: exercising the mental muscles as well as the physical. Just be careful to keep your narrative in the past tense, you faltered a few times throughout. Any questions or queries, please PM me.