[Sunset Falls] School Is In Session. (Training)

[Nero Czan]

19th day of Summer, 510 AV. Nero often found himself camping in the woods surrounding Syrilas. It had become so intensive, that he found himself almost spending more time in the wilderness than in the city itself. However, coming out to the Falls was a rare treat. Not often did he make the trek up into the Cobalt Mountains, towards the beautifully serene Sunset Falls. But this was one of those rare occasions, and he had picked it for a sole reason. It was a Waterfall, and that crucial, albeit painfully obvious, fact was intricately related to his purpose for the trip. Water flows throughout the world, through streams, brooks, rivers, and oceans. There is always water flowing somewhere, and there is rarely anything as serene as the sound of a swiftly running brook, the water strolling down it's path, dwindling over towards the horizon. The splash of the water on the rocks below, although majestic is sight, is a powerful entity, the force of which should be respected. Nature is not essentially nice, nor evil. It merely keeps the sides balance, and where this is life, there shall be death. Where there is tranquility, shall also be disturbance. These are the machinations of Nature, and the same rules apply directly to the matter at hand. As with most things, Nero had a rudimentary knowledge of what Flux was. The Gods forbid if he knew anything more than that, but with this false-sagacity, derived from his childhood, he came into this thinking it would be a walk in the park. His prior knowledge of the workings of Nature, coupled with his superior intuition would ensure nothing short of an epiphany. Nevertheless, it was important to go into a subject with an open mind, and that was exactly what Nero intended to do. This area was picked with more than just the tranquility in mind. He had hoped that the Falls would, if necessary, help Nero to understand the flow of one's Djed, by comparing it to the flow of the Waterfall. The analogy was strained, but just being able to make one had convinced him to come. Now, setting his bedroll down beside him, along with the small pack of provisions he had brought, he pulled out the Tome he had purchased so long ago, and opened it. The pages were still crisp, and so was the knowledge it contained. Let's just hope it was worth the money...

[Ryshaltze]

It was not often that Ryshaltze travelled to the Sunset Falls at this time of the day. It was true that he often visited the scenic location during dusk, for he always felt energized when Leth beholds the sky. However, he was here at this unusual time of the day when Syna reigned supreme due to a certain dream that he had the night before. He was good in retaining memories, but for some reason he forgot about what occurred within moments upon waking up, with only remnants of emotions lingering. It was these emotions that brought him here, to seek solace through swordplay and the meditative trance of martial intricacies.

The Ethaefal danced along the edge of the Falls, his stances flowing into another as he wielded his beloved great sword effortlessly in a single hand, flourishing into riposte, then a parry, battling imaginary enemies coming from all directions. It is difficult to train by oneself, for how difficult would it be to defend against a move that one already knew since one has to invent that very same imaginary enemy to fight with? A swordmaster once taught him the way around that issue, and it was what he did now. He used the random sounds of nature around him, such as the birds chirping, or the sound of the bushes being trampled to simulate attacks of various sorts from the direction the sound came from.

There was a flutter as an aerial creature suddenly flew past him. Unfortunately, he was in the middle of slaying an invisible creature to his left, and the sound came from directly behind him. He was not proficient enough in the art of swordplay to defend himself with his massive blade at such an angle, and as such had to 'cheat'.

"Midnight sky upon which the throneless wage endless war. Grant upon thy seeker the mysteries of the starry seventh." He muttered, the mutterings only serving as a way for him to visualize the path of Djed that he focused on his body. There was a slight pause, then he felt the giant claymore became noticeable lighter as he channeled energy to strengthen his wielding arm. Without ado, he spun around and parried that move before he released his focus, the Djed dissipating and the familiar weight of the weapon once again burdened his grip.

He disposed of the imagined monster with a slash from the backswing generated from the parry and triumphantly stuck the blade into the ground, leaning his right arm over the hilt casually in a cocky stance.

"I am the master!" He cried in wild abandon, his proclamation followed by uninhibited laughter. He had no need to worry about impressions being formed, for he was here in the wilds, far from civilization and the rules that bounded one to conform. That was the reason why he loved the Mountains. It was a place of contemplation and reflection, but it was also the place of freedom.

[Nero Czan]

Nero had become nearly-absorbed into his reading. This new magic opened up an entire world to him, one not too far off from his own, and one infinitely useful to his being. And that applied both physically, and mentally. It was for that reason that, despite a noisy intruder on his peaceful environment, (Which is ironic for anyone that knows him), he remained vigilant in his reading, carefully taking in every word as if it were made of gold. In the shade of a tree bordering the small pool that comprised the bottom of the falls, he read, every so often being disturbed by a loud snapping, or slamming, or swooshing. And every time his concentration was broken, his eyes would slowly gaze up at the warrior atop the falls, the immense sword being wielded inhumanly. As one could imagine, Nero was not excited by the prospect of telling him to keep it down, although it would produce an interesting experience. He shrugged to himself as he resumed his study, the fundamentals of the Art soaking into his spongy brain. It was not three minutes later that his concentration was broken, Again, and for the Last time. With a loud slam of the tome's heavy pages, he tucked it under his arm, pressing it against his left sleeve, and walked out of the shade. Master my ass... How the hell is someone supposed to concentrate while some random bravado is playing 'Knight'. His thoughts were only echoed by his words, shakily dampened by the subtle splash of the Falls. With his hands cupped around his mouth, and with the loudest voice he could muster, he yelled at this silhouette atop the Falls. "Hey! You! With the Sword! Mind keeping it down just a Little bit?! I'll even feed you! Just, A bit more Peace, Little less Slash..." Nero waited, with a subtle sigh, and was not entirely sure his voice had reached his inadvertent companion. Surely he had no idea anyone was around, so it was not entirely his fault. Nero calmed down a bit as he awaited for the answer, or the chance to fight the crashing water for volume yet again.

[Ryshaltze]

"Hey! You! With the Sword! Mind keeping it down just a Little bit?! I'll even feed you! Just, A bit more Peace, Little less Slash..."

Ryshaltze turned his head sharply towards the source of the sound. It was faint, like it was heard from a distance, and also difficult to hear for the crashing sounds of the waterfall nearby tended to drown out most sounds with its own heavy, constant noise. It was not long that his gaze centered on a figure further down the edge of the falls in the midst of the woods. If he remembered correctly, there should be a convenient clearing in that part of the woods if one walked further down and turned left at a certain, prominent tree. He used to practice his spell-sword methods there when he first arrived here, for he still feared that someone might see him. After years of experience, he started to learn that it was rare for anyone to journey up to this place, and so stopped hiding in that part of the forest and started using the more scenic location that he was using now. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was proven wrong, and this figure was the 'rare' part came true.

It seemed that he was holding this heavy looking tome under his arm, and from his expression, it was likely that the noise Ryshaltze was making from his practice managed to avoid being drowned out by the waterfall and found its way to disturb the man's concentration. From the thickness of the book, he was probably studying something complicated. The Ethaefal grinned; he loved complications. He made an apologetic gesture to the book-holding figure, then picked up his sword from the ground, dusting it lightly with his boots to shake the soil. He inspected it for major faults, as every swordsman should do after every battle or practice session, then returned it to its sheath hidden and fastened in place inside his cello case lying on a rock nearby. He zipped up the case, shouldered it and proceeded towards the man.

He intended to apologize in person, and maybe at the same time find out what the man was studying. Ryshaltze was inherently a curious person, and this was one of the moments where he was driven by his prominent trait.

[Nero Czan]

Nero let out a sigh as the man retreated back over the lip of the falls, but immediately cut it off with a chuckle as the man started his trek down, sweeping around the mighty wall of rock and water. As he drew closer, his attributes became more and more apparent, and vaguely familiar. This man was a mass of muscles, and it was with no doubt that he could easily wield such a massive weapon in a single hand. The build was familiar, but he could not place it, at least not at the current distance. He kept scanning his memory for the face, as he strolled ever-closer. Eventually, there were only a few candidates that could suit such a man, but he put it off for the finale. Such things could be assumed, but as the mysterious figure approached him, there were more important matters to attend to. So, with a slight chuckle, and an extended arm, Nero began the formalities. No introductions were necessary, and he begun with a casual sarcasm in his voice. "Hello there, Mr. "Master," How are you doing today? It's been a while." He restrained his laughter as he recalled their prior meeting, as well as the previous situation. "I can see why you lug around that giant case now, that weapon of yours is pretty massive. I'd hate to be on the receiving end, as Fun as it may be." With a smirk, Nero had pieced together a few of the dots, and it had made sense why someone would want to hide such an intimidating weapon. Nevertheless, he was intrigued as to his friends visit, as no doubt he was of Nero's own. "I take it you come and practice here often? Freestyle Sword Practice?" Swinging at air was not Nero's favorite way to train, but I guess the workout of simply lifting that thing was well enough to warrant the fact.

[Ryshaltze]

Ryshaltze approached the figure and features of the book-holding person started to get clearer. His mind raced through the many people he'd met before, and came to the same conclusion as his eyes when he stopped in front of the Drykas. He remembered meeting him with Ora only a few days earlier at his favourite tavern, The Rearing Stallion. He gave an embarrassed chuckle, "I wouldn't mind if you'd forget about the 'master' part. I assumed that there was nobody here."

He self-consciously rubbed the back of his neck and wondered how this man would envision him now, whether his impression changed unfavorably, for no one liked an overly-arrogant person adept at meaningless self-proclamations. "I'm doing fine, Nero Czan. I lack a proper sparring partner these days, and my blade beseeches me to use it more often or it'll desert me for a better owner. They're annoying little gits that way." He shrugged, a jokingly exasperated look on his face.

Ryshaltze gestured at the disproportionately large book that the Drykas still held, albeit protectively as if his life depended on it, "What's that? I hope it's not a novice guide to learning flower arrangements or anything like that." He mocked an intense squint at Nero, before continuing with measured sarcasm, "Though I suppose that 'tis an important art of survival in these days that should warrant the respect it deserves." He coughed.

[Nero Czan]

Nero could only laugh as he patted his friend on the shoulder, with a bit of effort. "Relax. We all do things differently alone. And I don't see why your sword would desert such a capable user, like yourself... Master Rysh." He chuckled, and both of them knew this would not die down easily. He enjoyed his company, as it always provided a plethora of subjects, as well a few entertaining pieces as well. He was just a curious bundle of energy. There was also that peculiar aura about him that just beckoned curiosity. Nero was determined to find out the source of it, but in time. All things are revealed with time. "Anyways, if you'd ever like a partner, I'd be happy to spar with you. Granted, I may not be adept, nor capable, with a sword, but I'm able to hold my own given my fists, metallic or not." Nero had by this time become a reputed Trainer and practitioner of Unarmed Combat, and it was a sort of Hobby of his. Add that to his overwhelming interest in Martial Arts, and his adrenaline-lust during a good fight, and Sparring was an irresistible attraction. Nero smirked at his companion as his banter was turned his way. That was one reason he enjoyed this man's company. His sense of humor was parallel with Nero's, and it always allowed for some fun in the end, or rather, some more fun. "For the record, I am an Expert at flower arrangements, and I'm offended by your lack of confidence in my abilities. And this? It's just an old Tome I picked up a while back, and never got around to reading. It covers the basics of Flux, which I'm dipping my feet into, so to speak. Intriguing so far, and it comes highly recommended from an 'Old Friend.' So, here I am, trying to learn a whole new world of Magic." Nero let out a sigh as he realized how difficult this would actually be. Nothing like a Good Challenge... I guess.

[Ryshaltze]

Ryshaltze sighed. He knew that the mixed Drykas would not let the matter rest as long as he could continue to milk it for humor. Though that would be his own fault he suppose, for he found that he could be well at east with Nero, for the Drykas at least shared a similar sense of humor which maybe people tended not to. His ears perked up at the opportunity of a spar, and though the man admitted his lack of proficiency with weapons, Ryshaltze knew that it did not a signal one's combat unworthiness, for he could tell that Nero meant it seriously when he said he could fight without a weapon anyway. His mentor had told him to take every single fight seriously, whether the opponent has a weapon or not, for fists or magic can serve as a very dangerous weapon one should never underestimate.

His interest was really heightened, however, when Nero mentioned that the book was about Flux. He was looking for such a book himself half-heartedly, and never really found one to his liking.

"I know a little bit of what you're learning.." He ventured. "Where are you up to?" He was wondering where Nero had studied up to, so he could figure out his progress in the Art and guide his way appropriately.

Or if he's already ahead of me he can guide me.

He felt a sense of anticipation, for the learning of flux tended to come along with actual combat in order to apply its magical theory to real-life usage. He was enthusiastic in both, and fate seemed to throw both into his lap.

[Nero Czan]

Nero was a little shocked, but more relieved, when he heard that Rysh had some knowledge of the subject. He couldn't care less about the odds, which by this point in life he had stopped worrying about, but rather accepted the blessing as a stroke of over-due luck. He took up the tome in his arms and opened it, finding his page, which in itself took a few moments, and then skimming over the previous parts to get a summary of his progress. "So, I've gone through all the Djed pathways, and most of the diagrams associated with them." He mentally recounted them, just to ingrain the facts. Pathways of nerves, connecting your mind to your body, with Djed acting as the river flowing through them. 5 Major Pathways; Torso, Both Arms, and Both Legs. Each having it's own array of tributaries. It's all like a giant ocean, dividing itself into smaller and smaller bodies. Next. He skimmed through a couple more pages before landing on the next subject. "Alright, then there's the Basic Manipulation." Once again, a quick recap was in order. So. Concentration, and you should be able to feel the flow inside you, beyond the muscles and flesh. Down into your "Astral Body," whatever that may be. Damn fancy words. Then it's a matter of gently nudging some of the unneeded Djed, or for the purpose of my analogy, Streams, into a specific area. For now, Keep things broad. So, steps are: Concentrate, Find unused water, and Divert it into a new area, like a temporary reservoir. Beyond that became more complicated matters, and he had gotten through only those two sections before he had been interrupted. "I have those two topics down, for the most part. Everything after that is still unread territory." He purposefully left out the fact that it would've been read if someone hadn't been playing Master and Peasants...

[Ryshaltze]

Ryshaltze nodded, "Seems like you've gotten down the basic stuff already. In essence, learning flux is simple, but mastering it is difficult. To master the application of flux however, is where the real difficulty lies. Getting the theory stuff right is simple, and judging from what you've read it is quite possible to begin experimenting."

He pointed to the highlighted part of the page that was written on the right hand margin of the tome that served as a warning, "Be careful of overgiving, though. The risk of it is inherent in all forms of magic, that is why it is advisable to train together when seriously practicing flux usage.

He took the tome from Nero's hands, then said, "Now do what you've just said. Activate the flow of Djed in your body and direct it to a particular body part. If I can successfully see which part of your body that you augmented I suppose it'd be one point for you."