Completed [The Bronze Wood] Body and Soul

[Aoren]

5th of Spring, 514 AV
10th Bell

Standing amid the calm of the Bronze Woods Aoren came to the realization that this would be one of the final times he visited the clearing he frequented. As the cool breeze danced through the blades of grass and prodded the leaves of the trees to dance he was filled with a small sadness at that. For years he had been coming to the place that he considered his sanctuary. It was a place where when the din of Syliras was simply too much to handle he could step away for a few hours to find solitude.

“Well, I’d better make use of my time then.”

Aoren would soon be leaving Syliras. He would be joining the merchant caravan of Leo Valini to venture across the expanse of wilderness separating Syliras from Zeltiva. There would be dangers along that road. He wanted to make certain that he was ready for them. To that end he had come to the clearing to hone the more physical skills that he possessed. They weren’t much but he was determined to ensure he was properly ready for what challenges he might face along the road. Aoren was standing in the center of the clearing. Not far off sitting against a tree were his pack and his quarterstaff along with his shirt and his boots.

Taking a deep breath he rolled his shoulders as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. For everything that he had in mind he was going to need to be limber and loose. When he was convinced that he had relaxed himself enough he planted his feet side by side dropping his arms at his sides. With an inhale of breath he brought his arms up over his head. Bending his right arm at the elbow he draped that arm over the top of his head grasping his elbow with his left hand. He pulled at his elbow causing the muscles along the back of his right arm to stretch as well as the muscles along his shoulder blades. He maintained that position for about twenty seconds before dropping his arms swinging them back and forth then repeating the gesture on the opposite side. Once that was finished he crossed his right arm over his chest locking it in the crook of his left arm at the elbow then pulled firmly.

He gave a small grunt as the slight discomfort made itself evident. It had been a while since Aoren had given his body a good stretch. The tightness in his muscles showed that. He held that position for roughly thirty seconds before alternating to the opposite arm. When he dropped his arms he rotated his waist swinging back and forth to loosen the muscles in his lower back and abdomen. With another deep breath he reached up over his head lacing his fingers together pushing upwards toward the sky. After a few moments he dropped his arms bending at the waist as he did reaching for his toes. He felt the resistance more so in his hamstrings and in his calves than he did in his lower back which told him he would need to do some leg stretches as well.

[Aoren]

Taking a seat on the ground he extended his right leg outward while tucking his left inward at an angle. Reaching down he exhaled grasping his ankle until he felt the pull of his muscles being stretched. It wasn’t a comfortable position but it wasn’t overly uncomfortable either. He held that position for thirty seconds before switching to the opposite side. When that was through he brought both of his legs together then with a measured breath he raised his arms up over his head reaching for his toes. He felt a mild amount of pain along his mid and lower back as well as in his thighs telling Aoren that he would need to work on his flexibility in those areas. It wasn’t unmanageable pain as it was controlled discomfort but he didn’t linger in that position for too long nonetheless.

Bringing his legs inward at an angle he grasped his ankles pulling his heels toward his groin and resting his elbows upon his knees. Leaning forward he pressed down on his legs until he felt that mild discomfort that would produce a good stretch. Keeping that position for nearly a full minute he released it with a steady exhale then sat back up taking a look around the clearing. He felt adequately stretched and limber to tackle the real challenge of training his body.

“Alright, now the fun begins.”

Chuckling to himself he lay flat on his back bringing his knees up and planting his feet on the ground. Folding his arms over his chest with the tips of his fingers resting on his collar bones he closed his eyes for a brief moment before starting. Using the muscles in his lower abdomen to pull himself up Aoren touched his elbows to his thighs. He then lowered himself back down to the point where the tips of his shoulder blades touched the ground.

“One.”

He raised his torso back up touching his thighs with his elbows once again.

“Two.”

Over and over Aoren repeated this series of motions. It was a redundant task but it wasn’t a particularly difficult one. He continued this pattern of activity for a few minutes until he began to feel a burn in the center of his lower abdomen. When that occurred he removed his hands from his collar bones. Reaching behind his head he laced his fingers together continuing the up and down motion of his torso. This time he added a variation to the pattern.

As he pulled his torso up he rotated his waist so that his elbow would touch his opposite knee. This would mean that as he sat up he would touch his right elbow to his left knee and then his left elbow to his right knee. When he began to feel the burning in his sides from the alternating motions he switched back to focusing on his core body. He changed the way he worked on it however. Propping himself up by pressing his hands flat onto the ground he raised his legs bringing his knees in almost as if he were going to touch his chest with them. He pushed his legs outward as his knees drew close then repeated the motion.

[Aoren]

By the time Aoren finished he had worked up a decent heart rate. His breathing was elevated and there was only a small sheen of sweat on his brow. He was thankful for the cool breeze winding its way through the trees. His routine was far from over though. Flipping over onto his stomach he propped himself up on his elbows then raised the lower half of his body so that he was elevated just slightly off the ground.

He could feel the tension in the core of his body as well as the weight of his own body as kept it elevated. He held that position for a full minute before rotating onto his right side holding his body up at an angle. Just like with his abdomen he felt the strain of holding himself in that manner along his side. When he felt himself growing weak on his right side he rolled back into maintaining the straightforward almost plank-like position. Finally he rolled onto his left side bringing that series of exercises to a close.

Aoren took a small break then. He stood up slowly so as to avoid growing dizzy. Walking over to his pack he pulled out his waterskin taking a quick drink from it. He tried to focus on controlling his breathing. It wasn’t all that easy as his body urged him to pull in more air. He mitigated this by breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. With another drink from his waterskin he set it back into his pack then returned to the center of the clearing.

Dropping down onto his stomach he took a few more breaths before planting the flat of his palms on the ground then pushed up. He held himself up in that position with his arms fully extended for a moment before lowering his body back down to the ground. As his chest neared the grass he did not actually touch the ground but pushed himself back up. For a few minutes the clearing was filled only with the sound of Aoren’s grunts as he pushed himself with increasing slowness. He continued the exercise until his arms simply wouldn’t go any further than half-way. When that happened he lowered himself down onto the ground resting for a minute.

By now his body was covered in a fine sheen of sweat although not profuse. When he felt as though he could continue exercising Aoren pushed himself up from the ground once more. The strain in his arms made him hiss slightly as the weight of his own body bared down on them. He brought his hands in so that the tips of his fingers were touching along with his thumbs to form a diamond in the space between them. Once he’d done that he lowered himself going into a series of push-ups doing his best to maintain the diamond between his hands. He felt the strain in his shoulders and along his triceps. When he simply couldn’t push himself up while maintaining that position, Aoren sat up tucking his legs beneath him.

He sat there for a few minutes letting his body rest after pushing himself so much. Rising to his feet he brought his arms up over his head stretching the muscles for a moment before dropping them. He swung them back and forth while rotating his neck from side to side.

[Aoren]

“Well, now that I’m nice and worked up. It’s time to work on my flexibility.”

Aoren considered himself a mild acrobat at best. He wasn’t the quickest person in the world. He certainly wasn’t the most limber. As he developed as a disciplined martial artist however he began to understand that being able to react with speed and efficiency was a vital part of hand-to-hand combat. To that end he was determined to increase his ability to adapt to a situation dependent upon his maneuverability.

Taking a deep breath it was time to see just how far his acrobatics abilities went. Walking to one end of the clearing he did a few limber squats to loosen up the muscles in his legs. Turning on his heel he faced the clearing. Squinting his eyes he judged the distance from one end of the clearing to the other. If he timed it right he would be able to run forward and do a front flip or two before reaching the other end.

“Okay. Here we go.”

Aoren sprinted forward pushing his body to move as fast as he could in a short burst of speed. As he neared the center of the clearing he bounced on the balls of his feet propelling himself up into the air. Lunging forward he extended his arms outward trying to flip his legs up over his head.
All he managed to do was awkwardly swing his legs to the side. He had misjudged just how much force it would take to push himself up off the ground and swing his legs over his own body.

“Whoa! Whoa!” His arms did a windmill pattern as he tried to regain balance but it was no use. His momentum carried him forward and he ended up falling onto the ground rolling in the dirt and grass until he hit the trunk of a tree. Aoren hadn’t slammed into the tree overly hard as the roll from his dirt impact to the trunk had absorbed most of his forward motion but it still smarted something awful to have his bare skin scrape up against the bark.

With a sigh he pushed himself up off the ground dusting off his pants. A few scrapes and bruises certainly would be worth the price of improving his abilities. Stretching his muscles to test his resiliency he took another deep breath as he got into position to try again. Aoren took a deep breath then sprinted forward darting with as much speed as he could manage. As he neared the center of the clearing this time he leaned into his forward momentum. Jutting his arms outward he bent forward almost as if he were going to do a cartwheel. Letting the natural motion of his body carry him forward he pushed his torso up….only to have one of his hands slip.

[Aoren]

Aoren’s body continued to tumble forward until his chest hit the ground knocking the wind out of him. He let out a sharp exhalation of breath sliding across the grass a few inches before coming to a stop. Aoren lay there with the breath knocked out of him. He groaned. His shoulders ached from the impact. His chest and stomach hurt. He sighed heavily managing to pick himself up off the ground. He dusted off the front of his body brushing the dirt and grass off of his torso. He hissed as his fingers brushed over his side where some of his skin had been rubbed raw.

“Why does it feel like I’m just making a fool of myself?”

Aoren shook his head sighing heavily. He made his way to the opposite side of the clearing. He was going to give this maneuver one more shot. Jumping up and down on the balls of his feet he swung his arms trying to keep up his limberness. The last thing he wanted was to tighten up and break a bone. Turning around to face the clearing he took a couple deep breaths. His heart was pounding fast. His breathing was elevated. There was sweat rolling freely over his body which made getting traction that much more difficult. He was determined though.

Sprinting forward once more he could feel the firm earth beneath his feet. The stress of running in so many short bursts beginning to strain his thighs, shins and calves. As he neared the center of the clearing he gave an experimental bounce before lunging forward tipping his torso downward and jutting his hands out. As the heels of his palms met earth he propelled the lower half of his body forward just like if he were going to do a cartwheel only completely vertical.

It worked.

As the lower half of his body tipped forward Aoren didn’t resist the downward fall. No, he let the momentum carry him onward. As soon as his heels touched the dirt he bent his knees to absorb the impact then pushed up flipping over in a free flip without the use of his hands. When he landed back onto the solid earth Aoren stumbled back his legs wobbling before he fell onto his rear sliding back an inch or two. Dizziness overtook Aoren for a moment.

But he’d done it.

It hadn’t been perfect. His landing was off but he’d actually managed to do a flip. He just sat there for a moment bringing his knees up to his chest taking in a few calming breaths as he waited for his dizziness to pass. He still had a long ways to go before he was capable of pulling of more detailed and extravagant maneuvers but this was a start. Being able to balance his body to the point where he could effectively pull off techniques mid-air or ones that could assist in his endurance and agility was something that took time and practice. Aoren had a lot of practicing to do and he wasn’t quite finished.

[Aoren]

Standing up with a groan he padded over to the center of the clearing once more. There would definitely be bruises, some cuts and most likely he would realize he had sprained something come the morning. For the moment he was too sore to really tell. Thankfully the final part of his routine was more relaxed and less strenuous on the body.

Planting both of his feet side by side he closed his eyes taking a deep breath to steady his somewhat shaky body. As he exhaled Aoren stepped out with his left leg. He dropped his hips lowering himself into a fluid stance bringing his arms up to chest level. He opened his hands so that his palms were facing down toward the earth. As his hands came up to his chest he slowly flipped his wrists so that his palms were now vertical facing away from his body. Gently he rocked his hips backwards leaning on the heel of his right foot.

Aoren brought his left leg inward then bending the knee slightly until he could plant the sole of his foot on the ground. As he rocked backwards he brought his left hand up toward his chest at an angle with the palm facing up. His right hand he slid down opposite in motion to his left pressing down toward the ground. He completed the motion by performing a forward lunge with his left leg leaning his weight upon his leg. He didn’t rest in that position too long. Rocking back on his left heel he followed through with the motion bringing his legs together only to step out with his opposite leg repeating the motion this time with the opposing side of his body.

Aoren kept his movements slow and deliberate. For several years now he had worked on disciplining himself into a fighting style that reminded him of wind. It was the element that most closely resonated with him whenever he used his reimancy. It flowed with an elegance that made him want to emulate being light on his feet. On that same token it was also a terrifying force to behold when spurred into action. Strong winds brought to life hurricanes and heralded the arrival of devastating storms. Like the wind he would also be swift and lethal if brought to wrath.

For the moment though he simply maintained his form. He brought a leg up bending it at the knee planting his foot on the ground swerving to continue his fluid motion. It was a relaxing routine that helped to ease the tension in his body. Ultimately his series of motions brought him back to the easy position that he began in. He kept his hips low then slid one leg behind him leaning forward onto his other leg. Bringing up his arms he elevated his right arm so that his forearm was perpendicular to his body. His left arm he kept vertical.

Closing both hands into fists he focused on the measure of his breathing making quiet huffs as he locked his limbs into place. Holding that pose for only a moment he eased out of the tense stance by stepping forward. Rotating his hip and situating himself so that the core of his balance rested on the leg he’d planted forward he slowly brought his rear leg up into a controlled kick.

[Aoren]

Aoren wasn’t trying for speed at the moment. He was building muscle memory. The ability to perform effective hand to hand combat rested on being able to execute a maneuver without having to think about it. He needed to be able to just react to the motions of his opponent. He swung his leg upward once more in a slow controlled motion before switching to the opposite leg. Repeating the motions again and again may have been tedious but that was the point. They needed to be ingrained into his mind so that he could simply recall them based purely on instinct.

Standing straight up Aoren did a few steady squats to ease the soreness he felt in his hips. He paced back and forth for a few moments before taking up his position at the center of the clearing once more. Dropping into his stance he lowered his center of gravity then rotated his hips so that his body was at a slight angle. He brought up his hands keeping an open palm. Reaching up over his head he made a circle with his arms as if grasping a large sphere before dropping his arms slowly. The muscles along his sides were sore from all of his exertions. Still, the stretching was helping to ease his stiffness.

Bringing one arm in he tucked it down at his side keeping the palm open and facing skyward. With the other hand he pushed outward maintaining a slow steady flow of control over the motion. He brought that arm up in an angle jutting it skyward closing his hand into a fist one he reached eye level. He dropped the arm pulling it back so that his forearm was even with his chest. His movements while rigid and repetitive were still key in developing the basics of his form. Stepping forward he began to incorporate footwork into his form.

It wasn’t easy. It was easy to get confused as to whether or not he should step with his right foot and strike outward with his left fist or the opposite. He went over the pattern in his mind moving his body as he recited the steps to himself.

“Step with right foot. Follow through with forward strike. Right…no, left hand.” He moved forward bringing his left hand up in a spiking motion before closing his palm into a fist as it reached eye level.

“Slide back with left foot. Bring right arm down in slash.” He slid his foot across the grass taking a step backward as if avoiding an opponent’s strike. As he did he brought his right arm down in a slanted motion making to parry the imagined blow. He angled his body away from the envisioned strike while maintaining his footing. It was an awkward stance but one he felt would be vital in building upon his ability to dodge.

[Aoren]

In that same stance he leaned forward bringing his opposite arm straight out to strike. He kept the motion slow so as to maintain fluidity and to observe how his arm traveled through the air. When he had fully extended it he pulled his arm back. As he did so he crossed both of his arms thrusting them downward forcefully. As he stepped backwards alternating between pivoting on his left and right foot he kept his arms moving through a series of patterns.

First the downward thrust with the crossing of his arms. He then moved into tucking one arm at his side spiking outward with his other. He made certain to keep his palm open until his arm was extended only closing it into a fist as he connected with his imagined target. Over and over, right and left until finally Aoren returned to the spot where he began. Bringing his legs together he dipped down into a semi-crouch position before rising to his full height. As he rose he brought his hands up to chest level with the palms facing the sky. When he’d planted his feet and was at his full height he rotated his wrists so that his palms were facing the earth. With a steady exhale of breath he brought his hands down before dropping them to his sides.

Aoren rolled his shoulders crossing an arm over his chest hooking it with the crook of his elbow on the opposite arm. He pulled until he felt the mild discomfort of a stretch. Holding that position for a few moments he closed his eyes focusing on his breathing before switching arms. When he had finished stretching those limbs he opened his eyes taking a seat upon the grass folding his legs beneath him. Placing his hands upon his knees he adopted a highly meditative pose straightening his back. He willed his shoulders to relax. He mentally prodded his back to be less tense so that he wasn’t too uncomfortable.

Aoren didn’t focus on emptying his mind. He let his thoughts run freely. He had found that when he was trying to enter a meditative state one of the most effective methods for him was to simply let his mind filter through information. At first it was just a stream of consciousness without any real substance until he latched on to the study of his motions when it came to hand to hand combat.

He was imperfect. His movements were stiff and jerky. Even when he moved with deliberate slowness he wasn’t fluid or smooth. There was a decidedly pointed amount of inexperience in the way he incorporated his footing with his hand movements. He either moved too much or he moved too little. Compared to some of the unarmed combatants that he’d seen practicing in the Fighter’s Pit, Aoren was practically laughable. He would be able to hold his own against a senseless drunk but against an actual disciplined fighter? He wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

He was also limited in the scope of his movements. He needed to work on incorporating more flexibility and agility in his strikes. No fighter ever survived by staying in place or making himself predictable. Aoren silently marveled to himself that he had ever managed to stay afloat in any sort of fight that had come his way. His inexperience frustrated him but he would only overcome it with time and practice.

[Aoren]

Taking a deep breath the Drykas man focused on the pattern of the movements flowing through his head. Little by little even those thoughts faded. The occasional stray whisper of a thought flickered across his consciousness until Aoren was in an almost lucid state of mind. He was not entirely aware of his surrounding but nor was he completely unaware of them.

He had yet to perfect the art of transitioning into a perfect calm state of mind where he was able to tune out the noise of life around him and yet remain focused and centered. For the moment he concentrated on his breathing. Learning how to control his breaths would be a key part of becoming a more disciplined fighter. If he struggled to breathe his muscles wouldn’t get the air they needed to function. His lungs would be gasping for breath and that would render him useless in a fight.

Aoren did not particularly want trouble to come his way but they lived in a harsh world. The reality of the matter was that no matter his creed there would eventually be someone to challenge him. It happened every day in the corridors of Syliras where men and women got into one argument or another. Things tended not to get too out of hand. The Knights of Peace did not tolerate much strife in their city. There simply wasn’t room for it with so many people living in one place. People though were not always content with being calm and peaceful.

To that end, Aoren trained himself. He trained not because he would go seeking conflict but for when the day conflict inevitably found him he would be able to defend himself against it. With those final thoughts lingering in his head he opened his eyes. Syna was high in the sky leading Aoren to believe he’d been in the forest for several hours. With a groan he picked himself up off of the ground going over to his pack. Grabbing his shirt he pulled it over his head hissing as it brushed over some of the cuts on his bare torso. His side where he had been rubbed slightly raw stung in particular. He would have to tend his wounds when he returned to Syliras. He wasn’t going to linger in the woods any longer.

Throwing his pack over his shoulders securing the straps around his waist and arms he propped himself up against a tree then pulled on his boots. He felt that a visit to the Soothing Waters would certainly be in order after the stress that he’d placed his body through that day. His work however, still wasn’t over. With a final look over the clearing he smiled sadly uncertain of when he would visit it again. He would make a point to visit it before his departure. He just wasn’t clear on when he would have the time with all of the preparations he was making.

[Aoren]

Walking out of the clearing he took a deep breath. His workout wasn’t over yet. Not until he reached the gates of Syliras. Adjusting the weight of his pack on his back to make sure it wouldn’t cause too much of a distraction he took off into the forest. His pace wasn’t as fast as what it might have been considering the hard work he’d already placed himself through but it was a steady even jog.

He wasn’t running at breakneck speed or going into a full on sprint but he was able to maintain a high speed of motion beyond just a walk. He managed to jump over a gnarled root by reaching out grabbing onto a branch and swinging himself forward. When he landed he stumbled a little but picked up his pace once more.

The route back to the main road leading to Syliras wasn’t terribly far away. Along the way he managed to dodge low hanging branches, holes in the ground and a few fallen trees. By the time he reached the road the collar of his shirt was thoroughly soaked through with sweat. He could feel the material sticking to his back. His legs were sore. His feet ached and he would need a serious massage to work out all of the inevitable kinks that would build up in his muscles.

Overall he felt as if he had accomplished a great deal. His departure to Zeltiva was just around the corner. Already he felt like he would be able to face the challenges that might meet them along the road with a head held a little higher.