A Talk With Clay. (Ariel)

[Wystern]

"By far, learning Auristics, even from a novice, scares me far less than learning Reimancy from one. Unless there's an actual need for an initiation, I have nothing to lose from learning from anyone, of any skill level. To be honest, I don't really have much to lose, period. Standing is temporary, I can always gain it back. Material objects are just that. Maybe losing my katana would depress me, we've spent so much time together after all," Wys said with a poker face. The only family he had was his guardian, who is Tyveth knows where right now. He had few friends, most whom might as well be dead. He was desperate to get a break, and this is where it led him. In the middle of green nowhere, surrounded by crazy horse-loving people, in the presence of a three-inch creature that Wys is asking to teach him magic. Wystern smiled at so much irony. He was this close, he just needed to push some more, one bit a time, closer to his goal. "I'm sure nothing too bad will happen. I haven't met a task I couldn't grasp. So, please, how could we begin?"

[Ariel]

"By far, learning Auristics, even from a novice, scares me far less than learning Reimancy from one. Unless there's an actual need for an initiation, I have nothing to lose from learning from anyone, of any skill level. To be honest, I don't really have much to lose, period. Standing is temporary, I can always gain it back. Material objects are just that. Maybe losing my katana would depress me, we've spent so much time together after all," Wys said with a poker face.

Ariel nodded, "I understand.... but still you should know that by learning auristics, especially from a novice such as myself, you run the risk of becoming paranoid... or experiencing sensory overload, neither of which are very much fun; or so it is said in magical literature..."

Ariel realized that she really wasn't in the mood to teach anyone the magic she had spent so much time studying, yet, no matter how much she tried to dissuade Wystern, he didn't seem to budge. The knight sure was a stubborn one Ariel thought, as she contemplated another way to convince him to quit asking her to teach him about auras.

"I'm sure nothing too bad will happen. I haven't met a task I couldn't grasp. So, please, how could we begin?" Wystern asked. Ariel sighed, there was no stopping this man, once he had his eyes set on something, or so it seemed. And to top off his stubbornness, Wys seemed... confident, almost too confident, which could never be a good thing. Hubris always seemed to lead to ruin, Ariel looked down at her hands, before looking up at Wys again, "do you know how to meditate? An aurist can't be any good unless they know how to meditate."

[Wystern]

"I'm not too great at it, but yes, I have had experience meditating before. But just enough so I could talk to...someone," he shifted uncomfortably when he almost mentioned Windoak. Anything about that fragment of a certain god was still hush hush. "But I'm not against taking a few pointers." He grabbed his sword, crossed his legs, balanced the katana on the knee points, locked his fingers together and placed his hands on his thighs. He then tried to find the rhythm in his breathing, and that's where his meditation skills came to a near end. "What do I do now?"

[Ariel]

"I'm not too great at it, but yes, I have had experience meditating before. But just enough so I could talk to...someone," Wys said, before shifting his weight as though he had been uncomfortable before. "But I'm not against taking a few pointers."

Wys then grabbed his sword, crossed his legs, balanced the katana on his knees, locked his fingers together and placed his hands on his thighs. After a few moments, he asked "What do I do now?"

Ariel laughed, "you're never going to be able to meditate like that. You're breathing so loud, the most rudimentary of archers could have shot you in the dark, and that sword..." Ariel closed her eyes and bent over laughing at Wystern's strange view on meditation, and how he went about attempting to practice meditation, "well... it could be a hazard." It took Ariel a moment to calm down, and look up at Wys again. She pointed to the empty section of ground next to Wys, "you should put that over there before you really do anything."

Even though Ariel had stopped laughing on the outside, she was still dying of laughter on the inside. She was aware of the fact that she herself was only a novice when it came to meditation, and could only effectively perform the most basic of meditative techniques, but still, she was better than this rather... cocky and arrogant being, wasn't she? At least she knew that in meditation, you probably should close your eyes, not balance things on your legs, and of course... the point of the meditation: to clear the mind, calm the body, and practice a healthier form of breathing, one which forces you not to breath so loud that you may be mistaken for an angry bull.

[Wystern]

"The sword stays, having its presence calms me," he said, slightly embarrassed. Balancing a sword maybe unorthodox, but he knew its features better than he knew most people, and just having it near him made him relax. Touching it made him feel safe, or at least safer. His breathing wasn't loud, just had a rhythmic pattern he could focus on. The weight the katana held on his knees was something he could concentrate on. Was he passing as being arrogant? Maybe. Wys felt confident, but that wasn't it. He was just simply lacking fear because he has already committed to this. The deal was sealed and all he could do now was to brace for impact. Still, he didn't find himself in the position to be laughed at, especially by a midget-no,no,no, midget is far too up-lifting to call her; this being was about as big as a rat, and it's just funny how he was on the laughing spot. Perhaps, he could just wing once, the sword is sheathed, it would do minimal damage...and that was a bad time to be thinking that. "What comes around, goes around, little one, and it always finds a way to bite you right in the ass. And my cane signifies the presence of bite marks. Too bad I will let it slide because you are doing something for me that you really don't have to," the knight said to himself, a blank look starting to spread over his face. His heart rate slowed, his breathing finally achieved the quiet pattern he was looking for. "I am ready for the instructions."

[Ariel]

Wystern refused to move his sword. Ariel sighed, humans... she thought... so very much like stubborn mules. She rolled her eyes as Wys finally managed to start quieting his breathing. Well, at least he had accomplished something, she thought as he said, "I am ready for the instructions."

Ariel nodded. "Ok, you need to sit up as straight as you can, and if you can't do that, you should probably lie flat on your back... it'll open up the passageways that carry air through your body a little more, so you will be able to breath more deeply. Then I want you to close your eyes, and exhale through your mouth.... you will need to be very very relaxed for this to work."

Ariel continued speaking, "if you want, you can place your hand on your stomach, so you can feel your chest rising and falling, how deeply you are breathing... but you don't have to. And you should just exhale through the mouth, and breath in slowly through your nose. You should hold your breath for as long as it feels comfortable, before letting it out and doing it again."

Ariel looked over at him, wondering if he was actually listening,"your exhale should be longer then your inhale," she stopped for a moment, thinking that she had seen him open his right eye just a bit, "up...bupppp.... no peeking!" Ariel scolded, pointing up at his right eye, certain that she had seen it open a moment before; but then again, they could have been open the entire time, she had been looking down at her hands for most of the time she was instructing Wys.

[Wystern]

"Ok, you need to sit up as straight as you can, and if you can't do that, you should probably lie flat on your back... it'll open up the passageways that carry air through your body a little more, so you will be able to breath more deeply. Then I want you to close your eyes, and exhale through your mouth.... you will need to be very very relaxed for this to work." Wys did just that, when he straitened up, he heard his back crack a few times, but he did not lay down. He closed his eyes and waited for the Pycon to tell him what to do next. The girl was getting pretty bossy. It was kind of amusing. That sense of humor always nudged at Wys at the most inopportune times, and it took a lot of focus to not draw a smile right there and then. "If you want, you can place your hand on your stomach, so you can feel your chest rising and falling, how deeply you are breathing... but you don't have to. And you should just exhale through the mouth, and breath in slowly through your nose. You should hold your breath for as long as it feels comfortable, before letting it out and doing it again." Again, Wystern followed the instructions, down to the core. He let himself open an eye for a second, just to see what Ariel was doing then, and was immediately caught. He almost smiled again, at how fast he was found. Now focus, there's no point in leaving this job half-assed, no point in wasting her time here, and especially there's no reason for him to waste this opportunity. He nodded, determined not to speak until asked to.

[Ariel]

Ariel watched as Wys did precisely as he was told. It was hard for her not to laugh. It amazed her that the human had obeyed, a human that was probably, at least twenty times her size. What amazed Ariel even more, was the fact that this human was stupid enough to honestly believe that Ariel would so much as consider teaching him about auristics, after he had been so rude, and called her little, and then offered to do something for her in return for her guidance, and then a few moments later, seemingly dropped his offer. Not to mention, his arrogant nature was starting to get on her nerves.

So, slowly, she tip-toed back towards the tent's door flap, which was fluttering open in the wind. "Good, very good," Ariel said, pausing as she took another few steps back towards the door. "Just keep breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth, and just relax..." Ariel's voice faded towards the end of the sentence. She was right before the open door flap now, so... close... she thought, as she called over her shoulder, "and don't forget to keep your eyes closed, and your breathing steady, concentrate on your breathing, and just RELAX!" she called, as she ran at full speed out of the fluttering door flap and into the grass, pounding on the earth as the wind howled around her, nearly forcing her back into he tent. But Ariel fought, and fought, and fought the wind, and was finally.... free! No more silly human knights with their greed, and hunger for power, she thought, as she ran off into the night.

[Wystern]

"What?" Wys said a little confused, as to why she screamed. He opened his eyes and saw her run off. Slightly confused as to why this just turned out like and slightly dazzled by the speed of her three-and-a-half-inch body. Took a second to realize what was happening, his opportunity was slipping away. No, not today. This can still be fixed, perhaps with a price, and if it can be done, then she will have a reason to stay, still. There was a reason he sat like this, his master drilled the traditional draw practice into him. Now to solve the problem of her running away. This wasn't such a great day after all, everything too good to be true, usually is. But he would be damned if this slipped away. He grabbed the sword sheath, pushed off the ground, and near flew up as he sprinted from a standstill. He winced at the pain Wystern's ankle caused him, but it was blinded by the adrenaline from the thought of losing the source again. He was stubborn, he wasn't happy that it was ending this way, but the future changes, and this fate isn't locked in. The girl was quick, but was still weak, as it looked like it had been difficult for her to open the flap. Almost out, but the knight's stride was greater and his eyes lay on the girl. He might do something he is about to regret, but it had to be done. The girl is just out, but there's still low cut grass in the walking area, the sunset still illuminated the area slightly. Wys speared out of the tent, left hand holding the sword and preparing for a painful fall, right hand extended to grab that little object. He reached out and snatched the girl, barely containing her as he fell and pressing her to his chest so that only he would be harmed from the fall. In surprise, he felt a bite on his palm, and grinned in pain, refusing to let go. Soon came the fall and he tried to remember everything Fade told him about acrobatics. Had she not he could have been dead for what was about to happen, but not today, and especially not now. He landed scabbard first, which he used to turn his head inward, having his back take the force, then he rolled a revolution and a half, attracting a bit of attention. This would all be much easier if he was not working so hard on not having Ariel crushed to death by his own body. When the force finally stopped to move him, he looked at his hand, definitely bleeding and Ariel still definitely biting at it. He felt quite a bit of pain, but couldn't close his hand and risk and injury to her. No, he couldn't hurt women. But was what he was doing now right? His ankle started to hurt again. With another swing, he quickly crossed back inside the tent. His hand was bleeding onto the rug. "Well, how did we get here?" he said then paused, and then added,"you are not a prisoner, and I will let you go, just please, listen to what I have to say. Look, I don't want you to hate me, and I am deeply sorry if I was rude to you. I am deeply sorry if I offended you. And I'm also sorry for that stunt I just pulled, but please, won't you let me explain why I need this? Please?" he finished and put her on the ground.

[Ariel]

Ariel saw a shadow appearing over her body. She looked behind her and there Wys was. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" she screamed dramatically, starting to pant as she ran as fast as she could, away from him, but she was far too slow. Wys caught up with her, diving for her and clutching her to him. Ariel bit and kicked him as everything went dark, even between the cracks in the man's fingers.

Ariel had bitten Wys so hard that she drew blood, she could taste it on her lips, smell its metallic scent. Disgusted, she spit it all out. Blehhhhhhhhh! She thought, wishing she had enough room in the man's hands to wipe her tongue off with her hands.

And before she knew it, Ariel found herself back in the tent. Wys had opened his hand enough so that Ariel's head stuck out and said, "well, how did we get here?" he paused, and then added,"you are not a prisoner, and I will let you go."

"Really? Because it sure looks like you're keeping me prisoner," Ariel said as she crossed her arms over her chest, not like Wys could see them.

"Just please, listen to what I have to say. Look, I don't want you to hate me, and I am deeply sorry if I was rude to you. I am deeply sorry if I offended you. And I'm also sorry for that stunt I just pulled, but please, won't you let me explain why I need this? Please?" he finished and put her on the ground.

Ariel looked up at the man, at his aura, it was a dark and murky pink. He was being dishonest about something. Ariel waved the aura away. "No, because you are a dishonest, no good, greedy, power-hungry so-called knight who inhabits a giant castle fortress hundreds of miles away from here, and as such, you have no power here, and you have no power over me, and so, I shall once again, make my leave," Ariel said, giving Wys a long, cold stare, before bowing a little, and walking back over towards the door flap, the corners were still fluttering in the wind. "Good day," she mumbled, "stupid humans always think they can pick on pycons just 'cause they're bigger than us... *mumble mumble* they're so annoying and arrogant and..." Ariel's voice trailed off as she walked out of the door and back into the night. Hopefully, Wys would have enough sense not to follow her this time.