[Flashback]Unexpected Teachers(Hex)

[Hatot]

Hatot looked down over the body for a moment, his gaze examining over the shredded clothing and cleaned areas of the wounds. She had done a more thorough examination than he would have anticipated. Such said to him that she had some knowledge in the field of medicine, which made things a bit easier in the long run of things. “Come with me then,” Hatot said as he began moving towards camp, leaving the body where it lay for now. Hatot’s camp was simple and was only about twenty feet from a small stream itself. A large tent, a small fire nearing it’s last leg, and his pack setting next to the tent itself. Nothing that screamed survivalist, more like someone who was just squatting in the area for a short time. Hatot ducked his head into his tent for a moment before pulling out a foot deep, foot wide bowl and large sack. He soon laid the bowl along the ground, and slipped the sack open, pouring sand from it into the bowl itself until it was nearly filled. “Begin training your fingers, wrists and arms by plunging your straitened hand into the sand. While they may be sturdy enough to plunge into the earth once, doing it repeatedly in a short amount of time is something else.” Hatot said as he began to move towards the other slaver once again to dispose of his body now. “When I return, the difficult training will then begin. Make sure you get some water. You’ll want to stay hydrated for it.” Hatot took his time on this trip, allowing Hex to work the bowl until her hands and arms should be feeling slightly fatigued. “That’s enough for now,” Hatot said as he moved over to his backpack and began rooting around inside of it. “Take a small breather and get some water.” Hatot waited for a moment as Hex rested, drinking what water she felt appropriate herself. If it wasn’t enough, she would soon feel the mistake of such through the training itself. After a brief period, Hatot stepped in front of her, a short length of rope dangling from his right hand. “Now, comes the difficult aspect of the training.” Hatot said as he gazed down into Hex’s eyes with a bit of seriousness as he crouched down in front of her. “For this, your hands will be bound behind your back.” Hatot then held the rope out in front of her, it was worn and frayed in more than a few places along it’s length, suggesting that it had been used for such before, most likely by Hatot himself. “Knowing where and how to hit is only half of the training. Anyone can learn the vital points and soft spots along another’s body, and then learn how to strike them.” Hatot explained, his tone of voice now more calm and smooth than it had been previously. He rubbed the rope between his fingers and thumb, almost as if the piece of rope had sentimental value to it. “However, it is a hand to hand form, and in most cases you’ll be fighting someone who is armed with a weapon. You’re fast Hex, and agile to boot, but you do what everyone else is prone to doing when attacked: You back away. You have to learn to move in, and since everyone’s body has a instinctive reflex to raise their arms in defense, we have to train that instinct to evasion instead, since you can’t block a sword with your bare arms. Binding your hands behind your back will tell your brain that using your arms defensively is no longer an option, and allow you to focus more on trying to avoid the attack.” Hatot then slowly stood up strait again. “I will attack you using a wooden Lakan, and you will attempt to evade those attacks and move in past the guard of the Lakan.” Hatot then informed Hex. “This training will continue until I am satisfied with your progress for today, or until you no longer have the energy to stand. Rise and turn around when you are ready.”

[Hex]

Butterflies reeked havoc on her insides at the proposition of not being able to use her arms to stabilize herself as she dodged. But he was right - she needed to learn to evade and at the same time take the opportunity to get in close to her target. She could only harm those as far as her arm stretched and even then she needed an even closer range to get proper leverage from the angle of her arms during strikes. Her hair was pulled back to the base of her head and twirled in place until only a mess of twisted hair lay securely tied to the nape of her neck. The rope came next and she knelt with one knee on the ground as she bent forward, giving him room to wind the rope over her wrists so that she could not pull them from their holding. She wiggled her restraints back and forth to check the strength of the knots, of which they were superbly functional. Like the anticipatory calm before a tremendous storm, Hex shakily rose to her feet, facing away as instructed by Hatot. She took a deep breath, relaxed her shoulders, and wiggled her toes in the dirt to dry off the slippery sweat that had accumulated on the bottom of her feet. She was as ready as she would ever be. Hex twisted on her feet and then fell into a wide stance of bent, flexible knees, and guarded shoulders. Her face was wrought with focus and she watched Hatot's sudden movements as he charged at her, clearing the distance twice as fast as she expected, making her launch to the side with a jump and stumble slightly before finding her footing again. An arched swing from above came thrashing through the air at an angle from her left and she took the opportunity to run in close to him and then suddenly dodge to the left in the opposite direction that Hatot was lunging towards. Her small size made it easy to slip under his raised arm and she spun on her heels in a crouch before hopping up to her feet again. She still had trouble dropping the urge to evade away and several times the tip of the wooden sword bit her legs and arms. The pain stung horribly and she lost focus over and over again, crashing to the earthy floor and losing her breath repeatedly. A slam to the face caused the blood to flow from her nose and a blackening cheek shined over the right side of her face. When he questioned her resolve, she had been kneeling in the dirt, panting and spitting blood that rolled down her neck and pasted loose hair to her skin; but she continued to stand and eventually found a second wind. The blade had propelled forward several times, poking violently in her direction but by the second predictable thrust, she caught onto the pattern quickly and flew back and forth, avoiding the sword, ducking under its path and running to the other side of him. The movements were quick and she used her toes to spin her around each time he corrected his stance and advanced her at a new angle. Hex survived through fifty dodges before the sword caught her in the back on her elbows and sent her sailing through the air onto her face, her skirt flipping up enough to expose her arse. She grunted and whimpered until she stood once more and faced him, obviously beyond any ability to continue but stubborn in that acceptance. She would continue until she was unable to move, as instructed by her teacher.

[Hatot]

Hatot gazed over Hex’s form, noticing the blood, sweat and dirt that had collected all over her. He figured she would have collapsed three bells ago. He didn’t go any easier on her than his own instructors, or father for that matter, had with him. He saw a determination in her that matched most Akalak men, and overtook most human races who came to Riverfall for training. Hatot’s gaze slowly trialed over to the horizon, noting the sun slowly beginning to set as the wind began to grow a slight more chilled. Finally, Hatot twirled the wooden lakan between his fingers for a few rotations before slipping it into his belt behind him once again. He took a step forward, resting his hand along Hex’s shoulder for a moment as he circled round behind her, his free hand reaching down and untying her hands. “That’s enough for today.” Hatot simply said, slipping the rope into his pocket. “Head to the stream and cleanse your wounds. Don’t forget to drink some water, as the body uses up a lot in the healing process.” Hatot then moved towards the fire pit, slowly beginning to pile wood and start a fire. “I haven’t much in terms of food, save for rations bought from the city, but you’ll have your fill of it tonight.” Hatot instructed. “Then you should get some rest. Tomorrow is a full day of training, after all.” Hatot then began sliding the flint and steel together, launching sparks onto the tinder at the edge of the wood pile, a small sack of rations settling nearby for eating. In his whole time in teaching Hex that day, he did not once feel Radris’ urge to take control swell within him. He began to wonder if he might have been better suited for the role of teaching, than he ever would be as a warrior for his own race. Such matters were trivial at this point and time. Right now, he just had to worry about the beasts that roamed the grasslands. They would be in the stage of gathering food for the long winter coming.

[Hex]

The rope slid off, tumbling to the ground like a dead snake as it coiled in place repeatedly before laying still in a cloud of dust. The rough surface of her restraints had scraped the skin around her wrists thoroughly, rolled up balls of skin still clinging on by threads of tissue. Her legs shook and the stiffness in her shoulders pummeled her body as she relaxed her chest and let her arms fall in front of her. The water gland in her body had nearly been emptied from the ordeal, which to say that a lot was used, considering she began the training with a full supply (7 days worth). She would drink soon she thought, but the pain that stiffened her had become debilitating as she finally caught her breath and had stopped moving for over five bells. Her energy was remarkable because of the meditation she engaged in regularly, and of course because of the great amount of water she held in her body naturally - which was fed to her in steady increments throughout her training. She wanted so badly to lay down in the dirt but rose again, wiping the tears from her face with the insides of her elbows. She stumbled silently to his camp site and dropped her bag next to the tent, sinking into a seated position and rummaging through the contents of her bag. She pulled out a metal container and a cube of what looked like condensed dried herbs, and then filled the mug with water and placed it on the fire to heat up. A bar of soap was retrieved from her things as well as a linen towel and shirt to wear after cleaning herself by the river. Hex didn't make eye contact with Hatot, and when leaving the camp she paused just as she was heading out and cleared her throat, looking back to him and saying loudly, "Thank you, your teaching will not be in vain". Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, and she bent her head and carried on towards the river - she was deathly exhausted and could barely stand up let alone have any kind of conversation. The stream whipped through the landscape, alive and active as it forced its way around rocks and up onto the river bed. She had to keep her resolve solid while training and control her emotions and expressions, and when she didn't, they often distracted her into a vulnerable state. But when she finally had a moment to herself, she unloaded all that had weighed heavily in her heart; the guilt, pain, anger, regret, doubt, fear, and anxiety. Her sobs rocked her shoulders and she folded her arms to run her hands through her hair, gritting her teeth as she let the energy of her inner tornado flow out in the gasps of her crying. Every muscle in her body ached like never before, and she lost most of the feeling in her arms and legs, making her feel dizzy and nauseas. But getting what she felt off her chest helped immensely, and the heated flare of emotion eventually died out like a flame being lead down the wick of a candle into the wax. The tears that had burst from her eyes flowed over the bits of dried dirt and blood that collected over her body and crystallized against her skin. She rubbed at her face in thought, allowing her eyes to transfix on the rushing river as it hypnotically thrashed over the rock bed. Upon beginning the training, she changed out of the leather dress eh normally wore and instead used the more stain resistant bone armour she often used. She dunked the skirt into the stream and scrubbed the material in her hands, applying the soap to the areas that were saturated with blood and soil. The fabric was wonderfully resistant and a rare piece she had picked up in Yahebah's market long ago. The bone armour was washed next, and she used her hair brush to dislodge the blood between the bones. Hex was fairly uncaring of whether she exposed herself around others, she was akin with the wild, who wears no clothes. But clothes did serve an important function of protection of the skin, which did interest Hex. The river water was tenderly crisp against the warmth of her bruised and swollen skin. She could already see the blackening of spots on her skin as broken blood vessels lay slaughtered beneath her skin, and felt the pain in her muscles subside as she numbed herself laying on her back in the river. The sweat and blood from her hair floated away, swirling like smoke through the crystal clear water, and soon she had rubbed away the day's torture from every inch of her being. If she was to continue her training, she would need to let go of the past and make a more defined present. Any residual anger from how Hex felt towards Hatot's physical torment of her would surely cloud her judgment and block her energy from being effectively utilized. With a squeeze of her hair and a towel down of her body, Hex dressed in just the linen shirt, that hung low on her body much like a dress. Her hair was brushed thoroughly and it lay tumbling over her shoulders as she gathered her things and headed back towards the camp. The mug that she left to warm had beads of oxygen floating to the surface like tiny pearls - a sign that it was indeed warm enough to steep the soup. Hex added the herbal broth cube and stirred it with the fork she carried, breaking up the dehydrated vegetables and spices. Lastly she sat before the fire with her legs crossed, soaking up both the soup and the warmth from the flames that brewed before her in the fire pit. She wasn't that talkative type, and enjoyed the honesty of silence, but inside she felt the questions about who Hatot was naturally fill her mind. There were different kinds of intimacy, those of lovers, friends, and rivals - all of which had different parameters of closeness. Intimacy between rivals or prey and predator can be just as intense as the intimacy shared between two lovers, but the intimacy shared between student and teacher was one of a completely different nature. He had evoked feelings within her of hatred and despise for the pain he caused her, but he had done so from a place of compassion; a willing to share vital information regarding her survival. The pain was worth what the lesson rewarded.

[Hatot]

Hatot slowly looked up as the flames along the fire slowly began to build. His head slowly shook. “Don’t thank me, I don’t deserve thanks.” Hatot plainly said as he looked back down to the fire. “Besides, whether I am a good teacher or not, has yet to be determined.” As Hex moved to the stream then, Hatot turned to his pack, opening it up and pulling out a large bag of rations. He opened the bag, pulling out a varied mixture of dried meats, fruits and nuts, laying them along a wooden plate he pulled from his pack shortly after the bag of rations. He slowly laid the plate out next to Hex’s pack, giving her a decent sized helping of the rations before dipping his hand into the bag again and bringing out a small handful to eat himself. Hatot’s gaze rose once again as Hex returned, his gaze shifting away when he noticed her shirt clinging to parts of her skin here and there that were still wet. As Hex moved to sit, grabbing her soup that she had let resting along the fire, an almost awkward silence passed between them as Hatot just stared blankly at the fire. There was a questioning look that Hex had in her eyes that Hatot caught with an occasional glance, but the silence remained until a the sound of hooves beating along the ground soon filled the air. Hatot slowly rose, giving a tout whistle as he walked towards the edge of camp, his hands falling to his waist. Moments later Hatot’s horse, Tulok came galloping to the edge of the camp. Hatot slowly reached out, stroking the horses neck as he spoke in his native tongue in a calm and soothing voice, praising his horse for the good work. “Good, she is safe.” Hatot then simply said as he then let Tulok roam around the outskirts of camp to graze. Hatot slowly made his way back towards the fire, setting himself down in front of it once again. “If you have any questions,” Hatot then suddenly said, “it would be best if you came out with them. Curiosity distracts.”

[Hex]

"I only have one", Hex chirped through the mouthful of hot soup, "I feel a tension from you, as if you are always teetering on the edge of a cliff. It's distracting." She trailed off as her eyes fixated on the ripples in the soup as she spoke. "Several times in my training, when I tried to use my auristics to predict your movements, I caught something else from you. I can't describe it, it was.. too intense an emotion for me to understand." She moaned as the last gulp of her mug's contents slipped down her throat, spilling over the corners of her mouth and cascading down her jaw. She wiped away at the liquid on her face as she listened for him to speak.

[Hatot]

Hatot slowly looked back down to the fire, avoiding Hex’s gaze as she posed the question. For the longest time he remained silent, as if not wanting to answer the question. He then leaned back, slipping his hands along the ground. “It’s rage.” Hatot said simply, looking over to Hex. “I will share something with you that is a closely guarded secret among the Akalak society, if for no other reason than that I am teaching you, and you deserve to know, rather than finding out due to some unfortunate turn of events.” Hatot then fell silent again, as the sounds of wood snapping in the fire filled the silence for a short time. “Akalak’s have two souls in one body. There is the light and the dark.” Hatot explained as he reached down, tossing another small twig onto the fire itself. “The aura which you read, was likely from my darker half, Radris. He’s also why I seem to be on edge. If ever you think I am rough, Radris would be ten times worse. He would likely toss the wooden lakan aside, and make you evade his hand to hand strikes, and he would not likely hold back.” “I struggle to keep him within me, but there are times he will emerge.” Hatot said before slowly looking to Hex again with a serious look. “Should he come out, his rage will be indiscriminant, so do not attempt physical contact or conversation, because in that state, he will likely attack you. Once he has vented, he’ll be inhospitable, at best.” Hatot then let another slow silence fall over between them, as he reached to his side, yanking at a couple of straps there before his leather armor was slipped off and set aside. He began poking idly at the fire with a small stick before looking over to Hex. “What is Auristics, anyways?” Hatot then inquired.

[Hex]

At the request that she never try to sedate his enraged soul, Hex simply nodded. While she was well known to run to the aid of those in need, she had no desire to fix what she wasn't ready to understand. The topic of auristics turned her attention and she couldn't help beaming just beneath the skin, the snide lust for power only just a reach away. But wielding the truest and more pure of such abilities was only possible if one's spirit, the self, was both in and devoid of control - a most natural of balances as we go through, what we perceive to be, real time. Feeling enveloped in wonder, Hex began explaining what she felt was auristics, "Everything that has energy can be seen by more than just our two eyes. Rocks and grass and sky and birds. Everything gives off an aura, like a blanket of smoke.. or honey!" she bounced in her seat excitedly at the thought. "You can see into that energy and learn things about people and animals, or objects. Emotions from humans are some of the most powerful auras, but I have yet to recognize emotions. Right now I can only tell what intensity the emotion is. I have lots more to learn," she looked down at her feet then, suddenly feeling cautious of the bouts of power hunger that lurked beneath all the wonderful things that auristics was: along with a sling of effects that overgiving had on the soul, body, and mind. "Auristics can be dangerous when someone of novice skills tries to read a complex emotion, or too many auras at one time - one would twist uncomfortably, both in their mind and soul. When I learned auristics, I already had a deep spiritual connection from the culture of my people, so existing in the auristics realm was a welcome challenge. If I could speak to the earth, I could speak to the heavens," and when she referred to such different paradises, she thumped the flat palm of her hand against her chest - implicating the heart as the gateway to the divine. "If you have more questions perhaps I will answer them but my meditation must be done before sleep - if I want to be ready to survive another training session tomorrow." Hex didn't smile traditionally with her mouth then, but tweaked the arch of her left eyebrow with a facial flex and caught his eye playfully, and then proceeded to wiggle herself into a cross-legged position facing the fire. She began some deep breathing as she gazed into the fire, her eyes still open to Hatot but also slowly descending into the trance of meditative healing.

[Hatot]

Hatot thought for a moment on Hex’s explanation of Auristics, and he began to wonder how such would affect him. Would this twisting of the soul she mentioned cause Radris to emerge, to take control? Still, he couldn’t deny that reading auras would be a useful trait. It would, at the very least, give an indicator of when someone was about to attack. Hatot thought for a long moment, considering the pros and cons as he observed Hex slowly shifting her seated position, making a comment about future training before offering that playful twitch of the facial expressions. “Perhaps I will persuade you to teach me Auristics.” Hatot then commented, looking to Hex. “However, you are right. You need your rest, as tomorrow will be a long day. Though I am happy to see you practice meditation. It’s good for the focus.” Hatot then slowly shifted his legs around, until he was kneeling before the fire himself. His eyes slowly closed as he began letting the sounds of the fire fill his ears along, focusing on that to first push all other distractions aside. His breathing slowed, as long drawn breaths were taken through his nose, and then released through his mouth. There was a something to teaching he had discovered. Through out the day, as he pushed Hex to her limits and beyond, he noticed that he found himself focusing more on her, and what she could do, rather than on himself and the fear of Radris coming to the surface. He had to be careful though, as such a thing could very well be considered a double edged sword.

[Hex]

Hex's hair, symbolic of her strength, lay loose around her shoulders and back as it dried under the kissing heat of the fire. Her knees, nose, hands, and chest all seemed to absorb the roiling energy of the dancing flames, their swinging arms like blades, cutting into the atmosphere's declining temperature. As Hatot responded, she didn't waver in her preparation to ascend consciousness, but also took note of his words and nodded internally to herself; understanding then that she and Hatot were drawn together to teach one another. Teach what? Possibly some evasion, pressure point combat, and auristics; but those were simply skills to help one do...what? Now that was the unexplained question of her very existence - what was she going to do with the tools she had collected? All in good time she thought, and felt peace that her answers would come as naturally as her questions did. Meditation was a power that in essence was the most personal form of magic, that included an energy that, while it wasn't djed, had a cosmic nature that seemed inextricably tied to the magic of Mizahar. It aided in everything she did, and the majority of actions and decisions she made had a strong foundation of beliefs that helped her seek out not only survival but happiness, and most of all connection with others. Her auristics gave her the ability to show others how she felt, not only tell them. Words were cheap to Hex, it was actions that were most reliable to read, and she often keeps her senses open to changes in energy when others shifted their emotions. As her breathing deepened, Hex stretched her lungs out with each inhale, allowing her entire abdominal cavity to fill with air and bulge out. This pulled the muscles from the spine towards the belly and felt incredible as it increased the blood flow to all the tiny capillaries of the body. It was essential that after a long inhale, that the breath be held in for as long as possible to maximize the absorption of oxygen; the more oxygen that reached every muscle, the more the body engaged in biological activity that healed damaged tissue and warded off illness. On the exhale she tightened her front, forcing out the last bits of air and ridding her lungs of the damaged particles that were carried away from her cells. Breathing was the key to opening the mind because it supplied ample amounts of blood to the brain and body, increasing the neurotransmitters that communicated with every cell in her body. Focusing solely on breath stripped the mind-body of emotions and thoughts that clouded one's vision, and offered a clean slate to begin growing new concepts of perception from. If thoughts were the particles that built up reality, then it would be important to know what materials you're using. If one had asked Hex how she managed to survive the Sea of Grass alone for so long, she would answer 'meditation'. While engaged in it fully, she could feel the landscape around her with such sensitivity (with the combined help of her auristics and motion detection) that the very intent of a predator approaching would alert her. Similarly, with such a strong spiritual connection with the natural vibration of the earth, she could listen and feel the vibrations of a cry for help, or a dangerous territory. Meditation at night was a quick thirty chimes, it was the morning meditation that was most intensive and regenerative on her insides. As the moon flew high through the clouds, her bed called; a patch of short grass next to the fire with her thick cloak sheltering her like a tiny hut. The shelter served as a hiding spot from predators, who often were unable to distinguish the difference between her speckled coat and the dry grass or soil.