Closed Blood and Sinew

[Eosi]

2nd Day of Winter, 515 AV

The newborn light filtered in through the window, panes of sunshine dappling the wooden walls and floors, catching whirling dust motes in a blaze of gloried gold and vermillion. Eosi stretched languidly as she stood by the bed, totally bare and newly awoken. Her wild hair was a tangle around her face. She allowed gravity to do the work, easing her her toward the ground as she leaned to touch her toes. Tendons, ligaments and muscles slowly unfurled as the tips of her fingers brushed the floor. A murmur of contentment escaped her unbidden.

The crisp morning air bothered some, but it did nothing to deter Eosi. In fact, she enjoyed the way the cold gathered about her skin. Not because she organically enjoyed it mind, but because she chose to. It was only pragmatic that the model she used to interpret the world would be organized so as to get the most out of it. Both palms were flat against the floor and she was bent fully forward. It didn’t seem to matter that she was naked. If anything, it gave her a greater sense of freedom.

This routine was commonplace. Every morning as dawn broke, she woke to relish the stillness. There was something deeply meditative about Riverfall as it was half-asleep, only those with a taste for solitude up and inhabiting the city. Eosi was certainly one of those people. In fact, it was one of her greatest pleasures. Being alone was almost indulgent, for all the satisfaction it brought her. There was only one person who qualified as the exception and for all she knew, he was half a world away.

She splayed her fingers wide and slowly slid her toes back, lowering her to the ground. Her entire body was in the push-up position, elbows slightly bent. Eosi hovered there for an indeterminate amount of time, until she felt the burning at her abdomen spread to her lower back. Tension began to build in her biceps. There was a aspect to pain that brought her pleasure. Working her physical body brought a sense of self-mastery. Softly, she lowered all the way to the wooden floor before pushing up through her palms, unfurling the knots in her lower back and midsection.

Sweat dewed on her brow. The mark at the back of her neck came alive in silent exaltation and opened the part of her mind which laid dormant during nightfall. Eosi looked down upon the broad roof of Godiva’s Refuge and the neighboring businesses. She admired the way light caught the thunderous surf of the waterfall as it emptied into the Plunge Pool below. There were very few people out and about from what she could tell, which was about what she expected. Her body was warm supple and all she could hear was the steady drum of her own heartbeat.

Using her hands and feet, she pushed artlessly up from the pose and bent at the hips into an inverted ‘v’ shape. She was still horizontal but now only her palms and her feet were in contact with the floor. These were stretches she’d recently learned from another woman who frequented Gideon’s Glory. By doing this preliminary work, she could prevent injury later on. Being limber certainly didn’t hurt either, she thought with a wicked grin. Someday, Leo would come home. It would be thoughtful to greet him with a surprise.

She could feel the pose slowly pulling sinew apart as it worked at her calves, hamstrings and shoulders. What she wouldn’t give for a massage. Perhaps after the workout at Gideon's Glory, she’d pay a visit to the Moonstone Bath and Massage and take them up on the latter service. The notion of having someone actually touch her was for once less than repulsive, if it were to actually help her relax.

It didn’t take long much longer for her to be satisfied. There was only so much time she was willing to invest before she became impatient. Eosi rose from the ground and stretched one last time, using a hand to brace each elbow so she could stretch her forearms. The stretching worked up light sheen of perspiration and it glistened against her skin as she walked past the window. Once she was finished, she grabbed a brush from the nearby end-table and meticulously brought her wild mane of auburn hair to order.

Soon, it would be time to hit the arena.

Once she got her unkempt locks situated, the rest was simply a matter of pulling on loose-fitting attire and throwing on her cloak. Eosi chose a light linen shirt and a pair of loosely fitting pants. Mobility was her only concern. It was a quick jot north from the Refuge and she was not one to dally. With a swift hand, she gathered her belongings, locked up her room and swept out of the building.

As ever, upon approaching the entrance of the building she could hear the sounds of effort as those spry enough to be awake toiled within. Eosi smiled in anticipation. The pain and exertion felt like progress; the aftermath was bliss. In many ways she was the archetype of the living weapon and she liked it that way. It kept the spirit of the Denvali alive. If she were to be one of the last, she ought to resemble the best their little settlement had to offer. Eosi was passion honed to a keen edge. The excitement eddied inside her.

The double doors came apart to reveal the impressive figures of the lifters. There were a few Akalak, an Akontak and even a Konti woman who worked the varying chains, weights and pulleys littered across the room. In the center, there were two human men circling one another, dancing in for a strike here and there before both ended up in a tangle upon the straw, howling and grunting in frustration.

”Mornin Red,” Melanos said. Eosi turned and smiled charitably at the looming Akalak. He was about the biggest thing in there.

”Good morning Melanos,” she replied with meticulous politeness. Though they had a rapport going, Eosi elected to keep things formal. Her constant visitations to the gym were for her own reasons. She’d always made that abundantly clear.

”You know the deal. Share the equipment and wipe anything you use down when you’re done with it. Try not to hurt anyone either, unless they ask.” During the latter half, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

”There’s more than one way to ask,” she said dryly and left it at that.

WC: 1100

[Eosi]

As always, Eosi went straight to the leg press. It was a relatively simple contraption comprised of several weights cobbled together on a wooden frame. Her cloak was taken off, neatly folded and set aside nearby. She placed her bare feet against the crosspiece about shoulder width apart, toes flexed slightly. Very slowly she bent her knees, lowering the weight as far as she was able without shifting the position of her hips. With a grin, she could feel nearly every muscle group engage. As soon as her hips began to bow (she was no expert, after all) she pushed up through her feet to push the weight back into place, mistakenly using her toes at first but adjusting to only use her heels.

Melanos nodded in silent approval as he ghosted past.

She did about eight repetitions to fatigue, gripping the sides of the bench. With each it became harder to maintain proper form, but keeping her body in the appropriate shape was an absolute necessity. The power was coming from her seat muscles while her quads guided the weight up and down the track. Once she stopped to rest, she grabbed a nearby towel and mopped the back of her neck.

Just thirty seconds of rest. It was all she’d allow. Eosi hopped back on the contraption and did another eight repetitions. The second set was always more exhausting than the first. It prompted a little grin. After all, she was just getting started. This time around, both her calves and her hamstrings began to ache. There were a few moments where she lowered the weights too far and her hips began to lift from their position. She’d take a second to readjust and push on, even as her body began to tremble.

Once she was done, she slid from the leather seat, wiped the machine down and stretched a tad before moving on to another part of the circuit.

It was on to squats. Eosi elected to first do them unweighted, as she had no desire to build bulk on her thighs. More repetitions and less heft was key to building and maintaining a lean frame. She did her set off to the side, nearby one of the chains embedded in the wall. First, she made she her feet were shoulder width apart. She rolled her shoulders away from her ears, allowing her back to round slightly. Inhaling deeply, she unlocked her hips by bringing them back a bit and continued to send them backward as her knees started to bend.

As she descended, she made sure her chest and shoulder stayed upright and that her back stayed straight. Having a poor posture could lead to injury. Her head was forward and she stared blankly ahead in order to keep a neutral spine. As soon as she sank below her knees, she used her core and her heels to explode back up into standing. During the process, every muscle in her body began to strain. In order to achieve the maximum result, she’d have to do it again and again.

Eosi sank low and then sprang up again. As her body worked, rising and falling, squatting and standing she felt the tension begin to spread. The already lathered muscles of her legs were groaning at her effort, but it was no different from most other mornings. Every other day she found her way to the arena. Like a blade, she had to keep a sharpened edge in order to be of any use.

Her lips murmured the count. She was already halfway done. Her seat muscles burned feverishly. There was a chant going in her head. Eosi found the time went with more purpose when she focused on a song or a tale of some sort, but today in particular she settled on one short little affirmation. ’Grit, grind and grace,’ she repeated, over and over. It looped through her head ad nausem as she approached the end of her first set.

Eight repetitions, a few seconds rest. She wiped the moisture from her skin with one of the complimentary towels and went seeking a barbell.

For the second set, her form would be the same but with a bar incorporated. Eosi chose to hold it above her traps in the high bar rack position, rather than the low bar. That way, her form would be the same. Slowly she lowered just as she had before, feeling the muscles of her shoulders engage along with the muscles of her legs and her lower back. Her weight sank into her heels. Carefully, she made sure that her knees were tracking over her feet.

”Make sure the crease of your hip is below the knee, Red.” Melanos intoned from afar. Disregarding the stab of irritation she felt at that, Eosi adjusted. It was better to just take the criticism and let it lie.

Her chest was up. She maintained a nice lumbar curve before pushing back up into standing. The action burned more than ever. Again and again she repeated the movement, her efforts working almost every part of her body. Over two hundred muscle groups in all, or so she’d been told. Toward the end, it was nigh unbearable. Each motion was an active struggle. Her body wanted to relent, but her will was stronger. This was the battle she lived for, the fight of sinew and blood and she leaned into it with every ounce of strength in her possession.

As her count rose, her body began to dispense endorphins. Chills ran up and down her spine. This was what they called “breaking through.” The mantra grew louder, more triumphant. She was absolutely drenched from the effort.

The last few numbers tumbled from beneath her breath. With a weary but satisfied grin, she shakily replaced the bar on the nearby rack. There were a few that watched her admiringly, but she paid them no attention. The exhaustion in her was almost palpable. Still, she wasn’t quite done yet.

WC: 1005

[Eosi]

It was time to give her legs a little break. Her calves in particular were smarting. One of the most challenging aspects of the squat was sinking back into the heels. Once Melanos had made his correction, she’d been sure to sink low every time. Unfortunately, she’d gone about it a little too vigorously. Now, she’d have to pay the price. That was what she got for letting him in her head. No one had the power to get a response out of her unless she chose to let them.

She walked carefully to the barbells. Anyone who looked for long enough could see subdued excitement in her eyes. The weight was still a bit slimy from the residue of some knucklehead’s lift routine but that wasn’t uncommon. Grumbling, she toweled off the equipment. It would only waste time if she were to go up and complain about it.

Once the rack was sufficiently clean, she selected her weight. About a hundred and forty five pounds would do the trick; she was going for strength, but not muscle mass. Eosi laid with her back on the bench and gripped the bar at medium width. She lifted it from the rack with her arms straight overhead, elbows nearly locked. From that starting position, she took a breath and lowered the bar until it was just above her middle chest. The strain was in her biceps and in her pectorals. After a brief pause, she moved the bar back up to the same position with her out breath, focusing on pushing the bar with the muscles of her chest. With a grunt, she locked her arms and squeezed in the contracted position at the top of the motion. Then, she began to repeat.

It really did burn so well. Tension escaped her with every thrust. She would only do twelve repetitions and there were times her jaw ached from attempting to maintain full control of the bar. Still, she pressed on. The agony was somehow its own reward. Discipline was freedom, a synergy of mind and body. If she declared the action, then her body obeyed. Emotion was the friction she used to produce fire. It was this ardor for this freedom that drove her onward.

As she whispered twelve, she wobbled and threw the bar back into the rack with a little too much exuberance. Some of the lifters around her glowered at the noise. Sheepishly, she cleaned up her little area. There were times where she’d lose track of who was around her, too consumed by the fire in her mind. There was more going on behind her woodland eyes than some might expect.

Finally, she was off to the incline dumbbell press. This was about the last exercise she intended to do, for the sake of brevity. There were other days to work on shoulders, biceps, back or forearms. If she weren’t keeping to some kind of schedule, she might be tempted to stick around all day. But a man was only moved a single inch at a time. If she overdid it today, she’d be paying for it in those to follow.

Eosi laid down on the incline bench. It was on the far side of the room. In each hand she rested a dumbbell against the tops of her thighs. The coup de grace was the fact that both weight around a hundred pounds. This was a very respectable weight for a woman her size. The palms of her hands were facing each other. She used her knees to help bring the weights up and with an overhand grip, held them out to the sides with her elbows at about ninety degrees. This was the starting position.

Exhaling, she extended her arms and brought the dumbbells together above her, so her arms were perpendicular to the floor. After a brief pause at the top, she deliberately brought the weights back down into the starting position. The veins on her arms began to strain. Her body was visibly shaking, but not so much as to cause alarm. This was relatively common among the lifters who frequented the arena. Eosi grimaced as started her second repetition. It was her plan to do at least three separate sets for eight to ten reps but even the outset was pure misery. This would take considerable willpower to get through.

It’d clearly been too long since she worked her triceps. With a sigh, she lowered the hundred pound weights back to the tops of her thighs. Too much weight and she’d get hurt. It was much preferable to practice the humility of seeking lighter weights than it was to endure the humiliation of injuring herself. Eosi returned to the bench equipped with eighty pounders instead and got back into form.

As she raised them high above, her allowed her mind to explore the outside world. It’d been long enough that the rest of Riverfall had begun to awaken. Beneath the layers of grime and toil and stone and wood she was free to see all the sun did. People rubbed their eyes and began down the wide avenue, admiring all that they saw. Subsumed in the light and fire as she was,
there was a sense of shared joy, of shared purpose with those on the streets. Eosi would protect them, just as the Akalak did.

Her mind snapped back to the current reality, as soon as the last number escaped her lips. Softly, she lowered the weights for a thirty second rest. By then she was completely soaked. From crown of her head to the bottoms of her feet, every part of Eosi was dripping. Ever since she’d entered the arena to start, she’d barely slowed down. There was a sense of purpose in her that was undeniable. Smiling, she panted and made to adjust her grip.

Eight more reps. The eighty pound weights began to feel like the hundred pounders. Eosi pushed through, recalling the mantra she’d used earlier. There was something she’d learned about the law of the harvest, a tale told by those who’d visited Nyka. Life followed a natural law. Whatever you put in, you got back in kind. But it had to be little by little, day by day. Nothing could be achieved by a single effort. It was sustained commitment that yielded the most.

WC: 1061

[Eosi]

One more set. That was all she needed. Eosi grit her teeth. Trembling, she pushed the weights above her head. The backs of her arms complained loudly. The aching of her core was the least of it, its little song lost in the mounting chorus of agony. Her pectoral muscles chafed. Her legs were still aching from earlier. As the pain ripped through her body, she ignored it. There was distance between her and the transient suffering. Emotion pooled at her core and restored vigor to the movement. Little sparks of bliss began to surface above the pain as she again, pushed through the mounting struggle. Her lips broke into a visceral smile and her teeth gleamed in the low light of the facility. Breath hissed from her mouth. This was the element of grace to it all. By the time she hit her last repetition, she felt truly alive. Every part of her was wide awake.

Eosi was glowing. Very carefully, she set the weights aside and leaned forward, resting against her knees. Ragged breath slowed to a steadier pace. Her vision was almost foggy and her body felt strangely weightless. Chills continued to run down her spine. She waited until her head ceased swimming before she took the time to wipe down the dumbbells and take them back to the shelf where all the varying bits and pieces could be found.

Basking in the euphoria, she wiped the moisture from her skin and hair as best she could. Her eyes were emeralds set against bright mahogany. They smoldered with intensity. The pain of a good workout would stay with her into the day to come. It was a reminder that she’d yet again, fulfilled another promise that she’d made to herself. In her own view, those oaths were most sacred. After all, if she weren’t able to rely on herself, then who could she?

Once she was cleaned up, it was time to throw in the literal towel. Eosi tossed the soiled piece of cloth into a hamper at the edge of the room, gathered up her cloak and made to leave.

”Good work again,” Melanos called after her and she acknowledged him with the incline of her head. No words were necessary, as far as she was concerned. Better to leave him guessing.

The double doors came apart to reveal the wide blue firmament. The sudden gust of wintry air elicited a small chuckle as she shivered. Even though she’d cleaned up a bit, her skin still ran hot. Eosi stepped over the threshold and out onto the street, charting a course toward the facility built into the second tier of the cliffs: the Moonstone Bath and Massage Center.

The passing thought from earlier was enough to settle it. Her feet carried her swiftly through the loosely knit crowds. The broad domes of Riverfall winked in gold and cerulean back up at the sky. The murmur of the crowd was low and ambient, as it was still very much the morning. Eosi enjoyed the colors of the city, the pennons snapping in the breeze. She even smiled at the good-natured young Akalak as they passed, roughhousing on the avenue. Everything felt better after training. In spite of the aching, she was renewed.

It didn’t take long to get there. The parlor had been sculpted by a local geomancer or so the story went. It was carved directly into the face of the rock, out of the gemstone that was its namesake. Eosi politely held the door for someone who was leaving before she entered.

Within, the diffuse glow of the rock combined with the sunlight from balcony filled the entire place with a brilliant, almost otherworldly light. For a moment, she was taken aback. Laughter chimed out from behind the reception counter and Eosi turned to see the pair of young women that stood behind it. One had dark hair and the other light. But in spite of these differences, their faces were nearly identical. There were very nearly the same person, at a glance.

”Hello,” began the one. ”Welcome to the Moonstone Bath and Massage Center,” finished the other. The whole routine was a bit much, but she was in possession of a charitable spirit at the moment. Eosi smiled lightly and took it in stride.

”Thank you. I’d like a private bath and a massage, please.” She pulled the coinpurse from her hip and fished out five gold-rimmed mizas. That was the price listed on the sign. The girls smiled. The darker haired girl took the money. Her blonde counterpart took the initiative. She grabbed a few of the pristine towels from a nearby pile and gestured for Eosi to follow, moving out from the counter and down the hallway.

The narrow hall was lined with crackling braziers. Their dancing light was reflected from the opalescent rock, casting prisms throughout the corridor. Eosi felt her breath catch in her throat at the wonder of it. Could a geomancer truly do this? The spectacle of it left her mind racing in astonishment, overwhelmed at the possibilities. One day she might wield a power as great as Leo’s to shape the earth as easily as he shaped fire.

”I’m Cara,” said the nimble bath attendant. Eosi grinned.

”A pleasure to meet you,” she replied courteously.

They paused at a door, which led into a vast stone chamber with a steaming grotto at the center. All about were ledges were sprawling, verdant plants that climbed the humid walls, up to the closed ceiling. The cerulean waters gleamed with enchanted light. Now this was indulgence, she thought quietly. The whole chamber was bathed in a dim azure glow.

”You can deposit your clothes here. I’ll be back to get you for your massage in thirty minutes.” Cara bowed politely and left, shutting the door behind her. Eosi sighed and turned to to admire the room for a moment longer, before she began to undress and deposit her belongings on the floor.

Her cloak was taken off and folded along with all of her clothes and set to the edge of the pool. Cara had left a basket of soaps and the towels, which Eosi took advantage of. The soaps smelled richly of jasmine and lavender. She stuck her nose into the basket and inhaled in silent euphoria before taking the whole thing and splashing unceremoniously into the hot, luxuriant waters with a little shriek of delight.

WC: 1078

[Eosi]

She set the basket back up on the ledge of the pool, laughing. The sound produced a soft echo. Eosi relaxed against the ledge and sank down to her chin, steaming quietly. The incredible warmth allowed all her tension to ebb away, promising a languid afternoon of study. Once she’d gotten her massage, all she’d need was a spot of lunch and almost all her physical needs would be sated. It was turning into a rather productive afternoon for her only day off from the Antiquities Society.

After a few minutes of soaking, she elected to actually bathe. The soaps dissolved quickly between her hands as she lathered every part of her tired body. Their aroma was delightful and the resulting effect was almost restorative. She washed as best she could, sparing not an inch before she sank back into the pool to swim a bit while she waited. The warm expanse of the grotto was perfectly to her liking.

Cara returned while she was underwater. With a splash her shock of red hair appeared from under the water which consequently rained a bit on the bath attendant. Luckily, all Cara did was giggle. There was a fresh cotton robe in her hand.

”Dry off and put this on. Once you’ve done it, meet me out in the hallway.” She smiled and snapped up her clothes, gathering them into her arms and stepping out the door in the blink of an eye. Eosi admired her efficiency. With a wry grin, she hoisted herself out of the pool and began to dry off. Just being clean was enough to improve her mood tremendously, not to mention ease her newly inflicted pain.

Once dry, she slipped on the robe and joined Cara in the hallway. The diminutive girl met her with a ready smile. The two of them went down the hall and into an adjacent room. This one had a table at the center. While the chamber still had the same asymmetrical ledges and lush plants upon its stone walls, there were crackling braziers at each corner and candles that flickered upon the varying surfaces of the room.

”Put this towel around your waist and lie face down on the table please,” Cara instructed. Eosi complied, slipping the towel on first before letting the robe drift from her shoulders to the floor. The cool air that eddied across her skin gave her gooseflesh. She walked over and laid against the soft, sable blanket that laid across the table, laying her head to the side against the pillow at the far end.

Cara approached quietly. There was the low sound of pouring and then suddenly, she began to work her magic. There was a warm, fragrant oil on her palms that when applied, sent a rush of heat throughout her body. Eosi basked in the harvest of the morning’s efforts. The bath and massage was useful and practical but also, it felt rich. It was a decadent reward. She had to keep from audibly groaning at certain moments when the girl found a particularly tender spot. This was bliss, as far as she was concerned. For the moment things were absolutely perfect.

She worked for what seemed too long and yet too short a time. Her deft hands healed months and months of accumulated stress. There were aches that she hadn’t even realized she’d had coming to the fore. Cara dug in with the heels of her hands and rolled them in circles, up and down her spine. She worked and kneaded and rubbed the flesh of her back until she was entirely covered in the aromatic oil. It was so soothing that she had to actively struggle, just to keep awake. The fatigue of her muscles threatened to pull her under.

As soon as she was certain that she was about to pass out, Cara stepped away. Eosi blinked a few times and shook the cobwebs from her head, much to her masseuse’s amusement.

”That’s your session,” Cara said jovially. ”Unless you want to pay five more mizas, that is.” At that she seemed to be joking, though the idea that she might accept seemed to cross her mind. Eosi smiled somewhat drowsily and got up, lost in a blissful stupor. She quickly pulled on her robe and saw the attendant had her back turned.

”I think I’ll spare you,” Eosi replied, humor coloring her tone. Cara laughed.

”Okay! Go ahead and get dressed, then deposit your robe and towel in that hamper over there.” She gestured to the side of the room, then departed.

As if in a fever dream, she very deliberately pulled on her clothes. Eosi was totally abstracted, lost in bliss. She hadn’t been so very satisfied since the day she’d been initiated into reimancy by Leo and that’d required some very vigorous lovemaking - and a fireball or two. Her clothes were still soaked in sweat, so she’d pay her home a visit before she went back out again, more than likely to grab lunch and read somewhere. She pulled them back on and made her way back to the front counter.

”We hope you enjoyed your visit,” (presumably) Tara said. Eosi responded with a vague smile.

”Tell your sister I said thank you.” With one hand, she dug out a single gold miza and set it on the countertop. After all, why not? It’d been a rather productive day. Eosi was of a rare generosity as a result. Tara laughed and grabbed the coin, turning it over in her fingers.

”In a hurry?” Tara asked. Eosi shrugged, sticking her hands into her pockets. Her mind was somewhere else already, considering the limits of Geomancy. What were the applications of djed theory in shaping the various gemstones of the world? In such a reverie, she was sometimes prone to let her mind to wander. She gave a little wave before she wandered out onto the streets of the city headed for home. It was time for to make way for the afternoon.

WC: 1024

[Pulren Marsh]

A Grade is Coming
Your Wave

' Work it!' I can hear Vanator calling out in appreciation.

 

Eosi

XP

• Body Building 5
• Endurance 5
• Acrobatics 1
• Planning 2
• Socialization 2

Lores

• Body Building: The Importance of Preliminary Stretches
• Gymnasium Etiquette
• Body Building: Leg Press
• Body Building: Maintaining Form During Reps is Crucial
• Endurance: Using a Mantra to Push Through Pain
• Body Building: Barbells
• Body Building: Incline Bench
• Body Building: Dumbbells

Miscellaneous

• - 6 GM
• 5 GM for Bath and Massage, 1 GM for Tip

Your Grader,


Pulren Marsh