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RP: Kohana [Fenyar] Training's over.

A

AoK

Inactive Member
Fang slowly sat up from his bunk and looked around at his five roomates still asleep. It was time for his sunrise focus training, his least favorite activity of the day. Sure, it was quiet, and it was peaceful, but sitting for four hours without moving can make a person stiff when the actually do move.

With a sigh, he stood up and put on his usual attire, his white robe, tied with a deep blue and green ropelike sash around his waist, showing he was almost a master in the Soul and Life Gates. The wolf hurried towards the door, pulling the hood of his robe up over his head, and poking his large ears through the two holes cut in the top. "I will have time to comtemplate the injustices of having to wake up at three in the morning, some other time...." He muttered to himself as he walked out into the courtyard, where he was supposed to be meeting his instructor, Master Night Eyes. As he entered the courtyard, he licked his lips and slid the bracers over his paws which held not only his weapon of choice, the Reaver's Claws, but his Sapphire and Garnett channelling stones.
 
Several other monks and clerics already were up at this time with Fang. Most were in the middle of enchanting mantras. Their senses closed to the world while they focused on their meditation. It was around this time Fang felt a familiar presence. This one was not as ridged as the feelings Master Night Eyes gives off. It was softer, gentler.

"Ah, brother Shadowpaw,â€
 
Fang took a deep breath and slowly looked down, knowing without turning who the presence belonged to.

"No, Mistress Winter Moon...I would never feel anything but joy at the chance to exercise the skills you, or the other Gate Masters, have taught me..." He trailed off, keeping his voice in check so as not to disturb his brothers and sisters of the Order, but still be heard by Winter Moon.

Deep down, it was fairly obvious that Fang hated getting up this early to just sit, but also, he knew that if he did not show up, his punishment would be most severe.

Fang licked his lips again and reached down to the bracers over his paws and pulled softly at the blades, pulling them out and tucking them into his belt. He hoped that Mistress Winter Moon had not caught his bringing a weapon into the presence of a Gate Master as he had, but he knew that even though her sight was lacking, her ability to truely see, was unmatched.

"I hope that Master Night Eyes, yourself, and the other Gate Masters will excuse my slight tardiness...And I humbly ask permission to being my focus training, Ma'am...Unless you have anything you wish to speak with me about..."
 
Winter moon smiled, it wasn't a wicked smile, nor was it one bore out of comedy or malice. It was a maternal smile, the kind of acceptance that some would wait an eternity to receive. Her ear twitched slightly as Fang removed the claws from his gauntlets. "Fang, you know full well the Order's dislike towards weaponry, even ones which are meant for defense. I will not site you on this because you had the fore though to withdraw them yourself. But please, in the future, do not bring them here.â€
 
Fang breathed a sigh of relief as it was said he wouldn't be cited. One more citation and he would be dismissed, and all his work would be for nothing. The Kee bowed softly to Winter Moon, and then at hearing Night Eyes had returned, he bowed again, keeping his eyes from meeting the Gate Master, and Alpha, of the Academy.

"Master Night Eyes...Welcome back Sir. I am quite ready for my final tests, if you feel that I am ready, and find me worthy of the task of protecting our forests and land."

A hundred questions buzzed through his head about the offworlder, and what this new store would sell, but all of them were not worth speaking out of turn on matters that didn't concern him.

The wolf took a deep breath and kept staring at about the level of Night Eyes' knees. He would remain this way until his Master told him something else to do. All the students knew the rules of how to act around the Masters, and this was amplified ten fold when in the presence of a Gate Master.
 
"Fang, you are one of my best students. If there is anyone I know who can learn these arts, it will be you.â€
 
Fang slowly stood back up and took Mistress Winter Moon's paw, resting it on his left shoulder. "As you wish Masters..." He said with a nod, and then fell silent with a sigh. "This is going to be a difficult test if it will require use of my Mind Gate training..." He muttered under his breath.

Looking back slowly, into the sightless eyes of Winter Moon, Fang licked his lips, as if to say something, but remained silent. Then, slowly at first, Fang began leading Winter Moon towards the Hall of Guidance.

"Do you really think that I can do this, Mistress? I have heard that this test has broken and killed Apprentices before...."
 
Winter Moon was silent for a moment after the question was said. "Yes. This test is very dangerous Fang.â€
 
Fang stopped suddenly and looked back at the Mistress the First gate. "Master...Iron Hoof sponsered me? He believes I can do this? But the Master of the Body has never seen my abilities...Why would he..." He stopped and licked his lips, then shook his head and spoke quietly. "I'm sorry, Mistress...I should not worry myself with that. It's in the past, and unchangable now."

They continued walking, and began going up the stairs to the Hall. "To answer your question though...Yes, I am very nervous about this, and was slightly expecting it to come today. I want to go through with it, Mistress, but...I really don't feel ready. There are students much more skilled than I in the Gate System...I am skilled with Soul and Life, but...not in Mind, which is one of the requred skills of this test...I am very worried I will fail, and my soul will be taken."
 
"You need not worry Fang, Night Eyes will be watching you. He will make sure you get the gateway incantations right. And he will be watching you when you try and bridge the gap. And I will be watching you when you try and link the two worlds.â€
 
Fang's lip curled into a snarl at the very mention of 'her'. He quickly turned to Winter Moon, and forgetting all thoughts of proper etiquette, picked her up in his arms and began running up the steps as fast as his legs would allow, setting his mistress down when they reached the summit, and took her paw, leading her into the hall, where their fears were realized in a single figure.

"What, by all the moons, are YOU doing here?" Fang spat as he narrowed his eyes, and an involuntary growl rumbled from his throat as his paws rested on the blades at his hips.

Then, remembering his training, he took his paws away, and fell back into his favorite fighting style, the Falsehood stance. His paws were held slightly out from the front of his hips, open palm style, but in no way blocking. His left shoulder faced Laughing Rain, and he just stared daggers at her. "Make a move, I DARE you, Foul One."
 
The figure stood with their back to the Gatekeeper and the Student, long wavy locks of bone white hair lay agenst a back of white and pale black rings with small black spots. The body then tilted backwards. A pair of obsidian eyes, empty blacken pits swimming in a sea of red madness. Her muzzle pulled back in a fang bared grin. "Now now...â€
 
Fang's eyes went to the sword for an instant as his paws rolled into fists. "I would never help you, Rain. You gave me nothing but pain, and nearly killed me with your 'training'. That To'Yaree nearly broke my spine when he unleashed that series of attacks. I'm glad none of your little pets mastered the Three Gateways."

The wolf took a step forward towards Rain, eyes narrowed with no show of fear for his old Grand Mistress.

"I'm not afraid of you, anymore...I have been taught about your history, and how to avoid the very thing that got you exiled from this school..." He spat at her feet, standing a mere foot away, his muzzle nearly right against hers.

Then, after proving his point, he turned and walked back to stand with Winter Moon.

"Mistress, must I still take the Test with HER here?"
 
Laughing Rain was silent for a moment after Fang spat on the floor at her feet. Her expression, not really showing much surprise at this. If anything, she looks annoyed.

"now now, little boy. You have to realize something. " She said as she calmly walked after Fang. "You don‘t get a say in what I want. If I want the Three gateways from you...â€
 
Fang sighed, knowing that he had come within seconds of getting himself killed. He knew just how short a Closed Fist fighter's temper was, and Laughing Rain was supposed to have insanity to add to that.

"I'm sorry, Masters, I should not have spoken. It is just that my time training under her is time that I wish I could have back. I realize now that the path of the Closed Fist, is nothing more than a way to kill others...And with the magical potential of my clan, the Kee'Awloo, there is not skill involved." Fang said with head bowed, as he slowly got to his knees to await the punishment for endangering the lives of not only himself, but his instructors as well.

The Kee kept his head bowed, and just waited for what would happen next. Would he still get to take his test? Would he be dismissed?
 
Winter Moon walked over and placed a hand on Fang's shoulder. "There is no need to worry Fang. You passed the test. Now, it is time for the trial.â€
 
Fang looked up slowly. "Yes, My Masters..." He said, following them to the center of the room, where he knealt again. The Kee didn't understand this thought of pulling a prank on a student on one of the most nerve wracking days of their training, but if Night Eyes wished it, Fang would not fight his master's decision.

As he began to get into his 'zone', Fang began to think over his life as a monk in the study of the Open Palm, and even his short stint in the Closed Fist style. He considered himself a very well rounded fighter, having been in both schools, but deep down, he wished he had never had to go train under Laughing Rain. Yes, the fighting styles there were very strong, but there was something else, something internal, that now, Fang could never get rid of, and it saddened him slightly.

But now was not time for those thoughts. Fang nodded once to himself, and then began to regain his total focus. A smile came to his lips as he looked to Night Eyes, and Winter Moon. "I am ready, Masters....My mind is clear, as is my spirit. I will do my best to make you both proud."
 
"Don't worry Fang, it wasn't so much a prank, as it was a test of courage. I do this everytime I see fit to trach a student this set of spells. And, I admit anyone who can stand up to that image of Laughing Rain to try." Night Eyes said with a half shrug. "Bad choice of words on my part."

As Fang entered his zone, he felt a pair of paws set on his shoulders, and Winter Moon whispered into his ear. "Don't worry, we'll make sure you come back."

Lowering his own head, Night Eyes began to speak softly. "Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus..." He began to repeat the line, the air around the three, begining to frow heavy, as a circle of power begins to draw itself on the floor. All the while the gloves that Night Eyes wears glowing from the crystal shards. Winter Moon, her muzzle still next to Fang's ear, whispered the incantation softly and slowly to him. "Gate of mind, grant me access to the gate of souls. Repeat it calmly and perfectly as Night eyes is Fang, feel the power of the second gate, and my power flow through you to assist..."
 
Fang's mind was no longer within his body, he was in a sort of Limbo, where Winter Moon's words registered, but the only sound that would tell of it was a slight groan, and then Fang would start to repeat the words of Night Eyes, as if in a trance.

"Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus...Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus...Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus..." The words just seemed to flow from the monk in training's mouth. The inflection wasn't there, but if one could see within Fang's mind, they could tell his focus and concentration was completely on keeping the spell under control, and any effects of it.

All his years of training, and it had all come down to a test of courage, preceding his ultimate challenge of focus. The irony was, Fang would have no time to enjoy either victory...The Focus test came right after the Courage, and if he passed his test of Focus, he would find himself almost instantly being ushered back to his room to rest, and then...what? He knew that most students were reassigned, given their life's work, if they passed to their Master's satisfaction. But Fang had two Masters, so he would have to impress both of them...And that would mean defeating Death himself, and pulling a soul back to the realm of the living....

Could he do it? Could he really fight and defeat Death?
 
Upon saying that incantation, Fang felt something pulling on him, not physically, but spiritually. Clearly he can hear the voice of his teacher, Night Eyes... "Can you feel it Fang? The pull, it's the grip of the Other Side..."

Winter Moon slid her rigth paw along the side of Fang's throat, resting a digit on his jugualr to measure his heart rate. "Slowing... Good, good..."

"Repeat this incantation aswell Fang, the world of the dead await." He heard Night Eyes say. "Porta of animus , permissum nos transfero is terra ut orbis terrarum of silenti..."
 
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