Orlouge Training Lesson 6: Tinerad Orlouge

[Silence Sei]

"You're probably wondering what we're doing in the desert," Tinerad Orlouge, father of the Orlouge brothers spoke to his student.

"The thought -had- crossed my mind, yes," Kyla Orlouge, daughter of Sei and Tinerad's granddaughter, replied.

"I know, I'm a telepath too, remember?" Tinerad hit the side of his head with a single finger a few times to drive the effect home. Unlike his son, the Mystic Father had no issues with delving into the heads of other people, good or bad. If they had something to hide, they could hide it, and he wouldn't necessarily search for it. Yet, having that open link there made conversations so much easier.

"Anyways, you're here because your magic is like this desert. Blank, full of dangers at every turn---"

"And boring?" Kyla interrupted.

"From time to time, yea. The thing is Kyla, Just like there are things hidden in this desert, so are there hidden things about your magic you don't know about. You just got to be somewhere you can relate to in order to understand it better."

"No offense, Grandpa," Kyla said, wiping some newly formed sweat from her forehead, "but I could relate to cool air much easier."

"Nonsense, now come on!" Tinerad said, grabbing Kyla by the hand and rushing into the nothingness of the Fallien desert. The girl almost screamed for help as Tinerad finished his last sentence before the two disappeared into the abyss of sand.

"We're going to live here for a week!" Tinerad bellowed out a laugh as the sun began to reach its peak.

[Amber Eyes]

Why is everyone in my family a flipping nutcase? Kyla looked up at the sun from her spot laying in the sand. The sun was really the only thing to look at in the huge area of desert they were apparently calling home for the week. "So grandpa, do you typically take such wonderful, exciting vacations? Or did I just get incredibly lucky."

"You will understand sooner or later little Kyla, I promise. You have to suffer a bit to find out just how strong you really are. That anklet gave you a second chance and now we're going to use it."

"Can I at least go explore for a bit?"

"Have at it, we've got a whole week here."

The young mystic rolled over and pushed herself to her feet. Sand filled every inch of her clothing and it took great effort just to take a couple of steps. "Any chance you can teach me to sprout wings like uncle Sei?"

"Now that my dear may be the coolest idea you've had all day."

"You can teach me to fly?"

"I didn't say I could do it, just that it was a cool idea."

Kyla rolled her eyes and left her grandfather lounging in the heat of the day.

[Silence Sei]

Tinerad smiled as Kyla left him for a bit. Now would be an absolutely fantastic time to make their camp site for the week. The large warrior wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked around. Once he saw no immediate danger in the area, the Orlouge Father got on all fours and placed his ear to the ground, a big grin forming across his lips.

"Perfect," Tinerad said as he stood up in the sand and balled his hands into a fist. Raising his arms above his head, the Mystic brought the full force of his power down into the sand. The power of the blow created a large tremor in the surrounding area, and Tinerad instantly fell a good ten feet into the crater he had created.

"Okay, fox hole is made, now to make sure sand doesn't get in it..." Tinerad widened his arms as if preparing for a hug, slamming his hands together in a thunderous clap. The force of this blow was so strong, it created a super heated shockwave towards one of the 'walls' of the crater. A few moments later, grains of sand were beating a newly formed glass wall. Tinerad performed this maneuver four more times (three for the walls, and one for the floor) until he was literally in a roofless glass house.

Tinerad stepped out of his crater, reaching into the backpack he had brought along and withdrawing a tarp from the bag. He quickly set the tarp over his makeshift home, making sure to tie each end deep into the ground. The tarp would provide a temporary roof until the time came for a proper one.

"This way, Kyla can see the dangers that lie under the sands of Fallien," the Mystic laugh heartedly, as if endangering himself and the girl was good sport, "If she hasn't encountered some of it already!"

[Amber Eyes]

Sweat poured from all of Kyla's pores, the young girl was panting heavily, and she could have sworn that the canteens of water she had packed were getting evaporated in their case. Each step Kyla took made her whole body feel just a little heavier each time. Fallien seemed to be an extreme version of a sauna, so at the very least, Kyla's form would look even trimmer upon returning to her family. Soon, the girl could take no more of the heat, and collapsed into the ground.

Of course, Kyla realized the mistake of sticking ones face in hot sand almost immediately, and sprang up, holding the reddened cheek on the right side of her face. The girl made a note not to lay in the sand at this time of day anymore unless she was under the supervision of her grandfather. Tinerad seemed to know what he was doing, after all, even if he did seem a bit eccentric while he did it. It was just another redeeming quality about her grandfather that she would have loved to read about in one of her books.

I should ask him to tell me some stories later...

As Kyla thought about her loving grandpa, the sound of scuttling legs could be heard in the distance Kyla paused for a moment, trying to listen to the distracting sound further. The scuttling was not only rapid, but it was getting closer, and quick. Before the girl knew it, a giant black pincer claw surfaced up from the hot sands below, causing the Mystic to jump back in shock. It was a good dodge, as the claw of this unknown beast was now clamping down where the girl had just been mere seconds ago.

She began to form her shadow sword, looking down at her right hand to have seen that it was already formed. Did she arm herself on gut instinct alone? Maybe this training with her entire extended family was paying off after all. Another claw sprang up from the sand, raining down grains of the stuff on Kyla's already sanded form. Frustrated, the girl slung her shadow blade at the claw, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I HATE STUPID FALLIEN!"

[Silence Sei]

Meanwhile, Tinerad was comfortable in his makeshift home, throwing faux punches at an imaginary punching bag. It was one of the main ways he kept in shape (not to mention saved a bundle not buying actual punching bags), but after a good fifteen minutes, the regiment had grown to bore the old Mystic. Tinerad stopped his exercise to think about his Granddaughter. Kyla had not returned yet, and if she had encountered any dangers, Tinerad would have imagined that the girl would have come running to him begging for his help. He was, after all, the strongest physically in the Orlouge clan, so seeking his aid should not have been a second thought in the girl's mind.

"Oh gosh darnit," Tinerad grumbled and began to leave his shelter, "Sei -did- warn me that Kyla had a penchant for trouble, nut I just didn't listen." Tinerad's steps sunk his large frame a little deeper into the Fallien ground each time. The structure that was Tinerad Orlouge was obviously a strain on the sand below, and the veteran warrior was starting to look ridiculous raising his knee to his naval just to take another step forward, and sink down even more. Eventually, the Mystic climbed up from his would-be sandy prison, the grains of the dessert country's dirt scraping against every inch of his flesh now that it had infiltrated his pants. Tinerad began to walk again, though carefully, and trying his darndest to distribute his weight evenly with each step.

The Mystic wandered for the better half of two miles, searching for the child of his child. Fallien, however, was a place where people could be lost to sand storms and other foreign creatures for an eternity. Tinerad's concern turned to fear as he thought about Kyla not being able to handle the strain of the Fallien environment. All of the warrior’s sons had managed to impart some sort of knowledge on the girl before sending her on their way. Did they teach her nothing of survival? Tinerad continuously called out the young lady's name, each shout being voiced with more and more worry for her safety.

"Grandpa, would you keep quiet already?" Kyla's sweet voice was a welcome addition to the whispering winds of a harsh Fallien. Tinerad looked around for several moments before spotting the large black scorpion. Kyla had managed to not only slay a giant version of the insect (roughly ten feet high if not counting the tail), but the girl was calmly reading a book curled up to the leathery exterior of the thing, using its giant girth for shade while her eyes darted back and forth at the text before her.

"How did you----"

"Shadow Blade, Sophia's Mane, Mystic Bomb,” Kyla spoke without ever looking up from her book, pointing at one of the claws of the beast that was still smoldering with smoke (Shadow Blade), the eyes of the creature that seemed to be gouged out (Sophia's Mane), and the other claw which looked like it was completely and utterly blown to nothingness, smoke and red blood pouring out onto the ground and quickly soaking into the sand. Tinerad stood dumbfounded at the girl's ability to defend herself, walking over to the child and sitting beside her, his own eyes looking over the book that she was reading, albeit not as fast as Kyla.

It looked like Tinerad would not have to worry about Kyla not being ready for training.

[Amber Eyes]

"Kyla, as fun as this is," Tinerad's voice sounded slightly annoyed, a tone the girl had never heard from her Grandfather before, "I can't keep up with how fast you read. I think it's about time to get some training done." The girl looked up from her book, tilting her head towards Tinerad for a moment. The older Mystic stood up and met his relatives look with his own.

"I'm sorry?" Kyla had been so immersed with her book; she had not even paid heed to the warrior other than noticing the change in his voice.

"Seriously?!" Tinerad threw his arms up in the air, fingers widened as if he were ready to strangle the next thing to cross their path. The girl quickly closed her book shut and stood up straight, watching as Tinerad locked his fingers behind his head and took a few deep, shallow breaths. If there was one thing that Tinerad Orlouge hated, it seemed to involve being ignored.

"Just....come on," Tinerad said, and began to walk back to the camp he had made for them in Kyla's absence. The girl turned around for a moment, closing her eyes and bowing her head in order to give a moment of silence to the sacrifice of the giant scorpion. She then turned around and began to follow her father's father, stopping mid-stride once she had seen the fort he had built for them.

While the tarp seemed a little tacky, what with the constant flapping against the wind, the sheer fact that Tinerad had created a glass home by hand was nothing short of amazing. The Orlouge patriarch finally turned to face the girl again, his eyes again having the gentle fire within them that seemed to resonate within the entire Orlouge clan.

"Now then, let's work on those puny mus-skulls of yours."

[Silence Sei]

"E-Excuse me?" Kyla voiced her genuine concern for the way Tinerad had approached the issue. This caused the large Mystic to laugh, setting his hands upon his hips. The older Mystic noticed that the girl looked a bit relieved when her family member had allowed his hearty laugh to return. Perhaps he had scared her with his frustration earlier? He would have to make it up to her by getting her something special later.

Tinerad responded to her question by calmly walking over to the girl, and giving her right arm a squeeze with his hand. His large appendage applied enough pressure to warrant a yelp from the girl before Tinerad actually pulled away. All it took from the veteran Orlouge was the right grab, and Kyla would be defenseless to whatever attack he planned on following up with. Whereas his sons had taught Kyla the finer points about Mystic Light Magic and Mystic Dark Magic (Kyla being one of two people to have ever completely been able to learn both), Tinerad had decided to take a different approach.

"You have skill, Kylana. I've seen the determination in your moves, but you lack power to your blows. What happens the first time someone actually plows through the glass of your Mystic Protection, and counters with some swift move? You won't be expecting it, and that will be the end of you. I plan on teaching you how to deliver a backhand to the presumptuous fool hard enough to make them regret getting in close quarters with you." Tinerad rubbed the arm of Kyla, trying to reassure her that he would not hurt her in the same way again. He could not tell if her body had decided to tense up on its own, or if Kyla had consciously done so, but it left a lump in the older Mystic's throat.

"You know the glass shards from my Mystic Protection are on fire, right?" Kyla placed her hands on her hips and gazed up at her grandfather. This reaction caused another hearty laugh from the larger Mystic.

"Okay, for posterity's sake, we'll say you're fighting a flame elemental. You not only just annoyed him, but healed him as well." Kyla’s arms dropped back to her sides, not thinking about the possibility of fighting one who would benefit from the flaming shards. Realizing that her relative knew what he was talking about, the younger Mystic simply nodded to her elder. Tinerad responded by pointing at one of the crystalline walls he had created hours earlier. It took the girl a few moments to realize what Tinerad meant, and upon registering it, approached the wall.

"You are to measure the length between your knuckles and that wall using Sophia's Mane," As Tinerad instructed this step, the girl distanced her hand from the wall using the steel claw of her Zodiac Weapon to distance herself. "You are to punch that wall with your right hand for the rest of the day, until the glass cracks, or your knuckles do." Kyla nodded, pulling her fist back ever so slightly and slamming her knuckles into the glass.

"SHIT!" Kyla screamed out and looked to her hand. Tinerad could see the girl’s fingers already throbbing. She had given her all into that one punch, and it had not even left the slightest crack in the glass. Tinerad crossed his arms as he looked to the younger warrior, shaking his head disapprovingly before pointing at the wall again.

"Until the wall cracks or your knuckles do."

"You've got to be kidding m---"

"Until the wall breaks or your knuckles do."

"But my hand---"

"Didn't break. Again. Until the glass breaks or your knuckles do."

The sound Kyla made could only be described as a sorrowful growl. The girl was probably feeling bad for the punishment her hand was about to endure, and angry that her grandfather would not budge on his stance for this portion of her training. Kyla kept her feelings to herself, and continued to punch the wall. With each slam of her fist against the glass, the girl would let out a new profanity. Tinerad smiled, knowing full well how much pain the girl was going to endure to just pass this portion of her training. The large man sat down and began to watch as his granddaughter mercilessly assaulted the crystal wall with physical and verbal attacks.

"Oh, Kyla, by the way," Tinerad said, stretching his arms out and yawning, "When you crack the glass with that hand, you're going to do the same thing with the other..."

[Amber Eyes]

Despite how hard or how rapidly the girl slammed her knuckles into the clear wall, her skin was always greeted by the cold, unmoving barrier. As each hour passed, Kyla's arm grew weaker, and the Mystic's body grew tired. She never noticed the day turning to night, or that her Grandfather had fallen asleep behind her. She had not even noticed as the cold winds of Fallien at night threaten to induce hypothermia on her. All she could focus on was that wall, that single, stupid, unmoving wall. The thing was made completely out of glass, glass which threatened to be crushed by the sand it was keeping out. Why would the thing not break already?

Kyla's next punch froze half-way into the strike. The entire wall was keeping out the sand, the sand that would crush her and Tinerad if she were to break it. Why would Tinerad tell her to break something so vital in keeping them alive? Kyla slowly turned around; looking at the form of her Grandfather sprawled out on the floor, snoring while holding a bottle of what was probably some Mystic version of alcohol. With each breath that expanded Tinerad's belly, Kyla's rage grew more and more. This was a man who allegedly loved her, but instead tricking her so he could drink booze and pass out? Kyla turned back around to the wall.

"KYA, KYA, KYA!" Each shout from the girl was methodical, planned precisely to scream out whenever she felt the pressure on her hand. Tinerad knew she would never be able to break that glass, so he had no fear of being crushed. There was no trick to it, it wasn't even about power. Kyla's relative simply wanted to not fulfill his promise to train the girl, and give her a task she would never be able to complete. Kyla could feel the surge in pain all the way through her arm with each strike, each of her screams getting louder as they filled with more anger, more pain. She would keep going, she would pass this test, and she would show Tinerad Orlouge to never underestimate her abilities again.

[Silence Sei]

Tinerad woke up to the same sound he had fallen asleep to; Kyla punching the wall. The large Mystic stretched his arms out and let a massive yawn escape his form. He slowly got to his feet, shook the chills off of his form and went outside to do what every man has to do when they wake up in the morning. After he was done using the bathroom, Tinerad returned to the encampment, blinking as he noticed that Kyla was wearing the exact same thing she had on the night before. Did she not pack for a weeklong trip, as most girl's do whenever they're gone somewhere for the day? Tinerad approached his granddaughter and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Kyla said, in between the screams of 'KYA' and punches against the wall. Tinerad withdrew his hand inches before it grabbed the young Mystic. Whatever had happened to Kyla last night, it obviously made her more determined than ever to break that wall. The older warrior looked at his relative's eyes, watched as she focused on one point over again and again. By this point, her hand was completely bloodied, and it looked as if the young lady's hand was stuck as a fist, each of her fingers twitching erratically after each blow. If there was one thing he could say about Kyla Orlouge, it was that she did not give up.

"What time did you go to bed last night?"

"Haven't, KYA! Been to sleep, KYA!"

Tinerad was now surprised by his granddaughter. What had pushed the girl to the edge so much that she refused to rest until her task was complete? What was the motivation behind the determination? Tinerad stood by Kyla's side, watching as her body moved more fluidly than she had yesterday. The exercise was paying off, but the larger Mystic was concerned about the safety of his kin. He had told her 'Until the glass breaks or your knuckles do', and she had obviously taken that mantra to heart. If the girl kept this up, she would be slamming a nub against the wall, refusing to admit that she had broken her hand.

The next time Kyla hit the wall, a cloud, grotesque crack could be heard, and the girl collapsed on the ground...

[Amber Eyes]

"Sei? What are you doing here?"

"My father was not trying to trick you, Kyla."

"But he knew---"

"That you would not be ready to break the glass completely. Yes. The test was never about thoroughly shattering the wall. It was about your strength. Your own confidence in yourself. The only time you had true focus, the only time you precisely hit the same area consecutively, is when you believed you were being deceived. What does that tell you about your power?"

Kyla paused to ponder the question for a minute. As she thought, he eyes wandered in the blackness that surrounded both her and her transparent foster father. Sei was here, and she was here, but Tinerad was not, and the whole world was black. It did not take the girl long to realize that she had passed out during the training. Sei was either an illusion of her delirium, or the mute was broadcasting his telepathy to her at the exact moment she needed words of encouragement the most. While the latter was less likely to happen, knowing Sei, anything was possible.

"So...I failed? Just before I fainted I heard my knuckles crack. Just when I was getting so close too..."

"Kyla... you did not fail. The cracking was not your knuckles..." As Sei finished with his mysterious words of wisdom, his form seemed to dissipate in the darkness, leaving the girl alone once more. Slowly, the tarp over her head came back into her vision, followed by the goofy battle-scarred faced of Tinerad Orlouge. The large man seemed to take a deep breath of relief once he saw that she was okay, and his concern caused her to smile.

"Kyla, you did it,” Tinerad said, pointing at the glass. The girl shifted her eyes to find a small stream of sand specks leaking out from the smallest of cracks in the glass. The Mystic girl smile wider upon seeing this, and discovering what Sei had meant. Her anger had been her focus point, and it worked. Her arm felt like a wet Radasanth noodle, and the girl was unable to raise her hand for Tinerad to investigate. The large Mystic set her onto the ground, making a makeshift pillow out of his rolled up sleeping bag.

"We'll give you some time to rest, and try it with the other hand in a couple of days."

This statement sent Kyla into a hysteric laughter. Tinerad responded by stepping back, certain that the girl had gone mad during the training. The young girl’s eyes shifted back towards the crack, and a good foot upwards. Tinerad’s eyes seemed to follow that of his granddaughter, where he saw another crack in the wall, spilling out even less sand grains than its brother. Kyla's gaze shifted back towards the tarp before closing.

"I guess I'm ready for the next part of the test..." Kyla said as she drifted off to a well deserved rest.

"Kyla....that was the whole test."