"Ouuuu… these are our training grounds? This is noiceeeee!"
What he was praising was a pure black chamber filled with thin panels lining the gaps between the walls. Each shining a dim blue light that illuminate the room, showing off its intricate blend of trees and mesh lining the ground.
"But what is this? I've never seen anything like this before."
Stretching one arm over the other, Maradi starts her warm ups, putting a hand over her head.
"Oh right, you were out cold so she not got to show you around. We'll I won't say too much so you too can still have your private time but this is my Protean Box. A special training ground to hone my Zone."
Scrunching up his eyes in pure confusion, Iramo puts his hands on his hips as he looks her in the eyes.
"Whats ah zone? Is that one those one of those things I saw floating in the sky?"
Flipping her palm to face the sky, Maradi makes a model of Centria and a see of stars glistening above its sky.
"Well yes but no, Centria is split up into three zones which separate survivors based on the power they hold. But what's being gauged is the power of the mind, more specifically how well it can be applied. When you go goes beyond the dept of thought, into the realm of possibility, where imagination and creation go hand in hand. Making anything possible even creating this replica in my hand."
Crossing his arms as he strokes his chin in a mischievous way, Iramo points his right hand to the wall and doesn't make a sound.
If that's the case I could level the ground! ERRRRRRR! Nope not working.
Turning his head back to face Maradi with immense disappointment, Iramo let out an exaggerated cry.
"It didn't work! Why didn't it-"
Hurling the structure of Centria at his head, Maradi grabs Iramo by the shoulders and turns him around.
"Of course it didn't! I wasn't done yet! Now hush! ANYWAYS as I was saying anything is possible as long as you can imagine it as long as it aligns with your mind. Much like you, most of us have an inner voice that won't just let us do anything but its that exact mental block that keeps you alive and more importantly keep you from destroying yourself. For most people its hard to hear that inner voice at all, they might hear it once or twice in their life. But once you expand your mind with experience of any kind, you can learn to control more of your mind without and tap into the power that voice is keeping keep locked away. Its a good safe guard but its keeping your real power at bay. Which is why that fraction of your mind you have full control over, is called Zone but each is not the same."
As those words sank in he recalled the voices he heard, wondering which one was his own? Could it of been the first one to guide him? Or maybe the wind that showed him a path? With no way to know for certain he had only one thing let to do and that was to ask.
"What makes them different? And how do you know which voice is your own? And if we're truly bound by that voice, how do we know what aligns?"
Swiftly stretching her hand out, Maradi places two fingers over his heart, pressing them down into his chest.
"To hear that voice deep within us all that's locked away, you have to be in tune with yourself, your truth. That's the only way but its easily said than done, I myself haven't reached that stage. But you have to start from now, you need to collected your mind. Because you cannot hear the truth if your not in control. So for now strengthening your body and mind should be your only goals."
Pushing him back with the tips of her fingers, Maradi stretches out her palm and shows the back of her right hand. While opening a portal behind her back and pulling out a dark blue fan, dressed in a pattern of glimmering stars, extending it just below her eyes.
"Now that you know why we're here I think its time we begin. Show me what you can do— even if its just to defend."
Rubbing his chest intently, Iramo took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on even the slightest difference in sound. He felt the slightest sensation of winds dancing around his hand, brushing by the side of his legs, this subtle yet evident presence was familiar and it was guiding his hands.
The moment he opened his eyes he had taken up a broken stance. A formless technique as free as the sky.
"If we're gonna do this, I'll do my best so you better not cry!"
The moment Maradi's hand comes down, her fan fly's high, shooting forth streams of light dancing in the air, drawing his attention and before he could blink… he was struck three times. One strike to his chest and two to the head, flinging him to the side. With so much power he was swept off his feet in an instance, drifting to his side. Seeing Maradi's relentless barrage flying at him out the corner of his eyes, driving him back into the trees.
"Oh I'm sorry did I hit you too hard? Better not cry! If your going to do your best start from now or you just might die."
Dropping below his guard Maradi comes up fast and hard, striking Iramo with a powerful gut shot slowing down his flow as she slips his feint attempt to come down with a right to the center of her head and the flicker kick from the side. Taking advantage of his momentum as she strikes him with her back hand to his thigh, sending him crashing into a tree, flat on his back.
"That's the spirit Iramo but you have to attack! If all you can do is defend you won't last long before you end up dead. Now FOCUS! Don't let the damage you take get to your head!"
Rising to his feet as she charges at his with a beams falling from the sky, Iramo raises his hands and steady's them holding his head high as he charges forward matching her stride. Ducking under her fist as he sees her heel half way to his head and throws his body back hard to the side.
She's good, really fucking good but I'm getting the hang of this now. But she's still quicker than quick and I don't know how. If I can get knock her off balance then I can take back the pace. But if I'm going to hit her I have to make it count or she'll easily match my pace and dominate me all over again.
"You may have got me there but I bet you won't do it again!"
Balancing on his toes he touches his right foot down while swinging his left foot around ad hard as he can. Swiftly crawling backwards slowly creeping in as he narrowly dodges her strikes, keeping his eyes on her hands.
That should throw her off time to dive right in! Just wait for the fuck up anddddd… I'M IN!
Straightening up his form suddenly, Iramo spins inward to dodge her right hand and jumps over the left kicking her hand away as he reaches out with his left hand to hold her down as he put his all in his right. But as he tries to latch onto her back he falls right through. An the moment his body falls off balance, Maradi leaps off the ground and stretches her right foot high to the sky. Dragging it down hard only for moment as the left connects hard to his chin rattling his eyes. Leaving his dazed body laid out flat on the ground, looking up at the sky.
"Not a bad attack but your facing the Dark Star right now how unlucky for you. But this trick I did with my body, I know you can do that too so why didn't you? Did that hit to the head take some memories away?"
Watching the lights raining down from the sky, everything began to slow down in Iramo's eyes. Going slower and slower the lower they got to the ground as he laid there frozen in place. Hearing nothing but the sounds carried in the wind coming down from the sky.
Fuck… is this it? No! I can do so much more. I shouldn't settle for less— especially when I said I'll do my best. Come on body lets try this again! Just a bit faster this time. If I can stay focused, I can hit her! I just have to go low then high!
With a flash and a bang the lights crashed into the ground as Iramo rolled back, flipping over his head as he pushed off his hands launching himself into the air and onto the branches of a tree.
"I gotta admit, your a lot better than me so I won't disrespect you again… from here till the end."
Clutching his as he tightened his gaze with a growing fire in his eye, Iramo leaped into the air releasing a massive gust of wind across the room as he crossed the sky.
"I WILL give it my all this time so show me your best!"
Shifting forward with pride, Maradi matches his stride.
"That's what I've been waiting to hear! But don't blame me if your out cold again after our fist collide!"
The stars are often seen in the sky but they live far beyond. Yet nobody questions it would you leave a dragon in a pond? One wrong move and all the water… will be gone.