The Mountain of Kalm (Part 2)

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The Mountain of Kalm (Part 2); Self Training
Topic Started: Dec 27 2008, 11:15 PM (85 Views)
Seenter	Dec 27 2008, 11:15 PM Post #1
Dynamite Posts: 716 Group: Sentry Member #188 Joined: January 16, 2006	Chris arrived at his training spot as the last light of the sun drifted over the horizon. The moon reflected enough light that Chris could see the stone he had been practicing on. It lay at the foot of the mountain with several series of cuts along mid-level to a person's torso. Two days ago he practiced simply doing a horizontal strike and blocking, a two move combo that could be used in any situation. On his back the special shield his mother gave him rested, as he looked at the stone before him. He slowly reached out and touched the stone, his fingers tracing the various scratches he made on the stone. His mind watched the simple move over and over in his head. He was already applying it to the battle with the lady before, and already he could see how it would have improved the outcome. If he was really wanting to leave the city, it would have been better if he actually practiced more. Chris didn't notice someone watching him from a distance, someone hiding near the trees that led to his 'secret spot'. Right now he didn't care, as long as word of this didn't get back to his parents. He left a few days ago to travel the world, only to get into a fight with a woman and become injured in the process. Then he had to return to the city, and then hide from his parents at a friend's business because he didn't want to worry them. It was just a wierd few days. He was actually recovering from the injuries not too long ago, and getting some practice in at the same time. He already felt stronger from doing the simple movements, and now he was wanting to be faster. Chris removed the shield from his back and put it on his left arm. The biggest problem with his previous fight was that he wasn't fast enough to dodge out of the way. His opponent seemed to enjoy using a ranged weapon, and since he was a close to mid-ranged fighter that made things difficult for him. He remembered that throughout the entire fight he wished he had some Materia to fight with, so he could still fight after throwing his shield. But the more he thought of it, the more Chris realized that he just wasn't fast enough. Throwing the shield left him open to attack, and he simply wasn't fast enough to dodge after the shield was thrown. That was his first biggest mistake in the fight. The second was that he didn't know how to use his shield correctly, and that cost him almost as much damage as his lack of being quick on his feet. He helped reduce the second problem a few days ago, now was the time to work on the first. Chris moved his arms a little before getting ready to train. His arms were working just fine, a little sore from the previous training but fine. He didn't have any injuries left on his body, thanks to Jamie using that healing Materia on him earlier this morning. He'd have to ask her more about Materia, it seemed she knew more than Chris suspected. But right now he was needing to train, and that's just what he was going to do. He looked at the mountain up behind the stone he was working on before, picking out a few of the loose gravel and rocks that almost hung by a thread. If he could just knock some of the bigger ones off, he could practice his dodging. He then remembered a Materia the shop in town selled, one that shoock and cracked the very earth. It would be perfect right now. But before Chris could think about how to get the money for it, a bolt of white light struck the mountain above him. It hit the rocks several feet above him, knocking loose some of the bigger ones that Chris didn't think he wanted to deal with right now. Several boulders half his height came tumbling down towards him, and Chris looked up with alarm when he realized what had happened. He was thinking a lot, and didn't even notice the bolt of white light hitting the rocks. But right now he didn't have time to comprehend, because he was busy running for his life. He ran a few feet from the boulder he was practicing on before, before he realized that it was safer to hide behind it then running out in the open. He made a mental note to curse himself later, as he side-stepped in mid run to avoid being bowled over by the first of the rocks. He managed to avoid most of the bigger ones, only to get smacked from behind by one as big as his head and slammed into a tree in front. Chris stayed there dazed for a moment, shaking his head and completely thrown for a loop. He didn't even notice that one of the large boulders was coming right at him, the last one that was much higher on the mountain. It was coming like a freight train, and about to slam into him like one before a figure appeard behind him. The figure just held out a hand, and as soon as the boulder came into contact with it, shattered into several pieces. Chris recovered just in time to notice this feat, and turned around quickly to see a brunet woman standing there. She had long hair, and was wearing a mask that just covered her face. Chris noticed it was a mask sold at his parent's shop, with a few alterations made. It might have been custom built, but he knew his father never did any customizing of his products. Before Chris could say anything, Julie walked from the woods into plain view. "Well that was certainly dangerous. You might want to be more careful with him." The woman turned around, looking at Julie without paying any attention to Chris. When she spoke, her voice sounded like that of a computer. It was a small device that Chris's dad picked up a few of while he was in Midgar. It allowed the user to alter his/her voice to sound like someone elses. But leaving it un-tuned gave the user a monotone, static voice. "I had to test him. He's strong, but not very quick." Julie just seemed to nod, then turned to Chris. "You're probably confused by all this. This is Phoenix, a mercenary and a close and trusted friend of your mother and me. I thought that you may need help, so I asked her to help while she was in town." Phoenix looked over at Chris, almost as if sizing him up. "And don't worry. I come as a favor to Julie, so I won't be telling your mother that you're here." Chris moved from the tree a little, now realizing that his back was injured from the rock and his lungs felt tight. Julie held up a familiar green Materia, which glowed green along with her hand. The green light flowed over Chris, and he could feel his injuries heal quickly. His body was still sore, but at least he could move around without breaking things. "Phoenix will be training you for a little while, until you're ready to try and venture out again. You have 2 weeks to train, and then I'm calling your mother if you're still here. I can't have you living in my basement." Chris gave a nod, looking a little appologetic that she's done so much for him. He looked at Phoenix, who didn't show any emotion through her mask. "We'll train tomorrow morning. Don't worry about anyone hearing us, no one comes to this part of the mountain and the woods muffle sound. Be ready to get hurt." With that, Phoenix walked through the woods and disappeared into the trees. Chris began to have some doubts as to if he could trust her or not, as he followed Julie back to the inn for some rest. Edited by Seenter, Jan 1 2009, 02:32 AM.



Seenter	Jan 1 2009, 09:53 PM Post #2
Dynamite Posts: 716 Group: Sentry Member #188 Joined: January 16, 2006	Chris woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day. He worried that he wouldn't get much sleep after everything that happened last night, but as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out like a light. He almost swore he heard someone behind him just before he reached his bed, but everything was blank. His dreams were even nothing, and he slept like a log. He glanced around and noticed his shield resting at the foot of his bed where it usually sat. He didn't even remember taking it off and setting it there, and he could have sworn he was wearing it when he went to bed. He just shook his head, grabbed his shield, and hurriedly snuck out of the inn before anyone else woke up. Chris made his way to the 'training' spot like originally planned, weaving through house quickly and quietly before doing the same with trees. He made it there without being seen, and waited at the tree line. His eyes drifted over what had happened the night before, glancing up at the mountain above. A crater, a small one, seemed to have struck the mountain above where he was. It caused the larger rocks up there to break off and fall down, at least by his best estimate. Phoenix must have done it, based on the conversation he heard between her and Julie while he was dazed. "So she was wanting to test me huh? I didn't even have a number 2 pencil." Chris gave a slight grin, as he walked out with his shield strapped to his back. He didn't even get 5ft from the tree line when a bolt of white light struck him in the back, directly at his shield on his back. He stumbled forward, completely taken by surprise by the sudden attack. He spun around quickly, raising his hands in self defense. He didn't wait long before seeing who the culprit was. Phoenix walked out of the woods behind him, as silent as a ghost and as eerie as one. She was wearing a tight leather outfit that showed full flexibility and protection. She was still wearing the mask from before, with her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. On her wrists she wore a strange set of bracelets, one with a green and a blue gem imbeded and the other with a green and a yellow gem embeded. Chris could already guess that these were Materia. Phoneix looked over Chris, then spoke in the same digital voice. "You're slow, both physically and mentally if you couldn't attempt to dodge that." Chris scowled at her, feeling really hurt that she attacked his intelligence. He was proud of being as smart as he was, even if it wasn't as smart as he wanted to be. He almost gave a similar retort, when Phoenix held up her hand and another white bolt sped towards him. Chris quickly pulled his shield off his back and blocked the incoming bolt. The impact was enough to knock Chris backwards. Phoenix lowered her hand, Chris unable to read any emotion off her through the mask. "Nice, but we won't be using your shield today. Today you will be learning how to dodge without using your shield." Chris lowered his shield, looking at her somewhat confused. "But if I learn without my shield, how will I learn how to fight in combat with it?" Phoenix seemed to shake her head slightly. "You need to learn to dodge before you can learn how to block. Every attack you dodge without using your shield gives you a chance to attack at the same time with your shield." Chris gave a slight smile at Phoenix's answer. He was thinking along those same lines yesterday, and figured Phoenix could really help after all. He put his shield back onto his back and stood ready to train. Maybe he could trust her after all. Phoenix held up her hand, pointing it towards Chris like she did before. "Alright, lets see how strong you really are." Chris watched as another bolt of white light shot towards him at high speed. He jumped to the right as the bolt struck where his foot used to be. He could feel the impact and could see the small crater left behind. Something like that would really hurt if it hit him, but he didn't have time to think of that now. A second bolt was heading for his landing spot, and he barely managed to avoid this one. Whatever this Materia was, it was making it very hard for him to move. "Not bad, but jumping around won't keep you safe. You have to keep moving. Here." She holds up a yellow stone, what Chris could only guess was a Materia. She placed it on the ground, turning her attention back to Chris. "If you can take this, it's yours." Chris looked at Phoenix, then at the stone on the ground. He almost made a break for the materia right then and there, a strong compulsion to take it as quickly as possible. But the way Phoenix said it didn't sit right with Chris. He then realized why that was. She said if he could take it, and it really hit home when another bolt of white light headed for him. He jumped to the side, then made a break for the materia. He guessed it took her a few seconds to use the materia again, and he was already planning his next move when she did. Strike! Chris was thrown several feet back as a blast of water hit him directly in the face, sending him careening into the rock he had been practicing on before. He sat there absolutely dazed, looking up at Phoenix with bewilderment and amazement. His eyes swam, but he was able to focus enough to notice that it was the green gem on the same arm that was glowing, not the yellow. It took him a few moments before realizing what happened, and he struggled to his feet. He lay against the boulder, still reeling from the impact. "Th-that's not fair." Phoenix just stood before him, and he could only guess she was smiling behind the mask. "It's perfectly fair. The problem is that you didn't account for any surprises. And your mom calls you smart." Chris glared at her, anger slowly building up inside of him. It was one thing to doubt his intelligence, it was another to talk down about his mom. He realized that if he was going to make her shut up, he was going to have to take this 'training' seriously. Chris stood up and focused his mind, calming his body and relaxing it. He looked up at Phoenix, now 40ft away because of the blast of water. He mentally created a chess board, moving the first pieces according to what has already happened. And he put a new piece, a gold on hidden behind Phoenix's defenses. The rules of this chess game are a little different. Instead of going for the king, Chris's objective is to grab the gold. He measured the pieces already moved, and glanced at the two Materia on Phoenix's other wrist. She hasn't used them yet, so Chris would have to be prepared for them. He turned his attention back to Phoenix herself, then down at the Materia at her feet. Chris was already doing some quick planning in his head when Phoenix sent another blast of water at him. He quickly didged to the right, avoiding it as it slammed into the boulder. Chris made a break for the Materia, as the yellow on her wrist glowed again. This time he was ready, or so he thought when not one but two white bolts emerged instead of one. He cursed under his breath, moving the piece a little differently as he jumped to the left. He managed to avoid them only to get hit with another face full of water. Phoenix was definitely more skilled than he was, and was ruthless in her training. He knew he could trust her to train him, but he didn't know if he could trust her not to kill him as he slammed into the mountain side this time. He slowly drifted into unconscienceness, not really able to keep it together after the second double impact. Edited by Seenter, Jan 4 2009, 05:45 PM.



Seenter	Jan 7 2009, 11:07 PM Post #3
Dynamite Posts: 716 Group: Sentry Member #188 Joined: January 16, 2006	Chris slowly opened his eyes to Jamie stooping over him, a green light flowing from her hand onto his body. She was using the Restore Materia to heal him of his injuries, and the resulting action was also waking him up. He stired, letting her know he was awake. She finished healing him of his serious injuries, then moved back to give him room to sit up. He coughed what little blood was left in his throat, then looked up at Phoenix standing before the yellow Materia. She hadn't moved from the spot the entire time the 'contest' was going on, and it was starting to piss him off. Besides the movements of her arm, Chris hadn't even been able to move her, that topped with her insults was making him lose his focus. He tried to stand up, but his body refused. He collapsed against the stone, glaring at Phoenix the entire time. "You went too far. You could have broken his bones you know." Jamie supported Chris when he collapsed, glancing at Phoenix as she steadied him. Phoenix just shrugged, not showing any emotion through the mask. "Well you were here to heal him, so no harm done." "But if I wasn't here, what would you have done?" Phoenix didn't seem able to answer that, and Chris could tell she was thinking of one. Jamie finished up with healing while she supported Chris, then let him go as he stood on his own. He was about to make a break for the Materia when Phoenix reached down and picked it up. She put it into her pocket, then turned to leave. "Chris, that's enough for today. Use what you learned today, and you can try again tomorrow." Phoenix then disappeared into the tree, and Chris could only glare in that direction. It took a few moments for either of them to talk, and Chris was the first to break the silence. "Jamie, who is she?" Jamie looked down, and Chris could tell she was struggling with an answer. But he didn't push it, focusing on the stone behind him to ignore his nervous feelings. "She's someone we know well, and she's a member of SOLDIER." It was almost like Jamie was hesitant to say what she spoke. "She's very gifted, and knows a lot about fighting. I'd say she's the best person to have as an instructor." Chris looked at Jamie surprised, completely forgetting about his nervousness. He'd never seen the girl so hesitant, even growing up Jamie was pretty strong in her opinion. But now she seemd like she could barely spit the words out. Normally Chris would try to pry for more information, but if Jamie was so hesitant then there must be a reason. He just gave a nod, then turned his attention to the woods where Phoenix disappeared. "Then I guess I shouldn't give up." Next Day Chris made it to the 'training' area again, this time looking around carefully for Phoenix. He peeked out from the trees, noticing the woman standing in the middle. The yellow Materia rested at her feet, and she was reading a book of some kind. Chris instinctually reached for the shield on his back. His hand rested on it, as he remembered what Phoenix said yesterday. No shields. His hand left the shield as he stayed where he was. In his mind he was setting up the chess board again, this time moving the pieces mentally to account for any possibilities. This time he was going to try a sneak attack and hopefully snatch the Materia before Phoenix had a chance to react. In a way he felt guilty for planning such an underhanded tactic, but after the pounding he recieved yesterday he didn't want to take any chances. He waited for the right time, taking into account all the obstructions between him and her. "Splash!" Chris didn't even have a chance to make a break for the Materia, as a high blast of water came straight at him from Phoenix. He jumped out of the bushes to the left, avoiding the water and coming in full view of Phoenix. The woman just closed the book, noticing it was Chris. "Trying a sneak attack? Be careful, people might think you were after their lives if you can't hide better." Chris glared at her, not really believing she thought he was a killer after her. But it would make sense why she used such a powerful water attack, best way to either eliminate the enemy or draw them out in the open. Which happened to be the later in Chris's case, thankfully. Phoenix stood before the yellow stone, ready to continue where they left off yesterday. The day went on pretty much the same it did yesterday. Chris forced his muscles to respond, pushing them to the limit no matter how sore they were. Occasionally he'd get close enough to snag the yellow stone, only to be thrown back by either a blast of water or a strike from the energy. This time Chris managed to stay awake and moving, despite the obvious cuts and bruises all over his body. He couldn't see Jamie hiding in the trees behind him, doing her best not to rush out and get in his way. Phoenix knew, but also knew that Chris's temper wouldn't allow him to stop. He needed to cool down, which is what Phoenix did. She pulled out a new green Materiam focusing on the ground under Chris and in front of her. "Blizzard." Chris made a break for it, hoping to grab the Materia before her attack was launched. Unfortunately Chris didn't get the chance to grab it, as he slipped on the newly formed ice and slid right toward Phoenix. He made a desperate grab for the stone, only to have Phoenix kick it to the side and step out of the way. He fell face first on the ground and got cut up pretty bad. Jamie came running out of the woods, making a break for Chris wihout slipping on the ice. The glare she gave Phoenix was colder than the ground was. But Phoenix didn't seem to mind, as she watched Jamie pull out the Restore Materia and began healing Chris. "Take some time to cool off Chris. Being hot headed messes up your plans. You usually have a better plan than this." Chris looked up at Phoenix a little surprised. She acted like she knew Chris from before, even though she first acted like they never met. His anger slowly melted away as he thought of who she might be, and her words finally sunk in. She was right, he was better planned than this. He took a deep breath, as Jamie healed the last of his injuries. Chris stood up on his own, despite Jamie wanting to support him. He looked at Phoenix, then at the stone at her feet, then the stones on her right arm. He slowed down his breathing and closed his eyes, recalling the chess board from yesterday. He recalled the pieces being moved, and moved the pieces according to the actions of today. He even included the large blast of water from before, because it showed how much Phoenix was holding back. He took a deep breath, moving the pieces prematurely and planning out ahead. He let out the breath slowly, opening his eyes with determination. He had a plan. Jamie moved back towards the woods, while Chris picked up a rock the size of his fist. He tossed it up and down, playing with it almost like he was planning on throwing it in the near future. But he was actually testing the weight and size of it, seeing if it would fit his purpose. He caught the rock, then looked at Phoenix standing there. She didn't seem all to phased that Chris was now calm, or the fact that he had a rock in his hand. But it was hard to know what she was thinking with that damn mask over her face. It was really starting to piss Chris off, but this time he kept a level head. He moved the pieces in his mind again, then refined the last move. He leaned down like a sprinter ready to charge, tensing his muscles to make a break for it. "Splash!" Phoenix released another blast of water in Chris's direction, intent on throwing him off and mess up his plan. But Chris already took this into consideration, and jumped to the right to avoid the attack. He charged after Phoenix at full speed, holding the rock in his left hand. He moved it from one hand to the other as he ran, keeping his focus on Phoenix's right arm and the Materia stored on her bracelet. The yellow one glowed, and instantly Chris shifted to the right again to avoid the now three blasts of energy heading where he was. It only threw him off half a step, and Chris shifted the rock to his right hand in compensation. Almost immedietly the green Materia glowed again, and this time Chris didn't seem to be ready to dodge. Instead he held the stone in front of him, his arm directing it right where the blast of water was going to hit. He loosened his arm to let the water hit the rock full force and let go of it, pushing himself sideways and letting the rock take the full force. It allowed him to twist around the blast of water enough to fall down next to the Materia. His now empty hand made a desperate grab for the Materia on the ground, and he finished his roll off to the side. He rolled to his feet, sliding a good distance before the friction slowed him to a stop. He stood there breathing heavily, his heart racing through the entire ordeal. It was a risky move, a very risky move. He might have planned it a little better, but he knew Phoenix wouldn't expecting it. Right now he just needed to calm himself, in case Phoenix decided to retaliate. Phoenix just turned to him, holding her arm up to release another attack. "That was a risky move, and you've got nothing to show for it." Chris smiled, opening up his hand and showing her what he held. The yellow Materia glowed in his palm, now claimed by Chris with his risky move. Phoenix just looked at Chris for a moment, then looked down at the ground by her feet. The Materia there was gone, snagged by Chris when he made his roll. She turned her attention back to Chris, as a robotic laugh escaped her lips. She was obviously laughing at the whole encounter, and almost praising Chris at the same time. "Well done, well done. You managed to surprise me. Congradulations, the Libra is yours." Chris stood up, still a little battered and bruised from his roll. He looked down at the Materia in his hands, then back at Phoenix standing there. "Libra?" Phoenix nodded. "It's a Materia used to analyze an opponent's strengths and weaknesses. A must for a fighter like you. Go ahead, give it a try. Focus on me, and then think Libra. It's easier to focus if you say it." Chris looked at the stone in his hands for a moment, then looked at Phoenix before him. He held the stone out, focusing on her and thinking the word 'Libra'. "Libra." Instantly Chris saw what appeared to be crosshairs appear over Phoenix, almost targeting her in his eyes. It seemed to scan her from the top down, as a blank sheet appeared next to Phoenix. It showed the word 'Health' with a ??% next to it, as well as 'Spirit' with a similar symbol ???. Below were the words 'Weakness' and 'Strength', and these were also blank. Of course all of this was going on in Chris's own eyes, these symbols and such wern't seen in front of his face. But Phoenix could see that it was working, because the materia was glowing and Chris's eyes reflected what he saw. The image disappeared, and Chris could only shake his head. "It's not working." Ohoenix just gave a nod, almost like she expected it not to work on her. "You just need to practice with it. The more you practice, the better it becomes." Chris just shook his head, feeling a little gyped at getting a non-combat Materia. But from what Chris saw, it was a very handy item to have. Phoenix was right, this Materia was perfect for a guy like him. Jamie came running up, holding the Restore Materia in her hand. Chris turned to her, still holding Libra in his hand. He spoke quietly, so Jamie wouldn't hear. "Libra." Again the crosshairs appeared, but this time they were focused on Jamie. They scanned her up and down her body, as the 'read out' appeared on the side of his vision again. Still nothing, but Chris felt the lack of information came faster. Jamie just looked at him funny, then noticed the Materia in his hand. "Did you just scan me?" Chris blushed a little, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand sheepishly. Jamie came close enough that it there was only a few inches between them. She spoke quietly, but loud enough for Phoenix to hear. "Did you like what you saw?" Chris immedietly fell over backwards surprised, crawling backwards away from Jamie quickly. Phoenix seemed to give a 'hrmph' sound from beind the mask, then turned and headed for the woods. She stopped, then turned back to Chris. "Be here tomorrow. There's more training to be done." Chris just watched as Phoenix disappeared, puzzeled as Jamie began to heal his wounds. Edited by Seenter, Jan 17 2009, 05:26 PM.



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