Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Sept 20, 2018 10:37:28 GMT -8
Nidana was still having a hard time keeping up with Gavin's strikes and keeping herself under control. The exercise was going well though, as Nidana continued to use as little movement or energy as possible. His strikes were too fast for her to have a hope of collecting herself to get around him and execute Kouho Haiho or any other more definitive evasive maneuver.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 21, 2018 10:46:33 GMT -8
Gavin continued to push Nidana, keeping just fast enough where things were difficult. Despite how hard it was to completely get around him and fully establish herself, she was able to keep evading him with minimal movement. Though he had showed them the Kouho Haiho technique, is wasn't something required or important for the time being. But soon, it would become a vital part of their defense when the next few classes started.
Sending out a punch at her head, he smirked a bit as she evaded it to his side. But time was up for the day's lesson as they had been working for an hour. Small steps had been taken before the real sparring began, so the real aspect of it all was less than an hour, but he didn't want to push them just yet. It took time to endure heavy training for hours at a time, but he'd get them there. Standing straight, he turned from Nidana and looked to the others. "Alright, students. That is all for today. I want you all to take some time before the day's end and reflect over what you learned today. We will continue same time tomorrow, but I want you all here half an hour early. During this time, you are to join up with your partner and do a fifteen minute session over these evasion skills, giving all of you time to practice. Dismissed."
He watched as the students began heading out. He could sense different feelings and emotions coming from them. Some didn't really care and did as they were instructed. Some held fear and hatred, though not towards him. Then there was one he felt that did express such emotions at him. It was rather amusing. Each unique in who they were, how they came here, and what they hoped to achieve. Only time would tell, though, what became of them.
Turning to Nidana, he made sure she stayed. "As for you, I think we should talk awhile." He led her over to the water station so she could rest for a moment. "Tell me about yourself."
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on Sept 21, 2018 11:46:24 GMT -8
The students stopped as he brought the class to a close. They listened to him as he spoke and dismissed them. As he had guessed, the emotions flowing among them were different, reflecting their origins.
The male Falleen, Xar, the female Arkanian Off-shoot, Theranna, the female Dathomiran Zabrak, Prakira, the female Togruta, Raara, and the male Cerean, Zul, found focus and eagerness to learn more, despite the teacher.
The female Twi'lek Kosrezic, the male Echani, Carvish, and the male Nautolan, Cinnik, were mostly indifferent about it, mostly being here because it was required of them.
The male human, Cayne, and female human, Elysta, held the fear and hatred of the Sith as a whole in their hearts.
Then there was the male Zabrak, Korokaa and the other male Zabrak, Duvrax. Krokaa held some sense of superiority, though there was no resentment for the training or those he was with. Duvrax, however, was a different matter. His feelings superiority resonated heavily off of him. He was like an open book, hating being put into the same class as the rest, and even more, being subjected to the simple basics under a teacher he felt wasn't worth much.
Lastly, there were the brother and sister from Jabiim. They were a curious pair as they kept to themselves. Out of all the students, it was these two that the Sith'ari had a special interest in.
But none spoke as they gathered up their things and left.
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Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Sept 24, 2018 13:14:50 GMT -8
As he pushed her harder and faster, she could feel herself nearing the limit of her abilities. She could only move so fast for so long with out slipping up or wearing out. But lucky for Nidana, Gavin called after she barely avoided a punch to the face. As he addressed the other students she relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. She could feel now how tired she was, with achy limbs and sweat gleaming off her pale skin. She followed Gavin as he lead her to the water station. Nidana didn't answer till she had had her first cup of water and even then it took her a moment to fully understand that yet another powerful Sith sought to learn who she was. After that moment, she responded.
I- Well, I was a Jedi padawan a few years ago. But everything changed when I started being taught about the Dark Side, and the orders history with it. I have kind of developed an obsession with Dark Side lore. I even turned on my master, using the Force to strip all knowledge of the Dark Side he possessed from him. Then I ran. Stole a ship and traveled the galaxy hunting lore. Until I finally got up the courage to seek the knowledge at its source, here, among the Sith. I thought I could use you for the knowledge I craved and then leave, as I had with the Jedi. But then I met the Dark Lord of the Sith, and-
She stopped, knowing better than to tell the truth of her and her adopted fathers relationship.
And felt compelled to stay. She concluded. Sipping on her water and avoiding Gavins eyes. Dealing with foul Sith spirits had left her shy of any powerful living Sith.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 25, 2018 5:18:09 GMT -8
Gavin leaned up against the wall as she began to speak. Normally, he wouldn't be concerned with learning about those he trained just yet, though he felt it important to really help them grow. His question was one that indirectly sought an answer to her flaring power. And though she said nothing of it, what she did say was enough. He had his suspicions as to why it was and would state it directly to show what he was seeking and to see if he was able to read between the lines. "I see. I was hoping to figure out why your power began to fluctuate as it did when you were pushed into a corner and I think I have an idea as to why. You began training as a Jedi, so you gained the ability to feel the Force and utilize it, but I suspect you only learned a bit in controlling it before you departed the Jedi. And from there, you learned more and more, your power increasing due to your growing knowledge, but your control wasn't really increased during your time traveling the galaxy. As such, while it can be contained normally, that growing power stirs and acts like its has its own will and tries to break free when you become strained. Be it to protect you, protect itself, or respond to a challenge, your power is currently stronger than you. I suspect if you had continued on learning like you were, or simply took the knowledge from us, that power would be beyond your control to contain in any regard and would consume you, thus losing yourself and becoming a shell of only power." He closed his eyes as he thought on the possibility. "Knowledge alone is meaningless if you don't have what it takes to utilize it. Knowledge, experience, and disciple are the requirements to gaining power. You have a great potential within you. Drain Knowledge, or Mind Probe depending on which term you prefer, is an advanced skill and to suddenly use it out of desire is impressive. But without the disciple to control your power from the knowledge gained, it'll end you instead of progress you."
He then chuckled a bit, thinking on her words of using him and others here for their knowledge. "If you planned on using your power to take that knowledge, I'm afraid you wouldn't fair too well in that endeavor. There are many strong in body and mind here and would be capable of resisting you and would make you pay for trying and failing. A few little secrets about myself to keep you mindful of such cases. Despite how young I look, I'm much older than you may think. I've wandered this plane of existence for a little over one-hundred and seventy-five years. So with such age, I'm sure you can guess, comes great knowledge, power, and control. And speaking of power, you may think me powerful, though I normally keep my power low when others feel it. But that's just a cover to deceive my enemies. Only when I need to will I let it truly show. And a final secret, one you may not guess, is I'm not actually a Sith. Truth be told, I have no alignment in that regard. My beliefs, the way I train, the way I fight, and how I carry myself is nothing in line with the Sith." He suspected his few secrets as well as his claim to her power would prompt many question, all to which he was ready to answer.
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Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Oct 2, 2018 10:49:19 GMT -8
She sat silent for a moment, seemingly studying the cup of water in her hands. How could he know so much about her, about the power that can barely be contained? And why was he here if he were not Sith? And was she truly in over her head with this? She decided to ask at least one of her questions.
Why are you here then, if you are not Sith, I mean?
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Oct 2, 2018 11:21:44 GMT -8
He had to admit his surprise that only one question came from her when there were so many to ask. But that wasn't to say she didn't have many, only that she asked the one that seemed to matter the most. "As I said, I've been alive for a long time. I've learned under the tutelage of many orders. Jedi, Grey, Jen'Jidai, Shadows. Through it all, I've come to realize that there are too many ways of seeing the Force and the galaxy. Though I've never trained with the Sith until recent years before coming here, I've come to learn what it means to be a Sith. With that, I chose to formulate my own opinions and approaches to the Force. I see the advantages and disadvantages of all the orders." He then gave a chuckle. "But as to why I'm actually here. I've wandered the galaxy for quite some time now, and decided to find a new home. I felt the flow of the Force here, a growing darkness that was unified in a way I haven't felt in a long time. So I came, decided to see if I'd want to be here. The Sith'ari saw value in my knowledge, despite not being a Sith and that I could use that knowledge to help form a greater breed of Sith warriors."
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Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Oct 9, 2018 10:44:57 GMT -8
Nidana was silent again. It seemed that she had underestimated this man. She had judged him for some Sith aspirant or something. And to know he was so old and had experienced so many things and knew so much. Though she knew she would lose the contest easily, it was no less tempting to try and rip that knowledge out of him. But her self preserving instincts won out in the miner clash of will. She exhaled and asked her next question.
How can I contain my power? I can feel it surge through me, in times of stress and many times I can not control it. When I awake from a nightmare, I find the ground around me has already been chard by lightning, when approched by a thief or would be kidnapper in the streets, I seem to explode into a push knocking everyone away, not just the assailant. How can I stop myself from being consumed?
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Oct 10, 2018 6:10:31 GMT -8
Gavin smirked as she asked the questions. "You train and work to harness that power. Obvious enough, I know, but that is what it is. Needless to say, that is just one part of the training all the students would learn. However, we will begin now for you. The others are still young in the Force and do not face such a risk just yet. The first step is increasing your connection to the Force. Take a seat." He waited for her to sit before continuing. "I'm sure you've learn similar methods and techniques among the Jedi when dealing with meditation. And we'll use those same principles. You must have an open connection to the Force, able to utilize it without hesitation, without thought. The better your connection, the better hold you can have over your power. That way, you can influence it much more easily than letting it force its way out. That is but one of the issues. If it cannot flow easily through you, it builds up under the pressure, like a carbonated beverage in a bottle. If it stays like that, contained and under pressure, it'll find it way out, one way or another."
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Darth Sirona
The Sith Eternal
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Post by Darth Sirona on Oct 16, 2018 10:48:10 GMT -8
Finishing her water, Nidana sat down across from Gavin in a familiar pose from her training as a Jedi. She had not meditated in a long time, so she tried to relax, but that was hard for her naturally jittery self. Especially in this heart of darkness. How many of the tombs she had raided been of old masters who were slain by padawans when their guard was down meditating or sleeping? She did not wish to end up like them. But she tried all the same, to calm her mind.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Oct 17, 2018 5:27:15 GMT -8
Gavin watched as she took a seat. It was clear she was a little uncomfortable, his guess from not taking part in meditations in a long time. Once she was settled, he finally spoke. "As odd as it may seem, we'll be starting in a way that the Jedi do: clarity and peace. Much of the training I'll be instilling into all of you will come from practices of both Sith and Jedi alike as I feel there is much to learn from both that can make you stronger than either of those."
He imagined that she understood the means of meditation and how a Jedi slipped into such a state, but chose to give her guidance anyway. ""Close your eyes and steady your breathing. Take even breaths in through the nose and out the mouth. Still your mind, settle the questions and thoughts until the mind finds this point of emptiness. Find the peace and separate yourself from the world around you, its chaos and discord. Become like a stone in the river, still and unmoving. As you find this stillness, let yourself go and become one with the environment around you. Everything has a rhythm to it, a flow. Find the harmony. The energy of the Force exists everywhere around you as well as inside us all. Connect to that which moves around you seemingly so unnoticed." He waited a few moments before continuing, knowing that being able to relax and let go of one's thoughts and questions were difficult. ""It's far from an easy thing, to settle the mind and become still. Living beings of all manners are active and rarely still themselves unless they are resting. Before one can truly wield the Force freely, one must be able to feel it easily without the means of mediation and focus. You must become one with it and it with you, connecting to it second nature. The Force is not just a weapon to be wielded for battle. It is an energy of its own design. It flows within us, but we must make the effort to to understand it, to feel it, to become one with it. Try and imagine yourself in a place that brings you peace. For instance, imagine a hot bath after a hard day. How does it make you feel? Do you feel yourself slowly letting go of the tension as your muscles relax?"
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on Nov 10, 2018 13:25:10 GMT -8
The next day arrived and the students returned as Gavin instructed, thirty minutes before the lesson was supposed to start to begin reviewing what they had learned the day before. Joining up with the partners they had before, they began going through the evasion techniques, switching up fifteen minutes in.
For the majority, everyone did as instructed, going through the actions as expected with focused thought on what they were doing. For a some, such as the Zul, Prakira, Xar, Theranna, and Raara, they had more eagerness to learn. But for Durvax, things were much different. His irritation at what he was doing radiated off of him, making the others occasionally look over at him. But, due to Krokaa's suggestion, he kept his feelings contained and went with things for now.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Nov 11, 2018 8:03:32 GMT -8
Gavin had arrived shortly after the students did, watching from the doorway, just out of sight. He needed to monitor them, not only to ensure they did as they were instructed, but to gauge them, measure them. From their emotions, motivations, and relationship with each other, all these things would determine how he handled them and their training.
For the thirty minutes of training, he watched quietly. When time was up, he entered, ready to start the next lesson. "Alright, line up. It's time to begin the next lesson." Reaching the front of the class, he turned to face them. "Yesterday, I started you on the basics of evasion and dodging attacks. Clearly, you can't just defend yourself by moving out of the way of an attack. There will be times in which you will have to block an attack. Be it was too fast to avoid, timed against your dodge, or is best suited to make your attack, you will need to stop your opponent's attacks. A strong defense can overcome the brute force of nearly any attack. But the best way to accomplish this is not by gaining strength yourself, but by finding the proper stance and foundation. Doing so turns you into a wall. The stronger your foundation, the more immovable you become. However, don’t let these words fool you into thinking you must become tense and focused. If all you do is tighten up, you risk greater damage." He could then see some of the students look around questionably. "If you allow your body to be completely tense, you allow the full impact of an attack to resonate on that part of the body. That energy has to go somewhere and with no give, it start forcing your body to break down."
Knowing his words were probably more confusing this time, he looked to give an example. "I want you to jump twice as high as you can. The first I want you to land with your legs locked. Don’t let you knees bend. The second, let your knees give." He waited for them to do so, knowing they’d quickly feel the difference. "Yes, your muscle must be tensed and ready to push back against your opponent’s attack. But you want the rest of your body to be loose and capable of giving. As you just felt, when there is no give to your body, it puts a greater strain on you. By giving a little, you lessen the momentum, thus the impact of an attack before you fully stop it. Energy can’t just be stopped immediately like that. It’s going to go through you one way or another. That’s why giving a little to an attack is important."
His eyes then focused hard on them. "However, the tricky part is knowing how and when to give to an attack. Just giving can steal more energy from you or put you into a far worse position if you aren’t careful. That is what we are going to be working on. Finding the optimal amount of give and positioning for your blocks."
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on Nov 11, 2018 9:13:39 GMT -8
The fourteen listened as Gavin went on to explain the next step of their training. At first, it all seemed clear enough until he started talking about how being an immovable wall, yet not being tense and strong. His explanation started to lose sense, especially when tied with his instruction. Confused, they did as they were told. Some of them showed a visual understanding of what he was trying to explain, with his following words finally sinking in. It all started making sense to them.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Nov 11, 2018 9:29:04 GMT -8
Once he was certain they understood what he was talking about, Gavin continued. "Now, there are a few points of defense. You have the front, above your head, and each side with a higher and lower point, and below the belt. As you can easily imagine, the block used is reflected in the direction the attack comes from. The real fun comes in determining which block is most effective against what kind of an attack. For now, we’ll start with kicks. Most kicks made at your lower point are typically best avoided all together. You can get you arms low enough without bending over and your legs don’t provide the best defense in this case. So let’s start with the higher side kick. The best option is to form a wall with your arm. Keep them bent close together like this with your other arms braces behind it to help support. Also keep it close to your body. Not so close that the kick is on top of you, but far enough out you have the full support of your strength and can afford to give a little." He demonstrated the stance, then motioned for the pairs to try a few kicks before continuing.
"I’m sure you felt it, the way the power in your attack seemed to vanish. Just as if you hit a rock, it doesn’t give and seems to be unbreakable. However, the pressure of the attack ripples through its structure and begins to break the bonds that hold it together. After awhile, it eventually crumbles. However, hitting a softer object absorbs and disperses the energy when it gives, allowing it to constantly take its regular shape with no real damage while your own attack weakens after the initial impact. At this point, the object will mange to outlast your stamina. The same lessons applies."
He then showed a different block, putting out his hands close together that looked to be able to catch a kick. "Another method of blocking a kick involved more catching the kick than stopping. The same method applies, but this time, it’s the elbows that must give." He then motioned for them to try.
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on Nov 11, 2018 12:37:32 GMT -8
Moving on to the stances and forms relating to the specific blocks, agitation could be seen from Duvrax as he let out an audibly frustrated sigh and rolled his eyes. Still, all paired up with their partners, where Krokaa whispered something to him as they split away from the others. Shaking his head, he as the others, began going through the first set of blocks, creating defensive walls against their partner's kicks.
As they finished the first round of blocks, they listened as Gavin displayed a second form of stances. They took in the words spoken before returning to sampling the recent blocks Gavin showed them.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Nov 11, 2018 12:49:51 GMT -8
Crossing his arms, he watched as the pairs went on about working through the few blocks he showed them. It was easy to see Duvrax's irritation, but he paid it no mind right now. It was obvious his feelings of superiority and agitation going through such simple basics. It was a predictable response and he knew that in time, the Zabrak would, most likely, confront him.
After a few minutes of letting grasp the second block, he called their attention back to him. "Alright, I'll go ahead and demonstrate the remaining blocks for you so you can get started with your training. For the side punches, they are mostly going to always be a hook style or chop attack as it is the most effective at getting to your sides unless they are really close to you. As such, these blocks work just as effectively against them. Next, we'll address over head attacks. These are a bit rarer in unarmed combat unless from a downward kick, chop, or an attack from your opponent due to height. Two blocks that work well is the cross, or 'X' block, and the parallel block. The 'X' block will create a point where your arms will, in a way, catch your opponent. By a twist of your hands, you can grab them much like the catching side block. The parallel block has your arms running nearly side by side as a reinforced wall." He went ahead and demonstrated the blocks before continuing. "Next, you have the frontal block. This has two good defensive forms, like the others. The first is a cross in front of you. It doesn't benefit in catching your opponent. Another brace is to have both arms running upwards like a wall side by side. I recommend that when you do this, you definitely remember to tighten your muscles but keeps your joints loose. Also, let your knees bend in slightly." Once again, he displayed the blocks before showing them the last block. "Finally, the last block is a lower block. It is done best by a cross block, or a double palm block. Leaning down should be avoided when possible, so I wouldn't recommend trying to grab your opponent so much as simply block him."
He waited for a moment to ensure they understood. "Alright, going with the same A-B pattern we did before, team A will attack while team B defends. Mix up your attack patterns and remember to start slow, then speed up. After a while, I'll call for a switch and we'll repeat the process. Now begin."
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on Nov 16, 2018 14:31:22 GMT -8
The students did as they were instructed, turning to work with their partners. For an hour they practiced, working on grasping the basics as Gavin had showed them, switching up after thirty minutes for the second group to work on the blocking techniques.
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,146
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Nov 16, 2018 15:17:24 GMT -8
Gavin watched each of the students intently, keeping tabs on how each of them registered his words and interpreted them into their movements. For the time being, he said nothing to help them as they went. He would give them advice, finding ways to help them grasp everything better, but for a little while, probably the first couple sessions in each lesson, he'd only watch. He wanted them to learn how to progress on their own and take the steps themselves. After all, there would come a time when they'd seek things out themselves, and if they relied solely on the aid of others, they'd only be hindered.
Once the hour came to a close, he called the students back to him. "Alright, everyone. That's all for today. Reflect on what you have learned and return tomorrow so we can move to the next lesson. I want you all here an hour before. Thirty minutes will be spent split between both groups in blocking and thirty minutes split in evasion. Now dismissed." He watched them as they worked their way out of the training area before finally following after them.
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Post by Spectres of Midnight on Nov 18, 2018 11:13:31 GMT -8
The students returned once again to begin their training, now a full hour before they were to begin. If any indication of the previous lessons were to be believed, they would be spending two hours now training and going through the basic lessons. Day three of their tutelage under Gavin and emotions were starting to rise. The ones seeking knowledge, desiring to grow continued to find great interest in what they were learning, a few a bit more than others. It might have simply been the basics, but none of them had the knowledge or skills to argue. They were going from having no capabilities to having something and that was something to be thankful for. After all, a couple of them already knew that every bit of knowledge was valuable.
Even some of those that had initially shown know actually feelings one way or the other was starting to grow in focus if nothing else. These select few were taking the knowledge so they could grow, but it seemed to have other thoughts in mind, as if gaining strength was a key to something else outside of becoming something within the Blackguard. Either that or they had no true desire or motivation, only knew that becoming strong would eventually reveal to them purpose.
Then finally came the select couple, especially one, who's anger was growing more and more. It was becoming more and more difficult to contain their frustration, but held out some form of patience that after a few lessons of basics, they'd start elevating to better skills once those who had no abilities could keep up.
As instructed, they worked with their pairs, switching each fifteen minutes between lessons and each other so to further their understanding of these skills.
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