[RL with Darc] Tapping Into Your Inner Element

[glowy_brows]

Jordan had agreed to teach the young Deimos King how to wield "true" magic. He wasn't sure if he'd be successful or not, but considering Darc's origins... It would probably just be a matter of tapping into his own unlocked potential and drawing on his magical bloodline

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SORRY I SUCK FOR NOT SEEING THIS

[halfdeimos_king]

Darc nodded, no shortage of determination. "I'm ready, alright." The wind felt good against his skin, calming somehow, although it also reminded a part of him of the days when he once had wings. But now was no time for nostalgia - there was work to be done.

Actually, I suck for not pointing you toward it XD

[glowy_brows]

Jordan stood with hands on his hips and drew a deep breath.

"All right! First thing's first. Let's start with some basic breathing exercises. Visualization and meditation are important factors when trying to connect with your inner self."

The young Avatar sat down and crossed his legs in the Lotus Position, hands cupped in his lap.

"Now, close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. Concentrate on the movement of air flowing into your lungs."

LOL We can suck together? XDD

[halfdeimos_king]

Breathing? It seemed a little odd to Darc. He had to remind himself that Jordan was trying to teach him, so it must be helpful somehow. A part of him was still sceptical - he had never had an actual teacher after all, and he didn't always take well to being told what to do.

He's not trying to enslave me. Just do it.

Closing his eyes as instructed, Darc took in a long, deep breath, feeling the breeze around him being drawn in, then exhaled back into the air. Again he did this, and again. The air felt good, and not just in the sense that it was essential; he felt in-tune with it somehow.

Yes. Yes we can.

[glowy_brows]

"There... Can you feel it?" Jordan said, eyes still closed. "Air is all around you. It's an invisible yet subtle force. It can take the form of a gentle breeze, like a breath upon your cheek... Or it can become a force of untold destruction, capable of leveling buildings in a matter of seconds."

He opened his eyes, shining in the afternoon light. "Some people say that wind is the weakest of the four elements, but that is not the case. It is ever-changing and relentless. Wind possesses the capability to carve through even the hardest rocks and to wear down the tallest mountains. But to control it... you need patience and a gentle touch. One cannot simply strike the air and make it obey. It is winsome and unbridled. You must understand these precepts if you are going to gain mastery over it."

:B

[halfdeimos_king]

As Jordan continued to describe the force that wind could have, the Deimos king grinned in return. "I remember it having that power when I used magic with spirit stones. It could blow just as sharp as a sword's edge without cutting skin. And I could heal with it too."

He took another deep breath, an interlude. "It will have to learn to listen to my power instead of the stones', but I'll do it." A particularly strong breeze punctuated his determined statement.

[glowy_brows]

Jordan grinned. Maybe this whole teaching thing wasn't going to be as hard as he thought! He was beginning to settle into the role of "wise mentor" now. Of course, he'd had many good teachers in the past to serve as an example.

"Wind is an element with a dual nature. You certainly seem to understand that." He stood. "Okay, now that we've gotten the breathing and visualization down, let's practice with some basic movements. Since wind is a shapeless and invisible force, you need to have a firm, but gentle hand."

Taking a deep breath, Jordan raised his arms above his head, sleeves fluttering slightly, and sketched a circle as he brought them down and centered them in front of his chest.

"Follow my movements," Jordan said. "Center yourself. Think of yourself as a winged creature who does not command the wind, but rides upon its currents."

[halfdeimos_king]

That'll be easy enough, thought Darc at the mention of imagining wings, removing his armour in the process. Sometimes, like anyone else who had lost a limb, he could swear he felt "phantom wings"; it wasn't very difficult to mix imagination and memory to recreate the feeling of wind caressing wing.

A bit more flexible without his armour in the way now, he was able to copy Jordan's circular movements. Darc performed the motions a few times before pausing. "How is this supposed to centre me?" Imagining himself with wings again was easy and made sense, but he didn't understand how moving his arms in circles would help.

((OOC: FYI: With Darc's armour off, if Jordan sees his back, he'll see some rather nasty circular scars where his wings were ripped out. Also original message deleted to fix an HTML error. >.<))

[glowy_brows]

Jordan stepped forward and swept his arms in several circular motions, from front to back, as if trying to guide some invisible ribbon between his hands.

"Like water, wind moves in currents, but it's not nearly so flexible. It's hard to change its direction quickly. That's why you need to guide it along strong channels, using firm, circular movements. Like this."

It was almost like a dance. Graceful, sweeping motions. After a few moments, Jordan paused and lowered his hands.

"If you've got the motions down, we'll see if we can't try changing the direction of the breeze. Think you can handle that?"

[halfdeimos_king]

"All right," Darc answered, understanding the instructions a little bit better. Raising his arms, he began to follow Jordan's movements. He started off a bit awkwardly as he tried to get the pattern right, and overcome his uncertainty.

Soon, the strange dance of sorts flowed more as Darc allowed himself to feel as if he was guiding the air around him. His breathing quickly and subconsciously synced with the motions.

"Like this?" He asked, still partly in a kind of trance.

[glowy_brows]

"You got it," Jordan said softly, not wanting to break Darc's concentration. He was getting the hang of things quite easily. The young Deimos must be tapping into his inner element quickly!

Feeling a bit playful, Jordan grinned and stepped forward, sweeping both hands forward, as if he were pushing a wave of water in an attempt to splash his friend. The wind gusted, swirling around Jordan, and puffed against Darc's face, blowing his hair back.

[halfdeimos_king]

"Hey!" came the cry as the gust hit Darc's face. He returned Jordan's playful expression as he too brought his arms back as if to splash. Closing his eyes again for a moment, he thought of the exercises he had been doing so far. Drawing air in, guiding it, feeling its flow...

When he brought his arms forward to counter attack, Darc found he wasn't quite as successful as he had hoped he would be. Did his robes flutter a little? he wondered as he tried to figure out if he even did anything at all. Looking down at his hands, he "tsk"ed in irritation.

[glowy_brows]

There was a very slight breeze, actually, but hardly noticeable. Jordan could feel the air on his face, like a whispered breath.

"It's all right. Don't get discouraged! Try again. Remember, if you get frustrated, it'll only make things more difficult. A firm but gentle hand."

Slowly, Jordan demonstrated the moves again, and another gust of air fluttered against Darc's body.

"Okay. Now you try."

SORRY I FAIL AGAIN

[halfdeimos_king]

Darc took a deep breath to attempt to calm his frustration, though the exhale came out more like a sharp sigh. Before taking the proper stance once more, he rotated his shoulders a few times to loosen up.

Firm but gentle hand...why is this harder than it should be? Again he closed his eyes, but he instead thought of some of his previous discussions on magic; he was reminded then of something he said to Jack. Once before, Darc had somehow tapped into an inner power source. Lilia had encouraged him and his companions to do so, telling them to believe in hope and a brighter future in order to escape being swallowed in darkness. It was hard to forget the feeling of strength that welled up within him, and he tried to draw on his memory. The words he spoke then echoed in mind. "I will save the future of the world!"

For the second time he went through the motions, but this time a rush of wind did follow suit. When Darc saw that he had been successful, a wide grin appeared on his face.

[glowy_brows]

For a moment, Jordan was worried by that sharp sigh. It was a sign of frustration, an emotion Jordan knew quite well. The young Avatar was surprised at how much he'd changed since taking up that mantle three years ago.

But his worries were soon blown away by a strong gust of wind in his face. Jordan jumped up and punched the air in excitement, his robes billowing about.

"That's it! You've got it! You've tapped into your inner element!" Jordan said. Without realizing it, he had floated several inches off the ground. "I can't say that things are going to get easier from here on out, but now that you can center yourself, your real training can finally begin."

[halfdeimos_king]

A great, victorious smile spread across Darc's features. Turning to his left, he extended his scaled arm and shot another blast of air, revelling in the sensation of truly being in control of his element for the first time. The wind answered to his call now, and he would use his own inner strength to become more powerful with it than he had ever been using spirit stones.

Laughing lightly in his happiness, he turned back to Jordan and noticed he was floating. Grin still in place, he asked jokingly, "Do I get to learn to levitate too?"

[glowy_brows]

"Ah, what?" Jordan asked. Looking downward, he noticed that his feet were no longer touching the ground. His cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Whoops. Got a little carried away there..."

The young Avatar settled once more on solid ground and fussed with his sleeves.

"That's, ah, a different sort of power there," Jordan said. "But you could learn to glide, once you master controlling the winds. You'd need some sort of glider, too. It's not the same as truly flying on your own power, but it's better than nothing, right?"