Sunlight Meditation [Kiranomo]

The fire element was one that emobied.... well, life? Not exactly, he thought. He had heard that there was another natural system out there that very few possessed that symbolized the power of inner qi to create life from the raw elements around the cultivator. However, he didn't know what this one was. Whenever he had asked one of the elders, they just gave him a funny, sort of cold look, and brushed him off, usually telling him to "cultivate diligently, young one!" or "Go sweep the potion room again. If you miss a spirit blood pill, you'll be given extra chores!" Usually, those spirit blood pills were even more valuable than many initiates themselves. Such pills could help a person's cultivation greatly. 

At any rate, he wasn't here to meditate on how to craft pills, though from what he had seen of Mister Huo and Mister Chi, it looked like a really fun and interesting process. Maybe he should ask one of the old men to teach him at some point. Although, he was pretty fed up with some of the old elders for not telling him everything he needed to know about the world before they pushed him into it... but such thoughts were not welcome in a meditative state. He had to be calm.

The fire element... it was quite the attribute. Not life, but movement and emotion. The passion of the soul, and the agnostic behavior of nature. When nature was imposed on, it struck back. It didn't like strangers and people who would hurt it. Disease, famine.... even these could be attributed in some way to a fire attribute. Fire also represented a form of energy, like most attributes did. Fire could save lives, it could save families, it could even power a nation. Such was heat.

However, it could also destroy. Fire raged, and it flickered, and it spread. As it did, it ate. Energy consumed matter, and left matter in its wake... matter  that could not be used, only mourned over and decried. Such was fire. From these ashes could rise something new.... hey, wasn't that something that the Elders had taught him? It was a cycle... every time something was destroyed or swept away, it made room for something new to grow and flourish in its place. This was called "samsara" by his sect, and "succession" by academics, and it was everywhere. 

Even the path of glaciers expressed this, but most of all, forest fires. Succession worked by first decomposing rocks into soil, then eventually growing different kinds of ferns and small plants, which then conditioned the soil for trees. All this, this growth and re-creation... by fire. 

With that, he opened his eyes. He'd done it, he felt it. His fire system had been conditioned another layer up, and he felt like he could breathe out something hot. Err...... well, that wasn't all that good, now was it? 

"Er, Teacher... I believe that I have cultivated the fire element slightly. Would it be possible for you to tell me how I'm doing so far? I can show you what I have meditated on, if you like...?" 


[TWC 3686
Another mid-thread approval required,
500 for Palm Bottom
500 for Fire Stream
2000 for Katon: Great Fireball
500 toward Mark Seal
186 added to the previous 309 for 495 of leftover WC for later in the topic
18 stats]

Approved of Appropriate Rewards

THis boy was something else. As she struggled, falling nearly unconscious before regaining her resolve at the hands of pure intent he'd simply been working on his element, off in his own world. It seemed almost as if he'd not noticed the exchange between kira and her two team mates. As he addressed her she'd look upward, giving him a slight nod between winces and a calm smile that seemed painful to show. She still had quite a way to go to regain the strength she'd once had. "sure sure. I'm sure if we continue to the point where you're successful in gaining a strong grasp of the fire element I can teach you a begining jutsu or two. I haven't had Katon long but of course I have a few tricks. Her mind slid to days past, more importantly to her training to create what she considered a jutsu of ultimate power. She ran through the hand seals, her break in concentration seeming to have miraculous effect. The pieces had fit perfectly into place now.

"Alright. Show me what you have and I'll see what we're working with. "

Meanwhile....

"Selene. I think it's about time we visit the court. I'm certain they have a few things we could use." Amber reached out to grasp the cloak hanging just inside the doorway. In one fluid motion it was shifted across her back, her free hand catching the small metal clasp and hooking it in place at her neck. The hood flowed across her long blue hair, hiding the bright tint in a sea of darkness.

"Of course. I dont suppose I should make ready a means of transportation." Selene's voice was fairly calm, almost lifeless as she sought to stay one step ahead of Amber. She knew they'd travel on foot. As much as she enjoyed the act of flying it was quite dificult and the demon of chance preffered low key. She'd cross the hall quickly with her weapon in tow, standing in front of the grand golden doorways to await their opening. This was always her least favorite part.


(4915, stopping wc at 4700 for stats. 215 towards crafting the faewild necklace)

It seemed that his teacher was doing some very stressful cultivation. What, stressful? It shouldn't be that way, if he remembered correctly. Perhaps this "energy" that she was using was actually destructive to the body and risky to use...? He didn't know anything about it, though, so he didn't comment. If he spoke up and asked about things he knew nothing of, he would be sure to incur the wrath of this powerful teacher. 8th Fa king innate potential AT LEAST... that was not something that he had any authority to doubt in his current state, and probably for the majority of his life.

What he did do, however, was cup his left fist in his right palm and bow slightly. "Very well, then, I will start with a weaker technique." With that, he performed a single handseal and focused his intent on inner qi compression, which was the direct impetus for casting a jutsu like this. Compress three times, his elders had told him. Fold, then fold, then fold again! Then your inner qi will take form, and you will be given the power over it. When he did this, he parted his lips slightly and SWOOSH! Out poured the fire stream technique. It was pretty weak at the moment (only around 10 power), but he knew that power at this stage was not really the point. What WAS, however, was the foundation, and since this was among the weakest of fire techs that one could learn, it was also the basis of many of the others.

The ability to create combustion and guide it with one's willpower... no normal person could do this. Only one with a great control over inner qi and the ability to compress it could achieve such a thing. These people were called "shinobi" and such by normal people, but were not all of these some kind of internal cultivator? Whether or not they meditated meant nothing, Koz realized. All people who used inner qi to achieve Dao was essentially a cultivator, each with his own innate potential and capabilities.

"Next", he continued, "I will try a slightly more advanced technique." He performed more than one handseal this time, as it was a more advanced techqniue. He did not, as of yet, understand where the seals came from exactly, or what in the jutsu they signified. But, they had to be performed, one after another, in a sequence. Such was the way of chakra.

At any rate, however, he spun the handseals and compressed the inner qi. Once... twice... three times folded! His lips parted again, but this time, instead of a puny fire stream, there would be a massive three meter wide fireball that spewed forth. It was good for him that he had pointed his face away from his teacher, otherwise, she might be very angry with him. After that was done, he cupped his fist and bowed again.

"How was that, teacher? I hope I met your expectations." Koz could achieve these things by meditation alone...

[TWC 505 restarting again]

"um. Well It would seem that you're a quit learner. That's good. It's a talent few of us have.... One of the reasons why I've survived as long as i have." Even through the haze of her throughts could be seem an air of surprise. She was impressed, both because of how quickly the boy was learning and at the prospect to be able to use this teacher student relationship to better her own situation. "If you keep up at this place I'll have to talk to Sani about sending you to an exam or high ranked mission far before most would. You could be chuunin soon." It'd been some time, she realized, since she'd actually been in the village system closely enough to know the details behind when a chuunin rank up could be achieved. She'd never officially been given one herself, though it hadn't stopped her form gaining strength.

As the grand doors opened light flooded into the foyer, bright flashes of pure white that peeked out from the treetops to pepper the ground about them. Past the doorway was a large wooden terrace that connected to the bridge like structure that connected the Tree of Airen to the rooftop kingdom of the Faewilds. They rushed quickly over vine linked slats of perfectly tempered wood that looked more like to stone in every way then what it was clear they were. The weather, even after hundreds of years barelly seemed to have phased the structures that granted travel between the rooftop homes, each of which seemed to be grown diretly from the center of a large tree like to the castle of the twin princesses, though obviously a bit smaller. "Down." Amber said simply, pushing off with her lead foot to flip her legs over the hand railing. Selene followed suit, each forming the hand seals to summon, a short lash across their sharpened inscisors splitting skin to allow a trail of red flow past them.

The ground seemed miles away as they fell, the summoning jutsus calling the twins and their dragons to Amber and selene's care, the new quartet immediately fluttering their wings reflexively the moment they realized where they were. "Miss. I must ask that you not summon us a hundred meters in the air!" Shuurin was the first to speak, her normal bubbly overly respectful tone discarded in light of the situation. Quickly they each grasped onto their summoners clothing, making contact as they slid into a save place to begin concentration.

"Shuurin love, less talk more nature energy. We have a short distance left. " Her words were less about informing the pair of course, they realized the way out of this situation. This was less of an easy out and more of a test of the summons resolved. Amber trusted her twins more then anything, enough in fact that she would put herself into a situation where if they were unable to give her the chakra needed in time she and the spirit of sorrow would find their lives ended in a splat. Still the two pairs were less sure. Could they even make it in time?

(5439, 2 stacks nature energy on amber and selene)

She considered the shift in his chakra present as he'd formed the fire style techniques, her powerful eyes having taken in the most subtle of changes in his network, the tiny flows of chakra as it mixed into fire style. The techniques seemed interesting but not something she was interested in. There was so little oomph she expected if she'd needed to she could have simply swatted away the fireball. Thankfully she hadn't gotten the chance to try, mostly because well... She would have probably attempted to swat away a fire ball and that can do horible things to skin. "OF course," she responded almost reflexively as she considered her limited knowledge of fire style jutsus. Had amber been here she might have been able to assist. It seemed that the girl had infinite knowledge of things far beyond her own understanding. It was quite wierd.

"no no, please. take your time. something about good foundation and buildings not falling down." It was clear she was still struggling, the blue aura that surrounded her body, hidden from all but doujutsu sight flickered to and fro as the edges seemed to curl in on theselves. The small black lining was growing, though incredibly slowly, the edge of water like chakra deepeninig to a light purple further and further inward from where it touched the corrupting black energy of the Omega. She was worried. "It is important that you have a strong base of knowledge. Fire stype specifically is a gift that a skilled user can use to allow both himself and his teacher incredible usefulness.... More so if that teacher is Me."

Meanwhile.

"We arent going to make it we arent going to make it we arent going to make it" The tiny pixie screamed into her summoners ear via their mental link even as she pushed her concentration farther. They could see the Underbrush covered green floor of the forrest now quite clearly, nearing three quarters of the way into their fall. Amber knew there was only one way to console the child, and as such she would take the power they'd given her so far, praying it was enough. Their forms began to glow in tandem, Amber and selene making the shift from their normal form to the ascended faewild transformation of Incomplete sage mode, allowing Pixie whiles it's natural effect on their bodies. The large gossamer butterfly esque wings began to glisten as nature chakra formed their means of escape. Fifteen feet, Amber thought to herself as she shifted her position to now point head down. One hand slid to the spot where her pixies were, the opening between her breastplate and the savar that made a perfect little home for the two tiny menaces, her palm cupping over the area to ensure that once the transformation was complete they wouldn't fall from their position and kill the summoner. Likewise selene reached backwards to the placing of the twin drakes, their claws sticking tightly into the cloth of her own savar just above the edge of her shoulder blades.

"Hold on girls. " The wings finished, air flowing into the new resistence and with three quick fluttering flaps and a flash of green energy the two pulled up from their nose dive, their armor almost grazing the folliage below. They'd made it and gained significant distance both towards the circle where the court met and in speed, using momentum from the fall to jet them off towards their goal.

(1320 towards necklace)

Koz once again turned his focus inwards, to his lower dantian. His upper dantian had yet to be unlocked as of yet, but he knew that it would require breaking through quite a few layers to achieve such a thing. Oh well, he had quite a ways to go at the moment. No need to speed things up if he didn't have to. He did not know it yet, but unlocking the upper part of his dantian and being able to cultivate pure nature qi within his body would require association with spirit animals and the like, and would be extremely difficult if not impossible for him at this point.

What was better for him, though, was this gentle fist cultivation. He realized that through his byakugan, he could see his own chakra network, the keirakukei (or meridians, as he referred to them). The meridians extended through his entire body, and he could also visualize the pressure points, or tenketsu. He knew that striking them in a certain way would result in the gentle fist's effect activating on an opponent... the disabling of chakra. It was a strong cultivator's tool against a shinobi, and it was also a martial arts skill. As such, he had to learn it. Martial arts skills of this level of prowess were rare.

Now, he had to know where to strike on another person's body. In general, though, this was the easiest part. It was like a spear, when thrown at an opponent... except instead of piercing an opponent's skin to destroy his vitals, this technique cut out the middle man, and went straight for the vitals instead. He had to remember that, whenever he used the gentle fist in combat. It wasn't meant to destroy tissue, but instead, to gradually cripple a person's meridians.

He also noted, however, that this was by no means permanent damage. How would he achieve that...? Also, was that not a rather cruel thought? Koz tried to push it out of his head, but it kept nagging at him. Well, he would have to ask an Elder about that later. He knew that some of them were capable of such things. He even thought that he had witnessed it happening, though he was not quite sure. Regardless, he needed to focus on his cultivation. 

As for the fire style, he was not quite sure how to proceed. A bigger, better, fireball, perhaps? No, he needed to cement his foundation. How about another extension of a small fire attack? The first time around, he had created one, large attack. Now, multiple, smaller attacks seemed like the best way to go. But how would he achieve such a thing? He focused in on the fire system. Compressing inner qi three times first, obviously. But then.... but then what? He noted that he would almost definitely have to split the fire stream idea somehow. This shouldn't be as difficult as he was making it. He breathed in... then he breathed out.... and then, he got a piece of inspiration. 

Opening his eyes, he smiled.

The phoenix sage fire technique, was that not what it was called?

Standing up, he bowed to his teacher again. Though a non-sect member might find this constant bowing somewhat annoying, Koz found it necessary.

He would wait until his teacher seemed receptive, as interrupting her in her crucial stages of meditation was rude.

[TWC 1573]

It seemed quite interesting the way the boy worked. While she was there to teach him... he asked little to no questions. He'd not pointed out which jutsu he would be working on or inquire if she had knowledge of the techniques. Had she really been away from the clan that long? She would need to head to the Hyuuga district and check in more often. He bowed once more, and though the action felt strange directed at her she responded n the propper fashion. It made sense of course. She was currently the sensei, but still, being the black sheep of the hyuuga for years meant a constant show of respect with little shown back.

meanwhile...

With the wind whipping up around them the two were off, floating far too close to the under brush. Amber knew the court to be only a short distance away which was helpful, but this was as much a positive as negative. She needed time to think. They'd been given far too many gifts lately in her opinion, even if it was for the protection of the faewilds and a part of their agreement with the court. To show up unannounced and request another felt wrong. About fourty meters from the main castle the woods opened up, the tightly packed Faewild oak trees seeming to part into a large nothingness, the ground like to scorched earth asside from the perpetually fresh looking split tree trunk in the center. "We're here Selene. " The words didn't actually need to be said of course, but it was a practiced response. They landed five meters before the tree trunk which set at about chest level, what was once the most grand tree of the Faewild forrest cut at it's base to create the duality by which the court worked. It represented the difference between the seelie and unseelie, those who create and those who destroy, mystical enchantments ensuring that it would never grow back. The dirt about them was blackened with soot, making it clear fire was used to carve out the opening but they could see none around them.

"I request the current council of the court. By my right I becon, Titania and Oberon. Capimhin, hamh, Eachthighern and emmantiensien. Fionnghuala nathair, Skerrit, squelaiche and verenestra. " THe air around them shimmered slightly at the request but her call remained unanswered for several minutes.

"If you wish to speak to the court.... You may drop such formalities Demon of Chance. Not only are they unneeded by the master of the twins, but you've gotten the form all wrong. The court has changed quite a bit while you were gone Amber. We four sit on the seat and many others have left, though to where is unsure." Behind her the honey sweet words floated on air to reach surprised ears. Amber turned to see exactly who she'd hoped standing at the edge of the clearing. The four goddesses of the high court gave her a nod, their regal appearance exactly as expected. Tallia was the first to speak, giving amber a simple nod as she walked forward to meet the girl. "How may my sisters and I help you. "

"M'lady Tallia. gai'aran mother of earth. Valisera and Elunae, mistresses of the sun and moon. I had hoped it would be you to answer my call. Forgive my rudeness of late but I have need of more assistance if you could find kindness in my cause once more. "

((1899)