lone life of the traveler

The cold mist escaping xubas mouth amid training was a show of his patience. He had spent the better of several hours in the cold already training and working out. The cold being acquainted as now an natural order of his body.  Having conditioned himself and his mind for the cold xuba felt that he had made impressive strides amid this training. His grey eyes studied the surrounding area now as he knew that his time although improved, it was limited. He took to training on frozen rivers for balance in the challenging terrain using his memory of the kumogure as a guide. He was not going to be caught flat footed like that again. The frozen rivers allowed xuba to work on the balance amid kicking and stance work stability. It was here he trained a few hours and had more than once encountered the near tragic fall into thin ice. But then again it was through being observant and careful he was not the unfortunate soul that fell into the frozen water. 
 

Through the several weeks in the freezing land xuba grew to know and hunt the area well. Following and hunting his meal in advanced as fo9r survival it required that one must make sure they have plenty a supply for the coming day’s. Starvation was no man’s ally. Hence the use of a now a part of his cave as a clean storage for food. Xuba even spared his weapons sharpness and durability by making use of the cave walls to craft a neat set of stone tools for his necessary use such as tying twine together with various rocks and wood to make use of typical stone objects. Such as hammer, knives, and other simple nesscecities.  Through this xuba made a sort of keep busy amid the tug of a deeper loneliness eating at him. He constructed a wooden archway so he could recognize the cave even in the blistering cold windy day’s. As well as he fixed himself a decent sleeping area near the fire to keep warm. Although most of this took up the population of trees in the immediate area. It enabled xuba to remain relatively quiet in his isolation in the land of snow.
 
By keeping a good eye and track on his training progress. Xuba needed a way to allow himself to measure how far he have come through the daily exercises. The fact being that while he lacked an partener to openly practice with xuba was at a loss of an idea to cleanly train and improve on his combative abilities. So the animals that he would hunt would not suffice enough. Since eating bruised meat would in his opinion merely fester to having an unfortunate run in with the upset stomach, and other rather problematic situations that come with that. On the particularly snowy day’s xuba took his time in training, thick snow provided an weight through straining to see and concentrate on a target before him. While in time the thick snow at his feet required him to keep moving as eventually if he stood too still he would get wet and cold.
 
Although those day’s were not as common to xuba as he wished. Thus he kept to a more natural training method in mind. The weeks went by as he kept up his schedule. To improve it was a sign that when one training segment became too easy he then added another level to his training as for the moment xuba was in the process of working with his chakra a tad bit more. For the lies and deception of the world he lived in were not only a danger to himself, but also others. With it of course came the truth of working with what he discovered over time known as illusions. For he knew one illusion based jutsu. Which he practiced quiet some time ago. Now came the time to practice as a defense for it. For what he theorized as the merely working with rushing his chakra through him to block away such annoyances.

As it would be foolish to practice something you would leave yourself open to. Even in hand to hand leaving a bad habit such as a lowered guard would prove to be the difference between living, or dying in the world. Each hit, bruise, broken bone, and even strain of the muscle. Xuba knew this very well as it required finesse and careful calculations. With illusions this made it even more imperative to cover as an illusion was costly, for the safety of himself xuba focused and worked to perfection on the jutsu at hand. Or at least to the best of his ability.
 
 
The snow built up around xuba as he meditated in the frosty area. He was getting used to the cold area. As even if he was going to ask for assistance as painful as it was to seem. He was going to not throw away the opportunity to openly train in the cold environment. This was an great way to work not only his endurance, but his stamina and other various way’s to survive. Testing his survival at the peak, and pushing him to his greatest limits. The cold had a way press one to garnish their toughness. It forced one to keep moving and figure out how to stay warm at the hardest moments. Hence why xuba meditated in the cold quietly. It became easier to breath in the still cold air due to spending his time in this chilly land. Around him were snow mounds.
 
These snow mounds were built up at the end of each day to signify an successful time of training and meditation. Although due to the weather and stormy tendencies. By the following day the snow mounds were destroyed and split. To xuba however this was merely an reminder that master hood was an continuous path of building up from the basics upward. As well as an lonely path to follow. Yet in the world it was better to follow a path and make your own purpose than to have it handed to oneself on silver and gold. 

Some day’s it may feel like the ice alone is going to be the hardest part to work with. Other day’s it is the snow, although few times it will be the wind. The worst days would perhaps be the combination of all three. Still it will grant me the strength I need for the task at hand. As long as I stay strong then I can complete this. After all I survived so far so I will keep seeing the rising sun each day. Besides the dead must sleep on that village.
 
His resolve was on the money that would lay behind the village chamber’s as it would be an suffice him. Then perhaps he would find that the very thing that would be close enough to his desire for an eternal ally would prove effective. The thought of the hold day’s being merely stepping stones at the end of the day. Each training session was slightly different. As the cold was consistent his work had to be quick. Returning from the daily workout and hunting on the fourth day. Xuba had built himself a cozy space for survival in the harsh area. A stockpile of wood and twig’s as well as twine that he dried in the evening by the fire for use in the upcoming cold days. The assortment of carved bear hide, and fox hide that enabled him to work on both pelts and other fur extremities that could be used for lining for his clothing. This easily keeping xuba warm as his collection grew in time enabling him to switch between the clothing and allow him to wear a host of clothing while staying dry and clean. Then there was the blank spots in the cave as he had to still figure out what he would need to do with these places.
 

Slowly but surely xuba worked up the mounds of snow in his place of meditation into one gigantic clump of a mound of snow. It then dawned upon him that if he decided to combine each mound of snow to keep up with his training segment. As he thought more on the idea over a night fire chewing on the remains of a roasted fox he hunted a couple day’s prior. The heat from the fire was comforting as xuba considered that in his haste of training he would do well to try to ally with himself an easy to call upon. Thus xuba spent the following day attempting to recall the handseals to call upon the stallions he encountered previously. Trying to recall such an sequence of seal was perhaps one of the few most irritating tasks xuba would have encountered. As it wouldn’t have dawned on him till he truly needed it the most. The seals woven through the day were merely practical in application and lacked the substance required to bring forth the creatures in question. 

The concept of hand seals was complex. As he never truly practiced utilizing hand selas since it was much faster to throw a punch or even throw a weapon vs using seals. Save for the couple jutsu he needed to utilize. Xuba rarely practiced hand seals. Although after several hours in the cold. Xuba  felt that his work was acceptable despite the cold finally getting to him on the other hand.  After resting by the fire xuba felt confident that he had it down working with the summoning seals amid his cooked dinner. The funny part about the working of these seals was that xuba felt his chakra react and funnel differently on each seal utilized. For this however xuba felt that if he truly did concentrate on working with the seals he would’ve perhaps decided to study further on it. Perhaps another time to work on it and even with time and experience he would perhaps care more about seal work and its meanings. For the current moment he simply work with the handsigns at hand.
 
Xuba Felt that working with only these few seals were the important, and necessary option for the moment being. The heat of the fire was comforting as xuba felt that he had at least a solid idea to what he could do while in his time of waiting as he trained quietly. As he worked with the accuracy of each seal xuba felt that with the progress done he was nearing the ready point to completing the jutsu at hand. The summoning jutsu that would enable him to call upon the creatures he once encountered. The steeds would make an addition to be utilized by xuba for combat as he needed allies.
 
Through weaving the last of the hand signs. Xuba felt confident that he could safely now utilize the technique at hand hence as he weaved and worked the chakra by the light of the fire. His mind proceeded to wander momentarily. 
 
To fall so low to team work the risk of relying off of others and the mistakes they will make. I should truly be capable of relying off of anyone. At least lest they be compatible with me. If I can watch their back they should watch mine… at least a horse or a dog knows to act upon its instincts and remain loyal, but at least that loyalty is earned. I shall work for loyalty, only if they are loyal to me and my cause.
 
His hand hit the ground and the symbols for the summoning circle appeared as there was soon enough a large puff of smoke engulfed the area and the snort of a horse could be heared. Before xuba stood a horse much smaller than he expected and shivering as through chattering teeth it gave a frightened and whiny “neigh” as it looked around bewildered.
 
“no mortal shall summon thee a prideful steed with such disregard. Warm in the sun now in a cold cavern many a mile from the basking heat who-“the stallion glared at xuba whom looked back with merely blank in expression at his face. Perhaps the prideful nature of the stallion was the biggest turn off for xuba. That then the size of the poor thing. Somewhere deep down he felt tad bit sorry not for his actions but for the weakness of the creature.
 
“yeah so I did summon you and all my memory was perhaps the misguiding part. Still I am happy where this lies. I am xuba and I have a question.”
 
The stallion’s nose flared slightly as it sat it’self-down on the ground next to the fire to warm up. The sudden cold was a surprise but it gazed at the flames and spoke. 
 
“We do not always allow others into calling upon us you see xuba. But I will answer your question. Out with it.”
The sense of pride and entitlement the creature held was revolting to xuba as he sighed, and considered his words carefully amid the creature at hand. For he knew if it went wrong there was no stopping a horse or their buddies from appearing and stomping him.
 
“Why are you so prideful at the moment? Truthfully I understand that you desire to stand before the other and quieter of your kind, however, being out spoken will only blind you from your goal. It is what I learned. Pride comes before the fall as you know. Taken as that in time of need even for yourself. You rely off of others. So as rare as it may be to call upon you guys. I would say that your help would be greatly appreciated in the time of calling. For that of course I would free as many as I can so you can have your brethren the silent ones join and grow free like you.”
 
The stallion gazed at the fire pondering xuba’s words as it thought on what he spoke was true. The humbling effect of course was minimal as it then thought long and hard on a reasonable response now to satisfy xuba’s question.  The stallion merely snorted as it glanced at xuba after a while.
 
“A stallions pride is not to be sat on. As a human you understand that your own pride holds the same boundaries. You do not like being ridiculed or worse yet collared and held the reins over… to ride us you earn our trust not just do it. As it is a show of true partnership. But in time… yet you will have our trust. I do not like combat. In fact very few enjoy combat except for the “exceptional few”… still it is a question the way we solve our trust is through speed xuba. The faster one is or if they can keep up will signify that you too can run among us.”
 
The stallion now stood up as it was now warm and toasty from the heat. The stallion glanced at the snowy entrance of the cave and snorted. Pawing the ground and spoke up. 
 
“We shall make a total of three laps around the outside of this cave. Roughly decent in length as it would provide a decent workout. You loose of course then you must be our servant xuba.”
 
Xuba glanced at the stallion and nodded as he was certain it was not that fast. Still as soon as they began xuba going up to half of his speed quickly outpaced the stallion at half his speed by an easy 24 steps as even four legged the poor creature was struggling once it met it’s max speed, thus xuba proceeded to keep within the stallions sight amid each lap as he stopped at the end and the staiilion caught up bewildered.
 
“Who knew you were so fast. Perhaps as fast as the strongest of my brethren…. I am talkisu. Although I am arrogant at time you sir proved to me that even with my race that you are able to abide by our rules. You can of course call upon me just please keep your promise. Now I am going out of this cold and going to soak my hooves in hot spring water. Later xuba!”
 

The creature vanished in a puff of smoke and xuba was left alone at the cave entrance as he headed back into the cave. The fire still roared yet the cave felt empty to xuba as he sat by the fire. Perhaps it was the fact he finally had company with him that rekindled his desire to socialize in a sense. Even if it was a horse. The sense of challenge and skill that lingered behind having a challenge sit before him was rather an adhrelialin pumping aspect. Now in the calm xuba felt that after a while there was perhaps a void that built up around him and socializing still xuba did not fret. As it became more apparent as time went on that this training was good for him. Still an ally would’ve been nice. 
 
The deep feeling vanished yet was not truly gone as he knew it. It instead shrank as all of the undesired emotions did as he ate. Fear, sadness, loathing, regret, disappointment. They vanished as xuba roasted the bit of deer that was unfortunate to come across his path earlier in the week. The list of accomplishments were small as a survival person. It was the very task as a survivalist to survive out in the world. As the elements were merely an obstacle in his mindset. Something to merely be conquered in time. Dawn was always an welcome for xuba. For warmth he slept near the fire a lot closer now as if to remind himself of a once lost warm touch still he held steadfast and glanced out towards  snow. Perhaps it was time to head out.
 
(exit)
 
Twc: 3,076
 
1k/1k for summonind taikisu
500 words to master wind release quiet foot steps
500 words for genjutsu release

1k for mist servant
 

+15 stats

Approved