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 Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:17 pm
Iri rolls her eyes at the pun. It's not the first time someone's made fun of her extra set of appendages, and she's sure it won't be the last.
"Very clever, Tier. I do have a student, though. Only one. His name is Jin Ryu. I haven't had much time to work with him. So far, we've only been going over what he knows of weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, and the use of chakra. We haven't even started on Kaze techniques yet. But, if he's willing to accept the mission, then I'm not going to stop him. He's old enough to make decisions like that on his own."
Somewhere above Tier and Iri, in the Dojo's main training room, Jin is hard at work. Martial Arts is something he's studied since a child. Though his studies have been more about the history and concepts of various Martial Arts, they often led to actual practice. And so, Jin knows enough to put up a damn good fight. Weaponry was a part of his studies, so the sword at his side is for much more than just show. What he hasn't had as much a chance to work on is chakra manipulation.
Takin' orders from a wee lass 'bout half me size. Oi, why do Ah seem ta be gettin' meself in these situations all the time?
So far, Iri's instructions seem to be working, though. Like she had done with Syn, Iri had instructed Jin to practice ki training exercises. Iri had said that they weren't designed for enhancing chakra, but if he practiced while concentrating the energy in his hands like she did ki, it might prove to be effective. If anything, he could feel the chakra kind of flare up when he thrust his hands forward and yelled at the end of each practice. Certainly was interesting.
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:40 pm
"AH YES, THE IRISH DRAGONNN." Tier said to himself in recollection. "The problem isn't whether or not he'll accept the mission. The problem is if he's ready for a reconnaissance mission or not."
He paused as his single yellow eye was scanning the room for anyone that might have been listening in. There wasn't anyone from what Tier could tell.
"Tier is sure his inner dragon would be good for a fight against mere ninja. Yet, these aren't normal enemy ninja from what Tier has heard. Being a dragon isn't enough. He must be trained in different arts and quickly if possible.
Otherwise Tier cannot recruit him for this recon mission."
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:22 pm
Both wings shrug. Iri opens her mouth to say something, but appears to think better of it. One hand goes to her mouth and the other to her hip as she thinks.
"Well, it's not that he lacks skill. He told me he's studied all sorts of Martial Arts, especially those that are Oriental in nature, since he was old enough to understand them. But he's never mastered any of those arts. Only studied and practiced them long enough to understand them. And he can control his chakra, but lacks refinement its use. If you really need someone, I can talk to him about hitting the grindstone on his education."
Iri picks up her naginata and begins to spin it. There's no point to it. She's only bored. And her first cure to boredom is to do something with her hands.
"Depending on what the mission is, I'd even think about going with you and taking him with me. If need be, I can protect him or even get him out of there. And as long as we're fighting someone I know for a fact is the enemy, then I don't have any qualms with it."
Above them, Jin has decided to play with Iri's ki training techniques. Using the wind isn't beyond him. It's just limited control. Sloppy would probably describe it the best. And he's never been able to put much power behind it. Now he's trying for different results.
Jin concentrates chakra in his right hand. Then he tries adding air to it. He can feel the air stir around his open palm, but not much else. He gives his head a shake before renewing his efforts. More chakra gathers in his hand. He summons air again, hoping it will double what he has to work with. He even twirls his arm around, hoping it will encourage the air to respond. The air moves, but he's not sure if it's because of his own movement or his mental encouragement.
The dragon shrugs and moves into a long stance, facing the wall farthest from the front door. The left foot is forward and pointing straight, while the right is back and pointing to his right. His left hand is held in front of him in a palm strike position, the finders as wide as possible. His right hand is held at his right hip and closed in a fist. His torso is twisted so his chest is facing his right instead of the far wall.
Jin takes a deep breath through his nostrils. Then he pulls his left hand back and closes it into a fist at his left hip. At the same time, he throws his right hand forward and opens it into a palm strike, giving a nice, load ki yell at the point at which he would have struck his imaginary target. While striking, he twists his right foot to face forward and twists his body so his chest is facing the far wall. The feet and trunk movements are essential in adding power behind a strike.
In this case, Jin isn't sure if the traditional punching method is helpful or not. What he had been looking for is any boost in his usual output of chakra. The results are satisfying, though. He had felt something happen. His eyes had definitely caught a momentary flash of light. That was more than he usually accomplishes. And, though it may have been a rush of air from the chakra, he thought he felt the wind move, too. Improvement, maybe?
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Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:51 pm
"Martial arts won't stop an enemy Shinobi's spell. It sounds like he isn't ready yet."
Tier's single eye stared down to Iri after he stopped looking around the room.
"We're not going on this mission considering what happened when we left.
The Rai Dojo was attacked and the robbers attempted to steal it's power source. They were obviously aware that we weren't around to stop them. Daizing couldn't handle all of them on his own.
It has to be the students that perform this searching mission for where they dragged the container of stolen energy.
Jin has to be battle ready within the next few days before the enemy starts moving again."
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:04 am
Iri stops spinning her weapon. She brings the back edge of the blade to her forehead and then tilts it forward in a sort of salute.
"Aye, aye!"
Bored with the naginata, she brings it down into its resting position.
"I can't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do. He may turn out to be a good student and I a good teacher. At the least, I can teach him a few handy tricks and find ways to boost his chakra. It's worth a shot. But, tell me, if Jin isn't ready, then how many other students do you have to choose from? I haven't seen many around, but I've stuck to the Main and Kaze Dojos."
Upstairs, Jin is repeating his palm striking trick. It's been repeated twice now. On his fourth try, just as he's about to strike, something strange happens. His ears begin to ring. And he sneezes.
Jin blinks and rubs his nose.
"Summat must be talkin' 'bout me."
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:11 am
Tier waited for a response from himself, strangely.
"..."
Iri was right, there weren't a lot of students currently enrolled to choose from.
"Have him ready. There are two more students that will be doing the same mission. Do whatever you can to teach him in a quick amount of time.
Tier has to go research on the dead bodies recovered from the attack."
With that, the head of Tier melted back into the roof's shadows.
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:26 am
Iri nods as Tier leaves. A sigh issues from her lips and she gives her head a shake. Sometimes, being right can be a pain in the a**. Now she has to worry if Tier will have enough people to send out on recon, and if she's sending her only student to the slaughter like a lamb.
Thinking of something, Iri walks around her desk and pulls open a drawer. In it are a few tools, tessen, and even a few amethysts. Iri picks up the second largest amethyst and closes the drawer.
She turns around and heads back into the hall and upstairs. Instead of saying something, she waits until Jin notices her.
The dragon hears Iri coming, and so he turns his head as soon as she emerges from the basement. Grinning in a friendly fashion, he gives a small bow from his waist.
"Be checkin' up on me, Miss Kaze? I can promise ya Ah'm not slackin' off!"
Iri just smiles and shakes her head. She looks a little serious, but only enough so that Jin knows this is important.
"You've met Tier, yes? He just stopped by my office and we had an interesting chat. How would you like to go on your first recon mission, Jin?"
Jin's ears twitch in surprise and his expression sobers a little.
"Recon? Ain't Ah a little green fer that? Would nah mind the fun, but ya be sure Ah can?"
Iri walks forward and grabs one of Jin's hands. She places the amethyst in his palm and closes his fist around it. Then she lets it go and walks back over to the stairs to sit on the steps. She uses the time it takes to think her words over.
"No, I don't think you're ready for this. The Academy is only sending out students this time. Last time a number of more experienced people left, myself included, the Academy was attacked. Bad thing is, there are only two students besides yourself that Tier feels he can recruit. He wants to recruit you, but doesn't think you can hold up against the Shinobi spells you'll most likely come up against."
She reaches up and tugs at a lock of red hair. Thinking again.
"Tier wants me to have you ready in just a few days or less. So, I propose we start training, constantly, day and night, and maybe you'll be ready. I can't teach you everything I know, not to the point that it's useful, so I'm going to teach you the things I believe will help you the most. In the end, though, remember that accepting the mission is your choice. So...?"
Jin gives Iri another grin, this one mischievous.
"Ah be thinkin' we can pull summat off. But what's the pretty rock fer?"
Iri grins this time.
"You'll come to hate that pretty rock. It's going to be a training method. As we train, you will steadily drain your chakra from your body and into that amethyst. Learning to operate on less than adequate chakra will help you. Also, you'll have reserves built up that you can fall back on during the recon. Now, let's get started. There's one technique in particular that I want you to learn."
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:06 pm
Iri hops off the spiral stairs and walks past Jin. With a motion of her wing, she beckons him to follow. She goes out the door and around the dojo. Once on the other side, she walks out about fifty yards and stops.
She's standing in the middle of the field, as far away from any of the giant turbines as possible. In this place, the wind is still very strong. It picks at Iri's clothes, hair, and feathers. The tall grasses look like green water as they wave under the wind's influence.
Jin keeps up with his teacher, following her out to the middle of the field. He's a little confused, but compliant. He just stands there, waiting for instructions.
"Alright, this is what I want you to do: We're going to become the air. I've only done it a few times, and always in secret. It's uses are unlimited, as far as Kaze goes. This and creating Kaze clones are the only techniques that have really been giving me trouble."
Iri stretches out her wings. She thrusts the butt of her naginata into the ground and grasps it with both hands. It helps her concentrate to know what her hands are doing. She inhales through her nose and closes her eyes. She blocks everything out but the wind's presence. All she feels is the caress of the wind and all she hears is the sound of its passage. Then she focuses on her chakra. The energy spreads throughout her body, permeating everything. It even permeates her clothes and weapons. Eventually, Jin will see Iri's entire body and all her possessions glow. All the while, a twister is forming around her body. As soon as she starts glowing, the twister closes around her and becomes taller and thinner. Eventually, the tornado dissipates, and Iri is gone. All that's left is a very fine mist floating toward the sky.
Jin drops his jaw and looks around. Curious, he walks forward. Jin swipes his hand through the space Iri had just occupied. Nothing. Not even a chakra signature. Only the residual stuff Iri has left behind.
The dragon looks up and at the sky. He can see the mist floating away.
"Guuh... Miss Kaze? Teach? Where ya go? The friggin' hell..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:38 pm
Like a ghost, Iri materializes in front of Jin. Her mist had redirected itself and come back to earth. As she is now, Iri is only half there. She's transparent. It's like someone held a silk painting of her up to the sun to look at it.
Iri smiles and reaches out to grab Jin's upper arms with her hands. He doesn't really feel skin on skin. It's like warm air is concentrating in the exact shape and size of Iri's hands. And where her hands are, the air seems to stir more than the rest of it around him.
When Iri speaks, it's not exactly like her voice. It's the same, but quieter and has a quality of noise being carried on the wind from a great distance. "I'm going to flood you with my chakra. Pay attention to everything. And don't fight it. Just let go. It's one thing to be taught this technique, but to feel how it is done and experience it is quite another."
Just as she said, Iri's chakra begins to flood Jin. In moments, he and his possessions glow just as she had. And then, a second twister forms to carry student and teacher away.
Jin can see why Iri would want to practice the technique on him instead of trying to explain it. The concept, when explained, would be rather abstract. It's more of a half-formed idea then a well-formed technique. But it's amazing. He's weightless. Birds fly at him and through him. Though he's sure chakra and other Kaze techniques would be effective against it, physical attacks would be near useless. And this body can change. He could be mist one moment and a raging tornado the next. He doesn't have to ask Iri to know it. As for the other uses, where should he start?
"Summat else up yer sleeve, teach? Gonna be damn hard to top this!"
The avian laughs. It's a very ornrey laugh. Then, the mist speeds off in the direction of the main dojo.
"For practice, let's see if we can't have some fun with this!"
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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:45 am
Iri steps off the tram. As usual, she's clutching her belly and looks a little nauseated. With the exception of her own wings and feet, transportation seems to greatly disagree with her. The avian slowly makes her way to the Kaze Dojo's front door. She yanks the door open, slips inside, and firmly shuts it.
There's no sign of Jin. The dragon seems to be elsewhere. Hopefully practicing the wind manipulation techniques Iri had demonstrated as the air. Gratefully alone, Iri lets her wings fold into their proper places on her back. She wipes beads of sweat from her torso. It's way too hot to be using her wings as an impromptu shirt.
Flapping her wings a little to cool herself, Iri crosses the room and descends the stairs. A minute more, and she's in her room. A new strap shirt is produced from her bag. Iri slips the garment on and tugs at it to take out some of the wrinkles. The shirt is baggy, like most of her shirts. They have to be for her to get them over her wings. Cheap, ready-made clothes just aren't meant for avians.
Iri stands there with one hand on her hip and the other twirling her naginata.
Seph said he wanted to teach me, but I'll practice in the mean time.
The avian makes her way upstairs. And from there, she goes back outside.
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Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:16 pm
Where'd my student go?
A sigh emits from Iri's lips. She's leaning against the Kaze Dojo door, starying into the woods and occasionally at the clouds. Jin was supposed to fly to the Dojo. That's been hours ago. It's night now. Where could he be?
Worry twinges in the back of Iri's mind. He could have fallen from the sky. It's possible. A momentary lapse in concentration is all it takes. Or, and this worries her even more, he might have met up with one of the enemies of the Academy that have been frequenting the area.
"I guess I better go look for the crazy Irishman."
With a couple pumps of her wings, Iri is in the air and gaining altitude. Iri imagines Jin would have stuck to the path of the tram, so she sets her course along the tracks.
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Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:29 pm
Little does Iri know, Jin is very close to home. He had managed to fly by producing a small tornado and carrying himself away with it. Unfortunately, he had flown much too close to a rather large eagle. The bird of prey had been sucked into the tornado and right into Jin's face. As he was being mauled by a cruel beak and even crueler claws, Jin lost concentration and fell to the earth.
Luckily for Jin, it takes more than a long fall to kill a heavily armored dragon. It just knocked him out. And now that he's waking up, he's in a world of hurt.
The dragon man stirs a little. He lets his fingers and toes twitch. They seem alright. His arms and legs move just a little. Those are fine. No extremities seem to be broken. Finally, he sits up. Just in time to see Iri flying off in the direction of the Main Dojo.
Jin curses his luck. Then, with a rather loud groan, he picks himself up. After making sure he has all his belongings and limbs intact, Jin starts to hike in the direction of the Kaze Dojo.
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:53 pm
A cloud of mist started to hover near the man as if it was following him.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:59 pm
The dark-skinned woman appeared in a lightning strike. It was storming, wind and rain beating at her cloak as she stood atop the windmill, not budging from even the strongest wind the storm could muster. Her light blue eyes peered from under her hood, looking and waiting for her opponent.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:16 pm
Dalcon frowns as he feels a familiar and unhappy energy. He had come to talk to Iri, but look who he finds. Ready to bring it, and yet apprehensive, he ducks down as the tram pulls in.
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