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( Undead non-breathing bonus so 4-6-6-6 )

Silence, Please...

As the elevator inched it's way upwards, swaying in the air from side to side, Alex suddenly became more and more aware of just how much he disliked the small swinging box of perilous and inevitable doom. He didn't like having to trust in this strange device that was steadily drawing him higher and higher up into the sky, leaving the ground further and further below. What if the cable snapped? What if the floor gave away beneath his feet? Like Yin, Alexander could not trust this new and strange mechanism that he'd never had the non-pleasure of experiencing before. He trusted his own two hands, which had only ever failed him once before, and hey, that had been during the war trials, ironically enough. He was sure that, given the chance, he could have climbed up the tree himself. He should not have to rely on this jack blasted death chamber to carry him skyward!

As they seemingly reached the top and the elevator itself came to shakey halt, the tension that had been building up in the poor zomboil began to ease.

But then, of course, the elevator plummeted several feet in one rapid motion that Alex was sure was never going to stop. Even if it had only lasted a few, fleeting seconds, time stretched out in his mind, and he was suddenly free falling from the cliff during the war trials once again. When the elevator jerked to a halt, his eyes closed, and he remembered briefly what it felt like to have his body slammed into the ground, to have his bones break and shatter just before blacking out.

As he was so buried deep within his thoughts, it was hard to remember that he was not actually alone in the swinging sky cage. Yin was there with him, a fact that he was reminded of when the other boils warm and familiar hand was suddenly there, in his own. His eyes came open and he looked down at the other boil, who actually looked just as distraught as Alexander felt. Somehow, that was actually comforting and reassuring. It made Alex feel somewhat less pathetic, but also, made him feel like he should be stronger, for Yin's sake as well as his own.

Apparently, they had reached the classroom, a platform set before them to exit the elevator on. Alexander didn't have time to speak, or even time to think before Yin was moving, pulling the zomboil along with him since he never actually let go of his hand. That was rather surprising, considering Yin's quite adament stance on public displays of affection. Not that Alex considered this affection, mind you, but it always seemed to embarrass Yin to do it when others were around. Keeping this in mind, once they were actually in the classroom proper, Alex very gently extracted his hand from Yin's, giving the other boil a light pat on the shoulder when he was finished and a small smile before finding himself a seat.

The first thing Alexander noticed was not the weapons, nor the spectacular view. No, his eyes landed first on the teacher, the strong and proud looking horsemen of war who's very presence commanded attention. He could not take his eyes off of her, though that was not for any obvious reasons. There was just something about her, in the way she spoke, in the way she moved. Her every word held Alex's rapt attention, only to be interuppted when she began demonstrating the advantages of the bow and arrow she held.

So much of what she had to say made sense, though Alex couldn't help but wonder how Yin felt about it. He knew only too well what the other boils stance was on weapons. But this was war, and sometimes, weapons had to be utilized when one could not rely on their own strength anymore. Everthing she said made so much sense, when put the way that she put it. It gave things a new perspective. Somehow her words even made the slow and lazy zomboil excited to learn the art of combat and weaponry, though he had little interest in these things before. Practice, skill, knowledge. He could relate to these things, and he could learn to do what needed to be done, especially if it meant that he could protect his friends, and protect his bonded from harm.

The topic shifted suddenly from the art of wielding a weapon towards the art of meditation, and Alex couldn't help but frown a little, wondering how one could possibly relate to the other. He knew very little of meditation, though he had seen Yin do it on occasion. The way she explained it though, it did not seem too terribly different from what Alexander did most evenings that he spent in Yin's bedroom, just closing his eyes, letting go of his thoughts, and drifting off into a state somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. It was the closest to sleep the zomboil ever got, and he wondered if this might be the same thing.

Only one way to find out, really.

He did what she said, and tried to assume a comfortable pose that was not his usual, slouching self, and with one last glance towards Yin and a small smile, he turned his head straight forward and closed his eyes. Since he did not need to breathe, he did not even have to bother with that part of the instruction, and instead, immediatly did what she told them to do, and focused more on the environment around, shutting out any of the thoughts that were spinning around in his head. He could hear the rustling of trees, feel the softest of breezes as it carassed against his cool, undead skin. He caught the sound of quiet, shallow breathing next to him, and he knew it was Yin, but that could have counted as a distraction, so he tried to shut out that sound and focus on the ones further away.

It was not long before a sort of peace began to settle over the zomboil. Though it was not exactly immediate in the coming, it did happen rather quickly, even for Alex, who was used to doing this sort of thing. But he was doing it for a different reason now, and had been instructed to do it in a way that was slightly different then what he was accustomed to. But still, that calming peace, it was nice, bordering on the brink of soothing but not quite there. He did not feel quite there just yet.

Time continued to march on, and Alex seemed to slip deeper within himself, deeper into his subconscious. He actually felt like he could hear waves in the distance now, and while that should have seemed odd, it was actually only more soothing, the sound almost carassing him into a deeper state of...whatever this was. And then a point suddenly came where he felt almost...detached from himself. Like he was suddenly quite aware of his surroundings and could react to them instantly if the need arose, without any thought, and with no distractions to hamper him. This was completely new, and unlike anything Alex had ever experienced before. He quite liked the feeling, and wished only to remain here, where there was no pain, no fear, no worry. Just simple readiness.

A readiness for battle? Why not. A sort of confidence that the zomboil never knew he possessed was just suddenly there, telling him he could do anything he set his mind to, and that he could win, he could reign supreme. He felt like he had no need to even worry about his friends, about his family, or about that certain somebody who had become the greatest joy in Alex's unlife. He could handle anything that could be thrown his way. He would be ready for anything, he could protect them all. No more fear, no more regret, only the future that lay ahead of him, free and clear of the debris of his past. There would be no hunters killing his friends or turning them into weapons. He could destroy them all. He would destroy them all. Nobody else need be hurt by those wretched humans.

Oddly enough, even thinking about them, about those who had in the past filled him with so much rage, and so much anguish, didn't upset or startle Alex out of this new and incredible state of mind. Because he knew now that things could and would be different then what he had seen in his dream. He would not allow those memories to control him, no more then he would allow the hunters to take Yin away from him ever again. And that thought? It only soothed him more, only deepened his sense of calm and detachment until..

His eyes weren't even quite open yet as he rose smoothly to his feet. Yes, smoothly, without staggering, or stumbling. Without his usual stiffness or jerky, clumsy movements. His form just rose, from the floor, as though it were the simplest thing in the world for him to be able to move like that. His eyes blinked slowly at his surroundings, his inner peace still held firmly in place as his gaze fell on the weremantis beside him. Any trepidations he had had about their trip to the horsemen clans was gone, any fears of losing Yin vanished. Mentally, he felt like a clean slate, as though everything from his past had been wiped clean and put into a new and healthier perspective. Physically, he also felt great. This entire experience had been one of the best of Alex's unlife. His face suddenly split into a large and joyful grin, and he looked happier then he had perhaps looked in weeks. There was even almost a bounce to his step as he followed Yin away from the circle of benches and towards the elevator once more.

And the elevator itself...really, he had actually been afraid of that thing coming up here? It was such a small and insignifant thing. They would be fine. Everything would be fine. If Yin had any doubts, he just needed to look at Alex's face and see the new found confidense resting there.

Without a word to each other, the elevator descended, and while Yin may have been nervous, Alex remained happy yet determined.

Things were going to change.

((entering day one))
Silence, Please...

Edel couldn't quite say that she had a good night's rest – sleeping in the hammocks didn't provide her with the ah, sense of security she would have liked. The ghoul stifled a yawn as she hung onto the elevator, noticing the safety nets that have been erected clearly only for their sakes. And for that, she was grateful.

The War clanswoman's introductory lecture did well to remind the ghoul on how severely lacking she was; the claim that true battle prowess does not rely solely on natural abilities and Fear came as a particularly hard jibe for her. Edel watched the arrows fly and hit the target, the last one accompanied by the blast of wind shattering the target.

.... Yes. She had to admit she was pretty powerless without her ice bending abilities.

It shouldn't have come as much of a surprise as it was that their first lesson would be on meditation. Edel would of course, agree with the principles behind the exercise (the naive part of her had been led to believe that it was something more ... supplementary in nature when it came to battle), and admire the wisdom behind the Horsewoman's words. It was amongst the many things she was missing, the ability to center herself in battle instead of losing herself in the heat of the situation. She had been doing the latter far too often in retrospect, though the entire existence of the hunters always did well to aggravate her so.

Today she would find that ... inner peace.

Unlike a certain other flame demon, Edel found it quite easy to slip into focus, closing her eyes and regulating her breathing to ease her body into deep meditation. Slowly, slowly, all other distractions began to fade away and all she was left with was the sound of the wind rustling through the tree leaves. For the first time since she had arrived, the ghoul was able to truly enjoy the serenity the forest setting had to offer.

Bit by bit, the worries and vexations of yesterday's events faded away. The memories of the humiliation of yesterday's defeat, the worrying sight she had stumbled upon at the open canopy and the following chat she had with Riley had drifted off into the background. Soon, her body had eased into a soothing calm. Her mind was running through its thoughts, clearing them one after another. The peaceful meditation was going smoothly until a certain memory resurfaced and hit the spot.

She couldn't quite forget it, the first time she had nearly killed a hunter. Memories of her captivity came flooding back and the ghoul stiffened in her posture. The mixture of rage and helplessness she felt back then, embarrassment and self-loathing for her behaviour in defiance, the confusion and humiliation that accompanied the relief that she was being “spared” by the very hunter she tried to kill. The boy with long blond hair. Was it a show of his superiority then? A statement that he was better than them, above killing them, and that all the while, they were always at the mercy of the hunters.

The muscles in her neck tensed as she reflected upon that further. She had already promised herself that it wouldn't happen, that she would never stoop down to that level again, that no hunter will ever be able to show her up again. Here she was, equipped with a greater understanding of the enemy, sharpening her mind and senses, furthering her ability and learning to maximize her potential. The hunters would become stronger but she was becoming stronger too. And this time, she wasn't just going to fight fire with fire. The fruitful time in meditation had given birth to other plans...

The time passed quickly and the ghoul recovered a sense of awareness of what was going on around her. Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked.

It hurt.

The slightest expression of disgruntlement crossed her face as the ghoul closed her eyes again and slowly, just very slowly, inched her neck to the right. Then, the left. For sitting in a proper posture, the dull ache in her lower back was the price she had to pay. Eventually, she willed herself to stand, ignoring the fact that her joints seemed to be creaking as she got up. Surely, surely, she wasn't getting too old now was she? In the subtlest of motions, she leaned back, stretching her back and relieving her muscles of the tension. Much better.

Quietly, the ghoul made her way across the room, treading in quiet steps so as not to disturb the others that were still in meditation. Cybele was accorded with a deep and respectful bow and then the ghoul headed off for the elevator, pondering what she could do that day during the descent. She could have a go at weapons making perhaps, as she promised Muka she would try yesterday. Whatever it was, she was now even more eager to learn.

[ENTERing, day 1]

Elevators, he did not like the elevators. Heights? He was not concerned with heights. He was a dragon, he was born on the highest mountain peeks, he had wings, he could fly, no heights daunted him. It wasn't even the unnerving construction or the swaying of the elevator that would have led to his unease. No, he was not comfortable stepping into such a small space, confined with other students in a space where his height would have certainly seen him pushed to the back, his tail most likely being stepped on. No, he did not like it at all! In the end he had elected to perch on the top of the elevator, leaping onto the platform as it came into view before the small structure had reached the top. Now that he knew where the class was, he would be flying there under his under power from now on thank you very much!

He watched the instructor in silence, listening, his eyes narrowed, tail twitching with interest. He was fascinated by the weapons on display throughout the room, he had never thought of using such a tool, he had never thought himself capable of such. But the words she spoke, he understood. He had found himself in that situation too many times already, unable to use his natural form or abilities to fight, the only way he knew to fight. But if he was able to expand on those skills, to fight without them, yes, he needed to learn that.

Silence, Please...

Mediating, really? His head titled curiously at the idea. He often sat on his own in thought (though not so much recently), but he had not thought such an action could aid in combat. Well, he supposed it made sense, remaining calm in battle, thinking actions through, he knew that was important.

Sheridan elected to sit on the floor instead of the benches, choosing a place separated enough from the other students that his long tail would not be in anyone's way (or in danger of anyone else kicking it). Settled in his chosen place, he took a deep breath, releasing it as a quiet sigh.

He closed his eyes, the sudden shiver and twitch of his tail making it clear doing so had brought unwanted images to his mind, memories that kept him up at night, memories he wished to forget. Okay, deep breath, relax Sheridan, think about something else, think of the stars, peaceful, quiet, that was it.

Another deep breath, he focused on thoughts of the stars, the tufted tip of his tail twitching lightly with each breath. He could do this, he was relaxing, Or maybe not... One eye opened, a sideways glace at the halloweener nearest to him. There was too much movement around him, too many thoughts haunting him, he couldn't concentrate.

Okay, trying again! He folding his hands, letting his eyes fall closed once more. He inhaled, taking in the scent of the forest, listening to the softness of the breeze. That was it, he could feel his body relaxing, releasing the tension. It was peaceful, calming, blocking out the sounds around him.

He let his thoughts drift, remembering past battles, remembering his training until now. He realized he had been sloppy, that he had focused too much on one aspect of himself, and that had led to his failure. But if he expanded his abilities, if he thought along different paths, if he learned to change and adapt, to move between long and short range attacks in a fluid motion, to train his student form to the strength of his natural form. Yes, perhaps then he would find true strength.

A quiet sigh, his eyes opened, looking around the room again. He noticed other students moving, seemingly finished with their meditation. Shifting his position, he suddenly realized his legs had fallen asleep, ow! Jack damnit that hurt! Ow, ow, ow! Wake up, wake up! Clearly sitting as he had been was not the best idea, he'd have to be more aware of that next time. Maybe he should have stayed standing instead...

Silence, Please...

Entering: Day 1
Ghost bonus makes it: 6, 4, 1, 4


If Tybalt had any doubts about who would be teaching them, they were quickly dismissed.

Their teacher, Cybele, was both calm, friendly, and capable. In just this brief amount of time, Tybalt felt as though he could easily learn from her and willingly at that. It almost made him regret that she wasn't one of their teachers back in Amityville.

As she spoke, he listened. Taking in what she had to teach and filing it away in his mind to remember in future.

It was strange that they were learning about weapons. The black dog had never used one before, nor did he expect to in future. He was a dog, his weapons were his nails, and his teeth. What use did he have for weapons? That being said, what she said made sense. Using everything to their advantage. If there was something there within their reach and capabilities to use that they could use to turn the tide of battle, why not use it to their advantage?

Mulling it over in his mind, he tilted his head to the side at the mention of meditation. Now that, was something foreign to the black dog. He had heard of what it can do, but he had never actually tried it and experienced what it could do.

Well, that was about to change.

Following her lead, Tybalt folded his legs under himself and straightened his back, but in a way that he was still comfortable. It was strange to the black dog that they'd be meditating instead of doing sparring or something more war like, but he didn't doubt the horsemen's words. After all, she probably had far more experience and knowledge about battle than all of them combined. She was the one who knew what she was doing.

Closing his eyes, Tybalt tried to release all of his thoughts, letting the steady sway of the platform carry him into a state of relaxation. It didn't take long. In a matter of seconds, he was at ease. He could feel the calm of the forest; his sensitive ears picked up various sounds, all of which sounded very peaceful and natural. Even the strong wind of this altitude seemed to carry a softer tune than they had just a few moments ago.

It was... peaceful.

One by one, all of his troublesome thoughts just slipped away. Almost as if the wind was relieving him of burden as is brushed on by him. It was perhaps the first time, in a long time, that the black dog truly felt at peace.

Though even with this new found peace, there was one thing the black dog couldn't forget.

Battle, fighting with the hunters, his past failures, his self doubt. It never really left. It was always present in his mind, no matter how much he tried to push it to back and forget. The black dog was fearful of battle. No... It wasn't just battle. He was worried for his friends. Worried that he's lose them and worried that he'd fail them. How many battles had it been since he had come to live at Amityville? How much suffering had they all experienced and how much loss and failures were they burdened to remember? It was too much. There was just too much that had happened to let him forget.

The black dog let out an unneeded ragged sigh.

With just that, he had already lost some of his focus. He could feel his body tensing. His ears, now folded back, as his tail shifted back and forth slowly in his discomfort.

He couldn't forget it, no matter how much he tried.

Fortunately, by the time the class had ended, he had somehow managed to get his body back into a state of relaxation. He didn't feel wonderful, but his body didn't ache, nor did his legs cramp up or fall asleep beneath him throughout the session. In general, the class had been rather pleasant.

Silence, Please...

[Entering
3, 4, 5, 4 Total: 16]

Circe entered the class with curiosity as to what exactly would happen today. The ghoul had been expecting the day to be filled with trills and overall fighting, however, upon listening to Cybele she quickly discovered that was not the case at all. While she dazzled them with her unique skills and conjuring of her sword Circe began to realize that War was something much more different then she previously perceived it to be. As she listened to Cybele explain things further she cautiously looked around for familiar faces. Which there were in fact several. However, there was one in particular she was seeking. El Greco. By the time she finally noticed the boil they were being ushered to sit down, close their eyes and relax. That seemed easy enough. Circe decided right away that if she was going to feel any ease at all, she would need to be near the boil. As everyone began to find there spots she gingerly walked over to where Elle was and sat next to him. Instantly her heart felt as though it exploded yet ceased all activity at the same time. She was still trying to figure out exactly this meant but figured it would come to her eventually.

When she was finally situated in the way Cybele had instructed she smiled over to the boil before she straightened herself and closed her eyes. Just as she thought she was beginning to calm her mind she found herself becoming more and more aware of the other people around her and their squirming. Her eyebrow twitched as she tried to concentrate more on her breathing and her own thoughts rather then the other students. Oh jack. Circe thought to herself as she exhaled deeply. Their distractions only caused her to think of Elle. She wondered how he was fairing with this and if he was able to concentrate. With her mind she tried to envision him sitting there peacefully and quietly. As if nothing else in the world was around him; no one else except her. This helped quell her mind quiet a bit as she began to focus more on her breathing and the quiet serenity she was creating with her mind.

As she delved deeper into the meditation she found herself diving back into her memories. One in particular stood out. It was actually a memory about her fight with a hunter not to long ago in the Haunted House. Still to this day she could not uncover why she had ended up there again and how exactly she had managed to live through that. But as she continued to ponder over the memory she noted all of the things she had done and how surprisingly well she had fought that day. Against a hunter of all things. Well, the ghoul had said she wasn't a hunter but Circe knew better then to believe them. All they cared about was killing her and her fellow FEAR users. Circe took in a deep breath that calmed her once again. She drifted from this memory to several other battles she had volunteered for. Even then when she was still new to fighting she absorbed everything Aksaja and West had taught her and had applied it fairly well to other battles she had. All but the one against Yin. He was on a totally different level then her and it was no surprise when he had beaten her.

For a split second the ghouls brows furrowed together. Something about that fight stuck out to her. Despite having been beaten by the boil she was surprised she had lasted as long as she had. Sure she hadn't done much damage to him in return but she had remained strong and sturdy against his blows. Maybe that was a good starting point. Even if she couldn't become the greatest fighter in the world she could at least be of use to someone in a battle. This made her feel a whole lot better about herself. Her ego got a huge boost as well as her mood. If she was ever pushed together with other students again in a war or fight she could at least be the punching bag for the enemy so that they could make as many blows and hits as they could. They would probably be able to go much longer in a fight as well since she would basically be the bait. While this might not have been the ideal lesson for her to take out of the meditation it worked for her.

When the time had come for meditation to be over Circe felt pretty good about herself and about how she was developing. She knew now more then ever she had more things to improve on, but it was a starting point. As she opened her eyes she felt a strong sense of calm flood over her as she looked over at Elle with a loving look in her eyes. She might have not realized then what kind of look she was giving him and what it meant. However, it felt right.

Silence, Please...

Amphi sat nervously in the required area's before watching the horsewoman. The way she controlled her weapon, Amphi wondered if she could ever..EVER do the same! Horsemen didn't even use FEAR to summon them but their own hand crafted work! It was...amazing.

She continued a youthful gaze on the horsewoman before nodding when she showed them the proper sitting. Taking a deep breathe, she positioned herself away from others.

Her eyes shut as she took another deep breathe. Her ear fins twitched though at the sound of people moving. Why were they moving? Did that mean she should move? But what if someone needed her attention? Why would they need her attention though...She was being too self aware of the others right around her and it didn't feel like she was getting any relaxation. Jack, people. Stop shifting! Her face gave a visible frown, eyebrows furrowing.

She breathed in again, ignoring the sounds of people shifting and on the sound of her home. She could hear the sound of waves hitting the land in a easy and relaxing home like rhythm. All she could think of was the waves, of her body willing itself into the motion of the ocean like she had so many times before in her life. She felt peaceful for the first time in a while.

But it didn't last long as the horsewoman mentioned a battle. Her easy relaxing waves turned into constant reminders that she was a failure at battle. She didn't know hand to hand combat, she didn't know how to use a weapon. In fact, Amphi was as useless on the battlefield as ever. Even her healing power was subpar. Her meditation, her focus broke within her own self doubt as her thoughts raced with how and why she was here. WHY was she here?

Her eyes popped open with a exhaled breath before pushing herself up. It hadn't gone as well as she though, and she came back to a stiff body with sore shoulders. Stretching a little, she frowned as she replayed the thoughts in her head before nodding respectfully to the horsewoman and leaving.

She would go back to train and perhaps, she'd figure out just what she was meant to do in a battlefield.

After she stretched...a lot.

Silence, Please...

Entering Day 1
Roll: 1, 1+1, 1, 2 - Using Ghost Bonus.


Within the first minute of class time, Jove was glad he had been selected to come to the island of the War tribe. Where his first year had been devoted to adjusting, living as a student and not a frightened wisp puppy, and his second year had been a migration towards healing so he keep his friends safe... His third year had begun with anger. At every stage of his education they had been up against unbelievably strong opponents, with absolutely no hope of coming out of the situation by their own strength. They had been rescued. Or killed. And never once had a chance to truly fight back and be victorious.

The little pup, one of the smallest, weakest students at the academy, really wanted to see that sort of victory against their foes. And the demonstration of the War clan member stirred up that desire. He needed to acquire that power, that mastery over not just his own abilities, but the possibilities he was now seeing in front of him.

However... He was quickly disappointed. Mental preparation was something the flighty little pup had never been predisposed to. He lived in the the moment, in a world of instantaneous decisions and spur of the moment activities that was shared by scarelings and puppies alike. He surrounded himself in motion. Even while studying, his mind was vigorously turning over the material, making connections with other tidbits of knowledge, coming up with new questions and new ideas. Sitting still and doing nothing, thinking nothing... Well, that was the sort of thing his lazy brother would be good at!

But Jove's doubt was overcome by his determination, and he kneeled on the floor with his feet under him, fluffy tail curled around his legs. Back straight... Hands in his lap... Perfect for silence and stillness.

Following Cybele's instructions, Jove closed his eyes. It would be easy for some species to find peace, but with his eyes closed, the pup's other senses sprung to life. The fascinating scents of the woods and oceans filled his nostrils, and his ears, at first laying casually sideways, began to swivel as he listened to his surroundings. He could hear the students near him breathing... The creak of a fidgety body on the wooden platform... A cicada nearby. A whole host of cicada's simply surrounding their class, humming up a hearty racket that surely had to be disrupting every single student in the class...

Jove tried to refocus. He was supposed to be letting his mind settle, not letting his ears get the best of him! The little pup tried to slow down his thoughts. 'Calm, be calm...' he repeated to himself in his mind, over and over again. Calm... calm...

...

He let out a loud YIP as he was startled out of his near-sleep state, by a sharp sting on the back of his shoulders. BAD DOG. He had to concentrate harder! How was he supposed to let his mind be calm, and still stay ready for battle? Jove felt a strong desire to get up, to move, to be active... Like he was running out of time. He was just sitting there, not doing anything, while the hunters were training. He had seen them during his kidnapping, in the training fields practicing with their hateful weapons and capture nets. And Jove... he knew he was no match. That was the sum of it, wasn't it? He was just no match for them. One day there would be nobody left to rescue them, and they would all be captured and killed or worse. Halloween would be as it was in the last Trial. And he was just a tiny little puppy, not strong enough to keep it from happening...

Before he realized it, the meditation session was over. Students were rising, some looking a little worse for wear, some looking okay... Some even looked refreshed. Jove realized at that point he was all tense and strung out. His legs were stiff, his back ached, and he wanted to do nothing more than just go down to the forest floor and run and run and run until he could forget the thoughts he had brought to mind.

Avoiding his friends, Jove slunk off so he wouldn't have to talk about the experience. He needed some time to just... puzzle things out on his own for a bit.

Silence, Please...

The view from their platform was breathtaking. Riley's eyes immediately wandered towards the sea, her eyes squinting in vain hope of seeing the other islands in the distance. There could have been no way to tell which of the isles would have been visible even if she had seen one, but no amount of logic stopped her from looking. But the teacher's voice commanded her attention, and Riley straightened up, staring at the proud woman with a youthful wistfulness that no one should ever see Riley exhibit. She sat down when asked, and folded her hands up in front of her, clenching them in excitement. The teacher promised her challenge; and she was confident the woman was ready to deliver.

Real power. The ability to win a fight even if any FEAR ability was unavailable - Cybele was speaking Riley's language. Riley was enraptured, devouring every word as though it were a delicious feast. And then, the teacher began to discuss the feat of mental preparation, and Riley thought she might cry. She never wanted to leave this place. Never. Never.

Riley dropped to the floor and folded her legs underneath her, mirroring the stature of the teacher exactly, and followed every instruction that was given without delay. Her eyes closed, her breathing slowed, and she cleared her mind. The last was a difficult task, but well accomplished nonetheless. The surrounding forest became a tangible presence, enveloping her and carrying her down into a state of pure meditative zen. She was no stranger to meditation, as she did so every day - only while connected to a myriad of a thousand voices, steadily drinking in their information while centering herself. So meditating with only her own voice in her head came as easily as breathing. Physically, Riley did not move. Statuesque, her breathing all but stopped, as her mind and spirit uplifted into a higher plane of existence.

When it was all over, and the students around her began to move and shuffle out of their meditative states, Riley's eyes fluttered open. They were foggy, as she was not yet ready to fully return to her body, but they eventually sharpened and she rose to take her seat. She felt no different than she had a moment ago, but this was because she was already used to the effects of meditation - and she was just as excited to learn new things, as she was to practice the old. She stood and moved to the front of the class, offering the teacher a respectful nod of the head, and a gently murmured thank you, before leaving in silence.