MOVING PIECES 1 [XI] (Ch 103)
"How do you feel?" Kevin inquires surveying Raven inquisitively,
"Different?, Stronger",
"Your advancement..." Kevin begin,
"Yes I'm aware" Raven replies, "unless i defeat that body, that consiousness, i'll never get to ZONE, for now i focus on absorbing and integrating the heart, advancing to achieve ATTUNEMENT"
{Agreed} Silver interjects,
(His cadence and demeanor have been influenced, a side effect of the heart i presume, i suppose rational maturity is a good boon) Kevin ponders,
"i assume you have adequate mastery over your new 'Force' arts by now",
{Not nearly as much as i approve of} Silver replies
"Not nearly as much as i like" Raven concurs, "nevertheless, it'll do",
"I see, so that's why you ultimately decided to keep your previous striker technique",
"Well, it was one of the many reasons, let's just say i believe it has potential"
(Even his pattern of speech as well, are these permanent changes?) Kevin wonders,
"I need to move"
"You believe you're ready?"
"As i'll ever be" Raven replies with a budding smirk,
(The arrogance... Or should i call it a self belief he'd previously lacked?) Kevin mules,
"Show me",
Raven blurs Kevin leans away from the Brazilian kick, the compressed 'Force' booms beneath the toes of Raven's standing leg lifting him up horizontally as his kick is suddenly repositioned to strike Kevin, the later pushes of his toe swerving aside as Raven's feed find ground, a crater blow, pieces of stone soil and dust find flight,
(I'm always amazed by your unconventionality) Kevin smiles, Raven with his Striker still ignited ignites his Enforcer, a combination technique, Kevin is left momentarily flabbergasted,
:BONE ARMOUR, Vin's armour, just of ice, cold, Raven's frame leans out, his cheeks hollowing for protruding bone, his body much the same as bone finds sight, his pure white eyes and the surrounding steam of cold giving him an ominous aura, Raven's Striker explodes from his toe as he spins into a one thousand amd eighty kick Kevin leans away still as the mere shockwave from the kick rends the surrounding area apart, Raven using the release to Kevin's approval recenters in mid air his leg twisting from the air-bound knee down in the opposite direction not facing Kevin once more as Raven hacks his forward facing shin as one would a heel backward, Kevin leans away still when an explosion of compressed 'Force' blurs the attack forward faster, Kevin enhances his suppressed physical capabilities momentarily allowing him to dodge, Raven re positions his leg as he finds ground,
"I win" Raven smiles,
(Oh?, He caught that?) Kevin smiles, "I'm impressed",
"I know"
(There it is again) Kevin chuckles, (i can't complain though, i like this much better),
"So this was your plan huh, i assume you can't combine the Defense in yet",
"Not quite yet" Raven replies, "the moment i can...", (ATTUNEMENT),
"I agree, for now, this should keep you alive at least, now, don't you have somewhere to be?" Kevin states handing him his phone
"Yes" Raven nods receiving it, "Yes i do"
{Our next objective?},
"The gang".
Hans steps aside as a Striker empowered fist blows past him, Warden follows with a similar Striker infused kick, he seems to miss, again Hans' Enforcer technique ensuring attacks didn't even connect, Warden ignites all three arts, his body seemingly to dry and scale as the blood bones and flesh within his frame crystallize, his face looking menacingly wretched, the combined force of all three shaking the very air as Hans for the very first time to receive the blow with a palm to redirect the explosion of excess force and 'Force'
"Enough" Hans declares,
"Remind me why i can't push for ZONE yet?" Warden questions,
"You're ATTUNED but You're yet to achieve ATTUNEMENT",
"What's the difference?" Warden questions with a bewildered expression,
"Your advancement hasn't caught up, nevertheless you're close to the next minor advancement, you have a long and habitual understand of all your 'Force' art entails which is why you suddenly seem to have the pace of geniuses",
"Or i am one and i just didn't know" Warden jokes, "so what you're saying is the moment i reach the required advancement i'll become achieve ATTUNEMENT?" he questions,
"Correct" Hans replies,
"And when i do i can ignite a pseudo domain?",
"If you're talented enough, it's not a guarantee, only the most brilliant, lucky or closest to advancement achieve that",
"Alright then" Warden nods hopping in place,
"What are you doing kid?",
"My Martial arts isn't going to advance itself will it?" He replies getting into form to strike,
"You can't rush these things Kid",
"Won't know till i try" Warden replies stubbornly,
"We will, i do" Hans replies, "it's time kid" he concludes looking to the silent shilouette behind Warden,
"It's time Warden" a voice calls, Warden turns to survey his friend,
"Let's end this" He replies, his face cased in a staunched expression.
"It's time" the old bald and heavily beared man declared staring approvingly at his product,
"Old man" Jayson sighs with a nigh defeated expression, "I'm free now",
"Far from, you're to return once you've settled matters",
"So it's just free bail?" He sighs in reply,
"You don't want it" the old man in taoist robes and huge shades smiles as he combs his fingers through his beard,
"I'll take it" Jayson sighs, for long over a month he'd functioned on minimal rest, for a month he'd droned on with mechanical determination, he'd long stop carrying why, he just did, he'd long stop fussing on determined out comes, he just did, he'd long stopped worrying in wonder, he just did,
(You've done well kid) the man smiles, hidden by his ever playfully stern expression, (i guess having a disciple isn't so bad, when he's back i'll shave his head) he bursts into laughter manaically. Elsewhere a shiver pierces through Jayson's spine, he makes his way to his room switching on his cell after almost two months of absence, his phone comes on to never ending notifications, seeing the plethora of notifications and more particularly Maya's name his nigh dead heart beats again,
(MAYA!) a comical tear falls from his eyes, he gives her a call and to his delight she answer,
"MAY..."
"YOU ARE SOOOO DEAD!!" she bellows over the other end, a notification of an sms pops up, from Maya herself,
"Raven called a meeting" she states, "be there by tomorrows noon" she commands,
"MAY...",
"GOODBYE!" She interjects. Jayson grinds his teeth screaming internally,
(It's all your fault!, I'm going to kill you old man!) He mules when a seemingly familiar singing voice replies from behind him,
'i can hear you', Jayson jumps turning around briskly to find himself alone,
(One month and I'm already a lunatic, if i come back i'll end up raving mad, yeah, let's forget about revenge, let's not think about negative things) he nods silently to himself, (i can always apologize to Maya later), Jayson makes quick work cleaning up as he proceeds to don his former clothes when a problem arises,
"They don't fit" he frown looking at his clothes, a telepathic message sounds as if on que,
(I left some fitting clothes for you outside), Jayson spins around spooked,
(wait can he hear my thoughts?) He ponders when a well timed reply comes through,
(Yes i can), Jayson's spirit deflates as he instinctively understands what that entails, meanwhile the culprit sat cross legged on the hard wood floor just before the giant gold buddah statue with an ipad playing a show, shades, popcorn and a drink, he pauses momentarily his ears picking his students elevated heart rate,
(Got him!) The old man chuckles!,
Jayson slides his room door, placed frozen in air are folded taoist robes,
(At least these are normal, i assumed the old bas....man would fuck with me), He dresses with due haste as one glance at the destination had been enough to know he had a long day of travel ahead of him, instinctively he turns to the now donned robes back and to his expected astonishment he spots a writing in black,
'I'm a beardless monkey',
(I'm definitely killing that old man!),
(I can hear youuuu) a reply comes shortly after, Jayson stiffens, the old man bursts into laughter,
(It's just to easy!).