Spiritual Awareness

Thwak! Chack! Thunk!

"No, no, no, no, noooooooo!" Evelyn's morning began with the shrill cry of her brother. She watched on in total amusement at the way he was sliding across the field to avoid getting smacked by Ryō. In fact, it took all of her energy not to outright laugh when Mizuki appeared out of nowhere and gave him a good old whack to the noggin.

"Ow! That's not fair!"

"Life is not fair, Maikeru. You need to watch for danger." Smack! In the legs. "Your stance is utterly incomprehensible." Smack! Hands next. "Fingers too loose." The final straw for Michael broke in the next sentence uttered by the white-haired male. The intention had worked, at least. "How do you expect to protect Rin when I am not able?"

"I know that!" He snapped harshly, eyes scrunched in frustration and body aching desperately. "It's not exactly like I've had experience in a fight," under his breath he mumbled "unless you count the ones with my wife…" Bittersweet memories flooded back, and the brunette groaned. His composure looked beaten, bruised even. Mizuki let out a puff of air. Emotion flickered briefly across his face, lone eye glazing over faintly. It only lasted a second, then he turned away to sit comfortably next to Sorrel and the little fox's protector.

"Basic form, techniques and practice." Ryō understood and approached the exhausted foreigner. In the meantime, the rather elegant figure of their white-haired companion slumped gently against the wooden beam to his left. The light creak as it bore his weight was of no concern to the two sheltering in the shade underneath. It felt good to rest after so much travel, especially after the conflicts that had happened on the road. Beyond the two men training, a fresh and lively scene greeted them. Bright, beautiful sunlight lit up the surroundings. Birds twittered between each other in large, tall trees and butterflies gently swayed in the breeze to dance elegantly around the blossoming flowers aside the rushing, clean water of the stream.

Mizuki let forth a scant sliver of spiritual power, a little brush to inquire and inspect now that there was no danger. He felt it weave softly through the open space, winding around trees and flowers until it reached Ryō. It bounced around him playfully, then wound itself around Michael…but something was wrong. It flickered, reacting to something else… Ryō's spiritual power was at ease with the soft touches of Mizuki's, however the other male had never once in his life used any spiritual power and it was reacting sharply in response to Mizuki's searching. He let out a cry and somehow the befuddled and surprised Mizuki snapped his leash back, and his wide golden eye focused intently on the reflection of energy suddenly swirling and whipping around the brunette like a hurricane. Evelyn gasped and shot to her feet.

"Michael!" The demon snatched her left foot swiftly before she could step down and take herself into immediate danger. A line appeared on her forehead.

"Stop, let me go! Something is wrong!" He grit his teeth hard and unintentionally flashed another, if only brief, surge of power. The insolence! His canines' bit into his lip, idiotic mortal! His mind screamed, reacting to the chaotic flow of power coming from Michael. Deep, dark hunger cropped up out of the depths. His hand tightened, fingers an inhuman death grip on the rather delicate ankle of his charge.

Sharp shooting pain radiated from the very same hand. It brought him back immediately, fingers releasing and yanking back, face awash with shame. [No. I am NOT him.] The inner demon whimpered, scampering back into nothing as his anger at himself overtook. A resonating crrrraaaaaaack! Sounded, then…smash!

A burst of refreshingly light waterlilies flew through his sense, light and flowering, though he recoiled ever so slightly at the pure unfiltered taste of thirst-quenching power that followed soon after. It felt almost like a rush of water had washed over him, taking away the prickly scent and flavour of spices.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

Beautiful shards of clear-cut crystal glass hit the floor. Then silence. There was absolutely no sound anymore. No screaming power, no inner darkness…just stillness. He closed his molten gold eye, slumping against the pillar again, more heavily this time as a breath left his no longer tense figure.

Tink.

Tink

Tink…

Peacefulness crested in his mind. Little flicks of wind still licked at his face, [What is this?] he thought absently.

Tink..

Deep breathing from beside him awakened his senses again. All at once his good eye shot open. Confusion. It flickered over towards Ryō and Michael, who were, for the most part unscathed, but…an aura of elemental power twirled around the mortal. In fact, it had even taken to directing the flow into the training sword in his hands, creating a razor blade like layer over the once harmless wood. It swirled and twisted, much like a storm. Ryō's hands were hovering over him and glowing a faint yellow in what Mizuki could tell as a limiting spell. Both men were extremely aware of what was going on, for their attention though distracted, was set with comically wide eyes directed pointedly at Evelyn and the demon beside her. Slowly, his white head of hair turned to look at what was so shocking. Clear, frosted blue diamonds shivered in complete fear. The sight of her was enough to make more shame pass through him, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight hovering barely five centimeters over her skin…