Yoga

Leaning forward and locking my knees I go straight down to the ground catching myself with the tips of my finger.

I roll to the right missing a heel that was coming down in an ax kick by a hairs breath.

Another judo roll forward while sending out a pulse of mana in all directions gives me a number of assailants.

As it passed through walls and open air it began to distort and I made note of everything it passed by while getting up and running.

There are two of them and I didn't know who they are or why they're attacking me.

I run towards the outskirts and then turn right intending to loop back around and get back to Kata.

They split up once I turned one following me the other going to the inner circle catching up quickly and blocking my way inwards.

The only thing separating us was the boulders every couple dozen feet giving me a clear view of the Terra child who was looking for a beating earlier.

Reinforcing my body with mana I abruptly stopped nearly tripping the boy across from me and the one behind ran right into me intending to tackle me down.

Spreading my legs I shifted the weight from my left to right leg lowering and rising as I did catching her by surprise and using her momentum to flip her and slam her into the ground.

She was now positioned with her head towards me, looking at the night sky.

I didn't stop, raising my left foot I stomped on her diaphragm knocking the wind out of her and dropping on one knee right on top of her groin while never taking my eyes off the figure dashing towards me.

Using the young girls chin as a pivot I dashed off slamming her head further into the ground leaving her friend to make a choice.

Either he chases me or tends to her, he chose the latter allowing me to get away slipping in between boulders.

I went back to my boulder on the outskirts laying my unsheathed sword across my lap and taking long swigs of water.

It rained like I thought it would that night allowing me to drink my fill over and over again.

'Why did they come after you like that' Ava asked as she enjoyed the sour desert water.

'I don't know, but I'll figure it out'.

If they posed a threat to my life in any way I will break there necks and burn the body, but I didn't want to create enemies I couldn't beat.

I thought of the Mage Bilin and why she was letting these kids go around attacking people like that.

If I was someone less wise I would have killed them first and asked questions never.

'I thought that's what you do already' Ava said with a seriousness that made me wonder who thought it, her or I.

'Please, I don't kill unless I'm sure of it'.

Sure that no one will find out that is.

The next day I greet Kata before the sun rises in front of her boulder and she is wearing a grey robe covering her shoulders and cleavage.

Her silky hair was let loose around her shoulders and she walked barefoot towards the west side.

I didn't ask anything following behind her until we got to an open area with a round black stage reminding me of the boulders they lived in.

On top of it was a black haired Terra mage with long hair. Even while sitting down her curves could stop traffic.

She wore the white robes that hugged her stunning body tight.

'What is it with all the figure eights around here' I said to myself.

The three children are all behind her also sitting cross-legged focusing intently.

Kata stepped on the large platform and began to walk in another direction.

Giving them a wide birth, I notice the girl and she notices me.

She grit her teeth showing the few that are missing and a bruise on her neck and chin.

Without a single sign of aggression I shifted my eyes and continued behind Kata.

Until I figure out where I stand on the power spectrum I'm not going to make any major moves.

Kata sat down and lit her pipe laying on one arm lazily.

I wanted to ask what we are doing here but Instead I gave her space and began to look at the landscape.

We are at the settlements edge, we are standing on what looks like a boulder that has been cut at its base.

We wait for a whole hour until Lissi was seen running towards us.

She carried a leather sack with her, stopping in front of Kata she bowed, obviously proud of herself with a huge grin on her face.

She dropped the sack and Kata got up, sitting cross legged she opened it like a Christmas present.

"Excellent work child"! she pulled out a couple of tusks inspecting them close to her face.

"Mmm I figured it out eventually, I just had to follow them for what seemed like forever".

"It always seems like forever child" she smirked and placed the bag behind her.

"Before you get your payment show dear Ambrose what I showed you before".

She looked at me and scowled, "Yes Mage Kata".

She walked towards me, "You should have told me you could use mana... you made me look like a fool".

"I apologize".

The sudden apology stunned her for a moment.

'Bet she didn't see that coming'.

The silence was awkward at first but silence was a form of communication in and of itself.

I let her fit whatever narrative she wanted about me, it's easy to apologize.

Hell if she wanted I would slam my head against the floor and clean her toes with my mouth.

I needed information and I wasn't going to get it through violance, my eyes fell on both mages within my line of sight.

Lissi got closer to me "Take out your mana core".

She looked sincere with no animosity.

A moment of hesitation and I send out my outer core.

"Now it might seem like your taking your mana core from your body, but your not".

I raised my eyebrow.

"Let it dissipate" she instructed and I did.

"Now bring it out again".

I followed her instructions and brought out my outer core that flew back into my body.

It wasn't even a haze anymore, more like a pinprick that could barely be seen.

"Now let it absorb the mana around us"

Once it looked like the haze was growing she stopped me.

"Good now try and use that mana, create a flat circle if you can".

I tried but nothing happened, I tried again but it seemed as if I didn't have the connection I usually had.

"Can't do it right"? I nodded at her smirking face.

"Now before I finally explain bring it back into your body" I did so and she looked at me expecting something.

I stared right back at her the wind whistling past us.

"Aren't you tired"? she asked after a while, the smirk replaced by a confused look on her face.

'Tired of your shit'.

"Not really" was what I really said.

"That doesn't make sense..."

"Explain it to me and we'll go from there, I'm sure we can figure it out" I smiled warmly.

She nodded after a moment.

"Well... like I said that is not your mana core, it's just all the mana you tainted brought out all at one time".

"The mana core itself will always be inside you, when all of the tainted mana is released in its condensed form it's akin to mana oil".

"It begins to draw in the mana in the area around you".

"Mana is pure, to use it we need to taint it with our bodies".

"When a new mage tries to draw in energy from there surroundings using this method when they bring that mana into their body it forces the body to work twice as hard to taint all that pure mana".

"Well usually..." she looked at me as if I was some kind of freak.

"Most mages end up killing themselves this way, they become enthralled with the power and don't even realize there body is rejecting it".

"And they just drop dead one day"? I asked.

She nodded.

I could see that happening, if someone like Kirle condensed their mana core he would beat the fat man down and proclaim himself king not realizing that there are soldiers all around him ready to kill him or worse.

Either that or die of mana abuse.

I nearly met the same fate, If I hadn't gone through the electroshock treatment and had Isla beat me every day I probably would have died in my sleep.

"Mage Kata said I could also hurt other people by accident, how is that possible"?

"A Mana core is like another body, a really young body".

"Imagine a baby having a tantrum, they wouldn't know what they are doing just waving there arms around, but for you it could mean sending a tendril of mana into someone's eye or breaking a neck unknowingly".

"So what do I do about it"?

"There are a series of poses used for meditation, that's what I will be showing you".

Taking a few steps back she raised both her arms and brought them over her head and placed them together palms facing each other.

She was breathing deeply while doing this, she then bent down to touch her toes and walked her hands forward going into a cobra pose.

'Is she doing...yoga'.