Slowing down life

Learning things outside your comfort zone is the quickest way to make friends with anyone, no one is the same as you. Might as well get used to that fact. -Shibu Dochi, Journal of a Thousand Journeys.

-=+=-

I walked toward the academy's gate, the sun was setting and students were heading home for the day. There was a nice chilly breeze that blew from behind, 'That feeling' I took a deep breath, 'Feels as though the earth is taking away all my troubles with it.' At this time of day, even though there were a lot of people walking about, it felt the most peaceful and harmonious. Everyone is tired as we prepare to end our days, the chatter is low and soft, the setting sun brightens up the streets filling the last few hours with warm orange light.

My new friend, Andromeda, waited at the academy's gate, she was leaning against a pillar reading a book. Her hair fluttered in the slow breeze. She wore a tunic with a wool cloak in simple beige colors along with trousers. Though simple in nature, I found her cute. I walked up to her as she was reading and said, "Are you ready to practice your Martial Arts?"

She came out of her book, "Yes I am, but I am curious how we are going to do that when you are so busy after school?"

It was true, my schedule is packed to the brim, "I have my ways of stretching a day every few days or so." I laughed out loud at my terrible conversation skills.

She looked at me even more confused, "What do you mean?"

I pulled a small bead out of a pouch tied to my waist, "With this." It glowed a slight blue pulsing slowly.

She widened her mouth in shock, "That's a Eo-."

I quickly covered her mouth, "I know, I know," I uncovered her mouth, "I will explain more outside the city. We walked most of the way in silence, though not from a lack of trying to start a conversation. Most of our conversation ended after a word or two, though the silence wasn't unpleasing, sometimes we communicate the most when groups of people enjoy the moment.

Exiting the city we made our way past the river into a field just over yonder, I finally explained the crystal to her, "I uhhh 'liberated' the Eon crystal from my teacher a few years back."

"But why, why would you need the crystal to begin with, if you haven't sold it for money that is." She looked at me with a questioning gaze.

I felt a bit offended by her accusation, "What makes you think that I would steal something for money?"

"Well be-"

"I'm poor? I don't have as much money as those in the high castle on the tops of hills looking down over us?" I crossed my arms.

"I uhh- I didn't uhh mean uhh," Andromeda began to stutter, "I thou- I...," she fell on her arse, she began to freak out, clutching her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't wan- I thought that sense- I just want to be your...,"

I stopped being fussy with her and walked over with concern, "Hey are you alr-," a scream pierced my ears.

"Aahhhhhhh!" She began to push away the ground with her feet, "I'm sorry , I'm sorry your right? How could I ever le-."

I grabbed her shoulder and violently shook her, "Wake up, you're okay!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she kept muttering to herself.

Finally, I made the decision to slap her, I was no doctor, especially not a mental doctor. "Wake up!" I large thud could be heard.

"Ouch!" Andromeda began to rub her cheek, waking up from her terror spell, "What happened?"

I laid down next to her, "Hell if I know," I grabbed the Eon Crystal out of my pocket, "We can talk after I cast this spell."

She nodded, I put the crystal to the sky and shouted, "Li Tep zi No Keyip."

"Time be my vessel?" Andromeda asked, but as she asked the world around began to glow with blue lines, it started by me but slowly bounded away and disappeared shortly after. Suddenly she squealed out in glee, "A world aspect spell! You stopped time!"

I sat straight up, "Yep, and the only reason I can keep it up for a few hours is because of the Eon crystal. I don't have nearly enough mana to keep it up for more than a few seconds if that."

"That's incredible!" She grabbed my hands, "To be able to master such a spell so young, you must be a true genius."

I scratched the back of my head, "I don't know about that, I just needed some more time in my day to be to relax and focus on other things, besides school, work, and the church." I looked at her straight, "It was a necessity for my mental health, I had to do it or I would kill myself.

"Still, don't downplay your achievements, you're incredible Dee." She tightened her grip around my hand.

Feeling a bit flustered I stood up, "Well now that we are here, I want to help you."

She got up as well, "How? My magic is tangled up in my veins."

I shook my finger at her, "There are still other ways to train yourself, martial arts require no use of magic and by improving those skills you can improve your magic skills as well."

"I never trained in any martial arts really, only a bit." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't worry these are only the basics, and the end goal isn't to be a master at martial arts, it's to gain more control." I got into a stance, positioning a foot forward my other slightly back perpendicular to the other. My hands guarded the front, not letting anything slip by, "The end goal is to control. If we can do this then later, by yourself, you will be able to 'guide' moving magic around you without expending any of your own."

"Where did you learn this?"

"Question will be answered later, my pupil," I said sarcastically, "Attack me and train your body and mind."

She let out a huff and came after me. She let out a strike near my chest, I grabbed her hand then use the force of her moving to let out a strike in her gut. I let go of her hand and send her flying out, "What was that? If you going to go after the part of me that's heavily defended, you better have some serious skill."

She stood back up, breathing more heavily. She gets back into her amateur stance and approaches me slowly. She tries to sweep my legs, but she is too slow. I widen my stance to gain more stability, causing her to stumble back. I then use my back leg to kick from behind.

"This is going to be a long day." We practice for a good hour before, I called a break for her, "Take a breather, I will stop beating you up for today."

"Thank you!" She was about to sit down before I interrupted her.

"Hang out our breather is our cool down!" I picked her up, "Follow my instructions."

I stood her a shoulders length away from me, "Okay get into a wide stance and your arms in a fist by your sides." She followed my instructions, "Okay now take deep breaths and follow what I do."

I took deep breaths as I slowly did techniques taught in school, it was used to gather energy up for magic. But it could also be used to gather yourself after training I found out. Slowly but surely she followed along, as we kicked the air, swept the floor, guarded the light, and took a stance in at the end in a finish.

Both of us at the end had much slower breaths, only then did we lay on the ground, "So how was it?"

She let out a breath, "Fucking hell, that's what it is."

I laughed, "Hey! Even demons have to learn to live in hell."

We took a quick nap, in our stopped time bubble. For the first time I felt close to someone who wasn't my father or mother, even people from different worlds can be friends I found out that day.

After a bit Andromeda asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

I spat out a wad of saliva, "Unless you can teach me Arithmetic and humanities, then no."

"What you don't learn mathematics and humanities in school?"

"We do, but for us common folk we don't have many uses for it, we can't climb higher in life by being a scholar, magic and military is the only way for us." I pulled out the grass as I talked out loud, "Scholarly activities are reserved for those who don't have to worry about how to get food on the table. Those who can higher tutors and after school lessons, we don't have the resources or time for that."

She laughed, "Well it turns out I can help you with something!"