It is the late hours of night in urban setting. Back allies line the streets, graffiti lingering on the walls. Garbage dumpsters and trash cans are present, a nice little neighbor hood where you'd get stabbed for looking at someone funny. A man stood leaning on a wall in the shadows, a dumpster next to him, looking almost like he was searching for answers in the wall parallel to him. He wore dark shades and a fine black tux with expensive looking, sleek black shoes; definitely not something you would wear in a place such as this. Well groomed deep purple hair fell down to his neck, his skin a pale complexion, very nearly white. And he looked to be 7 feet tall, his black leather gloved hands behind him.
A young woman of about 17 stood in the alleyway. She knew this part of the city was dangerous, she was counting on it. Pulling her sword off her back, she turned to face the man against the wall. Her eyes were a deep yellow, reflected with determination and unwavering resolve. She wore a mask over her mouth and nose to hide her identity, her dark brown hair pulled up in a twist, her bangs falling gently across her face, "If you want to live, you'll tell me who you are, or I'll kill you and claim you for what you may be worth. Judging by your attire, you'd be worth a pretty penny. What are you doing in this part of town?"
The man sighed and turned his head toward the woman. "It's rude to interrupt a man in thought, and even ruder to threaten him when he's done you no harm. I came out here to be alone and think; I didn't think I’d be interrupted here. A better question is why you are here…" The man looks at the sword as if it were just another piece of the scenery. “Why don't you put that away, it doesn't look like a toy. You should put it away before you hurt yourself. Sheath it away, and I’ll answer your other questions."
The woman stood where she was, doubt flashing in her eyes. "I think I'll be doing the asking. You're in my turf and in a suit no less. You're lucky you haven't been mugged." The woman tightened her grip on her sword. "But if you must know, I'm collecting heads for bounty, and I'm damn good with a blade. And you still haven't told me who you are. You can't honestly take me for a fool, there a lot safer places to think."
The man stepped away from the wall and faced the woman, showing his svelte 7 foot tall figure. His gloved hands were in his pockets now. "A bounty hunter, eh? Well, I came here because nobody else comes here, and the scenery looked adequate for my subjects of thought. I've been here since dusk and so far you're the only person to come by. And as far as you need to know, I'm a drifter; I go where I please when I please. And I'd prefer it if you put that sword away before we exchange pleasantries. It's just rude."
The women looked up at the tall man towering above her. Oddly, she didn't feel threatened, but that was what made her uncomfortable. She stood there, dumbfounded, for a moment before slowly sliding her sword back into its sheath. She did keep a knife in her sleeve however; it never hurt her to be prepared. After taking a half step back away from the man, she finally found her voice. "And to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting, sir?"
The man removed his hands from his pockets and clenched them into fists around his thumb. Placing his right arm in front of him above his belt line, and the other behind him at the same level, he took a slow bow which kept his shoulder blades parallel to the ground, his head tilted to view of his belt line. "I am known by title as Master Shadow. I once went by another name, but that was so very long ago. And who might you be, miss?"
The woman returned the bow in her own fashion, placing her right fist into her left hand before leaning over slightly. "I am Mecuniv. I apologize for my rude behavior, one cannot be too careful in these parts. Frankly I'm surprised to see anyone with the slightest amount of decency for miles around." Mecuniv straightened herself upright, relaxing a bit, "Mind if I ask what you were thinking about for so long? It's very nearly morning as it is."
Shadow, who was now standing, grinned slightly. His smile showed an edge, but there was class there too. "Well Mecuniv I accept your apology. I agree fully, one can never be too careful. As for my thoughts, well they are personal, not really the sort of things people share with one another. Mostly the big questions though: What am I doing? Where am I going? What for? Those sorts of lonely queries… My mind is often restless, and I prefer quiet and empty places. It makes the process go much smoother."
Mecuniv looked thoughtful for a moment, as if reviewing her own personal thoughts. A small hint of pain crossed her face, the kind of emotional pain that remains forever etched in one's mind. Then, it was gone. "I can't argue there, however it is not safe here. Not that I don't think you can handle yourself..." Mecuniv's eyes scanned Shadow's tall frame yet again. "Would you like to come to my residence for tea? You must be tired. Thinking tends to weaken one's mind after a while." Mecuniv chuckled to herself, almost like she was trying to lighten the mood. "It's not too far from here."
"Well, regardless of how much I might reassure you my safety and health, I can't refuse a cup of tea. Lead the way, I shall follow." Shadow gestured his flat hand forward.
Mecuniv nodded. Stepping out into the street, she began walking south west toward an empty lot about 200 feet away. "I hope you like surprises." Mecuniv grinned as she removed a glove and placed her hand in the air out in front of her. From nowhere, a house appeared. It wasn't a big house, the lot only had so much room, but it was big enough for a couple of people to live happily without invading each others space. "Home sweet home.”
Shadow looked at the house with less astonishment than would be expected, looking over its features, both aesthetic and practical. "That’s a nice trick. I'll need to ask you how it works over the tea."
Mecuniv opened the door to the house and beckoned Shadow inside. "Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable." Mecuniv lit the fire in the hearth and a wave of warmth rushed into the room. She shuffled around for the tea pot, placing it over the fire, and then went to the cabinet for cups. "You'll have to excuse my mess, I don't get visitors often."
She returned with a tray baring a couple of tea cups, sugar, cream, and spoons, and placed in on the small, low table before sitting in front of the fire.
Shadow found a chair and sat down, his eyes surveying his surroundings with interest. "Well you should keep company more often. It's very pleasant in here, a nice homey atmosphere."
Mecuniv only grinned into the fire, gazing almost blankly into the flames. “I’m no the type for company, I distance myself from other people as much as possible…my family-” She stopped short, leaving her sentence hanging unfinished.
Shadow, in understanding changed the subject to keep from the awkward silence. "So, about that tea, what kinds do you have?"
"Hmm?" Mecuniv's head snapped up, her eyes diverted from the fire. "Oh, I have Chai, Green, Black, and oolong. You could ice any of them if you want too." She shrugged and set out the small box which she kept her tea. "Sorry, I was just thinking...What would you like?"
"I'll have black tea please. I won't need ice, thank you."
Mecuniv grinned. "The man likes it straight." She poured the water and black tea, turning to serve her own green tea. Kneeling on the floor, she blew slightly to cool it. "So, you say you're a drifter?"
Shadow sipped his tea lightly and casually. "That is the term I believe, a traveler who is not tied down to an area or people."
Mecuniv took a sip from her own tea before responding. "I beg your pardon, but you just don't seem the drifter type. Are you searching for something? You don't seem like you've traveled at all by your attire or manner."
Shadow chuckled slightly. "People always make those assumptions about me. I keep my clothing in good order and my manners remembered simply for their elegance. Once, long ago, I was a man who was more suited for this attire and class, but even then I was well experienced and any thing but a homebody, but that was ages ago…" He took a nostalgic look at the tea before taking another sip. "In some manner, we are all searching for something, are we not? Other wise, we'd lack the drive to do any thing. No ambitions, no wants, no yearnings…nothing to keep us moving forward."
"Wow, that's deep, but I have to agree with you..." Mecuniv gazed into the fire once more, thinking what to say next. Who was this strange man really? Why did he do that, talking about how his life was so different...? There was something missing, but she decided it best not to press personal matters, she knew how troubling they can be after resurfacing.
Shadow’s voice snapped her back to reality yet again. "Now about this house...that trick you did was quite impressive. I've seen people put sheets over expensive cars in bad neighbor hoods, but hiding a house, don't see that every day. Do you mind sharing your methods?"
"Oh that? It's an illusion technique. When I was 14, my mother taught it to me...3 years ago. She thought I might need it.”
Mecuniv spoke with a monotone. "I didn't understand at the time that she had made a mistake, she was keeping me safe because she wouldn't be with me anymore. I've been on my own since then, learning and making a living on the streets..."
"So you know illusion magic; that can prove quite useful. You seem well equipped for your job. Would you mind sharing any more of your training perhaps?" Shadow took another sip of his tea. "I don't get to meet many bounty hunters..."
"There really isn't much to tell, I've lived here, taking down bounties to make money. I have no family..." She couldn't finish with 'that would want to see me'. "Mostly I just practice hiding things and making them reappear. I've made the dinner down the street appear to be on fire in a moment of boredom, it was amusing." Mecuniv chuckled to herself in recollection of the event. "But honestly, I have no one to teach me, so it's pretty basic stuff..."
"Any other training? Illusions are a great skill indeed, even in its early stages, but unless you can boast some skill in combat, well, you won't make it very far as a bounty hunter in the world if you can't fight..."
"Well yeah, I know tracking, swordplay, and espionage. I also know a little bit of crude martial arts from watching movies, nothing fancy though. My father was a tracker and he's the one who taught me swordplay when I was young."
"So you're like a crude form of ninja. Tracking, hand-to-hand, stealth, skill with a sword, illusion, knives, and a mask..." He paused to take a sip of tea. "With those skills you could go beyond normal bounty hunting. Just a little more training, you'd be at another level entirely..."
"I suppose...What about you, you've said very little about yourself actually. I'm interested in who you are."
"Like I said, I'm a drifter, a wanderer, and a walker of the earth with no one or no thing tying me down. What you should ask is what I do when I make a stop. My calling is very loose, but I suppose you could call me a teacher. I didn't get the title Master from some piece of paper handed to me in a building by some old pompous scholars..."
Mecuniv leaned in a little closer, now interested. "And what exactly is it you teach, Master?" Remembering her own tea, she took a sip. "I don't suppose you are implying you can help me?"
"I only help those who are ready to help themselves. You seem to be exceptional young woman, perhaps I could teach you as my pupil. However, my services don't come cheap. As much as I love helping others, I can't let just any one learn the skills I've spent ages mastering and improving." Shadow really seemed to be enjoying his tea. "Exactly what are you willing to give up in order to reach your zenith?"
Mecuniv leaned back against the wall, her gaze thoughtful. "I have very little to offer..."
"All people have something to offer, each individual being on this earth holds valuable resources that can't truly be taken. Your life, your soul, your innocence, your loyalty, your sanity...all five are things you are born with that you could always offer if you have nothing else of value. To tell the truth I've got no need for anything physical, but my point is, you still have things to offer and lose. So long as you're in a state to care weather you gain something or not..."
"Hmm..." Mecuniv placed he cup on the table before bowing forward. "Then all I can offer is my loyalty and if need be, my life. I have nothing else to shoot for, and I sure as hell don't want to be stuck in this god forsaken city any longer if I don't have to."
Shadow set his cup down and grinned. “First you must renounce all your previous ideas of what is and what is not, and then you must swear to do as I say. After, I'll have you doing some...house keeping chores. Each task will be more important and more dangerous as you progress. Eventually you'll move on to missions and quests that keep reality itself in balance, but that's quite a long sight away..."
A drop of sweat rolled down Mecuniv's brow at his words, her expression suddenly shocked. "Ju-Just who are you...? Keeping reality in balance, that's a job for the gods!" She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "What sort of black magic is this...?"
Shadow stands and pushes the chair in with out touching it. "I am both the gap between and the rank above mortals and the cosmic beings that you call gods. I fix the problems that they cannot. I am a traveler of both time and space. I have bested the strength of Hercules and Thor. I have out witted Athena and out maneuvered Ares. I have punished the punishers and unjustified the just. I am Master Shadow...cursed with power that even the power hungry fear. My intentions are for the greatest of goods and the least of evils, you have no reason to fear me or my power..."
"You are balance in physical form..." It wasn't a statement, Mecuniv understood. At a loss for words, all she could do was stare. Her mother had told her about such things, Masters of the energies that made up the universe, but she knew little about them. And here one was, drinking tea in her living room, offering to teach her. She felt a bit dizzy, her mind was spinning.
“I need to think, I can’t think…”
Mecuniv felt the air rush around her as she fell over. "Wha..." Suddenly, she fell on a large, soft cushion. Where did that come from? She heard Shadow chuckle at some unspoken joke. She guessed he had put it there…
"Ugh, thanks..." Mecuniv lay face down in the cushion for a good while, paying no attention to Shadow. She wasn't sure how long she thought about the path lay out before her, but she felt if she didn't say something soon; the opportunity might pass her by. She sat up slowly, letting her eyes adjust to...darkness? She had thought the whole day away!
Shadow didn't appear to be in the room. Mecuniv groaned at her inability to make quick decisions. Standing up, she cursed to herself. "Lovely Mecuniv, he left."
"No." A voice echoed through the house. In a corner of the room an unexplained darkness appeared to be swirling like a whirlwind but with no physical force. Master shadow appeared as the vortex reached its climax and walked toward Mecuniv, some of the dark coming off him as if water vaporizing into steam. "I thought it rude to watch on you while you were pondering so I stepped out. Have you concluded your thoughts yet?"
Mecuniv stretched before answering. Taking a deep breath, she kneeled before Shadow, head bowed. "Yes, I have. I...I've decided I want to learn from you. I swear loyalty and to do as you say, and renounce all my previous ideas of what is and what is not.”
Shadow grinned. “Good, let us begin your training then.”
Mecuniv looked up, surprised. “That’s it. I thought you wanted me to prove my loyalty? Weren’t you going to have me do some sort of dangerous task?” What gives? She didn’t think he was joking before, though he had been grinning. She had been mentally preparing herself for the task that whole time.
"I want you to start off easy, it is best I teach you at least something before we get into the real meat of your training. I suggest you ask for something useful, something to give you a needed edge in your tasks to come. As fun as learning how to spin thread into gold or how to play the guitar with your feet might sound, I’d prefer you ask for something more combat related, or at least something that would be of some use..."
Mecuniv looked thoughtful for a moment, he eyes focused on something distant in thought. "There is one thing I think I need the most. I need…to learn to close off my power, sort of as a last resort. If I were to lose control for instance...yes, self control is the first thing I need. Could you teach me that?"
"Well, I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I couldn't teach, now would I?"
Mecuniv nodded. "No, I suppose you wouldn't..."
"Though, that is more of a long term training process. But progress can be made regardless. First we need to find someplace soothing, the scenery out side may not be so productive. Think of some place relaxing would you? Describe a setting to me. A nice, calm and tranquil place...untouched by man and the corruption that often follows..."
Mecuniv closed her eyes, trying to envision such a place. All she ever knew was corruption and violence, especially when it came to her...
Her thoughts drifted to a lake, surrounded by wildflowers, and the fire flies danced along the water in the light of the moon. "There's a lake. It's peaceful there; the moon is shining on the water...the flowers swaying in the light breeze...There's no one there, it's natural and untouched..."
"Sounds like a perfect place. Let’s go then, shall we?"
Mecuniv's eyes snapped open. "Go...how?"
Shadow chuckled slightly as he out stretched his hand. His fingers seemed to be dipping into space, causing a water-like ripple in reality. "I have my ways. Just walk into it. Hold your breath and close your eyes if it makes you feel more comfortable. It's not wet...just a little cool to the touch."
Mecuniv gazed into the ripple for a moment, her expression uncertain. This was just getting stranger and stranger. Finally, she took a deep breath and walked into the ripple.
Mecuniv gasped slightly, it was cold, but not uncomfortable. On the other side Shadow was standing on a large smooth flat rock in the middle of the lake Mecuniv described. "I thought I’d add this rock so we could stand in the lake with out getting wet. Hope you don't mind."
Mecuniv fell to her knees, overwhelmed. "How...?"
Shadow shook his head slowly at Mecuniv, looking somewhat amused. "Perhaps I should give some kind of explanation. You see in order to do my job smoothly I’m given an amount of control over reality and the energies that make it up. I command the smallest bits of the universe with a relatively small amount of effort. That look on your face reminds me how fun I thought it was when I first figured it out, though I still do enjoy some of the tricks I can pull off with it. I’m just more used to it now, experience tends to do that.
But enough about me, lets start with your training on control shall we?"
Mecuniv got back on her feet. Her legs felt weak and her head was spinning again, but she needed this. If she couldn’t control herself by her 18th birthday…well, she didn’t want to think about it. She nodded. "Yes sir..."
"Good. Now I want you to take in the scenery for a moment, then I want you to sit down and meditate on it for a bit. Think about the harmony here; indulge in the peace and tranquility that the synergy of all the elements brings to this place. Worry about nothing else...just focus on the quiet."
"Alright..." Mecuniv gazed out across the lake. It was just as she had envisioned. There was stillness in the air, peace she didn't think possible. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the sent of the wildflowers. She could feel the gentle breeze on her skin, like the smoothest silk…
Her eyes opened again, and her eyes wandered to the light of the fireflies, mesmerizing and graceful...
Then there was the moon, full over the lake, radiant and beautiful. Mecuniv gazed at the moon, lost in thought...
"Now that you're at peace with your self, I want you to remember these images; keep them stored in both your mind and your heart, so that when your mind remembers, you can recollect the feeling that this place offers. It's always useful to be able to bring back memories of a place that soothes the mind, body, and soul."
Mecuniv closed her eyes again. "Hmm..." She breathed a short sigh. Sitting down on the shore, she listened to the wind and the hum of the fire flies.
"I want you to be able to close your eyes any where you find yourself and come back here to this spot."
"Alright..." Mecuniv let every one of her senses become in tune with the lake. She wanted to hear the sound of the ripples in the water, feel the breeze on her skin, and smell the wild flowers on the shore...
She found herself dozing off and shook herself awake.
"Try not to fall asleep...does this mean you're finished?"
"Sorry, I got lost in the calm of it all..."
"That’s alright...a place like this can have that effect when taken in deeply enough..."
"I think I got it..."
"Excellent, now for a little exercise to get everything moving. Part of control is being able to go from a relaxed state to a ready one at a moment's notice. I think a little sparing will do. Come face me, the best combat practice is combat itself."
Mecuniv stood up and sighed. She didn't particularly like the idea of sparring with the Master of Balance. However, she wasn't ever one to back down from any sort of challenge, no matter the odds. And this one was meant to help improve her skill...
Mecuniv unsheathed her sword from her back and readied herself.
"I’ll give you first swing. Try to hit me; I’m not fond of half hearted blows."
"But...you're in the middle of the lake..."
"Hmm...So I am..." Shadow stepped of the rock and walked toward shore, making small ripples in the water where his feet touched. "Is that better?"
Mecuniv lunged at Shadow, her sword raised. "Much better!" she cried out.
Shadow blocked with his arm and shoved the sword and its wielder backward. "Not bad. That strike could cut down most unprepared men alone. But I’m not unprepared, nor am I just a man. If you plan on hitting me, I’d suggest a little less force and more maneuver."
Mecuniv growled, of course this wasn't just some bounty mission, this was the real deal. She pulled several knifes out between her fingers and threw them at Shadow's feet, embedding them in the ground. Then she turned to the left and ran around.
The embedded knifes exploded in a rush of smoke. They were meant as a form of distraction for the tougher missions. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she lunged through the smoke, sword raised yet again.
Shadow’s voice echoed around the lake. "Now that's quite fancy, exploding knives that produce smoke screen. Too bad I'm quicker than that. I'm not easily distracted ether..." A finger tapped Mecuniv on her shoulder. "Behind you…"
"Ah!" Mecuniv swung around, her fist coming up to punch Shadow in the face in surprised defense.
Shadow grabbed her hand and twisted it along with the rest of her body to the ground. "Tsk tsk. If your opponent can block an attack like that and have time to taunt you then you should know that a simple punch won't work." Shadow dropped Mecuniv's fist and she landed on the ground as he glided backward from her range.
Mecuniv held her wrist for a minute and growled in frustration. 'Quick as the devil, he is,' she thought, 'What the hell am I gonna do now?' Rising to her feet, she picked her sword back up off the ground. She needed to be quicker...or make Shadow slower. Somehow she doubted that last one.
"Wait," she mumbled to herself, "I'm not completely powerless." Mecuniv placed her hands together and her figure began to glow in the moonlight.
"Hmm, interesting trick...but what's it do?"
Mecuniv grinned. "There's something you don't know about me..." The sword began to glow in her hand. "I'm not really fully human." She swung the sword in and arc, and a ball of light shot from its tip, heading toward Shadow.
"Ah an energy attack, very useful, not many higher level mortals can pull those off..." Shadow held out his hand in a palm to meet the ball, his hand clenched into a fist as it hit and a quick bright flash surrounded the area.
Mecuniv's eyes widened. "He caught it?!"
"72.3 miles an hour...62.55 megawatts...and 215 degrees Celsius....not bad for a beginner. How about I show you one of mine?" Shadow extended an arm and pointed his index finger toward Mecuniv. "Three words of advice: hit the dirt."
"Ah!" Mecuniv threw herself at the ground, covering her head. "s**t!"
A small crackle of dark purple energy formed at Shadow's finger tip. Quickly, the crackle formed into an intense beam. The beam missed Mecuniv and caused a blinding dark flash as it hit the rock in the lake, instantly shattering it into nothingness and evaporating the surrounding lake. "Oh dear...I thought it would be a little less potent than that. Oh well, not a difficult fix..." Shadow snapped his fingers and a rain cloud forms to pour the now empty lake full again.
"Ah..." Mecuniv lay there, staring at the lake. "That was...wow..."
"Now I bet you wish you asked to learn energy attacks right about now..."
"Well yeah...but they'll be time for that later right?" Mecuniv sat up again. She was sweating from the chase, though Shadow hadn't broken a sweat at all. She wiped her sleeve across her brow. "And I'd sure hate to get caught in that..." Shadow still never failed to surprise her, hopefully she'd get used to it all eventually.
"Well I think that's enough showing off on my part, let's see if we can get you to find out the proper exertion of force to get a task done, that's the next part of control. You seem warmed up enough for that, or do you want to try again, just for fun?"
"Ugh...No, I done getting my a** kicked for now..."
"Then let's start with your hand to hand..." Shadow took out a wooden board from nowhere. "I want you to break this. It's about an inch and a half of mahogany. Punch it."
Mecuniv sighed. "Master, I don't believe my hand could handle such an impact."
"Mmm...well if you can shoot a ball of energy from your sword, you should be able to break a board of hard wood. You do know how to channel that energy right?"
Mecuniv shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I'm not in much practice with it. I can only use my energy in the moonlight, and it's much stronger in the full moon."
"I see. Well, perhaps a softer wood then..." Shadow blew on the board and saw dust drifted off. "Now it's an inch and a half of pine, think you can break that?"
Mecuniv's eyes flashed with determination. "I can try..."
Mecuniv closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus her chakra to her hand. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "Alright..." She placed her hand on the board for a moment then brought it back. She paused, and then punched with all her force.
It all seemed to happen in slow motion, the board buckled beneath her hand, the energy dispersing, almost ripple like through the wood before it broke into pieces. Mecuniv stood there with her fist out, eyes wide.
"Good...very nice."
Mecuniv lowered her hand. "I...didn't know I could do that..."
Shadow grinned. "People would be amazed at what they can do with the right amount of effort."
Mecuniv nodded. "Yes, I suppose so..."
“But can you do it again?" The dust and fragments of the board returned to the piece in Shadow’s hand, forming the board in the same condition before Mecuniv had punched it.
Mecuniv clenched her hand into a fist again. "Once I fully figure out how I did it..." She closed her eyes again, trying to gather her chakra again. Her eyes snapped open and she immediately punched at the board again. It shattered into smaller pieces this time, like more force had been applied. Mecuniv grinned as the fragment flew around her.
“Mmm...You did better that time..." The board reformed again. "Once more..."
"Yes Master." Mecuniv didn't close her eyes this time, but instead gazed intently at the wood. Her right hand was glowing slightly with a soft, blue light. "Ha!" She punched a third time, throwing all her force behind it. The board was obliterated, nothing but a fine dust filled the air. Mecuniv lowered her fist and grinned.
"Excellent...you’re getting the hang of it..." The dust swirled around Shadow’s hand for a moment and it reformed back to a solid state. "Again."
"Shall I try kicking this time?"
"No...Let’s test the frequency of your fists first. Each time you break the board, I’ll reform it so you can punch it again."
Mecuniv nodded, her fist was already sore, but pushing her limits was something she was good at. She lunged at the board again with the same effect. "Ha!"
The board reformed in Shadow’s hand the instant its absence could be seen. "Keep at it…"
Mecuniv punched again, repeating the process again and again. After a while, her punches became weaker, and she was out of breath.
Shadow held up his hand to signal Mecuniv to stop. "92 consecutive punches in a minute with the same force, the last 8 were lacking due to loss of stamina. I’ll let you breathe, and then we’ll get to kicking..."
Mecuniv crouched over, gasping with her hands on her knees. "92? Wow..." She fell onto the ground to sit. "Since when was I ever that fast?"
"The air here is calm, the atmosphere, tranquil. Quiet and peaceful, a perfect setting for training one’s mind and body. The moment of clarity I had you take has a cleansing effect. When the mind is clear, time moves slower and the body can react faster and more efficiently."
"That makes sense..." Mecuniv took a deep breath and stood up. "Alright, I'm ready."
"Good, then we’ll see if your legs are as strong as your fists…"
Mecuniv bowed and focused for a moment, gazing intently at the board again. She kicked her foot in a rapid motion, shattering the board much like the first punch. She brought her leg back down and pivoted, swinging the other one up with a stronger effect.
The board reformed. "Good, you can use both your legs to attack with minimal pause. Let’s keep going..."
"Right." Mecuniv repeated the process, one foot, then the other. This winded her a lot quicker it seemed though, due to the rapid, constant movement of her body. She gave her left leg a final swing and stopped her movement, catching her breath once again. "How was that?"
"You have a 0.9 second delay in switching legs and you hit the board 75 times in one minute, both your legs are stronger than your fist. Let’s try your other fist after you catch your breath..."
"Yes sir!" Mecuniv sat down again. "Whew, this is hard work..."
Shadow grinned. "Good, that means the training is working."
Mecuniv grinned back. "No pain, no gain right?" She stood back up after several minutes and nodded.
"Ready?"
"Yes sir! Perhaps I should alternate, like I did with my kicks?"
"Just the one fist, then we’ll test both..."
Mecuniv sighed she was sore all over. "Yes Master..." She took a deep breath and punched repeatedly. She didn't think she'd do quite as well anyway, she was right handed. She landed the final punch and stepped back, rubbing her hand. "Ugh..."
"72 consecutive punches in a minute with the same force, though the last 7 punches were lacking. Not bad for your non-dominant hand. Catch your breath and sooth your muscles a bit, then we’ll see what both fists can do together..."
"Thanks..." Mecuniv walked to the edge of the lake and sat down, splashing the cool water over her face. She fell onto her back and closed her eyes.
"Just tell me when you’re ready again…"
"Yeah, I just need some air..." She gazed up at the moon and her thoughts drifted back to her family and her mother. "Ugh." She sat up and shook her head.
"Ready to resume?"
"Yeah..." Mecuniv stood up and brushed herself off. "Was just thinking..."
"Alright, but try to keep your mind clear. Mental stress will only make your training harder..."
"I understand..." Mecuniv stretched her arm and shoulders out. "It's nothing I can do anything about anyway, no need for me to worry about it..." She held her fists up, ready.
"This time you won’t see the board break much, I’ll be reforming it faster so you can punch it faster..."
Mecuniv nodded. "Got it." She rushed forward, punching right left, right left. She increased her pace as fast as she could go, pushing her muscles to their limit. "Gah!" Mecuniv head-butted the board and jumped back. "Sorry..."
"Not a problem, 200 hits in one minute of equal force, and one strong head-butt. Very good..."
Mecuniv rubbed her forehead. "Yeah...that hurt. Wait...200?!"
"Yes, 200 hits in one minute. You spent less time between punches, and you used both fists, so naturally you’d get more than the sum. Plus, you seemed to push your self more this time..."
Mecuniv looked up at the moon. "I...have my ways of finding a little bit more inner strength...I suppose my mother taught me well..."
"I’m sure she did. I’ll let you fully refresh yourself before your next segment of training; you’ll need your energy..."
Mecuniv bowed. "Thank you..." She walked to the lakes edge and splashed her face again, lost in thought. She watched the ripples on the water and sighed softly. "Hope you're proud of me Mother..."
She turned back to Shadow. "Master? Are you familiar with the story of Palomar's wrath?"
"I know so many stories; sometimes it’s hard for me to keep track of all of them. Refresh my memory please..."
Mecuniv sat back on her arms, gazing at the water. "There was a priestess, keeper of the Moon Shrine of Therian. Her job was to act as the Goddess Nengia's voice and follow out any of her orders. One night, she set up a ritual to make an everlasting night, believing it to be Nengia's will. Palomar, the sun God, became enraged when he heard of the plan.
He unleashed his wrath on her, cursing her first born child. She took no heed to Palomar's curse, though she did not re-attempt the ritual.
She soon fell in love with a young warrior, the heir to the throne of Xigon, City of Wind, and became pregnant. She lived with him, becoming queen, and they had a wonderful life with their new daughter. But a foul wind blew in one day, and Palomar's words echoed in the Priestess's mind, haunting her. She told her husband everything, no longer able to stand it. The king panicked. Fearing for the safety of his city, he did the only thing he could, and cast his wife and cursed child from the city, banished to the world below. The priestess knew that on her daughter's 18th birthday, she would cast a wave of destruction across the world, killing anything in her path. The girl was already 14, and she had learned many fighting skills and techniques.
The priestess took her daughter and hid her, praying to Nengia for help. But there was nothing the Goddess could do, nothing against the power of another God. She became sick, and knowing her child would be left alone, she told her to be strong. She died shortly thereafter..."
"I see...a tragic tale..." Shadow sighed lightly. "I was hoping for a less than depressing story. I’ve heard many tragedies, more than a mortal man could stand to bare in a life time. And what became of the girl?"
Mecuniv looked at her reflection. "She lives alone, collecting bounties for a living..."
"Mmm...I see..."
Mecuniv stood up and turned to face Shadow. "And now she's learning from a Master in an attempt to right the damage her mother caused..."
"So, that is your motivation..."
Mecuniv nodded slightly. "I'm afraid so...This isn't just for me. If I don't find a way to stop this, others will suffer, die..."
“Well you don’t want that.”
"No. That's why I resolved to learn from you, to better myself and hopefully save others from something they can't control happening, they don't even know it's going to happen. They continue their lives, not knowing that their deaths could be very soon. I don't want to become some...monster because of my mother's mistake..." Mecuniv sat back down and stared at her reflection in the water.
“Well, we’ll just have to see that it doesn’t come to that…”
"How?" Mecuniv looked up at Shadow. "I'll do whatever it takes...anything."
“Good...then let’s resume training shall we?”
Mecuniv nodded and stood up. "I sorry for not telling you before..."
“It’s alright; I suppose it’s not the sort of thing that just comes up in conversation.”
"I suppose not..." Mecuniv tightened her gloves. "Ready..."
“Good.” Shadow grinned. “Now we get to the fun part...” He snapped his fingers and several floating boards surrounded Mecuniv in a loose dome shape. “You can use your feet and fists this time, use your head if you want. We’re going to test how many times you can strike unarmed...”
Mecuniv grinned. "So, I get to just go wild? Sounds fun..."
“You may begin at your convenience.”
Mecuniv lunged, kicking through a couple of boards and punching through another. She continued at a speed which would have given a normal person whiplash just by watching. "Yea!" After a few minutes she head-butted a board one final time and backed off, breathing heavy.
“Finished?”
Mecuniv grimaced, her knuckles bleeding through her glove. "For now. I...just...need a breather..." Mecuniv plopped down on the ground, sweating and gasping.
“500 hits in 1 minutes time. Impressive...”
"I was only going a minute?" Mecuniv wiped her brow. "That wore me out..."
“You pushed your body very hard, and you did very well.”
"Good enough for now...I'll get faster..."
“It’s not speed you need, it’s your endurance. Most people will fall as fast as those boards, you can handle 500 in single minute, much more and you’ll fell large armies in an hour. Though those boards aren’t dodging or hitting back...”
"True, but I'm not like you, I’m mortal. You don't even break a sweat..."
“True, but you can improve greatly. Keep training like this and in no time there won’t be a human on this planet you can’t defeat. Hell, there won’t be an army of humans you can’t destroy.”
"I don't wanna destroy anyone, I want to protect. I took in those bounties because they were dangerous, a threat to others."
“And human armies are also threatening. There is not a weapon on this planet that was not made for bloodshed, nor a soldier trained not to kill. Your first tasks will involve dealing with dangerous humans and many of them won’t just give up. If you want to learn how to end conflicts without violence, then maybe you should have asked for a diplomacy teacher...”
"I know, I just want to avoid killing if I can. I was practically born to destroy...”
“Then let’s make sure it’s the unjust you destroy and not the innocent.”
"Yes sir."
“Any other concerns you have?”
Mecuniv shook her head. "No, that was my big thing. How much more training will we be doing tonight Master?"
“Not much. Next we’ll work on how much energy you can draw into your body.”
"Good, I could use a refresher..." Mecuniv took a deep breath and stood up.
“Tell me how much you know about your ability to draw in energy.”
"Well, not much actually. Mother did show me how to do it, but its weak compared to her’s."
“Then explain how much you know, everything you know about it. I need to know how much I need to teach you about it.”
"Well, she showed me the breathing technique. I use it when I meditate. But as far as execution, I'm not really sure how it works, I just do it. Sort of like an instinct..."
“Do you know the source of the energy?”
"Well, the moon helps..."
“Yes, you’re drawing energy from the moon...”
Mecuniv frowned. "But doesn't that mean I'd be weaker during the day?"
“Have you tried drawing energy during the day?”
"Well, no, I never have time. I'm usually sleeping; I work at night."
“Well I’ll have to teach you how to draw and hold energy then. I want you to focus on the moon...”
Mecuniv looked up at the moon. "Okay, I can do that."
“Focus hard...”
Mecuniv closed her eyes.
“Imagine every aspect of the moon...its size, its shape, its texture, its color, its glow, its sound...even its smell and its taste...”
"It's smell and taste...?”
“Yes.”
"Alright, I'll try. Hmm...A bit like acidic cotton candy..."
“Not focus on its glow and its hum; I want you to feel its radiance...”
Mecuniv felt a bit cooler, and her muscles ached a bit less. "Ooh, tingly..."
“Now pull it in, bask in the glow, and soak it up like a sponge in water...”
"It’s sort of...minty. Refreshing and cool..."
“Draw it in, pull at it with every fiber of your being and absorb it...”
Mecuniv's body began glowing a soft white briefly, flickering.
“Good, now regulate it. Push it through your body, draw it with you breath and let it come together with your blood...”
Mecuniv breathed like her mother showed her, circulating the energy through her body. The glow brightened and moved in closer to her body, like a second skin. "I think I got it..."
“Good, now suppress it. Push it deep into you.”
The glow gathered toward her heart, shrinking until it was no bigger than an apple, then the light disappeared entirely and Mecuniv opened her eyes. "Whoa..."
“Storing energy in you vital organs isn’t always efficient, it’s better to keep it pooled with your chakra; though it does make your organs more efficient.”
"Well, my heart was racing..."
“Well now that you’ve stored a soothing energy in it, you’ll recover much faster.”
Mecuniv sighed. "I feel better already..."
“And your wounds have healed as well...”
Mecuniv pulled off her gloves and looked at her hands. "So they have...how handy..." She chuckled. "No pun intended..."
“Now that energy is passive, so it takes more of it to produce a blast than a more aggressive energy, like fire for example...”
"Fire?”
“Yes, fire is a very aggressive energy; it takes very little effort to turn fire energy into an outward blast.”
"Alright..."
“Now, you can measure this energy just like electricity, watts and calories are the common terms.”
Mecuniv shuffled. "I never really paid attention to this stuff in class..."
“Well I'll tell you what you need to know. Calories are the common measurement for energy used in the human body, where as watts are the common measurement of energy in machines.”
"Oh yeah, calories in food, watts in electricity, I see. So how does that work in to what I'm learning?"
“The energy you're using is more powerful than the energy you take in from food. It takes 860 calories to give the same amount of energy as 1 watt-hour...”
"So, my energy is measured in watts?"
“If you'd like, you can also measure it in joules.”
"Joules...that's another measurement of electricity, correct?"
“Yes, a watt hour describes an amount of power being used over the course of an hour; a joule describes an amount of energy being used constantly. 1 watt hour is equal to 3,600 joules. For a point of reference, the average home uses over 900 kilowatt-hours each month.”
"So...over 3,240,000 joules a month, that's a lot of energy."
“Even more, a kilowatt is 1000 watts; tack on three more zeros at the end.”
"Wow..."
“So that's 773,860,705 calories.”
"Erm...I'm not even sure I have that in me..."
“It takes 1 calorie a minute to keep your body running while you sleep, so you could keep your body running for about 24 years on the energy it takes to power a house for a month.”
Mecuniv shuddered. "I never realized how wasteful humans are; it's kind of creepy..."
“The human body is a very efficient machine, very few of them learn how to absorb and harness energy in their own body...”
"Heh, but I can, I have you to teach me."
“And teach you I shall.”
"Alright, so how do I do this?" Mecuniv pounded her fist into her hand eagerly. "I'm ready to learn."
“Well, so far you only know how to absorb the energy from the moon and store it in your organs, so we'll work on that...”
"Oh...okay..."
“I want you to focus hard on soaking in the glow of the moon, spread it out your entire body, and let every cell feel the energy.”
Mecuniv nodded and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the glow as she had before. She began to feel a warming sensation though out her body. The energy began to hum softly again, glowing a bit more intensely, an aura illuminating off her entire body. It was strong at first, and then seemed to shrink inward, dimming. "Am I doing it right?"
“Yes, very good...how do you feel?”
"Calm...and yet completely energized at the same time..."
“Just as you should, you've got enough energy stored to keep your body running for a year.”
"Really? Even without sleep?"
“At the average human's maximum capacity…”
"Cool!"
“Of course you're no average human…”
Mecuniv grinned. "What's next?"
“Next you have to work on keeping it stored. Even if you absorb that energy most of it dissipates quickly because your body hasn't learned how to keep it...”
"Alright..."
“What you have to do is recognize when the energy is leaving. You have to hold onto it, like tensing up and locking a muscle to keep it from being moved.”
"Hmm, but I assume you're referring more to focus than physical movement..."
“Well since you're storing the energy through out your body, tensing up physically would also benefit.”
"Alright, so how do I know when the energy is leaving?"
“You'll feel it, you should be getting back most of the effort you spend absorbing it. Focus on it and you'll notice, when you do tense up to make sure it doesn't slip away, if you do it right it'll hurt a bit and you'll feel much more energized, like the rush of jumping into a lake from a high cliff...pain and adrenaline... “
"Lovely...just what I wanted..." Mecuniv didn't mind the adrenaline rush, she enjoyed the thrill, but she wasn't too fond of pain. "Eventually my body will adjust and do it on its own, right?"
“You'll be able to take in more and more with less effort. This trick will always work though. At some point, you won't need to tense up to draw in massive amounts of energy, but even at my level you can still use this trick to draw in cosmic energy.”
"Alright, so should I try it out?"
“Yes, experience is always the best way to learn.”
Mecuniv closed her eyes again to focus on the energy. She could feel it dispersing slightly, so she tightened her muscles and took a deep breath, trying to hold on to it and pull it back in. She immediately felt the rush Shadow mentioned and stepped back. "Ah!"
“Keep going, you don't have to stay quiet, vent the pain through screaming if you have to; makes a nice battle cry sometimes.”
"God, it hurts!" Mecuniv bit her lip and tried to breathe. She was never one for crying out, her job often required silence.
“You'll collapse from it if you don't vent the pain...or you'll explode...”
Mecuniv groaned. "That's...a load...of crap..." She dropped to her knees and screamed. "Ahh! Okay! Damn it!" She was finding it harder to keep herself tense, her body didn't seem to want to listen to her.
“Keep going…”
"I'm...trying..." Mecuniv cried out. "My body isn't listening..." She tightened more, crying against the pain. "Ahh! Damn it!" The pain began to dull gradually, becoming more of a rush. Mecuniv could feel the energy returning to her muscles and limbs.
“A little bit more...”
Mecuniv groaned and pulled it in as much as she could. "I don't think there's much left..."
Master Shadow pulled out a well polished, palm sized, pitch black gem and handed it to Mecuniv. “Hold onto this tightly and vent the energy into it.”
Mecuniv took the gem and gripped it tightly in her right hand. She focused to let some energy out into the gem, feeling more rush back into her limbs. "What...is this?"
“Storage...you're reaching your breaking point quickly. If you hold onto too much energy your body will burst from it, it's safer than letting you release it all at once. You can stop now, just put the excess energy into the gem.”
Mecuniv nodded and released the extra energy into the gem until she felt able to stand again. She brought herself up on her feet, shaking slightly. "Such a powerful little gem to absorb that..."
“I suppose it is, it can hold much, much more though. It takes a similar amount of effort to coax the energy out again, but it can store an indefinite amount of energy for several eternities...”
"Wow...did you make this?"
“Yes, it's an empty little pocket in space. You can store other things in it as well. It's concept is based on soul gems but at a much higher level.”
"Other things? Like what?"
“Well, pretty much anything really; the hard part is getting it in and out...”
"Hmm..." Mecuniv turned the gem over in her palm. "I shall use it well..."
“Let us hope so, you've stored enough energy in it to power the continent of Australia for 3 months.”
"Cool..." Mecuniv beamed. "I never would have thought I was capable of so much."
“I’m a little surprised myself, that's a tremendous amount of energy to gather without proper training; you've got a very enduring body...”
"Well, I was gifted by the goddess, I'm no normal being...I suppose once the curse activates, all that new found power will be unleashed...this is even worse than I thought..."
Shadow seemed lost in thought. “Hmm?”
"The curse Master...the wave of destruction I will unleash. Now that I know how to draw in more energy, it will only get worse. So many people will die..." Mecuniv dropped her gaze to the ground. "I have to stop it from happening...I don't want to be a monster..."
“It won't happen; I'll make sure of it...”
"Heh, I may not know much about the Masters, but I don't think you can challenge the power of a god..."
“Heh...Then you know nothing about the master's power. If the gods were so powerful, I'd be out of a job keeping things in order…”
"I suppose...but that's why you're teaching me right? I have to forget everything I thought I knew and re-learn how I view the world."
“Not necessarily every thing, but what I teach you should take priority over what you already know. If you forgot everything, I'd have to teach you everything from how to walk to your mathematics…and I don't feel like teaching geometry to a ninja...”
"Okay, so not everything...But I suppose mathematics doesn't even matter, if you wanted to, I bet you could change the whole order of it..."
“Scraping and changing the entire cosmic order to my whim? Heh...if I could do that then I'd solve all the problems ever created...but alas, all I can do is bend the rules...”
"So what's next Master?"
“Now let’s work on using that power. I want you to draw up a little bit of energy from the gem...”
Mecuniv nodded and gripped the gem. It began glowing and humming softly. "What do you want me to do with it?"
“Try an offensive blast...” Shadow snapped his fingers and a thin black metal circle appeared a few feet overhead. “That's made of a very resistant material, let’s see how much it takes for you to break it...”
"A blast...? I'm not so sure I can do that..."
“Focus the energy in your hand and aim at the disk, store up a large amount and release it outward...”
Mecuniv took a deep breath and gripped the gem tighter. "Alright..." She looked up at the disk and raised her hand. "Here goes nothing..." The gem glowed brightly for a brief moment and a beam of light blue energy shot from her fist. "Ah!" She fell onto her back and looked up at Shadow and laughed nervously. "Did I do it?"
The disk showed several cracks but remained intact. “30% damage...and you used up a tenth of the power in the gem. Seems like ranged blasts aren't your thing...”
"Yeah...I could have told you that..."
“Well now we have statistics to prove it.” Shadow snapped his fingers again and the disk became a post in the ground. “Maybe you should try focusing it into your sword this time. Split the post down the middle.”
Mecuniv stood up and brushed herself off before drawing her sword. "Hmm, it'd be cool if we could put a spot in the hilt to place it when I need to."
“As you wish...place the gem at the pommel...”
"Hmm?" Mecuniv held the gem against the bottom of the hilt. "Like this?"
“Good...” Shadow snapped his fingers and thin threads of silver began to latch the gem in place.
"Whoa. What the...?"
“There, now it won't budge...”
Mecuniv gave her sword a swing. "Perfect, let's test it out." She gripped the hilt, charging up the gem again. She grinned and rushed to the post, jumping through the air, and split the post completely down the middle with a loud crack like thunder.
“Much better, much more efficient too, that swing took less energy than toasting a bagel...”
Mecuniv took a step back and sheathed her sword before turning back. "And I'll still be able to store energy when I need to; I just need to hold my sword. I always preferred close combat anyway, more honorable. You could easily take someone out with a sniper rifle or even a pistol; it's cowardly in my opinion."
“Which brings us to our next test...healing...”
"Useful...I don’t enjoy bleeding…”
“Well in order to test healing, we'll have to make some wounds to heal.”
Mecuniv backed away. "Oh no...No no no no no...you'll murder me!"
“I won't kill you...”
"You're not serious..." Mecuniv held her hands up. "I've seen what you can do..."
“I've learned to control my strength. Now brace yourself, this is going to hurt...” Shadow raised a hand and pointed a finger at her. She crossed her arms over her face. "No!"
“On the count of 5…”
"Oh just do it! You're going to anyway!"
“Alright...54321 ZERO!” Shadow’s finger glowed and a purple line of energy rushed toward Mecuniv. She widened her stance and dug in her heels, blocking with her arms.
The line hit against the center point where her arms overlapped and impacted into a large blast. Everything was gone in a flash and she came to looking at the sky on her back, in great pain like you've just been mauled by a tractor.
"Ahh! What the hell?"
“Now plant your sword in the ground and draw up as much energy as you need...”
Mecuniv drew her sword with a shaky hand and plunged it into the ground beside her, gripping the hilt. The gem began to pulse and glow, humming again. She weakly got up onto her knees and gripped the sword with both hands, feeling the warming sensation bring strength back to her body.
Shadow stood over her shoulder. “Better?”
"Yeah...But could you not do that again?"
“I won't need to; you're very good at healing yourself. Though since it's passive energy that's what it does best...”
"Did I just use the earth? Or was it just what I stored?"
“Just what you stored, planting your sword in the ground just makes it easier for you to get back to your feet. Using energy is easier when in a weight bearing position.”
"Ah..." Mecuniv stood up slowly. "At least I can handle myself better now..."
“And that gem will store up as much energy as you need.”
"Good to know. It's like having my own first aid and stamina kit."
“I think we've covered basic training.”
Mecuniv grinned. "Not bad for my first day, huh?"
“Yes, you'll make a promising student...”
Mecuniv pulled her sword out from the earth and returned it to its proper place on her back. She placed her fist to her hand and bowed to her Master. "I thank you for giving me this opportunity..."
Shadow returned the bow. “It's my pleasure.”
Mecuniv smiled. "So, now what?"
”Now we start working on your combat experience. No better way to learn than experience...”
"You...want me to fight you now?"
“No, we don't need to do that; we'll be doing some charity work. Think of it like an internship as a cosmic protector...”
"Oh, like bounty hunting? I'm game."
“Something like that, except we've got not contracts or employers and almost all of our bounties are going to be stronger than a conventional army...”
Mecuniv froze. "Say what?"
“There are no small jobs in this line of work; we protect people on the scale of thousands on the slowest days...”
Mecuniv pressed her lips together. "Lovely...just lovely..."
“So...who do you feel like saving today?”
"I don't know...I feel sick thinking about it... Master, are you sure I'm up to this?”
“If you can't handle it, I'll be there to back you up.”
Mecuniv nodded. "Alright...but I don't know. Perhaps you should choose..."
“Well pick some limits, it's a big cosmos. You want to stay on this planet?”
"Yeah, I'm not sure I'm up for intergalactic travel yet..."
“So you don't mind traveling to another planet in the Milky Way then?”
"I thought I just said 'Earth'..."
“You only said no intergalactic travel; you didn't say anything about interplanetary travel.”
"Well, I'd prefer to stay on this planet. I'm familiar with it..."
“Very well, but we'll be going to parts few others have ever seen before.”
Mecuniv cocked her head. "Hmm?"
“Normal humans don't see the kind of action we'll see.”
"Are we going to area 51?" She chuckled.
“Not today. It's quiet there for the most part actually...”
"Aww, I always wanted to know what sort of secrets the government kept from those it serves."
“Oh, those secrets are nothing compared to the one's you'll learn on our missions.”
"Yay! I'm special!" Mecuniv jumped up and down then stopped. "Ahem...sorry..."
“So what kind of problem do you feel like solving today?”
"You're asking me? Shoot, I don't know, what is there?"
“Just about anything really...monsters, curses, conquering armies, evil wizards...you name it we fight it.”
"...Isn't there anything more...diplomatic?"
“These days there aren't many diplomatic missions sadly...”
"I suppose the world has just reduced itself to fighting out its problem huh?" Mecuniv sighed. "Why don't we start off with something easy...I need to practice more..."
“Very well, lets start with some ogres then...”
"Ogres...big, stupid, easily angered...sounds easy enough..."
“Usually they're easy enough.”
Mecuniv nodded. "Alright, let's do this..."
“Very well...” Shadow made a circle in the air and a black portal opened up. He gestured her towards it. Mecuniv stepped through the portal, feeling the cool sensation she had encountered earlier when coming her from her house.
She stood outside a small village of huts, the ground a soft reddish brown. People scattered about in a panic, trees crashing down from the force of 2 large beings of a sickly light green skin, one drooling a bit and the other swiping at the villagers with a large tree branch. "Huh, you weren't kidding...where are we?"
“An Earth village…The people of Earth enjoy simple peaceful living amongst nature, while ogres enjoy 4 meals a day, a rampaging through the trees and making people scream...obviously a conflict of interests...”
"Ah, so now we have to solve the ogre problem and restore peace..."
“Yes.”
Mecuniv drew her sword, looking a bit on edge. "Um, they're big..."
“Ah but they are slow...you are fast and you have a sword, all they have are trees...and 2 tons of muscle...”
"Yeah, that makes me feel better..." She began walking off toward the village. "Are you coming too or you just going to observe?"
“I'll make sure nobody gets killed...”
Mecuniv sighed and continued walking. "Why can he never just give a straight answer?” She increased to a jogging pace until she reached the edge of the village, getting a close up look of the destruction. There were several destroyed huts, some smashed, other which had the top half taken off by the ogres swing. "Great...powerful and stupid...not good. What's an ogre's weakness?" She saw one trying to step on some panicked villagers, who were scrambling to get away. She picked up a rock the size of an soft ball and used her power to throw it at its head. "Hey Ugly!"
The ogre groaned and looks at Mecuniv, picking up a boulder and tossing it at her. Mecuniv rolled out of the way to the side and ran beneath its legs, heading away from the village, hoping it would follow. "What's the matter, can't hit me? The ogre grunted and hurled its large fist at her. Mecuniv side-stepped and swung at its hand with her sword, slicing its index finger. The ogre grabbed its wrist and screamed in pain, picking up a tree in rage and swatting at her.
"Uh oh..." Mecuniv charged up her sword and brought the energy into her legs, allowing her to move faster. She danced around to avoid the tree and ran beneath its legs again, swiping at its ankle.
The ogre fell, screaming as its wounded foot bled and getting more violent. It swept the tree across a larger area with more force, causing a moderate wind to kick up dirt and small rocks.
"Alright, that is enough!" Mecuniv charged up her sword, the gem glowing brightly. She charged at the ogre, leaping over the swinging tree and through the air. She plunged her sword right into the ogre's forehead and twisted.
The ogre let out a wailing moan as it fell to the ground. Its jaw dropped and its eyes widened and fell out of focus, blood and drool dripping from its mouth. Mecuniv pulled her sword out with a little effort; it was stuck in its skull. She gazed at the fallen creature for a moment and turned back to the village, her eyes hard and determined. She ran find the other one before it did anymore damage.
The other ogre was busy smashing a hut with its tree. "Ah, there you are..." Mecuniv ran forward, wasting no time, she sliced cleanly through its ankle, taking it down as quick as possible. The ogre let out a loud groan, barely managing to support itself on its one foot. It put its stump of a leg on the ground to keep it up, screaming from the pain and lashing at her with the tree. Mecuniv was ready for the blow and leapt up onto its arm running up it toward its head. The ogre flung its arm violently, hurling Mecuniv against a tree several yards away. It stumbled towards her slowly, grunting from the pain.
"Agh!" Mecuniv stumbled to her feet. "Alright, you wanna play that way?" She charged her legs again and rushed forward full speed. She sliced through its other leg and doubled back quick as a flash. She leapt through the air and stabbed the ogre through the back. The ogre screamed, falling backwards from the force of its footing being cut from beneath it.
"s**t!" Mecuniv leapt away from the ogre to prevent herself from being crushed as it hit the ground, but her sword was still intact. The ogre crashed to the ground, the sound of the blade slicing its bones and organs loud and clear even through the dying screams.
"Lovely..." Mecuniv walked back over to the ogre, debating how to roll it over to get her sword back.
“You could try going through its chest to retrieve it.”
"Hmm?" Mecuniv looked around.
Master shadow stood nearby, over looking the results of the battle.
"Where you near the whole time?" Mecuniv sighed and stepped up onto the ogre's chest. "I was just thinking that actually, no way I could roll it over..." She rolled up her sleeves and pulled out a throwing knife, using it to cut a deep gash in the chest. She reached in and struggled to pull it out. "Great...the hilt's stuck..."
“Maybe if you cut into the side...”
"Well, this has been an interesting first mission..." Mecuniv took his advice and made a cut in the side of the corpse, wiggling the sword free with a bit effort.
“You're lucky it was only two...”
"Yeah, I'd be screwed with out my sword." She looked it over, covered in ogre blood and organ pieces. "That's pleasant..." She wiped it off on the ogre's clothing. "What do we do with the bodies? They're going to stink out the whole village when they start rotting..."
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