Blowing off some steam (open meditation/training)

[Dios Kane]

:: Dios stood in the middle. The middle of a training area with rocks piled on each side of him. He could feel it inside of him, and he figured maybe he could burn it out. Just maybe he could work it out of him. Anything was worth a try by now. He stood up and pointed an open hand to one pillar. In a quick rush he felt a push fly out and then the rocks seemed to explode against the wall. He turned and threw his saber and it cut another pillar in half. He practically flew into the air, straight up, and screamed as another pillar seemed to set on fire and char. He landed sweating and with blood coming from his mouth. The ability to use this was leaving a bad taste in his mouth, not just blood.::

[Pierce Tondry]

"Play with fire and get burned," a voice said from the large doorway down at the end. "Least, that's what happens without flameproof gear."

Leaning against the doorframe was a man, a tall, lean, muscular man who was eyeing Dios with a certain amount of caution. "You go around incinerating things often?" he asked, his lips working around a large cigarra to speak.

[Dios Kane]

:: Dios quickly turned to the other man, he hadn't met this one before, at least he didn't remeber. But any case, the look in his eyes shifted for a moment before returning to normal and his normal looking grin replaced the grimace he had but a few moments ago. Dios quickly turned to the charred pile of stones and shook his head. His words were forced though and it wasn't just because he was tired, the presence within him was at constant battle to make him say things that he didn't want to.::

No... Not usually. It's just been different for about... a week so far... Haven't been... living the same old same old ya know? It burns me out mentally more than it does... physically though...

:: Dios demeanor suddenly changed like a movement of wind, it was blowing one way and then it changed at a whim, his pupils seeming a bit dilated as he spoke with ease now.::

But what do you require of me? I do not need your pratter! What business is it of yours what I do and what I don't? Who cares if I have the power to dest- I mean save those from the wicked.

:: The saber against the wall flew back to Dios' hand and he flicked it on, not in a challenging way, but merely holding it like a snake about to strike at prey. He had no intention of fighting though. The other presence wasn't strong enough to take control of his body, just influence posture and such. It did what it could to make Dios look worse and the sudden outburst didn't help either. He knew it too and all he could do was sit behind and watch as it threw it's tangent. He wished he could apologize now but it required to much effort, he needed as much as he could to stay in control mostly. He managed to calm the darkness before talking again. He suddenly slumped and looked very tired before straightening up again and turning off the saber.::

Please... excuse me. We have not been introduced. I am... Dios Kane, padawan of the... GJO.

:: Dios walked forward and extended his hand.::

[Pierce Tondry]

"Pierce Tondry," Pierce replied, not taking Dios' proffered hand and instead eyeing him up and down suspiciously. "You go around switching dialects often?"

[Dios Kane]

:: Dios smiled a bit as he reached into cloak and withdrew his flask and took a swig before reengaging the conversation.::

No, not until recently... You'll have to forgive me, it's a... flaw... that I'm working on. Nice to meet... Pierce Tondry. I haven't seen you around much, where've you been?

:: Dios was glad that this talking was keeping "it" at bay, he really didn't feel like messing with it at the moment. He put down his extended hand, not worrying about Pierce, if he had met someone like himself, he wouldn't have shook hands either.::

[Pierce Tondry]

"If I told you," Pierce replied with another shift of the cigarra. "I'd have to kill you. I do classified military work on the side."

"You learn a lot in the military," he continued. "Things like walker repair, psych profiles, and how to fight."

Pierce took another puff off the cigarra, which was actually a fake. It was basically a smoke cartridge wrapped in cigarra-like paper, giving him the feel of the real item in his mouth, but not leaving any pollution for his infant son Jax to inhale.

But there was something missing to it from the old cigarras he'd used to smoke.

With a sigh, Pierce pulled the item from his mouth and tossed it to the floor nearby.

"Interesting flaw," he commented on Dios' earlier statement. "Does it really work your mind and sap your energy, or are you up for a spar?"

[Dios Kane]

:: Dios stepped back a bit then seemed to disappear in a blink of Pierce's view. And a blink next, Dios was on the other side of the sparring ring, his saber drawn without a noise and the orange blade seemed to swallow light instead of expell it. Dios himself blinked for a moment, trying to figure out how he had gotten on the other side so quickly. It had made no sense to him, but he had a guess... "it" wanted a fight, "it" wanted to show Dios and Pierce what it could do... and prove the point that Dios couldn't sap it's energy.::

No... I don't think this flaw weakens me at all... physically that is. I'm up for a spar... I just hope you are really good.

:: Dios' hand opened and the saber began to twirl around his wrist. Dios hadn't done it, but then he figured any physical movements from here on wouldn't really be him. It'd be the other thing, the darkness. He didn't really have a way out of it now it seemed. He'd just have to be sure to save his energy when it came time to make sure the darkness kept it a spar and only a spar.::

[Pierce Tondry]

"I have few lightsaber skills- I've never really used the thing as a weapon before," Pierce admitted. He pulled a lightsaber out from inside his clothing and cut it on, revealing it to be a yellow-bladed one. Originally, it had belonged to him, but he'd given it to the Academy as a gift upon joining. Whenever he practiced, he would go back to using it, if it happened to be available.

"But I know how to fight," he continued. "I think that'll make up for my weak points."

Then, Pierce lifted one leg into the air and shifted his weight to one leg. He spread his arms wide with the lightsaber extended to his right side. "Since you seem to be feeling aggressive today," he said. "You can have the first move."

[Fiend]

:: This was almost funny! Dios was actually giving up to me! What a fool, no resistance! I wil kill this Tondry fool, who must've sensed me within Dios by now but was too stupid to just turn and leave. I had control of the saber first, then I felt my senses fitting into Dios' senses. How wondrful it was to be in control again of this pathetic human. I came into control right s the jedi toldDios he was to make the first move. But Dios had already made the first move... and I was about to make the second.
I flew forward and as I started I used my powers to freeze Pierce' senses.::

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce could see Dios moving forward, then the world disappeared.

It was very, very unsettling to be seeing and hearing someone approach you one minute, and the next minute to not even feel the shoes on your feet. Thrown off guard as he was, Pierce could could only react.

Immediately, Pierce dropped his combat stance. One of his feet stomped on the floor, and even though it wasn't much he could feel a bit of tingling in his skin.

Something in the back of his head began shouting at him, getting louder and louder until it screamed shrilly enough to shatter whatever attack it was- it had to be an attack of some kind- and allow Pierce to see.

What he caught was a glimpse of Dios (was he flying?) with malice on his face and a lightsaber primed to deliver a killing thrust, closing the distance between the two of them very quickly.

Pierce threw himself to one side and his hand dipped into his vest, coming out with a small silver ball- a modified sonic grenade. Pierce hurled it to the floor in front of Dios, but as he let go, his sight disappeared again. He would have to hope that his aim was true enough to get the device within its' effective range.

But at least it wouldn't affect him without his ability to hear.

[Fiend]

:: Whatever the jedi had thrown, threw me off my feet and into the wall behind me. My control over his senses were lost as my head swam from the impact and the shockwave that had emitted from the grenade. I shakily stood back up and faced, my hand clutching the side of my face as it seemed the beating drums woldn't stop, and Dios was there, fighting me... I had to keep reign, I hoped maybe I could kill one jedi with Dios' body, make him an out cast but he almost had regained control! This couldn't be happening now! I flung myself at Pierce, my saber flashing, the force being used to icrease my speed and strength.::

[Pierce Tondry]

The world cut back in. Pierce allowed himself only two shakes to reorient his senses- there was a lethal undercurrent here that he didn't like at all. If the spar ended, and he was still alive, he'd be filing a quiet report with the Jedi Council about this.

But survival now meant focus now, and Dios was hurtling towards him again, focused, but shaky. And Pierce would be damned if the true notion of the Empire died with him today.

In his martial arts training, Pierce had learned much about how the muscles of a body work, and if he was lucky that experience would fill in the gaps in his lack of knowledge on Dios' particular habits.

He only had one chance to get this right, after all.

Dios slashed at his head- strike so hard Pierce would not have been able to block even had his lightsaber up. With options limited, Pierce had to step back and lean his head away just to cause the blade to go humming above his ear. To counterbalance himself, he lifted his leg up and turned his defensive dodge into an offensive strike. With a quick and precise movement, he buried his heel in the pit of Dios' stomach.

[Dios Kane]

:: I had gained control finally, but just in ime to feel the foot to my stomach. I lew back and landed on the ground on my back. slowly slumped up, holding a hand with a gesture to stop.::

Forgive me... this must stop. He has gotten too strong and I must find a way to deal with "it."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce nodded, more to himself than to Dios. He'd suspected there was something else behind Dios' changes of character and that something had turned out to be very vicious.

"Don't know what you mean by 'it'," Pierce said, feigning ignorance. "But if you want to stop, fine by me. Nearly got my head taken off on that last one- I need to pick up a form pretty bad."

"Anyway- good sparring with you." Pierce held out a hand to help Dios up.

[Dios Kane]

:: I got up with the help of Pierce and I gave a feint smile before speaking.::

Sorry about that, I'm working on it. Thanks for the spar though, I need to get some... rest though.

:: I knew at this point rest was pointless. I had to try though. I waved towards the man and slowly stumbled off the training grounds.::