Initial Training (Odin, Maxim)

[Xau Ghin]

Xau Ghin stood outside in the training grounds waiting for his new master to arrive. If he recalled correctly Odin told him not to be late... But Xau would rather have it Odin late and not him, who knew what the consequences would be if Xau was late.

Maxim, Xau's new friend, had accompanied him to train with Odin; and good thing too, being alone with Odin was not something he looked forward to. They had met when Maxim had burst through Xau's door in the living quarters, that was only the start of it.

"How long do you think he's going to be?" Xau said to Maxim.

Xau was getting impatient, it had been a while since Odin had told them to go to the training grounds. However Xau hoped Odin would never come for reasons besides the fact that he was scared to death of the terrifying lizard. Xau had an embarressing secret and it could be exposed right then and there. Right in front of his friend and the Sith Warrior. Odin would probably devour him after his secret had come out, at least the embarressment would only last for a short time.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim shrugged and shook his head.

“I have no clue.” He replied, staring across the training grounds. His gaze fell on a woman he found somewhat attractive and remained there for a moment longer. And then, with a smirk of amusement on his face, he turned back to his new friend.

“Hey, Im sorry if I got you in trouble…” He offered. Though not overly advanced in his training, he had enough natural ability to pick up on a hint of tension from Xau. This he attributed to Odin and his anger at the broken door, smoke, and flames.

It wasn’t like Maxim to apologize for much, but he knew what it was like to get off on the wrong foot with a master – afterall, he had certainly done it – and he felt partially responsible for the fact that Xau now had to deal with it as well with Odin.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau attention broke from his thoughts, "Oh, yeah...Don't worry about it. I don't see it as your fault, the bomb was going to go off either with you there or not." Xau meant what he said, truthfully he didn't blame Maxim for anything really. In fact he was glad he was there, there was no way Xau would have been able to stand up to Odin on his own.

Xau mind began to drift again to the forseeable future... No, there was no use in dreading the moment. He shifted his mindset back to reality and stopped the nervousness from taking over. "So what should I expect to do on my first day?"

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim nodded in acceptance of his friend’s words. Though he was relieved Xau didn’t harbor any hard feelings, he made an effort not to show this.

So what should I expect to do on my first day?
Maxim winced.

“I don’t know, my master was basically all about lecturing me on not underestimating my opponents.” As much as he seemed to complain about Lady Vader, he truly respected her and had learned a great deal from her.

“But I don’t think Odin is going to all that big on lecturing. I think he’ll kick your butt around pretty good, tell you how pathetic you are, and let you live to spend a night in miserable pain thinking about what you need to improve on in order to prove to him you aren’t as stupid and useless as he tells you you are.”

He leaned back against a tree and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Just fight a good battle.” He suggested.

“He’s got to respect you for that at the very least…”

There was a small silence for a moment as Maxim studied his friend.

“You ok? You look a little pale…”

[Xau Ghin]

Xau began to worry, his concerns were now showing on his face. "Uh, yeah. I'm...fine." He struggled to get out. He contemplated spilling his secret. "You see, I..." He started but trailed off. He was in for it now.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim remained where he was, but did raise an eyebrow to some degree as he looked on to his friend.

“You see, I….what?” He asked. His tone was not mocking but rather the tone friends used with each other. A tone that might have hinted at concern.

He could see the creases of worry passing over Xau’s face. He would have retracted his earlier words about Odin – but he wasn’t going to lie to his friend – that was exactly what he was likely in for with the massive lizard as his master.

[Odin Murk]

:: They both stopped talking suddenly as the girl that Maxim had been watching was suddenly knocked on the ground by a hulking shadow. She said something and was stopped short by a sound that sounded like the crack of a whip. She moved to the side as the hulking figure walked into the sunlight of the training ground.

Standing at a full eleven feet tall, I stretched out even further as I felt my coldblooded body relaxing in the welcome heat. My tongue flicked in and out as I walked on towards the familiar scents of my apprentice and Maxim. I came forward, my long arms swaying with my momentum until I came before them. I put one fist to my chest and spoke, my standard speech still slurred with my native tongue.::

Glad that you two could make it. I hope both of you are well prepared for today's activitiessssssssssssssssssss. Mammal weaknesssssssssssssses are not an exxxxxxxxxxxxcussssssssssse.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim muttered something under his breath that likely was not repeatable in front of most people.

He had come a long way since Odin had last fought him. He’d been working with his master, had been given a leadership role in a training mission, and had been in several scraps on his own. Still, he wasn’t bold enough to think he could defeat Odin. He knew better.

But he was just cocky enough to be ready for a second round with him.

“No excuses here….” He returned, a slight smirk erasing his common scowl.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau wasn't sure how to respond to Maxim, luckily and unfortunatly, Odin made his appearence. Xau thought to his weakness that would certainly get him in trouble, even if it wasn't a traditional mammal weakness Odin would probably devour him for it.

Xau looked at Odin, his executioner to be and thought about his short future. He put his thoughts to a halt and decided he wouldn't allow Odin to intimitadate him. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Might as well go down in glory, or attempted glory.

"Mammal weaknesses? I just hope you reptile weakness don't prevent me from reaching my potential." Xau said knowing very well he had little potential given his current situation. "I don't want my training to be learning how to bask in the sun on a rock lizard man."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim turned to look at his friend Xau as if he had three heads. He hadnt exactly been polite to Odin when he'dmet him, but he hadnt tried to provoke him either.

An amused smirk spread over his face. This was going to be interesting.

[Odin Murk]

:: I grimaced. This was not boding well. I had not thought I had a mentally impaired aprentice.

I stepped forward, my scales shimmering slightly, becoming a deeper green as I clenched one claw. With a sudden movement, my other claw had two large fingers wrapped about Xau's neck. I lifted his small body into the air, face to face with me. He dangled close to five feet off the ground.::

I hope that wassssssssssss some form of mammal humor. Unfortunately, I don't need the forcccccccccccce to smell the ssssssssssssweat of fear poring out of your pathetic ssssssssskin. Save me your wasssssssssssted breath next time sssssssithling and leave what your training will be to me. As for basssssssssking in the sun on rockssssssss?

:: I moved over to a large rock in the ground and dropped Xau on his feet. He only had a moment before he hit the ground, my tail coming back around from knocking his legs out to slamming him in the stomach so he was sprawled out on the ground.::

I will let you resssssssst there for a moment and enjoy basssssssking in the ssssssssun. I have no weaknesssssss you can exploit yet apprenticcccccccce, you are the mammal, I can't even call you rightfully a Ssssssssssssith yet. Your potenttttttttttttial would mean naught if I ate you than wouldn't it?

:: I chuckled as I turned to Maxim.::

I hope you are good enough to sssssssspar for the both of you two Maxxxxxxxim, Xxxxxxxxau might not be at hisssssssssss besssst.

[Xau Ghin]

Xau laid on the rock and allowed his vision to clear. He tasted blood in his mouth and spit it out to see if he really was bleeding; he was. He looked towards Odin who was talking to Maxim, but Xau couldn't make out what he had said.

Xau wanted to lie there and give up, just die and put his miserable life to an end. For a moment Xau thought it was his life flashing before his eyes as he saw his mothers face in his mind. She wouldn't want him to give up, she'd tell him he was better than Odin, even though Xau told himself he wasn't. His mother's face faded as Xau exited the dream like state he was in. He dwelled on thought's of his broken family.

"I can fight." He said to Odin and stood up wiping some blood from his brow to keep it from irritating his eyes. Why had he just told Odin he was able to fight? Xau was doomed to loose, but wasn't he doomed to start with?

[Maxim Vasilijev]

Maxim had looked to the ground as Odin tossed Xau about. It wasn’t that he didnt want to stick up for him, it was more that it was best Xau learned right away that Odin wasn’t one to mess with. Even Maxim who was stubborn and rather cocky had figured that out after a few minutes of dealing with him.

“I held my own last time…” He replied, referring to the time he’d faced Odin – the way he’d received the saber he now carried.

And then glanced over toward Xau, who was by now beginning to recover a bit.

I can fight

Maxim grinned. His friend looked a bit pale, but he’d make it.

“Looks like I’ll have some help, though…..” He added to his response, a good natured tone to his voice.

“And at his best or not, any help is appreciated….” This was added as he pulled his saber from his belt. His skills had improved since the last time, but battling Odin was always a way to learn. The massive lizard was a battle machine, and full of surprises.

[Odin Murk]

:: I turned my head to Xau, my long neck stretching.::

That issssssssssss well. You might have sssssssssssome Sssssith in you yet.

:: looking back to Maxim, I grunted.::

Thisssssssss spar isssssssss a dissssssplay for my apprenticcccccce. Xau issssssss to try and stay conciousssssssssss so that he might tell the differenccccccccce between a knight, a trained apprenticccccccce, and himsssssself.

Next quesssssssssstion. Doessssssss he have a weapon?

:: I turned to Xau, it was so interesting how human's let their physical stature reflect so well under certain conditions. And he had better have some form of weapon, or he'd be fighting with his hands on this one. I didn't expect him to know how to use a lightsaber either, or have one for that matter. But who didn't have a weapon on them at all times?::

[Xau Ghin]

"I have a vibroblade. That's all." He said and thought about how he could have had a lightsaber, but that turned out to be a disaster didn't it.

Xau began to panic inside with the knowledge that he would be taking part in this spar. Both Odin and Maxim had tremendious access to the Force and he might as well not have any all. But he slowly calmed himself and began to decide on how to approach this.

[Odin Murk]

Good enough. Remember that you have the potenttttttttttial within you Xxxxxxxxxxxau, the anger and the fury of the darkssssssssside. Draw your weaponsssssssssss then, let ussssssssss begin.

:: I hissed as I backed up.::

You both are mammal, Maxxxxxxxxim less than Xxxxxxxau. Maxxxxxxxxxim is more Sssssssssith. In time you will learn assssssssss he does to be Sssssssith and not mammal. It isssssss the nexxxt step in evoluttttttttion, becoming a Ssssssssith.

[Maxim Vasilijev]

The blade on Maxim's saber came to life at the mention of him still being a mammal. He might have been a bit more advanced in his training since the last time, but he was still tempermental and easy to anger.

And Odin knew just how to do it.

He'd been working with his master on many skills - masking his signature and thoughts, creating illusions, as well as the basics. At each request of his, his master had reminded him that such skills were often attained by knights - but he refused to wait that long. And she had given in to these requests.

Not that he was an expert at these things, but he had practiced them enough to be able to begin using them - and here, he would. For where better than to try them out than in a spar?

[Xau Ghin]

Xau drew his vibroblade from his belt and took to his fighting stance. Hopefully he would be able to hold his own in this spar and not get killed. He didn't have the Force on his side, so it seemed. But he did have himself and his talents, one being able to fight with a vibroblade. He gave a nod to his master and to Maxim signaling that he was ready to go.

[Odin Murk]

:: I smiled, seeing both of the apprentices armed as they could for such an occasion. I hissed, my tongue flickering in and out as I flexed my claws. The scales on my arms stretched and broke, two lightsaber emitters appearing on each side. With a blasting hiss, the light of four eight foot long blades of purple heat flashed across the training grounds. The muscles beneath the scales could be visibly seen rippling, as if springs coiling and about to let loose.

The training ground became eerily quiet as all three of us stood ready, the moment of the climax seeming who would move first, the unease of Xau, the cocky readiness of Maxim, the primal instinct of Odin. I blinked and in that movement, my body seemed to split into five of me and jump in every direction. Two became dust once they left the ground but the other three made a break for large objects, one going up a tree, another behind a rock, and the last up another tree. My voice seemed to carry on the wind but Maxim could tell it for telepathic speech.::

Use your senses to discern where I went. Your mammal noses are useless and your eyes cannot see through my illusions. You are weak without the force. Use it to find me.

[Xau Ghin]

This was what Xau had been worried about, using the Force. Luckily this was one of the force talents Xau had access to. He shut his eyes tightly and did his best to focus on locating Odin. Just like his mother taught him Xau opened himself to the Force and felt it flood in. Now, to locate Odin amongst the blurry image the Force had created in his head. He could see life all around him but he could not distinguish senteint life from from non-senteint life. "I... I can't find you."

[Maxim Vasilijev]

He had asked his master how to discern between an illusion and the real thing. She had described the way as a sixth sense. But for a moment, simply staring at the three visions, he felt nothing. And he felt nothing because he was looking, rather than feeling. Rather than searching.

And he felt foolish. His cheeks flushed with this feeling and his scowl deepened. Instantly, he felt anger, for he was never one who liked to be bested. And in his anger, came the power of the darkside that he was learning to rely upon.

His master often reminded him that the force continuously flowed through him – that there was no cut off from it. And he could feel it often without anger, but it was in anger that he felt it the most. In time he would come to feel it as a constant, would be more aware – but as he was still an apprentice, it was less of a constant and more of an ebbing.

But in his anger, he could feel the difference. His senses seemed to come alive, and as his master had explained, a sort of sixth sense directed his gaze toward one of the trees. And there it settled.