Practice Makes Perfect (Open)

[Li Mu Sinung]

This thread is an open anything. :)



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The hand--shaped as a knife--zipped through the air in a perfect, disciplined arc of movement.

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The other hand crossed his body and jutted out, straight into an invisible opponent.

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Two quick fists sprang forward as his legs moved silently with the body. Bending at the knees, the body crouched--the foot ahead lower than the foot behind--into a perfect balance. One arm arched above the head, the hand cupped, poised forward. The other across his body, hand pointed straight out, knife-like, back against his chest. There he paused, for several seconds. The grass rustled around him, the wind louder than his breathing. The tall blades tickled his waist as the shirtless figure's chest expanded and collapsed slowly and deliberately.

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His body was a dance as it moved forward, advancing on an invisible attack. A quick jab, a swift kick and then airborne--jumping roundhouse to end the assault. As the man dropped to the grass below, his entired body sunk until he was fully crouched below the high blades--concealed.

There he stayed to meditate, for several moments.

He had taken a small break from The Order to venture into the heart of nature. He needed it--it wasn't too far and it was a release. The bug bites under his arm were worth it, signs of the life around him. He found peace here, and it was easy to tell in his demeanor.

Rising from his meditative position, he slowly worked his way back to a small pile of things he left at the edge of the field. It was near a grove of Thornburn trees, trees with a bright red bark and little orange spurs covering their limbs. They were painful to the touch but pleasure to the eye. He returned to his robe and pack and removed a small peice of fruit. Taking a bite, he savored the sweet flesh of the sweetapple and took a seat.

His sillouette--outlined by the setting sun--was at peace.

[imported_Grev Drasen]

As the seemingly halcyon monk continued to abide in his “meditation,” a lone figure perched himself in the distance, waiting, and watching the display with a perusable interest. One so in touch with nature, and so tranquil in his demeanor, surely a tidbit the Dark Jedi could not let go by unattended. It was unsure to him whether or not the being had sensed his presence, but he hadn’t a care either.

He would carry out his intentions, detected or not. Surprise was overrated anyway.

Stepping down from the ledge, Grev landed in the seclusion of the tall grass with a soft thud, his hand lingering back to the hilt adjusted on his belt to ensure its presence. The Dark Jedi had adapted a new form of maliciousness since the Order had “betrayed” him in his viewing, and coupled with his newly found master in Zasz Grimm, his attitude towards others had bittered tremendously.

Upon reaching the monk’s “camp,” he came across the monk indulging in a feast of fruits; how typical, Grev grinned to himself as he watched the man. Now he only stood about ten or fifteen yards away, whether or not he had been sighted by now.

“Excuse me,” he called out, as he began towards the man.

“I seem to be lost, do you have a minute?”

[Li Mu Sinung]

The Calanic Monk felt the man before he spoke, but just as he was about to. He almost scolded himself--he would need to work on his ability to sense his surroundings. Though he felt very in tune to The Balance, he did not yet understand The Force in the Jedi way. He would, though. With a Master like Jubei, he knew he would gain all he would need. Now, however, he had no real Force abilities.

“Excuse me,” a voice spoke, Li Mu's head cocking to meet the stranger's eyes. The man made his way toward him. “I seem to be lost, do you have a minute?”

"Of course, friend," Li Mu rose to meet him, speaking with a distinct accent. The sun glistened across his figure, which was noticeably more muscular in person, as he remained shirtless. He wore a light pair of pants with a cloth belt holding them to his body. Aside from a small, hide pouch which hung at his right hip, the man wore no weapons. His hair was tied back with a woven rope band that stretched throughout his braid. "I can tell you you are in the eastern stretch of the Minna Forest, near the Rohada River." He smiled politely, taking another bite of his sweetapple.

"Is there anything specific you are looking for?"

[imported_Grev Drasen]

Friend. A smirk couldn’t help but incite itself along the Dark Jedi’s rugged face, as he neared the monk who was standing to greet him. He noted the man’s unarmed state and could only speculate whether or not the monk had dabbed in the Force; either way, overlooking the monk’s hand-to-hand deftness he was pretty much defenseless in Grev’s eyes.

“I can tell you you are in the eastern stretch of the Minna Forest, near the Rohada River.”

Drasen nodded.

“Near the Rohada River, you say?” he reiterated, cursing lightly to himself, “Tell me, where would I be able to find the nearest town or city?”

He stood staring at the monk with his arms folded leisurely over his chest.

“I’m in quite a bit of a hurry.”

[Li Mu Sinung]

"Certainly," he replied. "Let's see. . .there are two small villages straight north along the river. I cannot remember their names--I believe one is called Ki'Tut." Slowly, almost unnoticable, a feeling crept over Li Mu. He began to feel as though this man was hiding something. He wasn't sure what, but something was concealed. Perhaps it was motive. Perhaps it was a feeling that the man was not alone. Perhaps it was the weapon that hung on his belt. He didn't know, but he took on a certain measure of awareness to not be caught suprised of his surrounding. "They are only a few kilometers apart and about 2 kilometers from where we are now."

"The nearest spaceport, however, is located south along the east bank of the Rohada. It's probably 25 kilometers or so from our position. It's a bit longer travel unless you can get transport from one of the northern villages." Though he never took the business of others as his own, Li Mu found himself mildly curious as to what hurry this man was in.

"If I may ask, what is the source of your hurry? Is there anything I can help you with?"

[imported_Grev Drasen]

Drasen nodded as the man spoke, in reality not much paying attention to the detailed instructions which the monk had been so graciously giving him. He wasn’t much concerned with finding the nearest town or village, and by now had figured that the man had known this much. As he finished with the instructions a question followed, and Grev could only grin; he didn’t care about blowing his cover any longer.

“Source of my hurry,” he paused, cackling lightly at the question, “A calm, pacifist, such as yourself - why so curious?”

He drew a blank expression, posing the inquiry with a serious tone.

“Nature is a desolate place,” he still eyed the monk with a stern grasp, “It’s just as perilous as peaceful, you know?”

Taking a step back, the Dark Jedi glanced about, as if surveying the land with a firm thought.

“Say,” he turned back to the monk, “How would you reckon a scream could reach before it fell upon ears out here? Soon enough to even matter, you think?”

[Li Mu Sinung]

“A calm, pacifist, such as yourself - why so curious?” It was true--it had been somewhat foolish of him to ask. Itr was because something intrigued him about the man's nature. It was seemingly becoming closer and closer to what he feared. Li Mu nodded.

“Nature is a desolate place. . .It’s just as perilous as peaceful, you know?”

"Indeed," he returned. He was quickly realizing that this man did not have pleasant intentions. "It is with all things--there is The Balance." He stopped. "I could go on with my--our--philisophy for too long, you'd think me a preacher." He smiled, though perhaps more uneasy.

“Say, how would you reckon a scream could reach before it fell upon ears out here? Soon enough to even matter, you think?” Li Mu's arms fell to his side as the other spoke. It was now apparent that this man had no intentions of simply inquiring about directions, nor was his intention to be at peace. Li Mu frowned a bit.

"A strange question to pose to a stranger in the forest," he returned. "I cannot say that I have pondered it before. The answer, it would seem, is forever elusive, for it is a hypothesis not easily tested. A living subject is difficult to recruit for such an experiment." He stood--not in a threatening manner, but confident.

[imported_Grev Drasen]

“It is with all things--there is The Balance … I could go on with my--our--philosophy for too long, you'd think me a preacher.”

“Ah yes,” he grinned, “The Balance - Order and Chaos, I do believe? Without it our universe would not be stable, that’s the theory, is it not?”

He didn’t wait for a reply, but turned and began slowly pacing towards the monk. However, it wasn’t in a necessarily threatening manner, as it was just a psychological game the Dark Jedi had grown accustomed to playing.

“And just so you understand without peril there cannot be peace,” he continued, his eyes fixated on the monk before him, filled with a solid onyx color, almost appearing lifeless.

“It’s amazing how they coexist, and feed off each other,” he took a large intake of the clean oxygen which filled the scenic area which was a bit of a rarity to him; being confined to the pollution that the city enclosed him in, “Without you, there would be no me.”

“But back to our ‘experiment’ at hand, as you so referred to it,” he clasped his hands together, nodding his head in approval towards the monk, “A fine specimen as yourself, with a disciplined lifestyle, I’m assured your lungs are quite apt for our situation.”

“Agreed?”

[Li Mu Sinung]

Li Mu patiently awaited as the other spoke. His words did not incite emotion within the monk--Calanic Monks were known for their self control, and Li Mu was no exception. Instead, he listened intently. It was interesting to discuss such issues with another, and Li Mu found himself pleased to be engaged in such conversation.

“Without you, there would be no me.”

"Like all things, I am nothing. These--" he pointed to his pants "--are nothing. That--" he pointed to the weapon that hung at his lecturer's belt "--is nothing. It is only The Balance that exists. Please do not attribute my apparent 'existence' to the source of your own." He corrected, so to speak, the other's reasoning. It wasn't that the man's reasoning was in any way flawed, no. It was simply what Li Mu believed in, what he had gained from his years of training.

“A fine specimen as yourself, with a disciplined lifestyle, I’m assured your lungs are quite apt for our situation. Agreed?”

"Perhaps apt, but not entirely willing. I myself have not been known for strength of voice," he said as quietly as before. "Nor do I seek to be in a situation that would warrant raising it." It was perhaps a very subtle statement, but Li Mu's intentions were clear: he did not seek confilct.

[imported_Grev Drasen]

“Perhaps you’re right,” he mused with a grin, pacing back a few steps before releasing a deep sigh.

He laughed to himself before sizing up the monk once again, “But – under recent circumstances my life has frelled itself over once again, and stress relief, you know?”

“I’m sure you do,” he continued to chatter, bending slightly to retrieve a dagger from the confines of his boot. He slid a hand down the slender sheath of the weapon, revealing an odd formation of serrated teeth along the blade’s edge; fit for butchering and the likes.

“Well, without wasting further more of our time,” he gibed, continuing to talk insensibly to the monk as his left foot absently began to dig in the surface of the dirt they stood upon. He had hoped the monk’s visage had been applied fully to the dagger which had still resided in the palm of his right hand, as he quickly kicked his left foot up, shoveling the collected dirt and debris at the face of Sinung.

Surmising a temporary blinding, Drasen acted forthwith in driving his right leg into a firm kick toward the monk’s hopefully exposed mid–section. Had it been blocked, his right hand readied not far behind to take a well sized gash from Li Mu’s neck.

[Li Mu Sinung]

While the monk found himself uncomfortable with many facets of the new life he faced as a Jedi Padawan, defending himself was not one of them.

Dirt and debris rose before him as he narrowly closed his eyes, the substance covering his face but not entering his eyelids. One quick hand came to wipe the dirt from his vision as the air around his torso rushed towards him, followed by the boot of his now opponent. Li Mu was too late to dodge or block. Instead, he used an ancient Calanic technique--he relaxed his muscles as much as was possible, taking the kick straight on. With the best concentration he could muster, he allowed his stomach to roll with the kick, catching as much of the kinectic energy as possible, diffusing it. Though it was not a perfect method of defense, the kick--making contact--hurt about 20% less than it probably would have without the technique.

Through the still floating cloud of dust, Li Mu saw a glinting object produced from the other's right hand. In less than a second, the metal whooshed through the air, rippling the molecules around it, heading straight for his neck. The monk threw his weight to the left--on perfectly balanced feet--and ducked his body away from the slash. The knife cut only the air as it whizzed by.

"Please--I do not seek to harm you," he spoke in a breath of adrenaline as he took two steps to his left and back away from the other. He raised his right hand toward the other, pointing two fingers forward. His left arm was tucked behind his back. "There is no need for this." He wondered if the other would listen to reason. Li Mu did not wish to raise his fist against the other. But. . .

"You can walk away from this now and it will be forgotten. Our lives will remain as they were before." His tone was a request, but it was firm. "Please do not force me to defend my life."