The morning sun, a lazy artist, painted the sandy beach with streaks of gold and orange. It lay just beyond the cave, a tempting invitation to escape the confines of their makeshift home. Vanta sat by the dying embers of their campfire, the ache in his body a constant reminder of the brutal fight he'd endured. His mind buzzed with the whispers of the Xue Sense, a powerful force that had awakened within him, leaving him both exhilarated and utterly bewildered.
Ash sat opposite him, her gaze fixed on the dwindling flames, her expression as inscrutable as the ancient runes etched onto her staff. The silence between them throbbed with unspoken thoughts and unvoiced fears.
"You fought well," Ash finally spoke, her voice a quiet murmur that seemed to emanate from the very heart of the cave. "But your technique... it's raw, like a wild beast unbridled. You need to learn to control your power, to channel it with precision, to become one with the dance of force."
Vanta nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I learned to fight in the orphanage, just the basics. I learned the rest on my own "
" You did well learning in your own son" ash teased.
" Our aren't that far apart you know "
" If you say so. Follow me"
The both of them walked outside. She takes a twig and swings it at a branch, her as fast as a blur.
"Precision," she murmured, her gaze now focused on the distant horizon, a world of mysteries and possibilities. "It's not just about brute force. It's about understanding the flow of energy, the angles of force, the subtle movements of the body. It's about anticipating your opponent's moves, predicting their every action, and countering them with a symphony of perfect angles and timing."
She moved with a swiftness that belied her slender frame, her movements a blur of motion. She struck out, her hand a blur of motion, her blade a flash of steel. Her strikes were precise, her angles perfect. She moved with a fluidity that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
"My style is about reading the flow of the battlefield," she explained softly, her voice a gentle murmur. "It's about using your own weight and force against your opponent, about negating their attacks with perfect angles and timing."
She picked up the twig again, her gaze fixed on the branch she had struck earlier. This time, her strike was different. It was a blur of motion, a symphony of precision, a dance of power. The twig connected with the branch, and with a sharp crack, the branch snapped cleanly in two, falling to the sand.
"See?" she said, her gaze still distant, her voice barely a whisper. "It's not about brute force. It's about understanding the angles, the leverage, the flow of energy. It's about using your own weight and force against your opponent, negating their attacks with perfect angles and timing. In summary, this technique can be as both offense and defense. It can be a graceful and elegant technique, as while as wild and unpredictable. "
She turned to Vanta, her expression still indifferent. "Start practicing," she instructed softly. "I'll watch you."
The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Vanta stood on the clearing, his gaze fixed on the branch of the tree. He had been practicing Ash's technique for hours, his movements becoming more fluid, his strikes more precise. But he still felt clumsy, his movements lacking the grace and power that Ash possessed.
He picked up a twig, his gaze fixed on the branch that lay broken on the sand. He felt a surge of determination, a new understanding of the technique he was taught. He was ready to learn.
He raised the twig, his hand a blur of motion, and struck the branch with a sharp crack. The branch remained unmoved. He tried again, this time focusing on the angles, the leverage, the flow of movement. He struck again, and again, and again. But the branch remained unmoved.
"You're not focusing," a voice said, a soft murmur that seemed to come from behind him.
He turned to see Ash standing behind him, her expression unreadable. She picked up a twig, her hand a blur of motion, and struck the branch with a sharp crack. The branch snapped cleanly in two, falling to the sand.
"It's not all about brute force," she said, her voice a soft and indifferent. "It's about understanding the angles, the leverage, the flow of movement. It's about using your own weight and their force against them, about negating their attacks with perfect angles and timing."
She moved with a swiftness that belied her slender frame, her movements a blur of motion. She struck out, her twig flashes through the air. Her strikes were precise, her angles perfect. She moved with a fluidity that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
"You need to feel the movement," she said, her voice a soft. "You need to understand the flow of power. You need to become one with the movement."
She moved closer to him, her gaze fixed on him, her expression unreadable. She reached out, and touched his shoulder. He felt a surge of understanding, a new clarity, a new awareness.
" Make use if your xue sense, it also heightens other senses other your mind or brain" she added.
He closed his eyes, his mind racing, his senses heightened. He could feel the movement of his own body, the flow of his own power. He could feel the world around him, the movement of the air, the flow of the sand. He could feel the Xue Sense, a new awareness, a new understanding.
He opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the branch that lay broken on the sand. He picked up a twig, his hand a blur of motion, and struck the branch with a sharp crack. The branch remained unmoved. He tried again, focusing on the angles, the leverage, the flow of movement. He struck again, and again, and again. This time, the branch snapped in two, falling to the sand. Not a clean cut as ash's but hey, it's better than nothing.
He had done it. He had learned the basics of Ash's technique. He had found the flow of movement, the angles of force, the subtle movements of the body. He had become one with the movement.
He turned to Ash, his expression filled with gratitude. "Thank you," he said, his voice a low whisper. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."
Ash nodded, her expression still indifferent. "You're welcome," she said, her voice a soft murmur. "Now, keep practicing. When you're grounded enough, I'll teach you something else "