Mind over Matter

Location: Village of the Sun
Time: 3 months ago



The elder looked to the young woman and shook his head. "There is nothing left to teach you. Young one. We do not have what you need to continue." The young woman pushed her soft white hair from her face and looked up at the older man. "Please don't send me away. I can do better. I know I just..." The elder held up his hand and she quieted. "Jay'de. We have sent for the only man that we know that can even remotely control what is going on in your mind. You will always be welcome back here, young one. But your days of learning here are up. He will be here soon and we will speak with him on your behalf." The young woman bent her head and took his words with a heavy heart. She bowed to him and turned. "Thank you, for your council and teaching. It has helped." With that she walked from the chamber, her booted heels clicking against the stone floors.

Location: Village of the Sun
Time: Now

The young woman made her way to the secret passage she had long ago discovered in this place of learning. Slipping into the small opening, she wiggled her way into the opening of the passage and walked softly down until she came to the little crack in the wall that allowed her to watch and listen, if she was quiet, to the elders private conversations. Silently she waited. At first it was just the normal news then she heard her name and her ears perked up. There were four elders in the room. The teachers of magic. "How is Jay'de?"
"She is well, waiting for him to show."
"Can we not help her any longer?"
"We have tried, but her power is foreign to us, we can only teach the basics."
"At least she has learned to focus all of that power."
"Yes. She came to us 10 years ago, wet from a storm, shivering. Her mind in chaos."
"She begged us to help her. And we did."
"She is much more powerful than we can handle. Her potential for magic is great."
"Have you been keeping her away from the other students?"
"Yes. Her power tends to spill over and disrupt their own spells."
"Is he coming?"
"We can only hope. If she is not trained properly, she could fall back into that chaos that killed one of the guards."
"That was an accident"
"yes, but all that unfocused power ripped the man's mind apart."
"She scares me at times. One person with all that potential. It isn't natural." The agreement was all around as they moved onto other topics. Jay'de sighed and slipped back down the passage and into the great library. This place always made her feel better. She felt like a freak as she moved along the shelves of books. Her mental spillage was disruptive but she tried to mask it. And most of the time she did an awesome job, but when her emotions ran high, so did her power. With a sigh she sat in a chair far in the back and picked up the scroll beside the chair on the small table.

-567-

There is a crow in the air. The sun shines brightly through the patches of canopy that cover the sky over my head. Taking in the scent of the air welcoming me into the confines of the western forests. I had been summoned to the Village of the Sun. One of my operatives there had gotten message to me. Had it not been for more pressing matters, as far as I could assume, with Battousai back along the coastal and southern regions, I would have been here sooner. Still, it had taken a while for the message to reach me as well. Darkness envelops my position as dark purple and black smoke dissipate from my former position. Moving thru the Void, I am still able to take in the sights around me as I fly forward. It would be no more than five minutes before I had passed thru the outer limits of the village's perimeter. I typically don't like being summoned here since it is normally for a task that I do not wish to deal with. I appear inside the library before my image would fade away.

I would next appear in the study of one of my own former teachers leaning against the far wall. "What problem do you need me to solve this time, old man?" The elder looks up and smirks, "I see you're no longer trying to hide your entrance anymore." I smirk and tell him that doing so is dangerous considering that I am actually not immune to ice or ice magic, so it's still annoyingly cold. He would smirk as I was referring to the last time I did not announce myself and he, thinking I was an assassin, froze me to a wall. Using the Void while frozen is rather difficult. He rises from his desk and tells me that it is not actually a problem that I am here to solve, but rather that I am here to provide aid to a young magus. I look at him and remind him, "I am no teacher nor do I have the time to keep another foolish magus who cannot fathom the Void from destroying himself with it." He waits until I finished before he corrects, "This pupil is female and it is not the Void that she needs help with. It is her mind and control over it." I smirk and tell him, "You are aware of the humor in asking me to teach someone else control over their powers. I can barely control my own most of the time. What good am I to this girl?" The instructor tells me, "Decide when you meet her. She has been waiting to meet you. The Elders have gathered." I look at him with displeasure written all over my face. I did not like having to meet with Elders pretty much ever and now I was being duped into all of this as what would be considered a favor if I even tried to refuse or leave. Not like I can leave since he could simply pull me back. So instead, I would be walking along with him begrudgingly.

Upon hearing that I had arrived and that the instructor and I approached, the Elders would send for the girl as well.

EXP: 566

She read the scroll as she began to softly speak the words of the spell written upon the parchment. The chair was plush and situated in the back corner of the library out of the way. The smell of old tomes and well worn ink was comforting to her as she centered her mind and committed the words of the spell to her memory. Thus she sat waiting for the elders to summon her as she had, day after day. That was how the teacher found her. Clearing his throat he told her it was time and she set the scroll back down in the pile. With the teacher in the lead she was brought up to chambers of the elders.

Most likely, Dravec would already be in the chambers before her or perhaps he would first glimpse her as they met outside the chambers. Jay'de stood barely at five and half feet. Her white hair cascading down her shoulders, some of the strands reaching her waistline. Dress of red the color of a good port with black folds of cloth. To gold armbands, intricate in their design held open sleeves of the dress to her shoulders. A gold circlet was visible under those soft white bangs. A polished, rounded piece of jade sat in the center of the circlet. There were matching jade jewels on her wrists and her sword belt. On the slender curve of her hip, she wore a sheathed katana. The black sheath adorned with red and gold runes. Flecks of jade molded into the design sparkled in the dim light from the various light sources. Even her knee high boots matched with their black and red leather.

As she walked, her hips swung from side to side with a natural grace. As they were introduced, Jay'de would make her way to the man. She walked with her head bowed with an air of submission, but upon reaching the man known as Dravec, and dropping a graceful curtsy, her bangs would part to reveal eyes as green and deep as the jewels resting upon her pale flesh. Those eyes spoke of intelligence and twinkled in a controlled mischief that rolled just below the surface. Her voice, when she spoke was like the soft sounds of flute at dusk. "A pleasure, my lord" those same eyes would be cast back down demurely.

If someone tried to sense her magic, it was almost like sensing a black hole. As if she did not have a single drop of magic potential inside her body. She was working hard at controlling the outflow of her particular powers and dampening the problem it could sometimes cause.

-477-

Walking into the room, the Elders look at me and then at my former instructor. "THIS is who you had in mind to train Jay'de? Using one chaotic magus to train another is not our idea of safe instruction. Surely, there is someone..." I look up and let my eyes fall sharply on the elder speaking. "I suppose I am glad to see all of you as well. Just because YOU can't control something or someone does not make them chaotic. It makes them independent of you." The thoughts swirling around in my head are to simply teleport one of the elders into the Void and attempt to trap him there for at least a few hours... or days. I held no lost affection for these elders. True, there were more and some of them, I got along with, but this bunch is a bother.

Stopping for a moment, I turn towards the entrance as I sniff the air. "She approaches. I can smell her." That was one of those abilities that they really hated I know, which is probably why I am so inclined to utilize it in front of them. Their thoughts call me an animal and savage and since I give no sign that I can read their thoughts, they do not feel the need to guard their thoughts. That is actually a mistake. I could probably cause a couple headaches or such without being discovered.

The door opens and I have to fight back the urge to allow my eyes to glow which would also signify the presence and control of the other consciousness that resides within me. I have yet to discover a means to communicate with the other form, but I am getting better at being able to tell when he is trying to come forth and exert control. Since I am already in the process of eavesdropping, her mind becomes like a beacon to me. When she speaks I look at her intently. Her beauty means nothing to me at the moment, especially since her demure display draws my attention most. "What do you expect me to do with one so submissive? I cannot remain here in the village for that long and she is not prepared to live the way that I do. You will need to find another teacher for this one." My former instructor did not like that answer as he apparently did not wish to give the elders the satisfaction of my denial. He looks at me and inquires, "Look at what her power is, and then tell me that she cannot keep up with you. You two can benefit greatly from one another. Also, you were quite weak and out of control when you first arrived and while stronger, you were even more out of control when you returned seeking help to improve and grow stronger still. Would you deny what you once sought?"

Bah! I turn and look at the girl. I am no instructor. Besides... what can I possibly teach her? I sigh and compromise, "I am agreeing to nothing, but I will at least offer advice. Anything to get me away from them." Turning my attention from the elders back to the girl, I address her, "Let's talk a walk and I am no lord. Call me Hunter for now. If you have any usefulness, I will tell you my name."

595

Her emotions began to scrape the surface of her meager control on her mental powers. Allowing the barrier keeping out mind readers to drop. How dare he! These fools seek to control me. My submission only allows them to think they have control. He does not understand. On the outside, she remained calm, although the air began to tingle and voices could be heard whispering softly around them. The first sign that the dam of energy she used to control the tide of power was cracking. The voices were soft, barely heard unless one possessed better hearing than the average human.

She was growing angry at being talked about like some cow at the market. As if she was up for sale or something. Those Jade orbs flashed beneath the bangs as she looked up sharply at the man in front of her. But it was quickly hidden. She had perfected the art of being quiet, demure, and submissive around fools like these and she would remain so. His comments only strengthened her anger and disgust. I am not ready to live like him? They have not told him how I made my own way here ten years ago. Broken, bleeding, surviving my way from the desert. I survived then, I have survived these fools. And I will survive him Mentally she may have been verbally assaulting him without knowing he could hear her, but outwardly she simply smiled with a controlled amount of hurt evident in the smile. "As you wish.... Hunter"

As her emotions grew and her anger continued, so would the crack in that wall of force, allowing the potential magical power of the young woman to be felt. Before she turned to head out of the room, the voices grew louder, their whispers what tended to drive those around her insane trying to get the voices to stop. Now it was readily heard by all those who stood in the room. One of the elders, recoiled and magical shields went up around themselves. There minds chaotic in their own fears of what the girl might be able to one day do with that power that was now being displayed so utterly uncontrolled. It didn't seem as if she even noticed what was going on around her until a vase shattered, paintings slipped from their nails on the walls, the table began to float about an inch from the carpet.

By the burning sands, I let it slip again. Her own instructor, an elderly man and well use to her uncontrolled mental placed a tentative hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to him and everything stopped as those mental barriers came crashing down, sealing off the power and giving her that black hole feeling again. Her instructor looked to Hunter and tried for a smile, "When she gets excited, sometimes her control slips" Her own voice added to her instructor's as she turned on her heel and performed another curtsy to the elders. "I do apologize for that outburst, good sirs. I will try to better control my excitement." The elders would seem appeased by her submission, but on the inside she was still fuming at them. Her instructor patted her shoulder in comfort. She then turned to Hunter and blushed a little bit embarrass. "I am so sorry to burden you, with this." Her voice was still so soft and calming, as if truly meant the words.

-635-

Hmm... interesting indeed. A faint smile makes its way onto my face. I look at the instructor, "Now why would you go and do something like that? I wanted to see what she is capable of and she lacks control, which you do, I wanted to see how... exciting thinks might get. Now you have gone and ruined my test. No matter, she has shown enough." I would head for the door and should the elders or instructors seek to follow, my former teacher included, they would be told that I am in no need of a chaperon. It would be when we got outside of the room that the real conversation would begin.

When the door closes behind us, I would speak, "You are an interesting one, Jay'de, but your lack of control of both your emotions and your powers are a liability to me. I am fascinated by the voices that your mind seems to project, but if you cannot figure out a way to discover control, you are of no use to anyone. It is harsh, but it is simple and it is true." I would walk spending little time actually looking directly at her. There is a possibility that she could seek to strike me, but I am not worried about such. My mind is ready to not only receive her attack, should she chose that path, but also to return fire. I might not be the strongest psychic mage, but I figure that I could definitely give her one hell of a headache. Perhaps, I should try a different tactic though. I stop and look over at her, "Tell me something, Jay'de, what do you truly want?" That question is always yet complex one. It could mean so many things, and with this one I would give no further guidance to what I mean as I am simply curious to see how she will respond. I stand with a stern look about my face as I await her answer.

346/1507

As the door clicks shut behind them, she looks to the man that had previously named himself, Hunter. Her mind focused for the time being and was relatively quiet. Jay'de had effectively blocked out his peripheral eavesdropping by shutting herself off from the power that welled up within her slender frame. As he spoke and turned to walk, she would walk along beside him her ears picking up the sounds of his voice and hearing words that had already been spoken to her many times. Her breathing altered to calm herself and back away from anger. Now that they were away from the pompous elders, she walked straighter, her head held up a notch, indicating just a hint of pride in there.

Without looking at him much, she replied to his comments of her lack of control with a soft sigh. "The truth is like the desert sun, harsh and unforgiving. And often times, blatantly obvious." She glanced at him as her arms folded across her as if in protection. "I have heard these words before. I am still trying and learning. Most here do not know or understand much about my flavor of power. So all I can go by is how they control theirs, which oddly enough is different. Same principles but a different pathway to achieve the same goal." They continued to walk for a little while and he drew up short causing her to stop and look at him. His question startles her and she speaks without thinking, the first thing that goes on in her mind. "I want order, in my mind and out. I want to control my powers so that I can be something more than a simple pawn for these fools. I want to be part of something bigger than this." Her head nodded to indicate the building around them. She sounded passionate for a moment, the control remaining in place for once. Her eyes glanced down after her outburst and she uncrossed her arms to smooth out her dress. "I apologize for the outburst." She was not as demure as she was in from of the elders, but she was at least polite.

-391-

We had stopped in a corridor that was around the corner from one of my favored places to go when I didn't want to be bothered or to be left alone with my thoughts. The hallway was wide enough for two people to walk side by side and a small third person could even walk past them without touching each other, but not much more than that. The walls have murals and paintings as well as barrier markings etched into the wall in order to protect them from squabbles or power flares from a student trying to maintain control. I had struck my fair share of the barriers for sure... for both of those reasons. When the young woman gives her response to my words, I find myself displeased with that fact, "So you repeat the same mistakes. That is unwise. One whose mind is their greatest weapon and asset must always learn from mistakes and triumphs. If there is no physical teacher present, then one must go where in order to get their knowledge? To a library filled with information. If you gain the librarians' favor, then at least one of them would have helped you as best as they could. It might have gotten me here faster since I am currently in borrowed possession of one of the magi tomes that would have been most beneficial to you. You must learn to think outside of the traditional box. The truth of the matter is that there are two magi here with powers similar to our own. It is called Psionics by the way. One of them you can't gain access to because he is imprisoned for using his powers for dark purposes and the other is very difficult to hold the attention of. That might have something to do with the fact that he is arguably insane. Still, even the wise can learn from the fool, even if it simply being doing the opposite of the fool."

I resume walking towards the original destination as I actually look over at her this time. Before we reach the door, I would continue, "Order, huh? Interesting. Order requires control. Control comes from understanding. If you understand an opponent and how they think, you can control them and their actions, thus giving yourself their advantage. If you can maintain control of yourself, then you can utilize your powers to their full extent and potential." I pause and fall silent for a moment as these words feel so familiar to me, but I do not recall any of my instructors ever speaking them to me. We would reach the door to an old room that wasn't used anymore that I "converted" into my private sanctuary and meditation chamber that I would use. "That was far from an outburst. That was you speaking true and from within. The Elders are no more fools than we are delinquents. They are merely concerned of what they do not quite understand and that causes us to clash with them. They see the dangers of our powers and seek to control them, but in order to do that, they would have to control that which does not which to be controlled by others, us. Everyone has a use and a purpose and while one piece may be a pawn on this board, it is far more powerful on another board. That is why I do not like chess. It is too rigid. Come with me." I would extend my hand to her as the energies of the Void gathered around us. If she accepted, we would be teleported inside of the room. It was typically locked anyway. I would try to shield her as much as possible from the quite unsettling after effects of teleportation before one gets used to them, but there is a possible of an uneasy feeling. It shouldn't be too bad since we only traveled maybe 5-10 feet.

EXP: 709/2216

She shakes her head as the stop , but waits for him to finish his statements before replying softly "I would not call it repeating the same mistakes, but trying different things and ending up with the same failure. As for the library, where do you..." She stopped for a moment and rephrased her statement before lashing out verbally "I have spent most of my time in the library going through tome after tome, scroll after scroll. The tome of which you speak, I knew was not there. Perhaps.." Again she held her tongue and switched her wording before it came out to ruin any chance she had at learning with this man. "I have spoken to the one you call insane. It is rather hard for us to communicate with all the voices from his powers and my own. I look at him and see what I could become if I do not gain control. He looks at me and sees what he once was. It makes for hard company for either of us. Although I have often thought, if I can just nullify the psionics around us, it might give him a few moments of sanity." The last was said with a bit of thoughtfulness as she stopped before the door. The last comment was almost as if she had spoken to herself and he was just eavesdropping.

The next part of the conversation was met with her head tilted as she listened intently, the white hair falling down her shoulders. As his hand reached out, she took it and was transported into the room. A wave of dizziness was what she got the instant they were in the room. Proudly she kept her feet under her and stayed upright not wobbling even an inch. Her eyes closed and for a blink of an eye she looked sick. But that was quickly masked. As she opened her eyes and gazed around the room. Weakness was not tolerated. Never show weakness. The third rule came back to her. "I wondered to whom this room belonged." Her eyes gazed back to him, as she slid her slender digits from his. She would not ask if he was going to take her on as student. That would show the need she had of this, also it could be considered begging. So she waited, patiently for him to continue.

-415-

Suppressing my mind's ability to listen to other's thoughts, I look around at the cushions in the room. There are 4 other cushions positioned in a diamond around a 5th cushion in the center of the room. The cushion in the center is bypassed as I move away from the girl to the northern cushion. "You are entertaining to offend, Jay'de. Do not worry, as I will grow bored of doing so because there is no challenge in it. Well, at least not verbally spoken. You are showing minor restraint. It is an improvement. Still, you are too hasty. You knew the tome that I speak of was not there? Of which tome do I speak?" I would wait for a while to let her answer without acknowledging whether or not she was correct, even though I am certain that she would not be. "These voices in your head. Where do they come from? Are you possessed or something? If you are, you need to enforce dominance over the other personas or spirits, so that you can assimilate all of them into one and so that you can gain access to all of their powers and energies. As for him, I'll tell you a little secret. He doesn't hear voices. Rather, he can project his telepathy in such a manner in order to toy with people. It's... rather annoying. The only reason I know is because he made the mistake of showing me how to read and sort of organize the thoughts of others. It made it a lot easier to communicate with him... when his mind was not completely scrambled with nonsense. Though, I also suspect that the "nonsense" is also a manifestation of his psionic powers."

I pause as I work thru the Void to illuminate the room orb by orb. Thankfully, a little special powder in the bowl of each "lantern" and viola magical illumination. "Jay'de, why do you think your instructors have failed to truly help you progress with both your powers and with control?" I would help her the best way I know... lead her to discover the answers on her own.

EXP: 387/2603

The slight insult was taken as a form of teaching by the young woman. He was offending her on purpose and she had fallen for it. And like a child, she had been censured. A deep breath and she calmed herself. He was trying to provoke her, as to what end that would get him besides his own amusement, that would be hers to guess. She watched him move from her to the northern most cushion. The lights began to come up in the room as she observed his movements and spell casting. It was curious and she was making mental notes. He was correct in his censure. She, like a child, had basically been throwing tantrum. Jay'de had always bulked at being talked down to, it was what was always done around her. But she was young and often times, youth made for foolish mistakes. Time to learn from them.

A soft sigh escaped her as she recounted the contents of the library on the subject of Psionics. Almost as if recounting from a book or mental list. In fact if he could get the image she was seeing in her mind's eye it would be a page in the desk reference of the librarian containing the list of books, scrolls, and tomes containing Psionics. The writing on the names of the first two tomes was blurred as if the ink on them had been smeared. "There are three major tomes on the subject of Psionics. The first of which has long since disappeared, the second is in your possession. The last one I have already read, although that was more of the uses of Psionics in reference to other magics, cross referencing the great Tome of Essential Matter. Which rests in the temple of death. So that one would be hard to find to cross reference. The first and second one I do not know their names. But I do know that every scroll that I could unearth in the library, cross referencing, referencing, and even remotely pertaining to psionics, I have read. The basics of control is essential to learning the true arts of the mind." She was merely reporting what she knew, not trying to show off as some would think. She had a photographic mind and relied upon that. She could also retain the smallest details as shown in the picture presented in her mind. The small marks on the edge of the page were visible down to the two separate handwriting styles.

Her soft jewel colored eyes moved to rest on him after she was done as she continued in her more normal lilting voice, "As to the voices. They are not possession. I cannot even hear them. It is mainly those around me, as if I am projecting their own thoughts and fears back on them. Each person seems to hear different things. As to him hearing voices, what is bad is that he cannot concentrate hearing the voices I project and vice versa. I should have been clearer on that score."

His last question gave her pause to think and she looked thoughtful as she spoke her answer, "Most likely because they do not understand the subject significantly, and because I am not listening well enough to what they are teaching."

-593-

I smile lightly, more a grin to be honest, as she recites what she has learned from the library. I pause for a moment before I chuckle when she finishes. "You have a good memory. Good. That will serve you very well. I realized something while you were rattling all that off. You are both correct and incorrect. I know which scroll you are referring to and yes, I do have that one in my possession. There is another tome though, this one in the form of an old grimoire, for lack of better terms. Should u prove useful, perhaps, I will allow you to study from it, as something tells me your powers of the mind will be able to surpass my own, if you can develop focus that is. It is a book that no one knows that I found and currently have in my possession. I needed the scroll you speak of as a sort of reference material in order to attempt stronger psychic magic. Unfortunately, I have found limitations placed on me that I have yet to break."

A deep inhale and exhale passes before my eyes close. My hands gather and my thoughts begin to chant for me as I draw in a large concentration of spatial energies to my hands and the violent vibration of the spatial energy becomes optically visible to the naked eye and my hands begin to tremble as the strain continues before finally, the internal chant is broadcasted telepathically, albeit accidentally, "Appear!" The book that I spoke of and the scroll that she spoke of appeared in my hands and on the southern cushion respectively. My breathing deepens before I tell her to have a seat and take the scroll. Moving an item thru the Void like that took quite the toll and I needed time to recharge.

Switching to telepathic communication, I speak to her, "You are young yet independent. You are intelligent, yet foolish. You feign submission, yet lack the strength to make the feigning true. You say you want to be more, yet I wonder if you ever will be. Your mind is open to me, Jay'de, whether you wish to close it or not. You are afraid of never fulfilling your potential. I will let you in on another secret. Release that fear or you never will. Trust few, but learn from all." After taunting her yet again, I pause and allow my telepathic tone to shift a bit. "Jay'de, you are tired of me talking down to you, yes. Telling you that you are not worthy to aid me. You are tired of everyone treating you like you are some out of control brat who has nothing and will have nothing, yes? You wish that you could do something about it, don't you? Then do it. I'm pretty sure, if you think hard enough, you might be able to muster up a power that could strike me. Then again, you're kind of weak, so perhaps not. I don't know why they wasted my time to come meet you. Though, you could always prove me wrong and show me your power. Strike, Jay'de. Show me that you are not weak and strike!" The taunting had grown intense. I wanted to see if she could focus her emotions and powers on a single target and if she could, if she could control her powers against said target. It is rather dangerous considering that the only real target is well... me.

EXP: 627

A bright beam of light in her little dark world. A small kernel of praise and at the same time a slap. But Jay'de would not look a gift horse in the mouth. She also figured that he was very sparse in any praise. So would keep that little kernel like a miser kept a penny. So there were two texts. Her mouth almost watered with hunger for the knowledge contained in the second tome of which he spoke. But she kept calm as he spoke.

Slowly and gracefully she moved to the southern most cushion and knelt down upon it, gently picking up the scroll, her dress settling around her in a soft swoosh of the silk material. There were limitations placed on this man. Her eyes finally gazed at his face and took in his features. It was the first time she had actually looked at him. Those jade orbs intent upon the slightest twitch or movement during his speech. A lot of times, one did not need to use mental powers to tell what a person was not saying. It was usually in their motions and the tones of their voice. She blinked and looked down for a moment at the scroll, that she held gently in her lap. He was skilled in the void magics, very skilled. Then his voice entered her mind and she looked back up to him.

Anger flared at his words, but she calmed it before the voices rose around them. She had to remain calm even though his words cut to her core. It was true. He was completely right. But on the other hand, she had been acting as brat at times. And that could be her down fall. But still, she was worthy to aid him. It was the weak comment that got to her above all else. She was not weak, weakness was not tolerated so she lashed out with her mind in a way she had never done before, a firm yet soft command came forth from those frowning lips, "Stop!" (Mind Strike DMG2) Her mind reached out and attacked his with a sharp mental jab. If it hit, it would cause at least his nose, if not his ears as well, to bleed from the pain. His ears could also ring as if smacked upside the head.

-400-

Success. A grin works its way onto my face. I reply without blinking or leaking a drop of blood, "Is that all the little girl can do? Like I said, pathetically weak. Hopefully you have another power b/c this one will do you no good outside of the protection of these walls you so long to escape, weakling! Why are you here? Why are you wasting my time? Your weakness disgusts me. Here, this is what it should feel like." (Headache - Mastered, DMG2) As my mind lashes out with a strike of its own, I would hold back a bit. I didn't really wish to harm her, but rather to push her harder. I stop taunting her and reach out to push spatial energy over towards Jay'de's lap. If they went unhindered, the scroll in her lap would vanish and appear on the eastern cushion. "The knowledge contained in that scroll would be wasted on you anyway. Your powers are already streaming out of control. You can't stay calm, you can't shut out the voice. Again, what use are you? You try to strike me, but you fail at that? Show me why anyone should give a damn about you, girl! Show me what you can do or are you nothing but a fragile little child?!" The telepathic berating would continue as I silently hope that this attempt would work. Don't get me wrong. I'm no fan of inflicting pain upon myself, but I also want to see if she is even remotely as gifted as I was told. If my former instructor knew that I was using such a method, he would probably be less than pleased as he finds this methodology to be bordering on barbaric, but I find that real battle and conflict is chaotic and filled with a frenzy of emotions, so a powerful psion must keep their mind under control and a major aspect of that is keeping one's emotions and thoughts in check. I would explain this later, but for now, the chaos must ensue with her.

EXP: 366

No blood came forth as she lashed out. Frustration was evident upon her porcelain features. The telepathic barrage of insults continued and drew forth from her rage. She was so afraid to loose what control she had damning up that reserve of power, cutting her off from hit. The headache hit her and she flinched, followed by the loss of the scroll from her hands cause a crack in that damn. Outwardly, she clenched her hand into fists and gritted her teeth. She was not weak, she would not give in, she would not lose that much control again.

The crack in the dam grew wider with each mental thrust, each mental verbal attack.

Outwardly she flinched the headache making her lose some of that concentration. The last time she had lost total control someone had died. She would not give in. Her eyes shut against the onslaught of his words. Finally her hands moved to cover her ears as if that useless gesture would shut him out. The more he spoke and the more he lashed at her in the verbal abuse. Finally at the end, her eyes flew open and those jade orbs burned with an inner flame almost completely wiping out the white in her eyes and leaving them glowing green.

The dam cracked and crumbled amidst the onslaught and finally the power rushed forth like a great tidal wave. It filled her body and pressed outward. She lashed out at him again, this time giving it all that she had. She spoke in short, clipped sentences as she aimed an attack at him with each stop in the word flow. Anger dripped in her voice, "I am NOT weak!" (Mind Strike DMG2 Trained), "I am NOT Useless" (Mind Strike DMG2 Honed), "I am NOT a child" (Mind Strike DMG2 Mastered), "I am NOT going to fail" (Mind Strike DMG2 Perfected). She slumped forward after the last one, her energy receding and the glow fading from her eyes.

Jay'de looked pained and her breathing was labored. She had used a lot of power for those strikes. A tear slipped down her cheek as her hands reached down and she wrapped her arms across chest. Her head hung low as she shuttered. "I am sorry. I apologize for my outburst. I do not know... " She just stopped and started to rise. "You are right..." She wobbled and looked so weak and fragile at the moment.

-444-

I do not move. Her first attempt had failed. I look at her plainly removing emotion from my visage as I could visibly see that my ploy had worked. Watching her emotions boil over, I find myself pleased at the success that I am seeing. There is no one else around but plenty of other targets should she lose control. From the look in her eyes, there is no one else in this world except for me and all she wants to do is destroy me. This is going well if I do say so myself. When the second attack comes, it does nothing either. The third actually gains my attention as it does not do real damage, but I can feel her powers pushing against my mind's base defense. Still, I am not impressed though. It is her condemnation of being considered a child that gains my notice. Even with that strike, I still do not move an inch. When the final strike connects, I actually have to contain myself and the stone wall visage releases into a smile which is followed by an approving nod.

When she moves to rise, I vanish from my cushion and reappear in front of her. My hand outstretches more out of instinct than conscious thought to support her. The gesture causes me to sigh. I ask almost playfully, "Now am I going to have to do that every time I want you to focus or can we try more civil methods? You apologize too much, Jay'de. Until we can teach you control and you build upon that, your powers are going to flare, you are going to lose your temper and you will attack me often as I am an ideal target. You can hurt others with your powers far easier than you can hurt me. But you just learned the first step in controlling your powers. Whatever you wish to do, be it benign or malevolent, focus is the key. I needed to strip everything that bogs down and clouds your mind so that you could focus on the one thing that mattered most. Hurting me. That focus is the foundation of control. You are no child, just as I am no child. I figure you are in your late teens, so am I. I have seen 19 summers, so I know full well what you feel. Have a seat, Jay'de. Tell me something... why do you want order and why do you want to be stronger? How will strength and order serve your goals?"

EXP: 441/4037

With his appearance so quickly in front of her when she was setting herself to the grim understanding that he would not be teaching her. So he surprised her with his words and starred at him in disbelief. Her body sat back down, with just as much natural grace as before. But she eyed him with jade green pools, peeking out from narrowed eyes. He seemed to be accepting the idea of teaching her and all of this was just some test. His first question was more rhetorical than anything so she did not answer him immediately. Her hope was lifted that perhaps he could help her, he could teach her. If that was the case then she would need to find a way to repay him. No debts were allowed in her book. It only lead to weaknesses to be exploited.

Her breathing began to quiet as she slowly regained her power back. It was strange feeling so empty. Almost as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders and she could think straight for once. The voices had calmed and quieted into a nothingness. "You seem much older. Not in appearance but in bearing. I have seen 17 winters. This winter will be 18." Those deep pools gazed at him and then glanced away as she thought on the answer to his last question. Finally her voice came forth softly "My tribe banished me, because those voices caused the leader of our tribe to kill himself. Without anything to survive with. I was eight winters. If I had been strong then, the voices would not have been affecting the whole tribe to that extent. At first the tribe thought to use me as a weapon. Until that happened. Strength keep me from being used liked that. Order brings strength. But then again, it seems that you have proven that chaos can also bring strength. the only goals I have are vague. To tell you the full truth, I had not been thinking beyond gaining control of my powers."

-367-

As she rests back upon her cushion, I too return to mine allowing my image to fade slowly as I think upon that as a sort of strategic misdirection ability. That could be useful indeed. Taking a seat once again, I address the observation first. "My Master forced me to fend for myself a lot. He was not one to coddle and hold my hand as I learned. He taught me what I needed to know then left me to figure out the rest."

There is a brief pause as I feel a swell of emotion involuntarily swell up. That's certainly not normal for me. Once I contain it, I continue, "Shortly before I had experienced my 16th Spring, he left for the Core District in Medius. I was left here to serve as a scout and tracker for the Village militia, but they learned that my powers were not quite... normal. There aren't many void magi around and most who can gain access to the Void only do so for travel purposes. My emotions led me to more destructive applications. The Elder who brought me into the room before was my instructor after my Master left for the Core District. He taught me the lesson that follows the one that I just used on you. Chaos can be used to trigger focus, but it cannot sustain focus. The following lesson comes from visualization of what you wish to accomplish. What you want now should be a result or a catalyst for what you truly want. Whatever the current primary objective might be. Focusing just on right now will always leave you vulnerable to traps and the ploys of others who have thought further ahead..." My voice trails off. That was more than enough sharing for now.

I wanted to tell her to make sure that the past does not control you, but I have very little ground to stand on there. I have been consumed with finding my master and rescuing him that I nearly killed myself in the process. I don't even know what happened in all of that b/c I can't access those memories. It feels like a blackout, but there's no hazy to it, it's simply gone. Looking over at her, I truly question whether or not, I can actually teach someone else successfully. "Jay'de, let us work on controlling the voices. We need to get you conditioned to block out the voices that you don't want to hear without havign to try and shut your powers off completely. Think of it as trying a hear a single person in a crowded room. You just have to focus on their voice in your head. Try to hear just my thoughts projecting towards you." If she was successful, she would hear me thinking about standing at a cliff looking down at the water while a warm summer breeze passes by us.

519/4556

Jay'de listened intently to the man across from her. There were lessons to be learned in his speaking. With him speaking of how he had been taught and trained, then it would give her insight into how he would go about his own lessons. Usually that was the case when it came to teaching. Usually you taught in a similar manner to the way you had been taught. So if his master had not coddled him, then she should not look for such a thing from this man. And she figured if he was a loner, like his room as well as his demeanor implied, then she would most likely be left to her own devices to figure out the lessons intended. Hard work and studying were not a mystery to her, nor were they strangers. That was how she had always been learning around here. Mostly since her abilities tended to drive people insane if she slipped on her control.

Strangely enough, the voices, after the break in the dam of shored up power, were silent to the outside world. It could be his own shielding, or it could be that she herself was starting to control them. Perhaps that outburst had helped. Similar to an actual dam, she had been blocking off all of her power, so that now that the block was gone, it trickled out and the voices stayed silent. And with that trickle of power she was able to control it better than the flood of power that was usually caused by her emotional turmoil. In response to his words, to show that she was listening, she replied, "So what you are saying is that chaos is not all that bad if tempered with order." She looked thoughtful at his words as she tried to sum them up.

As he continued on she realized he did not understand the nature of the voices. Shaking her head a bit, she spoke up, without interrupting his lesson. "It has come to my notice that I might not have explained the nature of the voices very well. I do not hear them at all. It's like I am projecting onto others what is in there mind, or what I want them to hear. But I cannot control it. Myself, I do hear them." With that clarified, she closed her eyes for a moment to concentrate on hearing his thoughts. It was tougher than she thought. Usually she could make others hear, but it was like the reverse of that. Listening to what the thoughts of others were. With that in mind, she reversed how she projected and instead began to hear the waters of the ocean cresting against the rocks. Her eyes beheld the cliff, and her body felt the warmth of the warm breeze.

Softly she spoke this aloud to him. "It is summer, I can fell that in your mind. A cliff where the sea waters crash against the rocks. I can heard the sound of the pounding surf. The water is lighter due to the foam of the waves." Her eyes opened as she looked to him, making sure she was actually doing this right. It was harder to maintain. And as she worked, the voices could not be heard.

-571-

When she inquires about the "balance" if you will of chaos and order, I would simply nod before continuing. That was exactly my point. In all things there must be balance. One should never be wholly good or wholly evil as you become a weakened version of yourself when you attempt to be such. You should primarily for order or primarily for chaos as that is a natural selection. When she explains to me how the voices work, I find myself a bit more confused as I had not erected a mental barrier and yet I did not hear these voices, which led me to believe that she hears them, but if she does not hear them and I do not hear them, perhaps the most logical explanation is that it is the strength of the mind that is protecting both of us. If she cannot control it then perhaps, she cannot activate it at the moment and if that is the case then that is a benefit as it gives me more time to help her with control. I can teach her the basics now so that she can build upon that.

When she begins to visualize what I am thinking about, I nod to her before speaking telepathically to her, "Telepathy is quite tricky, Jay'de. Speaking into someone's mind like I have been doing with you is the easiest form I have found. Listening to surface thoughts and emotions is second easiest. Influencing thoughts is where things get complicated. Equally complicated is infiltrating someone's mind. With weaker minds, it is possible with little effort, but for a stronger mind or will, it is a challenge that I have yet to fully conquer at this point. You have the basics of telepathy down, so let us try and build upon that. Focus on my thoughts again..."

This time I would attempt to draw her into the thoughts so that she not only feels the summer breeze, but that she was there. If I am able to pull her in, then she would find both of us standing next to the cliff looking down at a beach and watching the waves collide. This stretch of beach isn't as green as the previous vision, as this one is more dry and similar to a desert clime. We had moved. The water is just as beautiful, but now the breeze would feel even more refreshing. The scent of the water would become richer. She would also notice that things seemed to be changing slightly in the environment as her thoughts would also bare some influence on what is around us.

EXP: 469

If anything was focused about her, it was her ability to focus on the task at hand. She sat and listened to him speak without talking much at all. Jay'de was under the belief that if one had an open mouth, their ears would be closed to what was around them. When he asked her to try again, this time to put herself into the scene she was seeing. The first attempt met with failure, but the second was almost perfect. This time they were still in the summer, but further south along the shore line. They were still standing on a cliff, but this time she could feel the heat from the region and this time she was there looking down at the beach with him.

The influence she had on the environment was quickly apparent there were little white flowers springing up that were native to the region, the breeze was refreshing but at the same time it was met with the warm, dry desert breeze. A dolphin pod began to play and jump in the waters further out from the cliffs and shore. The clouds began to slowly crawl by sometimes covering most of the sunlight with their white puffiness. This would be because her influence upon the mind of others was her strongest point. The voices were the outward proof of such. She was starting to manipulate his mind to create the imagine they were sharing.

There were birds that began to chirp and sing, all native to the region they were currently in. And it begun to get to the point that is almost real. The smells the sights, all enhanced and all so easy for him to believe. Her hand reach out and pointed out to sea, there was even a ship with billowing sails out there sailing towards an unknown harbor. The wind tugged at her hair and brought it around her face, so that she was framed by the cloud of white wisps as she looked at him, her jade green eyes sparkling. It was a beautiful sight, almost romantic. The soft scent of jasmine with a hint of sandalwood came upon the gentle breeze. The soft scent of her and of course the scents of her past. A scent associated with the desert and dark exotic nights amidst the sands and the stars.

Then she pulled back from his mind and opened her eyes to reveal the room they were sitting in. The scent of jasmine still softly floating about the room. It grew faint within but a few moments and was gone. Happily she beamed at him. Hoping she had done well.

-470-

As Jay'de takes the reins so to speak on the creation, I basically, step back and watch what she is capable of creating. Her imagination starts to run wild and I just smile and observe. The scents become stronger and the clime becomes more genuine. I am unsure if she had herself been to the desert coasts or if she was drawing primarily off of my memories. At some point, I would have to inquire about that. With a nod of approval, I speak briefly, "Good work. Within a realm of mutual creation, you can train without another and you will notice that time becomes irrelevant." This was actually a trick that I found out on accident once when I... when I... why can't I recall the details of this memory. I can remember a memory, but I am drawing a blank. That is definitely not normal for me. I think back to the scene that she manipulates. It is both impressive and pleasing to watch someone with a knack for psionics go on a "psychic creation spree" within a shared mind. Releasing control to the young girl, so that she could focus her mind on controlling itself. I had thought to teach her mental adaptability, but I will save that lesson for another time altogether.

I decide that next I will gauge her strategic acumen. The first question posed has no real bearing but tends to serve as a starting point. I inquire, "How skilled are you with planning a battle strategy?" They wanted me to help her, but I must be aware that I can not and will not remain in the village to do it. My place is back near Latito with Battousai. Looking over at her, I truly start to analyze her and whether or not, she might truly be useful to my lord. Time will tell I suppose. While I await her answer, my thoughts become guarded once more as I start creating the scenario that I was about to thrust her into in order to test her strategic aptitude in a trial by fire psychic scenario. Those tend to truly tell me everything that I need to know about a person.

394

She is not allowed to go back to the room, but drawn back into the creation. There must have been more to the lesson, so she stood there on the cliff and watched him. She grew up in the deserts, her tribe was one of the many nomadic ones that traveled the ever shifting sands. This places was one of the places she remembered the most. The beach below them, she had played on as a small child. only a few short years before her banishment. No worries back then clouded her mind. Before her powers had manifested.

Her thoughts on her past, were sad and that edge of sadness began to shape and change the landscape of the mind. The clouds began to slowly gather, shading them from the sun, while other parts of the sky were still crystal blue. Those green eyes of hers held a touch of sorrow as she turned to face the cliff again. The birds grew quiet and the wind grew slightly stronger. A storm slowly rolling in over the vast plains around them. Her hair caught in the wind and it blew around her face again. The scent of Jasmine was still there but over it was the delicate scent of rain. The wind turned slightly cooler as she watched the surf crash against the cliffs. For a moment, she looked lost and alone, her arms crossing to in front of her chest in a closed off position. As if protecting herself from some inner memory.

His voice brought her out of her self speculations and she glanced back over to him, she had that look of someone who had been alone for so long that she had nearly forgotten that others existed. Her eyelids blinked closed and reopened as she watched answered him thoughtfully, "I do not know. I have never tried in anything more than chess. And even then people do not like to be around me much, thanks to the voices. So it is hard to find someone to play that game with. Although I have studied a few of the more warrior like texts in the library." She was honest as she watched him, waiting to see where this line of questioning led.

-395-

The atmospheric changes were noted and I watch them with very little expression other than the visual version of "Hmm... I see" to be gained had she been watching. I left her to her thoughts for a moment as I wanted her to see what was possible here. "With a focused mind, anything is possible. You can create and shape anything you desire, but as you are seeing, your emotions dictate much. If you think too much about sadness, it might rain. Bitter or coldness and it might snow. Anger manifests in many different ways. The storm that was coming or my personal favorite, causing a spatial distortion to rip apart an army." I exude a strong aura of calmness and tranquility to calm the environment. The storm clouds would begin to disperse and allow the sun to shine once more. The winds would calm a bit as well and warm the breeze once more. She has a natural raw talent for sure, but thankfully at the moment, my mind is still stronger and able to anchor her for now.

I switch focus back to strategic acumen. "Time to go again." A column of light would surround each of us before transporting us anyway. We would arrive atop a plateau looking down upon some plains. Below us but also slightly off in the distance would be a battle raging on. The sides are distinctly identified with the blue army and the yellow army. At the moment is merely infantry against infantry, one unit each side. There is an archer unit, a light cavalry unit, a second infantry unit, and a magus unit standing by watching the battle. I crouch down looking at the battle. "Both armies have their reasons for fighting, both are evenly arranged. Which would you like to serve? The blue or the yellow forces?" I would say nothing more than that as everything is a test, including which side she would pick.

361

She watched him change the surrounding environment and shook her head slowly. She had not realized she was affecting it in any way other than the good. But one could take an educated guess that Jay'de's emotions had been the cause and effect of the storm, the drop in temperature. "I did not realize I was affecting the climate change. My emotions were starting to rule my mind again. I apolo..." She trailed off about to apologize again. It was apparent she was use to apologizing. It happened frequently in the school. Something was always her fault, so her own version of Pavlov's Conditioning had her apologizing for everything just in case it offended those above her in rank. It just saved time for her. But she was learning that every time she apologized to Hunter, as he would have her call him, he told her she apologized too much. This time she had caught herself.

When he spoke of time to go again and those columns appeared, she prepared herself for his mode of travel. At the end of the transportation she felt sick and dizzy again, but it was nearly as bad. She would have to learn that spell. It would be nice to be able to travel from point A to point B in such a short amount of time. When he pointed out the armies of varying colors she looked down and then back to him. Was this a trick question. The answer he wanted, she did not know. So she had to think about it before she answered him. "If they both have good reasons to fight, and they both are evenly matched. Then I have only a few questions for you. Why should I enter this battle if it does not concern me? And if it does concern me, what will I get from joining the battle?" It sounded a bit self centered, but it was the truth. Jay'de had grown up harshly, and had been relying on herself for most things. So if she didn't get something from then there would be no point in entering it. Callous, but the truth. Why put her life in danger to serve someone for no reason?

-391-

She was learning not to apologize all the time. I had yet to tell her why I didn't like her simply apologizing but I figure that could wait for another time. For now, the fact that she should caught it would suffice. I continue watching the battle as the fighting rages on with minor losses sustained on both sides. I would address her questions next. "You never pick a side for no reason. Every army or village that you aid pays some price. Barter items are rarely as valuable as one thinks, at least in my opinion. Information and knowledge are FAR more valuable to me. While you can pay an assassin to kill or a thief to steal, knowing who to kill, what to steal, and the obstacles one might face in doing either is far more valuable than the payment itself. Still, that is my opinion. Others would say that for the right price, you can merely leave the assassin or thief to do their own reconnaissance. So you will receive whatever you wish. The yellow army will actually pay you more than the information that the blue army has offered you as payment for your services is considered to be worth. And I never said that their reasons were good. Merely that they have reasons. If I told you that the yellow army was fighting because the blue army turned against them, would you think the yellow army is the good one? Even better question, would you care?" If she looked at the battle, it would be frozen. In fact, everything seemed to be frozen. The clouds didn't move, the tall grasses around our position didn't move either. It is as if time had frozen in place while we were discussing her initial selection.

327

She had to really think about this one. She watched him as he spoke and then looked back to the armies, now frozen in place and time. "Well, by good reason, I did not mean that they were good and light. A good reason to fight could be freedom from oppression, gaining more land, a valuable artifact, Information, so many good reasons to fight. But it matters not why they are fighting. Just that they are fighting." She studied the battlefield for a moment and tapped on her chin as she thought back over his words. "You are absolutely correct. Information can sometimes be more important, depending on the nature of the information, than items. So my next question on those two armies. Is the information the blue army is willing to pay me with relevant and important to my own exploits. The worth of the information is to the people sharing that information. I may not find some secret on the librarian relevant, but if it is a secret on perhaps you. Then it would be worth more to me. So is the information the blue army is offering more important to me, than the items the yellow is offering?"

She turned back to look at him and blinked. Those green eyes, like polished jade gems, shown with intelligence as she waited for his answer. Unlike most students she did not just assume anything about this conversation. She could feel that this was a test of some sort, so she would gain as much information on the test subject before making her choice. All of what she said came straight from her and was the truth on her feelings. Jay'de was starting to let the wall slip down that she erected between her and others. Now she wasn't trying to please him, but to just be herself. If he did not wish to teach her, he would tell her regardless of what she said or did to prevent that.

-357-

I cannot help but grin when she first clarifies for me her meaning and when she inquires for more information. The grin remains when she states that intel on me would be of value to her. One of her statements showed her isolated and numb side rather clearly to me. I respond to that first before giving her more information to work with. "Jay'de, the reason they are fighting is always more important than the mere fact that there is a conflict for you to test your skills with or to gain something from. If the blue army turned against the yellow b/c they raped and murdered innocent women and children, who raised up no arms against them and could not defend themselves, then I would help the blue army every time this scenario came to my attention. That is where my personal code falls. If you wanted to become a strategist, you must maintain a code for one who is willing to go to any length to accomplish their goals will be powerful, but they run the risk of being consumed by their own darkness or the creations of it." I had seen quite a few leaders butcher innocent villagers as an "example" to the others and before they knew it, the villagers rose up against them. I would continue, "That also does not mean that I give a damn to save every village from an evil brigand or warlord. As long as their actions do not violate my personal code, I'll aid them if the price is right."

I pause for a moment and look down at the armies. "The blue army will give you a tome that will teach you a new psionic power, while the yellow armor will pay you with a powerful weapon or enchanted armor." Rising to full height again, I look slightly down at the young maiden, "Now you must decide who to serve. Choose." It was a difficult decision, but she would not always have ample time to analyze everything, so I would need to start getting her used to thinking and making sound decisions under pressure.

383

She was deep in thought at his words. She was numb and isolated but it was because of deep reason from her past. She had forced herself to become numb to the world at a young age and this showed in her budding adulthood. She stood at a pivotal point in her young life. Decisions made now and influences from those around her could change her for the rest of her life. She was not an evil girl, just extremely hurt. Banished by her tribe, isolated by not just her powers but by those that were suppose to help her, and yes to some extent isolated by herself. What he had spoken of made sense, but she was so use to living with those first three rules that her eight year old self had come up with the night she had made her way into the village and the school. Perhaps she should build on those. But the questions remained how and why she should add to those rules. No had cared enough to help her while she struggled to survive. No one had been willing to help her in those villages she had sought solace, at least after the problems with her mind had surfaced. So why should she help anyone else? It was a hard question to answer. One that she would have to think on a little later, since he was asking for a decision on the armies.

But he waited for her answer on the armies below. So she chose and offered him her reasoning, " The blue army. I can barter for the armor or the weapon. The tome may never surface again." From there she watched him and stood up to her own full height, the full five feet and maybe a few inches. If one was lucky enough to call it a few. "As for other the reason, I am not sure. I agree about the personal code. But I am not yet sure of that personal code. I have my own rules. But so far they only number three. And neither side really fits into those three rules."

-361-

I remain silent next to the young maiden even after she gives me her answer. I relaxed a bit too much and her primary thoughts had been picked up. There is too much pain and anger that I feel to instantly shut it off, so I listen and while I owe this girl nothing nor do I know much about her, I finally conclude to help her. Normally, I would state that this is a rash decision, but something tells me to do it. Something inside my gut. She will prove to be an asset as I can see in her eyes that she is eager to be built from a small pile of rubble that I blast with attack after attack into a masterpiece of architecture. She had chosen the blue army and while my first thought was to aid her as an "invisible voice", I decide to continue the trial by fire and serve the yellow army, while holding back a bit. I would keep it to base strategies while also instructing her from our perch. Before we begin with the exercise, I look at her silently for a moment.

At first I search for the right words before I just resign myself to speak plainly. "Jay'de, pain should only be used as a motivator to become stronger. Stronger physically, emotionally, and mentally. You must work to break the use of pain as a crutch or weight holding you back. The fact that people did not help you has made you stronger. We will build upon that strength. You know what it feels like to be abandoned... that is why you help those who cannot help themselves. To ensure that no one feels the pain and anguish that we suffer thru from our pasts, our present, or our future."

Time resumes for the armies and I speak telepathically in a broadcast so that she could hear me as well. "Yellow Archers, move east on the battlefield to come within range of the rear ranks of the infantry. Infantry, form up in the Box formation. Switch to defensive focus. Rear ranks, retrieve the wounded. Flanks, reinforce the front row."

After issuing orders to the active units, I turn to Jay'de. "In a real skirmish, you're not going to hear the enemy's plans, but by then you'll be able to anticipate what they are going to do in response to your actions. Also, you would have prepped your strategies well before the battle even begun. Oh and as for your pick, "I would have picked the weapon. You will uncover and unlock most of the powers that you need from creating a need to fulfill a missing element of your power structure all on your own. The weapon is powerful, therefore it is most likely very rare and far less likely to be bartered. If you ever select wrong in the future, simply annihilate your enemy and search the spoils after your victory. But back to the lesson. Your enemy's archers are moving closer to your infantry and away from your archers. Also, the enemy's infantry has switched from a marching formation to a defensive box formation to take on a more defensive positioning. Their defensive prowess is raised but their attack capability lowers. How would you advise the blue army to react?"

602

Her gaze to him was a bit hurt before she covered it up. "It is not polite to read someones thoughts like that." She said nothing more than that as they continued on with the lesson. Those were thoughts she had hoped to keep to herself as she was still searching for answers. Little did she know what the thought process of the man beside her was or the path that they were currently taking when it came to his ideas on what to do with her. But all of sudden in his impassioned speech on her pain and suffering, she remembered he used the word we. That caused her head to come up from studying the armies laid out before her and glance to him. She might not be that good at reading someone's thoughts at the present moment, but she could do a damn good job of listening to what was being said between the words and add it to what was being said.

Before they continued on with the lesson she asked plainly, "We and our. You have also experienced such pain, have you not?" Her eyes seemed to look straight through, as if trying to figure him out. He was being inspected much like a bug under a microscope or better yet, a gem for a flaw. She waited for any moment that would betray his inner thoughts, since reading them would have been improper. He was currently her teacher, even if it did not last past this exercise. She could have asked if he would teach her on a long term basis, but his words gave evidence to the fact that he was at least considering that option. Perhaps a good thing to learn was shielding to keep him out of her mind and reading her thoughts.

As he turned towards the yellow army, she stood by her choice with the blue army. In fact they then turned color to a jade green. It was her own abilities to change the environment, changing the color to one more suited to her and to show she stood behind her choice. At least when she did make a decision, she was loyal to that decision. "You are correct, but also think, the tome could give me more than just the knowledge contained within, but also clues to developing other powers or clues to other tomes. Such as the cross referencing. It would not truly have mattered which one I chose. Either way would have an element to make them the wrong choice. It is the nature of these things. It all matters what is more important to the person making the choice." With this said, she watched the yellow army moving and began to think of her own plans.

"Well, I have never really had this kind of experience although the few scrolls I have read upon the matter have given me a few ideas. Since the enemy infantry is hunkered down, they make easy targets for my archers and Magus unit. They should move to engage the Infantry you have combined and but on the defensive. They should keep within projectile range and keep the infantry Unit out of melee range with them. One on either side, would cause a problem with cross fire and hitting your own forces. So it would be better to place them, one unit on each corner, trapping them in a cone of projectile effect. Also hoping to scatter and break their ranks.

Now to move the first green Infantry unit to engage the archers in Melee, close range combat. Their weakness, and create a diversion, yes some will die but this is war, you cannot keep them all alive. During that, the second green Infantry should move to engage the yellow archery unit from the side, trying to force them towards the yellow infantry and give the enemy a moment of confusion to exploit. All the yellow archery unit will then be forced to take the projectile attack as well. The green infantry with this frontal and side would not be caught in the cone of projectile effect of the green archers and magus and press them into the yellow infantry. My cavalry waits."

At the end of this she looked to him and her eyes were uncertain. She knew that there were a lot of things that could go wrong with her inexperience of these matters and she only hoped she showed some spark of ability. Just a smidgeon. She was waiting for him to blow through her plans and point out the faults and flaws with it. The scroll had said that to battle on multiple fronts at once was a deadly trap and to press the enemy into each other to cause confusion and less fronts to battle upon.

-852-

Looking over at her, I remark plainly with no fluctuation or emotion in my voice, "And I care about being polite to you why? The world I live in holds little regard for softness, but for truth and relevance. Rid yourself of these weakening attachments." When she inquires as to my past and my use of the inclusive plural terms , "we" and "our" I say nothing but remain focused on the battlefield. "The most effective strategists must know full well the possibilities of battle and the horrors of war. You must know them in order to understand what you are seeking to prevent for your side and what you must be willing to inflict upon your enemy should they choose battle. When you fully understand the horror that is full scale battle, your strategies will always seek to avoid it." I watch with mild amusement as she changes the color of the uniforms of the blue army. She is beginning to get the hang of things a little better.

Listening as she expresses her plan, I wait until she is finished so that I can fully play out her choices before I say anything. Once I have assessed the situation, I finally speak, "An infantry unit in defense is not going to allow your infantry unit to move along its edge easily. Also, unless ur archer unit moves to engage mine at the exact same time, they are going to be open to fire from my archers as they look to approach. You almost never want your archers brought within range of enemy archers or magi. Also, even if you were able to shift your infantry towards my archers, it automatically open a direct path for part of my infantry to attack your archers unguarded. Army types generally balance each other in this respect. Infantry based units are strong against ranged units. This is primarily b/c the ground troops are better armored and keep in relatively tight formations. This allows them to shield themselves from most of ranged attacks. Ranged units are better used against mounted units. They can deal with a cavalry charging from a distance and in the worst case scenario at least dismount them to put them on even or disadvantaged group depending on their method of dismounting. Cavalry units are best used against infantry units. The speed of the unit and elevated position makes it much easier for them to critically wound an infantry soldiers while their elevated positions makes it harder to hit them. Also, the mount generally adds more damage inflicting capabilities with trampling the enemy or depending on the mount attacking the enemy themselves. Magi units are wild cards. They can have heavy attack magic and be used as an infantry assault unit or as a ranged assault unit. Next, if you bring up both ur magi and archer unit up toward the front fray, they become far more exposed, you lose both of your ranged units, you lose long range attack or cover capabilities."

I survey the battlefield once again, "When your forces are evenly matched, it stops being about the troops, but the vision of the Strategist. If I try to take on a defensive formation. Switch to an Attack Formation. Move your archers and magi forward as the Infantry pushes forward. Now would you like to follow that advice and stick with your strategy?" There was a potentially fatal flaw that I chose to hold back from her. If she elected to keep her plan, I would expose it, but not before then.

673

Jay'de thought about this for a moment. There was sound reasoning behind his ideas, but there was something missing. He had just told her that to move both her ranged and magi units up as the infantry pushes onward. That was too similar to what she was doing, and he had just said to put both of them up there in fray would be folly. These were not the only possibilities presented. Plan A was severely flawed, Plan B was just as bad it would seem. So it would be time to mull over the information Hunter had provided for a moment and come up with a Plan C.

Silently she glanced down at the battlefield and nodded. "Your advice is welcome, but I do not think your plan is altogether a good idea. You have just finished telling me to put both my ranged units and magi units in the front would be folly, so why do so. That leaves vulnerable to attack. In order to make an attack unit as you have said, to combat your defensive one, perhaps I should scrap my plan, and your plan. Taking what you have told me about the strengths and weaknesses of each unit and prepare a plan C."

"With your archers in the back of your infantry, It critically cuts off a charge, since the archers would protect them from the cavalry charge. But they could end up firing into their own people, just as my mage and archer units could do in either of the first plans. Perhaps a better plan is allow my archers to fire upon the front lines of the infantry, since they could stay out of the way, just barely, of the rear archers. This is difficult" It was hard for her, since she knew she was going to make mistakes, and she hated to make mistakes. But this just wasn't a subject she was well versed in, but it was interesting and she wanted to learn.

Then perhaps my archers would allow these few shots to be cover fire for my Infantry to charge. The Archers would then retreat and work their way to the back of the infantry. I am not sure on this method, but it theory it will give my infantry an edge since the first few volleys of fire from the archers would take out the first few lines of your infantry." Jay'de was really trying hard at this, not to please him or show of, but because she was trying to understand and be useful. But is was a lesson and a lesson was usually learned from better and remembered if there was a mistake involved.

-466-

Instead of instructing, I allow her plan to play out. She moves the archers forward a bit to fire on my infantry's front lines which are already engaged in combat with her attacking infantry. I say nothing as the arrows are loosed from the green archers. My force would take casualties, but since her forces have been battling against mine since before we take over, so would hers and also cause confusion in her front ranks as they are being shot from behind. My archers on the other hand would aim for the middle and rear ranks. The plan with this is to force her middle ranks forward thus disrupting the attacking capability of the front ranks. It's harder to attack when your backup is rushing or falling into you. Also, the front middle ranks would move to try and avoid being shot. My archers practically ignore her archers as they move up and retreat. If they came too close, they would get caught in the volley. Leaving my magi unit in reserve, the second infantry unit begins to march forward towards the fray on the green archer's side of the battlefield. My eyes glow and their twin swords vanish as they are replaced with tower shields and spears in hand. The twin sword units are a specialty of mine, so I would not be utilizing them here. I want to present a challenge to Jay'de but one that she could possibly overcome and learn from all the while. My cavalry unit also remains in reserve tho they seem to be itching to get into the fray. The march of Infantry 2 seems to be slower. I was in no rush to commit more troops to the battle. That and I also want to see how she would respond to the threat of increased melee force. Would she seek to match it point for point or would she try something else?

With commands set in motion, I would respond to her without taking my eyes off of the battlefield, "Yes, being a Strategist is difficult. As for your choice, notice the difference in our targets. Our main infantries have been fighting each other since we got here and you fired shallow. Whether it is a single patrol or a company of soldiers, your main priority is preserve as many of your allies' lives as you possibly can. You must know and understand the battlefield. Also, I told you not to bring up the archers and magi while they were exposed. If your infantry is pushing forward then they will have sufficient cover so long as they remain out of the range and/or the line of sight of the enemy archers. If the enemy archers are being pushed back because the infantry is being pushed back, then they are far less likely to fire upon your archers and magi and more susceptible to your ranged attacks, thus you can use ranged units to destroy ranged units. As you can imagine tho, it can be tricky. It is your move now, Jay'de."

556

She watched the battle play out and sighed. Without looking back to him as he spoke, she nodded let her hand come up to her hair. Her fingers ran through the white tresses as she shook her head. "You are a master at this. I am barely able to contend with that." She did smile though. "At least you are willing to teach me." Then her mind went back to focusing on the battle below. The fact that he changed his second infantry to spear men made her rethink her entire strategy. "You will be winning this victory I can already see that. The outcome was decided by my initial set up. You of course were right."

Here she was trying to impress or rather at least not to appear overly foolish and she had done just that. So much for trying. "My move would be to retreat ad regroup. Then fight another day. Why waste the lives by continuing this? I have severely disabled and destroyed and true chance at victory this day." She stood there waiting for his words that would condemn her and for intense purpose call her an idiot. All of which she deserved. Jay'de could blame everything the day had brought this far into her life, the fact that she was angry, many reasons could be counted towards her folly. But they would just be excuses. And above all else it was her own shortcomings that caused this. Nothing more than that. Her own lack of knowledge in this area. Today she had learned that she needed to study a bit more on warfare and strategy. "I believe I shall have to do some more studying of the subject of strategy."

Her eyes were still watching the battlefield while she hoped that this didn't kill her chances of being trained by him. But those thoughts she kept well hidden. If nothing else he had already taught her some things. Enough that she could practice proper control of her powers.

-360-

Watching the battle play out, I could tell in her words that she was defeated. Not on the battlefield as one wrong decision can always be overturned by a smart and/or clever one. She instead was defeated in her own mind. And that is much harder to recover from. Turning away from the battle, I start to walk away from the cliff. That facet of training would be over now. I didn't really need to continue there as the optimal training situation is not present. I would stop for a moment for her to catch up to me. Once she does, I continue walking with her. The surrounding area would begin to change as we walk. This would basically be on auto-pilot for her at this point. We would leave the clifftop view of the battle for a more comfortable and confined location, a recreation of a warlord's strategy tent that I once advised in before I had even seen my 16th spring.

"This place brings back memories. One of my first campaigns alone. I was completely unprepared to go at it alone and I was sure that I couldn't advise by myself. I had been raised in and around battle since I was a boy. It doesn't really help you much. I am no master, Jay'de. You are merely a novice as I was and when I saw what others could do, I let those thoughts get to me. I defeated myself most of the time when I had to pit my strategies against my teacher's. He even went as far to advise enemy armies against me. This battle was one of those times. Like you, I made a bad decision that costs some troops their lives and I thought all was lost. My master wasn't giving me instructions on how to correct it, so I thought all was lost and honestly, it would have been. If a strategist takes their mind off of the battle then they have lost and their forces will be defeated. If a strategist is more concerned with the skill of their enemy than they are with the thoroughness of their own plans, they have lost. No one knows this when they begin. That's why I wanted to show you a battle from a strategist's standpoint, so that you can know what is at stake and so that you could understand defeat, so that you would hate it more than anything. What saved me was a voice inside my head that was completely foreign, but seemed to know what I was truly capable of. This voice knew things that even my master did not. He quieted my worries and fears. He quieted my thoughts. In my mind, he froze time to appear before me. He was a blazing inferno of pure energy. He showed me the outcome if I continued acting how I was. My force was broken and massacred. My employer was tortured and publicly executed by being tied to five horses and having his limbs and head ripped apart. I was forced to watch all of this. He then showed me the battlefield from the sky and showed me weak points in the enemy's formations and how to regroup my troops on the battlefield. Retreat was not an option. He gave me options and made me quickly weigh the pros and cons of each. As the strategist, I had to anticipate the enemy's response and how I would counter that as well. He told me to think of battle as a dance. For every move, the other side makes, I must be prepared to move with them and thus, I actually maintain control of the dance even if they think they are moving themselves, I am in fact moving them how I wish to dance. That at its core is the basis of battle strategy. It is all about control and opportunity. You too actually could have recovered from that mistake to possibly obtain victory against another strategist, Jay'de. You will remain with me for eight days, Jay'de. On the ninth day, you will have a choice to make."

We would continue that conversation going over a recap of what occurred in the battle before we took over and what happened during. This time though it would take place as most battles first occur for a strategist several times over... on the model table where a layout of the area or specifically the battlefield is constructed and armies are portrayed as pieces on the board.

We would "rest" after concluding the debriefing. When we "awoke", we would be traveling together. I would take Jay'de around with me for eight full days. It is possible that she would forget that we were in a psychic world created by our minds. I wanted to spend some time with her and learn about her and let her learn about what my life is comprised of. Each day would be something new. Be it an interrogation, a scouting or recon mission, a rescue operation, watching a team of operatives capture an enemy target, as well as an infiltration mission and of course, planning a strategy for the young adult son of a warlord to defend his sick or injured father's village. While I already knew what course of action was to be taken primarily b/c I am using memory scenarios, tho she doesn't know that, I use this to teach as I ask her opinion on matters and how she would prepare or react to certain actions. At the end of the eighth day, we would rest once more.

This time is different though as we would awaken for real and find ourselves back in the "meditation room" in the Village of the Sun. Opening my eyes slowly, I look over at her and exhale slowly. Looking over at her, I speak telepathically to her, primarily out of habit since we had technically been communicating telepathically for the last 8 hours or so, "As I told you when we began that journey, on the ninth day, you would have a choice to make. You have seen what it means to be an operative in my network. I or my lord may ask you to do things that you may not be in full agreement with, as an operative, we follow orders and only question them if the orders would lead to a detrimental mistake. If you believe that you can handle that lifestyle, then I will help you grow as long as you wish to follow me. That choice, though, is yours, Jay'de. Just like I taught you with strategy, weigh out the benefits and the consequences of accepting or declining. When you have done so, the answer will be clear." I fall silent for a moment as I wait for her reply.

EXP: 1215

OOC: So it was so long. I moved things ahead to the "end" of the RP, so that we can catch up with the current timeline. :p

The days past in their joined minds. To where they grew use to the other's company. Jay'de as usual was quiet as she was being taught. Even when just being around the elder magus, she was quiet and still. As if the release of the dam of emotions had clicked and she had grown in ability. It had worked and she maintained her inner peace while they were working. As always she was attentive during lessons. Sometimes her outbursts at her own failures, would show the fire that burned underneath that calm surface. A fiery storm that was her heart and soul. At her triumphs she was just as fiery but with a flame that was kept in check. At times she showed that she had a fighter's spirit, courage to overcome her fears, and she was quietly accepting of whatever was thrown at her. Jay'de adapted to situations easily for the most part, and always kept her chin up.

Eight days they would spend together in their minds eventually she would forget that they were locked that way. Telepathic speech became second nature to the young student. In fact she began to bond with her master and began to think of him that way. The mind reality became so real that every 'evening' a journal would appear in her lap and she would write in it, just things that she had learned and thoughts on the lessons from the day. Her silence was always companionable and never really awkward. It was like she was content around him, at ease.

At the being of the ninth day she opened her eyes to the meditation room and blinked sleepily. The mental voice of her teacher was normal, and a not a single twitch of the eye revealed that a conversation was going on between them. The whole time, she had known that she was going to be asked something like this. She was intelligent enough to have realized that about 6 hours before. Jay'de looked inward and realized the choice was simple, she had made it about 6 hours ago. The pros and cons had been weighed throughout the whole ordeal. If he was still willing to teach her after getting to know her, then it was settled. "I had already accepted hours ago."

-417-

END