[Jean] Chapter 7: The Martial Arts of the Wind Temple Priests

[Throndir]

《 Chapter 6: The Wind Temples of Velothia

Chapter 7.5: The Definition of Insanity》

《Chapter 7: The Martial Arts of the Wind Temple Priests》

《Summary》
Met an instructor, started to train.

Characters Met
Vitaliya, Martial Arts instructor

Returning Characters
Gust, Ren, Slimeling

Information
None

Developments
Training with Vitaliya and Ren

Date: Day 1

"I'm not sure master... I was sent here to help you... To serve you..." Her eyes glinted.

"To please you. If you think something will help our other master, then I will help you."

Gust continued leading the way, the structure that he lead you to was at a lower level than Dalina's home, but much like Dalina's home, the building itself was situated near the edge of the mountainside. It was made from the same material as the temple however.

There were lines of various other priests in a row. Some boys and some girls, though you noted that there were a few older individuals there as well. Each of them seemed to be practicing some sort of basic attacks with both their arms and feet. Their clothes were visibly being gusted with wind, though it may have been from the fact they were so close to the edge of the mountain-side without much protection from the high winds.

A female instructor was drilling them, calling out to each individual priest when their form looked bad, or was simply not up to par with her standards.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Put you're back into it! No! No! No! That's the wrong form! Yes! Like that! Yes Yes! Focus harder!"

The instructor was a large woman, though fit as you can see the bulk of her body was toned with muscles. She had an almost square-like jaw, and had the same green-hued hair that most everyone else on the island had.

"Oh? White hair?" She smirked. when she saw you. "The hero who stripped naked the head priests!" She roared in laughter, the other initiates slowed down their practice to curiously eyed you.

[pringerbeam]

     "Honestly, I'm not sure you could...  I remember what was going on earlier and I think my genitals are entirely decorative at this point.  The master really did a number on me.  You would know.  He did a number on you too."  Replied Jean as they got to the entrance to the training area.  "Yeah that would be me.  There were some extenuating circumstances."  Jean admitted as they entered into the hall.  "And this is my entourage: Renenutet and...  name to be determined.  I'm guessing you are...  Well actually Dalina never said your name but I'm guessing from everyone acting like this is a kung-fu movie training montage that you're the martial master of this floating land.  Damn...  That even sounds like the title of a movie."

[Throndir]

"To serve, to please, and to die for our masters is what I was created for..."



"Vhere is our Priestess of the Hero anyways? I assume making amends? I'm glad I'm not part of that council, they've begged me a million times, have no doubt, but they spend too much time talking!" The woman's accent was much thicker than Dalina's.

The large lady went up to you, then reached a hand out for you to shake.

"My name is Vitaliya. Vhat is yours?"

[pringerbeam]

     "Oh, right, Jean, Jean Valois.  Sorry, introductions are not my strong suite.  What does the council do?  I probably should have gone for my own benefit but after this morning's start, I figured it might have been better if Dalina went without me to put out any fires I might have started."  He walked over to the open area and looked down the mountain's edge to see how steep the drop was.  "Interesting choice of venue.  Anyone ever go over the edge?"  He shivered a little in the simple clothes he had on from the gusts of wind seeping through the fabric.

[Throndir]

"Anyvan go over the edge? Not usually." She pointed to a couple birds that lounged around on the roof, or even on some of the trees.

"Much like your guide, Dalina's companion here," Vitaliya gestured towards Gust, "The other birds here have their own respective owner, if one of us happens to fall, they will catch us."

"As for ze council, they are usually in charge of managing what the community needs. If say ze food is running low, then they tell the farmers and harvesters to increase the amount they make. Each member of the council represent any of the particular groups that we have. And they discuss amongst themselves how best to solve problems. Usually they meet once a week, but when they need to, they meet more often."

"I suspect vith your arrival, they will be talking for longer."

She moved her eyes over your form.

Not bad. Not bad at all. I see you got a little muscle here and there... Are you here for some lessons?"

[pringerbeam]

     "Yeah, I'm not what you would call a fighter.  Still new to the whole hero thing.  What about you?  This doesn't seem like a very rough and tumble place to live.  From what I understand your people don't have many enemies.  What's the life of a warrior in a peaceful land?"  Inquired Jean as he turned from the edge of the training area.

[Throndir]

"Admittedly, I started this path because everything else didn't sound very fun. True, ve're required to train in all ze other aspects of life here. But I haven't touched a plow in at least 20 years! But you see, you start to understand it all, it may sound zilly to you, but its for soul too. You are more self-aware, you're aware of others more, you are more confident. Ze teachings are more than simply bashing an opponent, but, like zose who prefer to master their own type of craft, it is a way of life."

"Zere doesn't need to be enemies? But you know, even since ze time was nearing for ze summoning ritual to have accumulated enough energy, I've gotten more students. Even ze magic instructor too have more zen usual."

[pringerbeam]

     "So I've been told.  But I must be frank.  Your island, while quite large, is hardly a bustling nation with a standing army that would be able to go toe to toe with a legion of demons.  Not to doubt your people's hard work and skill, but I have seen the demons, what they can do..."  Jean subconsciously brushed his chest where he had recreated the gash from the metallum.  "I've heard that the last temple to fall was overrun by regular people, not a demon among them.  Your people have lived a privileged life of peace, a lot like the one I had before I was summoned and trust me it won't cut it against the demons.  Up here, its peaceful, but down there from what I understand entire countries with armies and magicians have fallen.  How are farmers and priests that have just started training going to be able to stand up against the same thing?"

[Throndir]

"Zat is true... Among zose young and fit, perhaps 160 of us altogether. Counting ze children and elderly, maybe 320. Compared to ze land-dwellers, we have more old men and women. For you see, there is little disease and sickness up here, fast we are to heal, and we take care of our old more so than those below. At least... zats what everyone says."

"But you know of our plight, yes? If ze land-dwelling countries fall, ze demons will come for us next as well. We may be a bunch of farmers, and priests not accustomed to war, but it's still a path zat we're all willing to take. At ze very least, once you decide to venture into the lands below, perhaps we can help you get from one place to another faster. After all, ve're ze only humans up here."

"So, you're not a fighter then? Maybe not yet... How about this purple girl behind you with the... tentacles? Zose are tentacles, no? Oy! Can you fight?"

"Master... I can't tell if it's a girl or a boy... Can I... find out?" Ren licked her lips.

Vitaliya raised an eyebrow.

[pringerbeam]

     "Sorry, my companion here is a bit aggressive.  I'm not sure if her idea of 'fighting' is what you have in mind.  She might have some skill though.  I have't had a chance to see her skills in action for the most part."  Explained Jean before turning to Ren,  "Please don't...  I think we've done enough probing of the natives for today.  I'll let you probe me later tonight if it makes you feel better."  Jean said to Ren in an attempt to placate her desires.  "While you're right that they will need to fight eventually, one hundred and sixty fit militia...  How far along is their training?  And what kind of training do you do?"

[Throndir]

Ren slumped her shoulders, but at your offer, she seemed to cheer up again.

"Some of ze elderly would probably join us too... I think if we count on that, it's around 200. It's evenly split between martial artists like us that you see here. Or mages more specialized in Wind Magic. As for zeir skill, the bulk of them started one or two years ago. Everyone is given a course of zis during their training, but most people choose other professions in the end. Zere are only a few handful of us who chose the martial arts as our practice, though, we end up as instructors for the most part. We do partake in other activities to help the rest, but zis..." She pointed towards the initiates who were still training, though, continued to look curiously at you.

"Zis is our preferred calling."

"As for ze training that I do, I teach our martial arts. It's called ze 'Rushing Wind Style'. It's a martial art that combines ze wind element with our ki. It's not quite magic, but there are similarities. It's also not as immediately effective as magic either, but zey go alongside with your regular attacks, and it skips the incantation you do at the beginning."

She took up a stance then.

"Let me demonstrate." At this the rest of the initiates stopped their training altogether, and watched intently as they whispered amongst themselves.

At first Vitaliya calmed her breathing, and finally a burst of wind started to weave themselves around her. Her robes and clothing were whipped in different ways than the rest of the initiates who were already being blown by the normal high altitude winds, and as she unleashed a flurry of attacks, both punches and kicks, each one sent off what could be best described as a shockwave of air.

"Zere are ways to change it, to make the the blades of wind sharp, or even have zem so zat they simply push and knockdown. I, along with some others, can do what you saw here. The rest of ze initiates that started a few years ago are at various stages in their learning. A few are able to accomplish sending forth a gust of wind, but we also have some who are still struggling on ze basics. It really depends on how keen you are in learning."

[pringerbeam]

     Jean watched Vitaliya's demonstration.  "Ki?  Is that the same as mana?  It seems useful to be able to cast spells without an incantation but the training time involved makes me wonder how long the payoff must take.  Casting spells seems quite easy in this world, taking little training while this path seems to take years."  Jean looked at the weapons arrayed along the walls of the training hall.  "Are you proficient with all of those?  I've never even touched a weapon before I was summoned and I'll need someone to teach me about how to use these weapons if I expect to kill any demons.   Although first I will need to start at the basics.  I don't even know how to throw a punch."

[Throndir]

"It's different from mana. You can think of mana as an energy zat lets you manipulate ze world around you. Ki on ze other hand is an energy born from with you, and is only found in living beings. You can find mana in non-living things, or in those rare artifacts from ze ancient kingdoms. But you'll never find any sort of Ki in them.

Where mana is a pool you can draw from within you, and make use of it in forms outside your body, and be able to manipulate the world around you. Thus producing magic, Ki, is ze flow of another type of energy zat you, as a living being, would generate. Ki is tangible force in everything that has a soul, perhaps, you can think of it as an aspect of the soul. Zis is why it does not need any incantation to make them work.

And you are correct that magic is easier once you get over ze hurdle of sensing and making use of mana... Though, even with magic, once you get to a point zat is advanced enough, zose 'magical words' zat appear in someone's head stops occurring as often. For most people anyways, zey plateau to a certain peak when it comes to magic. For me, I can cast a few spells, but zey're all very basic ones."

Vitaliya nodded when you mentioned the weapons.

"All of zem yes. Is zere one you're interested in trying to learn?"

We can still make use of your previous Day 1 Training Scenes, by getting Ren involved, unless you want to completely change it, in that case, I'd prefer new rolls for it.

[pringerbeam]

     "The spear I think will be a good one to start on, though first I think I will need to learn to use my fists.  I do not have a weapon of my own to use but I am able to summon one.  I would like to be able to defend myself in the event I can't cast the spell to create a weapon for use."  Jean said as he walked over to the racks of training weapons.  "I believe I have some time right now if you would be up for starting my training.  I'm not sure how long you might want to try and train me for but I would like to at least be able to properly throw a punch by the time we land on the mountain."  He picked up a temple sword and gave it a casual test swing and checked its edge.

Plan on going with the original rolls.

[Throndir]

"That's great, zen you'll show me what you can do, and I'll take a look at how your tentacled companion handles as well..."

Vitaliya first tested both you and Ren, thankfully Ren didn't do anything strange due to your warnings, but this was the first time you've seen her fight, and to your surprise, she seemed to have been able to hold her own against Vitaliya. Partly due to the fact she had many more limbs to work with. Once that was done, Vitaliya trained the both of you, though focusing more on you, and having Ren help out when it came to it.

Inserting the RP at: [Jean] - The Definition of Insanity

Go ahead and write a final post, and I'll move this to Chapter 8, to either re-summarize anything or just message me on Discord if you want me to move onwards.