[ATT: Sereth] to insanity and beyond... er, to learn saidin too!

[Myth]

Drak sat comfortably with his back against the wall of the tall oak tree, his legs crossed in front of him as he waited for the new Soldier to arrive. The oak tree was an easy to find landmark, and it was one of Drak’s favorite places to think, which made it a very suitable meeting place for what he had planned this morning.

 

Sereth Arian, as he had been informed his trainee’s name was, appeared a few minutes before time. A point in his favor. But is it because of nerves, ambition, or what? Drak thought to himself as the young man came closer. All will be revealed, he said to himself, humorously intoning the words like some old mystic. The man’s approach gave Drak plenty of time to look him over, though appearance meant little to him. After all, appearances can be easily changed.

 

What he saw was a young Andoran, well built though short. He looks to be about a bit younger than me, he noticed. Well, what I look to be, I should say.

 

Sereth’s features were nondescript, though not unpleasant. He had the sort of face that could easily lose itself in the throng or seem immediately open and harmless. I could put a man like that to good use, the Tairen thought to himself. With a grin, he concluded, In fact, I have. And today it looks like I will again. The amusing notion brought a rich chuckle out of him as Sereth came close enough to speak to normally.

 

Drak noted how uncomfortable Sereth looked in his new black coat. Whether it was because he was unused to wearing such a garment, or because of what the coat meant, or he was nervous about what he was about to do, Drak didn’t bother to guess. Better to let him show me, he reminded himself unnecessarily.

 

Waving his left hand to the ground in front of him, Drak set up straight and began the lesson. “I don’t usually give private lessons, but I’ll leave it to you to decide whether the Wheel has woven a thread to your liking or not. But I have little patience for foolishness. No. Make that NO patience for it.” He looked directly at his pupil while he spoke, though perhaps his expression was a bit too intense during that last bit. Sereth’s pained gulp and sudden adjustment of his collar hinted that the initiate had gotten the message. Relaxing just a bit, he continued.

 

“As long as you think before you act, you and I should have no problems. Feel free to ask questions, but pay attention when I speak. Learning is essential, but I am unwilling to waste my time.”

 

It wasn’t a question, but Sereth nodded as if it had been.

 

“You are here to learn to channel Saidin. I don’t know what you know, so I will begin at the beginning. How fast you progress is up to you. Some learn swiftly, others take longer, and still others die in the attempt. It isn’t easy, but it is possible. You must focus. Master your fear; master all distractions; master yourself. Only then can you master the Power.”

 

Leaning in to emphasize the point, Drak continued. “You will practice what I am about to teach you without stopping until it comes as naturally to you as breathing…

 

“Now imagine a flame, a single flame in your mind. Feed all of your thoughts, all of your emotions, feed everything to the flame. Until nothing exists except the flame and the void. You may have heard of this, or not; the Flame and the Void is a concentration technique. Once you learn this, the real lessons begin.”

[Kura]

((Haha, pestering you worked. ;)))

 

Sereth eyed the man who'd been sent to train him; Drak. There was something very unnerving about the man. Something that put him more than on edge; that was saying something. He grew up with an insane male channeler as a teacher. Still, this man held knowledge that he needed.  That was reason enough to overcome any uneasiness.

 

The man barked at him, and for once, the loose tongued boy kept his mouth shut. He doubted Drak would cope with his long rants. Further, he wisely held his tongue when he was told to assume the void, and uttered only a single word in the Old Tongue, "Ko'di." With that, he assumed the void with little trouble. His teacher had taught it to him long ago, it was a supreme concentration technique, that he'd often used in philosophical debates. Without the burden of emotion, the mind could more freely wander. That, at least, was what his teacher had said.

 

His voice was cold, as he spoke, "I have assumed the void. Please, let us begin further lessons." Even in the void though, Drak still unnerved him. He couldn't help but feel like he was being measured, as a carperter does his chisels. What use would Drak try to use him for? Or was it simply that he wanted to see how the new weapon would preform? Sereth, for once, was quite unsure.

[Myth]

Within moments, Sereth had accomplished the task.

 

“Yes, the Oneness.” Drak nodded, keeping his pupil off balance with his knowledge. “You’ve obviously had experience with it. But remember. We are here, sitting comfortably in a stress free environment, with no distractions, with no one trying to kill you. You did well, but don’t become over-confident.”

 

Waiting a brief moment or two to allow the message to sink in, Drak continued. “Assuming the Void is about relaxation. You allow your mind to push aside all outside thought until the flame is everything. Controlling Saidin is the exact opposite. To even touch it, you have to take action. You must seize Saidin. If you don’t, then the Power will remain as distant from you as the stars in the sky.

 

“Once you seize it, it is a constant struggle. Each moment is a battle for life and death. You walk a razor’s edge, and if you relax for even a moment it will consume you and burn you to ash. You must force Saidin to do your bidding. The fight is intense, but it is possible, and the reward is almost beyond belief. Life is more… vivid. One more thing. The Dark One has cursed the male half of the One Power, as you know. He did so by creating the Taint that separates you from the Source. It is foul, like poisonous slime covering a pool of pure water. Every man reacts to it differently, and it will eventually kill you or drive you mad and then kill you. Unless you die in service to the Dragon Reborn first, of course.”

 

Pausing a bit longer this time to let the message sink in, Drak asked, “Are you ready to take the next step?”

 

Without waiting for an answer, he commanded, “Form the Void again, and this time you will reach into the back of it and take hold of Saidin. Don’t try to do anything with it, just fight to control it, to hold it. You aren’t likely to succeed the first time, so try and try again until you do. I will be ready if anything goes wrong.”

[Kura]

Sereth nodded, taking every word the man gave him without much comment. He was still uneasy about the man, but was starting to push it away. "Yes sir." He assumed the void, and dug through it, and then he saw it. A golden light inside of his skull, pulsing; he was amazed that he hadn't seen that before! Taking Drak's words to heart, he launched himself at the source. Instantly he hit the taint, and he almost threw up every meal he'd ever drooled over.

 

Beneath it though, beneath that vile rot, he found life. Every color shone, vivid, had he ever seen before? Scents seems sharper, and every noise heard with a clarity he'd never thought possible. All of this paled next to the feeling of grappling with the source though. To ride those currents of molten ice, feeling it coursing through his body. This was worth the taint a thousand times over. A smile swept over him, and he looked at Drak. "Oh.. Oh by the light! This is both the most fantastic and vile thing I've ever felt! Teach me more! I want to wield it!" His voice echoed, and his tone was riddled with excitement.

 

Today was a new beginning; and in his mind, he owed it all to the man standing in front of him.

[Myth]

Drak tapped his lips thoughtfully as he peered intently into Sereth’s face.

 

He will bear watching, the tall Tairen thought to himself as he observed the initiate’s expression now that he held the Power. He’s not one of us, or else I would know him. The abstract thought holding relevance only to Drak, as confusing as it would sound to anyone else if he had spoken the thought out loud. The cold-eyed channeler had learned to be very careful in his life.

 

I saw his grimace when he seized the Source, so I know he feels the Taint. Yet it barely even slowed him… In his time at the Black Tower, Drak had seen many new men and the varied reactions that they had to the foulness corrupting the male half of the One Power. Some tried to vomit up everything they’d ever eaten and complained constantly as they struggled with the vile, oily barrier. Others never seemed to be affected by it until the day they burned themselves up in their sleep. Those were the two extremes, with the first type of men seeming to resist the madness the longest, and the latter dying very, very soon. Often never rising higher than a mere Soldier.

 

And I have no desire at all to die because of some fool’s madness, Drak admitted to himself. He had no fear of death, but he had much left to do yet before he wanted that cold lover to visit him. Best to keep an eye on him, just in case.

 

Nodding as if reaching an important conclusion, Drak said, “Good. You managed to handle the taint quite well, though turning loose of the Power is even more… difficult. Regardless, you now hold the Power that moves the universe. It gives you the ability to do great things, but be warned. It has the ability to kill you in a moment should you lose control.”

 

As if he hadn’t just told the man he was merely a death that hadn’t happened yet, Drak continued. “Before you can do anything useful with it, you must understand the One Power. It is made up of five elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit, and Water. Most men are strongest in Earth and Fire, though there are exceptions. Women tend to be strongest in Air and Water. Strength in Spirit seems to be unrelated to gender, as far as I know. Each of these elements is equally powerful, but in different ways and for different things. They can be used for creation…”

 

With a thought, Drak raised a chair of Earth alongside Sereth. Motioning the man to take it, Drak continued after he did so.

 

“Or, they can be used for destruction.”

 

As swiftly as thought, the chair flowed back into the ground, leaving Sereth to fall on his rump. An annoyed rubbing of the sore spot and a glower at Drak quickly followed.

 

Smiling slightly, Drak cut off his pupil before he said anything he’d regret. “I want you to use Saidin now, not just hold it. Pick one element and doing something small with it. Then, pick another until you’ve managed to grasp all five. And don’t be foolish and try to do all five at once. Keep it small, and try one at a time, if you please."

 

“I’m not in the mood to bury anyone today.”

[Kura]

Sereth schooled himself, taking deep breathes, and watching the man who was teaching him to wield life. He was examining him; was he trying to figure out how strong he'd be? Or maybe gauge the effect of the taint? Who could tell? He simply wanted to learn. Yes, he wanted to learn everything he could.

 

A chair was raised for him, and he sat, and then it was taken away. He grumbled, but kept in a good mood; how could he not be? When he was instructed to begin, he did just that. He examined the stream of molten ice that flowed through him, and picked out a cable of what felt right. The 'red' cable he'd chosen was ripped out. He felt the power behind it, and drew out more, launching it at the ground to the left of the group with his mind. It was then he realized two things. What the 'red cable' was, and how big a fool he was.

 

The first was easy, red was fire, as was evident by the stream of fire that seemingly came from no where, the second was even easier. He had no idea how to control this flame. The brush caught on fire almost immediatly, and at the other end of the tongue Sereth's shiny new coat lit up. He quickly pushed the source away, and began to pat at his coat, ignoring the flames that he had sprung up around him, and hoping that Drak would be able to fix what he'd just done.

[Myth]

Drak smirked as Sereth tried to put himself out, the fire leaving his clothes scorched and singed like a piece of old parchment. The fires in the surrounding area weren’t that humorous, however. With a thought, the Tairen gathered all the fire into himself with the Power, leaving the brush singed but no longer smoking or even warm to the touch. He didn’t put the fires out, though. He formed them into a ball of flame and suspended it in the air, hanging it over Sereth’s head.

 

When his pupil finally finished doing his fire dance of panic, flapping his arms like a chicken trying to fly, and finally noticed the ball of pure Fire over his head, Drak spoke again.

 

“That was foolish. Now, try again and keep things small. You’ve got to crawl before you walk, else you’ll burn yourself to ash.”

 

At his last word Drak forced the ball of fire in on itself, smaller and smaller and hotter and hotter, lowering it incrementally towards Sereth’s face, until it became a brilliant white light hotter than any blacksmith’s furnace. He winked it out with a flash just before it did any damage to his student, leaving Sereth’s eyes to blink away the afterglow and his nervous arms to wipe away the nervous sweat that had appeared.

 

“Do I make myself clear?” Grinning to take the sting out of the words, he added, “It pays to be careful.”

[Kura]

Sereth let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding when that fiery orb finally dissipated. He wiped sweat from his brow, looking at the man. He didn't take chances with the young Andorian's education, now did he? Still, there was a valuable lesson to be learned here and he took it to heart. The Power was not a toy; don't mess around with it. "Yes, Drak. I will do better next time."

 

With that, he formed the void. He reached again for the source, but it didn't come to his call like it had before. Annoyed, he tried again and again. He could have growled, but quickly schooled himself in patience. No need to light oneself on fire. At least not twice in one day. After a moment of relaxing, he again launched himself at the light that filled the void, and this time he felt that vile taint and the sweet currents of molten ice beneath it.

 

Wrestling with it, and trying to be patient at the same time was frustrating. So, he began by examining it, and again pulled out a familiar strand. Except this time, he was careful enough to control the amount he drew in. He spun it into a tight ball on the grass before him. When a fire lit up, satisfaction skittered on the edge of the void. Though he squelched both the flame and the thought. Not a time to get cocky.

 

Rubbing the ash into the ground with the toe of his blacked boots, he moved to another easily controlled piece. He threw this one at a tree, and watched the branches sway. "So, that'd be air." Satisfied, he moved onto the next cord of life. It to gave way easily, and he wove it into the ground. Nothing happened. The air, nothing, frustrated he started swinging it around, before stopping, realizing that this was in fact spirit. He flushed, "Eheheheh, oops."

 

He began on the next one, and it resisted more than the others. Finally, he wrenched it free and wove this to into the ground, and then pulled it up. A small pebble rose, "Earth." Satisfied, he wove the final element into the small void; this one was hardest to handle. Still, the hole filled with water. Breathing harder, and wiping sweat from his brow, he looked back at Drak. "Alright, whats next?" He was still eager to learn, even with the fire and the exaggerated caution. It was doubtful he'd ever quit wanting to learn.

[Myth]

Drak watched as his pupil struggled through the exercise, forming each of the elements in turn to some sort of effect.  He seemed to struggle the most with Water for some reason, but that was not uncommon.  His weave of spirit was interesting.  A little clumsy and ineffective, but he had a good start on weaving a shield.

 

"Ignoring the heat is a trick we teach when you reach Dedicated rank.  Think of it as an incentive to progress quickly."  Drak grinned.  He would probably end up teaching him the trick in a week or so, but he would work extra hard during that week.  "Good work on each of your weaves there.  Your spirit weave was interesting.  It didn't do anything at all really, but that's mostly because you still lack the skill to complete the weave.  If you sharpen the edge and weave it tighter, you form the base for what we call a shielding.  With it, you can prevent someone from seizing the Source. It's a useful skill, but a little beyond your abilities just yet."

 

Drak turned away from Sereth and looked at the Black Tower grounds around them.  "This lesson is mostly over.  I'll show you a few more things you can practice with on your own time, but how quickly your strength develops depends largely on you.  You will have many chores around here, assigned by any of the Asha'man, and maybe even some Dedicateds.  Unless you are specifically told otherwise, you are to perform all of them with the power.  From cooking your own food, to hauling water.  All of it with Saidin.  Understood?"

 

Using Earth and Air, Drak brought a large stone out of the ground and placed it between them.  "This is a weave you will find yourself using almost every day.  Lifting things with Air can be difficult, but it's generally the easiest way to do things."   Drak showed Sereth how to wrap weaves around the stone and lift.  "This exercise will help develop your strength."  Using the same weave again, Drak pulled a small bag which had been laying a short ways away over to him.  Retrieving a small bundle of sticks from the bag, he continued.  "This will help teach you control.  It's a simple matter to light a fire, but keeping it small is sometimes a problem for new channelers.  What I want you to do with these is practice weaving tiny flames on the ends.  Doing one at a time is simple enough, but I want you to practice with several at a time.  Many tiny weaves at once to light just the ends of the sticks.  It's harder than it sounds, trust me."   He tossed the bundle to the soldier.  "Once you have a sufficient amount of strength and control, you'll be taught more complex weaves. But until then, you’ll be doing your own cooking and cleaning in addition to your other lessons, so it’s best to get control of the simpler uses of the Power as quickly as you can. Eating un-cooked food gets old real quick." 

 

OOC: Officially you only need one more response for this thread to count for you, but we can extend it a bit if you want.  Keep things interesting.

[Kura]

Sereth listened almost..patiently. Who knew he had it in him? "Alright, so its like home only now; I can put down that blasted flint and steal. Wonderful. Not to mention eventually I won't be sweating through my silks." His grin was wide, ignoring that uneasy feeling he had around Drak. He hadn't tried anything yet, so he figured he was moderately safe.

 

He watched as the weaves dragged a boulder into the air, and was set down. He'd seen this before; on the practice fields. He knew the next step was to make it explode; but instead Drak had a different idea. He could have groaned as he was instructed to make lots of tiny fires on the ends of the sticks. Control wasn't his strong suit. "Alright, then. This ought to be interesting." He gingery wrapped two sticks in flows of air; two weaves was more than twice as hard as one. He hoped that ratio slowed; he'd be doing at least six.

 

He pulled fourth a red strand of fire, and wrapped it loosely around the end of the stick. Sereth's grin grew when he noticed the tiny stick didn't explode, but rather lit a small fire on the end. To his disapointment however, the ratio continue, and three was again harder than he thought it should have been. Resolute, he raised the stick, and drew fourth another flow of fire. He could see the strand shaking and he knew he was loosing control. Still, he went to wrap the end of the stick as he had done before. A tiny flame lit up.

 

Sereth was breathing hard as he moved on to the next stick. He had to grit his teeth to even draw the next strand, and to get it to bend was almost as bad as that infuriating question his Teacher had asked him, "What is nothing?" Unlike that question however; Sereth thought he might actually complete this task. He grunted as the thread of fire slowly started to bend, and a tiny fire did indeed lite. He looked at Drak, sweating, and spoke. "Well, you were right, weren't you? This is rather tricky." With that, his control loosed and the flames started to move down the sticks. He let go of the weaves, but the fires were more than an effect of Saidin by this time. He remembered the weave Drak had used to draw out the heat of the earlier flame, and as quickly as he could did so. Moving the heat into the boulder that his superior had raised. One by one the flames winked out.

 

Sereth simply fell, panting, and released the source regretfully. As the colors dimmed, he again looked at his Drak. "Did I do alright? Or is there something else you wanted me to do?" Exhausted, he knew he should probably give up on Saidin for the day; but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His will to learn was ferocious, all consuming. The definition of what it was to be Sereth Arian. And so, he once again overrode prudence in favor of his one great lust. He eyed the boulder, and thought briefly about the vague outlines he'd seen on his first day at the Farm. Fire and air, he thought, would make it burst. "Anything at all?"

[Myth]

Drak smiled at the eager young channeler. With sweat pouring from his face, and smeared with ash and dirt, he looked like some sort of weird mud man. It was enough to put a big grin on his face.

 

“Sereth, I think you’ve done enough for one day. Something you should remember is that using the Power taxes your body as surely as swinging a blacksmith’s hammer or carrying logs on your back. As a warning, you should also know that the more tired you become, the more likely bad things will happen.”

 

Drak paused for a few moments to let the words sink in before continuing. “When you are tired, as you noticed I’m sure, holding weaves becomes much more difficult. It’s also very easy for you to lose control of your hold on saidin.

 

“That. Is. Bad.”

 

Staring intently into Sereth’s eyes, Drak spoke emphatically, “Very bad.”

 

After Sereth gave a painful-looking, nervous swallow, the blue-eyed Tairen continued. “That could mean nothing more than losing your grip on saidin. Or it could mean burning yourself out so you can never feel channel again. Or it could even mean blowing yourself up. So if you feel like gambling with your life, feel free to wear yourself out and try to channel. Just do me a favor, and let me know ahead of time so I can make plans to be elsewhere.”

 

Smiling to take the sting out of his words, Drak stood up and offered a hand to his pupil. “Come. Starting tomorrow, you will do your own cooking or not, depending on how well you learn. But tonight, we can still get you one more good meal and maybe visit a bit. Not everyone here is crazy,” he said with a chuckle that Sereth echoed.

 

“Yet,” Drak added with a wink. A bit of humor made the madness of the world seem less oppressive.