Overcome the infirmities of old age...

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus looked at Mantic and bowed. "Good morning." Then she turned to face the equipment she'd set up.

"This is very, very simple. You need to get from here to there." She indicated the end of the course. "Use Force Valor to avoid touching any of the obstacles and of course - make sure you're not hit by any blaster bolts. I've set them for single shot at the moment. It'll take practice to be able to manoeuvre and deflect blaster fire, but you'll get there."

She smiled, "Well off you go then."

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

He knew it was there before it hit him in the forehead. The hit made him tumble downward again landing rather clumsy on his back. Another painful failure at the course.

Mantic rose with a groan and wiped the blood from his eyebrow.

He limped back to the starting position and pressed both his palms together, anew focusing inward.

There is only peace...

To his inner self Mantic could see the fountain, the water, dripping... its strong ever moving powerful existence wrapping him up in an embrace that cleared his mind from every memory of pain.

Do not try, do...

He opened his eyes anew, took a first step, it was of good length, then a second even longer, a third pressed against the short training dummies shoulder giving him a good three to four meters above the floor and allowing him to grab the stick hanging by a chain in the ceiling.
There he used the motion and swung himself around, letting go to dart toward the crates that could not carry weight. He breathed in, light filling his feet as they touched down. The crates rustled and shook a little but just as they were about to collapse Mantic adjusted his feet lightly and came of, light as a feather. The crates remained and supported him still.

The leaping movement made him spiral toward the final passage, the narrow escape that had given him so much head ache.

This time he flew straight through.

He rose, with an almost mad laughter on his lips and limped back to [member="Corvus Raaf"].

"I suppose I needed the practice..." he hissed to himself but then bowed to the grand master. He was grateful, so grateful for the instruction. Now, he was eager to hear her wisdom again.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus nodded approvingly. "OK, I'm not going to amend the difficulty level yet. Rather, I simply want you do run the course forwards and backwards without a rest. Five times you come back to me at this end and then we'll look to up the skill level. Off you go."

It was a simple instruction, but there was no need to make it any more complicated. Or to impart wisdom. Just direction. But a small smile played on her lips none the less.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

the strain was considerable, jumping up, diving down and pressing his body to its limits and beyond. The force felt more and more like a machine, pumping his fatigued body with energy that should not exist. But the machine did not stop, it made him keep going despite the pain, despite the scars and the many wounds he received in the process.

Back and forth he moved, tripping and stumbling, falling and getting up, leaping and tumble through the air as if life itself was at stake.

Back and forth he moved, five times before he finally dropped down in a breathless, pile of what resembled a human being. There he lay on the floor under the grand masters watchful eyes. A bloody pile of meat, his breathing making odd sour noises as his clear eyes sought [member="Corvus Raaf"] - for approval or continued instructions.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus looked down and smiled. "Your progress has been swift - believe me. It took me three days to be able to finish five runs. But right now, there is no value in changing anything. You can do that when you practice for yourself. There is a next phase as I hinted at - but that comes when you make Master."

"There is, however, one thing we can try. Typically dangerous - as it requires the use of your regular saber, not a training one. It's called Twin Suns. It demonstrates you have this Ability under control as it requires precise timing." She walked as she talked and led them out to a deserted clearing some fifty metres across. It would afford Mantic time to recover.

"You stand at one end, I will stand at the other. We bow and rather than take a running start, we use Fore Valor to jump to where the other person started. As we cross in the middle, at the apex of our arcs, we draw and ignite our sabers and cut off a small piece of each other's clothing. We deactivate the saber before we land, and bow to each other when we hit the ground. Up for it? Of course you are."

She smiled and headed off for the far side of the clearing, where she removed her cloak and folded it neatly before placing it on the grass. Then she turned to face Mantic and gave a small bow.

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic forced himself to stand and keep up with the grand masters walk down the corridor to the next location.
He tried to listen as she talked but also allowed the warming healing sensation spread across his body. He silently thanked his old master for teaching him these tricks.

Healing was not Mantics strongest ability but he was proficient enough.

Entering the clearing Mantic sensed that there would be something completely different and soon [member="Corvus Raaf"] confirmed his suspicions. Without further delay she moved off to the far end of the room.

Mantic unfolded his robe and unclicked his saber. When it came to the lightsaber Mantic suddenly felt much more at ease. This was his prime comfort zone and for some reason right after he had ignited the green blade a memory flashed in his mind. A pond, soft ripples expanding filling the entire surface with small waves. As he began running the waves grew in size and just as he pressed down his right foot the waves stopped. As if they were obeying his very thought.
There was such speed, yet such serenity. Mantic saw the grand masters approach as if slow motion. He felt peace and simple but praised happiness from their joint motion.

In mid air Mantics saber would be aimed to cut off a piece of cloth from the grand masters own robe. He aimed for the rope that held her robe together.

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus could sense where Mantic was and as they soared towards each other, she drew her saber and with a snap-hiss, activated it. As their bodies crossed, she calmly and carefully removed a small piece of cloth from his sleeve before landing safely at the other side and looking back at him.

Walking towards him, she picked up both pieces of cloth from the ground and was aware her robe was flapping open. She smiled to him."For now you have all of the knowledge you need.The rest is up to you - until you are ready for the next phase."

"Practice, practice, practice. That is the only advice I have."

[member="Mantic Dorn"]

 

[Mantic Dorn]

Mantic landed soft on the floor, one knee to the ground. Standing to face [member="Corvus Raaf"] he still felt the incredible powers flowing through his body. Ut was as if the universe held him in its hand.

Then the grand master walked toward him drclaring the lesson over. His mind nudged toward that of rest and his concentration and focus on upholding the connection to the force dropped.

The pain returned, the fatigue returned. His legs trembling he barely managed the bow.

"Thank you grand master, I pray that I will find ways to climb to your level of insight and wisdom."

He was proud, and he allowed himself to be so. At least for the duration of the day. Then, once the wounds was healed, he was indeed going to keep practice this ability, and not rest until he reached perfection.