Harknezz Posted August 15, 2015 Share #1 Posted August 15, 2015 [align=center]It was just after midnight at the Harbingers Estate, and the Moonfire Faire were waning into the night, the celebrations for the day all but over. Perched atop a post of the hedge fence, Alec Harknezz stood almost completely still, balancing on one leg with his eyes closed, letting the gentle breeze sway him slightly in his meditation. In the distance, a clap of thunder signaled a coming storm, but Alec either didn't hear, or he didn't care. With a swift grace he jumped into the air, curling his body downwards and landing on his hands, balancing himself, and then lifting his right hand up to balance on his left.[/align] [align=center]"Happy birthday boy. You're old enough now, and it's time for your training to start." The gruff words of the man he called father were all the young boy needed for his stomach to drop. Before 'Father' could speak again, a gust of wind buffeted them, blowing the desert air from the Sagoli across the small hill they had climbed to, and off into the savannas of Thanalan below. The boy dusted his vibrant red hair by running his hand through it, doing so from a mix of nervousness and habit. "Like me, you will devote your life to the Destroyer, and he will grant you a portion of his power, and you will use it to fight the Garleans and take back our city, to avenge your parents boy, and to retake the home of the Fists of Rhalgr. Now, it is time you proved to him that you are worthy of his gifts." The massive Highlander looked down upon the boy with the same stern gaze he always held, letting through little of his emotion for the boy to read. The red-haired boy's mind raced as he thought of what he would have to do to appease the Destroyer, knowing the stories of the terrible things done in the name of such a god. He looked at the mass of stone before them, just now wondering why it was so smooth, and why it stood like a pillar before them. He did not have to wonder long however, as the Highlander spoke again, "Break the stone. Channel the destroyer and shatter it with your hands, then you can eat. But not before."[/align] [align=center]It had been at least an hour as Alec held his mediation, the wind picking up around him as it blew through the trees of the woods around the Estate. The thunder was much closer now, and small drops of rain began to sprinkle sparsely onto the grounds. With another swift move, Alec changes positions again, flipping back to his feet and kicking his right foot into the air, holding it at the pinnacle as he balanced on his left, almost as if kicking an invisible enemy in an extremely slow battle atop the post.[/align] [align=center]The smooth sandy stone was stained red as the boy continued to slam his fists against it to no avail. His stomach lurched with hunger, as the hours of continuous striking took its toll on him, but still he continued, knowing the Highlanders threats of him starving to death if he didn't weren't idle. With most of his energy gone, his punches were little more than him setting his fists against the stone weakly. As he continued his impossible task, the Highlander watched him while snacking on jerked beef, taunting the boy with the scent of the salted meat. "Hit it like a man, Alec. Do you just WANT to starve?"[/align] [align=center]The boy slapped his fist against the stone again and again, panting out, "No father," before he fell to his knees, pounding weakly against it with the little energy he had left. With his vision fading fast, the boy knew he was about to lose consciousness, and he wondered if anyone would even care, knowing the Highlander had been trained for years back in his homeland to give weakness no pity.[/align] [align=center]"Pathetic." was all the Highlander said as her began to walk away, leaving the boy to the desert, and to the beasts that live within it. The boy heard his footsteps as he stormed off, his vision fading to an eternal black.[/align] [align=center]The rain fell in torrents across the grounds, soaking the grounds and sending ripples across the waters below. Alec was still balanced upon the fence, his clothing drenched and sticking to his taut form as he shifted positions once more. His new position relied on him balancing on both hands with his legs in the air, sending both legs out as if to kick invisible opponents on either side of him, then holding them there.[/align] [align=center]As the black overcame his vision, the boy saw the stone taunting him in his mind's eye. He let out a weak chuckle at the cruelness of fate as he lay there dying, but as he did, he saw something on the stone. He struggled to his feet slowly, his legs shaking beneath him even in his near-death dream state. He stood before the stone, and his eyes were drawn to a spot on the center, a small shift in the smooth texture. He stood there for seconds? Minutes? Hours? He couldn't tell. He raised his hand and he knew what to do. With no strength left, he did all that he could, jabbing forward slowly with what little energy he had in this dream, and he held his hand like a knife as it tapped the shift.[/align] [align=center]Thunder clapped overhead as Alec finally slid off the post and onto the soaked grounds. Every step splashed as he stepped slowly towards the Mansion. Once under the overhand by the door, he shook his hair out with his hand, smiling at the rain before he turned the door to go inside and dry off.[/align] [align=center]A loud crack echoed down the hill, and Alec opened his eyes to see that he had hit the real stone , not one in his mind. From the point his fingers struck, a large crack exploded into existence; shooting outwards in all directions as the stone crumbled apart before him. He didn't understand what had just happened until a meaty hand clapped him on the back and he could hear a sound so rare he thought it might not exist. The Highlander was laughing. He lost consciousness as the man carried him back to their home in Little Ala Mhigo, and awoke to the taste of tea, chamomile he thought. It was followed by fish, a rare taste he got to enjoy, but delightful nonetheless. Over the next few days, he was allowed to rest, having driven his body to the brink of death, and the Highlander explained to him what had happened. He told him of the Fists of Rhalgr and their ways, not stories as the other residents of the cave had told him, things that could only come from the memory of someone who had lived through them. He explained that in the moment he had almost died, Alec had broke the seal of his first Chakra Gate and it had shown him the weakest point of his opponent, a skill gifted by Rhalgr himself.[/align] [align=center]His training had begun.[/align] Link to comment
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