Bumping Heads[Training/Solo]

((NOTE! 25% reduction on word count due to training thread bonus.))


Thunder clouds loomed heavily in the skies painting the canvas of the heavens with various shades of grey. The weather had an ominous tone as thunder rumbled across the landscape. Not a drop of rain had fallen yet today, but the air was humid and a deluge was likely to start at any moment. Most people would be inside if they could help it, but a chance of rain wasn't enough to deter one Imuchakk traveler from walking outside today. Yakuroro was casually leaving the capital of Zou which he had been staying in whilst waiting for his friend and teacher Lady Shousui to recover from an illness. Yaku had made this walk to Lady Shousui's estate half a dozen times now and each day he would be sent away due to the Lady's condition having not improved.

The blue magician was getting tired of being turned away, but this time things would be different. As Yakuroro made his way up to the gates to Lady Shousui's estate a servant would meet him there and give a bow in greeting, "The Lady has been expecting you. Please come inside before the weather turns." The gates then opened and Yakuroro was lead inside past the entrance garden and onward to the mansion. Once inside, Yakuroro noticed that the decor had changed since his last visit. The soft blues and purples had been replaced with gentle calming shades of greens and yellows. Paintings of oceans and rivers were now of forests and meadows. The new theme seemed to be nature and life centric. The servant would guide Yakuroro up the main stairs and to the west wing library where his benefactor would be waiting...

~282/1500 Word Count~

As Yakuroro reached the jade green doors to the library, the servant knocked before announcing their presence, "My lady, Lord Yakuroro has arrived." The Imuchakk couldn't get used to being called "lord" and tapped the servant's shoulder with a smile before saying, "Just Yakuroro is fine." The servant simply smiled back at him before taking her leave as Lady Shousui called out from beyond the doors, "Come in Yaku, I just poured a fresh cup of tea for the both of us." Her voice sounded quiet and soft so it could barely be heard. Yakuroro thought it might be because he throat could still be a bit under the weather, however as the Imuchakk opened the door made for humans and ducked his head to step inside he would find that the cause for Shousui's lowered voice was a small creature sleeping on her lap.

A confused Yakuroro stepped inside and took a seat on a large couch positioned opposite of the one Shousui was sitting on. The table between then had a tea pot and two cups along with a small tray of finger foods, it was clear that Shousui had been expecting him today but since he'd been trying to visit her daily she probably didn't even need to use clairvoyance magic to predict his arrival. "So, have you done as I told you? Or have you reappeared before me against my wishes?" As she spoke, she pet the sleeping creature on her lap. Yaku took a moment to reply both because he wasn't sure what Shousui was talking about and because curiosity surrounding this strange scaled beast got the better of him. It was orange in coloring and its head seemed to be covered in a thick bone shell. Seeing Yaku's distraction the lady gave a sly smile and said, "Don't worry about this child. He's just my son, fufufu~"

"Ah, your son. My apologies..." Yakuroro then reached down and took a sip of tea only to promptly spit it out in shock as the words finally registered, "Eeeeh!? T-That animal is your baby!?" Yakuroro stood up and pointed as his surprise was made clear from his exclamation. Lady Shousui simply frowned as the shouting stirred the beast which began crying forcing her to gently coo it back to sleep. "Shh, hush now...Yes, this is my baby. But not in the way you are thinking. Now sit back down and show me whether or not you've learned sound magic." Yakuroro listened to her orders and sat down before grasping his staff. Yakuroro had questions to ask, but now he remembered what Shousui's last words were to him when they had previously met. She said not to return until he'd learned sound magic! Realizing what he had to do, Yakuroro gripped his staff and generated a small bit of magoi as he gave commands to the water inside the tea pot as well as the local vibrations in the area. The result was an increase in water pressure followed by tiny sonic booms which created several small cavitation bubbles. The resulting heat would increase the tea's temperature back to steaming which would create a visual result as the pots spout began to whistle softly. Yaku quickly ended the demonstration so the whistle of the steam escaping did not wake the creature once again.

"I noticed this phenomenon when I was diving in the ocean. By combining the vibrations of sound with water pressure a bubble of sorts can be created. When the bubble collapses, the intense pressure creates a small explosion of heat and force. The Imuchakk seemed rather pleased with himself as he not only learned sound magic, but had already found ways to combine it with his water and ice magic. Lady Shousui nodded in approval and smiled, "When you talk about magic like that you remind me of our late master. Well done, I didn't expect you to have already reached combination magic on your own. I was going to train you in that first, but it seems like you're ready to start raising this child." The grin on Yakuroro's face made it evident that he was enjoying the praise. He brought a freshly poured cup of tea back to his lips after nodding, "Of course, it wont be long before I'm as great a magician as you ar-....what?" The words regarding his role as the creature's parent finally hit him and Yaku dropped the hot tea onto his lap in shock. At least he hadn't spit it out again...

~1039/1500~

"H-Hot!" Yakuroro shouted as the tea burned his lap. This woke the creature again, but this time instead of crying it decided to take revenge against the loud man which had disturbed its slumber twice. The lizard-like beast growled and leaped from Shousui's lap only to ram it's forehead against Yakuroro's own. The creature landed on the table between them as Yakuroro fell back onto the couch from the force of the blow. The Imuchakk rubbed his now bruised head as he looked down to meet the animal's eyes. There was a spirited glare in those red orbs which showed quite the passion burning deep within. "You should have noticed all the color changes around here. It is because I began studying life magic. That child's name is Akatetsu and he is a beast I created from lizards, turtles, and human flesh using life magic. I used my own womb and blood so no one else would suffer. My servants told you that I was sick, but in truth, I was giving birth. Technically my blood flows through him, but he isn't really a proper child. I'd like you to raise him and inform me of his progress." The request was a bit unreasonable and the story of the animal's origins were hard to believe as Shousui hardly looked like someone who just gave birth to a 1m tall bone-headed lizard beast. But then again, if she had mastered life magic to the extent of creating a new species then healing herself from such an ordeal probably wasn't too difficult.

Akatetsu was still growling at Yakuroro threateningly, but when Lady Shousui placed a hand on its shoulder, the creature visibly relaxed and turned to look at its "mother" whom smiled back at him, "It's okay, this will be your father from now on." Akatetsu then turned to look back at Yakuroro, but this time there was a teary look in it's eyes as it made a cute noise. It seemed to understand human language despite being unable to speak it. Yaku's head still hurt and he gave Shousui a look that screamed his disbelief, but looking back down at the adorable eyes Akatetsu was making made it hard to refuse. If the creature were rejected, it would probably not end well so the Blue Magician was more or less forced to accept. After a sigh, he gave up fighting the situation and opened his arms as if to hug the creature like it was a normal human child. Akatetsu jumped into the hug and clung to Yaku's chest tightly.

The next few days were spent with all three of them acting as the strangest "normal" family the world had ever seen. Yakuroro forgot all about his original reason for coming to see Lady Shousui and threw himself into the work of building bonds with the young Akatetsu. The Imuchakk learned that his "son" enjoyed eating bones and marrow more than the flesh of meat and fish, but it also had an appetite for veggies as well. It was a curious creature that loved seeing new things about as much as Yaku did making it seem sometimes that it really was born of his blood even if that weren't the case. However it was also shy and never liked to leave his side unless it were to go to it's "mother" Lady Shousui.

Akatetsu gradually became more and more attached to Yakuroro whom played the role of a caring, but strict father. The more Akatetsu became attached to the Imuchakk, the less reliant on Lady Shousui he became until finally Akatetsu seemed content to go a whole day without crying to go see it's mother. Finally, Yakuroro was all Akatetsu seemed to need in order to be content.

~1500+/1500 Word Count~