A Visit to the Jungle Temple [Social]

Even upon becoming an Empress, her duties in martial training, in tempering her own body, and helping others do so, could not be forgotten. Her entire duty was to be the nation's shield and spear, its laurel and cornucopia. It was a heavy duty, but the extra heavy weights would help her escape those same worries. Sweat had already seeped into the bamboo mat by dawn. She had gotten up earlier today, focusing on her reaction. A bucket of water was suspended in the air, a hole poked in its bottom. Each drip came quickly, not a stream, but enough to where it seemed like a light drizzle. As the water came down she would attempt to rapid strike each droplet. While she did this, weights, her gold ones, covered her limbs and joints. It was a good test of her physical condition as she managed to strike the water into a mat on the wall. Each strike had managed to start weathering away the material.

It was straining, but the real lesson for the day would arrive with the song of birds and apes alike. The chattering animals had alerted the arrival of the Meridian Guard. They served to protect and fight for the Meridian cause, but they were also dedicated to training their body and mind. A smile would grace the Empress' face. "Good morning everyone" she would say.

A few gave excited responses while the other 200 still sounded asleep. Sadly, there would be no time for sleeping today. "I hope everyone's ready, today we're going to do a public training session!" Despite her energy they seemed quite lacking in enthusiasm. She could try to cheer them up but many probably thought how if they looked back the people would see. "Don't worry, it's less a test of your skill and more of a practice for better fitness and focus."

After a few more unexcited groans and mumbles the fanalis would lead her troops outside. While most of her troops were armed, they did most of their practice in amaranth pants and sash, some wore undershirts, but it was already hot enough outside. They had gear for military exercises and practice equipment back at the palace, but this martial training was for those good enough to join the guard's higher ranks. Though everyone could grow, Merrze herself included.

Upon exiting the temple they would reach a massive courtyard, its boundaries surrounded by bamboo platforms around the surrounding jungle. It seemed people were already lining up to watch. Upon closer examination, most of the students would notice diagonally angled platforms at various heights among the trees. It was uncertain what they were for, but Merrze didn't leave much time.

"Alright everyone, we ready to get started?"

Fresh off the wagon wandered the intrepid vagabond, his arms  burden with a bounty of fruits. Carried on quick steps, he weaved between pedestrians and around bends while lending only half an ear to a mad sap hollering about forlorn cabbages.  He had no hand in this crime; really, there was no need for the hustle— cabbages aren't even a fruit. More prominently, his raison de l'évasion stemmed from a more simplistic base: guards at dawn was like waking to a cold splash, and Khalik would dare to slay the next fellow to carry a pale in killing distance (that is to say any distance).

So off he went, step step step, over road and through wilds, where his whimsy did roam. Of the few sensible words that cabbage manic did spoke, a temple in the jungle was one which pressed his wonders, and he would only to let his feet stifle its escapades before its courtyard. If he had questioned if this was the right place, any doubts were settled by the flock of sheeple that baaed about. Giddiness sprung from young and pride spoke from the old; Khalik could tell something good was about to occur. What it was? Well, he had forgotten from a salesmen's lament, but his intuition hinted towards greatness. He meandered through the crowd to find himself a seat while performers (soldiers) readied themselves.

An apple crunched beneath a hardy bite.

With golden weights on her still, Merrze would bow, looking out amongst the crowds. With the quick flick of her ankle, the fanalis vanished. The shimmer of the metal and the flourish of her tangled locks would appear in a blur. Now in the air, she danced, leaping from each of the suspended platforms. Each step would shake the trees, thudding with thunderous force as she impacted the pads. A rhythm began to form as Merrze began to pick up speed. An energetic song calling the people to add energy to the show. It seemed a bit much, the Empress couldn't deny that but there was a reason for everything she did.

Going higher as her song reached its' peak it would abruptly stop, with the lioness single-hand hand-standing on the highest platform. Looking down Merrze would say "There are a few guards I'd like to attempt this song, maybe without the weights but this act of acrobatics will prepare you for plenty. Our cities sprawl high but more importantly mobility is key. Not everyone can carry gold and rumble thunder but you can be flexible, quick, and acrobatic. If you can out-move, and outthink you can overpower any force. "

To prove her point she removed her gilded shackles, letting them plummet to the earth with meteoric force. Yet, before their thunderous thud would shred grass and upheave dirt a rapid, yet light tapping would follow as the Lioness had bounced her way back down before anyone could blink. "How about a challenge and prize to make this exercise a bit more fun?" she would ask the guard and crowd.

Her sharp grin would part, letting out her booming voice "The First to make from the top and bottom jumping between each of these 5m pads, without touching the trees will be treated to a meal and will gain my guidance with progressing their personal martial training for the rest of the day."

It was a fair offer, there was a lot she could teach, but it was mostly to push and to challenge. After all, she could help but nurture the next generation to be smarter, stronger, faster, and most importantly, safer.

Hmmmm. Was his head on right? Were his eyes properly screwed in. The tilting drop of his head, coupled with the complete suffocation of motion occupying his mouth, indicated his sheer bewilderment. The shock of Merrze's near traceless movements was so outrageous, any jest or rancor to be sent the Empress's way was blocked up in the production line.

Attention! All employees of the Khalik brain cell— yes, the singular one— return to your station, immediately. The woman has just invoked the ancient practice of tree climbing without trees, and we will need all hands on deck to compete. Forget the meal, forget the training, forget the apple in our mouth which has now dissolved into sauce. From this moment onward, we shall be devoting all resources to owning this foreign militia of who we just met. You are not thanked and that is all.

He had no fit for the hazy cuffs of hesitation, so off he threw them with confident steps. Fruits he had all gathered, varied and plenty, were shoved to another, cradled. The rough clothe straddling his shoulder, gained flight and shed. Fair muscles relax under the sun's warm rays while strolling into line. A few would follow the wanderer's lead, but none dare speak with so easily as he did, "Excuse me, ma'am." A tinge of excitement fluttered his voice. "Are we to take turns off the leash, or will we go running like a pack of mad dogs? Just need to know if I have time to finish breakfast."

The bitten apple revealed in his left hand; he takes another bite.

"I'm expecting people to take turns but I imagine some might get impatient to start and treat it like a race, however you've stepped forth before any of my troops maybe you're willing to give it a go first? Though I guess after me that would make you second." Merrze joked with the young man, in all honesty, she enjoyed the freedom of moving about the trees. The fanalis was already holding half a mind to race her way back up there but that didn't seem very fair.

Turning towards Khalik with a playful smile she would say "Though the prize is for first to the top so you might wanna get moving if you wanna get ahead of those wishing to take turns instead of rushing because I'm sure it'll get to that point rather quickly."

She would walk forth sitting down while grabbing a fresh mango off a nearby tree she would join in on a fruity breakfast. The fanalis would take her time cutting it, but while Merrze would begin to kick back and relax she would ask one thing of the young man who had approached. "I"m not sure if you know me as you seem knew to my lands but I am the Akitdaoh Merrze Firdaus, would you grant me the pleasure of knowing your name my young man?"

Akitdaoh Merrze Firdaus? It sounds vaguely familiar and certainly important, yet he had already surmised the latter. After all, she could shake men with just a glare and trees with a "dance." Surely, such a marvelous beauty, who exceeds him in almost every measure, deserved his respect and admiration unconditionally. Poised with dignity, posed with a smile, the foreign vagabond... shook his head.

"Apologies, your... Majesty, but my name I cannot give, not yet. I will tell you over dinner," he shot the Empress with a playful wink, and departed from her company wishing for to "Enjoy the show."

He returned to his competitors, took stock of their prowess. Certainly, there were those, gathered among them, stronger than he was, faster than he was. Yet Khalik possessed something far greater than these men and their brutish muscles, Khalik had an imagination. He tossed his breakfast towards the most physically imposing of the lot, saying "You there! You look a might bit peckish. Eat up friend." Perplexed by the foreigner's kind and disarming words, the man accepted Khalik's apple into his hand, and the lot of them came further under Khalik's spell.

Indeed, Khalik had placed a charm of sort upon his competitors, one not made by the magics; but, rather, one made possible by Khalik's status as an outsider— the charm of a mysterious stranger. How could this meager outsider hope to ascend this great tree? What was he plotting? Why was so he so god damn hot? These question and more kept the unruly at bay as Khalik began his own dance.

On the "Desert's Wind," the young man bounded across the platforms where Merrze had dominated, yet his movement could never hope to rival hers. She was fast and each step was like thunder rumbling, he could not follow in those steps, so he made his own. Where the Fanalis was mighty, he was gentle. Where she was heavy, he was weightless. And so, though their paths different, the foreigner had too captivateved the onlookers as he flowed upon the platforms,  like a spring breeze— free and playful.

Khalik had made his ascent seem effortless, but it was quickly wearing on him. Long had the young I-Sabbah eschrewed his training, and today, today his legs would pay the toll as a fire, concentrated in his knees, grated the muscles away. His descent was shaky, uneven like his breathing. The pain in his legs rifled through him with every step. Upon the last platform, 5m off the ground, his knees gave in, yet Khalik would not leave himself to be crumpled before the finish line. It may be uncermonuis, but the entire second half of his dance had thus been; so, shamelessly, he hurled himself from the platform and towards the ground. He flopped onto the finish line like a beached whale with a painful grunt.

Silence.... then silence... then more silence. People wondered if the charismatic foreigner had met and met an uncharismatic end on their homeland's soil... then there was even more silence. THEN! There was silence... the was Broken By A DYING FISH'S (KHALIK'S) GASP FOR AIR!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for the great and broken Khalik-I-Sabbah, for through shallow breaths and his face in the dirt, Khalik, weakly pumped his fist in the air, declaring himself the victor.

"Nailed... it..."

Thank you very much for coming today— a Khalik-I-Sabbah was harmed in the production of this post.

Notes: used Desert's Wind 15 times, approximately. Not really sure how using abilities in friendly RP do, but here we are, for the flavor— the spice.

Desert's Wind: