Kios: Chapter Three/The Spiral-Eyed Manipulator [Training]

A few days after the fair, Azix found himself back in Kios helping the last of the Grumptoes families move into the town. The townspeople had offered to take in ten families into their own homes, which the last fourteen to fit comfortably into Chancy's estate. Once renovations were finished with the estate, an extra house would be built on the property to give the townspeople their privacy back. While his social reforms were gaining momentum, Azix felt more comfortable if the Grumptoes were out of Remano. If something were to happen while he was gone, Azix wanted to know they were safe. Once the wagons were unloaded and the crates scattered across the mansion, Azix left to take a walk so he could have a chance to clear his mind in the fresh, country air.

His footsteps led him through the town-square and down the main road out of the town's limits. He walked until the sun set low in the sky, coming across a lush meadow. Finding a spot in the grass, Azix sat down and looked up at the stars above. His thoughts turned to past events and traced them to the present, amused by fate. Happy memories of time spent with friends turned to the haunting memories of his battles. His hand idly reached towards his belt to grab air. Catching himself, Azix remembered he had lost his sword at the bottom of the ocean. With a sigh, the magician reflected on how he had fallen off his physical training. All the time spent learning how to fight with Captain Grimwald almost seemed a waste if he didn't use it. Noticing he was spending more time thinking about working out than actually doing it, Azix got to it.

Placing his staff in the grass, Azix pulled off his shirt and began stretching. He started with his hands, then his arms, shoulders, back, neck, stomach, hips, legs, and feet. After he felt limber, he began going through the forms Grimwald had taught him for hand-to-hand combat. Once he was through with that, Azix focused on finding his balance and centering his breathing. Slowly, he passed his awareness throughout his body while he went back through his forms, adjusting his stances when he noticed an imperfection.

His mind turned to the first time he had used shadow magic, incorporating magic to help with his stretches. For some reason, the Coliseum match against Altair surfaced and he recalled the strange experience with his toenail elongating. He also recalled the fight with the Ravenous Smasher with Ayero when his arms had stretched into odd shapes. Azix followed his subconscious mind's logic and picked up his Staff of Refraction with his left hand. Conjuring Kage Youshiki, Azix directed the tendrils to grip his ankles and pull him upside-down, to hang above the ground. He relaxed his body so he hung limp while still holding his staff firmly. Wrapping his arms behind his back, Azix pulled his upper-body up using his abdominal muscles, attempting to touch his knees to his chest. Up, down, up, down, an endless procession until his muscles had begun to cramp. Then, Azix turned his body left and right, stretching out his sides as far as they could go.

After his muscles had stopped protesting and had begun to revolt, Azix directed the tendrils to set him down gently in a heap of exhaustion. Completely sore, Azix pulled out his magic carpet and flew back to the estate for the night. Unknown to him, a man had been watching his exercise in the distance. After scavenging up a hasty meal to eat in the office, Azix fell asleep in his chair.

He woke up in the morning, his muscles still ached but his mind felt clearer and it was easier to relax. He checked to make sure that everyone had moved in alright and were adjusting to their new homes before visiting Viri at the farm. Near late-afternoon, Azix took another walk out to the field. Once again he started with stretches before proceeding onto his forms for two hours. Instead of incorporating magic, Azix got back onto the dirt road and ran back towards the town. At the city square, he turned around and headed back to the meadow, this time using Sakeru to push himself faster. By the time he made it back, the sun had begun to set and he was thoroughly out of breath. He collapsed into the grass to rest until his heartbeat and breathing steadied. Azix wondered if he was trying to kill himself by rushing back into training.

Atop a crest in the distance, Azix saw the flickering of a campfire. Curious, the magician stood up and walked over to get a closer look. As he approached, he saw a cloaked man sitting by the fire while a grey donkey grazed nearby. Seeing Azix, the man slid back his cloak to reveal his bald head. "Hello there!"

The fire cast shadows across the man's tan features, creating an eerie sight, helped by the man's spiral eyes. Azix found himself captivated by the man's strange irises. "Hello. I noticed the campfire and couldn't help but be nosy."

The man chuckled and pointed for Azix to sit. "No worries, truth be told I have been nosy as well. I saw you training and decided to watch." His face lit up as if he had forgotten something. "The name is Jagang," he said amiably as he extended a hand.

Azix clasped the man's hand firmly and shook, "Nice to meet you, Jagang. My name is Azix."

Jagang smiled as he pulled out a pipe and loaded it with bits of dried leaves. Striking a match, he lit the contents of the pipe and took a few deep puffs as he looked Azix over. "Your running was quite impressive if I do say so myself. I wouldn't have pegged you as a manipulator if I hadn't seen that."

"Manipulator?" Azix had never heard of the term before and was surprised that Jagang had witnessed that from this distance. He started to feel uncomfortable, the man was too observant. The technique he had used was something the last thing he had learned from Grimwald before Azix had headed off to rescue Garret from prison.

Jagang's brow raised in confusion, "Yes, a person who is able to manipulate their body in abnormal ways. There is no way a normal person would be able to move as fast as you did. I dare say in a running contest you would be on par with a Fanalis."

Azix laughed, he hadn't run that fast at all. The Fanalis were known for their inhuman strength and speed, they were some of the deadliest fighters around. He was about to brush off Jagang as delusional, yet he had recently had his body do some weird things. His face reflected his thoughts as he considered Jagang's words.

Noticing, Jagang took another puff of the pipe and stood up, "Ah, you must not have realized your potential. As luck would have it, I am a Manipulator myself. I could help you realize that potential if you want." Seeing Azix nod eagerly, the tanned-man smiled, "First, I would like to know how you thought of that combination magic." Jagang had been the one watching Azix the night before, intrigued by the man's choice in magic. Shadow magic, he had read theories of it in Magnostadt, but it had been considered a dark art. Ridding light to create shadows and giving them form, Jagang had to know of the man's true character.

Azix wasn't sure what Jagang was referring to until he thought back to the night before. He stood up quickly and gazed cautiously at the bald man. "How long have you been watching me?" He stared hard at Jagang for several moments before sighing, his curiosity had been piqued to learn more about Manipulation. At least Jagang had revealed an important fact, the man was a magician as well or quite knowledgeable of the topic at least. "Honestly, it was an idea that struck me. As a light magician I made a spell to create darkness in an area by absorbing the light. Then I learned strength magic from the Instructor and I combined the two, originally for the same purpose you saw last night."

Jagang listened carefully and waited to speak until Azix had finished. "What was your instructors name?"

"The Instructor. He never told me his actual name and I haven't seen him since."

Jagang's spiral eyes blinked, "Oh. Well then, let us get started." He moved away from the fire and motioned to Azix to stand across from him. "Manipulators are the masters of their bodies, able to surpass the normal limits of such a frail physical vessel. With training, human manipulators can run faster than a Fanalis and hit harder than an Imuchakk. Similar to magic, creativity makes each Manipulator unique. Stretching your limbs to insane proportions, contorting into weird shapes, purging poisons, repairing body parts to keep on fighting, these are all things that are possible in the realm of Manipulation. Stand still."

When Azix was ready, Jagang used two techniques, one that allowed him to move faster than an Fanalis and another that allowed him to hit as hard as an Imuchakk. With lightning speed, Jagang threw several punches that swooshed past Azix's body so fast that the orange magician had a hard time keeping up with the movements. Finally, Jagang ended by striking Azix's shin so hard it snapped his bones clean in two. Azix collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain as the bald man loomed over him. "That is a small taste of what you can accomplish." A look of pity overcame his face and he pulled out a wand from his sleeve. With a swish of his wand, purple Rukh fluttered as Jagang poured magoi into Azix's leg to heal the damage. Azix ground his teeth as he felt the bone begin to realign in place. "Quit your crying. Here, take a puff of this." Jagang handed Azix his pipe before he scooped the magician up and set him by the fire.

Azix nursed his leg tenderly with a glare cast towards Jagang before caving in and taking a puff of the pipe. When he inhaled the smoke, he felt his body relax and he did not mind the pain so much. He exhaled and decided to forgive Jagang, clearly the man had an interesting way of teaching someone. He passed the pipe back to Jagang and settled against the log behind him.

Jagang's face drew serious and his spiral eyes pierced through Azix, "What do you think of your fate? Of fate in general?"

The question was a deep one, so Azix took a moment to gather his thoughts. "At one point in time, I cursed fate. I hated myself and the experiences I had been through. Then, I guess..." Azix chuckled and shook his head, "I guess a friend showed me that fate led you to your destiny. Instead of looking at my past with scorn, I looked at them as lessons to make me stronger, to give me the drive to handle tomorrow."

A curious expression settled on Jagang's face, he had noticed a flutter of white Rukh surrounded Azix while he spoke. He was surprised to see that someone who had accepted their fate would use shadow magic. He yearned to know more about Azix and what had led him to become one of the "pure". What calamities had he suffered to be at peace with his life? He cast those questions aside, Jagang planned to be in Reim for a while and could find those answers in time. "I agree with your words. I see fate as a raging river that pushes everything in its path along its course. Heedless of the desires of those caught within, it still pushes forward, intent on its destination. Who knows where fate is leading us. Have you ever wondered if you can challenge fate? Not curse it, but become the giant rock within the river that refuses to be move. Just to see how the river will end up pushing that rock with it?"

Azix wondered why Jagang had become so philosophical, the man had become an enigma to the orange magician. While the idea of challenging fate was interesting, Azix saw a flaw. "How do you know you are actually challenging fate then? What if fate uses that rock for its purposes?"

Jagang clapped his hands excitedly, "Exactly! That is the question! What if you were supposed to die, but your tenacity to live ruined fate's plan? Does it instead use you in order to further its goals or was it really intended for you to live?"

Azix shrugged, the conversation had turned into a riddle that he was not in the mood for. He realized how fatigued he was, but his leg was still hurt. He started to pull out the magic carpet but Jagang waved that thought away.

"No, sleep here. For the next three days, I will teach you what you need to know. By morning your leg will be healed and we can begin."

---

The three days were spent in vigorous training, Jagang helped guide Azix in learning how to push his body to the limits. Mornings were spent running at top speed, leaving Azix breathless afterwards. He was shown how to stretch his limbs at odd angles to prepare for the strain of extending and retracting them. He was taught how to encourage the growth of his body hair and nails, as well as produce copious amounts of phlegm, the latter disgusting Azix. He did see the usefulness in expelling such a substance during combat though, it could slow the opponent and create a psychological distraction. He was made to punch hefty boulders with all his might while hardening the muscles and bones to handle the shock. At one point he was even forcefully held underwater to push himself to breath longer. After getting over his surprise, Azix willfully asked to be held down, seeing the use in combination with Garret's spells.

On the final night, Jagang had made a special tea for them. After taking a sip, Azix's head spun as he felt his body temperature drop. His stomach tightened up and he vomited all over his cloak. In between heaves, Azix glared at Jagang thinking he had been poisoned but the man was sipping the tea without a problem.

Seeing the look on Azix's face, Jagang smiled, "I told you Manipulators could purge poisons. I was stressing a point. Here, drink this." He tossed Azix a vial of a filmy liquid. "Don't worry, it will counter-act the poison. Stop giving me that look, too. It's for your own good."

Azix couldn't see how being poisoned was for his own good, but he downed the contents and curled up in a ball. Slowly he started to feel better and sat back up. "Now what?"

Jagang shrugged, "Now? We go to sleep and part ways in the morning. I taught you most of what I know how to do. It's up to you to learn the rest yourself. Creativity, remember? It's how you came up with your shadow magic." With that Jagang rolled over and within minutes was snoring.

Azix sighed and leaned back, falling asleep as well. Azix woke up in the morning and saw the fire was out. Jagang was gone as well, he had left already. Gathering his things, Azix headed back to Kios to check up on everyone. After seeing that everyone had settled in nicely, Azix departed back to Remano to fulfill his duties with the workforce program. For the couple weeks, Azix spent every night continuing his training and pushing his body to the limits.

[2647/1000]

[Manipulation Training C-> B]

Spoiler: