: viator sursum :

Being Socially Outcast Is Worse Than The Black Death

Loud crashes, grunts and clanging can be heard atop a mountain. Large clouds of dust poof up and dissipate as two figures fight amidst the orange and pink hues of the sun slowly coming to set far in the distance.

"You call this a training session?" A voice boasts.

Sun Wukong slams his foot down on top of Mk's staff, as the latter struggles to keep himself upright.

An obvious sweat drop forms on his face,"I've barely broken a sweat."

Just on the steps near them, Amaris sits cross legged meditating. She's completely blocked out their voices and obnoxious fighting sounds. Looking inward on herself focusing only on her thoughts.

"Battles no place to be arrogant." Monkey King informs the younger kid, still planted on top of the staff, hands behind his back,"Gotta stay humble."

"Says you!" The boy yells back at him as the Monkey King flips backwards off his staff, resuming the training session.

Amaris's ears pick up every single sound around her once again, she pulls herself out of the deep meditation she was in. She continues her meditation, only now much less inward and more focusing on everything else around her. She was singling in on everything and nothing all at the same time.

A sudden yell from Mk rips her eyes open. She watches for a second as he's thrown at the rocky wall, just before a large rock side starts tumbling down.

Amaris forms a red shield around Mk as he is thrown to the ground alongside the rocks.

She expelled a sigh of relief when Sun Wukong reached for Mk and stand him upright again.

"How'd I win?" He finally asks his student.

Mk thinks for a moment then states, obviously,"You buried me under a rock slide?"

"Yes, but! Why were you standing in the way of a rockslide?" Monkey King questions.

Sun Wukong finishes up his small lesson on misdirection just as Amaris makes her way over to the two of them. It would never hurt to listen in on another ancient being of great power.

Mk throws himself on his back with a big sigh,"I'm never gonna be as great as you. Especially not as great as Amaris!" He finishes, pointing vaguely towards the warrior. Amaris smiles pitifully towards the boy.

"Oh please, you're still so young. Of course you will, my boy."

Sun Wukong pulls a face turning his head between Mk and Amaris,"Hey... why did you say that like you think she's better than me?" The simian pretends to be hurt.

Mk sits up,"Well, I don't know really. I mean you're both super strong and powerful and cool." Mk starts rambling as the two heroes watch on for a moment.

Amaris piled up finally to the Monkey King,"You know... In my world, I could have you begging for mercy in two minutes flat. It's proven, actually." The hero informs the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Sun Wukong laughs,"Oh i'm sure! You keep telling yourself that Ms Rome!"

Amaris, having nothing to prove smiles with a shrug of her shoulders. This irritated the sage deep inside his bones. He quickly shook it off and turned back to the boy on the ground, he had retreated back to his sullen, self-doubt.

"You said you'd never be as good as me? Not with that attitude you won't! Class dismissed!" The Monkey King announces.

"Yes!" The boy cheers, suddenly jumping up with both fists raised into the air. He shoves them down in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels,"We were supposed to meet Mei and the others for the f-" He is quickly muffled and silenced by a pillow being shoved in his face.