A New Story

Learning the ways:

"Listen to your Chakra; Feel its warmth. This is your body; it is only a vessel. You are Chakra, your body only a bowl holding that Chakra that is you. Listen to the sound of your soul. Listen, and hear your soul burn. Listen, and feel it burn; to warm the bowl that is your body" Reno extended his voice and I could hear it through the chill and rushing cold, the shadow and freezing ice. The water churning, biting, numbing, cold on my head, cold on my shoulders, cold on my chest, cold that ran through me.

Under the Waterfall, Argies could barely take a breath, so cold was he that he trembled taking in air and dreaded releasing his heated breath. The will of fire was his obedience to his Uncle and his reverence for his aunt, but there was something stronger that held him in the cold...His driving determination; ambition for his own strength.

Strength I could claim 'my own'

"Feel the burn of your Chakra. Feel it heat you! Argies, do not let your body fault you!" Reno, a stern elder, I have never seen him so... motivated to do anything related to me. I've always only seen him disappointed, or content. Both of them really, they never show warmth, not like parents or guardians. They've only shown me strict love and disciplined emotions.

I guess that's why I'm such a blunt critical person myself. I actually do enjoy my personality though, I can't imagine being any other mind set then my own, Pffft, the thought of it... no not me, I couldn't dare think of that. Shudder.

"His adjusted to the cold, let him out" Anisue didn't open her eyes, didn't shift from her concentration. Reno agreed.

I stepped out of the cold. Walking over to the sun, letting the light bring colour back to my skin. The numbing of the cold and the light from the sun; brining feeling back and a pleasing revitalising sensation.

"I should not have to remind you to return to the cold." Reno silently warned me "Argies!" He commanded and I had to reply.

"Why am I doing this?" I hesitated, already ducking my head down because I had spoken out of term. The place around me echoing my complaint. This scene would have been funny to any other family... Lucky bustards

"What! Have you spoken ahead of your time" I felt I should reply, but feeling at the same time that speaking now would not be wise. "I am lenient, I am more than considerate, but if you do not get back in that water..." I felt a chill run up my spine and my legs in motion, the harmful intent already in the air emanating off his chakra.

Back to the cold. I under stood the theory of it. Something of another means of Chakra control, they didn't really explain. They told me how but not why.

'Sit on this stone; meditate Argies'

'Yes Sir!'

'Stand under the water Argies'

'Yes Sir!'

'Focus on the image; 'You are a bowl, your Chakra is a fire''

'Yes Sir'

'Recite to yourself mentally; 'My Chakra burns with fire''

'Yes Sir'

"Now come to me" Reno turned away from me to stand beside the stone next to the stream once again.

I had been under the cold for so long, doing all that they asked. Impatiently, only because I knew nothing of this test, what challenge this maybe or what lesson was to be learnt. If they were anybody else, I would have thought it was a trick, something to bring humour to them but shame to me. These were not the traits my guardians possessed, things were done for reason.

Reno tapped the rock with his cane "Climb onto the rock. Meditate" He said flatly, even though I had done this before.

"Focus on the bowl that is you and the fire that is your Chakra. Focus and say your mantra; My Chakra burns with fire" Again that flat instruction, he asked me to meditate the first time I stood up on the rock, now a second time, but now I am to focus on my mantra and imagery.

My Charka burns with fire...

I thought on the images: 'A bowl that is my body and a fire that is my chakra'. The heat off the imaginary flames sucking me into the warmth, my Body a bowl holding Chakra; the fire contained within me.

"Feel your Chakra burn to warm the bowl that is your body" Reno spoke, his voice sounding distance, my mind focusing on that fire. The darkness when I closed my eyes consumed by the image of heat and the bowl that held it. My body was still cold; the icy chill and freeze of the breeze in the air not leaving me, my wet cloths, clinging to me, a persistent draining of heat.

I remained on that thought imagery and from within me I felt a fire burning, warmly. Warmness on my face, a glow from within like a hot coal fanned into a flame; slowly it grew. My whole body, covered in warmth.

"Open your eyes young one" Anisue stood beside Reno, both of them not smiling but in agreement of satisfaction.

What I could see of it? I could see a haze of the place about me. I didn't understand it. The warmth, the heat, the smoke around me...

"What is this!" Argies stood up thunderstruck by the effect about him. His hands his feet, his body was emitting a purple smoke that turned black before fading out of existence.

"That is a secret of our people, known by many names." Anisue said proudly

"You should give it a name of your own" Reno stood by his wife, a look of pride on his face as well.

Argie's studied his hands, looking at the smoke as it came off out of his body like a giant incense stick "What does it... do?" He turned his head ahead to look at his guardians and broke his eyes from their disgruntled mood.

Oh! No! It would have been better if I had just smiled and said, 'O cool I'm smoking', unh why did I have to ask!

"Come now, we have other lessons ahead. Plenty of time to find just punishment for him" Anisue turned to Reno the satisfaction gone from her face. It was her turn to teach Argies, and he knew a difficult lesson was ahead.

p!

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