Inner Strength (Rai/Kiyr)

[Mathew Amtrum]

Mathew paced around the outside landing strip of the air port. His Helicopter and other air craft parts and fuel a safe distance away. He had sent messengers to both Rai and Kiyr telling them they were to drop their assignments for the day to meet him here. While he liked to use a light touch with his training of them it was time to touch base and adjust course if needed.

So he waited. His eyes moving up to scan the horizon. Clear skies. Sun only reaching it's mid point. That was good. They should be able to finish and deal with everything with plenty of time. Unless one of them fucked up royally that is.

He would have guessed Rai for that, but with recent events it wasn't as clear cut. Kiyr had fallen a few pegs and Rai has begun to prove himself to be surprisingly capable. At least in intent. But now it was time to measure some other aspects of the young Dragons.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr came into view, though with Mathew's attunement to his Qi, he would be able to feel her coming before he could see her. She was, as always, pushing herself. While she wasn't able to all-out run, she was able to manage a decent pace.

She slowed, finally, not breathing particularly heavy, but deeply nevertheless.

She walked a few paces, stretching her legs to 'cool them off' and paused to offer the traditional Dragon's bow.

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai showed up soon after Kiyr running up to meet up with the others and he would also give his combo Sudeki Dragon bow towards Mathew. He would wait for Mathew to mention what they were doing here.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He returned the Dragon bow to both of them and stood there in silence sizing them both up, and allowing them to catch their breath as he turned and resumed pacing.

"I've decided to take today for a hands on lesson. Should you do well, I have a reward for both of you. Something that I have never let anyone do. If you do poorly... Well, don't do poorly."

He turned to face them with a wicked grin.

"First a quiz. Do you trust me?"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai gauged the question at length. Mathew liked to play little games with every question and the obvious answer wasn't always the right answer...

"Yes..."

Rai said hesitantly.

"I trust you to make me strong or kill me for failing."

[Kyrie Blaze]

A choice...

Kyrie's lips pulled into a mild frown. She could only answer truthfully, and took a moment to pull her feelings out, and examine the answer from both levels. From what she'd gone through, to what she essentially put herself through...did she trust him?

She gave a brief nod at Rai's response, showing her agreement, and then another, for her own answer.

"I have been given no reason to not trust you." A brief pause. "And so, I do."

And she realized that she was verbally, literally, putting her life in his hands. But then, it had been no less than what she had done before.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He nodded at their answers, not telling them if it was the correct answer or the correct answer. Instead he just bent down and scooped up stone from the runway like it was dirt. Leaving a small hole where the stone had once been.

"What would you die for?"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

"The safety of the innocent."

Rai would say without hesitation. Delilah had made an impact to him and her words still stayed with him.

[Kyrie Blaze]

"...for Family. For the assurance they would survive and prosper, and so, for Life, as well."

This...this wasn't something she needed to think about. And, in irony, it was easily flipped. She would die for this Family - every bit as important to her as the one she lost - and would be reunited with her deceased family--if such a place as Heaven or Hell existed. On that, she wasn't sure. But she could hope.

But until then, she would not give up. She would get back up and continue fighting.

[Mathew Amtrum]

"I see."

He said as he started to mold the stone in his hand, slowly making it take the shape of a blade.

"And what would you live for?"

[Kyrie Blaze]

"I live for the same things I would die for, Sir."

Quiet, but resolute. Kyrie's answer came full-circle, similar to the symbol of the triquetra she had engraved on Levi's medallion. Bright blue eyes observed the formation of the sword, but it didn't deter her from her answer.

'...I have my family, and I choose love.'

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

"I live to stand against the evil that will constantly come to light trying to bring about the darkness. For now that means fighting Barker, but who knows what will take surface after he has been defeated."

Rai knew that just because you might defeat one evil tyrant didn't mean that you would cut out all evil in the world.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He clicked his tongue before his grin turned wicked. Like a cat eyeing two mice that just stumbled in to a corner.

"And if I was to stand in the way of what you would live and die for?"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

"Then you would become my new enemy. Even despite my oaths to you, if you ever stood against that which I would live and die for then my oaths would have never mattered to you in the first place."

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie gave a rueful smile. And a small nod at Rai's words; she could agree with that.

In ways, certain ways, he already did. But, he also held the key in addition to the lock, and as far as she could tell, he was not holding malicious intent by 'blocking' her, right now. The knowledge of it flickered in her eyes, and she blinked slowly.

"It would depend to what end, to what purpose. If it came down to it, despite clearly being outmatched, I would fight you; but first I would need to gain a clear understanding and develop ways to defeat you. Physically, I am not strong enough as I am now. Mentally...well, probably the same, but that does not mean there is no way of drawing a win from a hopeless situation. Is that not what we are doing with Barker? Though I place no trust in him as I do, you...I still stand and push myself to become stronger, and I will not give up. No matter how many times it takes, I will always get up."