Inner Strength (Rai/Kiyr)

[Mathew Amtrum]

The ground did not move while both Kiyr and Rai made their way to the buildings. Not so much as a single spike or attempt to make them sink. It was quiet and peaceful. Way to peaceful. It hung in the air mockingly, though it would not last long.

Only a minute later would the ground let out a small rumble as a figure of stone began to rise up from the ground. Closer to Kiyr's building than Rai's. Decoy was deployed.

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai saw the figure coming out of the ground and stood up to his full height pointing his hand like a gun at what he thought was Mathew. The blood would start to fade off of his skin as it went back into his body, two strands of blood would exit from the point of his finger forming the shape of a small bullet. Focusing all his mental and physical energy into the blast Rai would shoot it out of his hand aimed right for the head of 'Mathew'.

"Blood Bullet."

(OOC: Rai gets a +5 CHA when he focus' all his Qi into this one shot attack. By far the strongest ability he has)

[Kyrie Blaze]

With it being much too quiet, Kiyr took the chance and dropped to a small ledge between the window levels, crouching against the small space with her eyes scanning her surroundings. The wounds she had sustained throbbed in time with the brand upon her thigh, but she ignored them. From her training with Levi she had gained an idea. So with the minute she had, she created a field of darkness around her spot, gathering it to her but still being able to see as she became partially insubstantial with the aid of her own qi.

Only partially, however, as she needed to maintain it and focus - not on keeping herself in shadow, but in maintaining the cloud. It wasn't such an overload as when Levi had trapped her, but she was still pushing beyond her conventional limits regardless, and she knew she would be tired after.

But not completely drained as she had been, before.

With the appearance of the golem - undoubtedly it looked like Mathew, and it could have been him completely enveloped in stone - Kyrie took a slow, deep breath and looked to Rai.

Rai, who seemed to be mimicking pointing a gun at the stone apparition. With a curious blink, something shot at the stone golem and Kiyr pushed her qi towards it, forming a link between the two before pressing her back to the wall and using the cloud to be able to throw two bladed throwing knives for the head. Regardless of the hit or miss, her cloud would dissipate and she would be left trying to steady her breathing, and the shadow knives would disappear as well, with nothing maintained through her qi.

This was her strongest attack, but it was also inconvenient--something she didn't like. She already knew there was no normal way she could throw her shadow weapons; she needed to maintain some type of contact with the items for her qi to work and keep its shape. Kyrie always strove to be efficient, using techniques that were easily maintained, but to breach into another level, she had to be inconvenienced to grow.

This was one of those inconveniences.

. o O ( +5 CHA to maintain cloud and to enable herself to use her qi as a projectile in the sunlight, even with the potential for the building's shadow being present. )

[Mathew Amtrum]

Rai's blood bullet slammed in to the head of the golem and cracks started to form over it's surface moment's before Kiyr's blades shattered the decoy's head. The golem fell in to dust as another form started to rise from the ground next to it. This time not covered in stone, it was clearly Mathew.

A wicked smirk on his face as he brought his hands together slowly, applauding them. They went for the kill. His guard was down so if they attacked again this would be a good chance to be able to hurt him!

"Good job you two. I'm glad to see that both of you have learned to be more creative with your abilities than last time we sparred."

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai was a still recovering from his one hit attack. He had never used it in a fight before and now saw that he had to be careful when using, cause if Mathew had decided to attack him, he would be completely open to attack. But thankfully he was applauding him. Rai quickly climbed down and walked over to Mathew panting.

"Thank you Master."

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie watched as the real Mathew was elevated from within the ground, her shadows having dissipated in the air as she opened her hand - so to speak - to let the power go. She panted lowly, but seemed serene, even pleased. A tiny smile quirked her lips. Relieved. She crouched, gripping the ledge so her feet connected to the wall beneath and sprung down, twisting so her feet landed first, weight carefully distributed.

She rolled, into a crouch after flipping over her shoulder to almost face the direction she'd come from, hooking the joint of her foot against the back of Mathew's ankle and surged forwards to trip him! She wasted no time in pivoting and leaping, intending on coming down with her knee of her branded and further wounded leg landing against his solar plexus, her foot against the ground.

If she was at all successful, she would drive a small shadow knife to Mathew's throat, intending on going for the final kill.

So to speak.

She trusted Mathew would block, or stop her, but in case he did not, if he did not, she would swerve to graze instead.

Six cool, calm words left her lips: "You did not say to stop."

And turned her blade against his neck--but did not sever, or cut in, if she made it that far.

She wanted to do at least one thing: to drive the point home to Rai, that just because Mathew clapped for them did not mean he was finished. Both she and Rai were exhausted, and he clearly had the upper hand. She chose to attack the stone target - having been lower and could see it was stone on the outside, at least - because she trusted this was an exercise.

And her actions, right now, were in case it wasn't. And in case it wasn't over.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He gave Rai a small silent nod. His attention on the vibrations from Kiyr landing on the ground and her roll. He did not move though, it was part of the lesson. her foot hooked under his ankle and she managed to trip him! He fell forward and would catch himself with his hands. The ground didn't so much as shift under him. That should have been her first warning of the trap that lay before her.

She would have to settle with bringing her knee down in to his back, but again it worked and he let out a grunt of pain as the wind was knocked out of him. Still he did not strike back. And as the blade moved and shifted to cut in to his neck (however deep) that's when it would happen. The knife of shadow would not cut Mathew's skin but Kiyr would find a cut on her own neck where she had tried to cut him. It was shallow, way less than what she would have done to him. But it would be there.

"She is right. And with that the exercise is over. If your enemy is vulnerable you should take advantage of it, but be wary because a show of being vulnerable could be a trap. Now if you would kindly get off of me Kiyr."

Before he had to make her get off.

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai nodded standing up straight.

"Yes master."

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie blinked slowly as she felt droplets of blood slide down her neck. It wasn't a deep cut, not at all, but it still spilled blood.

And now would be the time to finish it, had it been real. With Mathew telling her to get off, the blade dissipated to twisting shadow, and she shifted her weight to the leg on the ground and pushed herself up with minimal pressure on Mathew's back.

And with a slow, owlish blink, extended a hand.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He wouldn't take the hand and instead picked himself up easily. His hands moving to brush off some of the dust from his coat and pants before turning and giving both of his apprentices a nod and a small smile. Both had done well enough. At least well enough to escape punishment for being lax in their training.

"Good job you two. You have earned your reward. Follow me."

And he began to stride off further away from the main buildings where to where his Helicopter was waiting.

"I thought you two might enjoy learning how to fly this thing. However I must make it abundantly clear that if either of you touch it without my permission I will kill you. Seriously. Unless I've told you that you can fly it, or you are using it to save me from an unlikely capture you better not touch it."

He turned to give Rai a glare.

"And your little rag tag group of misfits don't ever have permission to fly it. Is that clear?"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai nodded.

"I wouldn't dare let them touch anything of yours, I'd kill 'em myself if that were the case!"

Rai meant every word if he hadn't learned anything else from his training he had learned that you DON'T FUCK WITH MATHEW. Simple.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr simply retracted her hand and stood at ease with a passive blink; probably a pride thing, she figured. She blinked as he stated they had earned a reward and to follow. An eyebrow arched and a curious light entered her eyes.

Was it what she thought..?

Yes.

The light in her eyes seemed to spark more brightly with her interest, and as Mathew warned them of using it on their own, she simply nodded, understanding.

It wasn't like she would want to take it for a joy flight.

But it was exciting, all the same.

[Mathew Amtrum]

He lead them toward his helicopter, hands shoved in to his pockets. He was taking a slow and careful pace. Not at all in a hurry because they still needed to figure something out. Who was going to have the honor of being copilot first!

"So. Which one of you thinks you deserve to be the first one to fly that baby?"

He wanted to see what they would think of and what they would come up with. Not only could it save him the trouble, but it might give some insight in to how their minds worked now.

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Rai turned to Kiyr bowing his head slightly making a motion with his hand.

"Ladies first, after all you did manage to throw in another lesson after the one we had learned."

Plus he wanted to see how it maneuvered in the air before he tried to learn the mechanics behind it.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr didn't mind the slightly slower pace, and tipped her ears at Mathew's words.

And glanced at Rai for his kind gesture.

...what did she know about flying helicopters..?

Not terribly much. Certainly there were plenty of switches, and she knew there was a lever-like "joystick" and foot levers, she could guess.

"It would be an honour I am all too happy to accept."