Workng Bone (Dragons Only)

[Hone]

Zax would get up, and start running.

When he came back, he would go up to Kazuya. "Let's try this again. Who do you want me to go against now?" He was obviously not let down easily...

[Your Mom~]

Olesya nodded, not responding verbally to Kazuya's observation. This training wasn't necessarily about breaking spirit, it was about bending it and molding it to work in unison with its peers. There was no room for lone rangers here.

The boy returned, still spunky and untamed. Eager but obstinate. He had a lot to learn, and she had a feeling that basic training tactics would be lost on him.

"You'll fight me."

Olesya stepped forward, into the ring as it vacated. She kept her hands clasped behind her back, her shoulders relaxed, and her expression even. She was not going to make the first move.

"Tell me Pipsqueak, what is a Dragon?"

[Kazuya Hikari]

Glancing down briefly at Zax when he returned after his run, he would receive no answer from Kazuya, but instead from Olesya, as he would watch her step forward into the recently vacated ring. A slight smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, that was a loaded question right there. Being a Dragon had nothing to do with physical strength or reputation. A person was a Dragon, because they chose to be one. And if Zax answered like the former, then he had learned nothing as Raikotsu's apprentice.

"I'd watch what you say, boy. No one, especially the Voice of the Storm Dragon, will take kindly to back-talk."

[Hone]

Zax got in the ring with Olesya. Then looked over to Kazuya as he spoke.

"It's about being stronger!" he thought. "Wait, is it?" Zax thought back to the time when they went to Lightning Tower with Rai. The day they had become Dragons.

Yachiru was just a little girl. And sure, she could slap you pretty freaking hard, but she wasn't strong. And they didn't make her train to become strong and then give her the honor of being a Dragon. Yet, she was still accepted. So the answer wasn't being strong.

Rai had asked them if they wanted to join, they said yes, and they joined. So actually, it was about wanting to be a dragon.

"Well, Mam, it's about if you want to be a dragon." Zax really hoped he wouldn't get slapped for this.

[Your Mom~]

Olesya's lip curled upward slightly, one second standing there serenely (if skeptically), the next second stepping forward quickly, arms coming up to deflect any defensive moves as she moved to grab him in a headlock.

"Wrong."

She replied sternly, coldy, like an angry teacher. She wouldn't make another move just yet, standing firmly.

"Try again."

[Hone]

"Um, being stronger than everyone around you and being the best?" Zax asked trying to breathe.

[Your Mom~]

The Voice of the Storm Dragon scowled, clearly displeased with the answer. She was right in her original assumption of the boy, far too much ego, but it came with being young. However, this training wasn't about being young and a hot shot. It was something he very desperately needed to learn if he wanted to survive here.

"Absolutely not."

She would walk to the edge of the circle, pulling Zax along with her. She'd shift her hands so instead of a headlock, she had him by the scruff of his shirt, applying force to tip him as far over the edge of the ring as she could, but not letting go.

"And what now, strong guy? You've found an opponent stronger than you, the best. You're alone, outranked. Out-bested. What good is it to be a Dragon now?"

One final try before she would teach him a very important (and possibly painful) lesson.

[Hone]

"You're right. You are stronger, the second answer was definitely wrong. I was pretty confident on the first answer, but I suppose it was wrong. I don't know what else it could be, though! I've run out of ideas!" Zax was looking down to the ground between every few words.

[Your Mom~]

She could see he was getting nervous, a fairly common feeling when hanging at a precarious angle with no means to right yourself. She had to admit she was disappointed. The kid had enthusiasm, but it needed to be molded and guided if he wanted to be truly strong.

She let go of his shirt, letting him fall a couple inches before stepping forward and pushing her palm into his chest at about half strength to encourage the gravity as the ground rose to meet him. She only wanted to jar him, maybe cause a couple stars in his eyes. He'd be no used to them brain damaged or injured.

In this movement she stepped forward in a lung, keeping her hand firmly in place between his chest and the ground to to continue to assert control.

"You can want to be a Dragon all you want, but wanting isn't enough. Just like power isn't enough. We don't just let every outsider wander into out compound and offer them a badge. That's suicide."

She'd kneel, bringing her hand up from his chest and using it to gesture to the training ground. There were still men running laps, some on the ropes course, some doing push ups, and some in the rings.

"Look at this. Look around, all separate moving parts pieced together into one hole. WE are a Dragon, whole, united. You are a scale. I'm a scale, we are all scales moving in unison to protect what's most dear to us. If even a single scale is broken or missing, it makes a deadly weak spot that can bring everything down in ash and fire."

She stoppsed scanning the grounds, looking back to Zax.

"There are no heroes here. Only comrades. Brothers. Blood."

She said, meaning the shedding of blood as one, not everyone being related. They say that 'blood is thicker than water,' and Olesya believed there was more than one meaning to that statement. When you became a high ranking officer in the Dragons, you were 'bled in,' or you fought your fellow officers to prove your strength and worth in addition to how well you can read and work with your peers.

"And if you can't learn that, you will be shedding yours long before your time.

She said, her tone deadly even, and her intense gaze locked on his. Did he understand now?

[Hone]

"OOOOOOOH!" he thought. But she probably didn't want to hear that kinda of response.

"Yes mam. Understood. I apologize. Won't happen again." Zax replied. It did make sense.

If they could use the Force, they would all be connected with it. One could see what others see. One could feel the blood of another's downed enemy. One could feel the strength of others.

Being one body like that was a strong defense and offense. It was an immense strength, a huge advantage, and a massive edge in a battle. In the end, it could be the difference between life and death.

"So what do you want me to do next, mam? Should I work on strength? Running? Or should we do a rematch?" Zax asked with his hands on his hips.

[Mr. Kaar]

Lightning Brigade.... Four Squads of hand picked individuals. The three main squads of battle and Leon's personal Squad. In all thirty one men and women, not including Leon Sudeki himself. Sam, the smithy wouldn't be part of the combat, and he technically wasn't a member of any of the squads, but his job was no less important. Maintaining the equipment of the Lightning Brigade.

Leon had all the squads in company formation, in order from first to fourth.

"Alright fuck nuggets. Today we are going to be running some drills. Designed by myself and Yun. Which means today we are dodging and defending projectiles. Advancing on a defended location and capturing the site."

Each unit would take turns being the defending unit of the building as Yun and Leon rained down projectile fire from the top of the building. Squad one made the record to beat. But then it was all three regular squads versus Leon and his personal squad's turn. It was close to beating Squad One's time, but just not yet.

[Your Mom~]

Olesya saw the light bulb light up above his head, recognition of the day's lesson in his eyes. She understood, at least to a point...but could he live it? He would need to work hard to groom his pride and work as a piece of the whole instead of a hot shot. Oddly, this kid was interesting, she'd keep an eye on him in the future to monitor his progress.

"A true apology is a promise for improvement. Let's see if you can keep it."

Before she could issue another order, however, Leon showed up with his Lightning Brigade and set up a gauntlet of sorts. The Voice smirked, looking to the pipsqueak.

"That."

She pointed to the start of the exercise, crossing her arms as her smirk widened. Would he make it?

[Hone]

"Was she pointing to something behind it? Or... WAIT! No, Zax. You can't give that kind of response. Time to get serious. Just like your master said! This isn't a comedy show! Come on!" Zax took in a big breath, and let it out slowly. "Yes mam."

Zax would then run forward and touch a tree, feeling completely refreshed, but the tree would die. Zax would round kick it, to make it fall down, using it to take cover and look around the structure.

He was about 20 feet from it, looking over and beside the now dead tree. He had his bone mask on for protection for possibly fired projectiles.

He shot a bone from his finger towards one of the men on the roof. Let's see what that did...

[Mathew Amtrum]

And then Kiyr decided that she was going to stop training the guys and instead try and show off. Unable to contain herself and wanting to climb this wall. Well they had done that song and dance before. And she did damn well. Though Mathew was waiting for his moment to strike. Which would be right when she was standing on the top.

No favorites, and if she wanted to participate in the training then he was going to knock her ass down. Sending a pillar of stone up from the top of the wall between Kiyr's legs. His intent was to slam into her crotch and have the pillar hook over her pelvis and throw her down back on the side she tried to climb up.

If she didn't evade it then the wall's hand holds would shrink and start shifting faster. No spot lasting more than a few seconds. Anytime anyone climbing showed any sign of hesitation a pillar would come to punch them in the stomach or the crotch. It depends on how he was feeling. A fleeting whim for each man and woman.

[Kyrie Blaze]

If there was anything Kyrie had learned as Mathew's apprentice...one of the first things was that he held no favourites and in situations like these, he could be counted on to attack.

She just didn't know when or how--though the most likely place was the wall beneath her feet. That same caution had her wrap her qi around her broken ribs like a tensor bandage beneath her clothing.

It turned out to be a good thing.

And with all that she thought - that turned out to be rather painfully true - she didn't--couldn't dodge. So--he hooked her, flung her, amidst a surprised inhale, a muffled groan from between clenched teeth at the pain from the strike.

The pain from her ribs would come quickly enough.

Twisting and righting herself as much as she could in the air, the balls of her feet touched the ground. The jolt was bad enough, but she tucked her body into a roll that sent her ribs shrieking in pain and luckily wound up in a crouch. One leg tucked to her chest, the other settled beneath her upon the ground. Her complexion had paled and pullets of sweat trickled down over her forehead, disguising at least one or two trails that eked from her eyes. Her head was bowed and she gasped a few breaths before looking up, lips pressed into a fine, taught line.

"And now you know a bit of what waits for you if you dally about at the top." She ground out, fists hidden and clenched as she strove to deal with the pain.

Slowly, she would stand, back in training mode...and certainly less excited.