First rule of fight club
The world seemed so much more peaceful away from people. It lacked the tension of silenced conversations and judgmental stares. Out amongst the trees, there was no one to care about the clothes the Countess wore or the political stances she took. There was only the rustling of the leaves and creaking of branches as the wind whistled through the forest. December had brought the temperatures down into frigid territory, enough that even Amaris was beginning to feel it. While it didn’t make her severely uncomfortable, it had been enough that she had begun fussing over her partner’s attire and stocking her pockets with small hand warmers just in case. Amaris, however, was not as quick to follow her own advice as she stepped out into the cold night air in the athletic attire she had purchased and a simple lengthy sweater. Where she was going, a bulky coat would only slow her down.
Amaris scanned the area around her to make sure she was truly alone before setting off on her path, making her way swiftly and silently past the treeline of the forest that stood behind the nobles’ dorms. It wasn’t as if the student’s were forbidden from entering the forest, but she preferred solitude and didn’t need any unnecessary intrusions in a space she rather enjoyed. The privacy it offered had originally enticed the Countess as a potential practice space for her magic, somewhere away from her mage so that Maddie would be safe should she screw something up. Unfortunately, she had started second guessing its security following the mage exams. It wouldn’t take much for security to use a scry and catch her in the act of casting something highly illegal, which was the very last thing she needed right now. Until she had an opportunity to speak to Ryner about it directly, Amaris would have to put that plan on hold. In the meantime, she figured that a clearing she had come across would make for a decent and private training ground for her meetings with Victor.
She expected to find Victor waiting for her when she arrived, as that was usually his style, but it was not this expectation that fueled her pace. Once the view of the dorms had been obscured by trees, the Countess’ gait had harshened, her steps less polite and her stride more determined. It had already been a few days since the soiree at Varis’ dorm had taken place, but Amaris still found herself rather wound up from the encounter. So much so that she had sent a personal letter to Victor requesting his presence out in the middle of a dark forest in the hopes of being able to distract herself from the irritation. After several minutes of stomping through the trees, Amaris finally approached her destination and peeked around the last line of trees to scope the area out. As she had predicted, Victor was already waiting for her in the clearing.
“
I appreciate you meeting me out here, hope it wasn’t too much of a hassle.” She spoke softly despite the fact that there was little to no chance that he hadn’t heard her approaching from a mile off. Amaris figured her graceless entrance was more than enough disrespect to his meditation efforts.
The forest was always quite peaceful this time of night. The occasional chirp of some insect, the chorus of the frogs in some far off pond or stream, the sound of an owl calling out through the trees. Even at night this world was alive. Yet even with the gentle breeze and the smells of the plants around him couldnt put his mind to the ease that he was hoping for while he sat in between the trees. After all it wasnt everyday you get a letter from a countess to meet out in the woods for training. Honestly he should have come here sooner, most of the other mages and vampires were not interested in venturing into the forest or off the beaten path for that matter.
The dependency the others had on their cellular devices always irked him a little and yet he was going to force himself to sit through one of these classes just so he can learn how to use them. It would mean he wouldn't have to rely on Salem everytime something new came out or everytime he broke one of his phones
“indestructible my ass” he scoffed at himself. It soon dawned on him that the forest became silent, the frogs and bugs stopped making sounds leaving only the gentle rustle of the trees in the breeze.
That was until not so subtle steps could be heard approaching at a fast pace. They didn't seem to be angry but definitely not trying to hide their presence. As he scanned the forest from his seated position with one eye the flash of color between the trees made him sigh, the countess seemed to have finally made her way to him. A quick hello from the countess as per usual for her.
Victor did not say a word or look up to her. Slowly he raised one finger to his lips in a shush motion then held out his hand in front of him offering her a place to sit. Here he would wait, not moving or breathing just waiting. It wouldnt be until the frogs began croaking again and the song of the forest at night began again that he would speak.
“It never is countess.” He was speaking quieter then he usually did but still did not open his eyes to meet hers.
“Is there anything you would like to talk about before we begin today? I’m sure that you have also found yourself to be rather restless after that last meeting.” it was only after speaking that he finally opened his eyes and looked up towards her.
Amaris hesitated as she stood before a still seated Victor. She had expected something a little more hit-the-ground-running, or at least it was what she had hoped. However, the Count didn’t so much as open his eyes to look at her as she came to a stop ahead of him. Looking around at her surroundings, Amaris reluctantly took a seat across from the man in silence. She found herself growing more and more antsy the longer she sat, eventually having to fight the urge to stand back up as she waited until Victor spoke at last. Restless was a nice way of putting her experience since the soiree had taken place, but at the very least it didn’t sound like she was alone in her discomfort.
“
You seem to be handling it far better than I. The amount of calm you can maintain with Varis is admirable, if not just a bit creepy.” She noted, crossing her legs in front of her. Her hands were clasped together and rested neatly in her lap, however, her thumbs continued to twirl endlessly around one another as the pair sat and talked.
“
Even a few days later I can’t seem to shake the feeling of him looming over my shoulder with that smug ‘I know everything’ face. It’s driving me insane. ” Amaris wasn’t exactly sure why she was confiding in him but it seemed better than the alternative of actually going insane.
Continuing to listen to her silently Victor kept his stoic facial expressions. Even with his eyes closed most of the time he could still pick up on her subtle and not so subtle fidgeting and movements. Both her emotions and body movements were erratic almost like she couldn't sit still.
“I’m more of a soldier then a noble, I've been trained to go through alot worse.” he glanced at the scars on his arm’s for just a moment then continued.
“That doesn't mean that it doesn't annoy me. The training we go through helps us focus and subdue our emotions. We are taught that an enemy that can provoke your emotions, that can get under your skin, can control you. Then we are taught how to get under other people's skin in order to control them. This is in a combat setting but it's similar to what Varis does.”With a deep breath the count continued,
“that's actually something that we are going to work on today. You have been doing well with your exercises, I can see it in your muscle tone. However, now we move onto the next step. That is to train your mind and your senses, we will go over several things, several things you can practice on your own. Eventually you will find that your mind and emotions could very well be as still as mine in the face of any obstacle.” This was something that he needed to freshen up on anyways as it was the next step in even Salem’s training.
She forgot sometimes that Victor wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill combat enthusiast. He must have thought her worries were so trivial in comparison to things he was trained to handle. There was little doubt in the countess’ mind that she would crumble under the kinds of things he was likely used to, something he was more than likely aware of. Still, here he was still agreeing to help her out regardless of the vast differences in their skill sets, and for that she couldn’t bring anything less than her best effort.
Snapping to attention, Amaris listened closely as the count explained what they were to work on for their current meeting. It took her a bit by surprise, as she had thought they would do more physical training… rather she had expected they would. How was she supposed to let off some steam by sitting here training her mind? Her disappointment was mixed with a fair amount of confusion and apprehension as she nodded her acceptance slowly.
“
Is it noticeable? I suppose I just wouldn’t know what to look for, but it’s reassuring to learn that your efforts haven’t been a waste.” Amaris was relying on Victor’s experience to become stronger precisely for the reason that she wasn’t able to accomplish it on her own. If left to make her own decisions regarding training, she would likely never make any real progress… so if Victor thought mental exercises were more important, then who was she to second guess that decision? “
Where do we start?”
“
First we start slow then we move to more physical things. So first I'll teach you a breathing exercise that helps one remain calm and let stress simply wash over them rather than taking it full force. Once we go through it a few times then we will move on.” The count adjusted himself slightly then continued. “
I'm aware that we as vampires do not need to breathe but I find the rhythmic breathing helps even us to be calm. This won't take us too long so don't worry.” Victor rested his hands in his lap then nodded to her.
“
First step is to close your eyes and take a deep breath for 4 seconds, hold that breath for another 4 seconds. Then exhale for 4 seconds and hold your diaphragm still for another 4 seconds. We will do this for 2 minutes then continue on with our training. The humans call this box breathing.” keeping to his word, victor continued the breathing exercise at the mentioned pace to try and help her follow along.
With a furrowed brow, Amaris spent a moment watching Victor just to make sure she had heard him correctly. The longer he sat there, the more it solidified that he was not joking about his instructions. They were going to practice… a breathing exercise. How did some mortal breathing exercise, box breathing as he had called it, train the mind to be more calm? It wasn’t as if the flow of oxygen was going to make any difference.
Amaris kicked herself internally, reminding herself of why she was even out here in the first place.
Just do as you are told. After a few moments of clear confusion, the countess closed her eyes and listened for the sound of Victor’s breathing. Once she had grasped the rhythm, she joined in as instructed with short four second inhales followed by short four second exhales. Stillness. Repeat. It was fairly labored and somewhat awkward as she had to consciously think about breathing for such an extended period of time. It was different when it was solely used for effect, like in cases such as gasps or sighs. Short, single use bursts, but hardly ever consistent enough to make this exercise feel like easing into a habit.
After the two minute period he stopped and slowly stood.
“It's not easy to get used to but eventually you stop thinking about everything around you and simply focus on your breathing.” moving to a neat pile of his things and picking up a long white scarf.
“This exercise may not help you too much. I find it is hit and miss with vampires. However, teaching it to your mage or other humans may bring you into a better light with them especially if they have issues with anxiety.” Victor stepped up to her with a mischievous grin,
“tell me during the practical when we were all blinded, did you panic? Did you suddenly become unsure of your foot steps? Maybe stumble and fell a time or two?” He held the scarf out to her clearly and it was meant to be used as a blind fold.
“This exercise is about trusting your instincts and focusing on your senses other than sight. This will be your blind fold. Again we will start small, let you listen for a moment to your surroundings then once you're ready you will try to figure out where I am.” He paused for a moment to think about how he was going to pull this off,
“After that we will move into you defending yourself or at least trying to.” He wasn't going to teach her like he was taught, too dangerous and bloody for that to happen out here.
“After we go through these exercises we can finish with combative bouts. I'm sure you're going to get frustrated from this. I know i was when I first started”She considered his question carefully, thinking back to the night in question. Had she been anxious during the exam? Well, of course, that was a given… it was an exam. But that wasn’t quite what he meant. Had it been her induced blindness that played a large role in her uncertainty?
“
Not quite.” Amaris spoke thoughtfully. Even now, eyeing what was clearly meant to be a blindfold of sorts, she didn’t feel anything that she could describe as being panicked. She didn’t fear being blind. “
I won’t lie and say I was completely at ease, because I wasn’t. It was uncomfortable and unusual for sure, but I can’t say that I panicked because of it.” To her, it had felt like something more than just a simple loss of sight. It had an effect on her entire body, knocking her just out of sync with herself. Perhaps it was a sort of panic that she was not familiar with, or perhaps it was by Ryner’s design. Such a thing was difficult to tell so long after the fact.
Regardless, the idea of blocking her sight didn’t present as much anxiety as most would assume it would. It wasn’t an entirely foreign concept to her, after all. In the years following her father’s death, she had spent a large portion of her time avoiding anyone and everyone she could. That was easier said than done when you had an entire household attempting to look after you. If she wasn’t locked away behind a door, she was finding nooks and crannies to hide in when venturing out; a tactic that only really worked if she was able to avoid being seen in the first place.
“
I have a bit of experience with avoiding company. Although, never with someone quite on your level of self awareness and control. This will be interesting to see how much my body remembers.” She mused, trying not to think about the implications of the next step. What exactly was it that she was going to be defending herself against? Amaris had to shake the feeling off, knowing it would only distract her from her current goal. One step at a time. With one final steady inhale and exhale, Amaris took the scarf from Victor and tied it securely around her head. She allowed him the opportunity to check it, though he wouldn’t find her trying to cheat the system.
“
Well that's good to know, what i've heard is most others felt claustrophobic at worst and uncomfortable at best.i was caught off guard at first but it didn't take long to get back into it.” He stepped back and watched her for a moment; he was being quiet for a little while, letting her get used to the sounds of the forest. Quietly he spoke up again,
“have you been keeping up on the defensive blocks I showed you last time?” he knew very well that if she hadn't been he would know. Again he went silent and moved with heavy footsteps around her just outside of her reach. “
For now just try to point to where i am, if you're wrong i'll hit you with a pinecone. Once I'm satisfied we will move on to see what your muscle memory looks like and see if you can defend yourself while blindfolded.” she couldn't see it but he was smiling slightly annoying others is something he does enjoy regularly.
Again he fell silent he was still breathing and made sure to step on a leaf or a twig here and there to give away his position. Slowly he made it harder, he stopped breathing, footsteps became lighter and lighter until he was making barley a sound that didn't match up to the surrounding forest. Occasionally he would stop, that way if she was predicting his movements she would be off and he had picked up quite a few small things to pester her with when or if she got it wrong.
Amaris was plunged into complete darkness by the blindfold, but it didn’t take her long to start adjusting. Unlike her experience in the forest, it wasn’t accompanied by any sense of confusion or vertigo. She didn’t feel quite as isolated from her surroundings this time around. It was as if her body were lighter somehow, less cumbersome than it had been while making her way through the exam. Was it the change in setting that made the difference, or had she really improving through her training?
While the countess already had a general idea of what the space around her looked like, she decided it was better to get a grasp on where she stood from scratch. There was a natural air current that whispered through the space, rustling the leaves on the outer edges of the clearing the pair occupied. It helped her define the overall size of the space, and hopefully, the max distance Victor would wander for the exercise. She could just make out holes in the sound of the shifting blades of grass, areas where objects larger or sturdier than plant matter stood steady against the gentle breeze. Perhaps if her goal had been to make her way around the area, the information she had gathered so far would have been enough. Unfortunately, she was looking for something specific. She had to pick Victor apart from any other tree or item, a task she suspected was only going to get tougher with time.
At first it had been fairly simple, the noise he made was enough for her to point him out with ease. She could hear the faint whistle of air being pulled off its natural path, the sound of a vampire breathing nearby. Paired with the sound of rocks grinding into the dirt and twigs snapping under pressure, it was fairly easy for her to point her target out. With each correct guess, her confidence grew, but her queues were becoming scarcer. Victor cut his breathing first, leaving her with just the sound of his footsteps, but eventually those vanished as well. That was when the pelting began. By her count, the side of her head had experienced three pinecones and four pebbles with her ponytail becoming home to the various sizes of twigs tossed in between. After another pinecone dropped to her feet, Amaris was beginning to wonder if she needed to reconsider her approach. From the beginning, she had been using sound to locate her target… but what was she to do when there was no sound at all? It wasn’t as if she could use her initial method if she found herself deafened as well as blinded, so how could she adapt?
Back to the beginning. Four seconds in, four seconds out, stillness, repeat. Four seconds in, four seconds out, stillness, repeat. Four seconds in, four seconds out, stillness… He might have removed the option to pick him out based on sound, but he could not reroute the natural shifting of the breeze. The air current would betray his position as he moved against it, or so she had thought but she still couldn’t sense any particular disturbance in the air.
As if struck by inspiration, Amaris whirled around and pointed in the direction she was now facing. “
There!”
At first she was able to track him just fine but after a bit she started to fail and slowly she began to drop the ball. The first few times she messed up he corrected her by hitting her with a pinecone from where he was. The frustration and annoyance she showed on her face almost made him laugh. Especially when he started using pebbles.
Soon amaris stopped and went silent, Victor watched as she slowly started her breathing exercises like he showed her. He wanted to see how far she could go with it so he began to move again. The sounds of the forest and the gentle wind almost seemed to give him away, almost as if she was starting to take this seriously. For a moment she reminded him of himself when he first started, when he first heard the silence and the noise that gave people away. She suddenly rose her hand and nearly shouted.
A pebble flicked from his hand to just above her right eye,
“Very close you were two steps behind me. Good job I believe we can move on to the next step.” he stopped using his ‘stealth mode’ and stepped up to her.
“So next i'm going to start poking you, your shoulders, your stomach, and your forehead. This exercise is to test your instincts and reflexes as well as muscle memory. The blind fold will stay on for this but I won't be trying to hide which point I'm going for.” The count shifted his stance slightly.
“All you have to do is block, don't tense or anticipate getting touched, just block. If you start to think too much about it I'm going to slap you in the face. We will start slow then pick up the pace a bit more after. We will begin when you say go.”“
Damnit.” She cursed under her breath as she rubbed the back of her hand across the sore spot above her eye. Amaris was sure she had it that time, but two steps off was better than many of her previous attempts. Surely that counted as progress. It might not have been much, but even Victor seemed somewhat pleased. Well, to be specific, he didn’t sound mad. She wasn’t about to get picky with his responses.
Next up was the more interactive portion of the blindfold adventure. She wasn’t at all sure how she felt about the thought of being slapped across the face. Was that allowed? Well, it was his time she was taking up, as well as his training regiment. It wasn’t exactly illegal for him to hit her. She would just have to avoid thinking too much about it then.
Easier said than done.“
Don’t think, just react. Got it.” Relax, relax, relax. “
Go.”
He started slowly in a clockwise fashion, left shoulder, forehead, right shoulder, then stomach. He was doing this slow first to get her used to it then started speeding up. The count found her midsection and forehead to be the slowest response but she seemed able to predict the movements after a few rounds. He could tell her movements were slowly becoming more smooth and less jerky as she started to just let herself go with the flow. Once he was satisfied victor would pause for a moment then start again in a counter clockwise movement.
Again Amaris seemed to be anticipating the first few but soon got back in the rhythm of things. Then came the fun part, randomized jabbs, no more patterns. Again she was anticipating and the change was slow but soon they were able to pick up the pace faster and faster. Then he stopped just for a moment and started again varying the direction and speed of his jabs. The countess kept up very well. Soon Victor stopped again and stepped back,
“very good, you are starting to trust yourself. That will be all for that for now unless you wish to continue. If not you can remove the blind fold and we can start on the next step of your defensive training.” It was a strange feeling to be voluntarily poked by someone that she couldn’t see, but if it’s what she had to do to get better then so be it. She was just glad it was training that had taken place all the way out here where no one could see, although the optics were likely far stranger here if someone were able to locate them by chance. Thankfully, she doubted it was something she would have to worry about. Sneaking up on Victor seemed like an impossibility at this point.
Lifting her arms up, Amaris untied the scarf and pulled it down from her face before opening her eyes. There was a moment of disorientation as she transitioned from her time spent blind back into the moonlight. “
As awesome as that sounds, I think I might need to take a raincheck on the defensive training. I’ll be sure to work on the… box breathing in the meantime. You have my word.”
“I'll know if you don’t countess. Have a good night and I'll see you again.” He sat back down at the spot where she found him and smiled.
“oh, and Amaris, this has been… fun. I do enjoy teaching.” He nodded to her as she left. Again, he found himself focusing on his breathing and the world around him. Slowly the vampire began to hum to himself then slowly began to sing a small tune.
“Walk in the deepest of footprints
Step into the fog
Breaking the silence
A threatening song.
On the trail of the ancients
The demons awake
At the end of all evil
The battleground shakes.
To the sound of the metal
The splinters of bone
In a war with the summoned
The soldiers of stone.
As the vessel of guardians
I follow along
With the words of the wise
In the way of the strong.” Victor slowly kept humming then slowly stopped laying back on the ground and looking up at the stars.
“It sure is peaceful here.” He whispered to himself.
princess
SilverSpring
CitrusArms
Not a Sayan
Tae
Fetzen
Ohm
SkyeOfStars
