Seeking an Understanding (Jorlaxl)

[Requies Artog]

(Alright dude. Here's the thread!)

Requies had been sitting around, not really doing much for about a month. He entered a state of not really doing anything, other than living like a normal civilian working hard to pay the bills. It was... pretty damn boring. It made him really tired and unexcited about anything... Time in Satan City had been getting in the way, really.

He decided enough was enough. Requies packed his things and walked out of the technologically advanced city, deciding to head to the Northwest, to see what he could find.

Travelling to the other side of the continent took about 7 hours, due to him being able to fly and avoid a lot of hassle. He arrived a small docking town that was very rural. The people there didn't seem to be that disturbed by him arriving through flight, as a lot of people were able to now these days.

Requies made his way over to one person, a man who looked to be middle aged with brown hair that seemed to be falling off his head, after seeing a large island in the distance. The man was preparing his boat to go on a fishing trip when Requies came up to him and asked about the island.

"Well," the man stated in a gruff manner, "That there island is ol' Yunzabit Heights. It's a place with frigid environments that'll knock the life out of any that's careless. It also seems that someone's been living at the island, bringing in heavy machinery. Heck, some of it looked like... uhm... What's the name of that dern place you city folk revere so much? Capson Corporation? Capsule? Ah, whatever the name is, there's been some pretty heavy machinery being delivered to that place. Ah, I can't remember exactly what it was exactly, but if you're planning on going there, you'll wanna dress warmly so you don't freeze to death. You need some clothes, kiddo?"

"I'm good. Thanks for the information," Requies stated, leaping into the air and flying over the frigid waters to Yunzabit.

Requies landed on the shore, being hit by cold winds as he did. He rubbed his arms, to make sure he didn't completely freeze up. He looked around, seeing if there was a trail he could follow, since the old man said that there was heavy machinery being brought to the island.

"Nothing... Maybe I can see the path if I get up higher," Requies muttered, leaping into the air as he did. He got up to 30 ft. and began looking around the area, this time seeing a place that looked like it was cleared out. He sped over and hovered just above the ground while he looked down the path. It seemed to go far into the area, so he decided to speed down while flying.

However, he found himself approaching a fork in the road and came to a halt. Requies looked down both paths, as he thought to himself, "Damn... Which way now? They both seem to be going in completely different directions."

Another cold dagger brushed against his skin, causing him to shiver. He should have taken the man's offer, but he didn't wanna be an issue to the guy. He wanted to also test his endurance against the cold weather, as it had been a while since he really did anything for himself.

"Which way... Which way," He repeated in low whisper, pointing down each path as he tried to make a decision.

[Jorlaxl]

The forest was full of demons.

Jorlaxl found himself as he always does in the mornings, wandering throughout Yunzabit. Leaving the school is a much needed distraction, the warm climate of that area a non-sequitur to the rest of the area. Throughout his walks, he always wore his weighted armor as more of a test for himself than as any defense. This clothing made his power seem a lot weaker as long as he had it on, to prevent any unwanted eyes to find him. Today, he was walking along a trail he had blazed himself, hopefully as a way for wandering souls (such as himself) to find his school by accident.

The forest has been alive before he got here, during his time here, and he would bet money it would be here when he left. Ike, the Cursed Soul, came to his school not too long ago, bringing with him a slew of other, hostile demons. They only seem to come when Ike's around, though, so Jorlaxl knew he had nothing to fear. No, this would just be a lazy morning before classes began. He himself was surprised that so many students made it to his school, with the climate around it being so frigid. Subconsciously, he began to make calculations for ways to warm up the surrounding area, to make his own school seem more appealing.

At this point in his walk, the temperature began to drop, and before long Jorlaxl shivered. Perhaps part of this temperature was due to the demons inhabiting this forest? Another thing he'd have to ask Ike. Stopping at the end of the trail he blazed, he saw a road ahead of him, and a different path on his right, one he's never noticed before. Immediately after, he saw something else, infinitely more interesting.

A human, by the looks of him. Long, unkempt hair was adorning his head, and his blue eyes were new to the Master of Crane. He was fairly muscular, but not ridiculously so, obviously a martial artist or soldier. He looked markedly older than himself, but not old enough to make too much of a difference. He didn't seem to see Jorlaxl yet, so he had a moment to do a few things.

"Eva, power report on this newcomer, please." Clicking a button on the top of his scouter, numbers began flashing across the screen in an unobtrusive but noticeable manner. "13,370, Jorlaxl. Not amazing, but way stronger than the normal humans here." Nodding, he began to make a mental calculation. His own power level, suppressed as it was, would be around 23,000. If he needed to, he could fight.

Jorlaxl approached this newcomer, who seemed to be floating in midair, another sign of his prowess. Flight isn't something learned easily.

Was this a new student in the making?

Waving a hand to get this boy's attention, Jorlaxl said, "Good morning! What's a man of your stature doing out here, in the middle of nowhere?"

[Requies Artog]

A voice entered Requies's ear, attracting his attention to the left path. A man with red hair and a red outfit was walking towards him. He was adorned with a couple of necklaces and other things. Requies landed on the ground, responding to the man as he did.

"Well... Not sure, really. I just decided to leave Satan City one day and come here, looking for some excitement... I think," he said in a questionable manner. In truth, he wasn't really sure what he was doing here. He was seeking excitement, yes, but he wasn't sure what kind of excitement he needed.

"I heard there people on here, transporting some heavy machines and... Now that I think of it, that's actually what's attracted me here. Are you the one who brought them here," Requies asked the man. Chances are the answer was yes, being that the man was really the only person he came across so far.

He walked up to the man and held out his hand to shake the man's, stating, "My name is Requies Artog. Might I be able to get yours, stranger?"

[Jorlaxl]

Bowing his head low, Jorlaxl grinned before speaking. "I am Headmaster Jorlaxl, current leader of the Crane school that keeps itself largely unknown here. I don't know what you are referring to about the machinery, we at my school are fairly in tune with nature, but not to a substantial degree."

Just then, an idea entered Jorlaxl's head. First reaching his hand out to shake Requies', he spoke. "If you're interested, you're welcome to join my school. A room and food will be provided free of charge, and there's always class going on somewhere. If you want, we could even participate on one-on-one sparring, if that's your gig."

Cracking his head to the right, he continued. "All of this is open to you, but only if you spar with me and I find you diverting. What do you say, wanna give it a shot?"

((Crap post, sorry!))

[Requies Artog]

"Nice to meet you, Headmaster," Requies stated. The man explained that the machinery that was being brought in to the island told him that the machinery that was being brought into the island was unknown to him. It was possible that the machinery was still being brought in by someone that he knew about, but he didn't wanna expose it. It could also be possible that the man was telling the truth.

The headmaster shook his hand and asked him about joining his school. He didn't really think about what he was searching for exactly, but maybe this was the case. Requies also didn't really notice the name of Crane as well. He released his grip and shrugged, saying, "You have my interest. While I'm here, I may also be able to find out if there are actual machines being transported here..."

He paused when the man requested that he sparred with him, to prove if Requies' worth his time. The ex-soldier nodded to the man, asking, "I'll gladly spar you... But first, would you prefer fighting in this environment of ice or go elsewhere?"

[Jorlaxl]

Bowing low, Jorlaxl adjusted his training weights, keeping them securely on. requies' question was a good one, and he motioned with his hand to follow him. Turning his back to the human, showing a sign of budding trust, he began walking down the path he came from, talking the whole time. "We can spar back at my school, if that's no problem to you. That way, it'll prevent a long and tiring walk back should you wish to stay. I have Ki-resistant walls, so we shouldn't be destroying anything any time soon."

At the rate they were walking, it wouldn't take too long to get back to his school. After a few minutes, however, Jorlaxl began to tire himself, his physical body weaker than most people. Levitating, he began leisurely floating back to the school, taking this time to recover. Whenever he felt exhausted, he often did this. Requies might view it as a sign of reverence, or of mocking weakness, depending on his character. Still, as they walked (or floated), Jorlaxl broke the silence.

"So, before I accept you into the school, I desire to learn about you. What exactly is your background? Where did you come from?" Smiling, he turned his head back to look at the human.

[Requies Artog]

Requies bowed before walking with the young looking master. He became interested in seeing these... Ki resistant walls, that Jorlaxl was talking about. The science behind it seemed to veer towards the thought of absorbing small amounts of energy to minimize the contact... Something along the lines of rubber, probably.

Jorlaxl asked Requies about his past, in which the ex-soldier replied, "Well... To not bore you that much, I grew up with the lower middle class back in North City, having to deal with money issues, food problems, and gangs in the neighborhood I grew up in. It was due to this life that I decided to join the military, to try and make myself better. However, I found myself stuck at the rank of private for 5 years, despite accomplishing various missions that led to ensuring some of the safety you see now a days... I guess you can thank my captain for that. I left the military and made my way around a bunch of places, trying to look for a better way to make myself known and found myself in a dojo at Satan City. I stayed there for a little while, learning how to use my confidence and will power during fights. After a while, I heard about that interstellar treaty ceasing between our world and those two major space powers and, after a month, found myself meeting you here."

The young master had been levitating already, after feeling a bit weary from walking. It made Requies think that maybe Jorlaxl could have had some sort of biological problem that made him physically weak faster. Requies joined him in levitating a little above the ground as they moved along, moving up next to the man as he did.

"So... How about yourself? How'd you become master of the Crane School," Requies asked.

[Jorlaxl]

Jorlaxl listened to the young soldier, hearing his story well. "Yes, the military is a respectable career choice. I joined up with a planetary militia once, as a matter of fact." Through the trees, the two would be able to make out his school, at long last. "After I returned from an... expedition, I decided to settle down on Earth, and start up a school. Completely by luck, I found this school here. I fixed it up, added a few things, and before you knew it, I got this school up and running." Requies would see many young students training in the yards. He would also notice a temperature change, making him feel warmer and at home. Some of the students were levitating as well, more often than not still, meditating. The flowers around the school were beautiful, and overall, this place was very beautiful indeed.

Stopping his own levitation at the steps of the school, Jorlaxl walked them easily enough, regaining the spring in his step. Motioning towards Requies, Jorlaxl would lead him through the school. Pointing to the kitchen, Jorlaxl said, "Feel free to grab some food in there, if you want. What's mine is yours and whatnot." After his young friend grabbed some food (or not,) Jorlaxl would lead him back into his own chamber, which looks rather bare compared to the rest of the school. A bed, a couch, and a bookcase were the only things of note here.

Walking to the edge of the wall, he spoke once more. "Open."

Silently, almost as if greased with muffled ki, the wall slid open, revealing a large room which could be assumed was the sparring room. The walls were strong, and ki resistant as he boasted, but looked no different than regular walls of any normal dojo. The room was about 50 yards long and wide, making a square fighting arena. Warming up with a few mantras spoken under his breath, Jorlaxl bowed low before stating, "If you are ready, you may make your attack now. But be warned, this is simply until one of us says to stop."

[Requies Artog]

As they entered the dojo, Requies couldn't help but notice the severe difference in climate change. The dojo was warm, with not a single bit of frosted ice on anything. The ex-soldier thought to himself, halting for a brief moment, "This couldn't be the work of the Capsule Corp. machinery, could it? They usually deal with highly advanced technology from space ships, space travel, gravity, and robotics, along with examining alien technology... They wouldn't deal with something along the lines of heat, would they?"

Requies looked around a bit at the dojo, seeing Crane school students practice some of their art. He brought his attention back forward, rushing to catch up with Jorlaxl and go inside. They passed the kitchen, as the young master stated that Requies could have some food while he was here. At the moment, he wasn't necessarily hungry, but he'd stop by it in the future to fill his stomach.

They entered a very barren looking bed chamber. It seemed to be the master's room, but it was very empty. However, Requies wasn't a person to judge another's maintenance of their room, since he didn't really have much back his own apartment. The young master walked up to a wall and told it to open, upon which it did. They entered a room that seemed to have a glowing sheen on its walls. It was probably due to the ki absorbing feature the master said it had.

Requies placed his possessions outside the room and walked in. As began to limber up, Requies asked Jorlaxl, "After this match of ours, perhaps you could explain why the dojo is so warm while the rest of the island is... Well... A frozen tundra. It seems like there is some technology here on the island and I can't say I'm exactly sure on whether it's because you have something here, to keep your dojo warm, or if it's something else. First, lets get down to business, shall we?"

He readied himself into a very basic stance, involving both his hands balled up into fists and his legs widened into a horse form. The master offered Requies the first move, in which the soldier took. His aura flared up a little in small spurts around him, as he bound forward in one leap. He rapidly charged his energy into his right fist and slammed it forward, roaring out, "Bulwark... Destruction!"

The energy exploded out into a wide, expanding cone in front of his fist. It would smack the young master into the floor if he did not move out of the way, damaging the floor as well, though only partially due to the ki-resistant quality it and the walls had.


(In a nutshell, jumping up high and coming down with bulwark destruction from 8 ft. above.)

[Jorlaxl]

((Sorry for the super late reply! Also, this is in the forest, not the tundra. Were you confused as to the location?))

Even while the man talked, Jorlaxl was preparing his own mental ki. Although he was wearing weighted clothing, the Master's power was more than this one's. Not by a ridiculous amount, of course, but by enough for him to have an advantage. His body was ready and willing, and when Requies jumped up and light shone through his fist in a spectacular way, Jorlaxl was able to react. Wearing a visage of confusion and surprise, this was only the illusion he put forth. Using his Zanzoken, the master of Crane would appear behind Requies, floating in the air. He didn't want to kill this man, so only moves able to incapacitate would do.

As Requies smashed his fist into the ground, knowing that the false master was just that, Jorlaxl used his Mirror Image technique. 20 copies of himself were created, each one an exact duplicate. They all gave off the same ki signature as the real deal, and they all spoke in unison. "You're going to have to do better than that, my friend," they all chorused. The copies all grinned as they began slowly levitating around the room, the real one included. To make matters worse, they rose their hands and began to shoot little missile-shaped kj blasts from each outstretched fingertip.

None of these missiles would be real, of course, except from the ones coming from the real master of Crane. The others, if they connect with Requies, would simply go through him. The real ones, however, would hurt little more than a regular ki blast. Would Requies be able to figure out where the real Jorlaxl was? If so, how would he dispel the clones?

((Sorry in advance for the crap post Dx))

[Requies Artog]

(Don't worry. Noticed you had a lot of threads, so wasn't gonna rush you. As for the tundra comment, it is a comment, nothing more. A way for him to describe the environment, though not for actual description of it.)

The master evaded the attack, not surprising Requies that much. He came crashing down into the floor, leaving a small indent in it. The image of the master phased out before him, revealing the man to be very fast. In fact... The master even decided to form around him in 20 different spots.

"Hm.... Good speed. Very good speed. But-" Requies halted, seeing all them attack, using Ki Blasts. Many phased through him, as he instinctively jumped in the air to evade.

"The master is very fast... Not gonna lie. However, in order to maintain these images up, he'd have to keep himself moving, whilst firing," the ex-soldier thought, as he sped out through the air to the other rim. His plan was to force the master to move out, then attacking swiftly, for swift attacks were the only attacks he was going to land on a man like this.

Requies began to swiftly block the shots as best he could, many of the images fading away upon contact. Every now and again, though, he managed to deflect a real one. From what he could tell, the master was firing in a consistent circle at Requies.

The soldier back flipped and fired a ki blast at an image, the image fading away for a bit, but then reforming because of the master.

"Not that one... Too early," Requies thought to himself, trying to observe where exactly the master would show himself next. It was very brief, but the master's form would solidify when he continued to keep the image up and firing.

Requies saw his opportunity, after figuring out where the master was. He fired a ki blast and quickly followed its path, running through the onslaught of ki images. He wasn't positively sure that Jorlaxl would specifically show up at the spot he fired at, but it was better than not attempting at all.

[Jorlaxl]

((Fair enough. Also, Jorlaxl fights physically half as strong as someone else at his pl, but his ki techniques are twice as strong as someone else his pl.))

Requies' strategy was a sound one. Jorlax's missiles were hitting, causing little damage wherever they weren't specifically blocked, but it seems that the human's strategic thinking spotted him. Grinning, he allowed the ki blast to hit him, causing a sting of pain to radiate through his upper torso. That hurt, even though he had a slight advantage. He'd have to watch out, his melee prowess wasn't as efficient as his ki use. Allowing the charade to drop, the images of the Master of Crane statically faded away. As Requies charged at Jorlaxl, he began pooling ki into his hands and feet, getting ready for his technique to take effect.

When Requies charged at him, Jorlaxl swayed to the left, feigning an attack to his sparring partner's midsection, but suddenly juked to the right, attempting to punch his arm. The ki in his clenched fist would then transfer to the afflicted area's arm, rendering it useless for a bit. ((paralyzed for one post, regain feeling by another.)) This was, of course, if it hit where he intended. Although he could feel the power difference, he isn't as physically powerful as others his age or fighting ability.

"Well done, Requies. You're better than most other humans on this planet, that's for sure."

((Ughhh, crap post. Muse, where are you?))

[Requies Artog]

Requies leaped at the young master with strong, right handed hook to the face. The master did a feint, though, and the blow was dodged. Jorlaxl countered the strike by hitting a pressure point on Requies's raised left arm. The arm went limp, forcing Requies to sweep back across with a backhanded strike from his right hand. The soldier then hopped away, taking a readied stance.

"Good blow, master Jorlaxl. I didn't expect you to be able to recover so quickly from the ki attack," Requies stated, a grin forming on his face. The master was fast and, from what Requies could tell, more skilled and powerful than he was showing. The thought, though, was put aside, as a strange statement came from the man.

"You're better than most humans on this planet, that's for sure."

Requies asked him, "That's a strange compliment... But why say better than most humans? Aren't you human yourself?"

To Requies, Jorlaxl looked like a human being. He didn't spot any sort of extra appendages, nor did he see any discerning characteristics about him. Requies then figured that it was probably just a note that there were other humans on the Earth that were stronger than him and that the master was one such a man.

"You know what," Requies stated, "Forget the question. Lets continue this sparring match."

He fanned his right hand in front of himself, firing a spread shot of ki blasts at the master, to see how the master could dodge him.

[Jorlaxl]

Requies took the bait.

Jorlaxl's seemingly passive comment stopped the human, at least momentarily. Asking about his own genetic heritage, Requies seemed confused, albeit nonplussed. This was good, for this would decide whether or not he would find a place at Jorlaxl's school. How he reacted to this little tidbit of information would show much about not only Requies as a person, but as a fighter as well. A pause in the combat allowed Jorlaxl to catch his breath, something he needed. So much expenditure of his ki in a rapid fashion tired him out.

Standing there, defenseless, Jorlaxl spoke for a brief second.

"Contrary to what you see, I only bear resemblance to humans. I have the genetic DNA of 4 different species within me, human being the least prevalent one. I hope this... doesn't offend you." Jorlaxl knew full well that Geurin had quite a few anti-alien laws put into place on Earth in the past 5 years. And if what Requies told him earlier about being in the military was any indication, he may or may not harbor a little prejudice because of it.

If not, then he would be more of a freewilled individual because of it. Either way, Jorlaxl was ready and willing to see how the human would react. "You see, I have certain aspects of myself augmented bec-OOF" Looking down, Jorlaxl saw that the glowing signature of ki, and then slowly looked up, revealing Requies' spread hand, light dimming from each finger. It was only with the split-second revelation that he was attacked that the pain came seeping through his veins, staggering him. Slowly, he fell back to the ground, holding one hand to his torso.

Shaking his head gently, he regained his composure. Smirking in an attempt to both hide his pain and make himself seem like less of an ill-prepared fighter, he spoke yet again. "Sorry for running my mouth during our fight, but your ki techniques are remarkable. If you're interested in learning more about mastering your ki, you've come to the right place. But of course, this is the here and now. So, let's finish this-" Jorlaxl would now disappear, using his instant transmission. Reappearing directly in front of Requies (unprepared, hopefully,) Jorlaxl put his hands on either side of his head, closing his eyes. A bright light of ki-intensified energy exploded into the room.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

[Requies Artog]

(Apologies about the shortness of the post. Not really much to go on at the moment.)

Requies listened to the man, only to realize he interrupted his opponent mid sentence. He began to recover feeling in his arm, but it was still paralyzed from the attack before. Requies tried to recover from his own attack to defend himself, but the master instantaneously flashed right before him. Jorlaxl then released a blinding light from his forehead. Requies tried to cover his eyes as best he could, but the light still hit his eyes.

"Gah," Requies grunted. He closed his eyes tightly and instinctively swung his fist out in front of him, to try and push the master away if he was still there. He then charged a ki blast into his free hand and slammed it down into the ground, hoping the blast would lift up some dust off the ground and cover him while he recovered his sight and feeling in his left arm.

Requies then stated, "Well, that'd explain the meaning behind your statement. As far as I'm concerned, though, you're human and a citizen on the Earth."