Arc 4: What families entail
Near the top of Godrick mountain, in the layer before the most spiritually dense area in the forest. The Greatest Spirit Knight and the unofficial Spirit Knight in training slept within the master's large tan tent, a heater made from the Blacksmith. Using metal, magical sigils and seals, flame crystals, and fire wood to keep the two warm. Then, so early the sun had yet to rise, stood Ryo himself. Staring down at a sleeping Gray, placing his hand against his blanketed shoulder.
Ryo: "Wakey wakey."
As he spoke he sent Spirit mana toward Grays OD and into his body, causing him to leap out of the mat in a panic.
Gray: "Quit doin that!"
Ryo: "Eventually you'll get used to it. Now, take this and let's go."
He handed Gray his thermos of coffee, burning his hands while Ryo walked out of the tent. Taking in the harsh, freezing, snowy breeze with a smile.
Gray {Guess he figured out I like coffee a lot more than tea.}
As he dressed he thought about his journey, and what was coming next. With Ryo more specifically, the harsh two weeks of training. Now a few days past the two week mark, he was still unable to handle spirit mana or find his own spirit. Because of how many times he had used the mana surged, cracked or injured his OD, he had a far better grasp on feeling and finding his OD than most others. And still he could not find his astral self, the spirit, or whatever Ryo's strange words meant.
Gray: "New pants?"
He was momentarily distracted while getting dressed, as he had found his clothes already folded by Ryo. So, taking off his jacket, and with a heavy breath, the cursed charm along with it. Placing on the Walgonian shirt, a new pair of black pants with white segments around the cuffs, the pockets, and the zipper. Made from the same flexible and resistant material his shirt was made from. So, placing his belt on and taking his sword, he stepped out to smile toward Ryo. Through his bandages and bruises covering his body.
Ryo: "Today is the day, because I think you're ready."
Gray: "REALLY! YES! I'm going to get some moves."
Ryo: "It's nice to see you energetic."
Gray: "The faster I get done here I can get back to Rosemary and the rest of my friends! I even got a letter from them yesterday, y'know sent by the owl, and they made it to Athens! They're doing their part, so it's time to finally do mine."
Ryo and Gray then took a breath, facing each other. With Gray bowing to his master right after.
Gray: "So, what's the new thing? If it's sword stuff I have a little experience. Musashi wanted to train me in the water sword style. Would you be able to teach me that?"
Ryo: "The water sword style?"
Gray: "Yeah water sword style, y'know like one of the four sword styles."
It took him a moment, but then he figured out what Gray was talking about. Sighing a bit, leaving Gray extremely confused and a bit panicked.
Ryo: "Oooh, yeah that's totally fake. Simply put, it's just a personality test used by older teachers. Those sword styles haven't been around since the early days of mana. Musashi just asked you which one you wanted to train in to see if you were the type of person he would teach."
Gray: "REALL!? I wish he told me that!"
Ryo: "It's an old trick, but those sword styles do have great things to pull from. The idea of flowing and carrying momentum through any stance or way of fighting, it's something that fuses creativity and skill. Taking everything around the world and combining it into a perfect style was how Musashi reached the top. I'd keep it all in mind, but now I will teach you the next level of the Spirit Arts."
Gray: "Yes!"
Even after living in this world for the past three, almost four months, every time he got to learn anything new about this world he would be filled with glee. Especially if it meant he could learn something new. The idea of mana, magic, fighting, being anything more than a tall lanky wreaking would always make him happy. To keep stepping away from himself to forget it all and move forward with a clear mind, however that was something impossible to do.
Ryo: "It doesn't have an official name or anything, it's pulling spirit mana into your mana."
Gray: "You gotta name 'em or they don't feel as cool to use. And I can't do that! Everytime I try it almost breaks me!"
Ryo: "Pulling Spirit mana into your body is different than pulling it into your mana, along with pushing mana out. Pushing mana out is the easiest, but the learning curve is high. However, taking in Spirit mana is what will be the best for you."
Ryo pulled out his katana, holding it under the rising sun and falling snow. Creating a perfect, dense, still aura tightly around his body, he then thought toward the Spirits.
Ryo: "Pulling in mana is best thought of as, the spirits are an OD. You pull from that OD instead of your OD, connecting it with some of your mana."
Gray backed up, taking out his blade and attempted to layer an aura around himself. Unable to spread mana out toward the spirits without throwing off his concentrated aura, leaving his body in a bit of pain as he attempted to think toward the Spirits.
Ryo: "Thinking toward the spirits, feeling and seeing them and perfecting the flow, is one of the keys to perfect spell use. But also with taking in mana, thinking to them, like you're wishing for it, like you're truly grateful."
Gray then closed his eyes, fixing his stance and posture. Exhaling, trying to calm himself down from how loud and obnoxious he was acting, and just thought about the spirits. It was cold, the spirits like warm bubbles in the air. Small bright blue clouds with white cores, the air blue with spirit mana, the world and mountain coated in it.
Ryo: "Now, focus the spirit mana into your blade. Just like you would with normal mana."
Again he attempted to heighten his focus, accidently pulling mana into his body and surging his senses for a moment. When Ryo went to stop, Gray slammed his foot into the snow and held his ground. Managing to pull spirit mana into his blade to turn his purple mana blue, slashing down with a faint trail behind it. Leaving Ryo clapping with joy.
Ryo: "Good! Now, watch me."
In an instant Ryo spun and sent out a large blade of bright blue and white mana, along with the air and momentum to slice three dying trees to pieces. Leaving Gray's mouth wide open and jumping in awe.
Gray: "AWESOME! Nothing I did at all but still that was awesome!"
Smiling, Ryo began to lead Gray further into the mountain, the wind and snow growing harsher as they passed. Triggering Gray to ignite a small layer of mana around his body, holding him down like a heavy weight but managing to heat him from the frost.
Ryo: "I told you that you would get more used to it."
Gray: "Yeah yeah, I think I've just been getting better at holding the aura."
As they moved, a large Winter Bruin would launch forward. A high-Tier Spirit Beast resembling a large white wolven bear, roaring and lunging toward Gray. Ryo would step forward, speaking while dragging his blade across the snow.
Ryo: "So explain what we just did."
Ryo's blade would fling out with spirit mana, leaving a gash in its shoulder and locked eyes with the beast. Imitating a pulse of powerful and dense mana toward the beast to overwhelm it with a sense of panic, running from the God of War.
Gray: "Umm, you got the spirits to hold the shape of your mana, so when you swung they kept the mana in the blade shape, allowing for a ranged, fast, spirit attack."
Ryo: "Good job, that's a perfect explanation!"
Gray: "Well I've done something similar I think, and I'm not that smart, I just kinda guessed."
Ryo: "You've done something similar?"
Gray quickly held out his hands, surging with mana between them while struggling to hold to condensing flow. Creating a bright purple orb of mana, swinging it against the tree to destroy the dense bark. Along with the bandages on his hand, further injuring it.
Ryo: "Mh, to think using such a large amount of mana in such a simple way. Most would stray from this as it would be a waste, however, with a large pool of mana and pristine control, it could be used to great effect. You should be proud you've done something like this!"
Gray couldn't help but get a taste of disgust in his mouth from Ryo's compliments, only able to think about the massive gap between him and everything else in this world. How, even with all of this mana, such a grand gift, he was so weak. A fool unworthy of anything, let alone praise. However he smiled through it, following Ryo around the area while they spoke.
Gray: "Really? It seems pretty simple and I'm not good at using it."
Ryo: "Something being simple doesn't matter. To you it was simple, that's all. How much practice did it take?"
Gray: "Kinda, I practiced my mana control but I never made the entire thing, I was just losing it and overwhelmed with mana. Even the idea wasn't mine, I saw something similar in a popular manga back home."
Ryo: "Manga?"
Gray: "Doesn't matter."
While Ryo spoke Gray felt a strange surge through the air, flipping around to clash his blade across a terrifying beast.
Gray: "EEK!"
A large, pale, extremely overweight beast. The dense rolls of fat even cover its eyes. Gray's sword would leave a thin gash, sending the beast laughing while dashing into the woods. Leaving Gray horrified and looking all around for the speeding beast.
Gray: "What the hell is this!?"
Ryo: "A mid-tier spirit beast, a Troll. But more importantly, to pull off an attack so quickly and under stressful circumstances, that requires amazing skill."
Ryo's words laid bigger weights against Gray's shoulders than his flaming mana. Focusing on the spirits in the air instead of Ryo's compliments. Attempting to flow spirit mana into his blade once again, his body once again, shaking and shaking while trying not to throw up from the influx of senses.
Ryo: "You are one of if not the most talented knights I have ever seen, but not because you're a prodigy. Your work ethic, how you think, how hard you put your mind to things are what make you so strong. Your commitment to be strong. But you just need more confidence in yourself."
Gray's eyes jotted to the snow covered bushes to his right, the large beast laughing while bursting out. Holding a sharpened tree trunk to Gray's surprise, forcing Gray to leap forward and up. Stepping off of the weapon to kick off the Trolls face. Launching himself backward into a tree, sliding down in pain. His mana flow was gone and his focus disrupted. The laughing monster would instantly lung forward, hitting Gray in the gut before smashing him back into the tree. Coughing and eroding with pain, fear would fill him when the Troll's small mouth dropped open down his torso to reveal a large gaping mouth of thousands of teeth.
Gray: "GOTCHA!"
Erupting with mana, Gray plunged his blade through the top of the beast's head through its open mouth. Since he was struggling to destroy its rough exterior, he figured he needed to go within, which seemed to be a success. Pulling his mana flaming blade down its body before surging with even more mana.
Gray: "CENIC!"
Within the black cloud all that could be heard were sword strikes and low pitched groans of pain, the smoke cleared with Gray's final slash to its back. Leaving Gray huffing and puffing while the troll fell to the floor, covered in gashes, bleeding out.
Gray: "I did it!"
Ryo: "See, another good job. And you did it without using too much mana."
When Ryo went to pat Gray's shoulder it made a disgusting noise while he screamed out in pain, falling to the ground as the pain sat in. Feeling the intense, overwhelming, all encompassing agony. Lunging upward and gasping for air as the pain began to fade, unable to see Ryo. However, as he went to look around, his shoulder let out even more pain. Looking over with tears in his eyes to find Ryo holding it.
Ryo: "Sorry, I had to relocate it."
Gray: "See, you flatter me but I think you're pushing it on all of it, and I can hardly use TItans Impact. It always cuts up and injures my hand, takes too much mana, and too long to charge. So it's not good at all. "
Ryo would lift Gray, giving him a piggy back ride while leaping through the trees. Lightly flowing spirit mana into Gray's body, heightening his senses and overwhelming him past the pain. Mental and physicals, to feel the world around him.
Ryo: "To handle the overwhelming senses you must learn to live within it, not push past it. Eventually it will become second nature. For focusing and throwing out the mana, you must condense and shape it so it will last. Your thinking is good, but you think far too much during anything. And I think it's making you slip up or do things you don't really need to."
They continued to rush forward, overloading Gray more and more. Feeling like he had drunk too much or gotten very sick. Trying to hold in his dinner while smelling the peppermint spirits, hearing their distinct hums and songs, feeling their warmth. His eyes were closed but he could still see around himself, feel around himself. It was scary but he was doing it, he was sweating and about to puke but he was making it.
Ryo: "Now this starts the second step in your training. All of this has been to insure you could make it."
Gray: "Make what?"
Ryo: "You will see in a while."
As Ryo lightly blitzed through the forest, Gray continued to drink the coffee. Attempting to overwhelm the spirit mana within. It was burning, spreading, taking him. From his OD, to his collar, to his waste, to his arms, to his legs. Approaching it all.
Ryo: "I want you to understand, it will be hard and it will hurt a lot, and because you want to go with your friends quickly it'll be a lot in a very short amount of time. But is it meant for you? Are you prepared to take on the burden of a true knight?'
Gray struggled to answer, both because of the overwhelming spirits continuing to build up and his own disgust at himself. But, begrudgingly or not, whether he thought he deserved it or not, he answered through the surging pain.
Gray: "Hell yeah! I've done somethin' similar with Musashi and Gordon, so I accept, and I want to be worthy of calling myself a knight."
Ryo: "Well then, let us get started."
Ryo would slide through a thick branch, down through the sky, across the snow, and right up to their tent. Sitting by the fire pit under the sunlight. Gray walks over to the fire pit, grabbing the flame crystal.
Gray {Don't blow up don't blow up don't blow up!}
He focused the smallest amount of mana he could through his pinky finger, turning the crystal red hot. Falling into the wood to start the fire, leaving Ryo happy and Gray slightly impressed with himself. Kissing his burnt pinky while going to lay against a log, drinking the rest of his coffee. Ryo would instead sip in his tea, spreading his mana toward the spirits to illuminate them within the air. Taking the shape of small cloudy spheres of blue and white light, the elemental spirits glowing the color of their respective element. Making the fire hotter and the snow melt, all while Gray continued to hold a bit of Spirit mana within his body. Exhaling and finally releasing it, not throwing up a single time through the most intense spirit mana he had ever felt.
Ryo: "But, if you are a Spirit Knight, I want you to know this. Some spells, especially because of your great affinity, will kill the spirits. It will slightly weaken the affects off your spells and connection, and -
Gray didn't care about that, only caring about the fact he could be killing spirits.
Gray: "Okay. Does Cenic or Satic do that?"
Ryo's eyes widened, both in awe and in sorrow. Causing Gray to seep into confusion.
Ryo: "You have a defensive affinity, Satic is an offensive spell. The fact you managed to pull that off through sheer connection alone is a great feat, but you have killed spirits when you've used it. So I'd advise you to stop using that spell."
Gray felt an even heavier burden placed on top of the others, seeing into himself while staring up at the floating spirits. Sighing and sighing, struggling to sight. Laughing, smiling, twitching, feeling a haze. Confused, happy, fearful, teary eyed, smiling, drowning, falling -
Gray: "What was in that coffee!?"
He attempted to stand, almost falling back into the fire. Ryo would quickly grab him, placing him down against the snow as he began to twitch and scream. His mana surging out, growing toward the spirits, while his veins quickly glowed blue.
Ryo: "An elixir crafted from the materials on this mountain. It's supposed to greatly enhance your OD and mind's spiritual sensitivity. However it's not the safest of ways."
Gray: "What!? You mean I could die!!"
Screaming, sweating, jumping and running, trying to get away from it all. Pain, and everything else gone, replaced by fear and panic. However he could feel it, beating, burning. Not his heart, but something far more important to him now; he could feel his OD calling out to something. Under his skin, crawling, begging to be let out. A Gray Kyojin within a Gray Kyojin, looking through his own eyes through the back of his head. But he immediately falls to the ground, landing in the snow.
Gray: "W--h---y--?"
Ryo: "Now brace yourself."
Ryo sits Gray up, spooking him while he continues to fall within himself. Sinking deeper, spreading away from all of his senses, falling and falling into the darkness. Ryo on the other hand leaned back, trusting his palm into Gray's chest, slamming pure Spirit mana against his OD. Spreading it through his entire body. The blurry vision fades out, and his sense of touch is removed in an instant, it was almost as if he died. His astral, transparent blue self, getting laughed backward. Floating with immense fear, watching his body hit the ground, Ryo smiled.
Gray: "DID YOU JUST KILL ME!?"
Ryo: "I didn't kill you, this is your astral form."
Gray: "So is this like my astral form?"
Ryo: "Precisely. Your Spirit, or however you wanna say it."
Gray: "COULD HAVE WARNED ME FIRST!"
Ryo: "I guess but you're doing okay now aren't you?"
He sat, floating, rolling in annoyance. Sighing and complying.
Gray: "I feel sick, and my thoughts are so loud it hurts, I can hear mumbling all around me…"
Ryo: "Those are spirits, the better you get adjusted to your spiritual self the stronger your connection will be. I have already mastered the state, and to be able to float around with the spirits is a blessing. The best blessing anyone could be given, other than life itself that is."
Listening to his words and trying his best to stay sane, to feel real, he spoke calmly and honestly.
Gray: "You said you don't want me to use spells because they can hurt spirits. If you feel so strongly about hurting spirits, what about hurting people? Or killing people? I've killed a person. Does that mean I'm a bad person?"
Ryo: "Nobody is a good person. I care for the spirits so much because they give life to everything. People use that life and choose what they want to do with it. You used your life to take another, something that I have done as well. If you don't want to take a life then don't. Just be you."
Gray: "Now how do I get back to my body?"
Ryo: "Focus on something you like that makes you happy or calm, then close your eyes and seep back into your body. Oh and if you stay in the form too long you might die.
Gray: "What!? Alright, happy place!"
Earth, his family, his home, and of course, Rosemary.
Gray {Rosemary, I hope you're doing okay. I hope all of you are doing okay.}
Gray opens his eyes, he slowly gets up and finds himself in his bed back in Ryo's home. Hopping out of his bed he's a bit wobbly and notices through the kitchen window, seeing the setting sun.
Gray: "Well, so far so good."