Catch a Tiger by the Toe (Nature Training) (Training Dummy Used)

The wind, heat and moisture blew past Asura's still body as he sat there. The roar of the water fall and stream nearby also touched his ears as he meditated. Following the teachings of Vidav, Asura continued to practice his meditation-- to learn how to become one with nature.

From afar, Ravana watched as he saw Asura take on the training-- a feat that he himself couldn't accomplish. He watched as Asura meditated with Vidav close by, observing his progress.

"Jealous, Ravana?"

Through the leaves and trees-- the giant head of Boss Byakko loomed behind him.

"Why would I be?" The white haired man grunted.

"Because he is actually able to master a technique you can't. The look on your face is priceless-- I almost considering calling us even." the tiger growled in amusement.

"Shut up, whiskers..." Ravana grumbled.

Asura didn't listen to the whispers of the two as he was focusing only on what mattered. Slowly, however, as time passed, he began to feel a tingle in the air around him. Slowly, he cracked open an eye-- and he saw it.

A light wisp of movement like wind move thorugh the air around him. It wove around him, and all with the surrounding jungle.

"I... I think I can see it..." Asura said as he slowly rose his head.

Vidav smiled and slid from the rock he was perched on. "Very good, Asura. You took to sensing Nature Energy quicker than I thought. That is the easy part however..."

Having taken interest now to what was going on, others of the Blood Vale Tiger Tribe began to look on from afar. CHigatsumi and Bloody Mist hid in the canopy above them as Vidav explained the next step.

"Now that you can sense the flow of nature, what you must do now is learn to safely draw it into yourself. This is where the true danger in this training lie," Vidav said as he pointed back to the drawings he made the other day. "YOu must perfectly balance Nature Energy with your other energies. If you take in too little, there is no change... however, if you take in too much, it will begin to overwhelm you, and transform you into something... else."

Asura gulped at the term. "What do you mean something else?"

A sigh escaped the elder tiger as he clapped his paws together. A sudden poof of smoke appeared, and a baton into his grip. "Why don't you see for yourself... Meditate on the energy and try to draw it into your body. Slowly..."

"Um, okay...?" Asura replied and returned to his meditative state.

He could sense the energy around him, warm and pleasant as the sunshine on his skin. It soon began to drift to him as he willed to weave himself in its flow. Slowly, he felt a tingle in his body, that almost tickled him lightly on his skin.

"Open your eyes now Asura."

Asura opened his eyes and stopped meditating. Vidav somehow conjured a mirror made of water-- and what Asura saw...

Was a humanoid version of him with two cat ears sticking out and whiskers from his cheeks.

"Eh....GHAAAAAAA!!!"

His scream caused birds to flee from the tree tops. Certain animals turned at the noise. Chigatsumi and Bloody Mist in the trees-- laughed and slapped their knees at the sight and reaction of Asura.

Asura jumped up to his feet to see his hands also seem to have a soft layer of fur growing. "God! What the fuck is this?! I gotta--"

WHACK!!

Asura's panic was halted by a sudden smack to the head by Vidav. He smacked the stick in Asura's back hard-- more than what Asura thought the elder cat was.

"Hey! What was that for, you crazy ca---" Asura stopped as he soon saw the water mirror before him.

One moment he looked like some cartoon with a cat face-- and the next, his appearance was normal. The cat ears on top of his head were gone, and the light sheen of fur had vanished, as if it wasn't even there.

"Vidav... please tell me that was some crazy genjutsu you put on me," Asura asked, his tone dragged down with anxiety.

"Nope," Vidav said. The water mirror he conjured soon vanished, and Vidav appeared behind it. He tapped the stick in his hand slowly in pace. "That is what happens when you take in too much Nature Energy. If you take in too much without proper control, you will start progressing-- or degressing I suppose-- to be one with nature. In short, turning you into an animal. A tiger, like us."

A chill ran down Asura's body at the thought of him losing his humanity. "You mean, perminantly?"

Vidav nodded. "Luckily, if you only take in a little too much, the process is reversible. But if you go too far, you will be forever transformed into a tiger. " Vidav explained with a serious tone and expression on his face.

He held his breath for a moment, the realization of how dangerous this training was now dawning on him.

At that moment, Chigatsumi and Bloody Mist dropped in behind Asura and the two wound their arms around his shoulders. "Aw, come on! What's wrong being a tiger?" Chigatsumi said.

"Yeah. Its actually pretty fun," Bloody Mist added with a smirk. "You get to sleep in the sun all day, and fish every day. Its the greatest."

Asura frowned without turning to his two friends-- their humor not amusing to him. "Thanks but I like my opposable thumbs and standing on two feet, if you don't mind."

Vidav glared at the two tigers and growled at them. "Chigatsumi! Bloody Mist! That's enough of your heckling!" the tiger said and swatted his stick through the air. "Interrupt us, and you will face the consequences. "

Both brothers stopped and let go of Asura. "Eh... sorry, Lord Vidav." Bloody Mist said.

"We meant no harm..." Chigatsumi said, pouting a bit.

Asura sighed, and shrugged off the two tigers. "So how do I stop becoming a cat?" Asura asked.

"You can't-- not until you learn to balance Nature Energy properly. You must not move. Not even a quiver or impulse will cause too much nature energy. " Vidav said and slapped the stick in his grasp with his paw's palm. "I can, however, with this. This stick is made of a special wood that influences nature energy. All I have to do is give you a light tap and i can force it out of you-- reversing the transformation."

"I see..." Asura replied with a nervous tone.

"... Unless you want to give up. The danger is real so I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stop..." Vidav lingered slowly.

"No, I won't."

Vidav turned to Asura, and saw the serious look in his eye. "I don't plan on giving up now. I'll go all the way. I haven't gone thorugh all this to just turn tail and run!"

A smirk showed on Vidav's mussel as he turned once more to the young ninja. "Okay then. Let's continue. Try to draw in the nature energy. Should you get too far, I'll knock some sense into you."

Chigatsumi and Bloody Mist soon left for the side of the clearing as Asura once more began to meditate.

The rest of the afternoon, he proceeded to try and absorb nature energy-- constantly interrupted by his transformation, and the series of smacks and shouts that disturbed the jungle.

"OW! You call that a gentle tap?!" Asura shouted.

"Quit your belly-aching! You wanna lick yourself clean?"

"YOUCH! My head!"

"DOn't move! You must remain perfectly still as a stone."

"Why would I be a stationary target for your stick-beating!? "

WHACK!!

"Those are not cat ears-- they are lumps from all your beatings, stupid cat!"

"What-- oh sorry..."

The only other sounds was the hilarious laughter of the tiger twins and Ravana as they saw Asura endure the harsh training that Nature Energy demanded.

Thread End.

1340 words-- exp.

Dice rolls 2/3 of first Training dummy +10 points to nature control.

+2 additional to all stats for Quick Learner.

Number 1-- Nature Control. Number 2 and 3-- Endurance.

The member 'Enjin' has done the following action : Dice

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'Exercise Dice' : 10, 9, 2

Total-- +22% Nature Control. Endurance--+15