Down a Peg [completed]

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She saw his confusion and added, "What I mean is that you need to learn how to call up the power your anger gives you, without becoming blind with rage. If you cannot think straight because of anger then you will do yourself no good at all."

[Ishmel Rykov]

Ishmel spit on the ground again, his colorless eyes not able to tell him if blood was in it. He had bitten his tongue on that last part, being "blind with rage" as he was.

"Is that the end of my lesson or what?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"The end? No, this is only the beginning." She wanted to see what he was capable of...to what extent his fury would take him. "Now we will fight again."

She intended to rake the coals of his anger, and started by taking him nearly by surprise with a quick kick to his left knee.

[Ishmel Rykov]

The knee buckled and Ishmel hit the ground roughly, catching himself at a kneeling position before launching himself at De'Ville.

He was angrier than a rancor but in the back of his head he could almost hear De'Ville's voice, '...Call up the power your anger gives you, without becoming blind..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She stepped back and planted her feet as he launched himself at her, hands ready in front of her. As he barrelled into her she slapped away his fists and turned sideways, his attack nearly missing her completely.

[Ishmel Rykov]

One foot touched down, and expecting her to deflect it in some manner, his hand reached out to grab her arm as soon as she pushed his fists away. His other leg landed in place behind her so that his momentum and the placed leg would help in throwing her to the ground.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

He was quick, but she was quicker. Even as his second leg planted she landed a swift kick to the inside of his first leg's knee. He still tried to throw her over his leg, and she complied, bending nearly backwards and touching her hands to the ground. As she evaded his throw, De'Ville kicked both of her feet into the air, aiming for his head.

[Ishmel Rykov]

Her flexibility astounded Ishmel and the proceeding kick to his chin launched him into the air and on his back once he hit the ground; the air rushed from his lungs. He was surprised but quickly learning that from now on he shouldn't be surprised if he wanted any chance, he should expect anything.

He quickly pushed himself up, restancing himself to fight, his fists clenched as he tried to focus the overflowing torrent of anger. This fight was already inevitably in her favor without Ishmel a chance and for that... his eyes blurred in rage... his gray colored lip lifted in a snarl... he could see his hate emanating from his skin... but De'Ville's voice came back about controlling the rage.

A Teras Kasi proverb entered his mind along with her teachings, "There is nothing, only the void in which your anger and kindness means nothing, there has always been nothing but the void and there will never be nothing but the void, focus on the void."

Instantly his hatred was there, in the void. He fed it into the void like trying to push a rushing wave of lava and ice down the sink of the universe. It seemed like it took an eternity until he could see clearly again. Ishmel could still see the hatred flowing off of him but his vision was clear, his fists still clenched, and his lip still lifted.

Unbeknownst to him that only a few seconds had passed, he still launched himself back at De'Ville in a counterattack.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

He came at her, faster this time, nearly a blur as he pushed the fury into a tight ball which he could control better. Ishmel snarled as he attacked, and she blocked with her forearms, forcing his hands down with twisting motion. Face to face with her apprentice, she bashed his nose with her forehead, getting satisfaction as blood spurted nearly instantly.

They broke apart, and she swept her leg out, trying to get him off his feet and complete his humiliation.

[Ishmel Rykov]

The leg knocked his feet from out under Ishmel as he hit the ground on his back, all he could see was flashes across his vision as he closed his eyes. He could taste fresh blood on his lips and could feel it flowing down the side of his cheek.

The void couldn't contain the hate at being once again deflected so easily. Ishmel slammed the ground with his fist as he sighed. He sat up on his elbows and wiped blood away from his nose, which did not help in the least.

"What now? More useless attempts? More wasted time? Anything else needed to point out that I couldn't have failed a bit more?"

He was standing by now, cupping his nose and holding it to try and prevent anymore blood loss.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She slapped him for his insolence, and then added, "You were doing well until just then. And if you feel I am wasting your time, you are free to leave the planet.

"However, once you learn how to contain the hate and the energy it gives you, then we can progress onto other things."

[Ishmel Rykov]

Blood had gone flying from his cupped hand as she had slapped him. The slap had started a flash of reactions within Ishmel though. His childhood abuse of being the outcast and getting beat up for, the slaps he recieved from his drunk father all the time, and his blood now splayed across the lawn like rain in front of him all created a blast of hate within him.

"However, once you learn how to contain the hate and the energy it gives you, then we can prgress onto other things."

Ishmel heard her and with that, he threw all his hate once more into the void, the endless container of his hate. Being so close, he focused this void at De'Ville and decided it was time enough to stuff her into it as well.

His fist flew from his side at her, his other hand ready to counter anything she might try to defend with.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The Force flickered, gave warning, and De'Ville managed to dodge most of his blow. His fist clipped her head, and she ducked to the side, countering with a punch to his chest that he turned aside. "The Force gives quickness where there was none, and stealth -" she blocked his second blow with a grunt, "stealth to the clumsy.

"You learn this lesson, and we will have much more to speak about next time." De'Ville was pleased at his reaction, and allowed him to come at her again. "Feed the anger, Rykov, and feel the power."

[Ishmel Rykov]

Rykov could barely hear her words but he listened nonetheless over the roar of containing the hatred in the void. Like feeding a fire that consumes everything, he continued to push more into the void. Ishmel was still angry that neither of his hits had done what he wanted.

A bare flicker of fatigue passed through his mind as he almost lost control of the void, the hatred almost spilling out like a tidal wave; something he might have welcomed at another time when not worrying about focusing it. His chest ached for some reason. He vaguely remembered her hitting him. Ishmel would worry about remembering later, the pain was pushed as well as he could manage into the void.

A dodge and a block were nothing to him but a good looking failure compared to everything else she had done against him so far. He pushed this thought in with the hatred as it drained into the void. Learn this lesson? Much more to speak about next time? Both questions seemed meaningless to him, and yet Ishmel knew he would continue until he had completed the objective just to get the point across that he could do it.

His focus went from controlling the void to once again unleashing it upon his teacher. Instead of lunging though he one foot forward and then the other before that to give him a more solid base to absorb any blow he expected might come in return. One fist twisted and flew at her; the other kept its defensive position to deflect and counter again.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena noticed how quickly he picked up on her moves, and how his failure to hurt her angered him. As he punched out at her once more, she blocked with a forearm. His second fist came in and scored a hit on her side.

De'Ville twisted away from further hits, and spun around, kicking squarely at his shoulder. In their next training session she would begin to teach him about the Force, but he was much too defiant right now. He could not comprehend the Master/Apprentice relationship, and that he would have to understand, even if she had to break him.

[Ishmel Rykov]

Ishmel stepped back as the void exploded in his mind like a dam being crushed by a flooding river and he lost control of it. He'd made a hit but it had not looked to have any apparent effect and then she had easily moved out of range without a moment between the following kick that landed in his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as the hatred lost its focus; Rykov could feel it like a shower of loathing drowning his body.

How could he be so weak? He had been the predator back at home. How could a being be set on such a higher level above Ishmel in the ability to destroy?

His fists clenched and his grey knuckles went bonewhite.

HATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATEHATehatehateha tehatehatehate...

It slowly subsided and his hands opened to brush the hair out of his face as he spit at the ground. He sighed and his shoulders sagged slightly.

"What now De'Ville?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She planted another kick in his chest as he sagged. "You will address me as Master." Ishmel fell backwards, but regained his balance quickly...probably because of his interest in Teras Kasi and his rudimentary training in such. "As for what is next, there is nothing next today. I cannot teach someone who thinks they know it all already."

De'Ville stepped closer to him, and then stopped. "Come back tomorrow morning, if you wish to learn. If not, you can find your way off planet easily enough." If he chose to leave, she would have to send someone after him to kill him... It was a shame, really, but he would be a liability to their secrecy here on Onderon. She made a mental note to have his room watched. Watched by someone who'd make it just obvious enough that Ishmel was not trusted, and that if he wanted to make it here, he'd have to prove it.

[Ishmel Rykov]

Ishmel did not give an answer right away except for turning his head away to spit. His ego was damaged badly but he was too tired to bother with it. Ishmel had not known he was walking into an apprenticeship here. He'd been told he would serve and he'd get what he wanted. Again, like several other times back at the slums of Coruscant, Ishmel was reminded that the fine print made the deals.

He craved a cold shower as he could feel the pain of the bruises and the aching bones seep into him from the vanished void. With another sigh he held a hand to his chest and turned his back on De'Ville. He made it to the door in slow dragging steps; the door lifting up with quickly to let Ishmel through.

"I reckon I'll see ya in the mornin' then Maste'."

Ishmel headed out, taking his time as he made his way back to the his small room in the servant's quarters.