Location: Courtyard

Characters:
Tristain Gaidin
Kile Myran'dra (trainee sponsored by Tristain)

Kile walks out of the barracks, whistling a little tune as he's apt to do. A grin spreads on his face as he notices Tristain. He heads over to his sponsor Gaidin, waving casually.

Tristain nods slightly, the usual smile and pleasant look in his eyes not appearing. As he speaks, its clear something is different. "Ready for another lesson, Kile?"

Kile looks at Tristain, a bit confused at the lack of emotion. He nods. "I suppose."

Tristain closes his eyes briefly, and his expression softens within a blink. When he again opens his eyes, a crooked grin appears on his face and he stands from the bench, motioning down on it. "Do you know, what makes us such good fighters, Kile? What makes us as swift as we are and oblivious to pain in some people's eyes?"

Kile shakes his head, and then stops. "I think I've heard a bit about it, Nik was telling me... You call it the void, correct?" He moves to take a seat.

"Aye." Tristain moves to stand in front of you. "Find a relaxed position, make yourself comfortable." He waits until the Trainee does so, before proceeding. "It will all come with practice, once you know what to do and once you reach it, the easier it will become. Are you ready?" The Tinker Gaidin cocks his head slightly, moving his hands behind his back.

Kile shrugs. "I'm not sure, I'm comfortable though." He smiles.

Tristain smiles and nods, "Clear your mind, close your eyes and clear your mind" The Tinker's voice turns softer, his already musical tendencies coming forth as he speaks. "Put a single image in your mind, of a flame. Make it a clear one, when you have it, let me know."

Kile nods, closing his eyes. His mind shifts, trying to capture what a flame really looks like, not the heat and smoke that comes off from it, but that flame deep down around the coals, that hovering, shimmering burning air that moves as if with a mind of its own. The image slowy enters his mind, and he nods.

"Good" Tristain's voice carefully lowered, to not disturb the concentration it takes. "Now, feed all your emotions to it. Let everything disappear into the flame, feel nothing, think nothing, all there is, is the flame."

Kile lets it slowly slip away, his thoughts go first, only the flames, then goes his perception of whats around him, loosing the feel of the openess of the courtyard for the cool embrass of nothing. Everything he slowly lets slide away, but one thing, it holds on the edge of his mind, a tower in a world gone tumbling into the void. His dream, his love for the country he's never seen, it sits there immobile in the darkness swirling around it... He stammers out, in a pained whisper "I can't... I can't let that go."

Tristain watches the Trainee intently, then speaks again. "Let the flame take care of it, Kile. Feed it, make it burn and strengthen you." Its clear, this Gaidin has faith in the Trainee, encouraging him to perhaps, stretch his very limits.

Kile watches in his minds eye as the flame grows under the encouragemnt of the tinker, the darkness being devoured only to reveal more of the same, the tower stands vigil watching over the event, its stone walls showing only the slightest signs of coming into contact with the flame... His voice is almost silent as he mouths out "How can I give up all that I am? All that I desire? Who will that leave?" His body is entirely devoid of movement, seeming detached. He could be dead, and that look of anguish on his face, the only part of him still alive, looks like it's dieing.

Tristain's voice is even lower now, but already halfway there you can hear it clearly. "You hold on too tight, give in. Feed your fear of loosing yourself to the flame. Feed your uncertainty to the flame. Let it take care of you, as you feed it."

Kile shivers as the void quakes and the flame lashes out against the wall of the tower, it slowly starts to collapse in, crumbling, the stones falling, being eaten away by the flame before they can land... The emotion slow fades from his face, his jaw relaxing, his mouth which looks almost like a silent scream shutting slowly, the last thing left is his eyes. A single tear escapes them ... The last stone of the tower slowly falls into the flame, seeming to hang on to its solidity in a vein attempt at life. And then, like all the others it to is devoured by the flame, that twisting living fire that sits hovering in the middle of nothing...

Tristain nods, stepping around to Kile's side. He allows him to feel the full of the Void he reached, before he puts a hand to his shoulder, most probably breaking the focus. Through the pride, compassion is seen in the Tinker's expressive eyes, not saying a word.

Kile screams as the void is shattered, his eyes opening in terror, his heart racing. He tries to speak, but no words come out...

Tristain keeps his hand on the Trainee's shoulder, crouching down to face him. "Slow breaths, friend. Calm.. "

Kile closes his eyes, trying to slow down his breathing, then snaps them open again remembering what he'd just done. "I..." He can't say the rest, it hurts to much...

Tristain shakes his head, his eyes still still speaking more then he would with words to the Trainee. "You will adjust to it, give it time. I had the same problem." He pats Kile on the shoulder, then rises.

Kile stands, a little shakey, and then sits back down. His mind keeps going through what he'd just done, his hopes, his dreams, he destroyed...

"Kile, you will learn how to block this. How to adjust and accept." Tristain's voice is low, but clear to hopefully put the Trainee at ease. "Trust me, trust the Light."

Kile stands, more assured of himself this time, less wobbly. He looks at Tristain, and with all the seriousness he has withing him says "Who else do I have to trust." He turns and walks towards the barracks.

Tristain says nothing to that, accepting it for what it is, something he'll do his best to never fail. He allows Kile to go to the barracks, as he himself, turns back into the void.