February 4th: Bravado - Super Saturday word count - - pay an escalation cost for each /
400 words - The Characters must act quickly! Out the door, down the road, fearlessly onward, they will meet their enemies on the field of battle!br /
+ 200 words - Some verbal or physical muscle flexing from the /
+ 200 words - An inspiring /
+ 200 words - Adventure awaits!
"Come on, Tien. I'm going to do some training."
"Train?"
Chiaotzu smiled as Tien put on a serious face and held his fists out in front of him. It had been a week since Shen had told him to start training the toddler in telepathy. Every time Chiaotzu had started explaining the basics, he had had to stop. Tien's innocent gaze seared into him, made him uncomfortably aware of how trusting the boy was. This was an inherent betrayal of that trust, a perversion of the boy's mind, and he didn't have the stomach to do it.
"Yes, Tien. Master Shen wants us to go out to the mountains. It's good for us to get some sun on our skin."
"Chaozu white," Tien said. His voice was matter-of-fact. When Chiaotzu figured out it had indeed been 'white', not 'right' as he'd initially thought he stifled a laugh, snorting into the cup of his hand and nodding.
"I don't think some sun is going to change that, Tien."
Tien giggled. Their hands linked and Chiaotzu led the boy from the school, helping him keep his balance. The Crane School was based in the mountains overlooking a winding river banked by dense pine forests. Beyond that was farmland, fields of every colour spread in an undulating patchwork quilt. Another mountain range broke up the distant horizon, wearing wispy skirts of thin cloud.
Chiaotzu set Tien up in a small clearing, protected by a copse of trees, and looked out at the view. It was beautiful out here. He wasn't sure why he didn't train out here more.
Something niggled in the back of his mind at that and he frowned suddenly, but whatever it had been was quickly gone and he couldn't catch a hold of it again. He shrugged and looked over at Tien.
"You play, okay, Tien? I'll be training over here."
"Play with Ten?"
Chiaotzu crouched, taking the boy's hands and shaking his head. "No, I need to train."
"Ten train."
And that sent that cold spark of fear up Chiaotzu's spine again. He shook his head again, firmly, and his hands clamped tightly around Tien's. "No. Just…" A calming breath, a moment to centre himself, his grip loosening. "You just play, okay?"
"Kay." Tien frowned, but pulled his hands free and started drawing stick figures in the dirt. His face relaxed into a smile as he scribbled the now familiar outline of Chiaotzu.
The telepath turned away, lifted off the ground, crossed his legs. Calm. Collected. He concentrated his mind, his hands moving slowly and carefully as crackling blue energy formed shapes and swirls of power. He was so focused on honing his psychic power that it took a moment for the scream to pierce his concentration.
Terror gripped him. He whirled around, his eyes wide and saw Tien stumbling towards him, screaming and crying. Behind him lumbered a giant purple beast, mostly boar in shape with the branching hard antlers of a deer coupled with tiny, almost ridiculously fragile looking butterfly wings. It was looking about disinterestedly, but its small black eyes glinted as they lighted on Tien.
It snorted, lowered its broad head, and charged directly at the fleeing toddler. Chiaotzu didn't even think about it. One hand rose. A wave of crackling blue energy appeared under the beast's chin. With a sharp push Chiaotzu forced the monster away, redirecting it back towards the trees. With his other hand he wrapped a band of power around Tien and swung him up and out of the way.
Tien shrieked. Pain and fear cracked his voice. Chiaotzu glanced up, saw how the boy was struggling in the grip of his power. Regret gnawed at him, hot and deep, but he couldn't loosen his grip. He needed to concentrate to defeat the beast that was attacking them. With the stress running through him his power was erratic and if he tried to relax his hold now he would drop Tien right back into the monster's path.
You can do this. Just focus.
The edges of his power sharpened, became more solid. The beast tossed its head, cast a long look at the crackling walls of energy that now surrounded the small telepath. Another snort, this one low and dismissive, then it turned and disappeared into the forest. They were not worth the effort.
Chiaotzu heaved a sigh of relief. The hot pulse of adrenaline started to fade, leaving him weak and shaking. Tien let out another wail as the bands of power began to loosen and Chiaotzu turned his hand over and pulled the boy to him. Tien clung to him, crying, trembling like a leaf.
"Are you alright? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry, Tien."
A quick check over confirmed the boy was uninjured, but had a red mark encircling his chest where Chiaotzu's power had squeezed a little too tightly. Tien willingly lifted his surcoat when prompted though, so clearly wasn't holding Chiaotzu responsible for the insult.
"Home," Tien wailed now, grabbing tight to Chiaotzu's surcoat and burying his face into it.
Chiaotzu nodded and gently detached the boy's grip. The sun was almost gone, the other mountain range cutting long shadows in the sinking light. The boy didn't want to walk alone, so Chiaotzu held him close to his side, keeping him sheltered under one arm, as they made their way back to the Crane School.