Before you read, go watch the Tempest Freerunning Academy- Gym Video. You'll understand why in a sec. Just imagine this place as half of a room I write about in a bit and the other half, go watch Damien Walters 2011 Official Showreel. The other half is a little like that gym lol. I had my own idea for the room but it would be super difficult to explain from my own words lol.
He trailed behind her as she led him through the huge building. They went up a floor and then down several halls until Arya stopped at a set of double doors. Pushing them open revealed a huge area filled with workout equipment and open spaces with mats covering the floors. On them were other agents. Some sparring, some working out, others seemed to be trainers. Instead of staying in there, Arya walked swiftly to one door of several that lined the walls of the gym. Opening it Eragon saw a much smaller room with a mat and weights, along with a few machines. On the far wall, there was a line of mirrors that covered it from floor to ceiling. She closed the door behind them and stepped onto the mats.
"Ok, stretch out for a few minutes and listen up." He sat down on the mat, trying to get in as much rest as he could before she did whatever horrid thing she had planned. "Basically, in here you are going to sharpen every single skill and technique you have. As well as gain some new ones. We are going to build you up to your highest point. Now stretch, you'll have time to rest tonight when you go to sleep."
He did for the next fifteen minutes, taking his time. When he finally stood, Arya followed. He bounced a few times on his toes and rolled his shoulders.
"So what are we doing?"
"We are seeing what your skill level is right now."
He grinned.
"I don't want to hurt you."
"That's hilarious. Come on, let's go."
He cocked his head and gave her a coy smile. And then he struck. Fast as he could, he swung his fist, aiming at her head. She seemed surprised and stumbled backwards, barely blocking his punch. Trying to keep her off-balance, he stepped forward and struck again, this time at her stomach. As she blocked, he pulled back and reversed, spinning and bringing his foot around. She ducked just in time. When she rose back up her eyes were nervous. He smirked and steadied himself, studying her guard. She expected him to go for her upper body and so with his next attack, he swung at her legs and she jumped back.
Why had he been so freaked out? He obviously had the better technique and with all her talk about his mind limiting his ability, he was sure quicker too. To prove his point, he decided it was time to take her down. He went at her, one-two, uppercut. She played right into his hands. Sticking out her left arm to block his right put her in perfect position for a takedown. He latched onto her wrist and turned, his right arm resting on her shoulder and he pulled. Just before he lost eye contact, he saw something that turned him cold. Her eyes were triumphant, expecting. And she was grinning.
As she flipped, she locked her ankle around his and gripped his left arm, pulling him down. He lost his momentum and control and she dropped easily onto her back while slamming him face first into the mat. Immediately she rolled over and pinned him, arm up and behind his back in an excruciating position. He groaned and tapped quickly, needing her to release his arm. She didn't. Instead, she leaned down, her hair brushing along his arm, and spoke in his ear.
"Being ignorant of your opponent's skill is a common occurrence in the field. You do not know of what they are capable, and so judging them in the first few attacks is your death sentence. If I had pulled you down any differently, I would've snapped your neck. Always overestimate your opponent so that no matter what, you are not surprised. Because even a weak fighter could defeat a stronger if the more advanced fighter is a fool."
With that she dropped his arm to the mat and stood. His socket between his shoulder and arm pinched tightly and he winced. It took a second for him to stand. When he did, she was already ready, waiting for him to attack. He watched her, annoyance flaring through his veins. The moment he attacked, his right fist heading for her jaw, she ducked and moved forward. Using his momentum and wrapping her right arm around his left thigh, she lifted him and slammed him back to the ground. Instead of pinning him, she stood and backed away, giving him room to get up.
"Don't attack out of anger. I know they taught you that so stop being stupid. Stand up."
They continued for the next hour and a half with her bringing him down at almost every attack.
A thump resounded throughout the empty gym as his back slammed into the mat. Groaning, he laid there for several moments trying to catch his breath.
"Let's go Eragon."
"Just give me a minute."
Her foot tapped his side.
"Now."
Rolling his eyes, he pushed himself up
"What's the point of this? To try and embarrass me? It's worked. You've done what you strived for. Can I go?"
Arya crossed her arms.
"Stop being so immature. Not everyone is as petty as you." She walked off of the mat and put on training gloves. When she returned, she held up her hands. "Left, right, left, right hook."
He raised his eyebrows.
"The basics? I know I'm not that bad."
Arya shook her head.
"You aren't bad. But as your endurance and abilaties increase and expand, the rest of your body will need to relearn everything. Muscles will need to be reprogrammed. You need to incorporate everything into one and so the result is total."
"Fine."
They spent almost forty-five minutes on it. Her changing the patterns and telling him to move faster. By the time she stopped him, his arms were about to fall off.
"Take a five minute break and stay here. I'll be right back."
-A-R-Y-A-
Walking quickly, she left the room and walked across the gym. She'd almost reached her destination when Orik stopped her.
"Hey, how goes the massacre?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Fine. I'm going to the Tumble room to clear it out. As annoying as he is, I wouldn't want to subject him to falling flat on his face several times in front of thirty other people."
Orik feigned shock, holding his hands over his chest.
"Oh my gosh! You do have a heart!"
Behind her, a Saphira laughed, seemingly coming from nowhere.
"False, she just doesn't want people to know that she doesn't. I want to come see this by the way."
Orik grinned.
"Same. We'll clear everyone out, you just go get Eragon."
"Fine, whatever." Turing back, she returned and opened the door to the small room. "Eragon, let's go."
He looked up from where he was sprawled out on the mats.
"Where?"
"Just get up and follow me." He glared at her and sat up, obviously tired. As she turned, she heard him mimic what she'd just said in a childish voice under his breath. She spoke without looking back. "Grow up, Eragon."
Leading him through the huge gym, they arrived at the Tumble room just as a class was leaving. Orik and Saphira were waiting inside. She looked back as Eragon stepped in. His eyes were wide as he took in the array of obstacles set up to look like unkempt buildings with beams and brick walls and jungle gym bars along with ramps all connected on one side. While on the other, it was all springs and foam pits and huge, colorful blocks to run up and jump from.
"What the hell is this place?"
Saphira bounced on the floor that was made like the ones for gymnastics and chuckled.
"It's the Tumble room!"
With that she took off towards training side with the soft blocks and headed for a wall that was also covered in the same springy material as the floor. Running up it, she flipped backwards and fell feet first into a pile of foam cubes. Eragon's mouth dropped.
"Holy crap Saphira how'd you do that?"
The blonde climbed out of the foam pit and pointed at Arya.
"You ain't seen nothin' yet. Just wait till she shows you what she can do."
Eragon looked at her and waited expectantly. She shook her head.
"Not now. Come on." She led them to a space where there was nothing but open floor. "Roll."
Eragon frowned.
"What?"
She motioned towards the area.
"Roll."
"Why?"
Arya opened her mouth to speak but Saphira interrupted her.
"Just do it, Eragon. If you don't, she'll get all grumpy and make you try something you're not ready for."
Arya shook her head.
"I didn't do that on purpose, Saphira. You could've easily made that flip if you hadn't been throwing a fit."
Orik laughed.
"I would back you up Arya, but I feel like you probably did what she is syaing. Remember when you tried to get me to do this crap? You said, 'don't worry, it's safe, just run at the wall and don't stop.'"
Arya rolled her eyes.
"Well I didn't think you'd take it literally."
Saphira burst into laughter and through gasps, tried to tell Eragon the story.
"It was . . . so . . funny! He just. . . ran straight. . into the wall. . . full . . force, . .and fell on . . . . . his ass! Such an . . .idiot"
By the time she finished she was howling with laughter and Eragon was about to fall over from it. Orik was glaring at them and crossing his bulky arms making it hard for Arya not to smile. She waited for Saphira and Eragon to quiet before continuing.
"Eragon, just roll."
Steadying himself, Eragon placed his head on the ground and did a child roll, succeeding in causing Saphira to burst back into laughter. Orik joined this time. Arya shook her head.
"Do it right, Eragon."
He was laughing too and he just looked at her.
"You first."
She'd had enough. When she spoke next, he voice was hard, cold.
"Now, Eragon."
Saphira stopped laughing and frowned while Orik just stepped back a few paces. Eragon narrowed his eyes and then shrugged.
"Fine."
Turning, he took a few quick steps jumping and rolling and then returning to a standing position. She nodded and walked a few yards away to grab four foot hight block and pulled it over.
"Now jump off of this."
Eragon climbed up and jumped off. Even before he sprang, she knew he wasn't actually going to jump correctly. He basically just hopped down. That's why, as he was still in the air, she stepped forward and shoved his shoulder. It resulted in him dropping wrong on his feet and stumbling to the ground. He stood up and whirled around, anger in his eyes.
"What the hell was that!"
"Do it right."
He glared at her as he climbed back up. This time, when he jumped, he jumped as far and high as he could go. When he landed he looked at her,
"Good enough?"
"No but at least you tried. Now get back up and stay there." He did as she said and waited. "Ok, when you land, you want to land on the balls of your feet. I shouldn't hear anything but a small tap as your feet hit the floor. When you jump, bring your knees up and keep your back arched and you chest up. When you land, you're basically going into a squat. Your arms should move with your body as well, not against it. As you jump forward, your arms need to swing forward as well. Try again."
Eragon shifted his feet slightly and jumped. He looked over.
"How was that?"
"Better. Do it again." He did. "Again." He jumped again. After several more she told him to stay on the ground. "Now do your roll again." He did it as he had before. She shook her head. "You have the basic form down. But your head isn't tucked under. You are rolling from your right shoulder to your left hip which is fine, but that lead arm shouldn't take any weight. Your momentum should carry you forward. Try it again."
After several times, when she knew he'd gotten it down, she told him to go back onto the block. He looked down at her.
"Am I adding the roll with it?"
She nodded and he looked back. Taking a few breaths, he jumped did an almost perfect landing roll. Saphira clapped.
"Damn boy, that was fast."
Eragon stood up and grinned. Trying to keep him focused, Arya told him to do it again. He repeated the process for an hour before she nodded.
"Ok, that's good for today. I need to speak with Ajihad so Saphira can show you back to your room."
He nodded and she headed for the exit.
-E-R-A-G-O-N-
As soon as the door closed behind Arya, Saphira grabbed Eragon's arm and pulled him towards the foam pit.
"There's still a few minutes before the next class starts! Let's see what you can do!"
Orik laughed and stood next to Saphira as Eragon bounced on his feet. He ran at the pit and leaped into the air, body twisting as he jumped. He landed on his back in the foam. Saphira flipped and landed feet first right next to him. Eragon looked to Orik who just shook his head and snorted.
"Yeah right. We Beor people just aren't trained like this. There's no need to twirl around in the air like a ballerina when you can just break the enemie's neck to escape. This stuff is useless."
Saphira rolled her eyes and climbed out of the pit.
"Whatever, Orik. You just don't like it because you're so bad at it."
Orik looked offended and he motioned to himself.
"It's not my fault my body is built for power and strength. If I looked like a twig, maybe I could do it."
Saphira shook her head.
"Don't let anyone here hear you say that. Especially Arya. She could rip you to shreds and she's not even all big and bulky like you."
Orik agreed grudgingly.
"That's because that woman is a crazy ass Mo Fo with skills and strength that I've never seen the likes of."
Saphira nodded.
"Very true but I think that most people from DuWeld could give you a run for your money." She looked to Eragon. "Come on, let's get you to your room. You can rest for a bit before dinner."
Eragon climbed out of the foam pit and followed Saphira through the dizzying halls and up the elevator. They'd turned the corner to his room when he saw the woman he'd seen earlier as he and Arya exited the elevator. She was standing in front of Arya's door and knocking. Hearing them, she turned. She smiled at Saphira and when her gaze shifted to him, her eyes became curious.
"I know of Saphira because I keep tabs on this place, but I've never even come across your file. . ."
Saphira answered for him.
"He just got here yesterday, actually. It's good to finally meet you, Islanzadi."
The woman nodded.
"So are you good friends with Arya?"
Saphira nodded.
"Yes."
"And yet you could never seem to find her when I called?"
Saphira didn't falter.
"Like I said, we're friends. I do what is best for her."
Eragon felt the need to apologize to Arya's mother for the comment but the woman just smiled.
"I'm glad she has you. You don't seem like you get pushed around much."
Saphira shrugged, not agreeing but not disagreeing either. Islanzadi looked at Eragon.
"Are you friends with my daughter?"
He wasn't as confident as Saphira. The Varden didn't require his skills to accomplish their goal like they did Saphira's. He was disposable and he had a feeling this woman could easily dispose of him. He shook his head.
"No, she's my trainer. I just met her like, three days ago."
Islanzadi studied him a moment and then motioned to Arya's door.
"Are you here to get Arya?"
Saphira shook her head.
"No, I had to show Eragon how to get to his room."
Islanzadi's eyebrows raised.
"Aaah. . . . So do either of you know where Arya is?" Saphira shrugged, not answering and Eragon looked down. "Ok, well I can just wait here and speak to Eragon while I wait for her to return. I can get to know you and your history."
Islanzadi smiled cunningly and his heart dropped. He just wanted to go inside and lay down for a couple hours. Instead, he was going to be used as a means to get Arya to visit her mother. Saphira grinned.
"Perfect! I'm not sure how long it'll be though."
The woman smiled.
"That's fine. I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell me about how he wound up here."
Saphira nodded.
"Alright, see you both at dinner."
As she went past him, she mouthed the words, 'sorry' and looked like she truly did feel bad. Islanzadi leaned against the door to Arya's room as Eragon stood there awkwardly.
"So, how did you end up at Varden?"
Relenting to the fact that there was really no way out, Eragon went into the story of the past few days. He moved quickly over Garrow's death and some parts like him running into a building like a suicidal maniac he left out completely. When he told her about how he met Arya, she seemed to cringe at what Durza had done. She shifted against the wall.
"That explains the bruises and cuts she has. What happened when you left the building?"
Eragon shifted uncomfortably.
"I got fired."
Islanzadi didn't seem surprised.
"And why was that?"
Eragon opened his mouth and then closed it. She'd backed him into a corner. There really wasn't a way for him to explain it without telling her that he'd basically tried to go in and kill as many people as he could before he died. Before he said anything though, Arya's mother spoke.
"Because you risked your life and the lives of others by trying to take vengeance." He just stared at her and she shrugged. "I can read in between the lines."
"Yeah. . ."
-A-R-Y-A-
"So you think he's ready to have a security clearance here?"
Arya nodded.
"He was gripping the past so tightly at first, but today, he finally accepted what had happened. I don't think he should have a full pass, but one that allows him to get to the Gym, the cafe, and the game room without having an escort."
Ajihad frowned.
"And you're not just saying this so you don't have to spend as much time with him?"
She rolled her eyes.
"No, Ajihad. I just believe he can handle it all now."
He watched her carefully and then nodded, reaching into a drawer of his desk and pulling out a card on a lanyard.
"Here, it's old-fashioned but Saphira can easily program it to only allow him into specific areas. He might also need a guide of how to get around this place so give him a map or something."
Arya nodded and stood, making her way to the door. When she opened it, Saphira stepped in front of her.
"Um, your mom is kind of holding Eragon hostage right now."
Her veins went ice cold.
"What?"
"She is making Eragon talk to her until you come up."
Groaning, Arya went back into Ajihad's office and turned his computer away from him. He frowned.
"What are you doing?"
Ignoring his question, she signed into the security system and opened the video of her floor. Saphira hadn't been kidding. Her mom was standing casually by her door while Eragon shifted from foot to foot looking like he was going to pass out from exhaustion. Ajihad chuckled.
"Looks like he's taking a bullet for you."
She glared at him.
"You know, you could've told me she was coming."
Ajihad held up his hands in surrender.
"I didn't even know she was coming until she was outside our door. Maybe if you'd talked to her over the phone, she wouldn't have come all the way out here to talk to you."
Shaking her head, she looked back to the screen.
"I guess I have to talk to her now, though."
Saphira stepped around and rewound it.
"Let's see what he's said before we do. You don't want to get blindsided by anything."
The next ten minutes Saphira played the video through at two times speed so they could still understand what was being said but it wouldn't take quite as long. They stopped when Islanzadi started talking about Varden training and Saphira followed her out of the room towards the elevator. She'd expected Eragon to try and get her in as much trouble as possible but as he'd told the story, he'd lessened everything to make it seem as if it wasn't a big deal.
He didn't say anything that would cause more questions, and he especially didn't say anything about the awkward hospital moment. She still didn't understand what had happened there and she didn't want to try and explain it. Still, she was incredibly grateful for what he was doing. It took five more minutes for them to reach her floor and then she stopped and took a deep breath. Saphira looked over worried.
"You ok?"
Exhaling, she nodded.
"Yes, but I should probably just go alone. Go on and rest."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Saphira gave her a reassuring look before stepping back onto the elevator. At the same time, Arya squared her shoulders and prepared to meet the woman who she'd been avoiding for so long. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Why not now?
Ok, so I've been realizing lately that I am supposed to do several drafts of my work before turning it in. It seems to make everything a lot better lol. Maybe that's why most people take FOREVER to update on FF. The reason I update fast is because I write one draft and I'm done. I edit a bit and send it to somebody (Elemental Dragon Slayer) to review it and tell me if it's likable, then I send it to my Beta (RaphaelOfTheDarkness), and then I put it up. My question is, are you guys fine with the way everything is or do you want me to rewrite a few times. I could make everything better sounding and just cleaner and stuff if you guys want. The problem is, it might take a little longer to get things up. . . .
Silverwing: Martial Arts. And it'll be explained later in the story.
Elemental Dragon Slayer: Yeah I ALWAYS have music on when I'm writing. It helps me focus.
Harry Potter's Dragon: Lol I totally would but it's a research paper so it wouldn't work.
DrToffeeNipples: Lmao ok I just have to give you props for your name. That's epic. And I have the same thing. If I HAVE to get something done, it's easier for me to keep focused. I do a lot of things last minute lol. I wrote my best essay at four in the morning the night before it was due haha.
Microbat98: Yeah I know I do with those words. Most of the time I try really hard to change all repetitive words out but there isn't much I can do with those. They just don't have many synonyms. At least not ones that I'd be willing to use. Unless it's a special situation, I am NEVER going to use the word "giggle". And "chortle" makes me cringe. And is it cheesy? I try not to be cheesy but maybe I'm not doing as well as I thought lol.
Renessaincbooklover108: I would do those if I wasn't such an impatient person lol. It would probably help but I'm too lazy to take the time to do it :)
Dracones: Lol yeah I do have to do that but even when I sit down to write, a lot of times I'm also playing X-box or watching a show. I like switch in between and stuff lmao because I get too bored and so it takes a while to write essays. I procrastinate too.
Avatarlover: Lol that was a great scene. Joss Whedon is an incredible writer lol. That entire movie was epic. And there aren't really ambassadors, she left for a different reason that I will reveal later on. And I haven't been reading any FF recently because when I do, I usually get annoyed haha. People will start stories and then not update them and I'm just like, ". . . . . . . hellooooo?" so yeah, I got nothin.
JJ: Lol he's going to have past girlfriends but idk if it'll be Trianna. Although I could have them out on a mission and he like runs into her. So maybe I could make her his ex- girlfriend. She could be all stalkerish lol.
TheMoonFlower318: I totally get what you're saying. And It's true, things are incredibly hard to start lol. Once I do get started through, I can usually do it, even if I take little breaks in between :)