~Chapter 7~
Once a week Chief Theo would spar with Jirro, Aero and Nout to judge their progress under his training regimen. He was far stronger than the children so never had to worry about them harming him in any way.
Theo sparred with Nout briefly who made leaps in improvement. Far more than either of the Ralosian boys. Nout had learned how to to utilize his Phantine anatomy, capitalizing and his tusks, trunk and stout body frame into his fighting style.
When Theo sparred with the young Aero he noted that he might possess the most sheer strength of them all. Very few Ralosians managed to reach such levels. However, whenever Aero punched the palms of his hand, Theo couldn't help but think it tickled. He still was quite a distance from his own strength.
Jirro was the most technical of the three. Incredibly skilled for his age, always approaching defensively while looking for openings. But in a strange way, he seemed the most unstable. There was an unquenchable desire to be the best. Whenever he was outdone by anyone, he could tell it irritated him to no end, but it only drove him to push himself further.
It startled Theo a little.
The blonde haired Jirro insisted on sparring with Theo again. As they circled each other, Theo provided the tiniest of openings in his defense and the boy struck hard and fast. Not hard enough to hurt Theo, but impressive nonetheless. Theo swung his arm at Jirro at a slow enough speed for him to dodge out of the way and counter. His reflexes were good.
Theo provided another opening and he attacked. Jirro's hand had a light blue glow around it as he attacked. When Jirro struck... he gasped out in pain.
Theo gripped his side. It not only hurt, but hurt badly. He would be fine of course, but it was startling how Jirro had managed it. The boy was breathing unevenly.
"That'll be enough for the day." Chief Theo said, acting as if the blow hadn't actually bothered him.
---------------------------------------
Aero went to go see Ruben up on the mountain, the Densius had been perfecting its ability to roll and Aero wanted to see. Nout and Jirro traveled about the forest, swinging from vines and exploring.
"That was Focus you used on Chief Theo, right?" Nout asked as they went.
"You saw that?" Jirro asked.
"Yeah, it was only time that we actually seemed to bother him. He seemed invincible until then," Nout said, "You and Aero used it a couple times back at the tournament."
"Yeah, usually we used it to attack at a distance, but I recently found it can be used to make your normal strikes stronger too. It tires you out fast though!" Jirro explained. He had been privately experimenting with Focus while they've trained in the forest.
"Can you teach me how to do it?" Nout said, flourishing his pinkish trunk as he did, "I've tried it on my own before, but nothing ever happened."
"I can try," Jirro searched the area and found a wilted tree that could serve as a target. "Okay lock your eyes on that."
Nout looked to the tree, "Okay, now what?"
"Okay, so Aero has he doesn't really think about it when tries to use Focus, he just does it. That's never worked for me. I usually try and visualize what I want my attack to look like and what I want it to do, then I try it."
Jirro took a fighting stance and jabbed at the air towards the tree. A faint blue light burst from his hand. They could hear a thud as it reached the tree, "Now you try."
Nout trained his eyes on tree and punched through the air... nothing happened. He did this a few more times futilely.
Jirro had heard that some people simply weren't capable of using Focus, but he didn't want to tell Nout that, so he kept pushing him, "Really visualize it."
Nout took a deep breath and and lunged his fist forward. A green light burst from his hand towards the tree. As it collided with the tree there was a loud thud, and the wilted tree fell over. Nout was breathless after the attack, "Wow."
"Cool right? Just make sure not to do over do it. Focus can really wear you out fast. Especially with strong Focus attacks like that." Jirro explained.
After Nout had caught his breath he journeyed through the forest to find a new test target. He brashly launched smaller focus bursts at fruits on trees as they walked.
Jirro was nervous as Nout continually used the ability, "Be careful. Don't over do it."
"I feel fine!" Nout said as he strode along. He saw a tree and launched another Focus Burst at it, and leaves and vines fell from the tree.
Nout found a large boulder near the Titus Mountain and smiled. Jirro could tell what he had in mind. "Don't-" Jirro began.
Nout jumped into the air and his hand flashed with a green light. He crashed into the boulder and it cracked in half from his Focus Strike. Jirro was stunned by how quickly he seemed to pick it up.
"Okay I think that's enough." Jirro insisted.
Nout walked away from the shattered boulder, "Jirro I'm fi-."
Nout's stance became shaky, and his eyes glazed over. He stumbled stumble and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Nout!" Jirro rushed to his friend’s side, he was passed out. He carried Nout through the forest back to Theo.
Nout wouldn't wake up. Chief Theo called for the witch doctor Koka and her expertise. She was an unusually thin Phantine with a grey pigment to her skin, and was older than most of the tribe.
Koka looked over Nout's unconscious body. Jirro nervously watched.
"I don't know what could've induced so much stress on his body, but whatever it was caused him to go into a coma. His body is doing it's best to recover." Koka explained rather emotionlessly.
"Is there anything we can do to quicken his recovery?" Chief Theo asked.
"Tend to him and give him plenty of water and broth. Make sure to have someone with him for as much of the day as possible. I'll check back home and see if I have any potions that might revive the boy." Koka explained.
"Can I go with you?" Jirro asked.
Koka shrugged.
Jirro and Aero followed Koka through the forest to her home in the swamp region where she lived alone. She had a mushroom shaped home in the trees. Inside was a cauldron with potions and ingredients lining the walls.
She began scouring through her wide collection of potions and herbs for anything applicable to the situation. Jirro waited with nervous energy for her to come back with something.
"So if you can't find any potion for him, how long do you think it'll take for Nout to wake up?" Aero asked, ever optimistic.
"I can't really say. It could days or weeks. If he does wake up." Koka answered callously.
"If?" Aero repeated.
Jirro's heart quickened. He never should've shown Nout how to use Focus. His father told him his mother died from Focus sickness, over exerting in her body in the use of the ability. Nout could turn out the same way.
Koka returned to the boys, "I don't have any potions right now that would help your friend, nor the materials to make something that could."
Jirro rushed to ask, "What would you need to make something that could help? I can get it!"
Koka shook her head, "That's not really an option. What I need is not so easily acquired."
"Trust me, I can get it." Jirro insisted.
"I need the fang of a cobra. The materials in it can be extracted and used for a potion. But those are rare and very powerful. Even Chief Theo wouldn't be so foolish as to go after one." Koka explained.
Jirro and Aero both looked at one another. Jirro asked, "Where might one of these cobras be?"
"I know they've been seen to the northeast of here in the Ekanz Canyons. If you're foolish enough to go there, I can't be held accountable for what happens to you." Koka said, waggling her finger at the boys.
Jirro waited until nightfall. He knew his cousin and Chief Theo wouldn't let him go, so he had to sneak out. He wouldn't let Nout die like his mother. He couldn't.
Jirro quietly left their abode, careful not to wake anyone. He jumped between the trees of the Titus Forest until he came out on the eastern side. As he exited the forest he heard footsteps behind. Aero had followed him.
"You can't stop me from going Aero." Jirro said.
"Jirro..."
"It's my fault Nout is like that! He has focus sickness just like my mom had. I'm not going to just let him die!"
"Jirro....
"Why can't you understand that? There's nothing you could do to stop me anyways!" Jirro shouted.
"Jirro!" Aero shouted, making his cousin pause, "I'm just annoyed that you left without me. Let's get moving!"
Aero continued past Jirro towards the Ekanz Canyon. The two traveled with haste to save their friend. 363Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVu7xz0naS
