Big brother knows best... [Nessani]

[Darkmavrck]

OOC: This thread was meant to be posted last night before the season change, but mid post my computer took a nose dive and crashed harder then the Hindenburg. I am going to use this as a place holder for Nessani’s fall training threads in the season of Autumn, and will begin training once my computer issue’s are resolved.

37th of Imperos,
Season of Autumn,
Era II of the Celestine Mandate,
Era XIV Post Fractum.

The Desert Rose Hookah Bar

Khalid had instructed Nessani to return today when she could slip away from her owner without pulling attention to herself. He had wanted to give the girl a few days away from the guild to keep suspicions to a minimum as to what she might have been doing behind her master’s back. It was a delicate web they walked on. No one in the city could suspect her as an outsider, or even as a thief, but at the same time, her master had to think the exact opposite.

Patiently he waited in a room set aside for the girl’s practices. Today he would teach her the basics of the art of stealth. It was necessary that she knew how to move quickly and quietly if she intended to be his shadow. They would be ducking the guards and citizens watchful eyes on their first mission, whatever it happened to be, and what she learned today would be invaluable to her in the life she had chosen.

The room was simple, located down the stairs at the back of the hall leading into the expansive basement of the desert rose. It had no furniture, and simple walls and floors made of rough sandstone. Light in the subterranean floor came from small dishes of oil that burned slowly like candles on the walls, casting deep shadows and giving only enough illumination to see things nearby. The Nairu guard would give her directions in his deep, curt tone that few heard less they were ‘regulars’ of the establishment. She was to head down into the darkness and take a left at the bottom of the stairwell. Following the hall to the end a door on the right would be where her brother waited to train the young spirit.

Inside he waited, wearing his armor and a pair of chocolate trousers tucked neatly into his boots. He had forgone his tunic beneath the protective gear today revealing his darkly tanned flesh composing the well muscled arms. Upon closer view they were covered in small crisscrossed scars but the girl would have to nearly be on top of him to view them clearly in the dim light. The room carried a soft haze of smoke from the burning oils, thick with the scent of lavender, and something else, foreign to her nose, even with her spending more time in the hookah bar . “Serale sister…”

[Nessani Kemenlo]

Nessani made her way slowly through the bazaar. She didn't appear to be in a hurry, though her insides were screaming impatiently. Each time she was tempted to break out into a run, she forced herself to stop at the nearest vendor and fein interest in their wares. Eventually, she made it to the side street that would take her to Musif's doors and crossed into the cool of the building.

Her head dipped in curt acceptance of the Nairu's instructions, but she only gave a single nervous glance in the direction he had indicated before slipping up to the room marked 103. The clothing in the wardrobe had been left where it hung, every piece of it, lest Anora see and become suspicious. It would only take a moment for her to rid herself of her gypsy garb and slip into something more appropriate for the brightening's work.

She chose a loose white blouse that contrasted greatly against her olive toned skin and a pair of kakhi trousers, boyishly cut and resting snug across her rounded hips. The pant legs were tucked into the only boots she owned - a worn pair that came thigh high. Looking herself over, she made a slight edit, tying the hem of the shirt so that it pulled tightly around her narrow waist. She wasn't entirely certain of what Khalid had planned for this first lesson, but somehow, she thought she might need room to move.

Taking the crimson ribbon from the pocket of her skirts, Nessani removed the star pendant and placed it carefully on the top of the wardrobe. The ribbon she kept, using it to loosely pull her raven hair into a ponytail. A few stubborn strands of the wild mane quickly worked loose of the blood-red constraint, falling to frame her face. The sandy cloak was removed from the wardrobe and draped across one arm, just in case it was needed later. Then, with a quick kick to shove her abandoned clothing into a neat pile, Ness exited the room.

She moved trepidatiously down the corridors until she came to the stairway that would lead her down. The gypsy girl hesitated at the top of the stairs, her feet unwilling to carry her further. She was finally becoming used to being indoors - she'd been a wild child for all of her life, only sleeping in the family vardo when the weather became too uncooperative - rooms with windows where she could see the sky were even better. But to go down, beneath the ground... The last time - the only time - she had been underground was in the slave pits of Har'oloth and Nessani had been convinced then that she would never again see the sky.

But her big brother was waiting.

Taking a resigned breath, Nessani descended the stairs, one agonizing step after another. Several times, she half turned to glance longingly at the receding sunlight before pushing herself onward. Finally she hit the bottom and was forced to turn the corner and leave the last rays of natural light behind. Her fingers trailed the wall, anchoring the gypsy to something solid as she trudged along to the appointed room.

Beads of sweat were forming across her brow and at the base of her neck by the time she arrived. She managed an unconvincing smile in greeting. "My apologies for my tardiness...," she offered softly. Her eyes shifted nervously about the room, taking in nothing of note, save her big brother's frame. His warrioresque appearance helped ground the girl, granting her some small relief from her discomfort, but she wondered if it would be enough to keep her from bolting out the door and back up the stairs. She dropped the cloak against one wall, a small dune of sand colored fabric, and then turned back to Khalid. "Shall we?"

[Darkmavrck]

“Yes, and do not apologize for anything from now on, simply use it to learn from. All actions we take are a choice; if you fail you must use it as a tool to better yourself. For it is better that you fail here under my eye then later when you are under the blade of the militia.” The room was cold, nearly icy for the desert. The walls had a thin layer of condensation forming on the stone, causing them to be a bit slippery as Nessani traveled across them. Khalid approached her without a slip or sound, not even that of his heavy boots clacking against the sandstone.

“First you must learn the secrets of stealth. Relax your body, every muscle and bone in it must move freely. Breath in the scents around you, the herbs mixed with the oil will free your mind.” His hands slipped around her waist as he moved around her behind her. His left moved up to cradle her torso just below her breasts, while his right rested gently on her hip right over the curve of her butt. Stepping around to face her he inspected her stance and continued his lecture. “Stand on the balls of your feet, keeping them about shoulder width apart. This will improve your balance and stability. Bend your knees into a 45 degree angle using your ankles and hips to keep the line I have set on your back. Once we have your stance mastered I want you to walk around the room until I tell you to stop making as little sound as possible.”

[Nessani Kemenlo]

The gypsy girl had to concentrate to hear his words above the pounding of blood in her ears. His rebuke was met with a hesitant nod of her head, though it had barely registered in her thoughts. She was going to have to get it together if she would learn anything today.

‘Relax your body.’ That was easier said than done when her whole body was tensed for flight in the underground room. ‘Breathe in the scents around you.’ There was something she could control, she thought, so she started there. Her eyes closed and she concentrated simply on breathing. Her nostrils sucked greedily at the perfumed air around her, breathing in the scents and allowing it to help her body relax.

His arms came around her and for a moment, all she could think of was his touch - it was better than dwelling on the lack of sky in the enclosure, she supposed. Her body responded to his touch like a lover, allowing him to guide her form at his will. It wasn’t until he stepped away that she realized in the sudden void that she had been holding her breath.

Her eyes remained closed and her chest resumed its greedy inhale of the air around them as she listened to his orders. Her heels lifted on command, leaving only the balls of her feet against the ground. Slowly, her feet lifted just a hair to adjust their width at his suggestion.

She found it was easier, working with her eyes closed. If she couldn’t see the lack of windows, then she didn’t dwell so much on the fact that they were underground. But greater than that, she felt more in tune with her body to make the proper adjustments, though she also had the benefit of being a dancer. She made a mental note to try dancing with her eyes closed sometime to see what feelings arose.

Her back stayed in the pose he had set as her knees bent, lowering her form and center of gravity. She waited until no more orders were forthcoming before finally opening her eyes, staring at a place on the ground a few feet in front of her. One foot rose, stepping forward. The ‘unnamed’ one flinched as it touched down with a gravelly crunch. Her arms rose of their own accord to off her aid in balancing as she took another step, this one managing a soft whisper.

The concept of stealth was not completely foreign to her. She’d had eras of practice, sneaking away from the vardos and her father’s watchful eye, each time she came up with a delightful scheme that was likely to meet with his disapproval. She had grown up, watching her mother’s polished movements, like Khalid’s, silent and graceful without effort. It was her mother, in fact, who had given Nessani her first lessons in thieving.

She continued her circuit of the room, each step, in her estimation, softer than the last. Her form, rigid and controlled in the beginning, began to soften, whether due to the incense or her practice as a dancer, she was unsure. Her eyes remained staring at a steady place, several feet in front of her, more to ensure she didn’t bump into the walls than out of a desire. In her mind’s eye, she imagined herself dancing through fields of poppies, careful not to crush the delicate crimson heads, as she circled her mentor.

[Darkmavrck]

The air around the pair was laden with the rich aroma of the herbs that burned in the oils. Intoxicating fumes filled the gypsies mind, helping push out the burden that filled it, loosening her thoughts and relaxing her muscles. They had a euphoric effect, smelling of an assortment of fresh cut flowers but invading her senses and casting a fog over them to dull her sharp memories. As time passed and she took in more and more of the herbs they stripped her mind of all its wandering ability, forcing her to focus on her actions alone. Further, as her mind became harder to use, it seemed every muscle and tension in her body began to release, her limbs lightening and her joints moving more freely.

“Good, I can see Musif’s herbs are working. They are his own special blend that he grows especially for the smoke. It has a calming ability on the nerves and a clouding effect on the mind unless your body is used to the drug and then its effects lessen. It is why we expose all the initiates to it during training, not only do you then recognize the substance but also grow tolerance to it. Musif has so much of it in his system that he could walk into a burning warehouse of the herb and it wouldn’t make him flinch.”

Sandstone was relatively hard in Arakmat, dug from the depths of the desert formed from thousands of year’s worth of pressure. Here in this subterranean room it had been worn smooth from Era’s of use, and a thin film of dust had taken hold atop of it. As she moved the dirt and sand ground together, echoing in the empty space that surrounded the two and leaving a trail of her footprints as she circled about the perimeter. As the dust lessened and the stance became more familiar her steps did in fact become quieter, though considering the location this was no great feat. Khalid broke in after she had made nearly 25 laps around the course.

“Can you feel the muscles that are pulling in your legs and lower back yet? Do you notice how they move and strain to keep you balanced and help lessen the force as you walk? Use the same principle now while trying to walk in a normal pattern, use as little effort as possible while minimizing the force used with each step, and try to explain the principle of what you are learning to me while you do it.”

[Nessani Kemenlo]

Tension melted from her shoulders like hot butter. Nessani was glad of the reprieve from the worry of being underground, though she hardly noted the cause; like the aftermath of a headache after medication had gone to work, it was a welcomed void. Her thoughts no longer wandered to think of the lack of sun. They no longer wandered at all and she found it took concentrated effort to dwell on his lesson. She conserved energy by not trying to think of anything else, her senses attuned to her body and the work it was exerting.

Khalid’s voice came to her from afar, as if it existed separately from the body it inhabited. It seemed to be all around her and nowhere at once as she moved in circles around him. His words were hard for her to grasp hold of, like water in the hand, continually slipping through the fingers, but when she focused, a drop would collect.

Her mind explored her body at his question, her steps taking a few more experimental turns of the room as she felt for the muscles he pointed out to her. Without the incense and her practice as a dancer, those muscles would be aching by now – by the end of the brightening, she would likely need a good, long soak in a hot bath to ease the work of the day. As it was, they pulled tensely with each step, isolating them from the rest of her form.

His suggestion that she explain what she was doing was a little optimistic as Ness was having difficulty keeping two thoughts together. It would be a feat, if she could manage to make much sense to her big brother. After awhile, her legs straightened as she tried to continue walking silently in the new stance, her feet flat on the ground this time.

“My feet are flat, but…” she paused, gathering her thoughts and trying to put words to what she was sensing, “to keep the steps silent, I still have to balance my weight on the balls of my feet, without appearing to do so.”

The little sister made a few more passes around the room, feeling her steps and concentrating on what she was doing, trying not to let her footsteps resound, despite her change of stance. “My body still feels like it is crouching… or is ready to do so, maybe… to maintain the silence.” Her muscles still felt loose and easy to move, leaving the nameless one to wonder if it was due to her form or the incense.

[Darkmavrck]

“Correct, the key to stealth movement is balance. You use your whole body to regulate your balance, and bend more with each step to help reduce the sound made. That is the principle you learn by starting in the crouched position, it is awkward to walk in that form and as such you must become more flexible and aware of how you take each step to reduce the chance of making a mistake.”

“As you progress you will learn how to transfer your weight smoothly, transitioning it from one foot to another to eliminate the sound caused by heavy shoes, or the prints cast in dirty floors. Our ultimate goal is to understand our surroundings to a point that we can compensate ourselves enough that the environment will envelop our bodies into their forms, perfectly hiding us.”

Khalid moved silently across the room showing Nessani how much noise she was in fact making inside of the hollow room. Her small steps giving way to near silent scraping gravel as she moved closer and closer to her brother and the entrance to the door. “Come, it is time to work on the next phase of the process” the door swung open letting in a cool burst of air, clearing the smoke and giving some relief to the cloudiness of Nessani’s mind. He didn’t waste time looking to see if she understood but rather began moving through the labyrinth of corridors giving the girl an idea of how large the building really was beneath the streets of Arakmat.

Stopping at last Khalid waited for Ness to join him before pulling down on the lever and unlatching the door sliding it inward. Around the walls of the room small torches burned illuminating the space for them both to see with ease. About the perimeter of the room a three foot walkway of jagged stone surrounded a perfectly smooth mirrored surface, placid and as bleak as the desert’s moonless nights. “In this exercise you will learn to move smoothly and silent.” And without warning his hand slid behind her waist giving one hard push, propelling the girl into the knee deep, and ice cold water. “Stand there until the water is smooth again, then use the principals you have learned to move without creating a sound or ripple in the water.

[Nessani Kemenlo]

Nessani moved to follow her big brother, trying to make her steps as silent as his were in the echoing emptiness of the room. Her feet touched down on the graveled floor, rolling from the outside to the balls, her heels never reaching the hard surface. The boots she wore were old and comfortable and moved as if part of her foot – part of her legs, really, for they went up to her thighs. She chided herself for not making them work as well as she’d wished. How would she ever move silently in newer shoes?

The air brushed against Nessani’s cheeks as he opened the door, the breeze taking with it a bit of the cloudy feeling brought on by the incense. The passing feeling was both welcomed and mourned as Nessani’s anxiety dawned across her once again. She considered it as she crossed the threshold. If one was to choose between drug induced fog or self controlled anxiety, was control not the better course of action, even if it was uncomfortable? After all, drunkards were often trying to drown out painful feelings with the fiery spirits they imbibed, but it left them blissfully ignorant of not only their troubles, but without the ability to walk, talk or even keep the spittle within their gaping maws. Many a man’s tongue had been loosened by the use of alcohol, leaving them to spill their secrets like so much ale on a barroom floor. Really, was that much different than the numbing effects that she now longed to have back?

She followed Khalid’s form through the maze of corridors, concentrating on keeping up with him, yet making as little sound as possible as she did so. The dual purpose helped her keep her thoughts off of the lack of sunlight and depth of the halls that they walked. She would have to confront her fear at some point, but for now, it was enough to push those thoughts aside for another time. Nessani was completely lost by the time her mentor stopped, her blessed way to the surface and the sun’s light confused in the twists and turns until such time as Khalid led her out again.

The sudden chill of the water about her chased away the last, lingering effects of the incense. A sharp intake of breath echoed in the space like a siren’s call as water began trickling into her boots through well-worn cracks in the toes. She wondered how long it would take before they were waterlogged completely. Silence on her departure seemed to be a fading prospect, she thought as the water began to settle around her knees.

The gypsy thief waited until the water was still as glass, giving her teacher a glance for approval before she tried to move. Her first efforts echoed shamefully, each ripple stopping her in her tracks as if it weighed her down. She didn’t even wait for correction, but stopped to let the water still and then tried again.

Switching tactics, Nessani moved slower. The water parted gently around her, but at a pace that would never get her anywhere. It wasn’t good enough, she knew without his having to say so. Pausing, she considered the principles she had used before in combination with what she now tried. The same movements that moved her at the slower pace would have to be applied as well as what she had utilized in the incense laden room. A deep inhale of cool air relaxed the muscles of her back and legs. Flexible. She kept the word close to the fore of her mind as she fairly floated in place. Her weight balanced easily on the balls of her feet. Her arms floated up slightly as if to help her balance. She stood that way for a long, silent moment, her mind making contact with those muscles before she tried again, moving with fluidity as her legs parted the water.

[Darkmavrck]

“Good good, you are learning well sister, continue to use the techniqes you already know. The water around you is much like the air, the ripples in the waves represent the sound made when you take steps. If you can move efficiently through the cold water then moving through a dark ally will be no issue for you.” Much like the previous room, Khalid took to slowly strolling about the edges of the area, watching her carefully as she made progress.

The water filled her boots, and covered every fiber of her clothing and hair. It carried the same feeling as standing bare in a field of snow. Naked to the elements, and making the body stiff and numb it seemed this was another exercise within an exercise to help her focus. As her teacher moved about the room he slowly began to quell the fires that gave illumination to the pool. One by one the room grew dimmer and the shadows advanced until at last there was nothing but void. Pure emptiness filled the space except for the cold of the liquid that surrounded her, and her slow movements through it kept by the time of a slow drip filling some unknown puddle in the room.

“Become in tune with all of your senses, not just the eyes use your ears, your sense of touch and smell.” The voice came from across the room and seemed to be moving closer. “Realize what it happening around you, and use those surroundings to your advantage." The voice was suddenly behind her now, across the room. “If you can not move in silence wait for the world to mask your movements.” The voice barely a whisper, gently falling across her, as if her brother was standing right beside her in the pool.

“Come now sister, the faster you master this room, the faster I will take you back to the light of day. Think carefully about what I have said, you can do this. All you must do is make it to the door without me hearing you."

[Nessani Kemenlo]

Amria, came the common Aire curse as Nessani realized that Khalid knew of her discomfort. Not only knew, but now had shrouded her in complete darkness within the tomb that their game was playing out in. Her body threatened to tremble, from cold, from irrational fears, but Nessani held herself firmly in check, afraid that it would send ripples through the water, causing her to lose the game so soon.

Make it to the door. Where was the fething door again? Had she turned when she'd tried moving before, or was it still directly behind her? No, she had walked straight, but now she was further into the water that she had to get out of. Amria, she silently cursed again.

Well, sitting here, cursing at the water will not make it go away, she thought, goading herself into action, though her body was stiff. It was hard to be flexible when one's blood and surroundings were fighting against it. She allowed herself a moment to silence her thoughts, concentrating only on her body and the things she could control.

Her ears strained to hear in the dark, but Khalid had fallen silent for the moment and all that she could make out was the slow dripping in the distance. If you can not move in silence, wait for the world to mask your movements. It wasn't much, but Ness needed all of the advantage she could get.

She listened to the steady pace of the water dripping, memorizing it until it seemed her heartbeat kept time. Only then did she finally move, one step at a time, each in concert with the echoing drip, sliding through the water with all of the fluidity she could muster given her chilled form.

Her body turned first, trying to maintain some sense of her bearings. She'd always been an adventurous child, leading her siblings on adventures through forests and meadows, so remembering where the encampment was had become a life skill, but when one was underground and in complete darkness, it was much harder to find.

Her eyes strained for any light they could find to help her see her way and as she moved, her fingers trailed the waters edge before her, searching for the edge of the room where they had come in. Her lips parted, tasting of the air; she couldn't remember the door having closed behind them, so surely the air of the corridor would taste more of the outside dust, dry and hot, than the moist mustiness of this room. It was still slow progress, but she felt more confident with each step.

[Darkmavrck]

Nessani had a good wit about her; the room was pitch black with the exception of a rectangular shadow, barely visible as an outline on the far wall. It flickered ever so slightly as she moved, with the thin breeze of the outer world blowing in to pass heat and warmth across the surface of the icy water and help guide her.

Her movements were fluid through the liquid, the slight ripples lining up with the droplets of water as she began to find the timing of her strides. Yes, there was no doubt that the young woman was learning the trade of stealth well. It surprisingly didn’t take long with her long slow movements to reach the stone wall of the pool. Unfortunately it was just high enough that she simple couldn’t roll out of the water, and would actually have to pull her soaked flesh and cloth from the chill of it.

However, as she had learned, and put to use, the careful planting and rotation of her body help pull her up with ease, gliding from the surface and onto the stone of the floor in one complete movement within reach of the portal that allowed access to the room. Just outside the doorway Khalid stood, a half smile on his lips and his hands came together in a soft clap of acceptance to her efforts. “Very good little sister, you have learned quickly… always remember that the world around you holds more to mask you then you yourself can come up with. Now, for your final test, I want you to go upstairs and change into something that would allow you to move freely in and out of the city. We are passing through the gates for your next training session and it will be rather hard for you to get back in if you do not look the part. I hope you did your homework. I'll be waiting for you outside when your ready.”

[Nessani Kemenlo]

Nessani flourished under her big brother's praise, her chest swelling and her stature rising to its full height proudly. Her pants were soaked through and her boots squished when she walked, but the test of stealth was over for the moment. She would take the opportunity to dry off while she was upstairs.

She followed him back to the surface, breathing a sigh of relief as the sun fell across her features once again. Only then did she realize that she'd made it through the underground lesson without once panicking over the lack of sunshine. The thought encouraged her, giving her the drive to do even better the next time she was expected to traverse the subterranean world.

Once they were above ground, Nessani knew the way, moving at a clipped jog up the back stairs that led to the room that Khalid had provided for her. She stripped out of the wet clothes almost before the door had shut behind her, leaving them where they fell on the floor as she approached the wardrobe. She stood, naked, looking the clothes over as she contemplated what would be best.

Should she wear clothes that would serve her best in the desert? That would imply loose robes and perhaps the sand colored cloak that he had given her. But his task hadn't mentioned desert survival. ...look the part... move freely in and out of the city... And what had he said the first brightening he'd brought her here? The people prefer color to drab hues.

She chose a sari of coral and saffron, a fading sunset, like a mirage on the desert horizon. The top covered her from shoulders to the middle of her belly, leaving her arms mostly bare. Across her bottom, she wrapped the matching yards of fabric, puling the edge up across her chest to dangle over one shoulder. Loosing her braid, she covered her hair with a matching veil, an important element to keep the sun off her head and out of her eyes and to protect her from the shifting sands. Her feet were shod with sandals and a thick necklace of bronze discs was hung around her neck.

Checking herself over in the mirror, she added a handful of bangles to her wrist before she decided she was satisfied. The question was, would Khalid - and the guards - be. Leaving her clothes where they'd fallen on the floor, Nessani moved quickly back through Musif's bar, her eyes blinking out the sun's light as she stepped across the threshhold to find the waiting Khalid.

[Darkmavrck]

As Nessani emerged from Musif’s into the warming rays of overhead light from the fall suns Khalid let out a long low whistle. “Very good, if I hadn’t known better with your bronzed flesh and dark hair I’d have thought you were local. Let us hope the guards feel the same. Stay close and we shall head for the gates.” From beneath his cloak an arm was offered to her as they glided down the dusty street in silence. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the gate either, and many of the men and women passing around them couldn’t help but take second glances at the pair.

The guards were at their usual attention and when the couple approached simply waved them closer. Khalid leaned in as if to act like he were kissing her cheek, his flesh gently brushing against hers and softly whispered into her ear. “Smile elegantly and stay two steps behind me.” Slowly pulling away the man left her side and did not take the time to even give her a second glace. He approached the guard offering a visa from the folds of his cloak. “Serale, my wife and I are to meet family outside of the gates for pracenda as they pass by for the cycle, we shall return before darkening.” His voice was regal yet kind and even got the man to smile when he leaned in a bit a spoke in just a hair to soft for Nessani to hear.

The guard waved the woman forward and Khalid wasted little time hooking arms with her and slipping out the gates without hesitation. As they broke free from the city and let it’s gates slowly fade into the distance Khalid let his arm go loose to allow her to pull away. “The key is confidence, if you believe the story then often they will as well. The man had eyes upon you, and when we return he will be our key to entry. A well placed disguise is just as helpful a shadow or sound. The ability to blend is priceless, always pay attention to your surroundings and study those that you can mimic.”

As they continued into the dunes and the suns drifted, Khalid suddenly stopped in a valley between two of the rolling waves of sand. “Are you ready to finish your fist training and begin your second? What did you wear beneath that gown?”

[Nessani Kemenlo]

Khalid's compliment was met with a brilliant smile on the gypsy's full lips. Her hand slipped into the offered arm, her fingers resting lightly against his flesh. Khalid's 'wife' giggled and smiled lovingly as he moved in, appearing to kiss her. Her head cocked to one side as if meeting the kiss that