Training Retreat

[Rakesh :3]

Nestled in one of the mountains was the secret training area of a fearsome Sanctum warrior. Not very high up the mountain, but just enough so that the air would be thinner and therefore provide a more intense workout. The area was somewhat secluded behind a ridge to limit disturbances.

The warrior heard rumors that this area had a high traffic of Guardians, so speculation suggested their base was in the vicinity. He scolded himself for returning here time and time again, for the risk of encountering a Guardian meant a possible skirmish and unnecessary bloodshed. Rakesh was a well known name in the lands of Sharayax and he was sure to have numerous enemies.

There was just something about this place that put him at ease, though. Way up here seemed to be the only place where he could truly escape the horrors of his position and relax. The sounds of the birds chirping, the release of his pent up energy, it was all so liberating.

Rakesh sat down on the rocky ground in meditation. A clear mind provided him with the vigor he needed for such a workout. All of the disturbing images running through his brain were temporarily washed out. Once he knew nothing but the sound of his breath, he was ready to begin. The lupine stood up in a fluid motion, perfectly calm. A great boulder stood before him, almost twice his own height. With great concentration, energy rushed from his inner being to his right palm. Crackling blue aura orbited his paw. In the blink of an eye, Rakesh forced his palm into the center of the boulder and it instantly shattered into infinitesimal pieces.

He brought his paws back together in front of his chest and then assumed a fighting stance. Grunts and gusts of air echoed around the mountain as the Lucario continued his rigorous exercises, clawing and kicking an imaginary foe.

[»Caliph]

[bg=1c1c1c][atrb=width,475,true][atrb=border,0,true] A low, sordid growl emitted past dark lips, shadowing the resonance of heavy footfalls on the rocky floor of the mountain range. Each time the massive paws came in contact with the ground, the reverberation resembled a prolonged crack of thunder, ominous and foreboding. Real menace now stalked the area, in the form of a severely genetically altered canine. His stride was smooth and deliberate, a devious skull propped upon a thick neck, clearly putting his confidence on display. Nobody could harm him…nobody could touch him. And if they did, he’d rip their head off. A frightening darkness surrounded the beast, spreading for miles. You could feel the danger, the brooding bloodlust as he continued his voyage across the grounds. A wolf on the prowl was something you could put together with his predator-like gait, portentous and self-assured at the same time. A pair of deep crimson eyes gazed from the deep sockets of the brute’s cranium, hazed over completely; but so easy to read. ”Blood. Death. RAPE!” were what they said. His desires were so simple to see. He was nothing but a vessel now with bestial whims; impulses with a body. The most dangerous kind of being to ever exist on the planet. ”NO!” The single word of protest rung in his head, instantly clearing up the morbid thoughts and hiding them in the deep crevices of his brain; as if they’d never been there. The clouded eyes cleared of their abstracted miasma, revealing pupils of the same tincture; yet their message was now hidden. Guarded and veiled from the rest of the world. Emotions could never been shown, in his opinion. It was a sign of weakness; a sign of fading masculinity. His posture remained untouched, but the previous sure-footedness faltered as his mood changed suddenly, but he corrected his stride in a matter of moments. Thinking back, the dark side of him used to be sickening to think about whenever he managed to recover from it. But usually it wasn’t hard to overcome the sadistic urges, though the lapses from reality seemed to get more and more frequent as time went on. Surely, he could’ve learned to control them, couldn’t he? It was just some odd sickness that had overwhelmed him a few weeks ago. It would die soon – fade away as time went on… Wrong. They had only grown stronger as he fought relentlessly to weaken them. The genetic testing was too strong for him to fight. His thoughts never managed to stay on the same frequencies for more than minutes or hours at a time; he could feel his sanity and control slipping through his paws. Back then, he hadn’t been able to accept this dark force that was gaining power over his being. He would lock himself away from everybody as he could feel his lusts grow and his desires to wreak havoc and bloodshed became unbearable. It didn’t take long for the wave of evil to overpower him; to take complete control over every ounce of his body and brain. He was completely shadowed in the sins of the world; dictated by these alien thoughts as if they’d been part of him his whole life. It tossed him into the turmoils of life; dampening every hope and dream he’d ever had. But now. Now he embraced the changes, reveled in the sadistic ways of his nature. Blood shed was the reason of his existence; pain was the ultimate ecstasy. Murder was life. Sorrow was joy. Lies were the only truth. Insanity was an awesome high. Instability was a gift. A sole sound receptor pivoted back and forth in its hollow, picking up the sounds of training –perhaps- far off. A slow snarl pressed past immaculate jaws as his dark retinas snapped forth. His body tensed as every hair on his body stood on end; muscles convulsing under flesh. The massive Houndoom took one step forward, small growls rolling past clenched fangs as he prepared to perhaps see a Guardian; and he wasn’t in the mood for that. At all. His pace quickened towards the reverberations until the aroma of his own alliance filled his nostrils, calming the antagonistic beast for a moment. His current state of aggression shifted to that of a calm, collected leader in a mere second, the signs of authority becoming prominent in his stance as he ventured to the hidden training area of his follower. He finally reached the rocky terrain, pleased to see that is was Rakesh; a powerful and loyal member of the Sanctum. A wry grin plastered onto his handsome face, the dim lighting of the sun highlighting the scar that marred his left shoulder; and bringing out a devilish coloration to his scarlet retinas. Yeah, he was Caliph: the big and bad original of the Sanctum; the smooth talker, the murderer, the sex addict, the unstable monster. The brute’s tail whisked against his ankles as he attempted to catch the gaze of the lupine creature before him, an authoritive warning behind the sardonic humor of his smile. ”Hello there, Rakesh.” The deep baritone of the Germon’s voice slid towards the ears of the other from between black lips, seductive and dark; though his intention was certainly not to seduce..it was just naturally alluring. ”Wandering a little far into Guardian territory, are we not?”

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[Rakesh :3]

Poised in a flawless form, paws flew through the air at astonishing speeds. Untrained eyes would be unable to see any movement at all, only hear the sonic booms roaring into the peaks. The wolf's right leg was raised up and spun around counter clockwise in a swift kick. The other leg came up in another blow to switch places with the right. Retaining the same facing, punches were thrown imbued with aura.

Halting his blows midway through the flurry, the wolf froze. His pointed ears twitched and his furry tail shot down between his legs. Something or someone far off on the mountain disrupted him. An extraordinary sixth sense possessed by his kind stretched out beyond the reach of the mundane senses. All living beings could be detected this way, all with their own unique aura to be read. Nothing could be hidden from a Lucario. Thoughts and emotions were put on display to be seen as clear as day. A blessing, most would say, but that's only a matter of perspective. True, there are many circumstances where the talent is useful, but it comes at a price. To control a power requires intense mental training. Without said discipline, one would easily fall victim to an overwhelming surge of color, light, and sensations. The Sanctum warrior himself must fight to keep from getting lost in the depths of aura permeating the world. A troubled psyche like his was at a high risk for losing control.

The steadily approaching presence was all too familiar. No matter how many times Rakesh went through this experience, each instance was like the very first. This aura felt vile, bringing a feeling of dread and despair. Upon sensing such a force, it was as if the soul was yearning for the body to flee from it's certain destruction. Rakesh knew that logically this was not the case here. It was none other than Caliph, and as the name was uttered in the lupine's mind with disgust, his limbs shuddered in revulsion. Caliph was Rakesh's superior, his ally, as incredibly loathsome it was to think of the beast that way. The powerful yet horrible aura was felt drawing near, so Rakesh brought himself to composure once again. His face showed nothing. As if etched out of stone, cold and void of feeling. The will to hide even the slightest sign of weakness was immense.

When the Houndoom finally came over the ridge into sight, Rakesh saw in his mind's eye the same aura he's seen countless times, yet again it was no less disturbing with successive meetings. A halo extended around Caliph's bulky figure, mostly an ominous pitch black with rapidly churning swirls of bright and dark red mixed in. From reading the hellish hound's aura it could be concluded that the dark monstrosity was seething with rage and hatred. A minuscule part of Rakesh felt sorry for his boss, as it was obvious he would never meet peace in all of his days. Calm on the outside, but tumultuous on the inside, the serenity of the training session was shattered now. It occurred to the Lucario that this particular area would never be the same for him, unsuited to be inhabited now that it would always be tainted with the memory of this encounter.

The Sanctum was tearing Rakesh apart internally. On many occasions the thought crossed his mind that he should resign from his position, but on the other hand it was out of the question. He was born into this duty and it was inscribed into his nature not to abandon it. If he did not have his loyalty, what would he have? The impressive rank Rakesh currently held was legitimately attained, for in his youth he was truly fervent about extinguishing the life of every Guardian without a second thought. Now that he had matured, however, he came to realize it is not his way to be a fighter. He did his best to hide this, especially from the Sanctum leaders.

Caliph greeted him and posed a dangerous question. Quickly grasping for an appropriate response, Rakesh growled, "A pleasure, sir," briefly pausing before continuing, "I am on reconnaissance. I've been waiting here for any sign of the enemy." His tone gruff, he made it clear he had no room for frivolity.

[sadly this post was not as good as the one I was working on before I goofed up. Brought to you by my latest music binge, AKFG =D]