Not so Ordinary World

[Kwokinator]

Maki nodded to the departing old man, then turned to Shia.

"What's this?" he asked, holding the ball carefully, afraid it might break if he dropped it or held it to tightly. "What do I do with it?"

[Liddo-kun]

"It's used for beginners so they can practice how to channel their inner energy," Shia tells you.  Taking the glass ball from your hand, you watch as it lights up like a small light bulb.  "You just concentrate and if you channel your energy just right, it'll light up."

[Kwokinator]

"Just right?" he wondered. "What do you mean by 'just right'?  So it can't be too strong or too weak or something?"

[Liddo-kun]

"I say 'just right' because you can also over-do it."  So saying, she increases the amount of energy she puts into the object.  The light goes from a soft glow to an intense eye stabbing brightness that she soon dims, but it still leaves spots floating in your vision.

"Sorry, should've warned you," Shia says as an afterthought, sticking out her tongue playfully as you blink.

[Kwokinator]

"Whoa," he blinked, shaking his head to try to clear his vision.  He should probably be mad at the small prank, but just couldn't get the anger up after looking at Shia's playful expression.  It was just as well, he wasn't a particularly vindictive person on small matters anyway.

"Alright, can I try?" Maki shrugged and stuck out his hand for the ball. "Is there a particular way to, err, concentrate?"

[Liddo-kun]

"Sure," she says, handing the device over.  It's cool to the touch.  The surface is relatively smoothe save for grooves and ridges that decorate it, giving it texture.

"As for a particular way to concentrate..." she taps her chin in thought.  Finally, "Well, each person visualizes their inner energy in a certain way that makes sense to them.  You have to then make it move the way you want, but the trick is that you have to find the center - where your energy originates - before anything else.  Can't direct what you can't find, after all."

[Kwokinator]

"Alright," Maki nodded then sat down, cross-legged, putting his hands on his knees.

Closing his eyes, he tried to focus and concentrate on inside of him, trying to visualize what would best be described as streams of energy flowing continuously through every part of his body.

[Liddo-kun]

A stream of energy, free flowing and fluid.  The image comes to you very easy, which surprises you since you expected it to be more difficult as meditation was just something you don't normally do.  Yet you can feel your mind and body becoming calm.

Your heartbeat provides a steady backbeat to the sound of a stream.

Ba-bup.......  Ba-bup......

You go even deeper.

Sounds seem to become muted and your senses dulled.  It feels as if you're diving deep underwater into the yawning mouth of darkness.

Ba-bup...  Ba-bup...

Deeper yet.

The black oblivion seemed to have no end as you fell deeper within yourself.  It was as if you were wearing weights and you were hurled into an ocean to sink to the bottom.

Ba-bup!  Ba-bup!  Ba-bup!

That's when you feel a violent tugging and pulling on your spiritual self.  It feels as if you were being pulled in multiple directions, caught in a violent riptide.

BA-BUP!!  BA-BUP!!  BA-BUP!!  BA-BUP!!

Another violent shake, but this time you hear a voice as well.

"...ki"

In the midst of the churning chaos, you catch a glimpse of what you think is 'it' - the center that you'd been looking for.  A great blue sphere, surrounded by columns of what looked violently churning whirlpools that seemed to writhe and lash out like angry serpents.

"MAKI!!"

You snap awake, but instead of the darkness and the hungry tide that sought to suck you under and never let you go - Shia's concerned face fills your vision.  On seeing your eyes open now she draws back a step, but worriedly asks, "Are you okay?"

[Kwokinator]

Maki shook his head,  trying to chase away what remnants of his adventure inside himself.

"What is it?" he puzzled. "Did I do something wrong or something?  I felt like I was... sinking or something.  I think I saw the center you mentioned, but it wasn't exactly a peaceful center... but then it started drawing me into it... and then I saw you."

"Why did you call my name, anyway?" he wondered.  Not that he minded, as he felt like he was about to be sucked in and annilated by that so-called center, but he was curious.

[Liddo-kun]

That's when you finally feel the effects as a slew of sensations hit you at once.

A bead of sweat runs into your eyes, stinging it.  Your forehead and the back of your neck is drenched in cold sweat, leaving your skin feeling clammy.  Your heart feels like it's trying its best to rip itself out of your chest and your hands....

Looking down you notice for the first time how tightly you're gripping the ball.  Letting out your strength leaves the muscles in your arm shaking and twitching involuntarily, causing you to drop the ball and reveal the deep (and in some places, bloody) impressions the grooves left in the soft skin of your hand.

[Kwokinator]

He groaned, and tried to steady himself and waited for the tornado of sensations to subside by putting his hands on the ground, except using his knuckles instead of his palms since his palms pained him.

"Wha...what happened?" he choked out.

[Liddo-kun]

"I...I really don't know," Shia admits, shaking her head.  "You were fine then the next minute you were shaking, like you were having a seizure or something.  I didn't know what was going on."

Before she could say anymore, "Shhhhhhhiiiiiiia~!"  A young girl was waving from the steps leading back to the temple walkways.  "It's time for dinner!" she sing-songed.

"Okay," she returned, cupping her hands around her mouth so as to be heard.  Seeing that you were still a little frazzled, "I'll be there in a bit."

The girl seemingly satisfied with the answer ran back the way she came, going quickly out of sight.

"We can ask Master Horai after dinner," Shia says.  "But let's get something for your hand before that.  Can you stand?" she asks, offering you an arm to lean on just in case.

You think you can stand.  The dizziness is already passing, your heartbeat is returning to normal, but damn if your hand still didn't hurt like hell.

[Kwokinator]

"Yeah, I think I can stand," he said, wincing in pain, but declining the offer for help.  Instead, he uncrossed his legs into a kneeling position, and stood up without using his hands.  They still hurt too much to use, mostly.

"Alright, where to?" he asked, trying to will the pain to subside.

[Liddo-kun]

Shia shakes her head and rolls her eyes at your stubborn refusal for help.  "The first-aid kit is in my room, so we're going to need to head on over there to get you patched up," she tells you, leading the way.

[Kwokinator]

"Alright," Maki followed alongside Shia, instead of following behind like before.  He kind of wanted to get there as quickly as possible. "Have you seen anything like this before?"