Not so Ordinary World

[Kwokinator]

"So when can we start?" Maki quickly stopped his swings as soon as the older man mentioned training. "I want to be able to master it as soon as possible."

[Liddo-kun]

Master Horai motions you towards a patch of shade under a tall tree before taking a seat on the ground with his legs crossed.  He hums - you notice he seems to do that when doing any type of thinking - tapping his chin.

"Spirit energy is something all around us, within us," he explains, sweeping his hands around.  "We each carry the potential to gather and fold this energy to create a certain effect - the amount varies from person to person, you see."

[Kwokinator]

Maki makes his way to the indicated shade and sits down, crossing his leg Indian-style like he's seen people do in meditation.

"So the amount of spiritual energy that we can gather and store inside us varies?" he voices his question about the interpretation he made of Master Horai's statement. "Is there anyway to channel and use or manipulate the energy without storing it?  If spiritual energy is all around us, then we should theoretically have a limitless supply."

[Liddo-kun]

"Mmm.  We don't really 'store' spirit energy inside us," he corrects.  "As you pointed out, there *is* a limitless supply of energy around us, but its being able to gather - to grab  the energy - and fold it - to make the energy do what we want - that is difficult."  He looks at you to see if you're following so far.

[Kwokinator]

"So not everybody can gather the same amount of energy," he nods in understanding. "So what determines a person's potential at gathering and folding the energy?"

[Liddo-kun]

You're rewarded a smirk by Master Horai who seems pleased that you're willing to listen, and more importantly, ask questions when you don't understand.

"Manipulating spiritual energy requires a certain level of focus, concentration, and 'muscle'," he says.  "Not physical strength, mind you, but just as it would require physical aptitude to forge a piece of steel into a weapon, so too is it necessary when we fold energy into something useful."

"Just like with physical training, it's exercise that'll strengthen our abilities.  Similar to the human body, though, there are some who have the natural frame to more easily put on and carry muscle as well as those who have a harder time with it."

[Kwokinator]

"So was that ball you gave me earlier to see how much... natural 'muscle' I have to start with?"

"Speaking of which, there's something I should ask you about that," he tries to recall the images he saw during the meditation. "I saw this big blue sphere surrounded by whirlpools, and then Shia woke me up and apparently I was shaking and gripping the ball so hard it made my hand bleed."

[Liddo-kun]

"What I gave you earlier was just a bit of spirit energy to get your Eye to open up," he replies.  "When you learn how to channel on your own, you'll be able to open and close your Eye at will."

On your second point though.

"The blue sphere would probably be your core, the representation of your spiritual center, but whirlpools..." he plumbs his library of his knowledge, but seems to be drawing a blank.

"Hard to say what they might represent, but we can explore this further," he then hastily adds in consideration, "if you feel up to it, of course."

[Kwokinator]

"I'm always up to it," Maki replied with a confident smirk. "One little obstacle isn't going to stop me."

[Liddo-kun]

He lets loose with a carefree laugh, clearly amused at your boastful claim.

"Let us see what we're dealing with..." he mutters, closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly.

There's a flutter and a warmth centering in the pit of your stomach.  The feeling slowly increases then the noise of whistling wind reaches you as your vision twists inwards.  It feels as if you've dozed off, yet you're quite awake, as far as you can tell.  You're falling through a dark abyss before you feel it.

It being the uncomfortable sensation of being whipped by strong winds, then there's that familiar blue sphere again, pulsing in tune with your heartbeat.

[Kwokinator]

With a previous experience under his belt, Maki isn't surprised at the feeling of falling into the abyss again.

Ignoring the feeling of being whipped by winds, he tries to reach out and touch the blue sphere.

[Liddo-kun]

The light is not too harsh on your eyes, as you draw closer.  As you extend your hand, you're uncertain of what to expect.  It's fringed by flickering wisps of ghostly fire, yet the surface beneath that moves like the surface of a pond.

Your hand passes through a liquid layer like lukewarm water then hits a solid -- like marble, you think -- which in contrast is cool to the very touch.

There is a sudden noise, like a tuning fork being struck (or a temple bell?), which makes your head buzz and your ear ring a bit.  A bit annoying.

The orb suddenly gives and you're drawn up to your elbow and it doesn't seem of a mind to let you go.

It is hot, a searing sensation traveling from fingertip to the ball of your shoulders.  Flickering wisps of heat stings your eyes and washes across your face like a blast of dry desert heat.  Yet you feel chill, as well -- a numbing tingle working across your back, shoulders, around your neck, and down to the tips of your very toes.

Very... interesting.

The voice of Master Horai seems to echo, as if he was talking to your from within a vast, cavernous chamber.

[Kwokinator]

Upon hearing the lack of alarm in Master Horai's voice, Maki tries to calm down and prevent himself from going into a panic at the extreme temperatures coursing their ways through his body.

Recalling the need to gather and fold spiritual energy, he closes his eyes and tries to envision drawing the opposing temperatures of heat and chill across his body into himself and blending them together as one.