Journey:From a Waterfall, to a Water stream

[Lung]

I should know, when something is too much of a coincidence, almost never is by chance.

Exactaly 20 years after Flown killed his own father, on a regular day on serenity, a letter comes for him, stating, they knew theodore, they been watching his son, and after so long was finnaly time for their meet, promising martial arts knowledge and secrets, the travel itself, was dangerous and full of plots, but the thing the was revealed to the man was:

Theodore was on line to be the next chief of that temple he visited, he left, he never told flown anything, he found a woman and found his love, having flown, but again never spoke anything to flown, as the man grow without a single information about her, all he got from his mom, was her surname Tansae.... flown is rewarded with a scroll, having ancient knowledge from the fist ancient of that temple that by coincidence, was exactaly a style much similar the one he developed over years.

A trip, that left more questions than anwsers... why theodore did to give up his role , why he never spoke about flown mother, is she alive? what's her name, why theodore even being a non magi had that will to prove itself, and more important, why on his last year of life contacted the temple back, to keep track on flown? is uncertain why his father acted like that, and left more of a bitter taste on their relation after reveal most of his father did was lie to him, He barely have time to ponder those questions as one thing is more important...

"A scroll filled with martial arts techniques that focus on defense and redirecting attacks flowing like water reacting to what the opponent does always adapting to any situation.

The scroll was the prized possession of the once great temple of the crashing fist. The first elder created the combat style and the scroll which would lead many other temples to try and take it attacking the temple yet no one was ever able to get it. It remained secured and hidden until now"

The man reads... and reads... and reads... nothing... nothing that he already did not know, or already havent figured out by himself, the only new he could gather on the scroll is a bit of variations of what magics interact with his time, in his case his holy one... he could add it to the scoll but yet? is clearly a shock at first time for flown... in the end, he already knew most of what the scroll had.

Days pass, weaks, and the man feels more lost than ever, like the promise was nothing, he stares the skies, the stars, take care of his routine and childern, with a smile but in the end just a well of dissapointment is inside, left with all that background of his father.

Feels like he reached a dead end, it is just one day that he finnaly takes his attenction in a singular passage... and seems like try take something from it, even if maybe never was supposed to have something there?

Empty your mind, be formless shapeless, like water...

You put water in a cup it becomes the cup

You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle.

You put in a teapot? it becomes the tea pot.

Now water can flow, or it can crash... be water my friend.

-Scroll of flowing water

The man quickly adds another layer of words, based in what he finnaly understood from it, a long fight from ages ago with the fox hubris teached that, true water flows in all directions.

Empty your mind, be formless shapeless, like water...
You put water in a cup it becomes the cup
You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle.
You put in a teapot? it becomes the tea pot.
But, it does not mean water limits itself to the form it takes and when takes.
 It does not limit itself to an watefall
 It does not limit itself to an ocean
 It does not limit itself to an pond.
Now water can flow, or it can crash... be water my friend.
True water flows in any direction and form it takes without limiting itself. endlessly never growing stale.
-Scroll of flowing water

The man looks at the scroll with conviction, what that was telling him that he would nothing more nothing less than find himself all over again, and how better way to do that .... its time to roam and challenge any and all martial artis he find, to prove he will became true water.

[Lung]

First stop, Xuengfeng

My jorney started on gloomlight, but was only on xuengfeng that i found my first oponent, i've realized would be easier if i passed on each settlement and moved to the another to keep a consistency track, was easier that way, the long trip from serenity to xuengfeng, made my mind only fill with void, the forests and fauna slowly being changed to the icy mountains, as usual i got there and introduced myself seeking information to someone, usually that knows well the citizens of that place.

The current regent, introduced me a black hair male after i stated my goal of keep fighting strong practitioners of the martial arts, long hairs, quiet mostly, he said its been 3 years he dont fought and his current style dont had a name, but was only focused on attack the enemy openings, and use his malice to attack. He also seem be the only one there that could represent xuengfeng for my request....

I will be in the arena.
Mingyue

 The arena they had was quite hidden, anyone could misread the path thinking was a cave, but was well designed, maybe even reminding one of the few arenas is saw on my trip from players of mana ball, introducing ourselves, i never would expect what hit me next, the second our fight begun... as soon i rushed for attack, he simply counter attacked every single attack i attempted land, hiding on his shadows, or empowerding by his cosmic magic, that even indoors were strongly feeding...

I could feel a grin of delight after he tossed me away, hurt by his own attacks and shadows, i recovered my stance and attempted do not demonstrated my frustation, but i failed, he seemed see it clear as a summer sky day, i couldnt attack him head on, as much i tried my movements were too simple to be readed, and left openings, as soon i adapted a more defense stance to attempt grab his engages... he begun use his speed to attack and hit me instead.

At that point my holy magic, and my resilience was saving me, maybe even the gear, but slowly i felt myself being more drained, he adapted to my style just like i adpted to his, he was a powerful oponent with a powerful might, i could tell he had much more pontential in a few years if he pushed himself more, at that point something was clear, he could see the flow of battle very well as much i could. and that was what allowed my in a slight second take the advantage....

I begin steer and adapt the flow of my attacks , no longer linear or single movement attacks, but many directions that would end anywhere, even far from him... soon he felt for the traps thinking he could hit me, and were that momments i begin lock him with my powerful deflects, and hit him on his shadows cloaks, the brutal attacks of my fists were like crashing waves on his body, and when i got a clear hit, i sent my most powerful attack.

---

Waterfall stream, Smashing fist: Foz

The man rushes foward, his oponent would be able to see clearly the flow of his attack on his hands almost like a stream going towards him easyly to avoid to see... or so was the trap. In the blink of an eye, the attack that was a trail of mana linearly going foward, broke itself, like was leaking on his surrounding into several smaller branchs, moving on air.... 

What before was a simple attack to see now had several bifurcations, some moving on his directios others on opposite one... but mainy... which one was the attack? The sudden pop is enough to break his malice as his punch hits straight foward the man face sending him flying away, yet the man does not stop... was the breach he needed.

Waterfall stream, Smashing fist: Inconsistency...

The moves of the man begin rotationate in a odd pattern sometimes slower sometimes faster as he faints some of his moving ocilating the speed at his will seeming what would reach him would just flow else where.... Seeing he got for the bait and was wasting his magics to repel , the man deflects them away from him going for the final finish move that he is able to land head on.

Unarmed combat: Destruction in 4 parts.

New moon

On his tricky feints the man dissapears from his sight, surging in front of him on a fast step speed, using his flashing step.

Waning moon

Intense after trails of mana are seeing flowing into the man body with several physical attacks stunning him on place, with the full power of a tidal force dragging him foward while he drags him forard.

Full moon

A spiral fist as last attack sents him fowards spinning his movements creating distance

Rising sun

He runs arround the arena to finish him off, but at the sight he would phase off his attack he uses the best one instead... no a spin but a fast many blows attacks that would hit even after he phased, moving away and dodging his punishing attempt.

Yet as i look at my hands, my tidal waves tattoos seems be glow in a never seen tone before, almost like a greenish blue... before back to normal, i dont understood well that, but what was inside my heart was, i lost, in skill at least, but i've defeated him, i choose not lock myself to win or defeat, and how that made my style improve instead.

We arent that distance in skill factor, when you train and refine more your style surely you will surpass me." He says regozniing it, but flown skill is take oponent force agaisnt him, so the stronger their are the better
-Flown Akatsuki.

 He then stands breathless as took all from him to finish this spar... all his ace tecniques, the next stop, the place where dragons live.

[Lung]

Second stop:

Months passed since my fight with the shadow fist user, i've been reflecting and meditating about what i learned from him on that battle, something about martial arts with shadows seems offer a proper enviroment to grow one mind against such tricks, almost like reivent self, my trips arround the settlements to gather places havent went good either: Arcadia, Nightview, Aegis, Midpoint, And prospera... i havent managed find representant on this ones, and the others, i've been hostilized if can be worded like that...  So far: Gloomlight, Londo and Dragon dens seems the place where they are focused, all others seems roam freely making my effort harder to find them.

Yet, i arrive at the next, quickly i find a old friend, Mio Kazana, that we know each other since our young days even interacting very few, one of the fighters that helped me in the trip where i got the scoll, from the trip i know he is hell of a fighter, i challege him for a fight between us and in no time he accepts, after all, we both trying make our styles grow stronger, yet he warned me, there other with him that seems formidable oponent, someone named kama.

Come with me. 
Truthfully I can't help but be excited for this. Last time we crossed fists may have been a decade ago, and back then it had barely been my victory. But since then---
My own study of such arts has improved, and it has mixed more with my own illusory arts. I can only be curious of your own improvement versus mine.
- Mio Kazana

A small crowd of the drakanites seems follow us as well inside the dragons arena, we face each other, a deadly style against the watefall, a blink on one eyes and the two already collide on each other, i attempted outmatch his speed, with my strongest tecnique so far.... Destruction in 4 parts, the damage caused on arena was large but when my senses got back i noticed was just a ilusion that i was attacking that whole time, sometime between the blows, he managed sneak away my attack, as i could see his body fully hindered, but as same time i feel my flesh warm, and the several cuts i suffered while on it.... when was that he attacked me? on middle of the attack? was it a ilusion? i couldnt tell.

If his offense is the power, then i traded to defense, waiting his attacks, but much like the xuengfeng oponnent, the shadows and ilusions make almost impossible get clean hits, or defend his attacks well, even with my Redirection several blows broke from it, quickly i adpted and adjusted my tecniques, if he was confident he could continuing cutting me with his attacks then i had to fool him just like i was fooled by minguye.

Waterfall stream, Crashing fist: Reverse flux

Almost like a mantra flown says...

"Ryusui gansai-ken."

The sequence that follows is another barrage of attacks, this time less pressuring, allowing mio trade attacks with flow... or so he thought, unlike redirection, reverse flux allow one while being attacked, send back the attacks towards the enemy while does so, many claws and attacks are cut back to him, letting pieces of his cloth spread on the arena.

Mio would notice that flown carried the malice of a assasin, as a weaker stream on purpuse would bait his foe in think he could trade back just to see itself locked in the stream the man was leading

Yer as skilled mio is , flown is not able hold that trade much as the best course was send him elsewhere, with his ilusions, making flown a bit confused, yet poitning at the wrong direction.

"Aga-" he is pointing to nothing, quickly turning back to mio.

"Again! i know you can bloom much more! do not flaw your tecnique." He says getting him back at his stance, almost a reminder of mio good points and force flown go in his stream instead the opposite.

I could feel myself as much him, slowly getting on our limits, yet, mio is formidable, he started see the flux of battle, and used his qualities at best, so far i been leading the stream of combat, but as soon he took the upperhand of it, slowly and more i begin being tricked by his ilusions slowly i was being forced against the wall...

 

There it was again.

Much of the moments taken up to distract the martial artist with his own illusions had proven successful. But again he finds his own blows to land softer than they normally would be.Even then he could feel Flown beginning to adapt to his own motions and strikes. Redirecting some of his own more lethal blows harmlessly as he was left wincing away from the pain.

All the while a fleeting feeling was felt, one that had caught him by surprise as the Akatsuki wasn't someone he had known to hold such a presence.But soon he was given little chance to truly follow up on such, launched back again as he took the moment to prepare.

Refocusing himself as he gathered his thoughts.

"Very well...such is to be my own technique. You've become much more durable than before, it only means I must sharpen my talons more to penetrate such."

He was choosing to be hesitant, more defensive in his actions and letting the flow of the fight long be dictated by that of Flown. The result of such was leading time and again to growing mistakes because he had been denying his own nature of fighting.

So when he started back up. It was as if Flown blinked, a bell ringing as the distance closed from the Drakanite.

Fist cocked back as he struck forward, crashing through the defenses that was put up by Flown as umbral lightning sparked to life, launching the man back as he continued such a relentless assault. With each step, a blur akin to a moving shadow as with each moment. A bell rung, he struck a kick to his right side. A bell rung, a palm strike to their torso as they were knocked back.

All for the Shadow dragon to come back before Flown, preparing himself once more to continue on the fight.

"There's much more to still go Flown, so....so much more. You really have my blood flowing, and my pride won't allow me to be defeated before my kin."

We finnaly reaching the end of the fight, yet misleaded by my emotions slowly breaking my control without notice i used a tecnique, that i ... shouldnt anymore, due how dangerous it can be when the aftercomes reachs... even if does not provide any boost by itself, should give the clear mind needed for continue the fight.

Waterfall Stream, smashing fist: Dead calm.

Several mana circuits point begin blink caoticaly, the flow of mana stops for a second, the blood stream as well, for a single momment, then holy mana suddenly begin circulate arround the man body, all focusing on the mind, several nerves and connections begin being numbed to the poin they are mommentanely turned off, the man turns off his brain, from the emotions that pop on battle, almost turning into a vegetative stage of pure muscle memory and battle experience, his mind only acting mecanicaly instead emotively, and even his facial expressions of joy anger turn blank.

Yet, this dont proved be any power boost ot nothing, forced state of cleared mind little helped against drakanite, that got a superior domain over his own skills and agility over the man, i was able land several clean hits on him, after seeing his breachs often, yet the factor that resulted my lost? purely skill.

---

the stress of such a fight had proven to reach its climax, blow after blow traded. Attempts to fully exploit Flown's openings diminished by the increased resilience.

His own tricks proving to be critical in many moments to keep some level of control over the battlefield. But one that was almost fleeting each time the Akatsuki reminded him the level of skill they held themselves.

But in the end it wouldnt' be his own shadows or illusions that would claim victory, it would instead be that of his own body.

Shown in such retaliation as they had gotten a grip of their gi and sought to launch him away...only to reply with a decisive kick to their chest, launching them away and into a stalagmite, crumbling it in the process.

Mio all the while launched into the wall of the pit.

Silence lingering in the moment, before finally pulling himself out of the wall.

Victory achieved, if only barely.

"He...hehehe....what a fucking battlereally. You've really been pushing yourself hard all these years huh Flown...."

Each step took closer, taking the time to clean himself up as he recovered.

"Haaah....my entire body is sore from this really...ouch."

(Mio Kazana)

---

It was on his movements, the man was less hindered by the impacts of his attacks, as his emotions were supressed, he was moving more like a ghost, while still flowing like water, with his resilience trying overcome mio.

But as calm he was, as centreted he was, simply mio speed and tricks managed fool flown, the man is sent towards the wall standing there for long momments reflecting...

What did i did wrong, i had concealed my intections, i had made my blows less evident and avoinded mio baits, yet still he was the one defeated, was then then a slight momment of light shows flown the dragons behing mio watching every movement he did.

The man still under effect of dead calm, was about to feel his withdrawn effect, but he wouldnt let it happen here, he forced himself to continue it.

"Still not enough." He simply says, as he removed a large piece of wall with himself when he sets it free.

Holy mana spreading arround his body to help numb the pain soon would flown into mio as the man touch his hands on mio back.

"Seems like in the end i was the one flawing my tecnique." He says taking then his hands off.

"I must never let emotions take as much fun it is, is the only way to truly be water." The man cover his hands on his jacket pocket beginning to leave the arena, the scorpion on his back glow a momment in gold.

"I will back later to challenge the one you all said is really good, when i properly back to all basics again."
said the man almost breaking due due deadcalm effect,  complete lost of one emotions control, almost turning back into the mature level of a child.