The day was a beautiful one, not a single cloud in the sky. The birds chirped happily, unaware of the danger approaching.
Danger that was in the form of a man carrying a rather large backpack, one that was larger than him.
"I thought I told you to pack lightly," Julia said from next to him, carrying a decent-sized backpack herself.
Geese glared at Julia. "I did. It was someone else that wanted to bring all of this for Lily."
Julia frowned. "I only suggested a few things..." After all a girl needed some necessities... A sleeping bag... A tent... Cooking supplies... Maybe a book or two... A magnifying glass... A butterfly net... A...
A...
...
Okay, so MAYBE she went a little overboard...
Next to the couple of people a young girl walked trying to avoid getting involved in the discussion. She was afraid of them both right now. Geese was Geese, he was frightening all the time. Julia was the true surprise, though. She came as sweet and mature, but when talking with her guardian...
The blond man continued to glare at Julia. "I thought as much. Trust a woman to screw things up."
Julia frowned. "I screwed nothing up. I just wanted to make sure Lily had everything she could need to be comfortable out here as we show her nature. There are so many species of plants and animals here. And that river will be an excellent spot to go fishing..." She looked over Geese's backpack. "Good, you DID bring the fishing gear."
"I did. Together with the chessboard and the stove." He should've known Julia would arrange things so he'd have a hard time on this 'relaxation' trip. "That last one I don't even know why you insisted on bringing. A campfire serves perfectly well for that."
"Yes, but a portable stove is FAR more sanitary," Julia said. "I've no clue if Lily has any food allergies and we wouldn't want any mold or such on tree branches getting on her food and bothering the poor dear."
"She can tough it out like normal people. You're pampering her and will make her weak." Geese snapped and was glad they finally reached a good spot for camping.
Lily did her best to sit down away from the still, and seemingly always, arguing couple.
Ignoring the comment of making Lily weak, Julia nodded her head as she looked over the area Geese was setting down the large pack. "Yes, this actually is a pretty good spot, Geese. Open area... A good deal of trees with high branches. Not too far from the river either." She looked at the man and smiled. "Nice spot."
"I used to come here when I was younger. It was a good spot for being away from everything." Namely assassins after his neck. "It was also a good spot for training." He motioned for another clearing on the other side of the river. It was filled with uprooted trees and crushed rocks. The ground completely dead, not a single plant or sign of life seen.
Julia narrowed her eyes as she stared at the overall circle of lifelessness. "Murder..." She whispered again. The dark chi having done a more thorough job of killing everything within its reach than salting the earth would have.
"I train there and there alone." Geese stretched his back, audible pops being heard, and turned to the redhead. "It wouldn't do to kill the entire forest."
Julia nodded and said, "Because someone would be bound to notice and investigate." She said that more as a comment that a question.
Geese snorted. "Shows how little you know of me." In truth he didn't want the rest of the forest to suffer the same fate because he did enjoy staying out in contact with nature. Being in the middle of a dead place wasn't satisfying for him.
Julia frowned at Geese. Again, she looked at the place of death... Of destruction. Narrowing her eyes, Julia set down her backpack and walked over to the area.
Geese turned to Lily. "Go get some firewood, girl," He commanded and was obeyed immediately. Nodding in satisfaction at Lily's retreating form he walked after Julia.
Julia had already made her way across the stream, and made her way into the patch of death. It was an eerie feeling all right. Nothing within the circle of Geese's influence was...
The redhead's eyes widened. "Wait..." She said as she went to the center of the destruction.
Geese frowned and followed Julia. What was she up to?
Julia stood in the center of the circle for a moment. Closing her eyes slowly, Julia placed her hands together in front of her face. Slowly, the woman began concentrating in a standing meditation pose.
Geese extended his chi senses to try and figure out what Julia was doing.
He could feel it... And after a few more moments, see it as well as a blue swirl of her aura began to pure around her. Julia was garnering her energy of what she called the 'Master Fist.' A peaceful, calming force that was attuned with nature, and yet when needed, it could still use its powers, rather than work with it.
And right now, Julia was working with it.
The crime lord watched with interest. If he was right in his assumption Julia could actually work her essence to undo the damage his own caused.
Then it happened.
One by one, sprouts of sorts started to appear from the ground around her feet.
The sprouts continued to spring from the parched earth in an outwards motion as the ones closest to Julia started to rise in grass and... Flowers?
It was a long process to Geese, something akin to ten minutes, but it was just fascinating to watch... To study.
He didn't watch with his eyes, he did so with his aura.
When she was done, Julia stood there in a section of the forest that looked HEALTHIER than the rest of it.
"Interesting..." Geese commented slowly.
Finally, Julia opened her eyes. "That was more difficult than I thought it would."
"I would imagine so." Geese looked around and noticed that the plants were charged with energy. "Maybe you overdid it. These plants will burn themselves out."
Julia nodded her head to that. Again, she started to into a meditative state, giving Geese a show of what had gone on before...
...Only Geese's senses could pick up the energy flow moving in an opposite form, going in reverse.
Julia didn't do it long though, taking only enough energy to keep the plants form growing any further for now.
Turning, Julia looked at the crime lord. "That is a gift of the Master Fist. An ability to give life, rather than take it."
Geese chuckled. "Stop preaching to me, woman. You know as well as I do that it won't work." He turned to see Lily running back to the campsite with some small logs and make her way to find more. "Or do you wish to tell me that yours is the only way? The right way?"
"There are many 'right ways,'" Julia said seriously. "And from what I know of your Murder Fist, it is a path that gives results without effort, but will have terrible consequences all too soon."
Looking away from Geese, she admitted, "I still think you're going to hurt yourself. And I don't want to see that happen to you."
Geese laughed out loud. "Is that so? So you mean to tell me I got these results easily?" He looked at her condescendingly. "Open your eyes, you idiot. You've never walked this path, so you don't know a thing about it." It irked him, the gall of this woman, to think of herself as all-knowing when she had never experienced the true depth of his accomplishments.
"No," Julia admitted. "I've not walked your path... But I've seen people take it..." Her eyes seemed to go distant then. "Far too many people take it... People close to me..." There was a long pause before she finally whispered, "People I had to put down because they became a danger... Danger to everyone around them... And themselves..."
"And so you decided no one can be strong enough to succeed. Is that is?" Geese smirked even more. "Quite a low concept of me you have."
Julia frowned. "As I've told you before, Geese, wielders of a Murder Fist feel something beyond euphoria. They experience Nirvana... Until the battle ends..." She looked at the blond seriously. "What do YOU feel when in the Heat of Battle?"
"I do like it, I can't deny that. But so does every other fighter worth anything," Geese said seriously. "I don't, however, let my sheer battle lust take away my control. That would make me careless, and in my business being careless is the same as being dead."
Julia nodded. She turned to Geese in a battle-stance. "Then show me your control. It's time we started sparring a little in the great outdoors."
Geese raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He didn't mind fighting, of course.
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(Posted Sun, 26 Dec 2004 00:07)
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