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Post by Noa on Oct 28, 2020 20:52:35 GMT -6
“An arrow please,” said Rabbit. At the moment they were simply warming up, retracing the previous day’s progress. The first arrow the creature produced was therefore a little wobbly, but by the second and third, it seemed that he had worked out most of the kinks.
From there, it was target practice, over and over again, until he could strike the center of the target; and then until he could strike it consistently, then from a greater distance away. This was the work of another two sessions, by the end of which the creature looked thoroughly sick of the word ‘arrow’.
It was just as well that they were due to move on.
“Now we will return to trying to produce the larger force of wind that you had previously summoned,” Rabbit said. “I believe the principle will be similar, in that you will need to focus mentally on what you wish to enact.”
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Post by Noa on Oct 28, 2020 20:52:48 GMT -6
Having had it work once already, the creature had no reason to doubt the logic now. “Are you ready?” said Rabbit, and the creature faced the large target to show her that he was. “You may close your eyes if you wish,” she added, to which he replied with a huff of breath. Some of his wounded pride had made a recovery in the intervening time, evidently.
“Very well. Harsh gust,” she said.
The arrow training had helped a great deal. This time, when the creature made the attempt, there was a distinct and heavy wind that blew across the clearing. It wasn’t as forceful as some of his more successful attempts, when he had still been using his wings--- which were still being exercised on a daily basis, now worked in as part of their gym routine--- but it was a far cry from the faint breeze he had produced on the last attempt.
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Post by Noa on Oct 28, 2020 20:52:59 GMT -6
“Very good,” said Rabbit. “I believe a little more practice and you will have it.” And, though she didn’t say it, she suspected by that point the work will be complete. Something that affected a wider radius like this did not require as much work on pinpoint accuracy. So long as he was pointing in the right general direction, the sweeping wind ought to find its mark.
The creature, too, seemed to find these results much more palatable. To say he was pleased would have been inaccurate, since he did not actually manage to achieve what he had before, but he could see too that there was significant improvement. And now that he knew the way these things worked, he had an avenue into which he could direct his efforts.
“Harsh gust again please,” said Rabbit. The creature focused on the target, and a stronger wind blew at it this time, buffeting the solid wood.
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Post by Noa on Oct 28, 2020 20:56:02 GMT -6
With the desired end result in mind, the creature’s concentration was improving.
They attempted the attack a few more times before it reached a level that they were both satisfied with. Once it was bowling over targets of a moderate weight, Rabbit pronounced it a success. And they repeated it over the course of several days to make sure he had it, since he had begun with so much difficulty. But, at last, he had managed to master the art of summoning the winds without use of his wings.
The creature did not make it obvious, but Rabbit had the sense that he was actually quite pleased with this development. It was not exactly what he had demanded that she work on with him, but nevertheless it was an impressive show of strength, and considering the potential to wreak destruction, also much more interesting than anything they had ever done at the gym.
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