Storms Of Ataraxy

"Are you planning on watching any of your teammates Objectives?!" Cassi asked naggingly, glaring at me over her shoulder, her arms crossed disapprovingly. I'd just reached the back of the waiting room in my little meditation corner when she caught me. Lonni looked back too, dropping his head to hide his laugh as I exaggeratedly pantomimed her voice.

"'Are you planning on watching an-' yes, Cassi. I haven't gotten more than 30 seconds to check my notifications since I got back, let alone sit down." I said wincing, having only caught my own snippy tone after the fact. Cassi rolled her eyes as she drew in a deep breath before I could make amends.

"Fine. Go meditate. Don't expect me to save your ass because you decided not to scout our competition when you had the chance." She said with a sneer, turning back toward the screen. Korbin was still locked in an energy platform in the complete darkness, with only the glow of his blue shimmering containment barrier.

"I'll be right there, just give me a sec." I hollered back as I sat down. Ignoring Cassi not even flinching at my words, I practically slammed my eyes closed and immediately hopped into flow. As I felt the energy swaying through my body, I opened my notifications in search of my skill upgrade. With any luck, being in flow might jog enough muscle memory to figure out when it upgraded. After all, nothing I was doing was really acting differently, accept…

No way, FUCK yes!?

*Skill Upgrade Unlocked!*

Water Step (common) - your devotion to your style has awakened your body to what your mind and spirit have already known as fundamental law, allowing you to channel your affinity into any step omnidirectionally so long as you're in Flow, further connecting your physical body to your mind and soul. +3 agility while active. ->

Ripple Stride (Uncommon) - You no longer simply channel water mana through your steps internally, releasing a pulse of rippling water mana with every movement that subtly alters momentum, both yours and your enemies'. While in Flow, your steps generate minor reactive surges in your wake, displacing projectiles, disturbing enemy footing, or drawing attention away from your true position.

-Passive: +5 Agility while active

-Effect: Each step sends out a subtle ripple of water mana. Attacks made by enemies within 2 meters of your movement trail suffer minor accuracy penalties.

Elation flooded my body reading the laundry list of abilities added to my rather lengthy new movement skill description. Two more agility points added on was an admittedly small boost, had it been the only addition to the skill reception. Now, the added splash effect on my opponent's accuracy was something I hadn't even considered being possible. I suppose it answers the whole 'wet feet' thing I had going on trying to use Water Step last Objective, though I wish I'd known its full effects before trying to dodge every attack by such a glaring margin.

The fact projectiles were affected by the skills trail as well also diminished some of my pride at not taking a fireball to the chest from those annoying little Cherubs. Not to say I don't view the skill working as intended deems me any less shifty, I just always have Korbin's annoying voice in my head after a surprising victory.

"Success without intent is a sign of luck. Congrats, you wasted your lottery ticket."

Fucking hate that expression. Mainly because of all the things I'd learned from my dear-old friend, this saying immediately resonated with me. At least, my interpretation of 'why waste your luck now when you could have earned your win earlier?', was never corrected. I grew the urge to ask Korbin as my eyes shot open, dropping my shoulders with a disappointed sigh seeing Korbin on the projection sitting in his energy pod.

Right, it's his turn.

My eyes locked onto Cassi, who stood attentively in front of the projection playing on the window wall. The same one showing Korbin, and even he didn't look as ready-to-go as Cassi did right now. Lonni stood beside her, though I could tell he was getting bored by his wandering eyes scanning around the rather bland metallic room. Reluctantly acknowledging I have plenty of time to focus on Mana Manipulation training, my feet shuffled under me as I strolled over to join my team. Everyone except Derrick that is, who was actively contorting his void magic around his Halberds Violet stone that hovered above its socket.

Lucky, why does he get to work undisturbed?

Sighing, I nearly bumped into Cassi looking back at Derrick's blissful little workstation. By the way Cassi's furrowed brow loosened at seeing me stumble past her, I gather she really was pissed I essentially told her to fuck off because I'm tired. How odd. Her shoulders had just begun to relax after I jabbed her metal armor with my elbow, desperately fighting a smirk when Korbin's energy field dissipated with a loud whirl.

"It's starting." Cassi said, turning her full attention back to the projection.

"Relax, this one just sounds like another 'leave first' maze. He beat yours, he should be f-" before I could finish snidely reassuring Cass, a red handprint suddenly manifested across Korbin's forehead before he collapsed to the ground. The three of us stood silently, with only Derrick's magic humming passively behind us. Watching as the screen slowly rippled and blurred the image, both Cassi and Lonni shot disapproving stares my way.

"…psh, he's got this."

——————————————————————-

Distance screams echoed all around me as I felt myself slowly crawling back to conscientiousness. The air hung thick, carrying a variety of sour, tart, even metallic undertones that assaulted my pallet as I peeled myself from the floor. My eyes were open, yet my vision remained pitch black.

Okay Korbin, let's make sure you haven't broken anything.

Shaking out my legs, I sighed not feeling any residual pain from whatever fall I took to land here. In fact, I felt lighter than ever before, like I might glide like a half-inflated balloon that got a running start. Content with my state, I felt at my back for my battle axe to cast a little sustained fire mana. After several frantic pats however, I quickly realized I'd been disarmed.

Fine, I'll get spendy with my ma-

A flash of invasive concern shot through my chest feeling the fire mana channeling through my arms and toward my palm fizzle at my fingertips. As if the air itself was an annoying little brother, raspily thrashing about in their highchair of defiance refusing to allow you the right to blow out your own birthday candles. Another blood curdling shriek echoed all around me as I dropped into a fighter's stance.

'Escaping Fate'. Okay, I guess the fates can't afford the electricity bill.

Suddenly, a dark red light illuminated the snow-covered floor. A blizzard raged all around me, pelting the barracks I'd spent a full uncomfortable year training, sleeping, and repeating in.

"Private Erickson!" A deep, raspy, painfully familiar voice barked from behind. As if on instinct, my body stiffened in perfect posture practically stabbing myself in the eye with a solute.

"Sergeant Peters, Sir!" I replied firmly.

"What in the ungodly rabbits hemorrhoid covered asshole are you doin' out of the barracks at this hour?!" Sergeant Peters growled, his saliva clumping and slapping off my face.

"My apologies, sir!" I replied, staring straight ahead and fighting every urge not to drive my elbow through his spittling mouth.

"I don't recall asking for a 'sorry' soldier?" Sergeant Peters bellowed, grasping the collar of a uniform I recognized but never put back on. Heat radiated from his close fist, like a hot iron slowly being pressed against my chest. The storm immediately began to intensify, the blizzard whirling around us making it nearly impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

"You want to die, son? I promise you, I've got a masters in providing that service!" Sergeant Peters barked, slamming his head through the bridge of my nose. A loud crack reverberated through my skull as blood poured from my nostrils.

"You want it quick, or fun?" Sergeant Peters hissed, his voice taking on several others I didn't recognize. As he paced closer, his eyes began glowing a bright silver that illuminated my watery eyes.

"S-sir?" I said, feeling an overwhelming sense of betrayal surging through my body.

"We fight for a cause. We fight as one. You? You are an outsider. A rebel. A cancer." Sergeant Peters said, raising his hand that reshaped into a massive fleshy combat knife. The snow at my feet sunk deeper, jolting me lower as I dove at his hips. My hands began to clasp together in preparing to suplex my possessed superior when his knee slammed up into my jaw.

"Worthless." He growled, snagging me by the small amount of loose skin at my neck. Looking up, Sergeant Peters' skin began flaking with ash-like decay as his silver eyes pierced mine.

"For months, you've been nothing but insubordinate shitstain on this company's favorite shirt. A pocket of wasted potential and pitiful excuses not even a toddler could take seriously, wrapped up in a ball of sarcastic rebellion. Squirm all you like, I'm doing the world a favor." Sergeant Peters' continued as I scrambled hazily back to my feet. My hand dragged across the snow, grasping the powdery substance that was surprisingly not cold in the slightest. As if operating under its own volition, my palm slammed into Sergeant Peter's trachea. My hand dug into his throat, recoiling back like I'd tried to karate chop a slab of rubber. All the same, his unnaturally powerful grip loosened, as did the burst of anxiety flooding my brain.

Wait, I remember this.

In a flash, dozens of foul language-filled beatings at displaying even an inkling of weakness during my time at basic flew through my mind. Countless secret fights after lights out that I never turned down, partly because I knew he'd either let me swing or break my nose in my sleep. That, and because I knew I could beat him.

"Looks like the rats finally grew a pair? You'll die a better rodent than most, apart from your putrid stench." Sergeant Peters muttered through dozens of strained voices uncannily harmonizing. His hand raised posturing for an open hand slap as several dark, semi-transparent arms blossomed like a pedal of appendages from his shoulder. Each hand glowed a thick, dark hue that illuminated the sidewinding snow storm falling around us. Finally recalling where I really was, my hand lifted to parry my devilish drill sergeants slap. Before I could follow up with a hooking punch, his multi-armed slap blasted through my guard, flinging me down the snowbank toward the barracks. As if the world itself tilted, the hills slope genuinely felt as if it tilted to a complete 90 degree angle, practically throwing me into a free fall before crashing through the snow at the bottom.

*CRUNCH*

Feeling the thud of Sergeant Peters' boots beside me, my hands dug into the snow swinging my heel up towards where I could only assume my drill sergeants' evil twin had stood. A sharp pain shot down my shin bone, as I could only assume he'd decided to strike my leg rather than block it. As my head emerged from the thick powdery floor, my vision momentarily went black as Sergeant Peters' steel toe boot blasted my nose.

"…coward."

"Oh shut up." I said to myself. It took a full 3 seconds to realize I could no longer breathe from my nose, now laying flat against my left cheekbone and resting just below my eyeline.

"You know, I was beginning to wonder if it was just me. The constant praise for your pt times, breaking records, some considered myths used to inspire the grunts to grow. But no, they just didn't see what I did. What I do right now." Sergeant Peters said, slowly pacing through the thick snow as I struggled to collect my balance.

"And what's that? So far you're throwing a big man tantrum because I'm go-" my antagonizing was cut painfully short by an uppercut, his arm morphing into a dark shadowy extension slamming into my jaw. The impact physically lifted my body, whipping my head back pounding it against the metal barracks behind me.

"Smug. Arragont. You're gifted, boy. The records, the countless ko's in sparring, all of it was given." Peters said, raising his shadowy, rapidly growing fist.

"You have earned nothing." His hand cocked back, Sergeant Peter's eyes completely glazed over glowing a bright silver. As the unbearable pressure in my skull continued welling, a smile crept across my face.

"Oh? I don't recall you saying that outright, Sarge." I said, as I began lightly chomping down on my tongue.

"Didn't I? Why else would I send you on an extra mile on our rucks? Raise your minimums every pt? Because you don't work like the others for your share, no matter how much you mask your privilege in charisma and half-baked contrarianism…cut that swishing shit, son!" Sergeant Peters bellowed through a thousand voices, finally thrusting his fist toward my face. Without flinching, I drew a deep breath into my nose, and spat in his pale, rotten face. As my saliva hurtled through the sidewinding snow, the world around us began glitching, flashing images of an office. As the spit slapped against my possessed, undead drill sergeant's face, space manifested between Peters and myself.

Within that newly created space sat a desk, which I stood leaned over to ensure my spittle hit its intended target. The same way I had 3 years ago, the last time I saw this self righteous prick. Peters' face immediately contorted into rage, but not before my own torrented my heart and erupted outward like a volcano.

"What, Peters?! Was that OFFENSIVE?! Am I challenging your 'poor wittle pride' right now?! The FUCK are you gonna do about it? Cry about how unfair it is that I didn't miss your envy-green eyes on my first try?!" I yelled in his face, swiping the bullshit metals of horseshit valor that undoubtedly only fed his delusions of superiority. Peters immediately shot up from his desk, firing his chair into the wall behind him before making his way around the desk.

"Yeah, out of words again are we, champ?" I said, meeting him halfway with a feigned straight. He leaned his head back as my foot looped up and smashed into his temple. He barely reacted, wobbling slightly before pressing forward.

"I'll kill you this time,Erickson!" He yelled, the same way he had before. He faked the same punch he always opened with, shuffling closer to snag my collar. My eyes locked on his outreaching open hand, snatching his first finger and snapping it back. My fist flew forward immediately following, bashing into my infuriated drill sergeant's chin.

"No, no you won't. You never did." I said, faking a step one way and diving under his arm. Snagging his elbow, I swung my body around his back while locking in a rear naked chokehold. Peters was nearly a full 7 inches taller, forcing me to kick the back of his knee to control his violent squirming.

"E-Erickson…s-stop.." Peters grunted as I squeezed the life from his neck. Just as he had before.

"D-don't…don't d-…" he continued, his muscles slowly relaxing as he began to fade. Just as he had before.

"Y-you…you'll be no-nothing…rat." Peters quietly grunted, his uncanny combination of voices only returning at his final word. Visions of soldiers breaking in here, immediately arresting me as I stood over his corpse. Countless fights as I awaited my trial, Kaitlyn standing on the other side of foggy, scratched up glass with a phone at her ear and tears streaming down her face. The judge, slamming his gavel, etching my life sentence into the course of history and ending my future all at once. I felt my hand tremble, and for a moment, I questioned whether I could go through with this. Whether I could end this man's life and my own in one fell swoop.

No, no that's not it. This isn't fear. The slow trembling, my heart rate accelerating at paces comparable to that of a hummingbird, even the sweat beading down my forehead filling my eye. The muscles in my back flexed with all my might as I tightened my vice around Sergeant Peter's throat. Because of these feelings, while undeniably powerful, mean absolutely nothing, were never mine.

"Ah-argh…", the skin on Peters' neck began withering in my arms as he desperately struggled to free himself with a newfound, nearly inhuman sense of urgency. Smiling, I kicked his second leg out before wrapping my legs around his hips and locking them together. Leaning in, I whispered into Peters' ear as I felt his body begin to relax once more.

"This didn't happen before."