11-09-2015, 10:50 AM
In all the other times Ivan had used the power, it had been in tense and dangerous situations. He noticed the enhanced senses but they were pragmatic; useful things in a fight, certainly not something he dwelt on or enjoyed for its on sake.
Now he was laughing and cheery at feeling the power flow through him and now he could sense everything around him- felt one with the earth below and above him, could almost feel the labyrinth tunnels emanating out from this place- and felt a sense of pleasure and joy he had not known.
And of course the other thing that came with enhanced senses was the wonderful smell they seemed to have discovered. Waste and garbage and rot all combined with the heat from vents, fermenting it all into an odor that should probably have been bottled and used by anti-terrorist squads to force the bad guys out, eyes all watering and coughing and puking and oh-god, please let me out of here, take me away from this smell.
He swallowed and pushed the bile down, breathing deeply through his mouth. It still was bad but not as bad as it had been. It was strange to be so ecstatic and euphoric and yet to be physically sickened at the same time.
He was almost grateful for Nox's suggestion. He let the power go and felt things go back to normal. After the overload of sensations, everything seemed drab and dull- and this being a tunnel, you better believe that was saying something.
Still, once he'd let the power go he tentatively reached out again toward that light just on the horizon. It took a moment, but it came to him, filling him with life again. He was more prepared this time and the sensations were something he could handle. He wasn't so overwhelmed. He'd have to practice that, though. He didn't want there to be any pause when he needed the power and reached for it.
And now Nox began to weave air and fire and even earth in a certain pattern. He could see how the way the threads were weaved- their order and shape- affected the whole. In a moment, he stood there with a glowing ball of light. If he had tried that, he woulda just used fire alone to make a standing flame. Maybe some air. That sounded right. He tried out the weave and another ball sprang into being above his hand. This was far more elegant. It glowed but was not hot to the touch. No chance of it setting anything on fire.
Nox did something to his weave, some sort of 'tying' motion and suddenly the ball was there, floating of its own accord, no longer connected to Nox. Ivan tried it. Same thing. Now Ivan could do something else with the power.
He thought back to those arrows Volodin had launched and now he understood how they worked. Little standalone weaves crafted, launched and tied off. Hundreds. Obviously the guy had practiced. Ivan would have to do the same.
Nox then wove again and a braided tail of fire seemed to grow into a whip. Ivan laughed. "Heh...Didn't know you were into S & M."
Course, being whipped with that thing would probably leave serious burns- if not outright cuts. It was an effective weapon, if you know how to do that.
Ivan did not. He wasn't about to risk an eye or anything trying something like that. Still, he did want to try something. Not like he knew how to use a sword or anything. Oh he and his brother had played pirates and jedi and stuff with the cardboard rolls that wrapping paper came wound in. And got hit- painlessly, of course- on the fingers a lot. He wasn't trained in hand-to-hand combat with weapons. With his fists, yes. He'd had lots of training there, both before and after becoming a cop.
He thought for a moment and tried to weave fire and air- and then some earth, after a thought- into something like fists that extended out. It was like he had a much wider reach now. He saw how he could anchor them to his forearms. Well, that was how he thought of it, anyway. He hesitantly tried to shadow box with them and was satisfied with the result. They moved naturally.
On impulse he swung at one of the tunnel walls and pieces of brink and cement flew away, leaving a rough gouge. He was smiling now, big ole wide grin. Oh yeah, this would be fun.
He looked at Nox, puppy dancing around his legs. "I'm ready, man."
Now they would see what they would see.
Now he was laughing and cheery at feeling the power flow through him and now he could sense everything around him- felt one with the earth below and above him, could almost feel the labyrinth tunnels emanating out from this place- and felt a sense of pleasure and joy he had not known.
And of course the other thing that came with enhanced senses was the wonderful smell they seemed to have discovered. Waste and garbage and rot all combined with the heat from vents, fermenting it all into an odor that should probably have been bottled and used by anti-terrorist squads to force the bad guys out, eyes all watering and coughing and puking and oh-god, please let me out of here, take me away from this smell.
He swallowed and pushed the bile down, breathing deeply through his mouth. It still was bad but not as bad as it had been. It was strange to be so ecstatic and euphoric and yet to be physically sickened at the same time.
He was almost grateful for Nox's suggestion. He let the power go and felt things go back to normal. After the overload of sensations, everything seemed drab and dull- and this being a tunnel, you better believe that was saying something.
Still, once he'd let the power go he tentatively reached out again toward that light just on the horizon. It took a moment, but it came to him, filling him with life again. He was more prepared this time and the sensations were something he could handle. He wasn't so overwhelmed. He'd have to practice that, though. He didn't want there to be any pause when he needed the power and reached for it.
And now Nox began to weave air and fire and even earth in a certain pattern. He could see how the way the threads were weaved- their order and shape- affected the whole. In a moment, he stood there with a glowing ball of light. If he had tried that, he woulda just used fire alone to make a standing flame. Maybe some air. That sounded right. He tried out the weave and another ball sprang into being above his hand. This was far more elegant. It glowed but was not hot to the touch. No chance of it setting anything on fire.
Nox did something to his weave, some sort of 'tying' motion and suddenly the ball was there, floating of its own accord, no longer connected to Nox. Ivan tried it. Same thing. Now Ivan could do something else with the power.
He thought back to those arrows Volodin had launched and now he understood how they worked. Little standalone weaves crafted, launched and tied off. Hundreds. Obviously the guy had practiced. Ivan would have to do the same.
Nox then wove again and a braided tail of fire seemed to grow into a whip. Ivan laughed. "Heh...Didn't know you were into S & M."
Course, being whipped with that thing would probably leave serious burns- if not outright cuts. It was an effective weapon, if you know how to do that.
Ivan did not. He wasn't about to risk an eye or anything trying something like that. Still, he did want to try something. Not like he knew how to use a sword or anything. Oh he and his brother had played pirates and jedi and stuff with the cardboard rolls that wrapping paper came wound in. And got hit- painlessly, of course- on the fingers a lot. He wasn't trained in hand-to-hand combat with weapons. With his fists, yes. He'd had lots of training there, both before and after becoming a cop.
He thought for a moment and tried to weave fire and air- and then some earth, after a thought- into something like fists that extended out. It was like he had a much wider reach now. He saw how he could anchor them to his forearms. Well, that was how he thought of it, anyway. He hesitantly tried to shadow box with them and was satisfied with the result. They moved naturally.
On impulse he swung at one of the tunnel walls and pieces of brink and cement flew away, leaving a rough gouge. He was smiling now, big ole wide grin. Oh yeah, this would be fun.
He looked at Nox, puppy dancing around his legs. "I'm ready, man."
Now they would see what they would see.