Prelude / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9
Ped smiles wickedly as the last step in her latest batch of WHOOP @$$ is complete. She knows just what this regular strength, unscented batch will be used for... training all those that had come to the temple since the last she had a training session.. which now that she thought about it was even before the temple's two month anniversary. ~WOW! That's like everyone in the temple these days... Shaking her head, remembering how muich theses things take out of her... Ped walks into the main temple and posts the following message:
"Greetings and Salutations! This is just a quick note to everybody. I finally have enough WHOOP @$$ produced to be able to properly instruct *everyone* in it's usage. So if you want to be instructed, sign up here... thanks!
Ped Ped was busy canning the latest batch of WHOOP @$$, when she felt the slight movement in the lines... someone was seeking her out. Before she let the paranoia that had become second nature to her since her "little" trip last fall, Ped wiped her hands on a cloth and went to the door of her production center.
She exited it, and closed the door securely behind her. She walked towards the door to her room, and waited just inside the doorframe for whomever was coming. Scanning the lines quickly she was able to determine that the person coming towards her was Amethysta.
Amethysta had read Ped's message, and knew that she wanted further
instruction in the use of any possible weapon. She knew it was vital for own defense, as well as that of her unborn child. However, she was concerned that instruction in the proper use of WHOOP @$$ might still be harmful to the babe, so she sought out Ped.
When she arrived at the Dreamscape's location she noticed that even though she *knew* Ped was inside, doing something WHOOP @$$ related, it was not visible. So taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and started thinking about what her unborn babe looked like. Instantly the DS appeared, and she walked inside.
Remembering that Ped was in a large room near the back of the DS... Amethysta headed that way. She found Ped's room soon enough, and opened the door...
"HI AMA!" Ped yelled as she saw the door open.
Amethysta put her hand to her throat in shock, and stared at Ped. Ped merely smiled back at her.. showing absolutely no remorse in her actions. "You could have made me deliver Ped."
Ped snorted. "Not likely. You're still only barely starting your third trimester Ama... and I can tell you that as a midwife I would *never* make you do anything that would cause your child harm." She blinked her eyes at Amethysta a few times. "Now what can I do for you?"
"Well I was wondering if this WHOOP @$$ stuff would harm my babe."
Ped snorted again. "Not unless you ingest it."
"You're sure?"
"Oh yeah! One the best producers of WHOOP @$$ at home was making a batch when she was pregnant... and continued to train others in its use... right up until the day she gave birth to her absolutely beautiful daughter. Trust me.. Kat is a healthy and happy child. In fact she'll be joining the royal court as one of my awien next year."
"A mere child?" Amethysta sounds shocked.
"Kat's nearly eleven, old enough to enter apprenticeship. Besides she committed herself the second she helped out at my ceremony earlier this year." Ped pauses a beat. "But who cares about the politics of my homeland? Trust me Ama.. you'll be okay in the training!" Ped shooed her out of the room and finished her canning procedures.
The next day she walked onto the practice field with a large bag slung over her shoulder. She noticed that there were ten people waiting for her at the field. ~Well I'd hoped for more... but it was sorta last minute...~ She smiled at everyone.
Kiari, Aoewyn, Jocasta, LunAres, Klemena, Lunarknight, Illuminati, Zelena, Risha, and Amethysta all smiled back at her. Kiari looked pointedly right at the bag Ped had just dropped to the ground.
-Hoping they'd burst open, and you'd be spared this ordeal?- Kiari asked her sibling through mindsepak.
-And have to make another batch, *AND* run for my life? Not for the wide world.- Ped replied in the same manner.
Ped opened the top of the bag... and everyone tried to see inside. She pulled out a clipboard with some papae ron it, and a box of pens, then she quickly closed the bag again. "Okay everyone I want you to read these release forms.. answer the questions *and* sign them. I won't be held accountable for *your* mistakes in my class."
Lunarknight's eyebrows shot up and that point. He'd heard rumors about this WHOOP @$$ stuff from many of the longer in residence Priestesses. In fact he even remembers an old joke between kriket and Ped... something about addicition to the stuff. He'd always thought all the stories and rumors were just exagerations, meant to scare people from trying WHOOP @$$ without proper instruction. But he'd forged ahead on this path... and walked up to Ped and got a "release form".
Ped waited patiently as the people attending her class filled out the release forms. She knew exactly when each read the question about bodily harm... most of them looked at her questionably. She just smiled at each and everyone. They each took their time answering and signing the form. Kiari was the first to return it, and Amethysta the last, with everyone else falling somewhere in between.
Ped looked the forms over. ~Okay looks like everyone can take physical abuse, but are strangely worried about their limbs. Hmmm. Interesting, but why would they worry about that?~ Ped scanned the next question. ~We've got five for Roses, two for Lilies... Both Vampires, interesting; and Three for Jasmine.~ She looked up at the class. "Okay folks... everyone's signed the release forms... now we can begin!"
"Etana! Come on, Ped's starting the WHOOP @$$ training without us!" Sei yelled back at Etana as she took off for the training field.
Etana broke into a run. "Oh damn! Is she starting already? Hey, wait up, I'm coming!"
Séi came running out to the practice field... well, not exactly running, but walking as fast as she could. She was still a little sore from the abuse she'd received from Philo when she'd been kidnapped.
About this time Ped made her announcement about everyone signing the release forms... Ped looked up as she felt the approach of more people to her "class".
"Wait for me!," she hollered as she approached the small group gathered around Ped. Mumbling to herself, she continued, "Sheesh! Miss one message on a bulletin board for a day and you just about miss everything... I don't even *remember* the original training, don't know *how* I missed that... Now she wants to start without me..."
As she joined the group, Séi greeted the others with a grin and a wave. Ped just smiled at her and handed her a clipboard and a quill. "Read it and sign, Séi."
The armory priestess took the release form and scanned it quickly, her eyebrows raising at the question about bodily harm. She glanced at Ped, but she was already reading the responses of the others. With a soft sigh, wondering what she was getting herself into, Séi filled in the form.
Etana ran out to the field and reached it shortly after Sei did. Ped just shoved a clip board into her hands. "Here, just answer the questions and sign it. You know you're going to take the training no matter what it says anyway!"
"Gheeze, pushy, pushy teacher. Makes me glad that I already know how to swim and I don't have to come to you for that either!" Etana smirked. She just couldn't resist sparing with Ped.
Ped was about to respond to Etana's remarks, when Rusty, MurryO, Krylycea and kriket ran outside from the temple. *THE* eyebrow was raised at kriket's appearance in the class. kriket merely smiled at her fellow WACKO, and Mistress of Casting. Ped shrugged her shoulders and handed clipboards and release forms to the new arrivals. Then she sat down waiting for them to be returned to her. She also wanted to check out people's reactions to the questions on the form.
Etana read the questions on the paper. She looked up at Ped. As Ped looked back at her, Etana raised an eyebrow and snickered. Ped just smiled. Etana began to fill out her answers as the thought that things should get pretty interesting around here while this training was going on.
Etana's pencil flew across the sheet. Better to not think about answers to Ped's questions too much. Etana handed the clipboard back to Ped. "You are really going to enjoy this aren't you?"
Ped just smiled THAT smile. When all seven new arrivals had handed in their release forms, Ped checked their anseres over.. still seeing a pattern about bodily harm... and the flowers. She also noticed everyone was starting to get antsy. LunAres was shifting on her feet... and everyone else was starting to be impatient.
Ped had a good idea why they were acting like that... and she secretly smiled to herself as she began her stretching exercises. The members of her class looked at each other, not sure what to do. Finally Zelena cleared her throat. Ped looked up at her. "Yes Zelena?"
"Well Ped see the thing is... I *know* patience is a virtue.. I've just never aquired it."
"Oh! So I guess all of you are waiting me to begin instructing you in some manner?"
Sixteen voices said, "YES!!!" in response to her query.
"Well what did you think I was doing? Merely delaying the teaching?" The utter silence to this question gave Ped all the answer she needed. "Okay then." She sighs quickly. "Everyone remove *EVERY* piece of weaponry you have strapped to your bodies... and I mean *EVERY* piece. LK I'm sorry.. but that includes Wynstrom." Ped could tell the members of her class were going to fight her on this point. So she flipped herself onto her feet, planted them shoulder width apart, and put her hands on her hips.
"Folks I'm not doing this to be autocratic and mean. I'm thinking about the common Good. This is potent stuff... and having weapon's would cause greater training accidents than the ones that will result."
MurrayO looked at Ped. "You *knew* we would get hurt.. but you're training us anyway?"
"Of course. Injury is a common part of training. Besides it's better to have a broken arm, than oh say, being dead... Kiari's preference not withstanding." A series of snorts, laughs, and giggles met Ped's last comment. She merely smiled at Kiari. -You know I love ya Kiari!- Then she continued with her "speechifying."
"I mean it folks remove those weapons!" Ped taps her foot as she waits for people to comply.
Ped had to keep herself from smiling at the reaction everyone had to her "request" to remove their weapons... Then she added a threat. "And if they aren't removed willingly... I'll remove them for you. Maybe even your clothes as well."
"*No* weapons on me??"Zelena said with surprise. She folded her arms. "But I'll feel kinda naked without them. How about if I just take off..."
Zelena started to say, and then Ped looked over in her direction and she said. "All of them." Ped stood with her feet planted in front of her, looking seriously at everyone. "Alright, if you all don't start removing your weapons, pronto.. then I'll be forced to do so."
kriket was the first to comply and she began to take off the few weapons that she had. kriket removed her WHOOP @$$ supply and her staff. She was moving towards her armbands, when Ped called, "kriket! You *know* better than that!" kriket smiled sheepishly at Ped, and left the armbands alone.
Risha removed her Chakram and lots of daggers.. then asked Ped. "But my magic. I use it as a weapon as well. But I can't just remove that and drop it on the ground. I can refrain from using it, unless I need to."
"Thanks for your candor Risha. But I don't think anyone with magical abilities will have to worry about that. WHOOP @$$ doesn't affect *that* part of your mind." That comment sent a few eyebrows towards their owners' hairlines, but most remained silent about Ped's comment.
Zelena stood for a moment with her hands on her hips,and then she shrugged and began to remove her weapons. Zelena took off the sheath that was on her back, which held her powerful sword. She dropped it down over to the side where the weapons were to be left for now, and than she hesitantly took off the belt of deadly little discs, shurikens, which she had fastened on the belt around her waist. The chain belt which looked like a metal belt, was also if removed it was a chain whip. She than dropped a chakram that was on her right hip, onto her pile of weapons as well.
Ped had her eyes on her. "What?" Zelena said. "I removed most of them."
Ped shook her head.
Zelena rolled her eyes and reached down to where she had a dagger in her left black-leather knee high boots,and slipped it and another one which she had in a small little secret sheath in her other boot and tossed them both on the growing pile of her weapons.
"There." Zelena said. "Happy now? Now I feel naked." Zelena said and stepped back from her pile of weapons.
"I don't think so. Not quite." Ped said, glancing over at her.
"What do you mean?"Zelena said, putting her hands on her hips.
"You know what I mean. That's not all. When I said all-I meant ALL."Ped said.
Zelena just looked at Ped for along moment,and than she threw up her hands. "Okay. Fine. Maybe I do have a couple more." Zelena reached down her black leather midriff bodice,that was partially laced down the front. She reached down far enough and produced a breast dagger and she reached up to the black leather corded band around her head that held her long brown hair back a little and one of the two silver strips that hung down was detachable and it was a small and thin silver dagger, that sure didn't look much like a dagger. Zelena then put them down with her other pile of weapons.
"Well, you did forget about *one* weapon, Ped." Zelena said looking over at Ped.
"And what's that?" Ped said with a brow raised.
"My powers. They ARE weapons as well. That can't be just taken away and dropped on the ground with my other weapons."
Ped looked at her a moment and then smirked. "Alright, so ALL weapons removed except that." Ped smiled at the large pile that was now lying next to Zelena. "Zel? Sure you're not overly accessorized for just hanging around the temple?" Then Ped moved onto the next person, Jocasta.
Jo looks at Ped with a grin on her face. She unsheaths her trusted Katana sword. This is a very unique sword. The handle is made of ivory with a dragon entangled in a quarter moon with real saphires.
Ped looks at Jo. "Thank you." Ped knows that Jo would not give up her weapons to anyone only a person she trusts.
Jo then takes her Knumb Chucks out and places them in front of Ped. Then she gives her all of her Shuriken, Her battle axe, Her dagger, Her whip, Her Sais and other misc Japanese weapons. This takes five minutes to do.
Ped then responds laughingly "That all Jo? Cause if not.. I hate to see where else you hide stuff."
Klemena lifted an eyebrow at the rule, but shrugged. Withdrawing her sword, she tossed it on the ground. Then, a few stars hidden in her right arm. A neck slashing blade in the wrist guard on her left, a dagger held on her upper thigh, and two boot daggers. She also removed her chackram on her belt and tossed that down.
While Ped looked her over to make sure everything was off, Klemena gently grabbed her arm. "Of course, you know my two greatest weapons are in my possesion still."
Ped tilted her head. "The super strength?"
"That, and my blood lust. I can sense blood a mile away, and when it's drawn near me it's *VERY* hard to resist."
"Do you think it'll be a problem?" Ped asked. Klemena frowned and paused in thought.
"No, it shouldn't be... but the lust will still be there. Something you should be aware of."
Ped smiled at her friend. "As First One... I am aware of more things than most people give me credit for. Don't worry Mena."
"I *always* worry when it comes to the safety of my fellow priestesses Ped."
LunAres tried to nonchallantly guide herself towards the end of the line. Ped must have sensed it because she walked directly in front of the new priestess next. Her abrupt stop, placed her right in between Risha and Jocasta, the last place she wanted to be when their magic powers met Ped's WHOOP @$$. ~Oh boy, this better help me. If nothing else, maybe Ares will be nice enough to nurse me back to health when this is all over.~
LunAres looks around kind of embarrassed. The other priestesses have such wonderful, powerful weapons. LunAres was still learning and training. She hadn't even found a weapon she enjoyed enough, yet, to carry it around all the time. She knew that would have to change and soon. Turning a slight shade of red, LunAres held up both her hands. Ped understands and quickly moves her on to the next question, saving her further dicomfort. ~Time enough for THAT after the lessons really get started,~ she thought.
Next in line was Kiari. Ped and Kiari shared a look, then Kiari said, "Off go the weapons!" Next she removed her Sword, little knives tucked in my belt and elsewhere (ala Nebula). Then she held up her hands for Ped to check her over... knowing Ped would find nothing else on her.
As Ped stood in front of LK a protest was heard but, it didn't come from LK. <g>
"This is not fair!", came Wynstrom's response to Ped's demand. "This is descrimination. I'm filing a complaint with the SPCW (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Weaponry). These other weapons my sit around and stand for this kind of treatment but, I will be silent no longer!", Wynstrom continued with more than a little hint at sarcasm.
"Is your little tirade over my friend?", LK asked trying hard not to laugh.
"Yes, it is. Just trying to instill a little comic relief O party favored one.", Wynstrom shot back, laughing himself.
"Hey, that was a low blow!", LK exclaimed, a little miffed at the comment.
"Yes it was but, you have to admit that it was funny.", Wynstrom finished.
Judging from the muted laughter LK was hearing from everyone around him and all the attempts to hide smiles he had to agree. "Touche' my freind, now if you are through trying to embarass me, I have to take off my weapons.", LK conceded.
"Oh, very well!", came Wynstrom's exasperated response, "Gee, a guy tries to have a little fun and look what it gets him." LK grinned shyly at Ped as she and the others were trying harder than ever not to laugh. She gave him an encouraging smile.
"Ok, darlin'. Here's the run down on my weapon's. Wynstrom, of course. (kinda hard to miss him)", he said as he took the scabbard off of his back. "My Gauntlets", LK raised both hands in front of Ped's face and curled his fingers as if they were claws. The claws on the gauntlets extended instantly to become six inch razor sharp blades startling everyone. LK retracted the blades and removed his gauntlets. "The boots are the same", he said as he removed his boots. "Here", LK continued taking a pouch from his belt, "I have caltrops. And considering I still don't know what else this armor is capable of, I should probably remove it too.", he said removing the rest of his fieldplate. "I think that is it darlin', unless you consider my race as a weapon. Ped merely smiled at LK. She spoke to Wynstrom. "Don't worry my friend... you'll be well taken care of." Then Ped moved on to the next person, Séi.
Séi watched as the priestesses and warlords dropped their weapons. She almost thought she could hear Wynstrom's voice although she couldn't understand what he (it?) said. Catching Ped's eye on her, the auburn haired priestess shrugged and undid the belt that held her her sword in its tooled leather and wood scabbard. Holding the scabbard up in front of her for a moment, Séi let the sunlight catch in the jeweled and etched hilt. The sight of the Celtic knotwork on the leather grip made Séi smile reminiscently. An impatient sound from Ped made Séi carefully drop the sword on the ground beside her.
Ped raised THAT eyebrow again and Séi chuckled as she removed the dagger from the top of her boot. Satisfied that the armory priestess had no other weapons on her, Ped turned towards Etana.
Etana sighed as Ped looked towards her after watching Sei.
"You really expect me to remember where I have all these daggers stashed??? Okay, okay...I want to keep my clothes...just give me a minute." Etana began removing the small assortment of deadly daggers she had stashed all over her person.
Some of the priestesses who had never seen her 'unload' her weapons were kinda amazed at some of the places the daggers were stashed. Besides a boot dagger, and one on the belt at her waist, she end up pulling some small ones from hidden pockets in her clothing. The ones that made them look twice were the ones that she pulled out of her belt and sword sheath that had just looked like decorations on the leather. Lastly she unbuckled her sword and set them on the ground.
Etana looked up at the others and just shrugged.
Ped's voice brought her attention back to her. "Etana..."
"What!! I got all the daggers!"
"I'm not talking blades. I mean everything..." Ped started to make a move towards Etana. She really did mean everything that could be a weapon.
"Aw Ped, those aren't weapons. Not really." Etana moved a step back as Ped took a step forward. "Hey okay, okay. Picky, picky."
Ped just stood there tapping her foot as Etana removed a hair thin wire from a pocket, and a few sliver thin rods of metal. She knew that even though Etana only used them to pick locks they could be used as weapons. She wanted everyone to be completely free of weapons of any type.
Aoewyn was next, she spoke to Ped as the 'teacher' came close to her. "My weapons? Well I don't know if I should do that. I mean well hmm. Ya okay I'll remove them. (if only to keep my clothing)" Then she removed her Twin scmiters and various daggers, from places al over her body, but none nearly as interesting as where Etana had hers hidden.
Ped moved onto Krylycea, and raised her eyebrow.
Krylycea responded, "OK, I'll let go of the weapon." Then she dropped her sword to the ground.
Ped didn't have to prompt Rusty to remove her weapons at all. The priestess started throwing daggers to the ground like they were dust motes... and Ped's eyebrows raised at the sheer number of them. She'd had no knowledge that Rusty was such a lover of concealed weapons.
When Ped was convinced that everyone had removed their weapons she moved back to look at the forms she had collected. She smirked at the responses to her question about planning her downfall, then noticed that everyone was wondering about what WHOOP @$$ was. ~No biggie... it's a common question in these kinds of classes. I guess I should tell them.~ She squared her shoulders and looked at the class. "Is anyone allergic to molds?"
Eyebrows shot up all around the collected group of Priestesses and warlords. Most shook their heads in a negative response, but a few responded. Etana being the most memorable.
"Being a Beekeeper?!? I wouldn't be able to sneak through the forest if I was!" Then she began laughing.
Ped smiled at her friend. Then looked at the class, then smiled. With a thought she sent everyone's weapons back to their quarters. "Any questions before we begin?"
"Yeah!" Zelena yelled. "Where'd our weapons go?!?"
"Your quarters... we needed them off the practice field, or the reason for having them removed would have been mute. Don't worry Zel.. nothing happened to them. Anyone else?"
"Ped...," Amethysta began, searching for the right phrasing, "I would greatly appreciate a brief explanation of..."
Her words were interrupted by those of the materializing God of War. "C'mon, Ama, spit out your question!," Ares exclaimed, followed by an evil chuckle.
"Hmph! Alright... What in Tartarus is WHOOP @$$?" The Priestess of Ares' Compassion glared at the Olympian, trying her best to ignore the repressed giggles from her sister Priestesses.
Ped looked back at her with an enigmatic smile, but Amethysta was only further frustrated by Ped's reply. "Do you have an unnatural fear of opening things? Do you avoid things that are yellow?"
After silently counting to ten, Amethysta answered, "I don't have a problem with the color yellow, and am nervous about opening things only if spiders, scorpions, snakes, or other such creatures are involved, Ped. But what does that have to do with WHOOP @$$?" Ama quietly began humming a tune which would one day be plagarized as the 'Theme from JEOPARDY' while she awaited Ped's explanation.
"You'll soon find out Ama. Anyone else have a fear of opening things? How about the color yellow?" Negative responses were all Ped heard from the class.
Ped looked over at Ares. "Something else you wanted My Lord?"
"That depends... you offering Ped?"
Ped smiled crookedly at Ares. "Not right now My Lord. I'm afraid I'd be beaten up, giving punishment numbers seven and nine, *then* hounded mercilessly if I left the class now."
Ares chuckled at her reponse. "Whatever pleases you Ped." Then he disappears from sight.
Ped turns back towards the class. "Okay.. now that our little visitation is over. Shall we begin the instruction, with an explanation of what *exactly* WHOOP @$$ is?"
Ped sat back and watched as her "students" reacted to the news that she was going to begin instruction soon...
Zelena let out a loud battle cry at hearing Ped announce that she was *FINALLY* ready. And she began to yell "YES!" "YES!" "LET'S GET IT ON!"
Several glanced around at hearing her battle cry. Ped raised her eyebrow.
Zelena stopped the noise on her part and immediately gained a nonchalant pose with her arms folded across her chest. "Finally." She said in a completely calm tone of voice now. Several of them that had been looking at her, turned back around after glancing at her another moment, and then started making more noise of their own.
Risha says, "YAY!" very loudly, and claps a bit. Kiari *Very* loudly says, "FINALLY!" Then Kiari grins mischeviously at Ped.
Jo Hollers. "WHOO!HOOO! WHOO!HOOO!" Very proudly and extremely loud. Then she yells, "LETS ROCK!" just as loud.
LK yells so loudly that Wynstrom was able to hear him from inside the Temple. And Wynstrom thought... "Be calm Of Party favored one, it's merely the beginning."
<LunAres sticks two fingers at the edge of her lips and whistles extremely loudly> "WHOOPEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" <Claps as loud as she can here, then does a backwards somersault, and lands on feet> "YAAHHHOOOO!!!!!!" <More clapping and whistling here>
Many of her fellow Priestesses, and the two warlords look at her display of acrobatics. Ped merely raises THAT eyebrow.
"I Can't help it, I'm really excited to be getting started Etana just stood there smiling while the others started cheering at Ped's question. She knew that Ped would start when she was good and ready and not one minute before.
Besides the others were making enough noise to wake the dead. Etana mumbled to herself. "Well, it's about darn time...reminds me of some stories I read somewhere...darned writer was always leaving the readers hanging..."
Ped's hearing was extrememly sharp, even over all the cheering. "What was that Etana?"
"Aw crap!" She mumbled again. "Um...nothin' Ped. Just, you know, my mouth running away again..."
Ped smiled. "Yeah, that's what I thought!" She turned back to the other priestesses and warlords and the ruckus they were making. "Smart A$$!" She mumbled herself.
"I heard that Ped." Etana yelled.
Ped's comeback was swift. "You were supposed to!"
Now, it was Zelena's turn to look at everyone else shout and carry on. Almost everyone was making such commotion and noise that, she was sure they could be heard at Cupid's Temple. LunAres even did a backward sommersault among other things. Zelena shook her head with a small grin as she watched everyone else. It was a sight to behold.
Séi doesn't yell at the pronouncement, it's more of a muttered, but emphasized, *Yes*! Ped grins back at Séi and glances around and sees that most eveyrone is *still* carrying on with their cheers and yells over her statement.
Krylycea yells, very loudly and like she was from Briton, "Ya Baby Let's Go!!"
kriket yells, "ABOUT TIME!!!" Then she starts laughing until she falls to the ground from lack of oxygen. Ped raises THAT eyebrow at her fellow WACKO. kriket then says, through mindspeak, -BTW, thanks for letting me keep the armbands Ped.-
-No problem kriket. I wouldn't deny anyone protection from casting, which you and I *both* know is what WHOOP @$$ is, slightly.-
-Well yeah... just don't go spreading it around to all these "normals".- kriket then grinned mischeviously at Ped, Ped returned the favor.
The last person to remain yelling was Rusty. She said, "Let's get on with it Already!"
To which Ped replied, "Is that a request?!? 'Cause I don't *do* requests!"
Those gathered near her started laughing at the old "Pedism". Etana replied, "Quit being a SMART A$$ Ped... and teach us what we are here to learn."
Ped sighed dramatically. "All right... if you insist."
Aoewyn said, "Which we do."
Ped summoned a battlefield chair and sat down on it. "May I suggst everyone get comfortable? There's a whole ritual we have to go through before the actual experimentation with WHOOP @$$ begins... and it takes some time to do it."
"What kind of ritual Ped?" Amethysta asked.
"Oh, just a recitation of the history of WHOOP @$$, and a basic explanation of the uses. I will be slightly breaking the tradition because I'll be speaking in Attican Greek, rather than Syreenian. But Mistress Yohtuo assured me it'd be safe for y'all." She pauses a beat and watches as a few sit on the grass, a few of those magically inclined summoned chairs, and a few remained standing. "OKay. WHOOP @$$ was discovered in the 100th century of my family's rule of the Alliance..."
"Which Alliance? And how long has your family ruled?" Zelena interjected here.
"The students will remain silent during the ritual, and let the teller finish her telling." Ped intones. "... of the Syreena. Over the last 32 centuries our use of the item has greatly improved as has our production methods.
"Originally WHOOP @$$ took three months and six different people to produce it. But with the improvements in casting methods and the forging of steel, it now only takes hours and one skilled caster to produce a sizeable WHOOP @$$ amount.
"Only casters trained in the Syreena manner can ever hope to produce WHOOP @$$... so our secret is safe from stealing by other cultures. However a similar item is currently being researched by those of Avalon, because of their fascination with many things." Risha sat up at this point.
"To use WHOOP @$$, all one needs to do is open it's container, and the spell contained inside will start. For training purposes, a dropper was created so that students could be introduced slowly to the effects of the spell." Ped stood up and her chair disappeared. "Now I want everyone to stand up and hold the back of their hands out to me... I promise this won't hurt, much."
Everyone stood up and held the backs of their hands out. Those that had summoned chairs made them disappear. Ped reached into her bag and removed an opaque jar, with a whole in the top, and something inserted into the whole.
She walked down to the end of the line. "Now you'll feel yourself grow more confident in your fighting prowess *and* your aggression. That's to be expected, and this dosage will only last ten minutes... soon as I give everyone their dosage we'll begin in earnest. Now remember, don't anyone attack me!"
Ped walks down the line and places a single drop of WHOOP @$$ on every person's hand. She sees the change in everyone, most prominent being the changes in Amethysta and LunAres... who both suddenly held themselves like eveyrone else in line, and in an attack position. Ped smiled at the change.
She walked forward to stand in front of the "class". "Okay I am pairing you guys off to spar... and remember, *NO* magic! Illuminati and LK; Kiari and Risha; Etana and Séi; LunAres and Ama; kriket and Jocasta; Krylycea and MurryO; Zelena and Klemena; Aoewyn and Rusty. Now start sparring!" Ped moves back and watches those gathered pair up with their assigned partner...
Ped says "Now I want everyone to stand up and hold the back of their hands out to me... I promise this won't hurt, much."
Séi and Etana Séi held out her hand and waited. Ped applied the dose of WHOOP @$$ and moved down the line. Warmth radiated from the spot where the spell had been applied, augmenting all her senses. The armory priestess looked around, awed by the clarity of everything around her. The enormity of all she could see, hear, smell, feel, and even taste, nearly overwhelmed her. Ped's voice finally penetrated through the cacaphony of Séi's senses, announcing the pairs for sparring, and she found herself growing so focused that it looked like everything was moving in slow motion.
Etana felt the tingling on the back of her hand. In a flash the feeling was throughout her whole body. Along with it was the incredible increase in her senses. As Ped moved down the line, Etana barely heard her words. She was looking down at her hand, curling her fingers in to her palm and squeezing her hand. It seemed like it was happening in slow motion.
But instead of an empty hand, the feel of a sword was there. Fingers tightening on a non-existant swordhandle, but her mind placed a sword there. And it was filled with invinciblilty.
Etana's head jerked up when she heard Ped pairing them off. Sei was to be her partner. Etana smiled as she and Sei's eyes met. They were both experienced priestesses in swordplay. Sei was better but Etana wasn't far behind. They would have a good sparing match. Their smiles widened as they moved towards each other and began to spar. Everyone else was forgotten.
Etana moved towards Séi, holding her hand as if she was holding a sword. She was smiling because she knew this was going to be a good duel. Séi met that smile with one of her own as she dropped into an en garde position with her invisible sword. The two priestesses began to duel. Evenly matched, it wasn't long before they disarmed each other and began to fight mano a mano.
When the WHOOP @$$ wore off, Séi found herself wrestling with Etana, both of them sitting on the ground, feet dug in. As they struggled to catch their breath, their eyes met and they began to laugh. A quick examination of themselves, and each other, brought a sigh of relief to Séi's lips. It was one thing she had worried about... the possibility of actually hurting her friend, but all they found were a few light bruises from the grips of their fingers. Apparently, though, despite the WHOOP @$$'s magnification of their innate aggression, it didn't keep either of them from realizing she was 'fighting' a friend and sister priestess, so both of them pulled their punches enough that they didn't hurt each other.
"Hey, Etana," Séi asked. "Is it just me? Or did we not do anything out of the ordinary? I mean, we did what we always do, only better, right? At least that's how it seemed to me!"
Etana chuckled. "Me too. I think we're safe!"
"Whew! I was wondering about that! I mean, I just can't see myself doing backflips like Xena, no matter what!"
"I was wondering too. Tell you the truth, I'm glad it didn't!"
They laughed together and helped each other up. Then they waited for Ped's next instruction. Ped walked over to them. "Anything weird happen?" She asks as she poises her pencil over her clipboard.
"Well both of us thought we were holding swords..." Etana said.
"Okay. That just means you two are ready for the next level, that Regular strength is to weak for you. We'll consider that as I see how everyone else is." Ped left the pair to their thoughts as she moved onto...
LK and Lumi As Ped placed the drop on LK's hand he felt warmth wash over his entire body. He felt as if electricity were crawling over every inch of his skin's surface. He could feel the strength growing inside him and he was having trouble fighting the urge to make the transformation.
Illuminati experienced sensory overload when he received his drop. The world spun wildly. Colors swarmed over him. His senses seemed to run together. He could smell the colors, see the sounds and taste the scents in his environment. He could both see and hear what Ped was saying as she was administering drops to the others but, in his agitated state he wasn't getting much sense out of it. After the initial impact, it was all he could do to maintain the sensory input at a managable level.
LK and Illuminati turned to face each other. Illuminati could "see" LK's wolfling form even though LK was in human form. It was as if his human form was ghosted by an outline of his larger wolfling self. They locked in a collar-and-elbow position like two wrestlers and began pushing against each other. LK could feel the power coursing through his veins. He lifted Illuminati in a fireman's carry and pressed him over his head as he began spinning him around in an airplane spin.
When the WHOOP @$$ wears off LK is holding Illuminati above his head. Illuminati is trying to control his newly aquired senses which, because of the spinning is making him queasy.
LK places Lumi on the ground and they turn to look at each other. LK speaks first. "Did we hurt each other?"
Lumi reposnds, "No neither one of us hurt the other unless you consider nausea as hurting someone. Which with the way I'm feeling right now, I just might from now on." The two men get a good laugh out of Lumi's feeble attempt at making light of his unexpected nausea.
Ped walks over and talks to them. "So anything out of the ordinary happen?" She says with a smug grin.
LK says, "Well I never knew I could wrestle..."
Lumi says, "... and I've never been quesy before."
"That's it? No weird sensory overload, or anything?"
Lumi looks questionably at her. "It felt like I could smell the colors, see the sounds and taste the scents in the environment."
"Hmmm. Okay Lumi, that just means you'll need a slightly different formula than anyone else, no worries though." Ped makes a few notes on her clipboard and moves onto the next pair of sparers.
Kiari and Risha When Kiari got the drop of WHOOP @$$ from Ped, she began to feel the difference immediately. Although her experience with the substance was limited, she began to feel the 'normal' effects right away. She grew more confident in her abilities and more cocky as well. She grinned when she heard who her 'partner' was going to be... Risha was one of the few beings in the class that could withstand her full strength, should she use it.
Risha grinned at Ped when the drop of WHOOP @$$ was placed on her hand... she had been waiting for this class to take place for some time. She had used a *very* weakened version of WHOOP @$$ during the priestess' recent rescue of Séi from the clutches of Sotiris. Risha felt the effects of the spell immediately. The power and feeling of being dangerous was similar to what she felt when her naga side had control over her... but much less likely to endanger those around her. Risha grinned when Ped announced that Kiari was to be her 'partner' in this exercise, she'd been wondering just what kind of fighter the daughter of Morpheus would be.
As one the two women turned to face each other. Both were powerful beings of the supernatural without the augmentation that Ped's WHOOP @$$ gave to them. Kiari and Risha walked towards each other.
"If you give up now Risha... I won't tell anyone you were throughly trounced by an Olympian." Kiari taunted. As she began to circle the Avalonian.
"It would take more of an Olympian than you to make that threat a reality." Risha shot back.
"Touché. Shall we?"
"We shall." Then Risha let loose a chilling laugh.
They went for each other, each women holding the other by her forearms. Digging in their feet, neither was giving any ground, and neither did for many minutes. Then without any warning, Kiari released her grip, and she spun out of Risha's grip, making Risha fall to the ground.
Risha tasted dirt, and spun to look at Kiari. Kiari was busy laughing at her. Risha smacked the ground and got to her feet quickly, then she charged for Kiari.
Kiari sobbered quickly as she saw Risha charging for her. Without even thinking about the consequences, Kiari threw a punch at Risha. Her fist connected squarely with Risha's left eye, gving what will be a GREAT shiner. Kiari stared horrified at her friend, she'd never thrown a punch before, at least not anyone that 'counted' (She still didn't think Dischord counted as a person). "Gads! I'm sorry Risha."
"No worries." Risha smiled at her friend. Then before Kiari could read her thoughts, Risha whopped Kiari in the head. "There, now we're even. Your goose egg will match my shiner tomorrow."
Kiari smiled crookedly, then she and Risha gripped each other to fight again. This time Kiari threw Risha away. Risha flipped and landed perfectly on her feet. Both were breathing heavy, and Risha was just about to make another charge for Kiari, when the WHOOP @$$ wore off. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at her friend.
Kiari was doing about the same thing. "We're never gonna live this down you know."
Ped interjected at this point. "Nope. So far you two are the only ones that have harmed each other farther than a few bruises from a hand grip. So anything else happen?" Both priestesses shook their heads negatively. "Okay... well I guess next time I'll just have to be sure I tighten up the protection around you two." With a wicked grin Ped moved off to the next pair...
LunAres and Amethysta Amethysta was worried about what the WHOOP @$$ would do to her... despite Ped's assurances that nothing would happen. She felt an immediate change come over her as the drop was placed on the back of her hand. She stood with all the self-assurance that her fellow priestesses normally did. She raised her eyebrows when she heard that LunAres was to be her partner. ~I pity the fool.~
After receiving her dose of WHOOP@$$ from Ped, LunAres feels more powerful than she has in her whole life. She feels confident that she can plow over any enemy which happens to be unlucky enough to step in her path. She hears that Amethysta is to be her partner. ~I pity the fool.~
When the WHOOP @$$ wears off, LunAres looks around with a confused look on her face. Hadn't she just been about ready to do some serius WHOOPING on a giant chicken?? No, couldn't have been. It must have been a delusion caused by the WHOOP @$$ Ped had administered. It's possible that LunAres has a low tolerence for WHOOP @$$, and needs to be extremely cautious in the future regarding dosages.
When Ped walks over to her, LunAres cannot locate her sparring partner anywhere, but what's really troubling her is where that giant chicken went. "You seen that giant chicken I was fighting Ped?"
Ped looked at like she was 'a few Priestesses short of a Temple'. "There never was a chicken.. although you *did* keep clucking at Ama. When you screamed 'Come here you Dischord wanna-be!' She ran for the trees. Fortunately your halluncination was so great, I was able to keep you from chasing after her by making you think the CHICKEN was still in front of you."
"So I thought Ama was a chicken?!?"
"Sounds that way. Anything else happen?"
"Nope. Should I go apologize?"
"Yeah... her dosage should be worn off by now." With that Ped moved onto the pair of fighters and LunAres went to apologize to Ama.
kriket and Jocasta Jocasta was eagerly awaiting the WHOOP @$$ drop. She felt that spell would have some effect on her... but she wasn't sure exactly what would happen. At worst it would make her more hyper, at best it might make her the calmest she'd ever been. Only the Fates knew which it would be. When she heard that kriket would be her partner she wasn't sure how to react... she'd never seen the HotTub Priestess fight, but she knew kriket was an expert at WHOOP @$$ usage.
kriket was waiting patiently "to get her fix" of WHOOP @$$. She shook her head at the old joke among the temple residents. It wasn't her fault that WHOOP @$$ made her such a better fighter that she preferred to fight with it, rather than without it. But she sighed, she'd "graduated" to 'HIDE THE CHILDREN!!!!' strength over a year before... and felt that regular strength wouldn't do much for her. But she knew this was most people's first *real* experience with WHOOP @$$, and Ped was making sure people could handle their new limits. ~The mark of a Grest Mistress, helping those you teach to find their own limits.~
kriket grinned when Ped held the dropper over the back of her hand. "Sure this is going to be enough for you kriket?" Ped teased her.
"For now. But we will be using more later, right?"
"Of course... that's why the original drop is just ten minutes worth... we get more until we reach the amount of time a can would be." Ped gave her the drop and continued on to the next person.
kriket could feel the effects of the spell immediately. She grinned when she heard that Jocasta was to be her sparring partner. Although Jo was a caster of another sort, kriket had this feeling that their sparring would be lots of fun.
The pair circled each other. kriket grinned at Jo, then she leapt towards her. Just before she reached Jo, kriket stopped herself, crounched down, and sweeped Jocasta's feet out from underneath her. kriket then sprang to her feet and awaited Jocasta's response. She didn't have long to wait...
Jocasta flips to her feet and turns to look at kriket, who appears to be holding something. ~How strange that she thinks she has her staff. Wonder if that's part of what WHOOP @$$ does to her?~ Jo cannot ponder this thought much longer, because with a war cry worthy of any priestess of Ares, kriket starts on the offense again.
The pair of priestesses fight each other for the remainder of their ten mintues, offense and defense changing hands many times during that period. When the WHOOP @$$ finally wears off, kriket is swinging wildly with her hands, still feeling like she has her staff. Jocasta on the other hand is very still and quiet and is pondering the effects WHOOP @$$ had on her.
Ped wanders over to the pair. "Any first impressions Jo?" Ped then prepares to write Jo's responses down on her clipboard.
Jo smiles looks at Ped. "When Whoop @$$ had its effect. I felt more powerful. My battle lust was intensified 10 fold. Yet, at the same time I felt that I was in control and my concentration was more intensified."
"Good. You may be ready for double strength at the end of this class." Ped looks at kriket. "Fellow WACKO?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. I felt more focused, remembered to staying at least five feet away from Jo at most times, and was ready to kick some MAJOR butt!"
Ped snickers. "So what you're saying is, a typical WACKO response to WHOOP @$$?"
"Yup."
"OKay... let yourselves get totally over the WHOOP @$$. I've still got some people left to talk to." Ped wanders away.
Krylycea and MurryO Krylycea feels the affects of WHOOP @$$ immediately. She stands taller, and puffs her chest out a little. She looks towards MurryO when she finds out MurryO is to be her sparring partner.
MurryO just stares around her... the WHOOP @$$ nearly overwhelms her senses, she has to fight just to keep herself upright. She feels as if someone is watching her. She looks at Krylycea. "What?"
"We're sparring partners."
"So? I'm not in any condition to spar. Can't we just look at the pretty birdies?" Without waiting for an answer from Kry, MurryO wanders into the forest.
Without anyone to spar with Krylycea sits down on the ground, pondering what to do now. Occasionally she stands up and paces a bit, staying far from the other combatants. When the WHOOP @$$ wears off Kry is standing with a very impressed look on her face.
Ped walks to her. "Anything you wanna mention, besides the fact that your sparring partner has wandered away?"
"Well I was expecting something to happen... like maybe I'd do backflips."
"That only happens in rare cases... and usually to people who are in focus with the lines, which I'm sorry to say, you are not. Anyway glad to know you got some experience with the stuff. How was thinking with WHOOP @$$?"
Krylycea stops a moment to ponder that question. "I came up with some weird stuff. Like the world being round."
"Hmmm... you and those Philosophers from Athens must be on the same wave length I hear a few of them thought that up last month." Leaving Kry with that thought Ped walks towards...
Aoewyn and Rusty Rusty just grinned as Ped put the WHOOP @$$ on her hand. She glanced around and noticied that ~the world seemed to come into better focus with this stuff. Maybe Ped should sell the focusing part to people, to help with their stupidity.~ She snaps out of her thoughts when she hears Ped talking once more. Rusty turns towards Aoewyn her sparring partner.
Aoewyn closes her eyes and concentrates on the changes coming over her beacuse of the WHOOP @$$. She feels the warmth from the drop on her skin, and begins to feel more aggressive, just like Ped said she would. She turns to Rusty when Ped announces the sparring partners.
They merely cicrle each other for the ten minutes, both so unsure of what WHOOP @$$ will do to her fighting abilities, neither wants to risk injuring her fellow priestess. But Aoewyn begins to yell and do backhandsprings at about her minute eight. Rusty just watches and laughs, knowing Aoewyn will regret the yelling later.
When the WHOOP @$$ wears off, Rusty is still laughing and Aoewyn is in the middle of a handspring, which she lands badly, thus knocking all the air out of herself. Rusty, through tears of mirth, helps Aoewyn to her feet. They both begin to laugh at the situation.
Ped wanders by and the pair are still laughing. Both having been rendered incapacitataed with their laughter. "I may have to give up my title of 'Giggles' if you to ever do this in front of Draco."
This comment causes the pair to break out into a fresh set of laughter. Finally Rusty breathes in deeply, and wipes the tears from her eyes. "Sorry Ped. But you should have seen what happened."
"I did... but really you two over-reacted. But that's okay... laughter is sometimes the way WHOOP @$$ works its way out of your system. Well I need to go and check on Klemena and Zelena... haven't seen them since they both jumped over the temple."
Klemena and Zelena Klemena, being a vampire like Lumi reacts much the same way he does. Her senses overlap and she can smell the colors, see the sounds and taste the scents in her environment. She quickly gets herself adjusted, probably because of her half-godling status, she isn't sure. She looks over at Lumi, and notices her fellow Vampire still appears to be reeling with the sensory overload. Her head snaps up when she hears her name though. She snickers when she hears her opponent is to be Zelena. ~The two half-gods fighting each other. Ped has a wicked sense of humor.~
Zelena is the last person to get her WHOOP @$$, and knows that she has to take it easy on Mena, because she was one of the first to get it. But then Zelena turns towards Klemena and sees a cocky smirk on her face. "Something amuses you?"
"Sure. Ped's sense of humor." Then without another word the Vampire attacks Zelena.
Zelena dodges the attack easily. But soon she begins to notice the improvements in Mena's fighting skills. ~Fighting for Caesar those many months earlier this year helped her to become the warrior I always knew her to be.~ Zelena throws Klemena against a tree.
Klemena hisses at Zelena as she comes closer, then lunges for her. Zelena was not able to block this attck and feels herself goign towards the ground.
Eventually the pair get to their feet, and without another thought Klemena throws Zelena over the Temple, and follows her. In the front of the Temple, many of their fellow priestesses screech and run for cover.
In fact FyrFox was the most surprised by this display from the two warriors. She had never seen either woman react in such a manner. ~Wait! Isn't Ped's WHOOP @$$ class today? Yes, yes it is... maybe that explains this show of force.~
Just as suddenly as they appeared from the other side of the Temple, the two priestesses stop fighting. With their sides heaving they look at each. Klemena notices that except for a few bruises she did not harm Zelena... and the same could be said for herself.
When Ped appears right next to them, both women yelp. Ped smiles. "Sorry about that... but I wasn't sure where you two were, I had no idea you were this close to the temple." She brings her clipboard up to writing level. "Any comments on WHOOP @$$?"
"Will we always react this way?" Klemena asks.
"What do you mean? Yes you'll always be more agressive and if you experienced any sensory enhancement that will always happen. What else did you feel Mena?" Ped asks as she brings her quill closer to the sheet of paper.
"Will I always want to rip my opponents throat out?"
"Nope. As you get more use to the level of the agression, you'll learn to control it. Now then if you to will come with me, we still have some exercises."
The trio of priestesses WALK around the temple back towards the WHOOP @$$ class. In their wake FyrFox says to her neighbor, "I wonder if it's too late to join the class." Then she snickers.
Ped, Klemena, and Zelena walk around the corner of the temple, to find those in the WHOOP @$$ class standing around talking to each other.
Etana: "I tell you Kiari I was expecting to backflips or something!"
kriket: "Nope nothing more than usual Lumi. In fact this was only regular strength."
Before either Kiari or Lumi can respond to the comments directed their way, Ped lets loose with another ear piercing whistle. As everyone gets silent she smiles.
"Well glad everyone enjoyed their first taste. Ready for some more?"
A chorus of "YES!!!" Is her response with Etana adding, "Would we be standing here still if we weren't?"
"I'm not sure Etana... you're a fellow WACKO and likely to do anything." Snickers are heard from the class. "Okay, anyone seen Ama or MurryO since I left?" No one responded. "D@MN! I hope they're okay.. we don't have time to look for them."
Ped reaches into her bag for a small bag, full of lumpy objects. As she walks towards the class again, Zelena makes a shrewd observation. "You know Ped, you made us get rid of our weapons, but you never removed your own. Why is that?"
"Priviledge. I've been a WHOOP @$$ user for eighteen years, and a producer and teacher for twelve. Besides I'm not planning on getting into a fight with anybody today."
Kiari interjects. "But that doesn't mean one of us won't swipe a weapon from you."
kriket snorts at this point. "If any of use tried to get within ten feet of Ped while we weren't fighting her... we'd soon find ourselves locked on our rooms on the Asylum. Right Ped?"
"Yup. Now then everyone form a half circle, facing towards the woods. Make sure you can't see anyone else in the class." Ped waits patiently as they follow her instructions. She moves behind them. "Okay, no one turn around and look at me. I am going to hand everybiody half a can of WHOOP @$$. Once you get it, and I'm out of your vision I want you to open it, and walk in a staright path, observing the world around you. When it wears off in twenty mintues, come on back here for the last bit of instruction."
Ped walks around the circle and hands each person a can. Some, like Jo rip right into the can, wanting to know how the WHOOP @$$ will work this time. Others, like Rusty are a bit more timid in the opening. But when each finally has their can open, they walk into the forest to observe the world around them.
Ped summons a chair to wait. Just two minutes after they leave she has another visit from Ares.
"Why are my followers walking through the forest staring raptourously at everything? Why aren't they learning to fight with WHOOP @$$?"
"Being able to observe things around you is a better test of one's skill with WHOOP @$$ Ares. Anyone can open a can and beat the living spit out of someone else. I want these people to be able to control their reactions when using WHOOP @$$. Now is there anything else?"
Ares just smiles down at her. Then he leans over to whisper something to her. Ped starts to giggle at his idea.
<flashback - care of Amethysta>
Amethysta remained anxious about her first trial use of WHOOP @$$, particularly since Ped remained predictably evasive about providing a complete explanation of what the substance was and what it is capable of doing. However, she had long ago learned to trust the Syreena masseuse so she put aside her fears and held out her hand to her friend.
Ped applied what seemed to be a minute dose on Ama's hand, and as she proceeded to do the same to LunAres, an immediate warmth and tingling travelled up Amethysta's arm. Within seconds, she felt overwhelmed by a sense of hyper-clarity, her focus intensified beyond her belief. She could sense the increased level of aggression in herself and in those around her. In automatic and immediate reaction, her body assumed an aggressive stance. She could see every movement that the others made, could identify every sound, and felt the whisper-light touch of the breeze as it brushed across her skin.
Ama felt overwhelmed by the wealth of sensory input, and closed her eyes to try to block out some of the sensations. When she did so, she became intensely aware of the baby inside of her. More than usual, she could sense his movements... she could sense him. The young woman did not quite understand how, but she knew that it was a boy - her son - growing within.
She quickly opened her eyes when she heard her partner LunAres screaming at her, lunging towards her, calling her by Discord's name. Although Amethysta easily ducked her repeated blows, she soon realized that the extra weight which she carried due to her pregnancy caused LunAres to have a bit of an edge on her in her speed. LunAres momentarily became distracted by something unseen so Ama sought temporary refuge, moving as quickly as possible to the edge of the nearby forest. She began to search for anything which she could fashion into a weapon. Ama surprised herself when she successfully managed to yank a slender low-lying branch off of a green tree. Her make-shift staff and LunAres were temporarily forgotten though when she heard a familiar voice, apparently coming from deep inside the forest. She stealthily crept closer.
"...doesn't realize just how vulnerable He's made Himself."
~Discord!~ Amethysta recognized the conniving Goddess' voice, the haughty tones of which were coming from deep inside the forest. Or was it? Ama began to retreat towards Ped's class, but thought she could still hear the voice coming closer, only now from the other direction.
"...worry, I know just what to do to remedy the situation, and Ares won't be able to stop Me."
The Goddess' voice became louder and louder as Amethysta approached Ped. She saw the others from the class moving towards the forest, apparently unaware of the voice. She sensed, then saw Ares, as He leaned over to whisper something in His masseuse's ear. Ped smiled back at Him, but when neither God nor Priestess reacted to Discord's voice, Amethysta realized that she must be the only one hearing it.
"...thinks they're safe... that He can protect them with His..."
Suddenly, the voice disappeared. Discord had not quit talking, but Ama could no longer hear her, nor could she sense her child the way she had been able to just moments before. The babe moved in a normal fashion, and the dark auburn haired Priestess knew that he was alright.
She approached Ped and spoke. "Ped I think you should hear this..." Then she explained that the effects of the WHOOP @$$ must have finally worn off.
Ped's eyes widened in surprise, both at the sudden appearance of Amethysta, but in her explanation of what happened. She turned her blue gaze upon the God of War. -Do it Ares.-
Ares smiled at his massause, and bowed. He turned to Amethysta, and grabbed her hand. "Glad to see you are alright Ama." He leaned down and kissed her hand, then disappears. -I will return momentarily Ped.-
Ped then turned her full attention to the Temple Healer. "What else happened?" She waited patiently to hear the answers.
Amethysta also told Ped about her initial sensations, but hesitated to tell her about the voice. Instead, Ama asked Ped if hallucinations were possible.
"Of course... you should have *really* been here for LunAres' hallucination..." Ped continued the story, and it had Ama laughing. The WHOOP @$$ instructor sensed that Ama as holding something back, and raised *THE* eyebrow when she asked, "Why?"
Amethysta told her about what Discord had said, and described how she had 'heard' the voice. When she finished, she waited for Ped's reply.
"Intriguing. You show a rare sensitivity to WHOOP @$$ Ama. I think that despite the fact that you *do* need more training... I'm going to keep you at training strength for the remainder of class. That is acceptable, right?"
"Sure. I wouldn't want to hear the conversations happening between ants you know!"
Ped got a thoughtful look in her eye. "I dunno, Ama. Ants know quite a bit more than most humans give them credit for..." Then Ped grins mischeviously. She stands up and moves towards Ama. "Hold out your hand."
"But..."
"No buts Ama... I want you to do this exercise... it'll only be for five minutes, hopefully." Then Ped places a *small* droplet on the back of Ama's hand and sends her back towards the Forest.
About this time Ares re-appears. -It is done... now then about your offer.-
Ped sits back down, and smiles beguilingly at the War God.
<Jocasta>
Jo takes the WHOOP @$$ from Ped. She does not hesitate and opens the can. She is wondering how this higher dose will effect her. She really got a good laugh out of LunAres reaction to it. Jo then mind speaks with Luna. Even though they are not related they are as close as sisters and have a bond. -Luna are you alright?-
Luna responds in mind speak -I'm alright Jo.-
Jo then strarts to make chicken noises. -Kluck, Kluck, Bawk, Bawk.- Luna then starts to laugh outloud.
Ped looks at the two priestesses. Luna is laughing and Jo is smiling. Ped figures out that they are mind speaking to each other. ~Amazing! I never knew that Jo could mind speak.~ Ped knew that Jo had very strong empathic powers. ~Jo has changed drastically since she came back from Egypt. I will have to find out more.~ Ped places these thoughts at the back of her mind and continues to administer the WHOOP @$$.
Jo takes her WHOOP @$$ and walks into the forest. The first thing she notices that the spell has on her is the feeling of intense concentration. It also heightens her empathic abilities. She can feel the emotions of every living creature in the forest. She feels the sensations that she felt when she spent time on the Astral Plane and dreamscape. She thought that she could not feel those sensations without being on the scape.
Jo stops and looks beyond the forest. She feels the sensation. The unique sensation she feels when Ares is near. She has a bond with the God of War which can never be broken again. She then tries to hear what he is saying.
Ped is surprised that she has stopped. Jo has even come closer. Ares then laughs. "Yes Ped she is a nosey one. She has earned her title of priestess of Espionage. We have a psychic bond even though the others can't see me she will always." Ped smiles.
"Lord Ares why are you here?"
"Jocasta you will find out. Be patient priestess."
"You can tell me Lord Ares no one else will know." She is laughing. "I will make it worth your while lord Ares."
The God of War laughs he looks at his blood brother's daughter with lust. He will play with her later. She can be very maniputive. "Priestess go back to your lesson I will spend time with you later. You are not getting any infomation."
Jo looks at Ares. She smiles and replies "I guess I will have to take the time." She blows him a kiss and walks back to the forest. She ponders ~I guess I don't even want to know~ and laughs.
Ped looks at Ares in a way he has become familar with over the last few months... one that expresses her disgust with his obvious lustful appetite, when before she didn't even bat an eyelash about it. He narrows his eyes at his Priestess. -My ways are not up for your scruntiny Priestess.-
-I never stated they were My Lord.- Her "voice" fairly dripping with sarcasm. -But do remember that sometimes mortals take things differently than your kind does.- She flips her lond, golden tresses back over her shoulder. -Now then about this list...-
<LunAres>
LunAres is a little suprised at first when she hears Jo in her mind, but when her friend starts making chicken sounds, her wonder turns into laughter. Luna figures it must be an after effect of the small dose of WHOOP @$$ that she had already received, but maybe not. Surely the effects of the first, smaller dose Ped had given had worn off, or else, that giant chicken wouldn't have disappeared. LunAres looks at the can of WHOOP @$$ that Ped has placed in her hands, and decides she better put her concentration on her lessons for now.
After taking the full dose Ped has passed out, LunAres tries to walk calmly into the forest. "Concentrate, Luna" she tells herself. The first thing she thinks of is training and she swears she can see Ped up in front of her in the forest. Not possible, they had all left Ped behind. She tries to concentrate on battle, then Ares appears about twenty steps in front of her. She shakes her head and opens her eyes, and Ares is gone.
Slowly, as the WHOOP@$$ is wearing off, LunAres realizes that she is seeing images that are symbolic of what she is concentrating on, even though they are not real. ~HMMMMM, very interesting,~ Luna thinks. ~This is something that needs to be discussed with Ped.~
<Aoewyn and Rusty>
Aoewyn and Rusty head off into the woods. Though they both knew the area blindfolded, it was as if they were seeing a forest for the first time. The trees, tall and majestic appeared to jump out at them as they walked. The aroma of earth, wildflowers and something else enveloped them as they walked. Even their sense of hearing seemed sharper as they slightest crinkle of the dried leaves under their feet echoed all around them. As they headed off they saw the various other people going off in other direction. Everyone was lost in their own experience.
"Did you catch Ares talking to Ped as we left?" Aoewyn asked Rusty as they headed up the path.
"Sure did. I wonder what our Lord might be planning for us?"
"Whatever it is, it'll be exciting, that's for sure."
"Agreed." Rusty said sidestepping a large rock that was in her path.
"Just jump over it." Aoewyn said performing a forward flip, landing squarely on her feet just ahead of her partner.
"Next one." Rusty cracked.
A sudden snap from the left stopped both priestesses in their tracks. "Hear it." Rusty asked ducking behind a large tree ready to pounce on whatever was heading towards them.
"On three." Aoewyn said taking the tree just opposite her. The pair listened carefully as the crunching of branches and leaves grew closer and louder until it was right behind them.
"One," Aoewyn started the count. From underneath the leafy plant came a little brown rabbit. It paused for a moment to stare at the two priestesses then twitching its ears, took off towards the temple. The pair looked at each other and broke out laughing. They then headed back towards the Temple and Ped's class.
<Etana>
Etana opened her can and waited for the effects to course through her as she walked towards the woods.
They hit with bang, no subtle effects here. Etana stopped in the depths of the forest. This was her domain, a part of her. Instead of continuining to walk forward, she chose to stand and absorb the effects of the WHOOP @$$.
In the forest, her sense were sharp, tuned into the light and the shadows that made the forest what it was. With the WHOOP @$$ flowing through her, all those senses were shapened.
Etana could hear the others moving around but ignored them. A sound of something scratching bark five feet away caught her attention. Looking intently, she discovered it was a catapillar moving up the tree. The songs of the birds were loud but at the same time she could *hear* all the different tones. The drone of insects was loud, betraying they're location.
In her eyes and mind, the light and the shadows sharpened, no longer hiding those that chose to remain hidden. With the WHOOP @$$ so much more was revealed to her. The effect gave her immense satisfaction.
As the WHOOP @$$ began to wear off, Etana smiled. It was a smile of satisfaction. Not only had she controlled the aggressive effects of WHOOP @$$ but she had discoved another use, that would come in handy for her. Now she just had to see if Ped would let her have some for future *errands* she did for Ares!
Etana exited to the forest whistling. The sound caused Ped and Ares to look up. Ped smiled at Etana, who raised an eyebrow at the body language going on between Ares and her friend. ~They're plotting something... something really devious.~
"Hi Etana! Anything I need to know?" Ped shot at cheerfully... quickly rolling up the scroll she had in her hands.
"Nope. Same question to you?"
Ped just smiled in her Ped-like way. "Not unless you're a Syreenian trained caster, and you haven't told me." Etana just shot her friend a look. "That's what I thought..."
<Lunarknight>
LK took the can of WHOOP @$$ and turned to face the forest. Tearing the top off of the can, he could feel the affects increasing as he made for the tree line.
Breaking into a jog, he felt as if he and his environment were gaining some sort of synchronicity. By the time he hit the trees he was at a full run and had made the transformation to his wolfling form. It was as if he had become attuned to every leaf, every blade of grass....... He looked up into the canopy and howled joyously. His howls reverberated throughout the forest. Small animals looked at him curiously but, strangely, none of them were frightened. It was if they could sense that his howls were simply a celebration of being one with his environment, quite possibly something known to them by instinct and therefore something they could relate to.
He was disappointed when the WHOOP @$$ wore off. ~~WOW! This is good stuff.~~, he thought to himself. He walked back to the class area, basking in the afterglow of his enhanced senses and the environmental synchronicity, still in his wolfling form. He was no longer uncomfortable being seen in that form.
<MurryO>
MurryO wanders the forest, lost, but not really noticing. She is too interested in the birds. The sight of yellow catches the Priestesses eyes, and she turns to see it. It's a whole flock of yellow birds. "Pritty birds." Says the woman who is completley lost. Suddenly, the yellow birds flock towards her head. She waves her arms in an effort to stop them. Her head bleeds as one of them hits her. From the rock near her she hears laughing. Turning towards it, the effects of WHOOP @$$ suddenly wear off within seconds at the sight of the person before her. Something bad has just happened to her, and it sits before her in the form of a person from her past..........
<Kiari>
Kiari accepted her can of WHOOP @$$ from her sibling, and after Ped had moved out of "sight" she opened the can. Immediately the becoming increasingly familiar feeling of WHOOP @$$-ness came over her. She smiled evilly, and walked into the forest.
Kiari lets her gaze drift across everything around her... the trees; the ground; the animals; the Good looking, remarkably similar to Hades warrior... Kiari whips her head back to where she had just seen Brett. But he was no longer there.
~Holy Hera! I did *not* just see that! Brett is off fighting for Ares right now... maybe I'm just missing him too much.~ Kiari sighs as she thinks about just what she's going to do with Brett when she sees him again...
As the WHOOP @$$ wears off... she starts giggling at some of the thoughts she had come up with. ~WHOOP @$$ certainly changes my though patterns... Maybe that's a good thing.~ With a grin spread across her face, Kiari heads back towards the training field.
<Séi>
Séi opened her can right away, and was nearly flattened by the sensory overload she experienced. She stumbled into the forest, and sat on a nearby rock.
As she felt her pulse slow, she happened to loo at the rock, and it appeared to have eyes and a mouth. She shrieked and jumped off it. Then her eyes darted to everything around her... everything seemed to have eyes or a mouth... when she felt herself panicing she closed her eyes, and took in a few deep breaths.
When the Armory Priestess reopens her eyes... everything looks "normal" only slightly more in focus. ~Intriguing... This is something I had not expected.~
Séi spent the rest of her time exploring the forest around the temple, very comfortable with her heightened senses. When it wears off... it feels as though she is being cut off from the outside world. Séi shakes her head and decides that she very much likes what she just experienced... and she wants to do it again. Séi heads back to the training area.
<Risha>
Risha is walking in the forest, under WHOOP @$$ influence, when she hers a slight giggling ahead of her. She scans about and sees no one... but she once more hears the giggling. Her eyes narrow... she knows who it is.
It's Puck, the only member of her family that she cannot see while they are "invisible". ~He's giggling in the trees about my shiner and how an Olympian gave it to me. I know I felt his presence. Terrific! Now everyone on Avalon will hear about what happened. I'll never live this down.~
Risha does not try and find him because she knows that her temper is fraying rapidly... ~I'm still a little upset about the pain in my eye and my brother's giggling isn't helping. *sigh* Family. Sheesh!~ She heads away from the giggling sound, and even though it seems to follow her, she ignores it for the remainder of this training.
~After all... I gave one of my better friends a Goose egg, and she gave my this shiner... no telling what I'd do to Puck if I saw him "while under the influence."~ At that thought Risha chucles and she continues her explorations of the forest.
When the WHOOP @$$ wears off, Risha immediately heads back towards the practice field... while on the way there she hears a pair of voices talking.
"No I am telling you... they're walking around the forest staring at everything in rapture."
"But why would Ares permit his WHORES to do that?"
"I have no idea..."
The voices fade, but not before Risha recognized the voices as those belonging to Dischord and Apollo. She fairly runs back to the training field now... she cannot keep this knowledge a secret for long.
<kriket>
kriket wanders the forest observing it through what she considers a weakened form of WHOOP @$$. But she then remembered that she hadn't just observed the world with "HIDE THE CHILDREN!!!" strength in sometime.. so this was probably a good exercise for her.
She breaks a tree limb off a nearby tree, to serve as a waling stic, and possible staff. Whistling merrily under her breath, she stops when she hears senses two beings approach her through the lines. She flips up into a tree, breaing her new found staff in the process. She crounches down and reflects the lines around herself, as she had been taught by Ped.
She stands there with bated breath, hoping that the two gods approaching her will not notice her in the tree. She *knew* that Ped claimed that the blocking of the lines is an effective form of protection, she'd just never tried it. kriket silenced her thoughts as the God and Goddess came to stand just under her tree imb.
"I tell you Apollo... the world will tremble at our feet when they find out what Ares is having his WHORES do. Imagine letting them wander around a forest without their weapons..."
"Yeah, never know what may befall unprotected females." They begin to snicker and move away.
kriket remains in the tree for a few more minutes. She notes that both Olympians headed towards Apollo's hidden temple. She flips out of the tree, landing perfectly on her feet, then breaking into a run she heads back towards the field.
Both women shift uncomfortably, they knew they were supposed to have done the previous activity alone, something about keeping safe. But it had been so much fun together! So Rusty raises her eyes and stares right back at Ped, who smiles and winks at her! Rusty blinks in surprise.
Suddenly kriket bursts out of the forest, in a dead run. She says but one word. "TROUBLE!"
Ped turns to face her long time friend and Apprentice. She knew kriket was as likely to overstate somthing like that, as Ares was to suddenly start wearing pink leathers and lecturing on the benefits of Chastity... Pyro's experience in that *other* dimension not withstanding... (Reference to a story long since archived by the Dominion... and a priestess long since absent from the temple)
"What is is kriket?" Ped says worriedly.
Risha stepped forward, "Probably the same thing I ran back here for.. Dischord and Apollo are walking around in the forest, plotting something about us."
"They're doing more than plotting I think." kriket says.
kriket moves towards the forest... but Ped's voice brings her back, slightly. "Their machinations are none of our concern. Think you can concentrate on WHOOP @$$ training, instead of hurting Apollo and Dischord?"
Every student nodded his or her ascent... all but two. kriket pinned her "Mistress" with a look, and said, "No way, no how, NOPE. Since I am used to WHOOP @$$ already I'm gonna figure out what those two are up too. Just "HIDE THE CHILDREN" and watch me work." Then she moved into the forest.
Rusty said, "No. I'm right there with you kriket!" Then she ran after the elder priestess.
Ped's eyes narrow dangerously. Kiari notices the look and she leans towards Risha, saying. "I bet those two won't even last until the count of ten... nine... eight... seven... six..."
Kiari did not have to count anymore... because kriket and Rusty both reappear in the center of the practice field. Rusty has a confused look on her face, but kriket turns to glare at Ped.
"I did *not* give you permission to leave my class ladies." She says very quietly. "I was making a rhtorical question about concentration..."
From behind her, Ped hears high-pitched, dischordant laughter. Suddenly with a "POP!" and a flash of light... Apollo and Dischord appear on the practice field at Ares' Temple.
"Imagine that Apollo! One of Ares' WHORES is defending us to the others. Will wonders never cease?" Dischord laughs again.
Apollo gives Ped the once over, and sneers leacherously at her. "She's more than just Ares' WHORE Dischord..."
"Oh that's right! She's also a SLUT of Cupid... under the guise of his wife's friend."
Ped reacts only with the raising of her eyebrow. Then she grins at the Gods... Etana and Sei see the look on her face, and grin accordingly. "WOW! I *never* thought I'd meet anyone as misinformed as you two are! I mean you *totally* forgot about my relationships with Athena, and Hermes, and Hades... The list goes on... should I continue?" Ped blinks innocently at the pair of Gods.
Apollo sneers at Ped then... no overt sexual connotations now. "So you're a SLUT that gets around, no big deal. Your still in trouble."
Ped snorts, and motions with her hands that the others should remain where they are... right now the Gods only consider her a threat. "I beg to differ *LORD* Apollo. Wouldn't you agree Ares?"
Ares appears next to her then, and pulls Ped to his chest. She snuggles into him, and looks up into his face adoringly. Everyone in the class shares looks now... it was common knowledge around the temple that Ped and Ares had barely been on speaking terms in the last year... what game were they playing? Ped glanced over her shoulder just then, and winked at Kiari... who grinned in return.
Ares pins Apollo and Dischord in his gaze. "You two are trespassing on my temple grounds *and* are interuppting a very important weapons lesson. You'd beter have a good reason."
Dischord, just flung her hair over her shoulder. "Oh PLEASE Ares! They're *just* mortals!"
Ped stiffened a little under Ares' arm, but he held her fast. -Do it now Ped...- She smiled up at her patron god, and closed her eyes to do his bidding.
Right away kriket notices what she is doing, and smiles. She sends a short message to Ped, because her ability to hide her mindspeak was no where near as complete as Ped's was. -I *like* your idea!- Then knowing that she could say no more, kriket let the grin she felt coming spread across her face. Etana, Sei, LK, and those seeing the grin on kriket's face all grin as well.
Ares looks at Dischord. ~Pity... She was always *so* much fun!~ "They are *not* just mortals Dischord... they are *MY* mortals!" He could hear the disatisfied grumblings from the priestesses behind him, most noticable Sei. But he ignores it, to prove his point to Dischord.
About this time, Ped has finished the "cage" around Dischord and Apollo. She smiles in that way that most people could only describe as "Ped-like". Then she tightens her arms around Ares. -It is done Ares.-
-Excellent. Make it visible.-
-With pleasure.- Ped made the "cage" she had constructed "around" Apollo and Dischord using the Lei lines visible. Both reacted as she had expected. "Don't bother trying to get out! It won't work!"
Ped walked over to stand right next to Dischord... the "cage" bending with Ped's presence near it, so that it wraps around Dischord. "You really should be more careful next time you come a visitin' Dissy!" Then with no warning, Ped grabs her arm.
Soon Ped slumps to the floor, and Dischord steps through the "cage". Apollo trys to follow her, but fails. Dischord throws her head back and laughs. "You didn't honestly think I'd let you go *that* easily, did you Sun God?"
Etana recognizes what has happened... she remembers a similar stunt by Ped a few months before, to seduce Lyon. Etana holds back everyone. "WAIT! That's Ped, in Dischord's body."
Dischord turns to face everyone. "Naturally." Then she lets loose with a laugh worthy of *any* warlord. Ped/Dischord walks over to Ares, and walks fingers up his chest. "My what nice chest you have Ares."
Ares glares at Ped, in Dischord's body. He's not sure which woman is in charge right now... but had a feeling he didn't want to know. "Stop messing around Ped... continue the training."
Dipping into a curtsy, Dischord said, "Of course My Lord!" She turned to the class. "Okay, in case anyone is wondering.. *YES* I did plan this, the second I heard Apollo and Dissy were roaming around our temple, plotting to cause trouble. Also it will help you all fight against an opponent without fear of hurting a friend."
LK chuckled then... "So we get to beat up Dischord?"
Dischord/Ped merely grinned at him. "What do you think LK?" Then she passed out the remainder of the WHOOP @$$.
Sitting around the dinner table that night, the participants of the WHOOP @$$ class, were busy comparing bruises and stories. Nearly everyone agreed that though she no longer looked like it, Ped had received the most bruises... and all laughed about it. Zelena, Klemena, and Kiari were sent to the Olympian council to plead Ped's case, so she would not be punished by either Apollo nor Dischord, especially Dischord.
Ped grinned when she remembered what everyone had done to her... in Dischord's body. She glanced up when she heard her name. "Yes Rusty?"
Rusty sighed. "Are we proficient WHOOP @$$ users now Ped?"
"Yes you are. Everyone here is ready for Regular strength, with Etana, Sei, and Kiari ready for Double or Super strength. Right now the only HIDE THE CHILDREN!!! user I am apporving is kriket... but some of you others may someday soon be ready for such an occasion."
Smiles and ribbings were passed all around the table, as the tales of the WHOOP @$$ class laready spread around the temple.
THE END!
Producer of WHOOP @$$"
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"Two," Rusty continued.
"Three!" the pair said together leaping forward at the bushes.
<The field - Eveyone but kriket has reappeared>
Ped is smiling at Mena and Zelena, who were both none the worse for wear after their latest experience... at least this time neither had decided to throw anything. Then she pins Aoewyn and Rusty with her ice blue stare.
<Hours later>
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