Since returning to Zeinav and seeking out Fish on purpose in order to take them up on their training, Del's horizon's had broadened somewhat. Coming off a relatively recent hit to the warehouse of Blixtco, finding a new home among the orphans and keepers of Shade's Valley in Darkveil, and a recent fight with a dragon that she and this very same young kenku had inadvertently summoned, Del was altogether too happy to meet and check in on Fish to see how they were doing.

She looked forward to when Cyran would give them the gift they both had put together, that night in Darkveil when the stars fell.

But that was a secret to keep, for now; the last thing Del wanted was to spoil the surprise. In the moment, Del had come across a request that would make for excellent training in the arts of a monk for herself and Fish. Along the coast of Zeinav, beyond the outskirts of the city docks and general urban fervor, there was a lush verdance around the areas where the ocean met the land. Mangroves of trees anchored the shoreline in place, disguising any number of illicit activities and predators of all sorts, including those on the fringes of society.

As Del leads Fish out of the city proper, she shifts her gaze down to look at them, smiling. It truly was good to see them-- now to see how they'd been getting on since their last encounter. It was a simple patrol, but what an opportunity to teach and observe awareness. More than that, though, Del was genuinely interested in how they were doing. "So, come up with any new potions of late?" She enquires as they walk, sand becoming loamy in some places the closer they got to the shore.

Del herself was holding herself with a little more... happiness. She was never a meek or unconfident person to begin with, but it seemed that some of the paranoia that seemed to hover over her like a cloud had faded into a sensible wariness, worn like a shawl. "I'm interested in what you've been up to; the last thing I want to do is go easy on you." she chuckles softly.

While Fish had kept busy in the intervening time, their progress was a lot less visible. Much of their equipment and stature remained the same, though they did have a few more tricks hidden and tucked away in their pouches. The versatility working with the guild has brought them is hard to see in the moment.

The same small and ill-developed flow of ki remained in the little bird, Del could likely still sense that. Fish had come to understand a bit more about it since Del pointed out what it was, but it wasn't something Fish invested training into. Their interest lay elsewhere. They hop just behind the monk watching how the sand shifts when their talons hit.

"Fish has many formulas, but they are proprietary secrets." Except for that time they gave the formula to a pretty witch who bought them a pie, but there were extenuating circumstances. "Fish prefers to make things that Fish needs in the moment. Too many potions creates too much weight and noise."

Their eyes flit to the tide of the ocean, scanning over the shore. It wasn't common, but the sea could occasionally drop something useful for them. Either to sell or to make things with, never knew what kind of shipwreck was going to float their way. They look back to Del as she asks after them again. 

"Fish has been busy, Fish has been exploring more outside Zeinav."

"Proprietary, of course," She nods along, watching them hop and bounce. A little smile curves her lips; where Del makes no footprints as she walks[1], Fish seems fascinated with the little splaying of soft sand beneath their talons. That they've been exploring more beyond Zeinav was good to hear-- expanding their horizons. Now, she would just have to ensure they would be safe. Especially after learning just how old the little bird was. Though chances to speak like this were very rare between the pair of them, Del hoped it meant she and Fish would see more of one another.

"That's good! That's a very good way of centering yourself and the energy in your body." She turns on the ball of her foot to walk backwards as she speaks to Fish, moving easily over the ground despite not facing the path[2], instinctually knowing where her feet belonged. "The first step to harnessing your ki is trusting your body; having faith in yourself, your reactions, and your own personal power that comes as natural to you as breathing. It requires no thinking; too much thought stops up the process. Just like you're doing right now with how you're walking, get a sense and understanding for the ground beneath your feet, and the air around you. Is that making sense so far, or would you like a more hands on kind of demonstration?"

---

[1] Pass Without Trace
[2] Cat's Grace

"Fish only trusts in Fish's self." They tilt their head at the advice. The mental discipline was probably the strongest aspect Fish had so far. Getting that connection between brain and body was a bit different, but for only being 8 having half the battle done was an accomplishment they felt.



This sounds like it would be an uphill battle though, not that Fish would admit it. They only knew how to process things in their specific way. The aviankin was good at thinking on the fly and reacting, but often times they could not react immediately. They needed time to think out a plan or do the math on a shot before pulling the trigger. Being able to do all that in seconds is nice, but it's not the split second decision Del is talking about. Getting everything connected would be a problem.


"Fish worries that the styles are too different. Fish does not fight with Fish's body. Fish needs a weapon...Fish lacks the strength to punch and kick things." They knew enough about knives stay alive at close range, but they really only excelled from a distance. And from shadows. Mainly when people couldn't see them, Fish did better.

"I know you do; I'm talking about something a little deeper than normal trusting in one's self. As Fish mentions they are worried the styles would be too different, Del shakes her head, smiling encouragingly. "Not too different at all. Come here, look." She deviates off the beaten path a little into more of the underbrush. As they weave between trees, Del parts a curtain of vines, revealing their location.

The pair come to a mangrove inlet, a small swamp. Some boxes and boats sit on a couple of ramshackle dinghys; an apparently hidden set of docks. The things are either abandoned, or someone is waiting to offload these-- though abandoned seems likely, as the water in the grotto shifts and moves, alert with the presence of large bodies beneath the surface; crocodiles of the salt water variety.

Del turns to Fish with a calm smile. "When I say 'trust yourself' I mean the sort of trust that comes from how you automatically know to breathe, or blink, or how your heart beats on its own. You don't think about those things; you simply do them. In order to connect properly with your ki, you need to feel it in your body, moving like your blood through your veins."

This was, admittedly, a crash course. The lessons that were imparted on Del had taken many, many years to perfect and harness; but Fish wasn't starting from zero, as she had. Fish already had a level and understanding and skill. Now, they just needed to tie all that together.

"Watch." Del turns toward the shore; they stand far back enough from the waterline that they don't have to worry about crocodiles leaping out of the water at them uprompted, but the creatures are definitely paying attention. Del pays them no mind. Her knees bend a little, as she takes a stance, and breathes in, deep and slow. Fish, with their own attunement, can see how the energy around Del moves, a power surging from within that seems to warp the current around her. Here and there, in the low light between the green leaves, they can see that it is tinged with gold.[1]

As Del exhales, she pushes her palm forward, as if striking something. There is nothing there, of course... but ten feet ahead of them, a narrow tree cracks and splinters, falling into the water with a light splash.

"Weapons are merely extensions of the body." She says to Fish, demonstrating her hands for them, one fist extended in front of the other, held closer to the body as a guard. If they looked close, they could see this posture was similar, if not exact, to when one holds a spear, a sword, a knife in each hand, even a bow. "I know where my ki is at all times, because I am my ki. It is my breath, it is my blood, it is me and what connects me to the elements that I find affinity with. The same goes for you, and all living things. It doesn't matter that I use my fists and that you use a weapon; the connection to the ki is the same."


She holds out her hand so Fish can examine it; her ki is near invisible, save for where it warps the air around her body, but definitely tangible. They can touch it, feel the warmth of a hearth that Fish would recognize as Del, as her essence that they associated her with, whatever that may be. She gives them an encouraging smile. "Try hitting one of the boats with an arrow; might draw off some of this crocodilian attention." She grimaces, looking at the boats; she wondered if they had been abandoned after all, or if the people who had sailed them were just... eaten.

---

[1] Art of the Soul - Monk Prestige - 2/3 posts remaining.

Fish watches this carefully, but it's one of the few lessons that is hard to sink in for them. They never really put too much thought into physical training or how the body works. Sure, they knew anatomy pretty well, but the discipline of training it was much hard than taking it apart. Their skill at climbing and running was more learned out of necessity than a practiced physical act.

They look at their own hands a moment, flexing the talons to see if they can get the same reaction. Every time they had used this supposed ki before was in times of duress and they had to. Fish assumed Del wasn't the type to throw them at the crocodiles to force the issue and Fish wasn't going to suggest it either.

How does Fish break this down scientifically into a way they can understand? They flex their hand again.....then again, tilting their head. One more time....that's it! That's what Fish has been doing!

"Fish understands, moving the body takes input from the brain to move the muscle, those signals are sent in the smallest bits of what is more or less electricity, Fish's ki could be collecting that charge and dispersing it when needed, manipulating it into something that is more forceful."

Without taking out their bow, Fish flexes their hand more until Del could feel her hair raise as a static field surrounds the bird. The gently zapping arcs to get one crocodile's snout causing it to retreat.

Del watches as Fish flexes their hands, their little talons in and out of their palm. She stays silent, letting them work through it; it's complicated and not easy, but she can tell some of her words have been taken to heart. She just needed to be patient and watch. They had this well in hand; now Fish just needed to see for themself that it was true.

When they lift their gaze back to hers, signig enthusiastically, Del breaks into a wide smile, genuinely proud of the little kenku. Their explanation was a bit... clinical for her to understand, but however Fish chose to relate the application of Ki was part of their own personal journey. "Amazing discovery, Fish! You've made a fantastic connection in such a short amount of time. Very well done."

She watches as Fish demonstrates this specifically, without using a physical bow; it really is incredible, the way they can make their spiritual energy manifest to fire and become like a weapon. She chuckles as one of the arcs from the bow make a crocodile turn away from the shore, thrashing it's tail as it retreats to deeper water.

"I think you've pretty much got the hang of it! Great work Fish-- oh!" There's a gutteral hiss as a large crocodile emerges from the water onto the bank, jaws open. Without thinking too much about it, Del steps forward and focuses her energy forward, bringing her hands together as her body snaps into a tight flex. The ki that was generated along her limbs abruptly fires out of her in a beam of energy, rippling and shifting the foliage, the ground, the water, and, more importantly, the crocodile.[1]


It strikes the creature centre mass, flinging it off its feet with force and sending it crashing into one of the dinghy's furled masts. The crocodile would probably be alright-- the little boat, however, was now quite unsailable and slowly sinking. No one was aboard, or here to protest the destruction, but Del grimaces nonetheless, before looking back at Fish with a little smile.

"...Well. If we're meant to be protecting the coast, I'd say that's a decent step in the right direction. I think."

---

[1] Art of the Soul - Beam used, ends early.

The crocodile really gets put through the ringer in a short amount of time. When it got within 10 feet of Fish, there is sudden a loud popping sound of arcing lightning that connects with the snout. As it seizes up, it is hit by Del's lightning beam and rolls away, twitching in the water.



Fish curiously watches it. That part was unexpected, it seems there's still a bit to this they don't fully understand.....Subconciously it makes sense though. While Del is used to being up front and direct with her attacks, Fish is more adept at keeping distance. A difference shown in how they apply their ki in that little moment.



"If no one catches it, then it isn't illegal." An odd attempt at reassurance as Fish sees Del is a little disappointed in the sinking of the boat.

They turn to keep hoping along the little patrol path they had to scope out, still occasionally looking at their talons and flexing them. Are there different ways to apply ki or is lightning just Fish's way of doing it? It's not magic, so Fish assumes they can't just learn a new spell.....It clearly works differently depending on the person though.

Del looks at Fish with wry amusement, the corners of her smile quivering with a supressed laugh. It does get her to smile, at least. "Fish, whether or not someone sees you doesn't change whether or not something is against the law. That said, I'm not a narc." she gives them a wink as she takes a quick detour to one of the other, still floating boats to check for signs of life and damage. She's back after a few moments, shaking her head a little to herself as the boat starts to list to one side, taking on water. She makes the leap from deck to land in a couple of well placed bounds. "The mast from the other vessel must have knicked the hull. Come on, there's still more to look at," She rejoins Fish in their path forward.

After a few minutes of walking, she looks down to Fish, watching them flex their taloned hands, deep in thought. She smiles quietly, wondering just what was going through their head. "You sure have a lot of talent and skill at your talon-tips, Fish. Between this, your alchemy and your skill with a crossbow, you seem as though you're learning things at a quick pace. I think," She says thoughtfully, looking up at the canopy while they walk, "that it might not be a bad thing to let things come a little more slowly? You have many, many years still ahead of you. Not everything needs to be learned right away. Just take it one day at a time and get to know what you like, not just what you can do. Does that make sense?"

"Laws are just a social construct implemented by the upper class to oppress the lower classes. Therefore, if the State isn't around to see it then the artifice of law and order does not apply." Fish signs before hopping along again along the way.



They patiently listen to Del speak, thinking over ther words. Usually they would just casually brush off someone trying to parent them, but there's something about Del that makes them listen. It's probably the lack of a domineering or scolding tone. That helped......That said...



"Fish does not see the point in going slowly. If Fish has the ability to learn and make progress, why should Fish wait for an abstract amount of time? Science is about progress, so Fish should always be making progress, not waiting for an arbitrary time." They pause. "Fish only does things Fish likes, there is no time for anything else. Fish only invests time in things that will be useful."

They nod again and turn to continue to hop forward on patrol. The bird remains a little clinical in their thinking to be sure. There was much flexibility to be desired in Fish's thinking. Sure, they could think up plans on the fly, but doing anything outside of what they deign to be useful is a bit harder.

Del grins, chuckling quietly at the precociousness of the little kenku. "That's true. But never assume the state isn't around, my dear." She nearly reaches down to pat their feathered head before thinking the better of it. Fish was a proud young soul, they probably wouldn't like that very much.

Her brows lift as she watches their signing again-- itw as good that Fish only did things that they enjoyed, talkin about science and the art of progress, but that bit there, at the end, about investing time in 'only things that are useful', that strikes her, for some reason, filling her with a familiar sort of sorrow. Fish was much too young to be a workaholic. That simply didn't sit right with her at all.

She frowns at their situation as well. They were meant to be on patrol; even now, their time was spent together working. And she had facilitated that. This would not do.

Briefly, a resolute expression crosses her face. She was going to correct this at once.

"Okay." As they enter a small patch where the trees, Del abruptly and simply falls back into the low, scrubby grass, looking up at the springtime clouds as they drifted overhead. "Time for a break, I think."

"They are generally too stupid to know hand signs, so Fish's half of the communication is meaningless to them." It probably is good Del did not go for the head pat. They like Del, but she has not escaped the "at-risk of stabbing" level of Fish trust yet.

Deep down, Fish may be a workaholic, but to their benefit they don't see it as such. They clearly aren't a bird that would do good sitting idle and doing nothing. Maybe finding more relaxing hobbies and doing fewer things that involve explosions could help, but good luck convincing the bird to relax.

They don't seem bothered by it though. Their feet make little silent tippy taps in the sand as they watch the wind pick up little dust devils that quickly fall apart. Fish tilts their head curiously and watches how the breeze can shift the sand, lifting up the lighter things with it. Their head tilts to the side, then the other as they observe this little phenomenon.

Fish blinks and looks up as Del mentions a break. "Break?" Of course the concept seems foreign to them. They were working, why would you stop working? Adults are weird, Fish surmises.

"Break," Del confirms, staring up. She pats the ground beside her to encourage Fish to lay or sit down. "Come on now. Breaks are part of working, they give you a chance to shift your perspective and help recenter yourself for the task ahead. So, yes. Taking a break. Just a quick one, though." Del adds to reassure them.

It was a crime, practically, that Fish hadn't had a chance to be a kid, yet. They were so impressive and capable and intelligent-- they were also so tragically young. Del did not remember her own childhood, but she had seen enough children who had their robbed from them so early in life out of necessity, out of survival. She could not take away anything that had happened to Fish in their past; but she could at least give them these precious moments now. Or do her best and try to. Fish deserved that much, the attempt, even if he rejected it.

As she looked up at the clouds, Del points out one that floated by. "What do you think that one looks like? I think it looks like a..." Her head tilts a little, squinting. "Shark with a unicorn horn. Or maybe a jouster charging toward their opponent."

Fish just sort of...stands in the sand. Despite some of the recent abilities they had gained, they still were not a fan of sand in their feathers. They were adverse to both water and dust baths. A small, unaddressed irony that a bird with the name Fish was relatively against any water-based adventures. Mainly because they didn't know how to swim very well, but still slightly funny if you gave it any thought.

Their eyes naturally drift back up to their surroundings and the horizon. Both a result of their bird-like nature and a gentle amount of paranoia from life as a thief, their head and gaze tended to flit about frequently. Their eyes were always on the lookout for danger, Fish the Sneak was not keen on being snuck up on. Especially in a place where Naga can be.

They hop in a half circle to face where Del is pointing and look up. "Sharks with unicorn horns don't exist....is Del suffering from a heat stroke?" They look back down to the monk, head tilted to the side. "Perhaps Fish should find a shaded area with water."

Their gaze pops back up again as Fish begins scanning for an oasis.

Del chuckles quietly under her breath. "Obviously-- well, I don't know that they for sure don't exist, but if they don't then maybe you can tell me what you think it is. Here." Del sits up for a moment to remove her cloak and lay it over the scrub so Fish can lay or sit on something that isn't sand, and lays back down. "I have a water canteen and I'm not overly warm. Sit, take a break." How could she phrase it in a way that would have an appeal to Fish...?

"Did you know that clouds are supposed to be some form of water? The water evaporates and goes up and gathers and becomes clouds, right? You can usually tell what kinds of weather is incoming by looking at the sorts of clouds that are above, and how many there are." Yes, that sounded very scientific. "How much water to you think participates in that cycle, and how much of it has been through that cycle before? How many times has a cloud been that shape?" She points to the one she had identified as a shark-unicorn earlier. "How many times has the same water droplet fallen from the sky? Lots to think about, mm?"