[Gossamer]

Kimsan returned with the light, a large basket under his arm and a wineskin over his shoulder. He surveyed his student, and approached him, bowing low (far lower than was appropriate) to the boy. "Those that watch the monastery at night have told this one that each pass they made you stood still and silent, and the only movement about you was your shadow the stars cast upon you as they wheeled overhead. That pleases me greatly. Will you move, break your stillness, stretch, and join me for breakfast before our next lesson?" The monk moved then, leading the boy over to the bench gracing one side of the courtyard. It was odd though. No guards had passed by Satyata's position. Only stone dragons, carved into the reliefs above his head overlooking the courtyard observed his vigil. And even though once or twice in the night he could have swore he saw them blink, even move, during the day they looked as normal as any old carvings upon the roof did.

Kimsan removed bread, cheese, and rolls of sausage from his basket, and poured the boy a bit of wine in earthen mugs he removed from their wicker confines as well. Everything was divided equally, and the meal was light, tasty and very welcome after the long nights vigil. The two sat and ate in relative silence, enjoying the morning. If Satyata had any questions, Kimsan was well and able to answer them then. However, once the meal was finished, he rose and beckoned the boy to follow. The Monk lead the boy through the maze that was the outer courtyards of the monastery, and into a high walled courtyard that was entirely filled with a landscaped garden and an enormous steaming stone pond. It looked like a hotspring, for certain. Once at its edge, the old monk entirely disrobed and waded into the steaming water, beckoning Satyata to join him.

"You understand frog, horse, and crane... and the stillness within now. You understand breathing as well. Now I must teach you the true nature of Ataa." He said, waiting for the boy to completely disrobe and join him in the pool. Kimsan faced Satyata and gestured to the water. Where they stood it was chest deep and refreshing after the long slightly breezy summer night in the open courtyard.

"Ataa is a lot like the nature of water. You can direct your body's energy at water and water will just patiently absorb the force. So too must you learn this technique. Then, as water will do, at the most unexpected times, you... as water can... will retaliate with an unexpected force thats so much more powerful than expected. The quietest stream flowing down a mountainside bringing water to a village can at a moments notice turn into a raging flood and sweep that same village away. That is the nature of water. So too is it the nature of Ataa." Kimsan said, moving his arms gently in the water, letting it relax his old bones and unwind him from the sleep he just enjoyed in his simple cell.

"This artform is not one of swift killing and emotion filled action. This is a subtle artform, deadly. As you progress, those who know Ataa at its strongest know it as something that can cause death at just a touch... just like water can drown the unsuspecting at a moments notice. Never attack anyone out of anger, jealousy, or spite. Those are poisoned emotions and ones you should never harbor within your body. This is doubly so if someone is directing those emotions at you. Let their passions destroy them and do your work for you. Instead, embrace the stillness and quietness of your mind. That is the true pathway to power." Kamsin said softly, then moved into what Satyata recognized as the basic frog position.

Kamsin opened his hands and beckoned Satyata to take them. "First we learn to move. Force redirected as force, backwards and forwards in this combative dance." As soon as the boy grasped Kamsin's hands, the man pushed with one arm, and pulled with the other, in a smooth flowing motion. It didn't take Satyata long to realize that all he needed to do to keep pace with Kamsin, to keep within his flow of energy, was to push and pull equally and oppositely, moving and changing in respond to Kamsin's efforts. The boy soon realized, in their odd water dance that he was absorbing Kamsin's energy and redirecting it back at him in a counter attacak type method, for all that it was slow and undulating in terms of a movement. As the motions continued, Kamsin started to vary them, and Satyata found himself anticipating the movements by not really watching Kamsin's body, but by watching his eyes. Before long, they were no longer touching, but almost dancing, circling the steaming pool of water, acting and reacting to each other's movements. The boy, had he been able to pull back and watch their actions as an observer, would see a very exotic almost mesmerizing dance across the water.

Before long, Kamsin called a halt to their movements, and quizzed the boy. "Now, tell me what you've learned from this... its important that you understand this step before we move on."