Missing

Power

Thalia's POV

Fawn had given me a change of clothes and provided me with ambrosia and nectar. I immediately felt the effects and within fifteen minutes time I was significantly better than before. Being far more comfortable, I found it easier to rest as the sun slowly made its way lower and lower in the sky.
Laying in bed, I thought about what Fawn had said when healing me. Apparently this place was underground buried beneath a forest floor but if you left out the back entrance it connected to a pleasant view of a lake. With a sigh I stood venturing outside through the back door eager to see the lake for myself.
Once there I watched small eddies flow through the water as my thoughts wandered away from me. Where exactly was I? Were my friends okay? What was Lycaon up to? Were the amazons with them? Was Reyna okay? Sighing, I reached into my pocket pulling out the stone and setting it on the balcony railing. It glinted in the sun as beams of light danced across its surface.
As I observed the crystal waters below and the gray stone cliff covered in emerald trees I couldn't help but feel guilty for enjoying something so beautiful without my friends. Closing my eyes I grilled the stone in my palm as hard as a I could as if that would bring them back.

"It's time." A familiar voice said from behind me. I turned to see Sila dressed in full armor, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked elegant in the dimming light. I nodded picking up the stone and tucking safely away in my pocket. Following Sila out and down the steps of the balcony I was lead into a cliff side before being spit out into a large clearing on the side of a smaller cliff. I immediately shrunk away from the edge.

"Your training is to begin today," Sila informed.

"What do we do first?" I asked. Sila smiled, moving to stand in front of me.

"You have begun to understand the power of the winds. But you must learn there is much more to it," He explained, a superior and relaxed air about him as if he knew more about the world than he let on. I supposed in a way he did know more than anyone. Maybe even more than Athena. Knowing the heart was much more powerful than knowing the mind. "Do what I do."

Sila began to move in an elegant way and I assumed it was a type of martial arts form. It took a while for me to understand the rhythm but I began to follow his movements anyway. He walked swiftly causing his steps to barely skim the ground. His feet were light and his movements flowed like the eddies of the lake down below. He spun in circles, constantly moving in that elegant way of his. I watched as he moved his hand swiftly outwards before retracting it and changing directions. Albeit a little confused, I copied his movements.

We wove and spun, punched, kicked, struck, slashed, and leapt, for a long time. It soon became  a rhythm and I lost track of how long we'd been performing the steps. Sweat coated my skin in a thin layer. I noticed Sila stop in front of me and I came to a stand still. "You are a quick learner."

"Combat comes easy to me," I reasoned, recalling what Reyna had said when we spared. Admittedly, if was fun to learn something new like this.

"Now that you have the technique down imagine air flowing through your body. Imagine the currents moving around you not as a separate entity but as an extension of your body." I frowned unsure of what he meant but I nodded. Taking a deep breath I began to move on my own copying the movements I'd repeated earlier . I did my best to create air currents but nothing but small bursts of wind came. Growing frustrated my movements became angrier.

"It's not working," I grumbled.

"You have to breathe. Concentrate on what you are doing not what you can't do," Sila instructed.

Still, there were no results. A slight breeze ruffled my hair sending a chill down my spine. A familiar scent eased my frustration. Closing my eyes I took another deep breath and continued on. A sense of relaxation and peace I couldn't quite explain came over me. I could hear the breeze almost like it was whispering to me and I began to move more efficiently than before. My steps were lighter than usual as my feet hardly touched the ground. The sounds of the world seemed duller and yet more vibrant. I felt a coldness spread through my veins as I readied for an open palm strike. My arm lashed out at an invisible opponent and the roar of wind blasted from my palm. I opened my eyes to see a torrent of air blasting from my open hand.