The Shoju are scurrying and hopping about the living room as they bind Suzy's wounds with bandage after bandage. So many she seems like mummy when they're done with her. She'd remark on the style change but her mouth is too full of something like lamb shank to do more than making annoyed num num num noises at them with red eyes narrowed cutely in anger.
Master Bull has fallen asleep and Nefartera has been carried to another room to recover. Which leaves Suzy to sit and eat and think. She has a sensei now, which changes things in her mind. She's smart enough to understand the difference between what she had in Hell and what she has now.
Its harder, she's hungrier, but now she has a sensei. Her thoughts turn to old memories of her father describing his apprenticeship under the Kai and his stories of King Kai. She still didn't understand everything he was saying, especially whenever he got to talking about "spiritual energy" and "Ki" but looking down at her tiny hands she can feel more strength than what she had when she fell.
And the thing her dad always said about sensei was that they can bring out your potential and she understood that very well. Eventually she has to slow down with her eating after truckloads of food are emptied into her gullet and as she dozes over the thirteenth course of dessert the Shoju throw a soft white haori with a pattern of blue lilies over the tired girl and she quickly slips into slumber.
***
Her tutelage starts off lazily with a tired Master Bull recommending that a strong and hearty breakfast and lunch are crucial to a growing girl's strength. Particularly an Oni girl. Why he specifically references her heritage escapes Suzy but she's not one to say no to food and promptly forgets about it.
As she is finishing her fifth course of lunch there's an ear shattering bang! As Master Bull races into the kitchen and shouts. "Your first lesson is one of Fitness and Endurance to exceed any bovine!"
"AAAA!?" Suzy flinches and falls out of her chair with a thunk and a tangle of white cloth. "Owww." She peeks up over the table irritably at her sensei. "I'm having lunch!" She pouts, though she is getting kinda full off of all the berries and meats available.
Master Bull harrumps.
"Chop chop my student. You got a hole to fill in in my kitchen. Go run as far as you can into the foot hills and pick boulders thrice your size and then return as fast as you can to break them apart and fill that hole." He says evenly.
"Training?" She asks in confusion then her eyes brighten. "TRAINING! WEEEEEEE!" And she disappears out the door in a flutter of her haori and tiger skin cape.
One of the Shoju carefully leans her heavy wooden kanabo against the table for when she returns. Master Bull smiles and leans down to whisper in a few baboon's ears. They grin cheeky grins and elbow each other conspiratorially before racing away to hide by the kitchen while some others race out the gate to follow her.
Suzy is already a distant dot on the horizon with a huge rooster tail thrown up behind her. "Training training traaaaaaaaaaaaaaing yay!" She screams as she reaches the foot hills, zips through them and leaps for a boulder four times her size stuck in the dirt. Wrapping her arms around it in a second she sets her feet, digs in her claws, and lifts.
Screaming with effort she rips the stone out of the ground and lifts it with shaking legs above her bent head, her haori fluttering around her legs. Snorting like a bull she wobbles back around and runs, pushing herself to run even faster than she first did over the rough and broken terrain. She's slow and stumbling under the great weight at first, sweat pouring down her forehead as her muscles burn.
But she gets faster as energy surges in her body like a heat wave, faster and faster and faster until she's sprinting and laughing as she zips across the terrain. The Shoju have gathered themselves in the hills and concealed themselves with rock dust and scrubby foliage. They listen to the approaching roars of laughter with some trepidation, but Master Bull's encouraging words give them a renewal of confidence as they look down into the valley track Suzy will have to pass through to return home.
Six gather themselves in their hiding places on the left wall and watch as she dashes in and beelines for the agreed upon ambush point. They wait with baited breath and then leap with monkey battle cries when her white and red and grey blur passes under them.
In a split second the six baboons hit the side of the boulder with powerful kicks in an attempt to knock it out of her hands. Suzy squawks in surprise and tilts as her rock leans dangerously over. Her claws strain as she wobbles and stumbles, one hand leaving the rock entirely as it tilts. But with a cry of effort she wrenches it back upright and stomps forward. Kicking off she continues running as the Shoju try desperately to cling on to the rock.
Shouting at each other in terror they frantically try to come up with a new plan. The six of them pass the buck for a couple moments before the one with the brightest colored face yeeks for attention and declares with yet more squawks and yeeks that they should get down there and face her. The others all blink at the suggestion and stare with wide eyes. Then the thought processes and they sigh when they realize the bright faced one is right.
They leap up and away and land in front of Suzy's path.
"Guys you should get outta the way, I can't stop!" She warns them happily.
The tallest one with a dark yellow face. "Reeek oook! Ahk!" Sorry Suzy but we gotta make this hard on you. Get her boys!
Then they dash, scramble and somersault in. Flying fists and feet race for her and Suzy growls in annoyance. She kinda gets what's going on, and if her suspicion is right she is not happy with Master Bull right now. She tenses and leaps with a scream of effort. Rising just a bit off the ground brings her feet to bear and she kicks away their blows. Bouncing off them she gives them all kicks in the head and gut and races on, slower after expending more of her energy. Huffing and puffing she pushes on stubbornly as this tableau repeats itself several dozens more times.
The Shoju are beaten back and blue by the time Suzy reaches the Bull's Palace as the sun dips below the horizon and she's straining to lift the massive stone. Her tired eyes spy the quiescent and serene form of Master Bull standing before the gate.
"That was a nasty trick you pulled Master!" She shouts weakly under her rock as she stumbles closer, huffing and puffing.
"Oh? I think it makes for a good challenge." Then he smiles. "Course you still have to get past me."
Suzy groans and with a final burst of strength tries to run past him. With an almighty thud his horns slam down into the ground and bar the way forward. Yelping in terror she backpedals wildly as Master Bull drags his horns forward, cutting furrows through the ground and kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Stubbornly holding onto the stone she blinks dust out of her eyes and yelps again when she sees Master Bull charging for her. With a frantic burst of strength she takes one final leap and bounces off his nose. Snorting he shakes his head vigorously but she's already running up and over his back in a demonstration of astounding agility.
Running through the gates she manages to lug the stone into the kitchen and then set it down with a massive room shaking thud and take a giant breath of relief as she collapses against it. The stomping footsteps of Master Bull wander up behind her and he sits, his shadow occluding the boulder while he waits patiently.
She looks over her shoulder and sticks her tounge out at him, then begins to climb to the top. Her bones ache. Everything aches. Her eyes hurt, her ears hurt, her lungs feel like molten slag and she's happy. She knows this will make her stronger so she sets aside her annoyance at her Master and stakes her stance on top of the rock.
Cocking an arm back she lashes out with the Great Palm. "HAAAAAAI!" Crack! And her hand rebounds with throbbing fingers. Hopping around she blows on it and shakes it as the pain redoubles. Master Bull continues to wait patiently as she glares down at the evil pain rock.
Trying a few times gets her even more sore hands and extremely tired arms. Finally losing all patience with it she takes a bite and shears through the stone like its made of butter out of sheer frustration. Crunching the rocks up in her mouth she spits them out into the pit and makes short work of the stone. When she's done she's happy to see that its nearly a third full.
"Take a break for a few minutes then go out and get another one." Her sensei says with pride in his voice.
She huffs and lays down with arms spread, breathing deeply. After a few minutes she hops up and races back out. When she's gone a few Shoju creep into the room and begin to take stones out of the pit. When they are done half of what she put in is hidden amongst the garden.
***
This pattern continues for the rest of the month, with the Shoju and Suzy eventually competing on whether she can fill it faster than they can empty it while they try to ambush her in the hills. As the day goes by her haori gets dirty and is replaced with a sequence of copies while her body thins out and her teeth get sharper.
A slightly taller child presents herself before Master Bull at the end of the first month and finds him smiling in happiness at her progress. Nefartera has been keeping herself hidden in her room with threats of murder and thrown plates if any try to enter. Suzy isn't sure what exactly is up with her friend but her training takes priority in her mind.
Hefting her kanabo she looks up at her sensei and asks him a question. "Soooo, why did you call me out here? We're 7-5 in my favor with the hole game."
Master Bull laughs. "Simple, you've completed this task but today one of the other Masters is coming to visit and I think you should meet them."
"Oh who!?" Suzy's eyes brighten at the idea of meeting some of the other masters.
Master Bull shrugs. "That's a surprise for you." Then his expression darkens. "They said they had a bit of a problem they needed dealing with." He shrugs.
Suzy blinks. "Will I get to learn from them if I help them out?" She asks in childish interest.
Master Bull shakes his head. "No, not while I still have things to teach you. Best you learn with me first before moving on.The Principles are important." He says gently, if a bit cryptically.
She nods acceptingly and sits besides him in the living room to wait for their guest, chattering about the latest cookie and dumpling recipes the Shoju have come up with to feed her sweet tooth.
So who comes by?
[] Master Heron, an arrogant and frequently cheerful bird who specializes in his kicking martial arts.
[] Mistress Tigress, a ferocious and serenely confident big cat who brawls viciously with her claws and fangs.
What problem does the visiting Master bring? Try something on the same scale as the kitchen problem should have been. Its a small thing to introduce you to them as characters.
[] They come with a request for Master Bull to help them scout mountains in the East.
[] They are also dealing with an infestation of cannon beetles.
[] Write in: Some other issue. (Encouraged)
Feel free to combine a write in with the other options here if you want.
