Meeting A Professor

"Ren? Are you in here?" Ayano, Ren's cousin and the next head of the family poked her head into the study to find him sitting at a desk with a text book. "Oh, hey Ayano." He smiled at the sight of his cousin, the two had grown quite close since Ren wasn't allowed outside of the compound without an escort. This made making other friends rather difficult... "My father wishes to speak with you." She smiled and ducked out as Ren set his book aside. Jūgo Kannagi was the current head of the family, other than his father Genma, Jūgo was his mentor. If he wanted to see him for something, it was probably important.

Ren headed out of the study and down the hall towards the Jūgo's sitting room. He knocked on the door and waited for permission before entering and taking a seat at the table opposite the the family elder. "Ren, I have arranged for you to meet with a Professor Talog, he's an expert on both history and mythology as well as a practitioner of martial arts. He's heard of your recent accomplishment and is interested in seeing your abilities for himself." Another knock sounded at the door. "Yes, what is it?"

The door slid open to reveal on of the family's servants. "Sir, Mr. Talog has arrived."

"Splendid, send him in. Have some tea put on for us as well." The servant boiwed, "Yes sir." Then turned to leave.

James walked into the room his duster draped casually over his right arm, looking around the room he kept his face blank with practiced ease. He took in the sight of one child and a few servants before he turned towards the master of the house hold. He kept his gaze as hard as steel as he spoke with a matching voice, “Kannagi, it has been a long time since one of your kin has called on me to appear in person, your father was the last to call me.” Looking around James frowned, “I take it that he is no longer walking in this plane.”

Lighting his mood as the tea was brought in James smiled finally sitting cross-legged he looked at the elder Kannagi over the top of his cup, “Your information is out of date you know, I haven’t answered to Talog in almost thirty years.” Taking a sip of the tea James smiled as he looked at the boy, “You might not believe it boy, but the last time I was here it was your father sitting where you are now.” Turning back to the elder James’ gaze was firm, “Over the phone you were vague on the reasons for me coming, which of course spiked my interest and is why I am here now. So I place this question before you, why am I here?”

"While it may not be as impressive as the revered God's Fire, Ren here has discovered how to wield the holy golden flame. I figured a man with your level of experience would appreciate having the chance to see first hand what abilities the young man possesses. The training yard is open to you should you wish to test his skills..." Jūgo took a sip of his tea as he waited for the man's response.

James’ eyes widen just a bit when the elder mentioned the golden flame, looking at the boy over the top of his glass. “You know boy, you never really master the flames, when you start thinking you do you end up getting burned.” Taking a sip of his tea he paused to let his words sink in. “If you are up for it boy, as a teacher and a sensei I would rather like to see what you can do.” Setting his glass down on the table James stood and walked out to the training ground letting his memory guide him to the familiar grounds.

Taking off his shirt so that he was so that his chest was bare, James momentarily glanced at the scars down his shoulder. Folding his shirt James placed it in his jacket and set them both on the porch, along with his shoes, that sat at the edge of the training ground. “The last time I fought here your father ruined my favorite shirt, I really don’t want to lose another one.”

Walking barefooted in the sand James took a relaxed stance with his arms behind his back, “Come on boy, let’s see what you got...as you say nowadays ‘Hit me with your best shot.’” James smiled hoping the boy wouldn’t hold back simply because of his mortal appearance.

Ren followed the man to the training yard in which he sparred with other family members on a weekly basis as per his training regimen. He stood at the opposite side of the yard in the attention stance and used his fire magic to spread flames over his limbs. With a determined look on his face, he charged towards the man, fists covered in the golden-hued fire. He lashed out with a fierce right-handed punch, his feet tightening into a strong forward stance, and his left hand curled into a tight fist tucked next to his rib cage. "Hyaah!"

James watched lazily as the child charged headlong at him, the boys got power I will give him that but he isn’t very bright. No one even said begin, yet. Spinning past the boy James dodged the attack. Facing the boys back James chuckled, “Boy you’re going to have to think before you attack and you’re going to have to burn a lot hotter to do anything to me.” Bring his arms around to take a basic defensive stance James grinned, “If you try to charge in this time I won’t dodge, but it might very painful for you if you don’t think it through.”

Ren listened to the voice coming from behind him, he knew this guy was too skilled to go down with a simple punch and he didn't expect him to. What he expected was for the guy to become over confident that Ren had no real skill. Ren expected the guy to grow bored...

He turned up the heat a bit in his legs and whirled his body around to face his opponent, using that momentum to fuel a roundhouse kick aimed at the professor's side. Should the man attempt to grab his leg, Ren will use that as leverage to force his other leg up to kick him in the face.

Watching the boy James prepared for any assault the kid could come at him with; smiling James grabbed the leg as it flew towards him. Without a second’s hesitation James rolled with the leg as he forced the boy to the ground. Rolling off the boy and to his feet James’ smile never broke as he looked at his blackened arms.

Brushing the charring from his scales James couldn’t help but chuckle, “That was pretty good boy, your grandfather would have been proud by the fact that you out did your father. It took him three attempts to even manage to char me. Though to be fair your father never got a face full of dirt in the process.”

Walking over James squatted next to the boy offering him a hand up, “Come on then I know you’re not hurt anywhere but your pride, I am holding back as much as I do with my, shall we say ‘spiritually handicapped’ students.” Lifting the boy to his feet James took five steps back, “This time think before you go charging in kid and don’t just rely on the fact that anyone else you could burn them if they try to hold you. What is it that you have at your disposal that could put this fight in your favor?”

Ren took a deep breath and looked around the training ground and nodded slowly. He had an idea, hopefully it'd work... The young man let his spirit power flow out of himself and around the two of them, surrounding the pair in an invisible barrier of raw energy. To the professor, it looked as if he was taking a second or so to catch his breath, then it happened. Ren ignited the energy with his sacred golden flame, surrounding them in an intensely hot barrier that could melt metal if focused enough. The ground below the man's feet began to heat up, transforming into a red-hot magma. Before he knew it, he was trapped. There were two things Ren had the advantage at in this battle, those things were his large amount of spiritual power, allowing him to keep the flames burning for hours if need be, and his high speed, which allowed him to catch the professor by surprise.

Ren smiled at the professor and pushed all of his energy into the flames, causing them to spin faster and faster around them while growing in heat until it started to make even Ren sweat. The magma held the man firmly where he stood, trapping him in the center of the pyre. Finally Ren let all the flames converge on his opponent, he knew it wouldn't kill the man but it might be able to cause him enough damage to end the fight...

James was amazed by the raw power that this child possessed, but his face stayed calm as the ground beneath his feet started to melt and boil. This child has some potential, all this raw power and his flames though not as powerful as his grandfather’s still might do some damage if I say here. James looked around for a way out, nothing the kid had sealed James and himself in a dome of whirling flames. His features started to change as he let his instincts take over, his scales changing to their natural crimson and gold mix and the spines started to grow out of his back and down his arms along with his claws.

Not far enough, I have to push the seal a little further his thoughts were coming in strains as the beast within was fighting for control. With a deafening roar, the wings ripped free from his back as they unfolded to their full length just shy of the walls of the dome. His tail coiled lazily around his feet as he let loose another roar this times the flames licked the roof of his mouth.

Jumping forward James aimed to tackle the kid and force himself and his opponent through the wall of flame, [i]I just hope he hasn’t thought to make the flames thick otherwise this is going to really hurt.[i] Hooking his tail James was prepared if the boy tried to dodge to catch him in the chest with the tail.

Ren watched with wide eyes as the man before him started to transform. This was no ordinary professor, this man was... A Dragon?! Ren had completely lost his focus, his flames began to shoot outwards from his little dome of spiritual pressure, appearing like solar flares to the observers outside of the raging inferno. His uncle continued to watch intently as the event unfolded before him, making no motions to interfere. The area within the dome of fire went from golden to white as the temperature increased passed anything he'd created before.

Suddenly, the half-man half-dragon launched himself towards the young man. Unable to do anything other than stand in awe, Ren was snapped up and torn from his fiery encasement. As soon as the source was removed, the inferno caved in on itself and exploded in a shower of small pieces of magma and charred bits of floor...