Last Training Session (Tag: Pitch)

In the depths of the graveyard, exactly where they had first come across each other many months ago, Pitch was waiting.

As he had promised Adeline, he had sent word to her once the last remnants of the Sapien Drug had been expelled from his body. Now, he had been restored to his true bloodline, that of a Terror Demon. There was no longer any trace of human in him.....at least in appearance.

Pitch stood silently and perfectly still, almost as if he were one of the statues that decorated the graves, crypts and mausoleums that surrounded him. And yet the stillness of his physical form was in sharp contrast to the swirling, conflicting thoughts of his mind.

He simply couldn't make sense of it, of what was happening to him. Before he had been infected with Sapien, feelings and emotions had been a vague and distant thing, an experience that occurred rarely and with little influence over him. They had held no strength or meaning or substance to him. Once the vile drug had reduced him to a mere human, those same feelings had nearly overwhelmed and consumed him, filling him with emotions so strong and potent it had felt like he would surly drown under them all. Now the drug had finally been removed from his body and he had been restored to his full power and true form.

So why was it the emotions lingered?

Even as he stood in the graveyard waiting, he closed his eyes and could STILL feel them. And it unnerved him....

Pitch didn't say anything for a time and instead watched Adeline in silence, his golden eyes taking in every aspect of her from the soft curls of her raven-black hair to the more confident way she now held herself. He'd never really stopped to consider all of the small things that made Adeline unique before....

However, he quickly forced his mind back into focusing on the current situation and what she had asked.

"Today we will put you to the test."

He didn't say anything else for a moment but instead began to pace around Adeline, keeping the same distance from her as he walked. As he strolled around her, a line of shadows followed in his wake until he came to a stop directly in front of the young Witch. A perfect circle now surrounded her with her own figure at its center.

"I have taught you many things over the course of these lessons, skills and knowledge you will need in order to stand against Thrax when the time comes. However, one can only learn so much by observing. The time has come to put you to the test and see if you have truly learned anything."

Pitch could see that this sudden change in the lesson had startled his student somewhat and already a look of trepidation was coming into Adeline's eyes. However, much to her credit she took a deep breath and straightened herself, the fear in her eyes fading. Good.

"You must withstand an attack from a Demon."

At these words, the shadow circle that he had formed around her seemed to spring to life, the darkness taking on an almost flame-like quality yet still behaving as though it were sentient. Fear seemed to breath off of the shadows and even though they didn't move from their circle, a sudden chill had descended over the graveyard.

"Thrax's power comes from his ability to manipulate rage and fear. He will try to enrage you, to goad you into losing control of yourself and your powers. And he will try to awaken your deepest, darkest nightmares, to cripple you with fear and mold you to his will."

Pitch paused for a moment, his gaze drifting briefly away from Adeline as he remembered a time not so long ago when he had done the same. However, the moment quickly passed and he continued as if there had been no pause.

"You must learn to face these challenges by calming your mind, focusing on a memory he cannot corrupt or break, and accepting your fear while not letting it change you. Only then will you be able to overcome Thrax. Or any Demon."

Adeline didn't say anything while Pitch spoke but offered a small nod of her head. He knew that this would be extremely difficult for her to face but that it was also the only way she would learn to protect herself on her own. She couldn't continue relying on others to save her alone.

"Then let us begin."

And as he spoke, everything outside the circle began to slowly become unfocused, the edges on the tombstones and trees and even the sky blurring while the color leeched out of everything and the distant sounds of the surrounding city faded. Soon, the entire surroundings were like something from an old photograph, grey and faded with time. Only the circle in which Adeline stood was unaffected but the shadows encircling her had grown higher.

Pitch remained just outside of the circle of black flames, his golden eyes the only thing clear through the flickering and sinister darkness. Suddenly, a section of the shadows leapt forward towards the young Witch, reaching out and ready to ensnare her in a cloak of pure terror.

Pitch watched as Adeline stood within his circle of influence, the shadows surrounding her responding to her fears and beginning to take shape. Slowly, he began once more to walk around the flames, his gaze never leaving Adeline as he manipulated the darkness, slowly but surely testing her.

When he sent the first shadows at her, Adeline managed to deflect them with a magically conjured shield, but the move was sloppy and more instinctual than intentional. However, he said nothing and continued at his steady pace around her. After several more moments he had the shadows attack, this time sending out two separate sections towards the witch.

Remember, focus. Calm your mind and find your center.

The Demon didn't say anything but the thought kept passing through his mind as if by thinking it he could make Adeline remember. It was foolish and he knew thoughts alone wouldn't help her, but suddenly her expression seemed to become tranquil and her whole demeanor changed. The tension disappeared from her body and while her posture was still alert, it no longer held the uncertainty and doubt it had a moment before. Despite her rocky start, she had managed to remember their training.

Pitch continued to watch her and only realized a few seconds later that his lip had pulled up slightly and that he was almost smiling. The fact that the smile had occurred without his realizing it startled the Demon for a moment. He wasn't supposed to smile and only did so to mislead people or manipulate them. The fact that it had come to him so naturally while he had been watching Adeline....

He frowned and forced his face back into its typical neutral expression before returning his focus to the young woman. She was holding her own as of now, but this wasn't a true attack. The time had come to make things more challenging.

With that in mind, Pitch began another assault, this one much faster and more difficult than the first. Several tendrils struck out at Adeline at once while others took a different approach and crept towards her feet along the ground.