The Heathen

Aos awoke in the familiar wooden cave. The fire had long been extinguished and the old man who Aos had still yet to see sleep was already awake waiting for Aos.

When the old man noticed that Aos had woken he calmly said, "Today you will train the same way until I return. I still have many preparations to do..." while finishing his sentence the old man had already started to make his way out of the wooden cave.

Aos seeing the old man leave quickly followed suit and exited the cave ready to train. She once again trained through the day, until the night. When eventually the old man once again made his way back to Aos. Unlike last time the old man did not bring back any savory animal for Aos.

Aos soon fell into a regiment of waking up early in the morning, training all day through the pain and suffering in order to greatly push her limits, until the old man returned. Aos mindlessly continued this pattern for days on end. The days quickly turned to weeks, then months.

One morning roughly 8 months after going through the mindless siphoning day in and day out and the old man always saying some variation on, "I have to do some more preparations". Finally, the old man said, "Today is your next lesson" with the brief statement the old man stood up and walked out of the wooden cave.

Aos who was beyond ecstatic at the fact that she would finally be allowed to do something else than siphoning quickly ran out of the wooden cave.

During the past 8 months, Aos had grown a few inches taller and was now approaching 3'4. Her red hair which had barely been visible now formed a very small hairline. The clothing which her parents had made for her now fitting slightly smaller than originally intended.

Aos made her way behind the old man awaiting her new lesson.