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Suri liked where this was going. Gio was thinking on his feet, taking the best he could of this situation and using it all to better himself. Suri hoped he was able to help the boy, and perhaps later on help improve himself against the others. When Gio made mention of a rotating system, he caught Miya's and Orin's eyes with his own. This would indeed be interesting.

Since he was going first, he did the initial power-checks and routine diagnostics to ensure he wouldn't slip up and burst Gio's heart with a big electric shock. He watched as Gio removed and did a few movements with that shuriken he'd used on Kai. He'd no idea Gio kept and packed the thing, it looked like he had kept the gun as well. Gio made ready with both star and katana, adding some range to his initial fighting tactics. Suri faced his opponent with only one piece of advice: "I've got a metal torso and arms, so feel free to give it your all, Gio. As long as you don't try to cut my head or legs off, you will have a hard time harming me. Just try not to expend all your energy on me, you've got Miya and Orin to contend with when I'm done." he said as he clanged his fists together and prepared to spar.

((I didn't start in with any attacks in case Gio wanted to try using the star on Suri. I'm fine with you controlling my character for this session, there's not much you could do wrong. Just as a heads up though, I've picked Orin next for the rotation.))

Giovanni Infinito Dragoni
I just.... I just don't want to see anyone hurt because of me. I want to be able to protect them.... protect them all.

Gio smiled as Suri took a position across from him, and Orin gave him a few friendly words of advice before moving off to the side. "Just so you all know, when I mentioned rotation, I meant a very rapid rotation. You can switch in at any time, even when I'm attempting to directly attack the current combatant. Only rule is no back attacks or ambushes while I'm attacking another combatant." He gave a cheerful grin to Suri at that, and readied himself for his training.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember what his old instructor, Lady Gelda Nebelim, had taught him. In battle, one had to put aside all secondary thoughts and focus on the moment. Any distractions could cost you your life in a real battle, so even training should be treated the same way. Focus as though your very life depends on it. Let your mind become one with the battle, and make it so you don't even have to think to react. Be enthusiastic and earnest in your desire to fight, but tread carefully away from the path of bloodlust. Those were some of the teachings his old instructor had passed on to him... and he used to have many of those things... that will to fight and enthusiasm had been long gone since two years ago, but he wanted it back so badly that he was willing to make himself believe it was there already.

Two sets of eyes gazed at him unwaveringly, watching from afar. One yellow set, the other blood red, both unblinking as they kept watch over him, wanting to see the potential of the boy as nothing more than a boy. Each gaze held a different purpose.

Gio's eyes opened, and to any observer it would almost appear that his eyes were glowing, but that is not the case. The apparent glow is only the hardened light of someone who has sunken his mind into battle. He wanted to be stronger so badly that he was ready to go all out against his opponents. After all, he was still an ordinary human, and they were all Crystal Bearers, it wasn't like he could really harm them if he tried, so he had free reign to give them everything he had.

Without a word, Gio ran forward, losing all trace of conscious thought, but retaining his sense of self as he advanced on Suri. This was the mental state his mentor had wanted him to learn and know. To be yourself, to keep your mind and your sanity, but at the same time to lose yourself in battle so that you cannot be distracted. It had happened unintentionally before when he had fought Kai, and he had retained himself enough to stop himself from killing, but now he would bring it about himself.

With barely even a grunt, Gio spun the shuriken on his finger and hurled it at Suri. However, rather than aiming directly at him, Gio had thrown it so that at the last minute, it would veer off to the side slightly and miss him completely. With his focus having been on the shuriken, that would leave him more open to a frontal attack.... but that wasn't all there was to it. Gio was right in front of Suri a moment after the shuriken left his sight, and he held his blade to his side in a readied stance. His grip on the hilt tightened as he spun the blade around with as much force as he could in a horizontal slash that would make him do a complete 360 in place due to the momentum of the blade. Unless his blade was stopped, he would be dealing two blows to whatever he hit, be it a would-be killing blow or a guard by Suri.

Suri allowed himself a smile of satisfaction to see the change Gio underwent as he prepared for battle. "Now that is what people normally do." he thought to himself. He noted that Gio's eyes held the determination and fierceness that a combatant should display for battle, not the ethereal glow he'd witnessed before. Today, he'd be seeing the potential of the human called Gio, not some foreign entity hell-bent on the destruction of its foes.

Gio deftly whirled the shuriken directly at Suri, closing the distance between them in less than a second. The early morning light glinted off of the metal's keen striking surfaces, making it a shine dangerously as it came his way. Suri raised one arm to block it, and was fairly surprised when it veered off to his side, he realised it was a ruse only when he noticed Gio's swinging katana coming in from the side he'd just exposed by raising his arm to guard. He mentally commended the boy and berated himself for the success of the ruse, but he'd not score a clean hit on him this soon! Too late to drop his defending arm to block the strike, which looked to be a heavy one, Suri twisted his body toward the blade, bringing his other arm to take the brunt of the blade's bite.

So forceful was the strike that Suri could not stop the blade with his arm, which was his intention. Instead, the blade deflected off his forearm at a higher angle, still carrying alot of speed and momentum. Though only a deflection, Suri could feel the strength in the blow, for a human it was a more than decent strike and would fell and fleshed foe in one strike. On the other hand, this left Gio's back and sides exposed as the strike appeared to be turning him full circle, which would in fact allow him to have a second strike if Suri wasn't careful. Withdrawing his arms to a close-guarded stance, Suri moved in close and brought his leg forward in a sweep that Gio would turn directly into, tripping him up with the force of his rotation. Suri kept his arms at the ready to deflect the sword a second time. His leg sweep would make contact with Gio's feet at roughly the same time his blade came full-circle to strike at him again.

Alane Shoudu- "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw."
It was bright, early early morning by the time Alane woke the next day. The sky was just starting to pinken by the time she was already outside, ready to leave. The wind blew damp morning air around, and made her shiver at the cool. Mornings were always wonderful, but over time it was something she took for granted.

Alane looked back up at the sky once more as she fixed her purple scarf around her neck, if it was cold already down here it would be freezing in the skies. She gave a sheepish smile at her father, who was standing across from her and holding the last of her bags. Maurik, behind her, shuffled his wings and nudged his rider with his narrow nose.

“Well, uh. I talked to Mr. Tircel last night and told him what you told me. He said he expected as much, with the trouble his older sons were getting at when they were Harrier's age. I really don't think he understands much of the predicament that you all are in at the moment, but the man's been known to surprise us all,” Kashmir said and rubbed the back of his head, wondering if there was anything else needed. His daughter smiled at him and opened her mouth to speak, but the wyrum behind her grew impatient once more and nudged her forcefully, seeming to say, 'Get on with it!'

“Haha,” she chuckled awkwardly and went to take the last saddlebag from her father and strapping it on, “I guess that's my que.”

She sighed and looked back at her dad, before walking over to him and exchanging a deep hug with him, “I love you.”

“Come back soon,” Kashmir nodded. Alane pulled away and walked back to the snorting dragon. She quickly pulled herself into the ornate saddle and began fastening the stirrups, firm enough so she wouldn't slip but loose enough so she could easily get out if needed.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Kashmir said and steadied her left leg and began pulling at the strips of leather.

“Thanks,” she replied and got to work on the right. It was done in a matter of seconds, but they both knew they wanted to prolong out the last few seconds.

“There's a note in one of the supply bags to another merchant in Zent, although I doubt he's there. He's a jack of all trades and owes me a few things from over the years of caravaning, me saving his skin and what-not. If you give 'em it he'll be more than happy to oblige; you can tell him by his red Chocobo at best, since he's sly with his name,” he muttered and lightly slapped her leg.

Alane looked over at him with wide eyes, he didn't know how much this would help, “Thank you, dad,” she smiled.

“Now. Then,” he coughed and backed away, “Best be off.”

Alane nodded and gave a small cluck to the dragon, who was more than ready to jump out of his stupor and take off at a run-jump-flight takeoff. The wind whipped around as the two dug out into the main canyon and Alane glanced back to give a final wave to her father, which he returned. Maurik took a sharp turn to make a quick ascend and tunnel through the main current of wind, making Alane lean forward onto the black scales and grip the reigns tight. He seemed to have only a bit of trouble with the extra weight of the bags, but still well within his carrying range. This is good, he's getting stronger, Alane noted. She leaned her weight to the right, wanting to go into a different than normal direction. Once she plotted out the coarse she would let the wyrum take wing, until them (or at least until they got out of the canyon current and rose until cloud level) she would have to be careful.

Maurik's leather wings fluttered in the wind, the noise coming from it was near silent but the air around them was loud and whooshing. Almost deafening. Alane leaned more to the right, to take another air current out of the canyon and to the plains. Up above there were some beasts roaming about, and to the right there were other wyrums in the trees. Alane stooped a little bit lower, into another current to avoid a bridge. Some passbyers were on it and gave her a wave, recognizing her. She gave a short wave back, before turning to a sharp left to follow another duct to get out of the canyon and into the fields.

She gave a sigh as she leaned back once the wind slowed. Maurik's wing beats were steady and even now, he would follow this path straight to Zent. Hopefully catching up with the rest of the group before long.

The sky above was still dark, but if she rose above the clouds she would see an already blue crystal clear. The plains below were littered with dark spots, but most of the grasses were flaxen and brown. When fall comes it will be full of reds and oranges of the season, but until then it will be the normal color of summer. Alane already was scanning the below for the group, even though it would be probably be a way's off until she spotted them.

A good hour and a half passed, the sky was already a normal blue, when she spotted them. A small patch of tents and people, with Chocobos not far off. There was a cluster of trees around, before fanning off into a thin forest. Alane gave a light tap with her calves, “Lower,” causing the wyrum to fold his wings slightly and descend like a black blurr.

There was a small 'ckshh' sound as Maurik's feet took hold of the earth, but it didn't raise much dust. Alane quickly hopped off and gave a big wave at the people around the fire, since some were there and others were a bit ways off (what looked like) sparring. Her legs were stiff from the cold of the flight, and she wobbled a bit.

“Hello sirs, ma'ams or neuters! I hope you all didn't miss me too much,” she grinned and led Maurik closer. She would keep him on the other side of the camp, seeing as the bird-brains were already giving Maurik the 'evil eye'.

“Ah, you don't know how warm it is down here! It's colder than a Mistmare's spell up there,” she said, whipping her runny nose with her sleeve.

Jolyre sat alone by the fire, looking all menace and white steel. One by one her fellow group members either volunteered to spar and force some knowledge into the ragdoll boy's head, or they set themselves to cleaning up around the camp and preparing for the departure and bandit battle that would soon take place.
It didn't make sense that the others weren't sparring with each other. Jolyre could admit that she herself had never fought against a cyborg Suri's size, nor a scholar mage from Crylos. How many angeals had the others fought?
Which made her realize. Once she was out of Tylem, Jolyre Aegis could take to the skies once more. How long had it been? Two, three days since she last spread her wings? They were so close to being full and feathered. She thought she had reached her peak of skill and maturity and was very irritated by the fact they were still majorly outlined by that golden ethereal glow. Gio gave the instructions for his sparring match and gave a swift side glance to the angeal. He took it away as fast as it had been done as if willing himself to have not looked upon her at all.
"Just no lethal force. I don't mind getting battered and bruised, since it has happened to me on a large number of occasions before."
Inside, she grinned. It pleased her greatly that after gazing upon her the Dragoni boy thought of lethal force.
She stood gracefully up from the boulder that served as her seat and watched the battle take place from the sidelines.
The boy was fast. Faster than Suri anyways. Jolyre always counted on speed and agility to get her through fights. She could pack a strong enough swing to dice your spin, but say one such as Suri struck you with one of her white steel gauntlets? It would probably cut you in half, rather. There was also the lack of reach she had to make up for with swift feet and dance-like movement.
That was the first thing Alexei taught her to do. A harp-player made beautiful chords from the shadows and Alexei taught his daughter to dance.
"This," he told her, "is the most important combat lesson you will ever receive."
Suri had the advantage of a wall. A wall can't reach you as fast you can run up and tag it, but it will stand up strong and patient for much longer than you can endure. Both were admirable traits.
Her eyes traveled to Miya who was fidgeting with her whip. Jolyre's knowledge of the whip was limited having never fought one, but she could tell that if she ever fought against it, she would be at a strong disadvantage. She would have to depend on timing to stay out of the whip's reach and get close enough to strike with her gauntlets.
She knew no one wold trust her to spar with the boy and, indeed, she didn't trust herself to. Nor did she express any wish to partake in the action. Truth be told, the one was most eager to fight against was Rigo. She was naturally curious due to their natural opposition as both Angeal and Nero and light and darkness. She needed to fight him to exact her fighting protocol against Nebelim. It seemed an even batter idea for all the wielders to fight each other now that she remembered the false-bearers...they needed to sync with each other's elements and fully understand them
She winced for a moment that she considered herself part of their group for a moment. Making battle plans in accordance with her "companions"
But mostly, Jolyre wanted to experience the power of the simulcast again. Regardless of the fact that Animus had controlled their opposing elements and added his own, she longed to feel that power once more.
A shadow flitted across the sky and swiftly grew larger. Alane was back, obnoxiously happy as always.
Jolyre made no move to greet her and felt no reason to do so. Instead, she stood apart on the sidelines of the fight, observing with narrow eyes.