IV

Not long after Paxton and I had returned to the Ranch I begin to wonder about what I am doing. Obviously, prior to this I had spent years just wasting myself and making myself numb to the world and for what reason? Because it felt good? Compared to what? Now I am going to participate at the Ranch to learn magic so I don't die. But who gives a shit if I do? Why do I need to survive? Maybe, I should just leave my head at the door. They're not going to let me leave anyway. So, I decide to make my way to where I was and hopefully that Paxton will come to me or maybe he will send someone.

The Ranch is mainly what I would call 'the Manor' which was the place I was housed in before but otherwise seems to often serve as a place for the people here to eat and meet. There's an upper story, probably with bedrooms where the 'masters' sleep and outside there's a row of shacks as well as stables near that. The cows have their own spot, I guess cow-stables. Further off than that there seems to be a shooting range and some kind of ring. Quite the armed cult, hope I am not joining some terrorist action in the near future. Naturally the manor must be the place to go to.

When I enter, I see Keaton and a ripped old guy chatting. You know, for some kind of ancient order they're really unassuming. Keaton is just dressed in jeans, boots and a wife beater while the old guy is likewise in the bottom portion with an unbuttoned western shirt revealing nothing but bear old guy. "So, this is that one?" the old man asks Keaton "Yes sir. We found him overdosed in some alley. Right on the street you said he'd be on."

"Blessed, so nothing got to him then. Now, young man I am Grandmaster Jim MacMahon, the 7th grandmaster of our order in California. Your name is...?"

"Uziel García." I respond. The old man gestures toward Keaton and introduces him "This is Keaton Surrey, our Marshal." Keaton waves and Jim continues "Now, as I understand it Uziel, Paxton wishes to cultivate your Vril to prevent you from losing your life. I of course, extend a hand to the order if you believe in Christ - however, I understand if you don't wish to. Regardless, I hope you would join us in prayer Sundays?"

"I think I will be fine." at that response though, MacMahon seems to tense up a tad. "It's fine. I shall pray for your training. Paxton might be our combat instructor but he is no stranger to other methods of perfecting control. He's up stairs, keep walking until the last room."

I make my way to that room, knocking on the door Paxton says "Come in." to where I find him all twisted up. "Are you... alright?"

"Yes, I am just stretching. I am quite young looking but it doesn't change I am an old man, I still get a little stiff."

"Uh... where should I start?"

"First of all." he uncurls himself, comes up to me and touches me in the stomach, I naturally curl in and blush a bit. "Seems to me you're a natural grappler. Though, most people seem to be I am not sure if this technique actually works. Anyway, we'll start here. Follow me." he says.

We end up in that ring I saw earlier near the shooting range and he starts taking most of his clothes off. "You strip too Uziel." he says so... I do though I didn't really want to I could see how jeans would get in the way. "Man are you dirty, shit. Do you want better clothes?" he asks, given this has pretty much all I have been wearing for some time understandable. "If you need me to..." I mumble a bit, embarrassed. What'd I expect?

He comes over and just throws me onto the ground "For now... I am just going to kick your ass. Injuries are the best way to start with Vril!" he starts laughing and continues to toss me around so I try to push him off however "Good instinct but..." he says as he starts pushing my my hand down and somehow causing pain in my shoulder. I know you're supposed to tap out but I guess he wants me injured so even after I try tapping him - relatively hard - he still messes me up. Lots of a pain, it hurts a lot but certainly not as much as those shots though that doesn't mean I have a high tolerance or something.

"Quick break, I will assist you but you have to control yourself." he gets up behind me and pushes me up into a sitting position. It hurts but I am trying not to cry about it. "Now breathe like this..." he demonstrates near my ear kind of like a hyperventilation ending with a long exhale. I can feel heat coursing through my body, not dissimilar to my highs. Maybe it wasn't even the heroin all along? Though this heat feels less 'comforting' and more like strength. It all runs through and much of it reaches my injured shoulder. "Now, just focus on how it should be."

"Should be? But I am not quite sure how..."

"Damn, guess I will just show you." he then brings it back into place "See?" then he takes it out again without warning. "Damn.. damn yeah I got it I think lemme try." so I try to get it again and imagine my shoulder returning to it's place just like that. "I can feel it up here, you got it keep trying." I try a bit harder but he says "Not too hard, just like you were." but I don't really have any earthly idea of the 'pressure' I am applying. I move it but too far and it is still dislodged. He fixes it for me "Well you moved it, you're really going to be a case. You'll get used to it like any natural function. Let's keep going!" he suddenly throws me into whatever position he wants me and dislodges another part of me and in the surprise I cannot help but cry out in pain. But, he pays no mind and we continue on for a few more hours until a bunch of half naked men show up.

"Oh, are we doing grappling today Brother Paxton?" one of them says.

"Sorry I forgot about you guys. I see you came on your own... yeah why not."

"Also, who is that?"

"Why this is Uziel, he's one of my personal men."

"Ah so not part of the order then..." the man or rather the student seems to be a tad bit disgusted with me for some reason. Brother Paxton's personal men must be disliked, given he himself is an exile maybe they see it as an incursion?

"Yup. Well, let's get to it. Uziel?" he returns me to normal and I take that hint and leave. The students immediately get to it with stretching. I walk off, real stiff and what not. I should learn how to get a bit more comfort after the fact soon. The next few days, I learned some of that and he also finally stopped beating me up and instead made me learn how to 'stay on my feet' or to stay in action which essentially if I am going to be flung around I pretty much always want to be somewhere where I can largely control to some degree. If I am on top I always want my toes on the ground from what I can understand. A few submissions are also learned and so are takedowns. "All for the purpose of your breathing, which should calm down your power." and like he says over time I can come to control my Vril much more easily to the point where I can control it to some degree while I am doing nothing. By myself, I have come to be curious about healing wounds and I cut myself to heal them up though I tend to leave scars to my disappointment. In any case, I am still unsure what I am doing with myself but occupying myself with this magic is quite fun if painful.