One way to navigate a forest.

Tyonis stood in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. His arms hung lightly at his sides, eyes closed. The Hunter-in-training took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing a visible pulse of his Aura along with an audible boom. The dirt, grass, and shrubbery bent noticeably under his power.

It was an advanced meditation exercise meant to keep his senses and Aura sharp in times of prolonged peace.

As Tyonis relaxed, his Aura diminished and eventually vanished.

Tyonis practiced the exercise six more times, until he was visibly sweating. He allowed his Aura to remain active after the final repetition and turned his head toward the stranger silently observing him from the edge of the clearing.

One hand found its way to the hilt of his gunblade.

"Can I help you?" He prompted, his voice laced with suspicion.

Tyonis eyed the woman for a moment and raised his free hand to silently stop her wave of apologies.

"There was no offense to reconcile," he replied, although his voice held no emotion and his face was void of any expression. "You were interested in Aura exercises? You must be a Huntress, then."

"Like any combat skill, there are two ways to train Aura," Tyonis held up one finger to emphasize.

"The first is through honing of one's willpower, which was what I was doing just now. Expanding your Aura's defensive capabilities beyond your person requires intense focus."

He lifted a second finger.

"The second method is... through sheer combat. After one's Aura is unlocked, it is possible to activate it sporadically during combat through pure instinct. Much like how a warrior ingrains certain reflexes after years of repetition, your mind will eventually reflexively activate your Aura during times of extreme martial duress."

He pauses to let his explanation sink in.

"The former is slower, but safer. The second method is faster, since you learn how to activate your Aura during combat, thus skipping the transitional step from non-martial exercise to actual combat. But the second method comes with the risk of injury or death, since you must be in or simulate a life-threatening situation to instinctively activate your Aura."

Tyonis nodded and smiled ever-so-slightly at her introduction.

"Tyonis Arks, 14th Heir to the Arks line of Hunters, 1st Year Student of Beacon Academy," he replied, his tone aristocratically formal. Rather than take Yew's hand, he bowed his head.

"If you are having problems controlling your Aura,I suggest releasing it as a stream of power, in as small an amount as possible. By generating as little power as you can, you effectively force your Aura through a tiny hole, thus honing your control. It is an exercise you can repeat several hundred times a day. After a week or two, you should notice sharp improvement in your control."

Tyonis nodded approvingly at her success.

"Yes, now repeat that to the point where your head feels like it wants to explode and your Aura is completely drained. Several times a day, for the rest of your life, and you will be a master of Aura manipulation." He smiled sincerely at her.

"You mentioned you were not a Huntress, yet you have quite a bit of Aura. Not many civilians ever unlock their Aura, much less train enough to use it effectively - if not to hunt Grimm, why did you awaken yours?"

"Empty your mind of needless emotion," Tyonis advised. "During combat, you will have to maintain a high level of control in spite of severe martial duress. I'm distracting you like this so you learn to split your focus between controlling your Aura and other activities."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Even through failure, I think it is very noble of you to fight for someone you care for." He trailed off.

"Did your special person perish?" He finally asked, his voice solemn.

In spite of what he thought, Tyonis would say nothing. There was an inherent beauty in mindlessly following what what believed in. He wanted to say that a man who's mind was broken was a cause beyond lost. But his own opinion would be mere sophistry. If this woman wanted to dedicate her life to a such a pure but pointless goal, he had no right to judge.

For he was much the same.

"That's good," Tyonis praised with a nod. "You've grasped the basics of the exercise. Now it all comes down to repetition." He began to walk away, tucking his hands into his peacoat.

"I wish you luck in your endeavors, Yew Carwen."

Tyonis raised one hand over his shoulder to refuse, not bothering to turn around.

"Thank you, but I have no need or want of money. If you need another Aura lesson, come find me at Beacon Academy."

With that, he vanished into the red treeline.

Tyonis paused as he took in her advise.

"What's his name?" He finally asked, sparing a glance over his shoulder.

Tyonis held a hand up to pacify her concerns. "I do not garner amusement from antagonizing people," he replied with a nod. He had one hand lightly fisted around the hilt of his gunblade and used his free hand to push away the shrubbery and debris. He could have gone faster if he didn't bother, but with someone following him, the hunter made the conscious effort to clear as much of the path as he could.

"If you are up to it, would you tell me what happened to him?" He eventually asked as they made their way through the forest.

"Stockholm Syndrome." Tyonis clarified. "Sometimes to survive, it's easier to become a monster when surrounded by monsters." He said as he stomped down a particularly pointed bush.

"My sympathies, Yew Carwen. But I feel you will be hard-pressed to save your friend."