[Training] of monsters and mazes

Loren not afraid to use every trick in the book In his time hiding from everyone, Loren had gotten quite good at finding spaces where he wouldn’t be found. Granted, it had mostly been unconscious, almost animal fear that guided him during that time, so he couldn’t rightly say he remembered all of it. But there were places people feared to tread in the Hollowed Grounds, even now, after it had been thoroughly explored. But their dangers didn’t hold much sway over someone who’d already lost so much. One of those locales was the Labyrinth: it had a reputation for being spooky and the home of monsters. Which meant it was perfect for the Launceleyn, who needed to get away from people every now and then. After a year without basically any interaction with others, the quiet and solitude called to him. And if he was being honest with himself, he’d always preferred being alone. Because the people closest to him had the nastiest habit of hurting him. Of course, he wasn’t an idiot. He’d only gone a few turns in, and had conjured up chalk to mark where he’d gone. It was all too easy to get lost in here. Even if he was struggling upon his return, he had no intention of getting lost again. He’d come here for quiet, yes, but also to practice his magic. It had been too long since he really cut loose, and Loren was worried that he’d lost his touch along with his sanity. Out here, without another soul in sight, he didn’t have to worry about cutting loose, since the only person he could damage was himself. That had never bothered him as much as the possibility of hurting other people. The sky was cloudy overhead, threatening to storm. But even that wasn’t enough to deter him from his efforts. He was seated cross-legged, palms flat on his knees. A fallen chunk of the labyrinth hovered in the air right in front of him; as he breathed as evenly as he could manage, he pushed out gently with his mind. Dutifully, the rock floated forward. Unfortunately, at a distressingly short distance away, his magic lost its grip and the stone tumbled to the ground with a clatter. Loren sighed and rubbed his temples. Try as he might, he couldn’t seem to extend the range of his telekinesis. But he’d keep trying. It was mostly a warm-up for his mind and magic, but it was also important to him that he showed some improvement. It was the only part of the Launceleyn way that he really still followed. Ashetta