The Fallen
The Dark Jedi Order
Posts: 535
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Blue
|
Post by The Fallen on Nov 7, 2018 20:33:48 GMT -8
The Meditative Canyon was located deep within the Tiernvael Mountains. It measured in at 7.6 kms wide from tip to tip and 1.5 kms high. In the south-east corner sat a 400 meter wide waterfall, which feed the lake at the bottom of the canyon. It was from this lake, that several Rock and Crystal formations sprouted up, acting as platforms.
Caves of varying depth and purpose pocketed all four walls of the canyon. Some were designed as places of meditation, others as places of training. While others were setup as residence's for anyone wishing to stay there. Other caves held passages that ran through the bedrock to the Tiernvael Temple.
Beneath the lake, sat an underground labyrinth of tunnels that were entirely flooded. A few caves existed in air pockets. But they were few and far between. Entrances into these tunnels could be found on the lower levels of the caverns, while a couple could be found underwater at the bottom of the lake
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2019 15:33:22 GMT -8
Walking alone on the canyon cliff side of this wasteland planet, a figure wandered some distance away from the Temple, a rebuilt, grand building fit for this new order among the galaxy, this branch within the Sith for those who were not. More of a home than before. However, it felt as though very little had changed in the heart of the Crimson Shadow. Despite all she had learned and all those she had met during her time among the Blackguard, she was still a nomad whose home was among the stars and not upon any given planet. Yet it was this planet that was chosen, even if it was meant to be a dwelling place tucked away from the prying eyes of outsiders, something she well appreciated. Mariah was not the type to dabble in politics, and that was something that was not going to change anytime soon. The fewer who knew of their existence, and more importantly her role in all this, the better. Then again, what was an empire that was kept an enigma, just a whispered name among the thieves and crooks she had associated herself with for decades before? This new chapter arranged a fine line she needed to tread, and one, thanks to Ifrit, she had yet the need to dance upon that line.
Wrapped in clothes well suited for the arid desert, Mariah kept most her fair skin shadowed from experiencing the brutal sun. As she walked further down, following the opposite movement of the water's current below, she remembered the advice given to her as a child, when she tugged and tore away at the cloth that felt heavy and uncomfortable. Then, she didn't understand. Now, she cherished that advice, when she walked that same path, however now with only one set of footsteps marking the journey, instead of the many. A dust storm was coming in and would provide ample coverage of her trail, though. By the time it arrived, she anticipated that she would have begun her descent into the canyon depths, tucked away from the storms that often wreaked havoc here.
For the most part up until this point, she had done well in hiding her knowledge, memories, and time spent here in years past. It was just another temporary home then, although a favorite by one of her elders, and now it was made just that much more... not-temporary. It was but a coincidence of time that they would wind up here, another unamusing happenstance in her life, seemingly guided each time by the Force. That is, if one believed such things. At one point, she did, although she had lost that sort of faith in the Force and Its true nature decades ago. The entirety of the past year, however, was beginning to rekindle those old beliefs. No matter how hard she tried to carve her own path, things like this continued to happen. A thought for another time, perhaps when she reached her location, where she could meditate deep within this nexus of Force energy. For now, the dust storm continued its menacing approach towards her position, and Mariah drew near to where she would delve deeper into the canyon.
Shifting her jaw as a steady crimson gaze peered down into the canyon, Mariah could make out a set of protruding, rugged ledges. This was the place where she would venture downward, and just in time. Swallowing everything over the opposite side of the horizon, the storm reached the edge of the canyon's walls. Mariah took two steps back before moving quickly. One lunge, and with the Force wrapping itself around her movements, Mariah lifted herself into the air with a powerful jump into the canyon, before she began her fall towards the first ledge. The free fall, gravity latching tightly onto her to drag her down, only lasted a brief moment, before the Force yet again aided her to lessen the impact. Her feet struck the earth, her knees bending to break the fall. It was for but a single breath before the figure continued the same stunt again towards another ledge, deeper and deeper into the canyon, until she knew she was safe from the dust storm that raged violently above her, at least for the moment.
Soon, she would arrive. With hastened leaps, Mariah continued her descent.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2019 20:07:49 GMT -8
The rush of the water below soon drowned out the sound of the raging wind upon the lands above the canyon. At a loss for any other ledges to continue her descent, Mariah glanced throughout her surroundings. It had been years, decades even, since she had last ventured through the canyon. Although her memory might have been unreliable, she took in a deep breath and centered herself. Her memories may fail her, but the memories that lingered in this place, within the Force, were infallible. It was in that quiet moment that she heard it, like a voice whispering out to her, pointing her in the direction she sought. Crimson eyes snapped open, following the source of the sound to a particular cavern a few meters downward. With a deep exhale, Mariah knelt at the edge and eyed the distance for her final jump. She could make it. Without so much of a second thought, Mariah stood back to her feet and took the two small steps back she could.
Warping the Force around her body was something she had grown all too accustomed to over time, that it came to her as naturally as breathing. She may not have had much room to gain traction or momentum, but she used what little area she had to her advantage. The Force would hasten her steps, lengthen her leaps. With a final jump towards her destination, Mariah crossed the bounds between the ledge and the cavern's entrance with ease. However, when her feet hit the rock, it crumbled under her weight, having been ravaged away by time and enough dust storms throughout even the canyon itself. She didn't release a sound of surprise or fear, though, and instead calmly reached a steady hand to grab tight onto one of the stalagmites that protruded at the cavern's mouth. It was like instinct, to then pull herself steady into the cave as though she expected the outcome. Mariah took a brief moment to glance down as the rocks made their plunge into the water's depths below,and with a final sigh of an exhale, perhaps out of relief that she had finally made it here and so far unharmed, she entered into the darkness of the cavern.
The glow from the outside provided ample enough light to find her way to the heart of this shallow cave. What it lacked with its unimpressive size for exploration, it made up for it with the heavy presence of the Force that permeated the surroundings with serenity. Inhaling a few deep breaths, Mariah felt the tension of all moments' past dissolve in that instant. For perhaps the first time since her last venture here, she felt as though she had a moment of true clarity. The many different aspects, thoughts, and occurrences she wished to meditate over were limitless; however, there was only one she had the time for today.
Mariah stripped herself of the bulky desert clothes that protected her up until this point. While she was within the cool shadows of the cave, the coverings only served to hinder her, and alone, she had no need to worry regarding prying eyes. Even without the thought of being disturbed, however, the woman had brought two weapons. Arguably, that was still far fewer than her norm. Nonetheless, they both served a purpose for her today, and she set down a silvery hilt adorned with onyx to her left, and a bluish hilt adorned with sapphire to her right. Settling herself in, Mariah prepared herself for the task at hand, while she had this moment of peace.
|
|
|
|
Post by Huginn & Muninn on Jan 19, 2019 0:33:04 GMT -8
In the shadow of the cave, and far beyond the reach of the current dimension, two consciousnesses watched the woman come in after her training.
Ah, there she is.
What, did you lose her for a moment?
No, of course not! She is right there as I thought she would be. Just as planned.
Planned?
Of course!
Like on Ilum?
Ok, that was less than planned.
And did you ever recover the lost soul of The Other?
There was a long pause as the two looked on as the woman began taking off her garments. When she stopped and began meditating, they continued.
No, but it’s the afterlife, how hard is it to lose a lost soul?
There was another pause as the honest question aired itself out into a rhetorical one.
Ok, well, I will take care of it when a Whill finally responds.
Ah.
Besides, it’s not like the dimension she is lost in isn’t all that complex.
Ok, but here is an honest question. What dimension is that it, exactly?
Well, it's theirs of course!
No, I mean is it a three-dimensional space?
The gap in time before there was a response could have been equated to a stellar life cycle.
... Huh ...
Right?
... Huh ...
I know!
Like, it’s not exactly two-dimensional space that Mariah there exists in, but is it 3D?
Are we?
Well, no, we aren’t. We are trans-dimensional; from 2D to the 11th and beyond.
Right, but what is she? There? What is Mariah? Or any of the other people that inhabit this place?
Well, they aren’t 1D, there is an X and a Y.
Right, but there really isn’t a Z dimension, is there?
I am young, and this is very deep.
Ha! So, what do we do with this poor woman here dearest brother?
We watch. We wait. And we help where we can.
Or cause trouble?
You know it!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2019 19:12:28 GMT -8
Mariah had taken several moments to center herself while she attuned her meditations to the twin essences of her blades on either side. Whether it was minutes or hours that had passed, she wasn't sure at first. With a deep inhale, she opened her eyes, and judging by the light and shadows that traversed the mouth of the cavern, it was still morning, although later than she had hoped. Without spending another second contemplating a trivial matter, Mariah turned her attention to the important matter at hand.
First came Nihilo. Guiding it to be suspended in the air before her, Mariah broke apart the hilt to reveal the inner components. Nothing that crafted the hilt was of particular value. Whatever she could find out in the dumps and black markets throughout the galaxy, primarily that smoggy moon of Nar Shaddaa. It was never a place for a child, let alone a place for a child to raise herself. However, it was the one place she was guaranteed a way to survive and continue to develop her skills at another's expense. It crafted her to be who she was, so the same for the main blade was more than fitting. Delving into those memories was not why she was here, though, and Mariah guided her way to find the crystal heart that lied in wait. Nihilo was not her task, but instead the balancing measure she would no doubt need. Stories had been long told of the horrors she was about to experience in her trial today.
With Nihilo's crystal heart resting in her left palm, Mariah turned her attention to the strange workings of the bluish hilt to her right. The same as she had with Nihilo, she carefully broke it apart with the Force, however taking more time with each piece that was stripped away. This was her trophy, the only relic she had to prove that that fight was even real and not just another one of the Ilum's well-known visions. It was Nihilo's twin, counterpart, dual essence. However, as she separated the components, growing closer and closer to Omnis' heart, she could hear a haunting melody resonate within her mind, as if the crystal cried out in fear. Allowing the song to dissipate into the silence of the cavern, Mariah paused and instead studied those chosen elements by her own, now fallen, counterpart. Judging by the blade, she was a Jedi or something close to it, and by the chosen elements of the hilt, also trained as the blade of whatever faction or people existed where she came from. However, her blue dual-personality was clearly better off, at least until those final moments on Ilum. Just another reason that the Jedi ideals and training fell short. Omnis, however, seemed to have other feelings.
Mariah continued deeper into the saber's construction, until the primary crystal was revealed from the depths of the hilt. Her eyes seemed to play tricks on her, though, as she seemed to witness the crystal pulsing madly with the same deep blue tones like the outer edges of its blade. Shifting her jaw, the crimson haired woman held tight to the crystal in her left hand. Today, she would fix the reason these two twin hearts fought against the other, one way or another. Mariah was strong willed -- or stubborn -- to ensure that Omnis would not remain a mere trophy to her, but become something far greater. Nihilo, she had attuned from nothing. Omnis would prove to be another matter completely.
With another deep breath and intense stare into Omnis' crystalline facets, Mariah breathed out a sigh and closed her eyes. For one lingering, final moment, she center herself and her mind, Omnis' heart ever dangling in wait before her.
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on May 23, 2019 0:34:21 GMT -8
Having made a quick stop at his room, Gavin picked up his single wooden flute. It always brought him peace when his mind was troubled. Not only that, it reminded him of home as it was the music of his people. Warm, golden brown in color, it was adorn with turquoise stones with a totem of a bird near its mouth piece. A treasured possession, he held it safely in his right hand as he left the temple and made his way over towards Meditative Canyon. He was in near of a break to clear his mind from all his searching.
He could already hear the voices and opinions of his hunt. Some would find it endearing that he kept looking for Mariah, not stopping until she was found. Others would see it as humorous while others, still, would see it as creepy, especially as it seemed she didn't wish to be found. He, himself, often laughed at it, comparing it to a silly child constantly trying to follow thier crush. But he had to find her, to see her before he left. It had been over a year since their first meeting on Iridonia and his wife, whose spirit laid within him, had asked him to stay close and in contact with her. He promised, but it had gone beyond that now as he sought her of his own desire.
He had come to admire and respect her since that day. For all the years he lived, he had not met anyone like her. Strong, determined, independant, she was a woman like no other. After all, it had been her that truly woke him from his slumber. Over one-hundred years he had wandered the galaxy in exile, not once trying to get involved. Only recently did he begin to stir and rejoin it, settling at the Sith Academy. But she opened his eyes that day and nothing had really been the same since. To him, she was a friend that deeply mattered to him and he wasn't about to let it slip away. If she was avoiding him due to hatred or something else, he would work to set it right.
Reaching the edge of the cliifs looking the canyon, Gavin took a breath as he leapt down to the platforms sticking out of the side. The waterfall was close and wouls serve as a good focal point. However, as he reached it, he had lost his desire to play. His mind was too focus and wrapped in the search to let anything flow. He'd have to settle on simple mediation for the time being. Taking a seat, he closed his eyes a let the sound of the water work out the kinks of his thoughts.
The minutes passed as he starting letting go of his desire to find her, seeking to just relax for a bit. It was working as his mind found its center and its calm. He had let it become a point of stress in his being and that fact was what was making his task so hard. Finally finding the place he sought, he lifted his flute to his lips, yet nothing came. Something else had caught his attention. A faint voice calling in the distance, a voice he reconigzed immediately. It was Jade's voice and despite the distance, were oh so clear.
"Follow your instincts. Follow your heart."
It was all the words he needed as he opened his eyes. Yes, he had put so much focus in visually finding her or finding her with the Force. But that was going to cut it. He had to let go of himself and let his instincts carry him on. He knew they wouldn't steer him wrong. And so he closed his eyes once, letting go of all else and let the image of her become the focus of his mind. She would be the guide and his instinct and feelings the path.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 25, 2019 11:33:54 GMT -8
<< Patience... >> Another voice rang out in Gavin's mind, as gentle and soothing as a lullaby. Not Jade's, but another's. Familiar, but not. A stranger, yet a friend. Or so that single word would convoke before it faded.
The tunnels from the Temple to the canyon were a labyrinth, a maze of different paths, some which spat the traveler into a different part of the canyon, while others were nothing but dead ends. However, even then, it didn't take months of studying a holomap for Mariah to learn her way around this maze. Long before the Force had called out to the newest members of their order, Mariah wandered throughout, learning each path and its destination. It was a matter of weeks before she knew this place like back of her hand, traversing it with ease and confidence.
It was that knowledge that led her down a somewhat familiar path. A dead end. Or so it seemed to an unsuspecting wanderer. This was a risky endeavor, if any had caught sight of her departing from her chambers and leaving through the hangar bay. She kept her senses attuned, though, and as far as she could tell, she was alone and was not followed. Still, she kept her signature nearly a void. At least for as long as she could...
Upon reaching the dead end, Mariah pressed her left hand against the cold, gritty rocks that impeded upon her path. With her right hand alight with flames, she investigated the wall. The holomap ensured that there should be nothing more here, that this was the end of the line, but she could feel cold dank air rush in from a small crevice, no bigger in height than her arm and no wider than she could put a fist through. Surely, though, that underground breeze signaled the entrance of another chamber beyond this one.
With a quiet, frustrated sigh, Mariah continued her search until she found the weathered imprints of old runes against the rocks. Faint enough to overlook if one wasn't searching for them, and thus how she missed them the first time. With a flicker of a dark smile, she knew that her hunch at the Temple was now confirmed. However, now came a new task: transcribing the instructions. Without Ifrit to lend her that aid as he did the last, the task would be more difficult than before, but that was something she was fully aware of before making this trek alone.
It took her several moments, mulling over the strange characters before her. Mariah was familiar with some of them almost immediately, but the one that sealed her understanding was the one that translated roughly to 'ghost', closer to 'unseen spirit'. With a roll of her eyes, Mariah waved out the fire in her right hand.
<< You knew all this time, didn't you? >>
<< I'm not a Seer for nothing, >> a voice laughed back.
It brought a rare, quiet chuckle from the crimson-haired woman. Decades ago, she knew, that little sneak. And to hear that voice with such crystal clarity, as if she stood directly next to her within the cave...
Pushing those thoughts from her head, Mariah knew her next steps, and she needed to act quickly. With no other option, Mariah released her hold over hiding her signature as it suddenly flared within the Force. Within the darkness of the cavern, she uttered that incantation, the second she learned at the will of her deceased Spellweaver. To make matters worse, she uttered that final, additional phrase to the incantation, which in turn released a surge within the Force. It was like a wave crashing against the rocks before it receded, again, leaving nothing...
It was a beat before the cavern's crevice heeded the spell's command, and the runes glowed with a deep, arcane purple light. A faint rumbling caused sand and small rocks to fall from the ceiling, as if it was about to cave in. The faint breeze suddenly turned into a gust of air, freed from its prison, before all fell eerily silent once more.
Within the darkness of the cavern, Mariah felt her way forward, opening up her eyes to the Force. The small crevice, only big enough for small creatures, was now large enough for someone of her stature to pass through easily. The deed was done. She was now allowed passage. Now, time was of the essence, for if prying eyes had caught sense, surely, this anomaly within the Force would be sought after. With little time to spare, Mariah dismissed the spell that cloaked her, reaffirmed the stealth over her signature, and sidestepped through the crevice, deeper into the cavern.
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on May 25, 2019 12:05:48 GMT -8
Letting go of his need, he meditated, waiting, hoping for that single glimmer of light to emerge. What he didn't expect, though, was the voice that spoke out to him. It was one he had never heard or, at least, he thought he didn't. Yet, in a single word, something was familiar, though he couldn't place it. Still, it was soothing and only confirmed his own feelings on the matter. The question was, were they wanting him patient for the same reason or something else entirely?
It wasn't but a few minutes later that the answer came. Like a flare of a supernova came Mariah's presence. He recognized it from their duel when they both let their hidden presence flow. And now he had a beacon, though for how long was anyone's guess. Wasting no time, his eyes flashed open as he stood to his feet, mind seeking out the surge. Scanning the area, he finally got a lock and leaped off of his perch towards the lower levels. It was another ten to twenty feet he went, jumping from formation to formation until he finally stopped, the opening of a cave before him. And with it, the vanishing of her presence. He was closer now but there was more to go. Moving swiftly, yet quietly, he made his way inside.
Moving through the dark cave, Gavin eventually came upon a break in the path. Which way? Stopping, he cleared his mind and began to reach out with all his senses. The Force was useless once more, but other signs were now present. There was still a faint crumbling of rock, the smell of disturbed dust, pieces of rock scattered about more than normal, and.....footprints. extremely faint and hard to see, but faint spots of impression were scatter were there lay heavy piles of dirt and dust. Kneeling down, he let his hands rub the ground as he sorted out a direction. From how everything looked, it was to the right.
Not even a few feet from where he was was a small crevice. He gave the faintest of sighs as he looked at it. It was going to be extremely tight, to say the least. He could only hope he didn't get stuck. Taking in a deep breath, he sucked in as much of his body as he could as he worked his way into the path, trying to remain as quiet as possible he pulled himself along.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 28, 2019 12:21:35 GMT -8
It was only a few feet that she had to slide through the crevice before it opened up into a whole other chamber. With the air stagnant and fetid, it was clear that no one had stepped this far in many a year. In the complete darkness of this place, Mariah had no other option but to use more common means for sight within the Force as she continued to rush her way forward through the chamber. She had no need to fear traps or any other sort of security, for only those who could access the power of these magics could step foot in this place. What she wasn't expecting was the grandeur that would greet her.
She was on the upper platform which pushed out some distance until stairs, carved into the rock, descended deeper into the main chamber. Before she could even reach the staircase, however, her presence set off an alluring glow of embers on the walls, roughly ten feet on either side of her, which quickly burst into blue flames. The fire spread down a series of channels, which traveled down the staircase before encompassing the lower level in its bright blue light. Even a woman like Mariah, who was hardly fazed by any sort of natural or even unnatural workings in the universe, had to pause at the sight before her.
It wasn't a large chamber, perhaps only as wide and long as the upper chamber, but a pedestal at the very center of the lower level was decorated with similar runes as those she activated outside, and now danced with the light of the blue fire. Even the walls had lines of these archaic markings neatly spaced throughout. The other chamber she found before this one was nothing like this... but perhaps it played in part to the one thing this chamber had the other didn't.
Above the center of the pedestal, a strange crystal appeared to float, the epicenter of the magicks within this room.
It was here. Safe. Mariah breathed out a sigh of relief, however remaining poised at the top of the staircase, simply staring down upon it. Usually aware of her surroundings, she had her focus dangerously centered upon reaching this place, upon accessing it alone, and confirming the truth she had sought after. She hadn't noticed at all when she was no longer alone within this sacred place.
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on May 29, 2019 5:06:15 GMT -8
As Gavin proceeded to pull his way through the crevice, hoping the whole time not to get stuck, he watched in the distance as the darkness was replaced by a faint blue glow. It made him stop for a moment, contemplating just what lay waiting on the other side. If anything, he hoped it a sign that he wasn't far behind Mariah. That thought only hastened his movements as he worked his way through the tiny opening, still working to remain quiet the whole way.
When he finally reached the end, he took a moment to take a breath, the stagnant air meeting his lungs. It wasn't the most pleasant smell, but it was far from the worse he had ever had the displeasure to experience. Straightening his cloak from the twists it gained, his eyes then looked around at the chamber he entered. It looked to be more than a naturally occurring cave, the very least it had been altered by someone to be some sort of residence or temple. And judging by the small passage, not one that was meant to be easily accessed. What secrets lay here and why did Mariah seek them, if it was indeed her that he was following now? His curiosity couldn't help but become piqued at the thought.
Moving through the upper level, he looked upon the blue flames that illuminated the room, taking a moment to raise a gloved hand to them. It was fascinating to him that a fire could be such a color. Clearly, it had to be affected by some sort of magic. There was no other answer to it. Not letting his interest hold him for long, he continued to move forward. As he approached the stairs, he stopped. Not a few feet before him was another. Crimson locks flowing down her back, he didn't even need to see her face as he knew it to be her.
"Mariah." His voice was soft and a bit hesitant, barely audible to even himself among the walls of the cavern. If anything, it sounded like a voice on the wind, making one wonder if they heard anything at all. For a moment, his curiosity had all but faded as he stood there, not yet able to move to her and speak. For the time being, he merely stood there, face hidden within the shadows of his hood.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2019 7:49:04 GMT -8
For all Mariah knew, she was alone and could soak in the wonders of this chamber for as long as she needed or wanted. However, that belief was soon shaken. With Gavin's cloak, she hadn't sensed him, and in her awe, she had left her senses dulled to the sounds of his feet shuffling, his body scraping through the crevice. When she heard her name whispered, it felt as though time itself stood still. Her crimson eyes widened. Her heart felt as though it stopped beating for that brief pause in time.
There was a beat of silence. The crimson-haired woman remained silent and unmoving despite the sudden awareness that she was no longer alone. The moment she came to from the sudden shock, however, it was a quick, although somewhat predictable reaction for anyone who knew her well enough.
With a graceful yet quick motion that whipped those crimson locks, Mariah twirled herself around to face the new arrival. Her right arm outstretched, she sent a pulsing wave towards him, hoping to force him back against the wall. As always, she carried at least one of her sabers, and with her left, she ignited that familiar red blade. Lunging after him, Mariah held her saber poised in such a manner that it was not meant to be an blatant attack, but poised as a warning if this 'stranger' meant her or this place any harm.
"Who dared follow me here?" she growled lowly, demanding an answer as quickly as this cloaked figure could spew out an answer.
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 1, 2019 8:08:21 GMT -8
It came so suddenly, the push that sent him flying into the wall. Up until that point, she had seemed oblivious to his existence, not once knowing when she realized, even as her name escaped his lips. A foolish notion on his part to be sure. He should have remained on guard the whole time, especially when around her. That's was a lesson that should obviously have been learned by now.
Only a slight grunt came from his throat as his back impacted the wall. And within the blink of an eye, she was there, blade raised and ready to strike him down. All it would have taken was to answer her question, yet it was part of him to never back down from a challenge. And right now, that was exactly what it was to him. It was as quick and sudden as her own attack, releasing just enough of a full-bodied push with the Force to force her back and slightly off balance. As he did, the flute that remained in his right hand was tossed up and forward a bit into the air as he moved after her. Employing the same move he had that first time she ever rushed him. This time, his right hand came up to her left to grip her arm and keep the saber away as his left leg slipped behind her, pulling back as his left hand met her throat in an attempt to send her on her back. The only difference was that he didn't slam her into the ground, instead of keeping enough hold on her to simply put her down firmly, his left hand raising up to grab the flute as it fell before placing his hand, flute included, across the upper part of her chest.
For a split moment, the glow of her blade, the fire, and the movement of his hood allowed for the slightest hint of ice blue eyes to be seen peering through before fading as all settled.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2019 9:21:01 GMT -8
The reflection of a Force Push back in her direction was enough to throw Mariah off balance for that split second that the other needed to successfully disengage her and lower her to the ground. Typically the crimson-haired woman would keep moving, freeing herself just as quickly as she was put on the ground, even after such a disadvantage. The movement of the flute within the air caught her attention, though, and as she looked up to find those piercing blue eyes looking down at her from under the hood, it answered her question better than any words. Her breath caught in her throat as her body froze, leaving a shocked scowl as her expression.
There were few who could pull off such a stunt once. Only one had managed to deflect her like that each and every time, like it was child's play.
"Of course it had to be you, Phoenix..." she snarled lowly.
Finally breaking free from the mental paralysis, Mariah brought her right hand to press against his chest, urging him off of her. In the same movement, she disengaged her saber, the crimson glow retreating back into the silvery hilt.
"...Get off," she commanded. "You really need to learn to stop stalking me."
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 6, 2019 0:51:32 GMT -8
Despite the sudden shock that fell over her face upon realizing who he was, Gavin could see the fire burning brightly in her eyes. It had been there since the first moment they met, just as he remembered it to be. Yet, each encounter they had seemed to stoke those flames, building their intensity. It made him freeze a bit as thoughts ran about in his mind ~Will she always look at me with such fire? Will their intensity only ever grow? Does she truly hate and despise me that much?~ Having been a week a searching, he assumed she didn’t want to see him and that fire seemed to confirm it. Even her words suggested it, though they may have sounded harsher to him than they actually were.
Pushing himself to his feet as she commanded, he held out his right hand to her to help her up. "You make it sound like that’s all I ever do. If memory serves, this is the first time that I’ve ever tried following you."
Whether she took his hand or got up herself, he stepped back a little as she made it to her feet. Pulling back his hood, his small bit of humor that he has mustered faded. "I...I’m sorry, Mariah. Considering that it’s been a week since I arrived and neither could I find you nor did you come to see me, even yelling, screaming, and threatening my life, I figured you didn’t want to see me. Still, I had to find you, to tell you that I’ve joined up with the Dark Jedi despite my initial disinterest when you brought it up."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2019 11:08:21 GMT -8
Although Gavin had offered her a hand back to her feet, this time, Mariah jumped her way back to her feet, so swiftly as though she was in the middle of a duel. Her crimson gaze looked over the whole of him, from his boots to the hood of his cloak. Although the snarl dissipated from her expression, that fire remained as her eyes locked and narrowed where she would have found those piercing blue orbs staring back at her, if it wasn’t for his cloak, still leaving him an enigma both physically and within the Force.
Tearing her gaze away, she turned her back to him and returned to her position, poised at the top of the staircase down into the lower chamber. "...and if my memory serves, you've stalked me to my ship... and now all the way here..."
She grinded her teeth together as she locked her gaze upon the pedestal within the lower chamber, and her voice lowered dramatically at the mention of 'here'. Within, she had confirmed all she needed for the time being, and now needed to get him out. Fast. Sucking in a deep breath, Mariah lit up a fire within her before she twirled furiously, yet gracefully, back to Gavin.
"What happened to that man who made me admit defeat?" she demanded at his stammered apology.
It was still a touchy subject, clearly written within the hostile tones laced within her question. Storming up to him again, she did just as she did during their duel, pushing herself into his personal space and placing a firm hand against his chest. Still narrowed and steely, her crimson eyes burned into his.
"Don't come here to me now and make a mockery of it all."
Her fingertips curled slightly, as if she restrained herself from grabbing him by his cloak and dragging him out of here with her. It wasn't just the defeat she battled with, but the very thing he admitted to her. Joining the Dark Jedi after his apparent disinterest in the very idea. As far as Mariah could accept, he had given in to the Sith. Now a lost cause she had wasted enough time on as it was. Yet here he was now, for reasons she didn't fathom and chose to avoid since the day the news spread of a newcomer known as Gavin Phoenix. Expelling a breath, however, she lowered her tones and quieted those embers which attempted to alight yet another inferno of rage.
"I'm heading back to the Temple. If you followed me all the way out here, you might as well follow me back."
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 6, 2019 21:18:52 GMT -8
Gavin only watched as she pushed herself to her feet, his blue eyes now apparent with the hood dropped, resonating with the glow of the blue flames. His gazed stayed fixed with hers until she finally turned to gaze down at the pedestal and the crystal residing there. He had moved up behind her a bit to get a better look, curious as to it and the room.
When she spoke further about his stalking, his eyes turned to her, his casual tone returning from the stammering fool. Despite his feelings of being genuine in his apology, she somehow drew out that other side of him that wished to remain calm, cool, and a slight bit cocky as if it was just another challenge. "Stalking implies following. I did not follow you to your ship. I was waiting for you there. There is a difference."
When she turned, she would have found him only and arm’s length away now. There was that fire still as she spoke, demanding an answer to the question. His eyes then focused as if he had been called out. A slow breath was released from behind his teeth as he looked at her, trying to not let the words sting. "How does me apologizing make me any less that same man? If I recall, that man has put you on your back for the third time with relative ease." He then have a smirk followed by a small scoff as his right hand motioned out to her. "Is that really what this is all about? Because I made you submit the last time? Well, if you want a rematch to settle the score, all you have to do is ask. I’d be happy to oblige." She was there now, right there in front of him, her hand on his chest, the tension present as she restrained herself from grabbing him. For a silent moment, they simply stared at each other, her flaming crimson eyes locked with his cool ice blue. Fire and ice. An interesting thought that passed through his mind. "Don’t mistake my empathy as weakness or that I’m any less the man that defeated you. Doing so will always keep my defeat out of your reach. It was for a split second, but his tone had become serious as he fought to push back against her words of mockery. He wouldn’t have her belittling his feelings like that.
After a few passing seconds, the fire seemed to die down in her eyes. His only focused more as she spoke, further playing at his belief that she didn’t want him here, didn’t want him to see what lay upon that pedestal. Any smart man would have known to leave the subject alone and go with her. He knew his himself, but he was also known for pushing, especially when it came to her. "What is this place? What is this power I feel coursing through the walls?"He has pushed past and ignored her words of leaving, himself staying put for the moment, ready for that fire to be reignited. He had to know what this place was, why she wished it to remain secret.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2019 16:34:35 GMT -8
Semantics. If Gavin wanted to play that game, he would have to find another victim. Stalking, waiting, it made no difference to the crimson-haired woman he followed here. All that mattered was that he had a habit of putting himself directly into her business. Time and time again, without fail. However, this time she needed to tread more carefully than the others. Even though she had drawn out that cool and cocky man she remembered from their duel, it was a double-edged sword. Sure enough, she didn’t have to hear any more stammering idiocies from the man who found victory over her, but in the same breath, his words now set that deepening hellfire within her soul alight. Not only that, but he found himself in a more sacred place to her than she could ever let on.
"If the first thing you need to say to me is an apology after all this time, it goes without saying that you know you’re a kriffing fool. It isn't just your empathy that makes you a lesser man..."
She let her final statement resonate in the air with enough intensity, she was sure Gavin could fill in the gaps in his own mind. The idea that he was able to put her on her back, and that he so blatantly held that against her as though she was weak, speaking down to her like he was superior to her, infuriated her. Yes, she had drawn out this man over the stammering idiot. After their last meeting, though, the sight of him made her want to throw a few of her own daggers in his direction.
"Don’t lecture me like one of your students," she growled. "We rematch. Here. In the canyon. You had the home field advantage last time, I’ll show what happens when you come barging in on my territory."
The threat was there, clear in her sharpened tones. Even so, he pushed past her, for a better view of this chamber. Quieting the scowl on her expression, Mariah expelled a breath. How many times would she let him get under her skin like that? No more games. If he wanted to see this chamber, so be it. Mariah backed up, leaning up against the cold, damp stone wall and allowed him all the space he wanted to venture around. However, she would leave his question with hardly an answer.
“It's magicks. The Force? Come now, Phoenix, you did know that this place is a Nexus of Force energies, yes? There are caverns all over with their own mysteries. You just have to know where to look."
She hoped that would be the last of it, but still, she kept those intense, crimson orbs locked upon his figure as he wandered around the chamber to his heart’s content. She knew that he had a habit of pushing her, and the crystal at the heart of the lower chamber made it all too clear that it was the prize of getting this far. Of course he had to follow her here, of all places... If even thought about it...
"So what changed your mind? Why show up now?" Her question came suddenly, as if she was clearly trying to divert his attention away from the chamber and back to her. Nonetheless, he had brought it up himself when admitting his initial disinterest months ago. "You owe me at least that much of an answer after crawling to me to apologize."
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 12, 2019 0:16:49 GMT -8
As Mariah went on about him, his apology, and empathy, Gavin came to a stop as he faced away from her. Normally, he wasn’t one affected by the words of others, never easy to be brought into any emotion. Yet his fists began to tighten as she went on, irritation building within him over the subject. Did she really hate it that? Was it just involving him? Or did it come down to her pride? He couldn’t figure out the answer as to why she continued as she did about it. But the biggest question it brought to him was why was he affected by it so much? Had it been from any one else, he would have laughed and shrugged it off.
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he finally looked back to her with a smirk as she brought up the rematch. "Exactly what I was thinking. It’s only fair you determine the battleground this time around. Two years should be enough time to prepare. In that time, I can finish training my students and return here permanently. And this time, no games, no deceitful tricks. Just you, me, and the fight you want." It was a shame it would be that long before they’d cross blades again as he was eager to fight her again. However, he needed to dedicate his time to training his students and get them moving along. Coming back here just for that would put them behind and delay him more.
When she granted him an answer about the room, his smirk from before faded instantly. He had expected her to be difficult, even outright say nothing and tell him to mind his own business. But this wasn’t what he expected of her. Whether she was being smart, cute, or simply giving him an answer to get him to move on, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t amused and wasn’t going to let her off that easy. "Really? I wasn’t expecting that." His voice dripped with sarcasm as he shook his head. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious. But you know what I’m asking. What is this place to you and why are you trying to keep me out and keep it secret?" He moved over to the wall and ran a hand over it, examining the runes decorating it. "The power I feel here is different from everything else around us. It’s something I’ve never felt before. But, somehow, it’s distantly familiar."
As she mentioned the apology again, he took in a sharp breath, working to keep himself calm. He could almost swear she was doing it intentionally to get a reaction out of him. After a few moments, he turned to look at her again. "Why did I come here? Because it was time to come home." He could have went on to explain, but decided to wait and let the words mull around in her head first.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2019 7:37:12 GMT -8
Gavin's own irritation lurked around him heavily enough that Mariah could catch it. In a strange way, she viewed it as a victory, or at the very least that she was finally on track to even up the score. She may have spent a week ignoring him, but that whole week, there were lingering thoughts in the back of her mind, taunting her that whole time. A thought easily suppressed and forgotten the months she believed her time with him was all said and done, but resurged with a new vengeance the moment his presence crashed over her within the Temple.
Mariah simply hummed in acknowledgement as Gavin accepted her duel at first, but relayed nothing more in her expression other than the already understood anger that burned within her during this whole encounter. Two years, though? If that’s what he wanted, so be it, she thought. "Your funeral," she murmured with a half shrug.
It was all she mentioned in regards to the duel, but it seemed as though a match had been set. She was more than prepared to face him down right then and there, but that was damned issue with these challenges. Her code that held her blade until such a time. Unless of course, he granted her a reason to strike him down now. As Gavin continued to examine the room, that time might come sooner than he would realize. At least for now, he seemed to keep to the walls, examining the runes that glowed with arcane power. His sarcasm brought a dark smile to her lips, but it was there and gone as he mentioned how distantly familiar it was.
"I highly doubt that," she murmured harshly. "It's the magicks of my people, Phoenix."
If there was anything more than obvious, in her opinion, it was that. Revealing that much at least seemed to have no effect on her. If it wasn’t as obvious as she had thought, however, then he had at least a piece more to his answer. She had always kept to herself when it came to anything regarding where she came from. This, naturally, was no different, but in ways that far surpassed that little bit of information she had already imparted to him. With a roll of her eyes she pushed herself off from the wall and walked over to the opposite side of the chamber, near mimicking his movements as she brushed her fingertips over the markings on the wall.
"The runes simply seal and conceal the power here, so that it can go undetected from the outside. Nothing special," she offered with a shrug, although there was a frigidness in her tones, as if faintly mocking him. Those tones were gone, however, as Gavin made the mention of 'home'. Her body froze as she visibly tensed at the word, and if her back wasn's turned to him, he would have no doubt seen the scowl that returned to her features. That is, if he couldn't sense the disturbance that created a dissonance over her aura.
"Why the hell do you think I told you about Ambria, Phoenix...?" she growled in low tones. With that sudden fury reignited, Mariah twirled about, and although she kept her distance from Gavin by remaining clear across the chamber, her crimson orbs, flickering with blue fire, burned into him. "The first damn day I met you, it was more than clear to me that you weren't ever going to find that home you sought among the Sith. As far as I’ve been concerned, though, you made your decision to remain among them. So again, humor me, for your sake. What changed your mind?"
|
|
Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
|
Post by Gavin Phoenix on Jun 12, 2019 11:16:51 GMT -8
With the single line regarding the duel, he couldn’t help but smirk. Part of him wanted to make some snide comment to push that fire further, but opted against it. Looking back at her, the smirk faintly changed to a genuine smile. "I look forward to a even greater challenge than the last time. And if it comes to that, then so be it. At least I can go knowing I was bested in battle that made pushed me to the limit."
He listened at the harshness of her words when rejecting his feelings of familiarity. He found it rather odd himself, though he knew it couldn’t be true. If this power existed within her family line, it was even more unlikely as he hadn’t met anyone who even remotely seemed like Mariah. Watching her as she moved to the other wall and ran her hands across the runes, he turned to her, his curiosity rising. She had pushed past his statement with relative ease, which surprised him yet again. Even now, for what he had figured out about her from just watching and listening, she was still just as much a mystery. "Nothing special? I would disagree. But...would you tell me about them? I’d like to hear about them."
However, the fire that seem to calm was stoked just as quick, it seemed, by his comment. His eyes focused on her as she spoke, his attention completely focused on her. He could understand her feelings on the matter. It had been a subject since their first meeting, one she had never been to happy about. When she finished he took a deep breath, ready to explain it all to her. "I know you remember that conversation as well as I do. I said that I had settled in a life at the academy, yet it wasn’t the home I was truly looking for, but being there gave me a place to better keep my eyes to the sky and eat to the ground in case that chance came around. And honestly, I’m glad I made that decision. For one, I would never have met you. Second, finding out about the Dark Jedi would have taken longer." He then laughed a little as he walked over to her, a slight smile on his face as he thought back on the end of the duel months prior. "It took all I had to carry that facade of disinterest when you brought it up. To hear you talk about the Dark Jedi, your position among them, and asking me to join, I can’t express what it felt like hearing it. But I stayed quiet, waiting until it was certain the Dark Jedi were fully up and running just so I could come here to surprise you." He then looked to the ceiling as he thought back on old memories before returning his gaze to her. "Back in my twenties, I once belonged to an order of Dark Jedi. They were more than and order or comrades to me. They were my brother and sisters. They thought as I did and their training and beliefs have been the foundation and source of my strength and abilities. When you fought me, you faced at least a century’s worth of knowledge obtained and honed from that order. Hearing that this order holds so many similarities, it finally feels like the home I’ve been searching for for so long has come back. And it is all thanks to you, Mariah."
|
|
