Private Birds of a Feather

[Arcturus Dinn]

Since his unexpected arrival and welcome into the Dinn household, they had mostly sought to give Zachariah Conway time to settle in without being overwhelmed. As much space as he needed. He'd been given his own suite, just as the other children had, a large canopy bed, shuttered windows that lacked panes, which could be opened to let in the stunningly fresh air of the City and turn the room into a strange mix of indoor-outdoor, an ornate wooden wardrobe, and an attached bathroom. ​

​

All very nice, high quality. The fabrics were soft, including the large rug which took up most of the stone floor, and a nice mixture of heat-wicking during the day and heat-retaining during the evening.​

​

It was, however, largely a blank slate. Right now that might feel odd, potentially even cold, but in time it would no doubt be filled with things that made the boy happy. Ways to work on hobbies he might form, or collections he might seek out. What did Zachariah like? What did he wish to spend his free time doing? Frankly none of them knew, not even the boy himself. But they would find out.​

​

Arcturus had not bothered Zachariah since breakfast that morning, which the family had held together outside. A vast array of fruits, cheeses, cured meats, and soft grain porridges drizzled with honey. That had been several hours ago. With young twins and a newborn babe, they were often up with the sun. It wasn't even midday yet.​

​

He made a point of knocking on the dark hardwood door as he stood in the hallway of the wing dedicated to the children. Not Starlin of course, the nursery was attached to the Master Suite.​

​

"Zachariah?" he softly spoke, even before the door could open. "It's just Arcturus." He hoped the boy didn't feel jumpy or frightened by his unexpected arrival.​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
​

He'd been left pretty much to his own devices.

The space he'd been granted was appreciated. The Dinn family had taken him in as one of their own without even thinking about it. Within the first few hours they'd ensured he had a suite with fresh sheets and someone had delivered him a fresh change of clothes. It felt nice to be wearing what made him comfortable again, a clean white shirt and some trousers. He still owned the robes that he'd been forced to wear, he couldn't bring himself to throw them out just yet.

There were no windows in his room, which had freaked him out slightly for the first night. He was used to it now though, it was nice to sleep and feel the breeze on a morning. He stood there most mornings, long before anyone else woke and just watched the world below go about it's business. He hadn't had chance to mix with the locals yet, though he was sure they would know who he was. Everyone on Zaathru knew the Dinn's.

Zachariah had eaten with the rest of the Dinn family, but had spent much of the last few days alone and exploring his new surroundings. It was a lot to take it, yet felt strangely familar at the same time. He didn't know much about where he had come from before being taken by Brunas Drace, but the whole grand experience felt like it wasn't new to him.

Weird.

The boy put the book he was reading away when he heard the knock at the door. Arcturus had informed him that all the property belonging to Brunas Drace that was on Zaathru was now belonging to him. Zachariah had returned to the ship, the Tovenaar when he had a chance and cleared it out. There wasn't much in there, except some books that Zachariah had taken. He wondered if he'd perhaps be able to learn more either about the force, about Brunas or about himself.

On the side lay the weapon that had been used to kill Brunas. Zachariah had retrieved it after the incident and had wiped it over. He left it on the side after cleaning it. He'd used a lightsaber a few times when sparring with Brunas, but he'd never had any specific training in the art and he didn't want to go swinging it around and absolutely destroying his new abode.

It was sad really that weapon and the books of a killer were about the only things Zachariah owned. The room was pretty much a blank space. In time he was sure he would figure out what to add and would add his own touches to it, but for now it was just empty. There was a small part of Zachariah that was debating on keeping it fairly empty.

"Come in"

The young boy had to bite his tounge to avoid adding my lord onto the end of the statement. It was both how he'd been raised and a force of habit these days. Brunas had expected him to call everyone a Lord or Lady. Zachariah chuckled to himself, he didn't think Arcturus would take too well to being referred to as a Lord, not after he'd invited him to live with his family.

Zachariah turned his eyes towards the door, as the man walked in. Zachariah gestured around the room to one of the few chairs that adorned it. All of them, plus all of the other furniture, was of the highest quality and Zachariah was strangly appreciative of it. He'd come from sleeping on a cold floor to actually having a mattress and a running shower. Little victories were good victories.

"To what do I owe the pleasure? I thought we still had time until lunch"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Even after being given leave to enter, Arcturus took a second to actually do so. This was meant to be Zachariah's sanctuary, something Arcturus hadn't had until he was much older than the boy even was, and he wanted to respect that. Funnily enough it seemed as though the pair of them had a very similar fashion sense, white shirt, dress trousers, where once robes had lain. Or worse than robes, rags of a slave. It had taken him a long time to find his style even after he had been freed, and he'd begun to gravitate toward this look after reaching rock bottom back on Coruscant.​

​

Darth Empyrean had proven himself more Father than Master that day. He'd sat with a distraught and intoxicated Arcturus and helped him find his feet again. Sullied clothes were exchanged for a nice clean button up shirt, and charcoal grey trousers. It was as though he'd stepped through a portal to a new plane of existence, and it had largely stuck since then.​

​

It was nice to see that Zachariah Conway was reading. "That was one of the first things I did when I was freed" he mused, as he approached the boy and crouched slightly to peek at the title of the book. Mysteries of the Ancient Sith. "Quite a bit of ur-Kittât in that" he added, "I should have a book or two which could help with translations. I'll show you my personal collection later, and you may help yourself so long as they're returned in one piece."​

​

What was he here for? That was a good question wasn't it? Arcturus rose back to his full height, and glanced around the room. Soon his attention shifted to the open shutters, and the world which drifted beyond. "How are you settling in?" he asked instead, it was only polite after all. Answers could come soon enough.​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
​

Zachariah put his book down slowly.

He listened closely as Arcturus spoke about his own collection of books. Zachariah was glad that he'd been offered access, and that his mentor had books which would help him with the translations. He was struggling to get through the book he was reading due to the amount of translations needed. He didn't even know what the language was until his mentor named it as ur-Kittât.

"How are you settling in?"

The young boy looked around, smiling for the first time in days. He could truly and honestly say he was settling in well. He'd been given a room with a view, some good food, a shower and for the first time in forever he truly felt safe. It was going to take time, of course. He'd been through a lot over the previous years, but he already felt better than he ever had.

"Well, thank you. I noted how you mentioned that reading was one of the first things you did when you were freed. That, coupled with the words of Lord Drace have got me thinking. Would the reason you dislike slavery so much be because you were once a slave yourself?"

The former slave looked towards his mentor.

"Forgive me if it is a personal question, of course. You need not answer, should it be too personal. I've never met another, however. Or if I have, they've always been well hidden, much like what Lord Drace used to do to me whenever people visited"

Zachariah rose to his feet, staring out over the view of Zaathru. He gestured out lightly, as if indicating everyone walking below them.

"It's weird to think, slaves can go from thinking they'll never be worth anything to having all of this right below them. The galaxy is a strange place, and it works in mysterious ways. If you yourself were a slave, to see you now, respected by these people. It gives hope that maybe the galaxy isn't as bad as I believed"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

While he'd been making a very conscious point of not hiding his former status as a slave, he most definitely had not expected Zachariah to pick up on his choice of language so quickly. It had been a peace offering if anything, a subtle way for the boy to realize that he was not alone in this, Arcturus wasn't looking to drag up any potential trauma or broker any conversation with the boy. He wanted all of this to be at Zachariah's own pace.​

​

Yet here they were. Evidently the boy did wish to talk about it, and Arcturus took a second to steel his nerves before nodding his head.​

​

"I was taken at 10, after my homeworld was sacked." He might have pulled up a chair, had he not noticed Zachariah's attention drifting to the world beyond the window too. So instead he took a few steps toward it, peering out over the people, and gestured for him to join should he wish. Which he did. Arcturus leaned on the windowsill.​

​

"I quickly forgot my family too" he said, empathetically, "I think it's the way our brains cope with it, forgetting what things had been like before. I hope with time your memories can start to return, Zachariah. We'll be here every step of the way with you, no matter where it leads." Even if he unearthed his real family and chose to return to them. Arcturus of all people would never keep someone from such.​

​

A small sigh escaped his lips. "The Galaxy has its nice moments, and its bad moments. Everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives, their own plots, their sovereign worlds, that they forget to see the larger picture, or at the very least forget that everyone else around them is a person just like them, with thoughts, and hopes, and dreams... I think that's how they justify it, really, slavery and the like. A means to an end."​

​

Raising up one hand, he gently settled it upon Zachariah's shoulder - slow enough that he could pull it away should the lad show any signs of discomfort at the notion of being touched. "You are safe now, though, and you can begin to hope again. To find yourself, however long that takes."​

​

He turned to the boy then, forsaking the view of the city in favour of him.​

​

"There's no rush, and there's no wrong way to go about it. You try whatever comes to mind, any hobbies or skills you wish to pursue I will support you in, even if you fast discover they're not for you, okay? You will have all the grace the Galaxy has to give, no expectations save those you choose to set for yourself."​

​

With that in mind he took a soft step back. "There's somewhere I'd like to show you, if I may?"​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
​

Zachariah listened as his mentor told his own story.

They were both similar, like birds of a feather. Both had been taken young, both had been slaves. Arcturus didn't elaborate further on his time in captivity and Zachariah had no intention of pushing him for any more information. He understood better than anyone what slavery did to a person mentally and physically. He wasn't sure if he would ever tell the full story of what happened to him.

He tensed his hand softly, the light white scars visible in the light.

Arcturus spoke about family. They shared more, a forgotten family. Neither of them had any connection to their birth families, both were taken young. However, Arcturus was a role model for any slave. He found himself free of slavery, found himself forging a family that he had invited another former slave to join his family without even second guessing it.

The master placed his hand on the shoulder of the student. He continued talking to Zachariah and Zachariah found himself hooked. For the first time in his life, there were no expectations set on him. He was used to having to do everything perfectly and for once he felt like he wasn't going to have to do that anymore. No-one would expect him to understand everything perfectly, no-one would expect him to cook perfectly. No-one would expect anything of him.

"There's somewhere I'd like to show you, if I may"

"You may. I must say, I am more than surprised there is still more to this place. I have spent the last few days wondering and exploring. I was assuming I had found everything there was to find, however I am quite happy to be proven incorrect"

He smiled, and followed his mentor out of the room.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The boy did not interrupt, did not even look as though he wanted to at any point in time, and while it was nice to feel listened to he was also left feeling rather sad and hollow. How many times had he done the same? Listened without inputting as some Master or another gave instructions, or lessons, expecting it all to be listened and adhered to without question or query... ​

​

He could feel tears springing up, though he did not let them fall. Instead he drew in a slow breath, and offered Zachariah what he hoped would be a hopeful, comforting smile. "Things will get easier," he said, by way of wrapping it all up. Hollow words usually, but Arcturus knew the truth first hand. It was something he could say with conviction.​

​

Arcturus chuckled when the lad spoke of exploring the place. "Plenty of secrets to still be found, I'm sure. Locked doors and the like." Even he hadn't explored every square inch yet, life since coming to Zaathru had been... incredibly busy. "Alas, this won't be found here. We're going for a bit of a ride, is that okay with you? And would you rather we take a ship or speeder, or do you feel up to traveling on land by animal?"​

​

They were already out of Zachariah's room, Arcturus ensuring the door was closed behind them to keep the twins out of his space, and heading down the hall toward the flight of stairs which would bring them down to the entrance hall. Along the way he spotted Eloise, who hastily raced over to them both and threw her arms around Arcturus.​

​

"Daddy!" He plucked her up off the floor as though she weighed nothing, and pressed his lips to the center of her red curls. "Hey Louisey-girl." Giving her a squeeze which seemed to transfer every ounce of love he could possibly give in that moment, he softly settled her back down and found her hand fast held in his. "Where are we going?" she asked, peeking up at him with puppy dog eyes. It was almost too much to bear, but perhaps unexpectedly he shook his head. "We'll do something later, okay love? Right now is Zachariah time." ​

​

While the girl pouted, as any young child is want to do when they're temporarily brushed aside in favour of a sibling, she ultimately nodded her head. "Okay!" She peered up at Zachariah, gave him a nice wave, then rather bluntly asked: "Are you my new biggest brother?" Before Arc could say anything, she carried on, "Will you play with me, Pharus never plays." Another pout, before she realized she was holding them up. She gave a tight hug to Arcturus, then another one to Zachariah, before hurrying off down the hall to her room.​

​

"MAAARCUUUS" she called out along the way, "Come plaaaay."​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn ​

"Whichever you prefer"

Zachariah smiled. He honestly didn't mind how they travelled to their destination, he was just excited to be getting to see more of Zaathru. He was an explorer at heart, he liked seeing new places. It was the only positive to being trapped by Brunas Drace, at least he got to explore the galaxy and meet new and interesting people.

He followed his mentor from the room and down the hall. He saw some movement in the distance, but thought nothing of it until a child come running down the hall. Zachariah watched as the child threw herself towards her father. Zachariah watched as Arcturus embraced the girl in a hug that seemed to transfer every drop of love from father to daughter.

The young girl turned to Zachariah, and began asking him questions. She seemed to smile when Zachariah promised they could play upon his return with her father. He did however dodge the question she asked about being her new brother, even he wasn't sure of the answer to that question yet. He'd pretty much just rocked up and been taken in by the Dinn's.

"Think I made her day, promising to play with her"

Softly, he chuckled, and continued following his mentor through the corridors. He wasn't entirely sure where they were going, definitely out of the building, but other than that he hadn't got the faintest idea. He had assumed the Dinn family had more property on Zaathru that he hadn't been shown yet, and he wondered if today was the day he got to see some of it.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus found himself second guessing what the boy responded with, not because he didn't trust his word but because he knew well the thought patterns a former slave had, especially one so freshly freed. To be as inconvenient as possible, as small as possible, still stuck with the mindset that they're lesser than, and their wants and needs mattered less than everyone else's.​

​

So he halted them by the door, turned and gently reached out to tip the boys chin just enough that their eyes met. For a moment it looked as though he was searching for something there. "You really have no preference?" he asked softly, "None of them sound more interesting than the rest? It's okay if you're really fine with any of the options, but you can have a preference. What you want matters, Zachariah."​

​

Giving the boy a chance to respond, he took away his finger from beneath the boy's chin and then led him on down the hall toward an excitable Eloise. When Zachariah agreed to play with her when they got back, her eyes lit up and the hug she gave him came with an extra squeeze. "Best. Day. Ever." Those words echoed down the hall before she started calling out for her twin.​

​

After watching her go, Arcturus set them back on the path forward and smiled broadly. "Probably more than her day. Thank you for that."​

​

Down in the main hall, he picked them out both a jacket that suited their more tailored look then opened the front door. Before they left he reached out a hand and gravitated a basket filled with supplies into his grasp. Ishani Dinn was always so thoughtful, even with a newborn to tend to she'd seen fit to prepare them a picnic so that they didn't miss out on lunch.​

​

"Ready?" he asked, as he approached whichever means of transportation they'd settled on.​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn ​

Zachariah boarded the speeder that had been picked out.

He took the jacket from his mentor, sliding his arms into it. He pulled the jacket around him, buttoning it. It complimented the rest of his tailored look well and Zachariah was impressed his mentor had just as much style as he did. Both looked very smart, in tailored shirts and trousers, with the jackets complementing both outfits extremely well.

Zaathru sped past them as they headed towards their destination. Zachariah sat in silence for a while, just studying the landscape as it sped past. He made mental notes on interesting things he spotted along their route, a route his mentor seemed to know very well. His mental notes included everything that he wanted to see and explore in more detail on the planet.

Eventually, Zachariah turned towards his mentor.

"Where are we going, if you don't mind me asking?"

He'd been sensing something since landing on the planet all those days ago, something dark that he hadn't felt before. He'd been ignoring it since, figuring he'd ask about it when the time was right. He wondered in that moment if they were going towards the cause of that dark feeling, but he couldn't be certain. He was sure that Arcturus would tell him if they were.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Zachariah had ultimately settled on travel by speeder, and who was Arcturus to deny him such? He took the drivers seat, placed the picnic hamper in the back, then set them off on their journey toward the Grotto. He knew he could have made this whole thing instantaneous, he could have utilized the new tattoo which lay over his heart to bring them right to the heart of that place, but there was something exciting about stepping into the grotto for the first time, something magical, and he didn't want to take that from him. Nor did he want to overwhelm him.​

​

This was as much about the journey as the destination, an opportunity for Zachariah to see the land around them.​

​

"A place our family likes to get away to when we can" he responded, of the query, "A Holy site, seemed the entrance to the Underworld. I don't want to spoil it, so I won't say much more than that, but... I think you'll like it."​

​

He noticed how entranced the boy was of their surroundings, saw how he was trying to note down locations, and reached forward to pull some sort of tablet out of the dashboard of the speeder. He handed it over to Zachariah, and revealed it to be some sort of navigation system that was following the route they took. It wasn't guiding them, Arcturus knew the way by now, but it would allow him to more easily remember places he wanted to visit.​

​

"You can mark areas if you'd like, here, like this," he leaned over slightly, pulling free a stylus that was tucked away in the side of it, then tapped a button on the base of the tablet to connect it. Then he circled one of the mountains in the distance, and the tablet automatically made a note of it. "Pretty cool, huh?"​

​

He looked back to the way ahead, thankfully traffic wasn't a thing on Zaathru, before another thought entered his mind.​

​

"You ever drive one of these?" he asked, "Did Drace ever give you flying lessons, come to think of it?"​

​

If not, they'd have to work on getting him his licenses.​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn ​

He remembered his flying lessons well.

The young boy remembered the beatings he'd recieved for touching the wrong button, adjusting the thruster wrong, not pitching to the correct heading quickly enough. He remembered the nights he spent, desperate for sleep but being forced to calculate hyperspace jumps and ensuring that everything was in place for the hyperspace jump, and then being beaten black and blue if he did something wrong.

You learn to fly pretty quickly when you're being threatened with choking, lightning or slapping. Zachariah had picked it up, although he put that down to his Corellian heritage more than the teachings of his former mentor. He'd read in a book that Corellian's tended to have a natural affinity towards flying and acts becoming of a spacer. It seemed more likely that his genetics helped more than the abuse.

"Yeah. Yes. I can fly"

Zachariah said it almost dismissively, trying to push the memories of abuse away. He'd been working on his anxiety since arriving on Zaathru, and whilst he hadn't slept through the night yet he'd been trying to make some progress. It didn't stop the memories every single time he closed his eyes though, that would take so long to go away.

"A holy site? Seems fitting for the Dinn family"

There was a slight smile and a chuckle from the boy. The Dinn's were treated like royalty upon Zaathru and it made sense that there would be a holy site of some description they called their own. Zachariah was obviously making an assumption that it was owned by Arcturus, or his wife. He couldn't prove that, of course, but it seemed a fair assumption.

The former slave looked down at his tablet, and hadn't even realised how long he'd spent marking off places until he'd looked up and they were in a completely different place than they were when he looked down. He'd gotten fairly engrossed in making notes on places he wanted to visit, it was passing the time and a fairly good distraction from what was going on in the boy's head.

"Not to be that child, but are we there yet?"

And for the first time in a while, the boy didn't just chuckle. He truly laughed.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

He realized only then that there was probably much about their position on the world that Zachariah did not yet know or understand. When Brunas had come to them he had been sat atop a throne, yes, but for all intents and purposes he might well have been a King, an Emperor at best. He hummed slightly, then glanced to his right where the boy sat.​

​

"The natives view our family as a dynasty of deities," he said, "They believe that we represent their ancient pantheon. That Rhiannon is Adamanthea, the Goddess of the Sky, that I am Desdinova, God of the Underworld... Even our newborn, Starlin, has been given a Holy name, Inakhos, after the God of Rivers and Water. We are headed into a place recently deemed part of my wider domain, for there I forged a gate to the Netherworld."​

​

By this point his gaze was, of course, fixed back on the route ahead. They were reaching the coast, in the distance the smokey top of a volcano could be seen, and their path took them somewhere between the two, between ocean and volcano.​

​

"We're almost there." He chuckled too, spurred on by Zachariah's laughter, it felt good to hear the boy laugh, he knew how limited those opportunities would likely have been before. Not impossible to grasp at, not taken from him entirely, but... it was harder to find humour and joy in such a crushed down life.​

​

He pulled the speeder up beside the rocky, craggy cliff face and exited the vehicle ahead of Zachariah, taking a moment to peer out over the sea. He inhaled a long and briny breath, then trudged forward toward what looked to be just a small cave entrance, bringing with him the basket of picnic foods. Down down down they seemed to venture, through the naturally formed cave, until quite suddenly it opened up. Before them lay a large pool of water, a grotto.​

​

Arcturus stepped aside, giving Zachariah a chance to take it all in.​

​

​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn ​

Zachariah cast his eyes between the ocean and volcano.

He'd listened carefully when Arcturus had described his families standing on the planet. Zachariah had assumed that the Dinn family were a form of rulers, potentially even emperors over the people of Zaathru. What he didn't assume was that they were honoured as the pantheons of Zaathru. Zachariah let out a little smile when Arcturus explained each of the families roles in the pantheon.

God-level worship. It he could get used to.

The ocean remained on one side, the volcano on the other, and together both master and student traveled between the two. Zachariah had to admit, the view was pretty and if there was any planet to be classified as a god on, Zaathru was probably close to the top of that list. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy his time with Arcturus and his family.

Eventually, the speeder stopped besides a cliff face. The young boy took a look over the edge out of interest. It was a fairly sharp drop and there was a part of the boy that was glad he wasn't afraid of heights any longer. He used to have a fairly extreme fear of heights, however that fear and that anxiety that consumed him when working at height had long been beaten out of him by Brunas.

The student followed the master into a cave. It seemed naturally formed, however it seemed to keep going further and further down. Every time Zachariah thought he was towards the end of the cave, it continued down a little further. It reminded him of another fear Brunas had abused out of him, claustrophobia. Brunas has locked him in small boxes for weeks until he eventually learned to ignore his fear.

There was a gasp when the room opened out. Zachariah's eyes were darting around. The grove was beautiful, a large pool of water in the middle with light reflecting off of it from a hole in the roof of the grove. It was one of the prettiest things that the young student had ever seen.

"What... What is this place?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"I've yet to name it" he confessed, as he watched the boy look around in awe at the grotto which was sprawled out before them, "But it has become a very sacred place to me. It is here that my wife was reborn, here that my son was born, here that I proved myself as the God of the Underworld... And here that I like to bring my family, to get away from everything. Come..."​

​

He gestured forward, and led the boy through the vast cavern toward the central land bridge that formed an island at the center of the glistening blue water, right beneath the opening which sunlight poured down from. The blossoming tree was even more beautiful up close, the petals which made up its pink flowers fragile yet uniquely shaped.​

​

Arcturus knelt on the ground, set the hamper to one side, and then peered at Zachariah.​

​

"There is so much more for you to see, do, claim, now that you are out from beneath Brunas' thumb," Arcturus informed him, "And I understand if that is daunting. I do not know how you feel about the Force in general, given all that you've been subjected to, but if you have any interest in it at all, I would offer myself up to be your teacher, your... Master." ​

​

He frowned, because he could well understand if that word now held negative connotations. "Not like how Brunas was your Master, I assure you. You will remain free, as my student, my Apprentice. This is your choice to make, and I will respect whatever decision you land on."​

​

Before things could get too serious, and hoping that he could show Zach that there was no rush to decide, he opened up the hamper and revealed the treats inside. "Do you like tea, Zachariah?" he inquired, as he pulled out a thermos.​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
​

Master.

Brunas had claimed to be a Master, but when he said it he meant Slave Master. That's all Zachariah had been to Brunas, a slave to do whatever he wanted and when he wanted. He claimed he was a Master of the Force, and whilst he did teach the young boy a basic understanding of the power he was hardly a teacher. He wasn't a Master of the Force, he was a Master of Slaves and nothing else.

Zachariah looked towards Arcturus. He knew when Arcturus said master, he didn't mean it in terms of slavery. Zachariah knew that the man was a product of slavery himself. He knew the man wouldn't keep him under the thumb, chained (both literally and metaphorically) and unable to leave. Arcturus even promised as much, promised that he would be free and able to make whatever decision he wished and that Arcturus would respect that.

The young boy took a look around the unnamed cave as Arcturus spoke. He'd listened to the story that his mentor has told, about how his wife had been reborn and his son had been born in the cave. He had listened as Arcturus explained in was in this cave he had become known as the God of the Underworld. The cave had so much significance to the family as a whole, not just Arcturus.

Slowly, Zachariah took a knee in front of Arcturus.

"The Force is a mystery which eludes me. Brunas may have taught me the basics, but he spent most of his time abusing and using me instead of allowing me access to knowledge, access to information which would allow me to further understand The Force and the power I have access to. I am certain, after spending days amongst your family that it is not like that here. I find myself trusting that you would grant me my own free will and ability to make decisions"

He looked up towards Arcturus.

"I pledge myself to you, my Master"

It felt dirty to say the word Master, but he knew this would be different. He genuinely trusted that he wouldn't be abused this time, that he would be able to make his own decisions in life, decisions that he hadn't been able to make before. He genuinely believed that Arcturus would allow him to leave at any time if the study of the Force wasn't for him.

"Tea sounds good"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

It was no small thing, to gain the trust of one who'd had theirs so brutally smashed before; Yet as Zachariah spoke he took a knee. Arcturus, who had also been kneeling at that point, rose up to give the moment a more formal air. So that when the boy looked up he was given something to look upon. He didn't wish to undermine the sincerity of the act. Still, he was softly smiling as he peered down on the boy who soon pledged himself to Arcturus, who for now at least was willing to try, to learn, to exist among them. A smile borne of pride and sheer humility, that he was being trusted with such was a great honour in truth.​

​

"And I pledge myself to you, my Apprentice. To teach and guide you, and see that you are well cared for and respected throughout."​

​

Arcturus knelt again then, and as tea was approved of by the lad he opened the thermos and poured them each a metal mugs worth. The first was offered to Zachariah, before he took a sip of his own. Then he peeked into the basket and grinned at what lay inside. Sandwiches cut into triangles, small layered cakes, a selection of vegetables chopped lengthways, with accompanying dips, and a mini charcuterie of cured meats, cheeses, and fruit.​

​

His eyes fell upon the final offering, wrapped in an insulated fabric meant to keep things cold. Frozen even. He removed it, revealing two cup-sized insulated containers of shuura sorbet... His favourite frozen treat, and not just because it reminded him of the time he and Ishani Dinn ate at a fancy restaurant in the Nether. Their reconciliation, when they'd finally come together as one and had not been apart for very long since.​

​

He'd dedicated himself to her that day, proposed just as she proposed to him. He wrapped it back up to keep it frozen, and set it aside.​

​

"Tuck in" he offered, as he plucked up a sandwich and bit into it. "Then maybe when we're done with lunch, we can begin with some basics?"​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
​

It was official.

Arcturus made a promise to teach and guide. He made a promise to care and show respect. Zachariah intended to ensure that his mentor had made the right choice, to show respect in return and to accept the guidance offered, learning from it. He had every intention of serving his Master, not as a slave (unlike Brunas) but as an agent in the Force.

The young boy was glad when the formality was broken with tea. He took a thermos from Arcturus and began drinking the tea that had been provided. It was peaceful in The Grove, the water behind them offering a nice backing track to the duo whilst they were drinking tea. It was the most peace that Zachariah had found since his freedom from Brunas, and if possible he planned to spend much more time in the peace of The Grove.

He took a sandwich.

Zachariah bit into his sandwich slowly, listening as his mentor said they'd get into the basics following on from lunch. Lunch seemed like a good break, it'd been made and wasting it wouldn't be fair to whomever had put the effort in to make it. Zachariah had assumed it was a product of Ishani Dinn . She was good at the cooking and stuff, everything Zachairah just guessed his way through.

Lunch seemed to pass without incident, both men just eating and enjoying the peace. Zachariah assumed Arcturus was enjoying the peace anyway, at least as much as he was. It was nice to just be relaxed, without any real stresses to deal with. The Grove was easily one of the nicest places that he had ever been, so calming and peaceful due to how pretty it was.

Once lunch was over, Zachariah turned his eyes to his mentor.

"What basics were you wanting to run through?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Food was shared and eaten, more than enough for each of them to have their fill without worrying over whether they were taking the last of something. A veritable feast to be sure. Still, Arcturus saved space for the sorbet and it was this that he was eating, as much to freshen his palette and settle his stomach as anything, when Zachariah put them back on track. With the spoon still in his mouth he hummed in consideration, then removed it to speak.​

​

"Mostly I wish to get an idea of what you have already been taught. The Force, saber combat..." He frowned, pausing mid scoop of more sorbet. "Do you have a lightsaber, son? Your own, I mean." Not that Brunas' wasn't now his of course, mostly Arcturus was curious as to whether or not he'd been permitted to make one in the past, whether he'd been taught to wield one. With how paranoid Brunas seemed to be in the end it wouldn't have surprised Arc to find out the answer was no.​

​

Hastily finishing off the frozen treat, he set everything aside and then rose to his feet, dusting off any crumbs in the process.​

​

"Telekinesis, telepathy, Force jump, speed, are you familiar with any of these?"​

​

Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn ​

"You believe Brunas would have taught me anything that would have let me pose any sort of risk to him?"

Zachariah smiled softly. Brunas had been paranoid, he never let the young boy near anything that could pose a risk to him. Even when using knives for cooking related purposes, Zachariah found himself being watched. Brunas was adament that Zachariah would have stabbed him in the back if he had the chance. Zachariah couldn't deny, it was a fairly accurate fear, he would have put a knife in his Master's back if he had the chance.

He'd been taught the basics of the Force. Brunas has explained to him what the Force was, but that was about it. He'd never tried to teach him how to wield those powers, despite countless promises. Zachariah had figured that Brunas couldn't risk making him too powerful for fears of the owned overthrowing the owner, which again, Zachariah would have done if the chance had been there.

"I never got my own weapon. I kept Brunas' weapon, as I'm sure you're well aware. He never trusted me with my own, probably for good reason. I don't honestly know if his fears would have been paranoia or genuine fears worth having if he had given me one"

The student listened as the Master reeled off a list of powers. Zachariah shook his head to all of them, he'd never been taught any of them. He'd done some telekenesis accidently, normally when feeling high levels of emotion like what had happened the day Brunas was killed and he was freed. He'd never actually been taught to control any of them though.

"The most he taught me was how to fly and how to cook, though I never got access to the ship or the kitchen without him there. I can survive pretty well in a firefight, I assume and I can cook a mean stew, but short of that I know very little. I got taught the basic principles of the force, that's about the extent of my knowledge within it"

The young boy turned to his Master.

"I didn't even know that speed was an option"