Running Free

[Lief]

╫ D E N O N ╫​

RUNNING FREE​

Denon had proven just as intriguing up close and personal as it had seemed from space.

Though many of the people he'd met so far seemed to have their reservations about the world, whether they deemed it too polluted, or busy, or unbalanced in terms of social status and the distribution of wealth, Valin saw only a melting pot of potential. Were there darker corners, where you found yourself clinging to your belongings, and hoping you weren't going to find a vibroblade pressed against your throat? Of course there were. But there was so much more.

Everything was just so bright here. Perhaps that was why he liked it so much, like a moth to the flame it drew him in in a way nothing else had been able to so far. Perhaps that one holomap had, back on Serenno, but for entirely the same reason.

Valin was learning that it was the simple things in life which made him happy, or so it would seem. Surprisingly enough he actually enjoyed the feeling of helplessness the world brought with it, the way in which he became little more than an ant within the shadow of those towering buildings, it further cemented his understanding of the Galaxy at large, and reminded him of how insignificant everyone was. Of how little power anyone truly had, no matter how hard they fought to make it seem otherwise.

Of course, Valin sought power. Only it was personal power, he didn't want to grasp the Galaxy by the throat and bring it to its knees... No, he wanted to better himself, to perfect himself, to break free from the chains he was beholden to for simply being human, for simply being weak. He sought the strength to exist alone and do as he pleased.

And none of that required him to be anything more than a singular ant, a single drop in the bucket of the Galaxy they called home.

It comforted him more than anything else.

He had already done so much since leaving the shuttle. So much that the days blended into one in his mind and he found he'd quite lost track of time. Had he been here just a couple of days, or whole weeks? Truly Valin did not know, he could not answer that question even under duress. He was finally learning to live in the moment, to enjoy his brief stint of freedom before the Universe placed the yolk back around his neck and stole that from him too.

As such, when his eyes fell upon a curious looking shop, tucked away within one of the backwater alleyways, the boy seized the moment and pushed open the door. A bell chimed somewhere in the store, no doubt announcing his arrival, and a few seconds later a small alien woman popped her head around an archway behind the register that led into the back. At least, he thought it was a female. Some sort of ortolan if he had to hazard a guess, though he'd never met one in person only studied them in books.

It took him a moment to remember that they didn't have arms, and what he was looking at was in fact just a head, stout body, and feet. Plus the nose... Who could forget the nose?

Valin tore his eyes away, and began to browse the shelves all while feeling scrutinized by the weird little alien thing. He couldn't recall the last time he'd been confronted by non-humanoid species, inside the Empire they weren't exactly overly common when it came to every day civilians, especially not on Serenno, so he supposed it had to have been back on Kashyyyk with the Jedi.

His expression soured then, as it was want to do whenever that particular Order came to mind. With a slight huff, and a self-directed pout, he continued to explore, and found a section of the store lined with queer ingredients. It seemed as though he'd entered an occult shop of sorts, or at least a store with an occult corner, because these were not your ordinary, apothecary herbs... No, the ingredients on the shelves looked to be more like body parts from random fauna.

Interesting, if a little grim.

Valin wondered what their book section was like; he could see it on the other end of the store.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Location: Denon.
Starship: The Prophet.
Inventory: Spacer Attire, CS.38 Side-Arm, Bo Staff.

Denon was one of the many world's that Caedyn had yet to visit, however it was the ecumenopolis state that had drawn him in and the potential exploring and shopping that he could do while spending some time away from the Order, in pursuit of his more personal ambitions.

Recently, Caedyn had taken an interest in the practice of Alkahest. Through the Order of the Silver Jedi, he had been able to make contact with [member="Coci Heavenshield"] and [member="Phylis Alince"], studying under them both in order to further his knowledge in the art. Upon further investigation, through the advice and guidance of both Jedi Master's, he had learned that the practice would take years to learn, let alone perfect. Master Alince had dedicated her life to the pursuit and study of Alkahest, and he was just getting started.

Denon however boasted a vast number of shopping opportunities, for which his datapad would be his guide using the holo-net to look up whatever organizations and manufacturing companies he could find that might be selling something that he could make use of in his endeavors. Master Heavenshield had insisted on learning about the numerous metals he would be working with, and starting with smaller things like rings had been the advice of Master Alince.

Having docked within one of the various Spaceports dotted about the World, Caedyn looked to collect his things and then made sure everything aboard the ship would be okay in his absence, after all he wasn't the only life on board.

Answering his call first, Ashla came bounding down the corridor and scrambling around the corner as her little claws failed to grip the metal flooring. Barking away in her little yips and yaps, Caedyn couldn't help but grin to himself has he filled her food bowl. From somewhere else in the cargo hall, came the familiar meow of Azrael, his former Master's favorite. "Alright you two, behave yourselves!" he warned them with less authority and more love in his voice for them to likely take him seriously. Hopefully he wouldn't have a mess to clean up after when he returned, with the way his pupper loved to chase her feline friend about the ship.

Having left the Spaceport, Caedyn was left to his own devices, free to roam about as he pleased and it was in this exploration he was most in his element. The first store that he came across, was actually on the way towards a much larger and more impressive complex that he had picked out on the list of names he had open on his Datapad. It was however the interesting trinkets that were on display in the window that caused the device in his hands to fall and he change his course for the entrance.

Announcing his entrance, came a chime as he walked in.

[member="Valin Seek"]​

 

[Lief]

Given the fact that the store was empty, at least beside himself and the ortolan that he could see, he was able to browse at his own leisure and glance over anything he wished that was presently in stock and in view. There happened to be a lot of odds and ends, random trinkets that no doubt cured specific ailments of the mind and other such mumbo jumbo, an extensive and well stocked apothecary corner - which he'd already taken the time to explore in grim fascination, - a whole mountain of books that took up the largest wall, and oddly enough a selection of crystals. Power crystals, probably, he highly doubted the likes of the shopkeeper kept other kinds of crystals on hand.

As previously intended, he made his way to the selection of knowledge and began to browse through the shelves. Most were in data form, small little rectangles of information that contained far more than a book of its size ever could, though there was the odd physically bound book too. Most of them were in a state of disrepair, a fact which stirred a previously unfelt emotion within him: incredulousness. Who would leave a book in such a state? The boy had been spoiled in that Lord Tyric had spent his lifetime building a collection of such dusty old leather bound tomes, but all in all they were far, far outnumbered by their more modern equivalencies.

Sure, time could do a number on things of the more natural construction, it was just the skin of animals and pulp of trees after all, but the fact that seemingly none had sought to repair them was baffling.

He scooped up a few which seemed interesting, one in an obviously worst state than the other three, and brought them over to the counter. Apparently Valin would be researching a new hobby in the coming weeks. After all, somebody had to look after such precious gems.

Just as he reached the ortolan, the bell above the door chimed once more. Apparently Valin wasn't the only one interested in this strange corner of Denon.

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Wandering into the store, Caedyn found himself faced with the faces of the only two other occupants in the room, one of which appeared to be human whilst the other was an Ortolan. Both of them seemed to be momentarily curious in who had just entered, Caedyn giving a wary wave before looking about the place and turning his attention to the things on display. Antiquities and artifacts were always of interest to people like himself, Force Users especially for the possibility that someone might unknowingly posses a Force Artifact; an object used by other Force Practitioners or otherwise influenced in some manner to carry and hold an aura of it's own.

Fortunately, the small establishment didn't appear to be all that popular today, and with only two potential customers it was nice to not feel as though he was having to compete with anyone else. Caedyn hadn't overly paid much attention to the other guy, not wanting to seem rude and also a little caught of guard with feeling as though the spotlight had been thrust upon him the moment he had entered, the possibility that [member="Valin Seek"] was also a Force Practitioner wasn't something that he had considered. After-all, there were far far more Non-Force User's in the Galaxy than there were those alike the Jedi or the Sith.
In his own little world, Caedyn found himself questioning how he would go about telling the difference between the alloys and materials he was hoping to make use of in the future. Were there scanners made for that purpose? Detecting various materials and listing their properties? The thought didn't sound too difficult to imagine, surely someone out there had a need for that sort of thing. While looking over the shelves and numerous e-books, holo-vids and other miscellaneous products, he frowned as he didn't seem to be having much luck.

"Sorry to bother you, Sir" Caedyn spoke up, hoping to gain some attention; "Do you have anything here on Alchemy by any chance?".

 

[Lief]

After briefly glancing over the man who entered, Valin turned his attention back to the Ortolan. Four leather bound tomes were deposited onto the counter top, and while the alien rang him up the boy pulled out his datapad and checked to make sure that he hadn't been cut off yet. He knew that his days were numbered, that soon enough his parents would realize he was dipping into their funds, funds directly meant to aid his schooling with the Jedi and nothing more. They hadn't shut down the account, or transferred the money, when he abruptly turned up on their doorstep, though they also hadn't given him permission to keep using it once Tyric got his grubby mitts on him.

As luck would have it, he was still granted access. That was fortunate, because the tomes left quite the dent in his pocket. Best he grab anything else he might need in the next day, because if they didn't realize before now they'd certainly see it come morning. Valin figured they owed him something in place of the love they'd squandered.

He was about to hand over his card when the newcomer spoke up; Valin barely held back a laugh, in fact his amusement was made abundantly clear in the tone of his voice.

"Erm... She's a woman," he corrected, having realized he was correct in his initial deduction upon getting closer to the Ortolan, "And anyway, what's someone like you wanting information on alchemy for?"

Unless he was chasing after the old wives tale of turning led to gold, and the potion of youth, the man did not strike him as the sort of person who would delve into the darkness that surrounded true alchemy. Was he even a Force User?

Valin sniffed the air, ever so slightly, and expanded his consciousness out into the room.

His nose crinkled with disdain. Why the feth was a Jedi interested in alchemy?

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]