Private Treemeister

[Cedric Grayson]

His leg was beginning to protest quite avidly.

The hike through the mountains of Ruusan was good for his damaged joints, but by the Ashla did it hurt. The heavy backpack full of supplies for the next few days certainly didn't help matters. Still, if he was going to move on a war footing, he needed to be able to march a few miles without needing to sit down. The wounds Solipsis had given him were deep, but they were not permanent if he didn't allow them to be.

He'd set out from the Graywall in the late hours of the night with Mikhail Grayson at his side. With how busy he'd been administrating the burgeoning crusade, he'd not found enough quality time to spend with his only kin. That changed now. For the next few days, the uncle and nephew would wander the mountainous wilderness beyond the Graywall until Cedric was satisfied that they'd done enough. A Jedi learned best in solitude, or so Cedric believed, and the isolation of nature was the perfect place to begin his nephew's training.

He had failed to consider just how grueling the Ruusan mountain ranges could be however. He held up a hand to stop just as the sun began to crest over the mountain they were climbing, casting the waterfall that pooled at their feet just a few feet away in bright streams of white and gold. Cedric eased off his pack and collapsed into the grass, letting the runoff from the falls sprinkle across his face as he gathered his bearings.

"What a hike," he groaned as he looked up at Mikhail Grayson . "If you tell me you're tired I'm going to have to shoot you. You aren't old enough to get tired yet, or sore," the exile stretched his arms out high toward the skies. "But I am, so bear with me."

 

[Mikhail Grayson]

Ruusan was so barren but beautiful in comparison to the cityscapes of Coruscant. While the glistening spires caught the eyes of the rich and foreign, those who dwelled in the lower levels knew the sun to be a myth. There was no beauty in the cramped, compact living below as the city stretched on for miles and miles plummeting down. Filth, decay, and crime all held sway within the bottomless pit that only grew worse the lower you went. Mikhail raced swoops back on the Queen World with a gang, hung out with rough crowds and used to get in a bit of trouble. Now, here he was, training to be a Jedi.

It was dark before long, they had set out in the late hours of the night moving through the countryside mountain range, the grueling experience he wasn't used to. It was no concrete jungle like he was used to but it was still a chore nonetheless. If not for his change in heart and motivation by both the Great Oak and Jegy Sesara he may have wanted to just sit down and quit. Here he was though, making the best of their walk in stride. Conquering the wilderness with his uncle while silently complaining in the back of his head.

Sunrise, his uncle halted their journey before a waterfall as the sun graced it with a glistening shine over the mountain peaks. His uncle sat amongst the grass, resting his healing joints from the battle of Csilla. The terrible conflict he had not partook in, one his Uncle had forbidden him from joining. He was not ready.

Mikhail collapsed himself into the grass and laughed as he sat against a large rock, "I'm a city boy. I'm not used to this heh. You better get in shape old man."

The youth gazed at the trail ahead and teased, "Still got alot of ground to cover before we get home."





Cedric Grayson

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"That you are, and that I do," Cedric called out from his grass bed, He had half a mind to simply lay back and take a nap, but then there was training to be done. He'd come out this way to spend some quality time with his nephew, and it just so happened that quality time would include instruction. The exile did not have as much time to spend teaching one on one, so he'd make the best of what he had.

"We're going to stay here for a bit. The view is nice, and it isn't too hot." None of which was relevant to any kind of training, but Cedric preferred to teach in comfortability if he could help it.

With a grunt, Cedric sat upright and gestured toward the waterfall. "Bring me five of the biggest rocks you can carry from the bottom of that waterfall." He stated casually. "You'll need to draw on the empyrean to even walk amidst that downpour. You need to learn to empower your limbs to call upon inhuman strength. This is a good start." The Jedi fell back against the grass. "Envision the energies of the Force flowing into your muscles. Trick yourselves into thinking they actually are, and then they will." He continued, "Beyond that it's something you need to figure out yourself."

A few moment of silence would pass.

"Well, get to it."

Mikhail Grayson

 

[Mikhail Grayson]

"We're going to stay here for a bit. The view is nice, and it isn't too hot."

Mikhail chuckled under his breath, playfully poking more fun at his uncle once more with a nod.

"Sure sure."

Cedric sat upright and grunted, hand gesturing to the waterfall as the youth's eyes followed suit.

"Bring me five of the biggest rocks you can carry from the bottom of that waterfall."

Mikhail stared back at his uncle in disbelief, thinking he was jesting for but a moment in retaliation for his teasing. He quickly realized there was no jest, only a casual truth in his voice.

"You'll need to draw on the empyrean to even walk amidst that downpour. You need to learn to empower your limbs to call upon inhuman strength. This is a good start."

His uncle fell back into the best of grass beneath their feet, the Essionian wanted to groan in protest. Uncertainty crept in, he was on the spot now and failure was a certainty. Mikhail tried hyping himself up for a moment, pumping false narratives and ideas of grandeur into his mind as he glanced back at the waterfall before him. Tossing his napsack aside midstride, with a heavy heart and a deep sigh he proceeded to step into the pool of water.

"Envision the energies of the Force flowing into your muscles. Trick yourselves into thinking they actually are, and then they will."

"Okay trick yourself into thinking they are. Envision the energies of the Force."

"Beyond that it's something you need to figure out yourself."

The youth nodded, paused before the waterfall as it rained down from above. He could see the massive rocks beneath, there was no way one could raise such titans on one's own. It was impossible.

"Well, get to it."

The water was waist high, yet the downpour continued as the river emptied into the pool below and onward toward the nearest body of water it too would drain into. Mikhail held his breath and sank down, gripping hold of one of the largest rocks as he focused on what his uncle had said before. Tugging and tugging, he felt the strain pull on his muscles as his oxygen levels depleted. After several failed attempts he returned for air, gasping at the surface as he returned half submerged still, soaking wet.

"It's too heavy!"







Cedric Grayson

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The Essonian Knight watched in quiet amusement as his sister's child did his best to fight against nature itself. Cedric expected Mikhail to fail, that much he assumed was obvious. No mortal man could face the torrent of the waterfall and lift the rocks within its gail, save for the strongest of them, and Mikhail was anything if physically imposing.

He ignored the youth for a time, simply staring out at the vast mountainscape from his vantage point, pondering what the path ahead might have in store for them. Soon there would little time for tranquil escapes such as this. War and near endless conflict would await them until they marched their way into the holy land.

Cedric decided that he'd better appreciate this time with the boy. There was a strong possibility he would never have it again.

"Maybe you're not trying hard enough." Cedric called back, fighting the smile that threatened to shatter his otherwise stoic demeanor. "Your body is little more than a vessel for your spirit Mikhail. It is only as limited as you limit yourself spiritually. You must set aside any hints of doubt, any momentary distracting emotions that might pull you from your objective."

Cedric patted the spot of grass alongside him.

"Come. You must center yourself before you can utilize the Ashla's strength. I will teach to commune with the empyrean, should you have the patience for it."

Mikhail Grayson