Trust In Your Vision

[Xevek Nekonis]

Jungle, Teth


Sat atop the lowered ramp of his ship, a stealth based craft that he had never seen a reason to bestow a name upon, Darth Lykos presented an odd image. He was clad in his standard outfit of a dark cloak - the cowl of which was drawn up so that the only features of his face visible were his single amber eye that pierced through the shadows cast with an unnatural glare and his jaw - that fell around his form in such a way that it would conceal any weapons that he might be carrying beneath it along with any armour that he might be wearing. However, instead of standing, back straight and arms clasped behind his back as would be his natural way to stand or sitting in a composed manner, he was instead slouched, stretched out in such a way that reflected no sense of dignity for he gave no care to present himself in such a composed manner.

The view that his vacant eyes, lost within his own thoughts as he was, stared listlessly out towards was that of tall trees and thick vines as the jungles of Teth came to a halt ten meters in front of him, where it began to curl itself around a patch of rot consumed land, thick mud and fallen, collapsed trees that were crumbling even as the seconds continued to tick by - the majority of those disintegrating corpses were crushed beneath the weight of the ship he had landed in the middle of the clearing.

The fact that he was not intently scanning his surrounds as he normally would be doing and was instead slumped, lost in thought, was down to the fact that he had already seen and explored the surrounding area, understood it intimately and was carefully examining the wind for any change in scent, however, he had landed only mere minuets ago and had sat since, waiting, patiently, for the woman he knew he was to meet there, in the middle of the jungles of Teth in the middle of a rot corrupted section of dead trees.

Onis Fahde Meni, Abyss Walking when translated out of Ul'Zabrak and into Basic, was a technique that had been passed down through the line of Ul'Jath among Lykos' Clan, a technique of loosening the connections between mind, soul and body so that the soul would be able to be cast into the Force, to peruse the futures to come and the past that had occurred. It was during his Fahde that he had witness the scene he was now living, the rotten trees, heavy humidity and the sounds of the jungle. But he had also witnessed scenes yet to be leaved. Him talking to a woman that had emerged from the trees being key among them.

After recieving the visions, feeling the tug and pull of the Force directing him to what would come, the Zabrak had chosen to bow to the whims of fate and destiny, his curiosity as to why it was that he had been speaking to the woman who had felt of both Dark and Light.

The form of Lykos suddenly and visibly stiffened as he inhaled sharply. Grunting softly beneath his breath as he pushed himself up from where he slouched to sit straight backed, legs sprawled out before him. His voice, grumbled out with a gravelly tone that was accompanied with a natural growl originating in the back of his throat, cut through the silence as the sound of shifting leaves and the snapping of rotted wood did at the exact same time. The entire time, though, he didn't turn to look at the approaching human, keeping his gaze forwards and only his left hand in greeting.

"Darth Lykos. Although, for ease, please do call me Blaidd. Might I know your name, Keoz?" The word he used to address her, pronounced Keh-Oz, was Ul'Zabrak for Hawk.


[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

"Yes, yes, I know, Azrael, you are hungry and tired as am I."

Turning her gaze down to the purring ginger ball of fluff that bounced alongside her feet, Asha could not help but grin and sigh in unison. They had trekked for miles, far from the Silent Temple and into the dense jungles beyond which few had explored. Jyn had, she had promised to take Asha and Sobaan out some time to see some of the places she used to reside within, but what with Bakura, and then Aurum holding them so much longer than intended, there simply had not been the time for it.

We have the rest of our lives, however, there is no rush to take in the beauty around us, we can witness it every time we step out of the Temple and into the Gardens. Her favourite place to be, amidst the whispering crystals with the lull of cascading water in the distance.

Another little mew tore her from her thoughts, and she shook her head softly.

"I know, baby, we'll stop soon and then you can have some meat, hm?"

She halted for just a second, long enough to fuss him behind the ear, before pressing on. Her morning meditations had once again led her through future strands; truth be told Asha preferred to remain within events already been, they gave her enough information to be useful, without the increased risk of falling into the Force for all eternity which came with future walking.

Yet it seems the Force continually has other plans for me, does it not? First Ryiah, now this...

Whatever this was.

Minute flashes, visions that barely made sense when pieced together, a figure lost within the jungle depths, a ship that was barely visible, and a direction. South East from the Temple. She could do that, but for how long? Who knew. It was a good job she always had a backpack prepared for such things.

When finally they came through the trees into an artificially created clearing, where the trees were cracked and bent by the pressure of a ship, Asha fell to a slowed pace. It seemed baby Azrael understood the need for caution too, for her halted entirely with fur on end.

There was a being sat there, upon a lowered ramp, and as though hearing their approach he raised one hand and began to speak. During this time she reached back into the front pocket of her pack and pulled out some dried meat, which she proceeded to toss down to Azrael to help soothe his stomach and his fears.

"Blaidd," she said, with a respectful tone, inclining her head toward him though he was not looking at her, "My name is Asha; tell me, why does the Force call us together this day?"

He knew she was going to be here, just as she knew he would be... This was no coincidence.

[member="Darth Lykos"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

"Asha." For a couple of long minuets that would be the only word to drop from Lykos' lips, a single utterance of the offered name. As soon as he said her name, his head twitched to the side slightly, almost as if he was lost in consideration and thought, locked within a series of thoughts born from the single word, the single name. Every now and then he would mouth the woman's name, still solid in his silence, the sound of nature filling the clearing. "I think," he next words shattered the peaceful quiet of the sounds of nature with a slow gruffness, "that Keoz suits you better, my dear."

It would be now that Lykos would turn to face Asha, a twisting smirk pulling at scarred lips as he stared at her, his right eye socket nothing more than a mess of dark shadows that coiled where an amber eye should be as the angle of the light entering the clearing cast his features into sharp relief. Now that he was staring at her directly, Lykos took the moment to examine her closely, some details having been lost within the haziness of the Fahde. Red hair beneath a feathered headdress, human or at least humanoid, sharp green eyes and young, younger than Lykos at least, about as young as when he had first tasted the bite of a whip while within the chains of slavery.

However, having long since lost his right eye, Lykos had been forced to learn how to peer through the lenses of the Force to compensate and now brought that ability to bear. Light and Dark fought for dominion over Asha, and, yet, through strength of will or some other means, she settled their conflict within herself, leaving them to stir and mix under her control. The scars and lesions left by trauma were also present within her aura, scars that spoke of suffering similar to Lykos' own. Interesting.

"Come," not allowing the feral smirk on his face abate for even a moment, Lykos pushed himself to his feet with a gracefulness born from his training as an Assassin and disappeared into the ship for but a moment, returning with a clay pot and two tea cups, "there is no point in us conversing in shouts across a distance, is there?"

Settling himself back down into a seated position upon the ramp, Lykos began to pour himself tea from the clay pot, the soft running of liquid joined by the soft humming growl that began to emit from his throat as the steam from the tea and the aroma it carried reached his nose. "This is a personally made blend, a mixture of herbs found on my birthplanet, Iridonia, with a touch of vanilla extract. A delicacy within my Clan." Stopping his pouring when the tea was only scant millimeters from overflowing the cup, Lykos cocked his head at Asha, pot offered towards her slightly. "Will you be taking a cup yourself, Keoz?"


[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

The silence stretched on after one ponderous repeat of her name, though for whatever reason Asha did not simply turn to leave the way she had come. She felt a stirring here, as though the Force had formed into a physical being behind her, and was now pushing her by the shoulders. A few steps were taken forward, before she sank to her knees in the underbrush with exhaustion. Teth was a world of jungles, it was humid and caused her clothes to stick to her skin. Walking through it, especially for such a distance, was extremely tiring. And she knew better than to push herself further.

"Keoz is it, then," she offered with a small smile, "though... May I ask what it means?"

He turned toward her then and she saw his face and all that came with it. The lack of an eye, the depth of the remaining one... She had once told [member='Connor Harrison'] that you could tell when somebody had suffered, especially when you yourself had, and there was something in his eye which spoke of similar. She could feel her heart quicken, heavy with that knowledge, though he did not seem to be weighted by it himself. Had he learned to shake off the shackles of his past?

Without warning he rose and entered his ship, the final word he spoke encouraging her to rise and near the vessel. Before she could so much as step on the ramp he returned with a tray, and her eyes lit up. Tea was something she had made countless times in her youth, a drink her father enjoyed and she herself had often served to guests. The fact that this same tradition was now being used on her brought a warmth to the conversation, a familiarity.

"It sounds wonderful; yes, I would love to partake."

She settled on her knees across from him again and took up one of the teacups, offering it toward him. While she did not know if his way was to serve the tea, she felt it only right to presume as much.

[member="Darth Lykos"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

While he had cocked a brow as the woman took possession of one of the cups before he had had the chance to pour the very tea, Lykos made no effort to speak against such an action. Instead, he chose to acquiesce to the slight defiance of tradition rather than fall into a long arguement as to the proper method of taking one under his Clan's protection - a way of guaranteeing that host nor visitor would strike at the other, even if they might be sworn foes. However, even as he chose to prevent falling into defiance against the minor slight that Asha might be conducting, that did not mean that he was without his pride in self and in his heritage. As such, as the soft sound of pouring tea came to an end as Asha's cup was fully filled, Lykos' gruff voice would fill the following silence before it could truly form.

"While the Rites of Hospitality have fallen out of use in the Cities, they are still very much in use among the Nomadic Clans; even if the Rites very Clan to Clan. My Clan is but one of the Nomadics that still follow the Rites. In my Clan's version of the Rites, the one being taken under the guardianship of a member of the Clan does not touch the cups nor the pot until all cups have been filled." A reproachful glance was directed towards where Asha's hands were still touching the cup that had just been filled as he placed the pot between the pair.

"Now, as soon as the cups are filled, all parties take a single sip of the tea. Upon doing so, the party outside of the Clan is taken into the Clans guardianship. Truthfully, this means little in recent times, simply that the Clan would not take action against the outsider with the intent to cause harm unless the outside infringes upon the hospitality first. After all, I have shared refreshment with you, refreshment that is truly precious in the Desert Plains - why would I waste what I gave to you by harming you?" A slight quirk of scarred lips would punctuate his sentence before the Zabrak would bring the clay cup to his lips and drink deeply. As the blended taste of herbs native to Iridonia rushed over his tongue, carried by the sweet tang of the vanilla extract, Lykos could not prevent the pride at a well made brew of tea from welling up from within him as he relished in the taste.

Setting his cup down before him, Lykos would hum in contentment as the taste of the tea remained strong upon his tongue before returning his attention to Asha. "I thought that you might prefer some assurance that I would not act against you." As he said this, his control over his Presence within the Force would slacken for but a moment, revealing his deep connection to the Dark for a single instant, revealing the icy ocean of cold fury that stormed beneath the surface, before it would be lost to any Sense once more.

Choosing not to let the silence form just yet, Lykos would suddenly change the topic, choosing to answer a question asked but not yet addressed between small sips of his reclaimed tea. "Keoz. It means Hawk, my dear Keoz." Behind his cup, his lips twitched into a smirk as he waited the woman's response to all that had transpired in the short time between him pouring her drink and him answering her earlier question.


[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

Asha paled as the man began to speak, slowly replacing the cup to the ground before she further defied tradition. She listened intently to what he had to say concerning it, of its origins and methods, and noted how it differed from her own. Whenever she served tea, it was a custom for the guest to raise the empty cup toward her, in a sign of good faith, so that she could pour the tea for them.

"Forgive me" she said, with quiet tone, "It seems our traditions differ, I did not mean any offense."

Her gaze lingered over the cup as he filled it with tea, all without missing a step as he continued to explain the rites, and she nodded warily. Thankfully he did not seem to be rage filled at the unintentional slight, if anything his expression spoke of mild amusement.

Very slowly, as though uncertain as to whether or not it was time, she once again took up the cup after it had been filled and followed his actions, drinking the warm tea; even the taste was vastly different from the one she brewed aboard her father's ship in youth.

As the shroud covering him lessened, and his aura made itself known, all Asha did was tilt her head curiously to one side. So he was a darksider, then? While her Father hunted Sith, Asha herself had always taken the path of moderation, far more than he, she walked the line of light and dark, and did not judge unless given due cause to.

So she merely inclined her head by way of further greeting.

"I do not presume to know what people might do, regardless of their affiliation. But I appreciate the reassurance all the same."

And finally came the understanding of the name she had been given, and a smile made its way to her lips. Keoz, yes... She liked that.

[member="Darth Lykos"]