Me and my shadow: A tale of things lost, and things found. (Open to a Sith)

[Joseph Tristen]

It was a dream. He was sure of it.

Such a cliché thought for a young man hugging his knees, shivering against the cold of a torrential downpour of rain. Such a cliché thought for a runaway (if indeed that was what he was). Such a cliché thought for someone... different.

Raindrops cluttered upon his pale skin, and his tightly shut eyes sprung open. He mumbled gruffly, swearing that things could not possibly get any worse, that his journey was in vain, and that he, himself, was a complete waste of space - even in this dirtied alleyway he had slept in for god-knew-how-many nights running.

Was it all worth it? Would this endless trek actually culminate in what he had hoped for at its start? A tear appeared at his eye, blending with the rain instantly, yet he raised a hand to wipe it from his fragile skin at once. He pressed the thick material of his sleeve against his face, wiping gently beneath each intense blue eye, and then dropped his head to his knees.

"If I go to sleep... Maybe I might not wake up."

Even he was unsure of whether he was voicing just the simple fear of everyone that lived on the street, or whether he was hoping for it to be true.

[Yurza Magus]

Yurza smiled as he looked down in the rain. He could feel the helplessness that was pouring off of the man just below him. The fear and anger. A worthy kill.

"That could be arranged," he said from atop a dumpster close by. His hood was raised to keep the rain out of his eyes.

[Joseph Tristen]

Within a second, Joseph was on his feet, running from the man who dared speak to him so. Did he not know of the boy's power? Did he not know?

His feet pounded upon the floor, scattering puddles of water toward the rough walls either side of the alley. It was not obvious as he huddled in his defensive ball quite how slender he was; but now, upright and running, it was clear that malnourishment and the unforgiving cold of each and every night was taking its toll on him. He ran faster, yet spared a look over his shoulder toward the hooded figure, and that was it - thrown somewhat off-balance, his foot connected with the ground a little too heavily, and a loud crack echoed toward the hooded man as Joseph fell to the ground.

He lay upon the floor, staring up as drop after drop of water collided with his magnificent eyes, not thinking of the pain, not thinking of the man who had interrupted his would-be slumber. He could think only one thing.

It was never meant to be like this.

[Yurza Magus]

Yurza jumped from the dumpster and landed halfway between himself and the boy and walked slowly towards the man on his back.

"Running will only make it worse."

[Joseph Tristen]

So this was how it would end. The few coherent memories he had fled across his mind: the orb, the shadow, and the knowledge. He saw the orb once more in all its glowing glory; he heard the shadow speak to him, and once again he felt the knowledge - the sheer understanding - that came with the experience. He pitied his assailant, he truly did, for he did not know quite what the man would witness should he choose to harm him. He had no idea what would come of the universe, once its' messiah had been destroyed.

[Yurza Magus]

Yurza stopped just a few steps away from the fallen man.

"Before I kill you, I must know what makes you despair so? While I enjoy it I must know so that I may find others like you," he said. A smile formed on his lips as he lowered the hood on his head to reveal his blonde hair.

[Joseph Tristen]

"Before you kill me, I must know what could possibly motivate you to kill a man without the slightest inkling of who he may be."

Completely ignoring the question asked of him, Joseph continued, his eyes staring unblinkingly skyward.

"One of these days, you may strike down the wrong person."

[Phantom]

The shadows of the alley began to stir as they heard the call of their master, beckoning them forth to conceal his approach. The shadows crept silently down the dimly lit alleyway, slowly consuming all within its path. Soon all was bathed within their darkness, followed rapidly by a harsh and bitter cold that swept through the alley like a plague, instantly freezing the pools of water that littered the ground. Death and despair, torment and carnage were all truly his domain, and he could sense them always. As the shadows slowly receded back into the depths they revealed within their wake a dark, ominous figure, clad from head to toe in the darkest of black. A large cloak of gothic design hung loosely from the figures broad shoulders, masking much of his frame as it enveloped him completely. An enormous hood of the same design was drawn around his head, shadowing his face from sight. All that could be seen for sure of the darkened figure was a pair of crimson orbs, burning brightly with raw, unbridled hate, casting his gaze upon the two. The figure remained held in silence, just watching the two.

[Yurza Magus]

"Prehaps, but I doubt that today would be that day. As for my killing you, what reason does a Sith need to kill other than the sheer pleasure of it?"

[Joseph Tristen]

Almost drowsily, and clearly without a care in the world, Joseph drew himself from the ground and shuffled to the nearest wall on his knees. Oddly, his fearful demeanour, reeking of cowardice and humility, had receeded, leaving him with a relaxed, superior attitude toward his attacker. Perhaps it was because he had accepted his fate at this man's hands, but more likely, it was because this maniac had not noticed the crystallizing puddles at his feet, had not noticed the chill in the air, and had not noticed the dark figure looming behind him. Joseph simply looked at his assailant and smiled grimly, then busied himself with wiping a considerable amount of dirt from his fingertip.

The word 'Sith' rang through his mind, but he cared not for this man. Of course, it was what he had been seeking all along, but this idiot was not the way of his destiny and he knew it.

[Yurza Magus]

Truthfully, Yurza had noticed the chill and had felt something, but did not know what. He watched the man move back against a wall and smile.

"Growing braver are we?"

Yurza stetched out with his senses to find why the boy was smiling and in the immeadiate area found nothing, but stretching behind him he did find something. What or who it was he didn't know and he wasn't about to turn his back on someone he had said he would kill.

[Joseph Tristen]

"Not really... I just don't think I'll bother to even dignify your presence with a reaction anymore."

The smile spread, and Joseph's wonderful blue eyes flickered to those of the third man's. This.. this kind of presence was what he was searching for, what his very soul yearned to reach out and grasp. True darkness. The smile was gone as he realised quite which way his mind was wandering, and he looked back at the idiot who had chased him here. Then, he simply stood, and began to walk away, his dark hair matting against his face with the rain's unending assault.

[Yurza Magus]

His face wrinkled with disgust. "How dare you walk away from me like that insolent."

The Sith took a step forward and at the same time, reached out with the Force and used it to hold the boy's feet in place. "I don't know what came over you all of a sudden, but I'm sure I can remedy it."

[Nayala Palain]

The Sith Mistress moved slightly at the side of her apprentice Phantom. She looked upon her long time firend and student. Her marcasite eyes scanning the action between the man and the Sith. She had masked 90% of her force signature from others who might be able to read it. Shifting her weight to her right hip now, she was dressed in a fine silk, blue hue'd pair of pants, loose fitting. A similar make of top White in color, silk and loose around the neck and long flowing arms.

Her chestnut hair drapped the back of her neck and a few long strands blew across her eyes and face. Lucian had been fighting wavering strands from his presence since Naya had arrived.

She was casted out of site from the shadows that Phantom had controlled, and he controlled them very well. A deadly tool for someone of lesser skill to fight off. Moving now out of the shadows she smiled at her dear friend and took a step forwards. Clearing her throat...

" My my, boys never do grow out of such actions do they? " Her hair whipped around as gusts of wind caught it. Seeming in the wrong place at the wrong time. This noble of Balmorra just smiled. She had been studying this Joseph very closely. Having even sent her top student to track the man.

" How do you fair today Joseph... Tristen. Adding his last name for mere shock value she casted her eyes forth and looked upon him before she looked at the other male.

[Joseph Tristen]

Frozen to the spot, there was nothing Joseph could do but look upon these unfolding events in horror. Not long ago he had simply been wishing for a quick, simple death, yet now, faced with it at long last, it was a far more complicated situation than he could ever have imagined. This woman.. He did not know quite what to make of her. She was with the other one, the shadow who had simply observed the situation, yet she was more outspoken than her counterpart, to the degree where they seemed almost the odd couple. Her lavish garments were not a far cry from his, but her entire demeanour was something different. He shifted his observations back to the third man in the situation, who was in an entirely different league from the other two, and wondered what had happened such a wide variety upon him. He had said that he had no reason to kill; that this was simply a situation of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Joseph knew this wasn't the case with the other two - she knew his name. The other two were something different. They were destiny.

[Yurza Magus]

Yurza quickly forgot about the man he had pinned down and scanned the woman through the Force. It showed she wasn't strong, but he wasn't letting his gaurd down that easily. She walked very easily through the shadows and carried an aura of confidence with her. Something was different about her.

"And who might we have here?"

[Nayala Palain]

Looking over at the man who spoke...Her marcasite eyes gleamed.

" A noble in search of the phorphet (SP) " she spoke with a slightly cold tone in her voice. She knew he kept his eyes upon her. And only a fool would move against her. Especially with Phantom in the wake of the shadows.

" you are frightening my sooth sayer. " She extened her right hand for the man to take. And follow noble rights... a slight hand shake and a kiss to the top of the hand.

" Nayala Palain... "

[Yurza Magus]

Yurza looked at her hand and slowly reached his out, taking it carefully and shaking gently. Maybe not powerful, but prehaps of use.

"Yurza Magus."

[Nayala Palain]

Nodding slightly as she heard his name.

" Always nice to meet new people. " she said as she with drew her hand from his grasp.

" no kindly remove your harsh words from my lost sooth sayer..I would hate to send my guard after you for attacking him. "

She directed her, hand and body towards the shadows. Where Phantom lay in wait.... Still keeping her force signature and power to a complete minimum.

[Yurza Magus]

The Sith Knight chuckled and shook his head. "And deny myself the sweet pleasures of death? I think not."

[Joseph Tristen]

Soothsayer. The boy nodded. He was right, and his mind now struggled to comprehend matters. She knew.

[Phantom]

A sadistic, bloodthirsty grin spread slowly across the figures unseen lips, twisting and contorting them into something truly sinister; the face of a monster. He drew a deep breath into his lungs as he savored the moment before he would strick. How he loved carnage and death that ensued, it was his true calling. The fingers of his right hand drummed absentmindedly on the hilt of his overly gothic lightsaber, known only as death. Once again the temperature of the alley began to rapidly fall, causing a thick fog to rise from the ground.

" The only death were, will be your own. "

A deep, booming voice called from the depths of the shadows, echoing like thunder through the alleyway. Without the slightest hint of hesitation the shadowed figure moved to attack, with surprising speed the figures left hand shot forth, casting Yurza from his feet as the force push collided painfully with his body.

" Now remove yourself peasant, or you shall meet oblivion. "

As Yurza connected with the ground the figure slowly emerged from the shadows, finally standing in full light before the others and the so called Sith knight. Phantoms hate filled crimson eyes remained fixated upon the man, prepared for anything.

[Yurza Magus]

Yurza stood up slowly, controlling his anger. This was not a fight that he could win.

"Very well. As you wish," he said as he slowly backed away. "Only trying to have a little fun."

As he spoke, his hand slowly went to his side, where his newly fashioned lightsaber lay. He wouldn't draw it, but it didn't hurt to be ready.

[Nayala Palain]

Looking up once more, she smiled.

" Now little one, please depart before I unleash him once more. " Her voice cold and nearly toneless.

Her eyes looked over towards the first man, the man she had come to speak to.

" how is it your alive? "