Gravity and Other Forces of Nature

[Rhianna]

Continued from Here (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=22574)

Generis' northern continent was large, and it was anyone's guess which way to start looking. There were signs to follow, but they seemed to head in two separate directions. They could cover more ground apart. While Serena was concerned for Rhianna's safety, she also knew her padawan to be an able scout, even on unfamiliar terrain, and not defenseless. So it was decided that she would remain in contact with her master, but they would expand their chances of finding Sol by splitting up.

Following a straight path from Gaoth, Rhianna marked her progress as she searched for subtle traces of a path to follow. Her travels took her toward higher ground, which was always a good start when surveying the lay of the land around you. With her staff in hand she used it as a walking stick as she started up the steep incline. There was something oddly comforting about walking in a forest, even if it was not the forest she knew. These trees were different, the sound of the wind through them was different. Even the way the stray leaves fluttered from their heights was different due to the planet's strange gravity.

Pausing in her trek up the hill, Rhianna leaned against the trunk of one of the trees and looked back the way she had come. She could not see it, but she knew roughly where the ship was. Glancing up she could see the sky was beginning to darken. It seemed in addition to the loss of light, she would also be treated to a storm. The smell of rain was in the air.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

"They say that the firstborn built temples of stone on Generis.

In the stones themselves, the firstborn carved words: stories, traditions, lessons, secrets. Can you imagine such a thing? They did not understand as you do, that it was a monument to heresy - yet look upon those stones now and you will see they are as smooth, untouched.

No hand - firstborn or otherwise - can commit to stone that which should be preserved only in the Breath." - Vaikhari Onceborn

***

There was no shelter to be found when the rains came. Vaikhari pulled his hood further down over his brow but the wind tossed it back to his shoulders and slapped him across the face. It gusted down the hillside to meet him and snatch at the hem of his robes. It might have thrown him off balance if he were not steadying each step with the staff in his left hand.

"All of this... for stones. This one is a fool," he sighed to himself, pushing further up the path that would inevitably lead to the crest of the hill on which he found himself. Perhaps from there he might be able to catch a glimpse of the ruined temples he'd heard spoken of, if time and tide had not already rendered them dust. Surrounded by trees, there was little he could see and with his head bowed against the biting wind, he saw even less.

Yet, he saw enough - saw the marks of footsteps in the earth that preceded his own. Fresh tracks. He was not alone.

[Rhianna]

She had made it to the relative shelter of the ruins, but just barely, before the skies opened up and began to lash the land with wind and water. After sprinting up the steps into the temple, the first thing Rhianna did was a quick sweep of the temporary shelter she had found, to make certain she was alone. The ruins (http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/Drakania/GenerisTempleRuins.jpg) of what must have once been a beautiful temple had been left to the ages. The stone foundation and walls were intact, but some of the ceiling and second level had collapsed in disrepair. In other places the growth of the unchecked flora was simply growing straight up through the temple itself, not least of all one immense tree. The forest giant seemed to have claimed the temple for it's own, the thick tendrils of it's trunk-like roots spilling out open windows and down the sides of the temple to anchor it to the soil below.

Rhianna did not see or detect any imminent danger. Setting her staff against the wall, she took a moment to communicate her location and situation to Serena, warning her ahead of time that bad weather was heading her way, though the Jedi probably was already aware. "I'll wait it out here and start back in the morning, when it's light.", she assured her master.

With that concluded, the Tincéir gaiscíoch determined it was time to settle in. She was going to be here a while. From the satchel at her waist she produced one of the ration bars from the ship for her dinner. Picking up her staff, she walked the halls of the temple while she ate, admiring the ancient beauty of the place as occasional lightning flashes lit the interior.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

By the time he found the ruins, the Guardian's robes were soaked through and he had set aside any pretence of trying to wear his now sodden hood up. He blinked against the rainwater running into his narrowed eyes as he studied the temples outer appearance. It was as he had imagined it: overgrown, the stones being dragged down into the earth by the jungle itself. There were the traces of carvings and statues inlaid into the outer walls, but ceaseless rainfall had eroded away the details in the statues faces and vibrant green moss grew from every crack in the masonry.

A bird perched on one of the high boughs of the towering tree whose roots had overtaken so much of the temple. It cocked its head to the side and peered with one yellow eye at Vaikhari. A smile tugged both corners of his lips upwards. The bird hopped back and forth, ruffling its blue feathers. Vaikhari dipped his head, then lifted his eyes to it.

“The storm is here. This one would step inside.. to shelter. Perhaps you will join us?”

The bird squawked and then with a flap took to wing, swooping down to land on the keystone above the temples open entryway. It sat forward on its perch, leaning forward to watch the Guardian pass through the archway beneath it. When it could see him no longer, it sprung down and flapped after him.

[Rhianna]

After the long hike from the ship, which had been uphill most of the way, Rhianna should have been tired. Instead she was working up an excited restlessness. Having finished her simple meal, she continued to explore the ruins further.

The entry stairs she had first come through emerged into a squared path of halls, surrounding the perimeter of an open courtyard. The courtyard itself was home to more of the strangely beautiful, yet completely alien looking trees. Three of them had sprung up here, their tentacle-like roots burrowing deep into the moist earth. Humid heat had given way to forceful winds that vented the open halls, rapidly cooling them off. She thought it all felt wonderful. The storm. The ancient trees. The strange gravity of this planet that seemed to pull at her, magnetically guiding her toward something. Everything invigorated her.

Seeking to burn off some of her surge of energy, Rhianna began practicing with her staff, walking slowly, contemplating envisioned opponents. She whirled both ends forward fluidly, in figure eight patterns one after the other, mentally combing through techniques meant to push back a threat, rather than engage it directly. The large sweeping circles she could create around herself could keep back most common enemies, but against a Sith? With her training incomplete she would stand little chance against such a foe, a staff would not match a lightsaber. Determination brought forward a heavy, over-handed swing meant to deliver a serious wallop. Twirling the staff above her head, she recovered, ducking and rolling evasively ending her staged encounter with a backward thrust of her blunt-edged weapon, at whatever foe might theoretically pursue her.

Exercise complete, Rhianna tipped her face to the trickle of raindrops spilling down a tangle of vines which dripped like green serpents from the thick canopy overhead. Her enjoyment was abruptly disturbed as she realized she was not alone. The moment she became aware of the presence, she retreated into one of the halls, out of sight for the moment. Tucking her staff up through a hole in the floor above her, the padawan leaped, using the braced staff to propel her body upward through the hole, landing silently in the second level of the temple.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

The hallway was narrow. The stones that it had been built from had held true however, whilst the slabs laid beneath his feet permitted only a few of the most determined denizens of the jungle to creep up beneath them. Vaikhari ran his free hand over the stones as he walked, feeling the textures both uneven and smooth. Some had been shaped by the chisel, but none of them bore words. And were there words to see, would you recognise them? Could you read them? he thought to himself, with a rueful smile.

Ahead, the corridor was illuminated by light. The bird, which had been hopping about behind him, sprung back into flight. As Vaikhari emerged into the light, he saw that the hallway gave way to a courtyard in which more trees had claimed hold of the temple. Shading his eyes as he looked up into their boughs, Vaikhari expected to find the bird sitting there – but it was standing on the ground. He approached it, and saw that it was pecking at a worm trying to wriggle free from a patch of soil that was compacted. He knelt, breathing in deeply and touching his fingertips to the soil. Soil that had recently been stood upon.

The bird tugged the worm free then looked up at Vaikhari with defiant eyes as its prey wriggled helplessly in its beak. The Guardian exhaled and smiled once more. He glanced over his shoulder, towards another of the archways that lead off from the courtyard. There was no movement in the shadows, but he felt something there. Something larger than the bird, which had made its retreat to the canopy above to enjoy its feast.

“This one means no trespass,” the Guardian called into the courtyard. The fingers of his left hand tightened around his staff as he slowly straightened to his feet, his pale eyes wandering from archway to archway with curiousity.

[Rhianna]

Above, Rhianna stood motionless, her bare back against the cool shadowed stone. She had her eyes closed, listening to the movements below, but also feeling where the stranger moved. Whoever they were, they had stopped on the very place she had just vacated. When he spoke, her blue eyes opened, warily staring at the wall ahead. His words and tone were civil enough, and she did not sense any immediate threat, but she could not rely on this information alone. Not when Jedi far more experienced and accomplished than she had been in the company of Sith for a prolonged time, unaware.

However, neither could she mistrust everyone she met. She had no desire to lose faith that there were still good people out there. For starters, he did not sound like an Imperial, and that was a point in his favor. Cautiously, she rolled her shoulder, peeking around the edge of the wall for a better look.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

The slimmest glimpse of movement caught his eye. The presence he had felt stood in the upper level of the temple. Vaikhari breathed in slowly and with the Breath came traces of emotion like a faint scent on the breeze, allowing him to taste for the briefest moments an echo of what his silent watcher felt.

“She does not understand us,” the Guardian murmured to himself. The connection lasted only as long as he held the Breath within his chest and so with each word spoken, the feeling faded.

“Or perhaps she does not trust us.”

The smile that was rarely far from his lips twitched into place once more. With slow steps, he began to pace across the damp soil towards the archway beneath the silent watcher.

[Rhianna]

Her blue eyes settled on the man as he approached, there was no helping some kind of confrontation now she supposed. Turning into full view, Rhianna wrapped her hands around the staff before her, in a defensive gesture, her fingers curling into familiar grooves worn into the leather bands wrapped around either end. She was alone on a strange planet, she had to be prepared for any situation.

One thing she had learned as she picked up Basic as a second language, was that people said the most when they thought you did not understand them. So for the moment, she remained silent, but she did tip her head in friendly acknowledgement.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

Vaikhari eyed the staff she carried. Unlike his own, it had been designed for battle. Her stance was one of a warrior, firmly rooted and prepared to hold off any number foes. There were no foes to be seen, however. Only a wanderer and a bird, but her vigil was admirable nonetheless. Though the firstborn had left the temple over to ruin, there was still power within. Fragmented, of course, like the temple itself but present nonetheless. It would have to be guarded.

“You watch over this place?”

She peered down at him, unmoving. She might have been a statue herself.

“We have come to see the symbols in the stones. Can you show us to them?”

[Rhianna]

Still motionless, Rhianna had checked the urge to shake her head in denial. She was not the guardian of this place, as beautiful as it was, the path of her life did not linger here. What she failed to catch was the way her confused gaze looked around as the stranger spoke, as if there were someone else with him. We. Us. Granted, Basic was not her first language but she knew that these words implied additional people. Yet, she felt certain they were alone.

Returning her blue eyes to the stranger, she studied him a little more. His features indicated a face that was given to frequent amusement. Still sensing no danger, she pulled her gaze away and returned the way she had come. Sitting at the edge of the opening to the floor below, Rhianna lay her staff across the top, and dropped without fear. The control in her upper arms was strengthened from months of training and fighting with the very weapon she was depending on for more practical means at the moment. The toes of her boots pointed downward as she dropped the rest of the distance and landed softly, retrieving her staff.

Looking around again, her features softened into a more amicable expression. "Is there someone else with you?"

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

“Someone else?” Vaikhari lifted an eyebrow and considered how best to answer her question. He was alone, and yet... he was not. Twiceborn, he had never truly known loneliness, nor would he ever. It was not something that he could easily explain, especially not to a stranger.

“No, we are alone here... or so it seems,” he added, his eyes wandering along the length of the corridor they were standing in. As he appeared to be pondering at their surroundings, Vaikhari inhaled and the Breath slowly filled his lungs, bringing with it an impression of the woman that stood opposite him.

[Rhianna]

"Right." His answer sounded a little incomplete, there was definitely something more there, but she chose not to pry. He had affirmed that it was just the two of them, and it had set her mind at ease to know her senses did not fail her. She had her secrets, he could keep his.

Relaxing a little more, Rhianna nodded toward the interior of the Temple. "I believe the markings you seek are at the ends of each of the halls. I was just looking at them actually." They had been one of the first things that had claimed her attention.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

He turned his attention towards the end of the hallway. The bird hopped its way onto the cracked flagstone at Vaikhari's feet, poking its beak into the fracture in the stone. Vaikhari stepped, carefully, over the bird and towards the stones he sought. The frayed edge of his cloak trailed just over the bird's head, ruffling its feathers, and it squawked in protest.

“Do you understand them?” Vaikhari asked, looking over his shoulder. Though they were the reason he had come to this place, the Guardian appeared to be in no rush to reach the stones.

“The markings. Do they have meaning to you?”

[Rhianna]

Shaking her flame colored locks back and forth, Rhianna followed just behind the stranger towards the marks he spoke of. "Sorry, no. I traveled here from another land. My people do not keep written records really. Our history is told by bards to younger generations.", she explained. She spoke of her Tincéir heritage, not of the ways of the Jedi.

"They are interesting though. Do you know who made them?", she asked, growing more curious not only about the marks, but of why they brought this man here to such a remote location.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

“What brought you here? One of your bards tales?”

As they neared the end of the hall, Vaikhari's pace slowed. As he came within reach of the wall, he reached out and ran his fingertips over its rough surface, trailing his touch across the grooves where chisel had met stone. Carved deep into the stone were interlocking, overlapping symbols. The Guardian traced the curve of one character, feeling that it was familiar somehow, though he could not place why. He frowned, and yet smiled at the same time.

“Our ancestors did this. A long... long time ago.”

[Rhianna]

Staying just behind him, Rhianna watched the stranger as he inspected the carved stone. She could not say one way or the other if he knew what any of it meant, but he knew more than her - absolutely nothing.

"No.. no tales brought me here."

Rhianna considered how much she should say. "I'm looking for someone who might be lost here."

If his ancestors had done this, maybe he was familiar with the planet. His help might be invaluable, or it might lead her into trouble. She could hear the voice of her master urging her to use caution.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

As his fingertips followed the outline of yet another character, the Guardian cocked his head to one side. What were the firstborn trying to convey here? Stories, traditions, lessons, so it was said – but what could be learned from the striking of stone? He leaned in closer, tentatively sniffing at the air, wondering whether the Breath might linger somehow in the carvings.

“I'm looking for someone who might be lost here.”

He paused, smiling to himself. “Ah.”

Still smiling, the Guardian turned a just a fraction, to look over his shoulder.

“Perhaps we can help you find this lost someone.”

[Rhianna]

Outside the walls of the temple, the rain was no longer just a soft trickle of drops through the trees. It had increased to a steady downpour, and the lightning had come much closer. Even inside the relative shelter of the temple walls, it was beginning to leak somewhere, she could already hear the splash of a puddle forming a persistent tap. It was going to be a wet night.

Turning away from the window looking out on the storm, Rhianna nodded to the offer. "Perhaps you can.", she smiled back, but hesitantly..

Abhairt Saoil, guide me. Her prayer for some kind of sign drifted up to the Force unspoken. It was not in her nature to be suspicious, and yet almost everyone she knew had recently lost someone, for nothing more than trusting the wrong person.

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

As though he sensed her thoughts, his gaze traveled upward to a crack in the ceiling, where the rain water sluiced through. “The storm grows stronger.”

He straightened to his feet, turning his back on the carvings – for now. “This place, it does not seem.. safe to us. Not in weather like this.”

[Rhianna]

Rhianna completely agreed with him. If this was as bad as things got it would be unpleasant but bearable, unfortunately the storm showed no sign of dispersing anytime soon. It was gaining strength. Rhianna may be unfamiliar with this planet's meteorology, but she suspected that the storm had become good and settled above them, wedged up against the mountains maybe.

"Yes, I think you're right." She wasn't able to pinpoint it, but she was beginning to get a bad feeling and it was not about her company, so much as the situation.

Calmly, she walked back down the hall to where she had left her few things. It became necessary to pull forward the hood of her forest colored cloak.

"Is there any other shelter around here?"

[Vaikhari Twiceborn]

Lips pursed into a thin line of concentration, Vaikhari lingered just a moment longer by the carvings before turning to follow behind Rhianna at a slow pace. The floor was already getting damp, the Guardian's boots squelching against the stones beneath them.

“None that this one has seen. The woods stretch far and wide in all directions.”