A Walk through the Forest (Jeran the Hunter)

[Wraith Frostmourne]

Wraith walked through a dark forest off to the side of Naboo. Nightfall was upon him, but he could still barely see the lights of the capital through the vast forest. A shrill mist formed as proped himself up against a tree. Leaning there, Wraith wondered what had happened to everyone back at the village where he had engaged combat with Alera and Jeran. Did the rider come back for them? It didn't matter. His main concern was finding this so called hunter again. All these question passed through his frigid mind as he plotted his revenge. It was almost dark now as he sat in deep silence inside the forest. Wraith embraced the lonelieness, for he had not felt it for a while. He needed something to do, instead of marking off all the members of his hit list one by one.

[Jeran Conrad]

Mmmmmm....gettin close, he thought as he smelled the familiar cold presence of his prey. He had riden from the village, towards the trees Wraith had entered, after he had cleaned up the loose ends. He had business to take care of and he wasn't gonna quit tonight.

Luckily, the rider hadn't shown up again. I guess he was tired of battle. Or, being the entity of fate that he was, he may have forseen a future unkown to anyone else. He didn't know or care--all he knew was that all had made it out alive. One shouldn't have...

He creeped through the forest--no noise. Seemingly an entity of the forest, he worked his way meticulously through the grove. Then he got a big whiff of something foul.

Wraith , he thought. He knew the other could feel him by now. He hadn't mastered the art of hiding his Force signature completely yet. He might of sneaked up on him from about 30 yards, but he was sure that the Sith felt him now. He scanned the grove with his sharp eyes. The tree.

"What's it gonna be, bub? You wanna end this man to man or ya gonna call in some of ya cronies?" He said this with his vision trained on the figure. One hand rested on an old stump and the other held his lightsaber blade behind his left thigh. He appeared relaxed in posture, but his heart was beating fast. He was ready.

[Wraith Frostmourne]

"I don't know about you, but we should end this soon. I'm absolutely fed up with chasin you around. Don't you think its time we closed the bargain." Having said that, he stepped out from behind the giant tree, facing his eager foe. His presence was completely blocked by an icy fog that engulfed him. There was no way out for Jeran this time.

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran searched the icy mist for Wraith, but was unable to find him. He had very keen senses, yet he could not see or sense the man. The ice was truly a powerful weapon. He could, however, smell the warrior, and by keeping his smell alert he was able to keep a good idea of where the other was.

"Sure thing, ice cube. Jus give me a target...I dare ya." He thought the phrase suited the situation well.

He ignited his saber--he didn't trust the Sith. Hell, he didn't really trust anybody. Ok, so there were a couple, but not many. He brought himself into a crouched attack position. He wanted to face Wraith straight up--but he wasn't stupid. He kept low and kept his nose open.

With saber raised, he waited for the Sith to move...

[Wraith Frostmourne]

"As you wish," Wraith said from behind the mist. He moved a little to the right of Jeran. still unforseen. He didn't want to ignite his scyhthe, for it would give away his position. Wraith leapt out from the fog directly towards his opponents right side, igniting his scythe as he flew threw the air with an upward strike to Jeran's upper torso.

[Jeran Conrad]

Holy Sh-- he was cut off in thought as he barely blocked the warriors slash. He let his body flow with the motion and executed a side roll to recuperate. Wraith's weapon was now ignited, so he was easy to spot. Good thing, too.

He let himself take a second to recuperate, adn then let loose of emotion. This was what seperated him from most Jedi. He did not fear his emotion nor his anger. He controled them. Truly, he was his own master, and he would use the talents that adrenaline and anger brought for the better.

"Grrrrrrrrrrarrghhhh!!" An animalistic battle cry raged from the man as his eyes swelled. Wraith had heard the sound before--near the cliff in the old village--and he knew that Jeran had turned the tempo up. He was a man possesed by nature and by the Force. Even the icy Sith might shudder at the sight of the fierce warrior.

He let out a crippling combo of attacks. SLASH--blocked by Wraith. HACK--down on the other's arm, but still defended by the blue scythe. Jeran spun his body quickly to come around to the other's arm--blocked. But as the two blades locked, Jeran adjusted his strength and threw an elbow to Wraith's nose. This sent him stumbling back a foot, while Jeran swung for the fences with one hand towards Wraiths slightly exposed head...

[Wraith Frostmourne]

The elbow moved him several feet, but did nothing severe. All that could be seen through the mist was a whirling blue light. The blue scythe stood for all that was cold and evil inside Wraith. He whirled down with a vertical slice to Jeran's left shoulder. It was blocked and they locked sabers again. Wraith tried to push down both weapons but Jeran overcame it and came back to the lock position. It became a power truggle. Wraith lifted up the end of his scythe, aiming the beam emitter down towards Jerans legs. Out from it shot an ice needle that pierced into his left thigh. Now that Jeran was distracted, Wraith lifted up the handle into Jerans face then fell spun the sabre around his back for another attack to the torso. Now that Jeran had another problem to contend with, Wraith wouldn't need to worry at all.

[Jeran Conrad]

"Arrrrghhhhhhh!" he growled as the ice needle dug into his thigh. The pain was excrutiating--the deep cold practically freezer burning his now exposed flesh. The scythe came back at his torso--he let himself fall flat to the ground to avoid the slash. he wouldn't have been fast enough with his saber to block and the pain in his leg cramped his movement.

Reaching with his free hand, he grabbed a hold of the other's ankle and yanked him to the ground. Now that his movement was free, he rolled to his left--painfully, as the spike wore in--and came into a crouching position.

"This is gonna hurt," he grunted as he grabbed hold of the needle. He gave it a yank, yelling with the pain. Throwing it to the floor, he realigned himself. His forte with the Force had always been animalistic--healing and smell. He was almost a wolf, a berserker of rage. He reached down to the already healing wound and soiled his hand with blood. Bringing it to his nose, he let the smell seep into his senses. Battle...the smell of combat...of life. It did not enrage him or excite him--it raised his awareness of the Force around him.

He slightly limped to square up with Wraith. He looked the other into his face. It was true--the man was truly frightening. His cold figure showed no emotion but hate. Nothing could flow from his frozen aura, nor could warm blood course through his frigid veins. His gelid expressions showed no remorse, no love.

"You obviously have no intention to leave me walking away from this battle. What say we go at this mano y mano, eh?" With that, Jeran let his saber blade back into the hilt. He kept it ready, in case Wraith disagreed. But he was a fan of a good slugfest...

[Wraith Frostmourne]

"Alright lets go." Wraith tossed aside his scythe waiting for Jeran to do the same. He didn't know how this was goin to fare. Wraith had never seen Jeran engage in combat with out precious weapons, but he would find out soon enough. When it came down to it, Wraith would go as low and dirt as possible to get the job done.

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran smiled. This is gonna be fun, he thought. He deactivated his saber and tossed the hilt aside. Pulling off his cloak, he let if rest on an old tree stump. He looked at the now exposed Wraith. His demeanor and posture were both cold. He prepared his body for combat with him--the temperatures would try to freeze him. But, he was ready. He had the Force to protect him. Jeran loved this type of situation. Hand-to-hand. There was truly no better way to battle a real opponent than this.

He lunged in with a war cry and tackled the Sith. Dragging him to the ground, the two engaged in a wrestling match, pitting strength against strength. Finally, Jeran was able to get hid foot into Wraith's torso. With one hardy push, he kicked the Sith off of him and into a tree. As the warrior hit the ground, he came in low and went for a punch to his face.

[Wraith Frostmourne]

Wraith collapsed to the ground. That was definetly gonna leave a mark on his backside. He got up to find the hunter charging towards him. Wraith thrust his foot out to push Jeran's arm to the side, then came through with both of his hands clasped together directly into his opponents chest. AN icy expulsion came from Wraith as he struck Jeran. Jeran flew back several feet as Wraith advanced. Seeing the helpless Jedi on the ground, he raised his foot into the air to bring it down into an axe kick.

[Jeran Conrad]

The explosion of ice blew up on his chest in a frozen blast. As he hit the ground, he could taste blood in his mouth. Ow. He found himself struggling for sight for a moment as he regained his consciousness. Combatants knew that, when one was hit hard enough, a second of blackness felt like a minute of dark. As his focus came back in, he saw the Wraith charging him. He blinked to see the kick coming straight down onto his head.

CRACK

Today was a really, really bad day to wake up. That was the only thought that came through his head. He rolled to his left, attempting to get away from the threat. His head ached painfully, throbbing after the boot came down hard on his skull.

WHIFF

Another shot barely missed Jeran as he came to a crouch. He was in pain, but his pain was fading fast. He was an incredible healer, and the pain left his body within moments. I wish I could fight as good as I can heal...maybe that's what my life is all about...abuse The thought came through his head. He quickly brushed it away--no time to ponder anything now.

WHOOSH

Another swing from Wraith just over his head. Time for some offense. Jeran reached into the Force to feel the woods around him. With so much life, Wraith could not scare the fighter with the darkness. He felt the tress begin to sway around him. Wraith could feel the presence of power, the breath of life sweep around him. In that second, the trees opened up and a violent gust of wind slammed Wraith into a tree trunk. The gust was so strong, it caused the Sith's body to cut the trunk in half. The rest of the tree began to fall down upon him, coming down hard on his battered body...

[Wraith Frostmourne]

Wraith mustered enough strength to push himself off the ground and out of harms way. He fell and rolled to the side, staggering to his feet. That was close. Jeran stood his ground as Wraith resumed a state of reality. There was no way Wraith could win now that this nature boy had unlocked a hidden power of the woods. This was not good. Wraith had to think of something fast. He charged in towards Jeran out of nowhere then sent a high jab straight into his foe's jaw. Before it hit, Wraith's fist became covered in a thin sheet of ice that hardened his attack. He came around with the other fist towards Jeran's stomach. This could be severly fatal.

[Jeran Conrad]

The blow to his chin struck like a cloud of lightning as his face felt like it was going to explode. The ice-hardened fist was certainly an excellent weapon. He staggered slightly as the shot cleaned his clock. Then came the train wreck.

BOOM

The fist dug into his stomach like a hovertrain smashing through a taxi. It seemed as though the fist was going right through him. Not.......good..... he thought as pain shot through his torso. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. It was a perfectly placed shot, designed in some way to cripple or kill. The organs inside Jeran's body shook like rattle with the punch.

He hit the ground immediately. He looked up, rolling in pain, as Wraith stood above him, smiling. He felt a stranged wave over his body. It was like...everything was begining to stop inside of him. As his face contorted, blood came pouring from his mouth and onto the floor of the forest. It seemed that the forest cried out for him.

It was in that moment that he died.

Jeran lost complete control of his function, as his spirit began to leave his body. He felt peaceful. He felt loved. He felt warm and protected. He was home...home to the Force. To nature--where he belonged. He reached towards the light that was the Force, wanting to grasp it. He grabbed hold--

"No. Not yet, Jeran," a voice echoed in his mind. A female voice--a voice of love. Compassionate and caring, the voice comforted him. He wanted to end this--be done. But the voice gave him new hope. "Go back. Seek out your destiny. You are not finished here." As it spoke, Jeran felt himself being let back into his body, which still lay on the forest floor. The world his spirit floated in was a dream world. The warrior who had delivered death to him was a shadow--a blur of darkness. His spirit shone brightly.

"Shadows pass, Jeran. They dissapate in the light." The voice left him.

He breathed air. A gasp. He felt for himself. He felt no pain. He was refreshed. Something happened. Someone had saved him. The Force had spared him. He was renewed with life. He stood to his feet. Wraith backed away at the sight of his newfound health.

"Listen here, bub. I don't know what just happened, but I got a second chance." He looked Wraith in the eyes. Cold, angry eyes. Jeran's were clear. "I'm gonna give you one, too. You know you can't finish this here." The trees rustled around him as the woods came alive. Every plant, every rugged face in the trunks glared at Wraith. "I won't beat a man when it ain't a fair fight. But it's times like these that exceptions're made. So you gotta make a decision. Stay here...and die. Leave...and we both live." He looked into the other's eyes. He was dead serious.

[Wraith Frostmourne]

"Don't be so sure on your options my friend, for your forest friends will do you no good. I will make sure they all go down with you!" Wraith used the force to recall his scythe. He circled to a nearby tree and ignited his scythe, and with a slash, he cut the giant tree down upon Jeran. This would feed as fuel for Wraith, realizing the hundred upon hundred of trees in sight. He moved to the next and sliced it down with the long curved blue blade. Wraith continued to do so while trying to direct them all down upon the worhtless Jeran. He had dug his own grave. Tree after tree fell as Wraith proceeded in severing all the trees in the area and positioning them towards Jeran

[Jeran Conrad]

The trees fell upon him as the forest was being systematically cut down by the Sith. It made little difference at this point. There were too many trees for Wraith to destroy the life force of the woods. The first three or four trees that had come down up on him had formed a shelter over his head. They remained protecting him, each assuring him they wouldn't allow any others to harm him.

Thank you my friends he spoke to them in spirit as the forest saved him from harm. Tree upon tree upon tree came down upon the pile, but did not harm him. He wondered how long the Sith would pile them up on him. He figured the warrior could feel his life presence, but with all the life around maybe he wouldn't be able to tell if Jeran was dead or not. Maybe he would just leave. Being honest with himself--Jeran did not care. Something incredible had happened to him, and he knew that things here would turn out fine. This battle, he did not feel compelled to end his foe.

Another day, he thought. We ain't done--not by a longshot. If the Sith did remove the pile to look for Jeran's body, he would find a suprise waiting for him.

[Wraith Frostmourne]

Wraith had no more time for these games, for it Jeran was still alive, it would be by some freakish incident. He backed away, looking to see for any movemt from with in the enormous pile of broke wood. Jeran had cheated death, and if he survide this, it would be twice. Not fair, Wraith thought to himself. Wraith turned and fled out of the forest and left the entombed Jeran.

[Jeran Conrad]

Jeran heard the warrior leaving the wood. He could feel his presence slowly losing grasp on the dark. It was a good thing, too. This day had been long and hard. Time to recuperate.

The trees let him out as he made his way out of the trap. He glanced in the direction of the warrior who was well out of sight.

Luck was playin my hand today, bub. This ain't over. He sent the message to Wraith, knowing that he would get it. He knew it to be true--they would meet again, soon enough. He had his trail. He would search him out.

He sat down onto the trunks. It had been way too close today. Way too close. He had felt the sting of death. He was lucky he was in his element--anywhere else, and he would have died. He decided his best course of action would be to head to Hoth. He needed to work out in a sub-zero environment to get the hang of the cold. Then, and only then, could he engage Wraith with a true knowledge of his power. As he sat on the log, conetemplating life, he readied himself for a short time of meditation and went over the plans in his head.