Mind Yourself....(Jakob Burton Training III)

[Xazor Elessar]

A dark figure crept along the halls of the Jedi Academy before turning down a corridor and entering a large empty training room. With the wave of her hand, the light switches across the room flipped on and the lights brightened the whole area. Taking up her right hand, the figure removed the hood of its long flowing black robes to reveal a woman......a Knight in particular, Xazor Dawnstrider. Walking to the center of the room, she sat down....in the air! The young woman used the Force to hold herself up as she delved deeply into the Force and concentrated in a deep meditation.

Jakob....I call to you my student.......find me and I shall continue your training.

She sent the message through the Force to touch his mind softly. Resuming her quiet state of mind and body, Xazor continued meditating as she waited.....

[Jakob Burton]

Jakob was asleep, practically dead to the world. He drifted. And drifted. Suddenly, movement! It was a dark thing.....Jake couldn't see it clearly, but the motion made him give chase. He was amazed when he saw that he was catching ground quickly, and was almost on it. He could see his snout, sniffing at the scent of the prey, and could see the darkness move as he breathed heavily on it's neck. He clamped down his jaws...and tasted.......

Nothing. Jake sat straight up, sweat dripping down his toned chest. It was hairy, covered in it. The hairs were bristly, and were straight. It was the strangest looking hair that he had ever grown...it was almost like dog or wolf hair. He then realized that his teeth were still tightly clenched. He loosened up, and the almost feral teeth reverted back to flat, human teeth, save for the naturally-sharp incizors. And Jake didn't even notice it. Then it hit him. Like a brick. The words in his mind made his muscles jump, and his hands come up in an offensive pose. His teeth bared, and he gripped the bed. Then, as he heard the voice, soft and smooth and pretty, and unmistakably Xazor's, he calmed. And for the second time his teeth reformed and so subtly that Jake still didn't catch it. Throwing off the covers, Jake reached for and pulled up his boxers. Grabbing a pair of pants and a shirt, Jake walked, following his instincts and the Force. While he missed several things, he didn't miss the fact that he could smell better. He could smell the coffee someone was drinking from another room. And sweet perfume from a few doors down. Shrugging it off, he walked down the halls, passing several training rooms. The reek of sweat was even stronger than usual, but it was a smell that Jake was all to familiar with, and could deal with. As he stopped at a well lit room, he entered in. He could smell her. Xazor. It was a familiar smell, although he never really recognized it before. He then walked to where she was, and spoke calmly.

"You called?"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled as she looked up and saw her Padawan standing before her.

"Indeed I did, please sit down."

She motioned for him to sit.....but not on the floor.

"Sit as I am....upon the very air you breath."

If he knew not how, this was where they would begin....just the way she had intended for this very day. Lessons of the mind was what he would be learning....something she was extremely talented in.

[Jakob Burton]

"On the air.....whoa...isn't that a little extreme for me...I mean....I don't know if I can..."

Jake figeted nervously.

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor laughed to herself and smiled once again.

"I thought so! Have some faith in yourself, young one! You'll never do anything with that attitude! Now.....take a few deep breaths and fall into the Force....then as I taught you before, about the Force walls...do the same thing and then sit on it!"

She instructed, nodding her head and hoping that he would at least attempt the exercise. It was not too difficult once one grasped the meaning behind the teacher's words.

[Jakob Burton]

"Ok. I'll try it."

Jake sits before Xazor. He closes his eyes and concentrates. He feels the presence of the Force, working in him even when he was still. He tried his best to talk with it, and ask it if it could help him. This way seemed to work best for Jake. For the Force was an essence, practically a living thing, just with no body and a vast amount of power. He didn't even feel himself lift from the ground. He was so focused on asking the Force that he didn't even realize it. After what seemed several minutes of "silence", he opened his eyes in defeat....

And saw that he was eye level with Xazor. Not wanting to lose focus, he looked down with his eyes and saw that he was doing it. He began to feel the exhilaration rise in him, but staved it down, for it would make him fall. He just remained calm and focused.

"Is this good?"

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor set her eyes upon Jake as he began lifting himself into the air upon an invisible platform. The Knight nodded slowly and grinned to herself as he questioned if what he was doing was good enough.

"That's perfect, Jake! Now....float up to the corner of the room and retrieve the blue gem that I have sitting atop the rafter. Use not the Force to bring it to you...but bring yourself to it."

With a slight nod, she motioned for her Padawan to do as she had instructed.

[Jakob Burton]

Jake then concentrates, not on the gem but on himself. He asks the Force to help him. Slowly but surely, he rises and towards the direction of the gem, just as he asked. After about a minute of gradual rising, he is within reach of the gem. He went to reach up and quickly grab it, but he began to lose the air, and was going to fall. He regained concentration quickly, and lifted himself back to the gem. Slowly but surely he reaches up and grabs it. Feeling a sense of victory at this seemingly menial task, he uses the Force, kicking off of the wall and flipping in the air slowly back to the spot where Xazor was. As he landed, his bottom hitting the ground, he reconcentrated quickly, and lifted himself back up. He opened his eyes again, and handed the gem to Xazor.

"Here, Xaz."

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor clapped for her Padawan before taking the gem in her hand. She smiled and thoughtfully looked upon it before handing it back to him.

"Here, you keep it for me for a while....it's not just a jewel.....there is something special about it. You will only know that though, when you've lost your way in the darkness and need some light to guide you."

What he did not know was the meaning behind her words. She was serious....if he so choose, in a darkened area, the gem would light up at his wish. She smiled and looked about for a moment before reaching for her lightsaber and drawing it.

"Now....something a bit more challenging, but it comes in handy. When you fight, you also have the ability to raise yourself above your apponent and attack while staying firmly in place in the air. Watch...."

With that, she ignited her double bladed duel phase saber and two blue blades shot forth from each end of the hilt. She smiled and quickly drifted over his head, making a fake slash to his chest as she hovered back to stand in mid air behind him. It was a difficult thing to do at first, but it only wore slightly on one's mind when practicing after some time.

"Okay, you try it now....don't be afraid if you accidentally hit me either. It's happened before..."

[Jakob Burton]

Jake, as Xazor landed, leapt into the air. His saber, Purity, ignited, it's pure white blade sliding from the hilt. He swung, barely missing Xazor's skin and cutting some of her clothing across her torso. His momentum continued, and he was soon behind her and above her. Now to hover....

Jake's momentum, as he asked the Force, began to immediately slow. Soon he was stopped and hovering in midair. It seemed that the Force was a little more open to his requests now, and if he perhaps could get a little more familiar with the Force, he could probably command it....but that was a thought to worry about at a later time.

After hovering for about a minute, he landed and spoke.

"Sorry 'bout that...I forgot to set it to stun..."

[Xazor Elessar]

Xazor smiled and looked down at her singed clothing for a moment. Her eyes went up to meet Jake's and she laughed.

"Worse has been done to me, my young student, trust me on that one! But, that was very good! Now, for a tougher challenge. Do that very same thing....but close your eyes and use the Force!"

With a nod she instructed him to do as she asked.

[Jakob Burton]

Nodding to Xazor, Jake takes a deep breath. Hopefully he could do this......no wait! It dawned on Jake that nothing was holding him back save for himself. He took some more deep breaths, relaxing and psyching himself up, like he used to do before fights and competitions. When he felt right, his body tingled and he felt slightly lightheaded as he closed his eyes. He took a single stride forward, and crouched. His coiled muscles fired, sending him into the air above Xazor. Fully focused, his other saber, Impurity, either fell or floated to his hand. Jake couldn't tell which. It ignited, and Jake felt the tug of the gyroscopic energy as it did so. Jake's muscles were well-trained, and could do virtually anything he asked....no, demanded them to do. He swung his saber in a calculated flurry, almost positive that he did not even hit Xazor, but he felt that it was awfully close to her skin. So close she could feel the tingle of the burning energy against her skin. As he finished his flurry and began to fall back to the ground, Jake commanded the Force, and was hovering in no time at all. He launched himself around Xazor again, coming back for another pass. His second blade came to his hands, and again he wasn't sure whether it fell or if it came to it via the Force, but it was there. It hummed to life, and Jake began swinging. Every swipe and thrust came millimeters from Xazor's skin, but it didn't ever even burn it. As he finished the pass, he carreened towards the wall, and stopped at it. He then began slashing the wall violently yet with full control and grace. Jake was so into the Force, so enveloped in it, that he didn't even realize he was doing it. As he finished, and the wall was scarred, both sabers extinguished themselves and as Jake dropped them, they fell right into their holsters. As his eyes opened, Jake felt disoriented, like as if he had just awakened from a good night's sleep. His eyes couldn't focus, but slowly began to regain their clarity. He was amazed at what he saw. The wall, while it was badly burnt and scarred, he could clearly make out what looked like.......primal hieroglyphs of a sort. They were jagged yet precise, and seemed like as if they were done by the claws of a creature. A puzzled expression fitted itself on Jake's face, and he turned to Xazor, and the expression changed from confused to a roaring laughter. Xazor, who was once fully clothed, was now wearing what looked like a small tanktop that didn't cover her stomach, and shorts that were so short that they could probably be considered panties. Jake's laughter echoed throughout the open room. As he finished, he regained control.

"Ooops......sorry."

Jake, then remembering the markings on the wall, pointed to them and spoke.

"What is that?"

[Xazor Elessar]

All Xazor could do was stand there and watch as Jake completely annialated her clothing but with amazing precision. His every move was powered by the Force as if some strange inspiration had come over the boy. A grin spread across her face as sparks lit the area around them and he shot to the wall. For some reason, this caught her attention and made her loft both brows when he was finished. With a slight gasp and an expression to match her surprise, the Knight began clapping for Jake.

"Excellent show, my Padawan! Excellent!!"

She looked down at her clothes and couldn't help but let out a helping of laughter as well. Indeed, she was dressed for the summer weather now as if she were to go and enjoy a beach on some tropical planet. From the adjacent wall, she called to her hand a spare cloak and wrapped it around her body as with the Force she lifted the pieces of frayed cloth from the ground and placed them in a pile against the wall. Just as before, then, her attention was drawn back to the marking on the wall. Slowly the Knight strode over to it with quiet steps and gently laid her hand upon the marking.

".....I knew it....."

Was all she could utter as her eyes traced the markings. A downward crescent line with a few other markings resembling those made by claws rested upon the concrete of the wall.

"The Mark of Gaia. This is my clan's sign....I am a Child of Gaia and it was manefested to me in a dream long ago simply by this appearing in my mind. I awoke and drew it out, then asked my Father about it. Funny how he left that part out about me when we reunited, huh?"

She laughed and then looked upon Jake with new sight. There had been something about him all along that she had failed to recognize.

"Did your mother ever tell you where you were born?"

A curious question, she asked as she sat down upon the ground and let her eyes look to his face, nodding with a motion for him to sit as well so that they could discuss this....

[Jakob Burton]

"I'm not so sure about this "Children of Gaia" symbol, or whatever it is you call it. It looks familiar to me, or I can put a symbol to a set of words, and that ain't the one that's prominent in this. It has too many cuts into it, like as if it's been crossed out...... If anything, I think....."

Jake points to another set of claw marks, this one consisting of fourteen separate claw mark, twelve of which join together and go outward and to the right and the left. The other two remaining claw marks hover above, as two interlocking claw marks. This was the only one familiar to Jake..... He could point it out from a mile away, although he had never actually seen it before at any time in his life, save for now....

"This one is the prominent one. I can hear words.... "Shadow" and "Lord." That doesn't make any sense..."

Puzzled, he turns his attention to Xazor's questions instead. But instead of sitting, he remained standing, staring at the marks. His words were distant, as if he wasn't entirely in that room.

"I was born on Coruscant, in "Whore Haven," a hotel that no longer exists....I made sure to that......"

Jake shakes his head and stares even harder at the marks, becoming lost in them. He is entirely unfocused on the present, but on something in his past.....or maybe not even in his past.....the next words that roll from his lips were uttered and unknown even to him, and they were monotone, having no emphasis or emotion. As he speaks, his eyes become vacant and blank orbs, as if he's lost in his own mind. His hand slowly comes up, with a saber in it. He ignites its black blade, and cuts through another mark, making it inobscure.

"I'm not from Eden..... but perhaps he is....."

[Xazor Elessar]

"The Shadow Lords......."

She finally saw the markings clear up. Indeed, this was shocking, but somehow she had sensed it in him all along. The Shadow Lords were a trip from Eden, and she only knew of one Garou related to her from them: Pivo. Drawing in a deep breath, she let her hand touch the markings once again before her eyes wandered over to Jake.

"My Uncle Pivo is of that tribe.....I sense part of him within you. He slept around, you could say....had many loose ends he never tied up. There is no denying it any longer....I feel the Garou blood flowing through your veins with every pulse your heart takes. I smell your scent far before I see you. Your senses are enhanced, whether you like to admit it or not."

Her hand went to his shoulder and she smiled with a comforting squeeze. This was a revelation she did not expect....the Force worked in so many mysterious ways. The fact that he was drawn to she and Verse in the first place was amazing.

"....You must be my cousin, then.....and my Father's nephew. I can see it all now.....yes....."

She seemed to go off into space again with thoughts. Interesting it was.....and now even Xazor was caught up in the moment.

[Xazor Elessar]

ttt

[Jakob Burton]

"Wha?"

Jake was totally caught off-guard by all that she said. She? His cousin? And Verse? His uncle? And this Pivo, his father? It all sank in, hitting him like a ton of bricks. These were the answers to his questions, but yet he still didn't believe it. No, he couldn't. Gaining the answers seemed easy, way too easy to be true. Big and important questions like those didn't just get answered like that. Yet, he BELIEVED her. Not because he did, but because the Force made him believe her. He felt relief and nervousness setting in, at the very same moment.

He shook his head.

"I want to believe you.....hell, the FORCE even wants me to believe you. But I can't.......I just can't....."

Suddenly he needed to get away, to leave. He walked slowly for the door, but his pace slowly but surely got faster and faster, until he was at a dead run. He was sprinting down the halls, out the doors of the GJO, and into the woods. He finally stopped, and began to breathe heavily. He felt as if he was being suffocated. And suddenly, he became angry. Violently angry. How could someone just sleep with people, and not stay to see if there are any consequences, any complications of their actions? It enraged him. And yet, he was mad at only two people. This Pivo, if he was his father, and himself. A similar situation happened to Jake, but he did remain. The only problem was that he hadn't seen his lover, his first, Emily, in a long time. He then hoped that she hadn't become pregnant. And he, consumed in learning the ways of the Jedi, was so entrenched in it that he didn't even bother checking to see how she was...... He did think of her, yes, but he was so busy that he couldn't find the time to visit her. "Excuses, excuses," Jake said to himself. He then realized that when he got some time, he would visit her, take her to dinner, and maybe even do other things with her, but only when problems didn't arise. And his anger turned to his father. Like a simple creature's mind, Jake's thoughts dwelled on this Pivo, this man who simply slept with his mother unprotected and left. This man who wasn't there for Jake's and his mother's entire life, save for the moments that he defiled his mother. And in his anger, he roared in rage, swinging his fist against a tree. He could hear loudly the rending and breaking of bark, wood, and heartwood. The tree, hit with such vicious and strong force, simply fell to the ground, bouncing once and breaking some of it's limbs. Jake then felt something strange. He felt like as if the hairs on the back of his neck became needles. He rubbed the back of his neck, and felt the hair as it thickened and became rough, coarse. Suddenly, pain! Great shooting pains, all thoughout his bones! He could feel them pop, feel them grinding, shifting. His bones grew, and the needle-like hairs began sprouting from his entire body. He felt his muscles, already impressive in their size and tone, become even bigger and even more toned, like the muscles of a wild animal. He felt his mouth swell, his gums cracking and bleeding as his teeth became bigger, stronger, and sharper. He felt his mouth protrude forward, and felt his lips almost dissipate as a muzzle grew in it's stead. He felt the bottom of his spine, at his tail bone, lengthen and become corded with muscles. Then the skin and hair grew around it, making it rather wolflike. His ears shifted to the top of his head, and became covered in fur, and Jake could suddenly hear everything. Even his own warped, twisted howl. He collapsed to his knees, and brought his hands forward to hold him up. The final change, his eyes becoming blood red and feral, occured, and he could see way better than before. So drained by the change, he couldn't move out of his position, couldn't speak, couldn't even seem to think. His breath, stronger but shakier, shook his entire body. He then realized that the change had finally occured. That he was, truly, a werewolf. A Garou, or at least, that's what Xazor called them. Unable to move, he simply kneeled there, to regain his breath.

[Xazor Elessar]

"Wait!"

The Jedi Knight called after her Padawan, but it was too late, he was gone. Sighing inwardly, the Garou woman walked a few paces out the door before calling on the Force to quicken her pace. She ran after Jakob, following his scent until she came to the forest -- the beloved place she knew he was. Her eyes scanned quickly and seemed to cut through space and time, landing right upon him -- but he was different. Realizing what had happened, the Master went to meet her student and speak with him -- even if he desired time alone this was not a time to be alone. She approached him slowly and then sat down, allowing her eyes to rest upon his changed face.

"The first time is always a little rough, my young Padawan. How do you feel?"

She questioned, remembering clearly as if it was the day before when she had changed. Doing it was not hard, it was turning back that she had a problem with. Her eyes scanned his body, making sure everything was alright. Indeed it was -- he had a lovely feral side about him, but she knew that perhaps it was a bit frightening. Hopefully he would work through this with her, willingly.

[Jakob Burton]

In........out.......in.......out.....Jake's lungs heaved with air. He was regaining his nerves, regaining his feeling. He could feel the wind on his body as it dispersed his grayish fur. He looked at Xazor, and turned away. He tried to speak, but found it a bit difficult.....for both how he felt and how his mouth was formed.

"I......feel.....like...........I...feel like.........I don't know.......how I feel...."