Beauty and the Beast Part 2

[Gav Mortis]

<CENTER>Burn The One You Love</CENTER>



Now that any member of the Kuklos Ataxia was considered a person of great importance and prestige within the walls of Iziz, moving freely from place to place without question was no great feat, and on a whim one could simply go wherever they pleased, like the maximum security prison for example.

"This is where you will sample, for the first time, what it is like to be a God among insects. These men are scum, apprentice, do not give them the pleasure of your fair visage. Do not look." Gav instructed with an air of superiority as he and Salvestro were given clearance to delve deeper into the vast complex of nothing but long halls and prison cells.

"Have you ever been in a position where you've wanted something so much that every heartbeat without it is like the touch of death over and over again. What is it you desire more than anything else?"

[Salvestro]

I follow in the wake of my master casting playful glances at the walls around me, half listening. All around the groans and catcalls from the unlucky inhabitants of the prison cry out; I smile at the song they produce.

"This is where you will sample, for the first time, what it is like to be a God among insects.

A God among instincts? Well I've always been that.

I sneer at my subjects.

What is it you desire more than anything else?"

"Power to do whatever I wish whenever I wish to whomever I wish for as long as I wish."

I pause.

"Master."

[Gav Mortis]

"Once again, apprentice, you fail to grasp the concept of our blossoming relationship." Gav said as he walked with a smile, he slowed to a stop and turned to meet Salvestro's eye. There was that predator's look in his face again as he stared at his tall pupil.

"We are not playing mummies and daddies here, so don't try to push me with your testing of the water, I don't give leeway and if I hear another pause like that between your addressing me and referring to me as your master, I will have you scream appologies."

Turning on his heel, Gav walked on until they came to a turbolift and once he and Salvestro were inside they descended to the level that Gav had informed his student was where those awaiting termination were kept waiting until it was their turn. As they arrived at their final destination, the very air was laced with fear and dread and in some cases anticipation and satisfaction for not all killers had regret or remorse.

"Today, apprentice, we are going to enjoy a rigorous training session and afterwards celebrate with a fine barbecue meal that I'm sure you will find appeitising. Do you like to play with fire?"

[Salvestro]

I raise an eyebrow as I stare at the assortment of murders and rapists who await their day for death.

"Only when I'm not being burned Master." I answer carefully, "But I love a good barbecue."

[Gav Mortis]

"Wisely answered. And I'll begin by telling you a little bit about the Force; in brief it is energy all around and within each and everyone of us; and we can manipulate it. First you have to learn how to harness this energy and I've a feeling you've already tapped into some of this power before otherwise you wouldn't have known your destiny lies with us here at the Circle."

From his robes, Gav pulled a small box and once he'd opened it, he lifted up a small match and held it before his apprentice. First his eyes were fixed upon the head of the matchstick before panning upwards and focusing on the curious face of his student. Gav smiled.

"When I was an apprentice, I found this really quite simple so I expect you to pick this up fast. We, commonly known as Darksiders; although I hold much contempt for the term; use our emotions to propel our potential strength in the Force and fuel it to our bidding. Fire--"

The match lit of it's own accord.

"Is the most simple and primitive of mans possessions but we are able to embrace this gift of heat and red flame and by channeling feelings such as hate or jealousy we can turn mans most basic possession into one of our most offensive weapons."

Gav paused and with a mischievous grin, blew softly on the tiny matchstick flame. However, instead of exstinguishing the burning light, his breath appeared to grant it great vitality and it exploded into a large cloud of flame which engulfed Salvestro's handsome face then immediatly dissipated doing him no harm save for a bit of a shock. The tiny matchstick flame continued to burn softly.

"In our minds we can give our emotions physical properties which enable us to run faster, jump higher, move objects and even control fire and lightning with our very imaginations. The possibilities are limitless."

With a short puff of breath Gav extinguished the flame and took out a fresh matchstick and held it before his pupil.

"Now, apprentice, think of something which passionately enrages you and use your anger and resentment to fuel the fire of your mind, let your imagination take flight and light this match."

[Salvestro]

In front of me my Master speaks and for the first time in a long time I listen intently. I stare at the match and I set my face hard, the moment of truth upon me.

I open my mind and for a second I can find nothing to be angry about....

Despair.

Then my sisters sneering face comes back to me and despair fades to anger.

"Brother, is there no hope for you? Why father puts so much faith in a simpleton with no desire for glory and no concept of what it means to be Noble is beyond me."

I burned her face until it was black and her eyes poured liquid onto my families velvet red carpet; this should be as easy...

I grit my teeth and something flows through my face; a white hot flame bursts from the stick to match the heat on my skin. I stare up at my master for approval....

[Gav Mortis]

"That's a lot of anger you have there, apprentice, I could feel it and believe me, if you can harness that anger each time you need to summon fire then you shouldn't have have many problems."

Taking the match from his apprentice's clammy fingers, Gav held it out in front of him and opened his free hand and instantaneously the flame leapt from the matchstick and into his hand where it grew in size and calmy burned in his palm. The match, now extinquished and smoking black, was discarded. The flame then split and leapt again so that Gav now held in his open hands two miniature infernos.

"Since you picked that up so quickly we'll move on and the next stage is control; now that you are able to make fire you must be able to control the flame; and to do this you must be able to master your emotions, by dimming that anger of yours you can make the flame weaker or smaller and by intensifying those emotions which fuel it, the fire can grow and burn fiercely.

Try changing the properties of the fire in my hands and then I want to tell me what memories and experiences from which you draw your strength."

[Salvestro]

Memories.

Just the mere mention of the word causes a swelling of anger inside me.

Memories. Like photographs in my mind, I look back at my past and it stares at me laughing.

I do not want to share anything with you...Master.

My thoughts betray me and I try to shelter them away. I concentrate on the flame burning in his hand.

"I see the flame burning in your hands and I remember my home. A fire place rages behind me. I feel its heat and I am reminded of what it felt like to be warmed by the great fire place in my fathers home."

I reach out to the flame in my Masters hand but I do not touch it.

"Fire. I see fire in my memories."

I close my eyes and I focus on the past.

Running. I see running. No not see. I hear it. I turn and my sister is there. So beautiful. So innocent. No not innocent. A beast like me.

My eyes flutter open.

"My sister was a whore master. A dirty witch who wanted nothing more than my death."

I got to her first though.

"I burned away her skin with my power. I turned my anger into a flame so bright and strong that it melted away her skin. Her screams were like one long song that flooded my home."

I realize that the flame hasn't moved in his hand. I concentrate on it. I picture the way her flesh smelled and I let my anger grow.

"I waited till it died away and I returned to the black husk that was her body. I had it severed into pieces and dissolved into the atmosphere above Coruscant. I let her ashes float for an eternity above the grandest city ever made."

The flame in his hand grows slightly, but not enough. I sigh and slouch back.

"And now there is nothing more to tell."