Ask Heart of the Blade

[Willa Kanz]

She almost opened her mouth to apologize, but Haldir was already looking away. Swallowing embarrassment, she felt her face burn in mortification at Crix's teasing as the Knight continued helping her up, grimacing as muscles trembled. Fuck, but she felt weak. This wasn't good at all. "I didn't mean to---" she cut herself off short, then turned her head away, clenching her jaw. "I'm... sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Knight Haldir. I was kinda outta it."

She just meant, he was so pretty an' all, that when she contemplating fading out for good, he was like an angel of mercy. Still, at Crix's words, she gave him a confused look, leaning against the Knight. Following in her Master's footsteps...? Her face suddenly went pale, other brown eye going wide as his words sank in. "What... do you mean..." she managed to croak out, other hand lifting to touch her face.

She could feel the jagged grooves in her face, where claws had raked against her just merely minutes ago. She could feel a cold stone in her chest as reality began to sink in, and she didn't even have to open her eye to know the truth.

It's gone. Half my sight... it's gone.

She barely processed what the Knight Haldir was saying, but the change in voice again made her glance at him with her right eye. But when Crix spoke, something broke through the numbed shock.

I'll carry her.

She gritted her jaw, brows furrowing in frustration. It karking burned to move her face that way, the skin newly healed but threatening to split again if she wasn't careful. Her gaze blazed with determination. She shoved the sick feeling down from her stomach, back into the corner of her mind where all nasty things would be pushed back. She wasn't gonna be carried around like some lothcat kitten. Giving Haldir's hand a light squeeze in thanks, she began to push up, wobbling a moment, but it was sheer determination, and force of will, that she stood tall, staring straight into Crix's face. For a moment, she didn't say a single word, but firmed her expression, and took a breath.

"I'll walk."

Please don't pity me, Crix. I can do this thing.

The Skreev was still there. Even through slipping in and out of consciousness, it lingered. Its' maw was coated with blood, flesh dangling from some of its' sharp teeth still. They locked gazes a moment, then she jerked her head up.

"Keep flying. It's not gonna be much longer; come when I whistle."

She didn't look at the other two as it once more took flight, but she itched to touch her face again. To try to open her eye and attempt to see, but even she knew when she was praying for somethin' impossible. Instead, she clenched her hand against her robes, finally glancing over her shoulder. "How much further, Knight Haldir?" She asked him calmly. "I'll be all right. Crix has a point; I need this. Standing around will just prompt more attacks, and I'm not down to linger on a place called 'Demon Moon.'" She gave a brief smile, but it didn't quite meet her gaze. "I'm good, Crix. Let's get moving."

Perhaps, the more she moved, the easier it would be to ignore the pain and grief at losing half her sight. Just one foot in front of the other.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

Willa didn't need to apologize, and Haldir would've waved it off but Crix's comment about flirting only served to add more heat to the Knight's face. The Arkanian Offshoot swallowed his embarrassment – like old time's sake, but the context this time wasn't aimed at something so negative. Something that reminded him of the unpleasantness of home. The compliment about his physical appearance was nothing – should be nothing – so he let the matter drop. Instead he let the Padawans talk, insteas keeping his mouth shut and trying to tone down the snatches of emotions he could feel from the two.

When panic licked at his senses through the Force, Haldir shut the feeling out and focused on the wall that protected him from any outside influences. He couldn't let his own emotions get the better of him during Crix and Willa's decision-making lest he make the wrong judgement call.

Crix was set on continuing the mission for Willa's sake, and Willa was determined to see it's completion. Both were determined, and he mentally applauded them both for that. If Haldir had been the one to have truly sperheaded this mission he would have called it off already, leading the Padawas back to his ship and finishing up with healing Willa's injuries. If he'd have things go his way he would have done exactly that. But it was the two's determination that kept the Knight from handling this mission the way he pleased. This quest was for them and not him. It was that simple reminder coupled by the two's resolve that had Haldir rising back up to his own feet after helping Willa, and his gaze found Crix.

"We're close," he replied to the young woman's question. In response to their decision to continue, the Knight said, "Your points have both been taken and acknowledged. We will proceed as planned."

Pale blue eyes flickered towards Willa's face, particularly the eye that she kept closed. As a healer, he had more than a hunch that she wasn't just finding it difficult to open – worst case scenario was that she wasn't opening her left eye because she couldn't see with it. His jaw clenched, the desire to call this mission off rearing its ugly head again. It was only his respect for the Padawans' determination that kept his mouth shut about it, but he was definitely keeping an eye on Willa.

Catching Crix's attention when he was sure that she wasn't looking, the Knight signed, "Keep an eye on her, please. If you feel she's pushing herself too hard don't tell only me. Say it out loud. Thank you."

Without waiting for a response Haldir was back on the lead, one gloved hand hovering over his lightsaber and once more spreading his senses out through the Force. It was difficult to retrace the path he and Master Rudra had once taken on their way to the Lightsaber Forge, but the knowledge of their destination's presence and the experience he'd gained on his previous journey proved enough to guide Haldir back to that place. He remained mindful of the Padawans behind him and the dangers that lurked around them, but the nearer they got to the Forge the more disinterested the wildlife now regarded them.

When he finally caught sight of the familiar slab of granite that marked the entrance to the Forge, Haldir raised a closed fist to stop the two Padawans from walking any further. The Arkanian Knight closed his eyes, reaching ot further into the Force to sense if their arrival stirred the sentinels of the Forge into wakefulness. The cave's entrance was guarded by – surprisingly – parasitic insects called Orbalisks, critters that fed on the Dark Side of the Force. Master Rudra taught him that the creatures were mostly inactive, lying in wait for any suitable hosts they could feed upon, namely Darkside users.

Aside from the sounds of wildlife, the Knight didn't hear the telltale noises made by active Orbalisks. Good.

Gesturing at the stone slab ahead, Haldir beckoned at the two Padawans to approach as the Knight himself stepped closer to the Forge's doors.

"The entrance to the Forge," he told the two quietly, almost reverently. "Opening this manually is – obviously – futile. My Master and I had to use the Force to push the doors open." Haldir held out a hand towards the doors, using whatever energy he could spare as he drew the Force within him and let the Light pour out from him in a calm stream. "Now then, let's take a shot at opening them. Here's hoping you're not tapping into the Dark Side, or the Orbalisks guarding the Forge might surely make a meal out of you."

It would be hard to ascertain if Haldir said the last part as a joke, but it served the purpose of being a word of caution nonetheless.

@Killa Ree @Nefieslab

 

[Crix Aran]

Crix was able to see the moments that defined Willa Kanz as a person and as a Jedi on Dxun within seconds of each other. The first was seeing her realize that the damage done to one of her eyes was worse than she might have originally believed. A flash of panic, of pain, before understanding and acceptance formed a core of determination that informed the next moment of her character. Looking her dead in the eye, Crix was entirely, deadly, serious as he took in the full measure of his friend through her sole-remaining eye.

He found what he was looking for.

"Yeah... yeah I think you will."

Responding to her declaration that she would walk, Crix allowed himself a grin as he saw it. The fire that burned inside of her was not something that could be put out through pain and adversity. That was the Wizz he had grown up with and he was damned glad to see it back fully for the first time since her last Master had died. Crix turned to Haldir and gave the Knight a nod in response to the acknowledgement that they would be continuing.

Spotting the hand signals behind Willa's back, Crix raised a single eyebrow as he mentally translated it. He shot back with a quick burst of hand signals of his own, drawing on the Ranger hand signals his mother had taught him.

One eye on her and one eye on you, Old Man.

As they made their way through the jungle, Crix held his lightsaber in his right hand but he didn't bother to ignite it. In his experience, Jungle Planets liked to feel as though he was challenging them before throwing more awful things at him. That this Jungle Planet had chosen to send those terrible things at his friend was not appreciated at all. Reaching the entrance to the lightsaber forge, Crix clipped his lightsaber back onto his belt and continued to walk forward.

The Orbalisks moved out of his way without issue, some of the small creatures running over his shoes but none of them so much as flinching. To them he might as well have been another wooden log, even as he reached into the Force and took a deep breath before latching onto the stone entrance. It began to shake as his own connection to it was established, ready to move once the other Jedi had connected in the same way.

"... can we hurry up? Their legs tickle."

@Killa Ree @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Willa Kanz]

She couldn't explain it, but she had the feeling both those boys were saying something behind her. Probably something about her hard head again. Barely resisting the temptation to roll her eye, she continued ahead, nodding once at Haldir's words. It was a shame he used the voice... Poet, was it?... over his own. She liked hearing him say it. She could feel her face heat again from those very words, but there wasn't time to process that sudden surge of feelings.

Crix saw through her. It was almost uncanny of him; since they were kids, he had that ability to read straight into the heart of her. Nothing could be a secret from him as long as they hung around. But...

Well... almost anything.

At the sight of the entrance, she drew in a breath, admiring from what she could still see. Her face, neck, and shoulders still throbbed, but at the Knight's words, she could feel comfort in the familiarity of the Light. She could relax into it, as naturally as breathing. Joining the other two in sending a steady stream towards the door, Orbalisks scurried past her. But her focus was on the entrance, and, with a deep groan, the doors began to shift, to open.

She was ready to prove herself worthy of the blade.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

With the three of them working together the doors to the Forge were lifted, giving the Jedi a glimpse of what lay behind them. A look of concentration passed over Haldir's face as he – with the aid of the Padawans – let the doors slide to the side, giving them access to the cave ahead. Letting the hand that reached out drop to his side, the Knight quietly gestured at the Forge's entrance before sitting down a fallen log a few steps by the cave mouth.

Willa and Crix would be safe inside, free to do what they were meant to do in the Forge in the first place. The Arkanian Offshoot decided that it would be better if he stayed here as a lookout, driving away whatever beast would be curious enough to approach the Forge. An Orbalisk skittered up his right leg but he paid the creature no heed.

"Go," he told the two, gaze briefly lingering on what remained of Willa's injuries, then at a spot past Crix's left shoulder. "I'll keep watch out here."

Perhaps it would be best to go with them inside, but Haldir didn't want either of the Padawans to see that he was a little exhausted – healing Willa's injuries had burned through his energy reserves and he had to take more than a moment to try and recuperate. There was no one to blame for the female Padawan's injury but himself, and even then he hadn't managed to fully mend her wounds as evidenced by the flashes of pain he could feel through the Force.

His efforts weren't enough, it seemed.

Taking a deep breath and looking up at the light filtering past the canopy of trees, Haldir did what he did best and shoved aside the self-blame for the moment.

"I'll wait for you both. Willa. Crix. Go."

Closing his eyes, the Knight contemplated on entering a meditative state to better ground himself in the Light of the Force while keeping his senses flung out as wide as he could. He rested well and easy within nature's fold, and despite the dangers posed by the wildlife Haldir presently embraced the life that surrounded him. He kept track of the two Padawans and would follow them through the Force as they made their way into the Forge.

His former Master used to say the phrase "I'll be there with you in spirit" whenever Haldir had to be sent on a mission under another Jedi's guidance. It was time Haldir himself would do the same thing for this new generation of Jedi he was accompanying.

@Killa Ree @Nefieslab

 

[Crix Aran]

The door was solid granite but with their combined efforts and the help of the Force, it was ultimately no obstacle. Instead the test was that their connection to the Force was purely through the Light; had it any trace of the Dark Side then the living protections would have sprung upon them and made sure to kill them after paralyzing them. An absolutely awful way to die but one that none of them had to worry about.

Crix raised an eyebrow once before nodding and moving inside with Willa. It wasn't any of his business why Haldir wanted to stay outside, not when he was going to be keeping a close eye on Willa. She was probably going to need to get used to having terrible depth perception... and he was very glad he hadn't said that aloud. No doubt he had saved himself the trouble of having his ears boxed in.

Stepping into the cave, he looked around for a moment before noting something; ancient Jedi were terrible interior designers.

There was the Forge itself, a workbench made entirely from granite, and a duo of statues that stood guard over the Forge but literally nothing else. Through the Force he could feel the presence of Kyber crystals within the Forge itself, hundreds or maybe even thousands of them. As he approached he noticed something he remembered from the writings.

"Bloody hell, it's still here?"

Atop the Forge was a lightsaber, complete and whole. Made from gleaming silver and dark black metals, Crix eyed it for a moment before placing a hand atop of it. It hummed in the Force, ready to be used and, somehow, still preserved through the ages.

"Huh, thought someone would have knicked it by now - they say the guy who set this place up left his lightsaber behind."

He picked up the saber, igniting the pale blue blade.

"... neat."

@Killa Ree @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Willa Kanz]

She stared at the blue blade with the one eye wide. She couldn't explain it, but she could feel it in her chest. Something about it called to her, pulled her closer to him. She took one step forward, then the other. She almost reached a hand out, but Crix's words cut through her daze. Grimacing, she shook her head once, turning away.

"Well, it still works. That's a good thing."

She wouldn't want something that ancient. Who knew if it would blow up the next time someone fiddled with it? No. She had to make her own. She had to prove her own mettle.

Taking a deep breath, she remembered Max's words, his guidance. The crystal wasn't just a hunk of rock; it was a mutual calling. she would have to find it herself.

She closed her other eye, and began reaching out through the Force. Feeling the hum of so many crystals around her; almost seen, even though she wasn't quite seeing---

A gasp cut through the Forge as both brows shot up. It was flickers, faint, outlines. But for a moment, she could almost swear she could see from both eyes. But it was like seeing in a way she never had before.

She stretched her hand out, and felt something hum for her. She began to move towards the sensation as it grew in her thoughts.

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

It did still work and that probably said something about the construction of the blade or, maybe, it said something about the place they were in? He didn't really know enough about the abilities of ancient Force Users to make a judgement call about it so he didn't. Instead he just kind of shrugged and set the lightsaber right back down where he found it.

"Good for parts if you want anything from it." he said in the end as he started rooting around in some of the stone drawers for something else, "I doubt it was left here for any greater purpose."

Or maybe it was? He didn't really know enough about the history of the place to say either way. Instead he focused on constructing a shoto-saber from the parts that were available. It was different for him than it was for Willa because, at this point, he had already had the vision quest to receive his own crystal. Instead of doing it again for the shoto, he was able to take a shortcut so to speak.

Reaching out a hand, he closed his eyes and began to meditate on which of the various crystals would work best in tandem with the one within his main lightsaber. It was less personal, in a way, than Willa's own journey because each crystal he encountered was checked over for compatibility with himself and with his current saber crystal.

Like they were trying to pick out a suitable third in a threesome or something.

Spoiler: OOC

Did an extra post just to keep it moving since Haldir is just outside during this part

@Forsythe Crowholde @Killa Ree

 

[Willa Kanz]

It was like flickers, pulses of light with every step. She could almost see Crix even as she moved away, but it wasn't quite seeing... trippy. But she needed a crystal of her own, she had to build her own lightsaber and begin the path to being a Knight. She promised her friend, after all, she wouldn't let him go this journey entirely alone.

She continued reaching out in the Force, following the call. Soon, her fingers brushed against something cool. Something that seemed to hum beneath her fingertips, and as she reached out with the Force, there was reciprocation, an answer. Pulling it close, she opened her one eye and stared at it for a moment.

It was time to forge, it seemed.

Walking back, cradling it in her hand, she set it down on the Forge, then took a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's get started."

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

He'd found it in a drawer... but if anyone asked he was definitely going to be telling them that he found it at the end of some grueling quest that had seen him overcoming his failings as a Jedi and finding his own truths at the end. Of course, at the end of that fictitious quest he would find out that the truth and power had been inside him all along and he just needed to believe in himself some more.

Crix was honestly looking forward to finding out just how many people would actually buy that.

Humming to himself, one of Willa's old songs actually, Crix reached out with the Force and began the actual construction of the shoto lightsaber with enthusiasm.

"Oh you're shining so brightly baby girl... come on... squeeze just a little more - I know it's a tight fit but we can make it fit..."

Did he have to make it sound dirty?

Absolutely not but he was having fun with it as he hummed and sang along to the old song of Willa's own creation.

"Hit me with your best shot~!" he muttered to himself as the saber came together, some polish bone of some kind of animal almost melting and flowing like a liquid to help finish it off, "You're a pretty girl... beautiful even..."

Holding it in his hand, he ignited the shorter, pointed, blade with a grin that grew wider at the green glow of the crystal.

"Yeah... yeah you're coming home with me."

@Killa Ree @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Willa Kanz]

She hadn't realized she'd begun humming with him, when the first few bars reached her ears, until the words registered. And just as it always did, her traitorous heart thumped hard, hard almost enough to hurt, before she swallowed down the emotion. She had to keep a handle on things here, had to keep a lid on her emotions around Crix.

She had to move away from this one-sided love thing to keep her sanity. It may have made for good music, but it was shitty living it.

"Need a room alone?" she joked, beginning to look for components of her own. She couldn't explain it, but she could almost see it in her mind's eye. Elegant, yet simple. Though it may have lacked color, the lines to it would be good to grip, with one last touch she had to give.

Floating from a pouch on her side, she held a shard from the container Max was going to make into a Holocron. Eyeing it for a moment with her good eye, she felt her throat close a moment, and her hand trembled. It was the first step... the first honor she would give him, and her way of beginning to say goodbye. To thank the man who was her first Master, and the first adult who treated her with genuine kindness. For a moment, her hand closed around it, and even through the pain, her eyes squeezed closed. She gripped tightly, face clenched in grief...

And then she let it go. It slotted into place on the handle. No matter what, then, a piece of her Master would linger on. "Force be with you, old coot Max," she muttered, then began to put the other pieces together. An elegant, simple design, best suited for a Jedi. No... a Knight. With this, she would become a Knight. A Shadow, or a diplomat... in either way, she would honor his memory no matter what.

Clipping it to her belt, she cleared her throat once.

"You ready, Crix? Let's go."

@Nefieslab @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Crix Aran]

"You're just jealous of our bond and our deep, pulsing, relationship."

... he paused for a moment before sighing as he extinguished his blades.

"Alright, I was kinda reaching for that one and it turned out kinda weak, my bad."

Crix wasn't stubborn enough to act like he had made a good joke when he had literally dropped the ball so hard. Instead he owned up to it and made his way back over to the entrance. What Willa was experiencing was best experienced alone - he would not intrude like some kind of asshole. Instead he waved to Haldir from the entrance as he strapped his new shoto-lightsaber to his waist.

"I'm all kitted out and Willa is just wrapping up."

There was a joke about Haldir's bandaged appearance in there ready to be made but Crix was above such low hanging fruit... most of the time. He was above it right now and that was what mattered. Seeing that Willa was done, Crix held out his shoto for her to inspect while holding out his other hand to her.

"You show me yours, I'll show you mine?"

@Killa Ree @Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Willa Kanz]

She rolled her eye at his word, then winced at the sparks of pain that still pulled through that side of her face. For a moment... she'd forgotten. She lifted her hand as though to touch her face again, then lowered it, shaking her head. It was time to leave.

By the time she had, she took in the light, how much time had passed. She hadn't felt it, finding her crystal or building the blade hilt, but she could feel it now, and wobbled on her feet a moment as fresh air filled her lungs. Suddenly... it all felt heavy. Real, responsible. What she held in her hands was a tool that could heal, or kill, with the flick of an emitter. Not like her training saber, but something more.

Then again, her life changed the moment she stepped on that ship outta Coruscant. "Ready to go, Master Eressëa," she spoke up, then glanced at Crix's own weapon. A glint of humor glinted in her eye, and she held out her own hilt to him. "I think mine's bigger," came the reply with a smirk, but she looked to the meditating Knight... and considered asking him something. But it would have sounded pathetic if she asked it now, in front of her friend no less... another time.

After she healed.

Looking over his own hilt, she had to admire his handiwork. Though, it did look a bit... suggestive. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling, instead nodding sagely. "Very good, very... light." Handing it back, she glanced to where the Skreev had been. For a moment, she connected with the beast, and was sad to see that it had gone... but perhaps, there would be another time.

There would be other beasts to tame.

"Good to go, Master?"

@Forsythe Crowholde @Nefieslab

 

[Haldir Eressëa]

Three.

There were a few things that could be said about Haldir Eressëa, but being overtly intrusive wasn't one of them. More often than not the other Knights and few Masters on the Temple held no solid opinion about the masked Arkanian Offshoot, although they all unanimously agreed that not only was he introverted, he also seemed to either shy or push away company.

One of them was true while the other was simply an unintended effect of his aloof nature.

Five.

If he avoided interactions of any kind, he shouldn't have returned to the Temple and instead went on as a wandering Jedi. If he avoided interactions of any kind, he shouldn't have lent a hand to the healers in the Temple. If he avoided interactions of any kind, he shouldn't be here, watching over two Padawans travel to the Lightsaber Forge in the heart of the metaphorical hellscape that was Dxun's jungles.

Seven.

Haldir gazed at the Orbalisk that had settled on his right knee, the humble creature seemingly content in resting on the Knight. He counted the minutes Crix and Willa spent in the Forge, the pulses of what seemed to be approval and tranquility washing over him through the Force as the two Padawans sought and found the crystals for their respective sabers. He kept his presence on surface level, not wanting to intrude on the connections they found and made as they constructed their lightsabers. He was neither's Master, and he instinctively knew that the feelings they poured into the forging of their weapons were best kept to themselves. Haldir was only their guide and protector, nothing more.

Besides, wasn't that his duty as a Knight? To put the future of the Jedi Order's education and safety above his own?

A porcelain hand hovered over the Orbalisk on his leg, fingers delicately skimming the creature's back. He rested while he could as he waited.

Nine.

Haldir heard Crix before he saw the latter, one brow rising at the word 'wrapping'. A pun, perhaps? He didn't hold it against the half-Zabrak, however – he seemed to be the joker type in his group of friends. Haldir would be surprised if he wasn't. Scooping the sleeping Orbalisk, the Knight shifted and turned on his seat so he was facing the Forge's entrance. Pale blue eyes briefly scanned the new shoto-lightsaber now strapped to the Padawan's waist before offering the latter a nod.

When Willa emerged from the Forge Haldir's gaze immediately gravitated towards her left eye. It was still closed. The Knight's gaze then settled on her face, his expression neutral when she called him Master. While her attention was immediately drawn to Crix and the two began to compare sabers, his thoughts revolved around something else. It wasn't uncommon for a Knight to be addressed as such by a Padawan, but there was something different in the way Willa used the title on him.

He had contemplated taking her under his wing so she could continue her training. Perhaps she was thinking the same?

Willa did not ask, though, and so Haldir wouldn't. At least not now, not yet. He might have been socially inept but even the Knight himself knew that there was a proper time for things like this. He respected her silence, and, with a polite incline of his head at her continued use of the honorific, offered her – and Crix – a smile that usually didn't reach his eyes.

"Yes, Willa," replied the Knight to her question, still using the voice of Rudra's firstborn.

Haldir gently placed the Orbalisk on the log and he rose to his feet. There were a few things he wanted to say before they closed the entrance to the Forge once more and leave, however. A few things that would matter more when they were said now rather than later.

"Well done, you two," he congratulated them with a respectful nod. "We may have met trouble along the way, but you persevered and pushed on despite the perils we have faced. You have reached your goal, and have yielded the fruits of your labor."

He gestured at their new sabers.

"Your Masters would be very proud of you two."

Spoiler: OOC

We good to wrap this up? :)

@Killa Ree @Nefieslab