Ask Just a Little Bit

[Darth Tiamat]

He finally gave his explanation to the dance and how it related to combat; she looked back into his eyes before she withdrew from him and returned. She didn't speak, but she was listening, hungry for more. There were rare moments that she did enjoy her training and they were the surprises from him that demonstrated he knew more about her than she did herself. She felt vulnerable but they were also vulnerabilities her enemies could exploit and pushed her to be stronger.

Lyra leaned back in her dip, arching her back to feel the stretch through her core. The world turned upside down and she closed her eyes until she felt a tug and she pulled herself back up. She gave him a coy grin; she wanted her enemies to be terrified of what she was capable of doing. In fact, she would enjoy them pressing those limits to see what she is exactly capable of accomplishing.

They continued to dance for a moment longer and then he released her; Lyra broke away in a pique turn to distance herself from Emryc. The redhead looked at him, waiting for his next instruction as he reassured she knew what to do. He continued the dance without her, the pole moved in a control motion while he trusted himself. He knew where he stood and where he were to step next; and it was clear the pole was not separate from this dance, they moved together in one synchronous motion.

Lyra caught the wooden weapon and she inhaled deeply; it would be like she knew best, the repetitive practices that refined and eventually perfected her abilities. The performance would awe those who would watch the final show. The beauty was there, she knew how to show it, death would be the reward of her opponents.

Her opener took her directly to Emryc, within several steps Lyra was in striking distance. She did not use the brute of the swing to overpower, instead a a swift slash that would angle diagonally, crossing over his heart. But in any dance, she did not pause, the performance was not done and everyone must know how to play their part. He would either move to stay with her dance, or he would struggle and be overrun by the better performer.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

When she came at him with the weapon this time, he could already see there was a difference. There was a difference in her movements, but there was an entirely different layer of confidence that hadn’t been there before. He drew his own makeshift weapon to defend as she came in. He blocked her incoming strike perpendicularly, pressing off to pivot to her flank. This time, she moved with him as they repeated their dance.

The clash of the two different poles echoed throughout the forest, and he could tell she was actually beginning to enjoy it. Through it all, he held her gaze, “You can see in your enemy’s eyes what they will do,” He said as he predicted one of her parries, swinging the bottom of the pole to slam against her leg, “Your mind has to be clear and serene through it all,” He ducked from an incoming blow, spinning around to end up behind her, “You are a ship that can be swayed by the waves, but never sunk.”

They would continue for hours, Emryc pushing her to her limits and then beyond. Through it all, he kept his measured and collected demeanor, having done this for as long as he could remember.

The sun had set by the time he finally allowed for a recess. He called her weapon back to himself, “You did well today,” He said curtly. Nothing more. Nothing less. He spun on his heel and walked away then.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

There were moments in her training that the acolyte would lose track of time. Her days blended together from weeks to months as she continued her training. Though there were also the days that seemed like they dragged on forever and she had even begun to wonder if someone was playing tricks in their own amusement. It would not surprise her of course; she had come across some other darkside students who tried to best her either in jest or maliciousness, sometimes both. Today unfortunately would be a slow day. Up early, she had been reading tomes related to arcane magic and what felt like an hour was only a few minutes of reading.

Lyra rubbed her face and decided to refocus her mind elsewhere. It was still hours until she was supposed to meet with her pointed-ear teacher but she decided she would just wait. She wrapped her red hair into a bun atop of her head and tied it in place with an extra piece of cloth and double checked her appearance. First a relaxed smile and then ensuring her stern face could be as intimidating as her teacher's own stare, which was not.

At the very least she could practice her brooding so she could hold some leverage in the intimidation arena. Lyra sat in their morning rendezvous point, legs crossed, her chin held up with palm as she propped it with an elbow to the knee. The air was crisp and she found the silence different outside compared to her quarters and finding it ideal for meditation.

Though as she slid into the depths of herself, the rest of her soon would turn to sleep, leaving her unaware of her master's approach.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

She had come a long way since being the girl that stumbled into his life with a bleeding nose. There wasn’t a single break given to her, and she faced her trials as they came. There had been times where she broke down, but he forced her to keep going. There had been times where she had cried and pleaded to walk away from it, but she prevailed in the end. Her combat and Force skills both had improved dramatically, and she earned the right to be called Sith.

Emryc arrived a bit early today - he had been away for a few days. He hadn’t told her about his second pronged attack on the Ajan Kloss temple and his hand in slaying the Grandmaster. He had kept her relatively excluded from his personal ventures thus far, waiting for the right moments to include her. There was no doubt that she would have heard excited whispers by now, and people casting more glances than usual his way. He had returned with a Jedi holocron that he had stashed on his ship.

Emryc came over to their usual meeting point, trying not to wince as he walked. Every wound on his back had been torn open and many of them still hadn’t healed yet. He spotted her right away and could tell she had been there for some time. Her head was leaned into her palm and eyes were closed.

He said nothing, observing her quietly for a moment. He slowly turned to look over at the rising sun ahead and moved to sit on a rock near her. It was peaceful and quiet here, one of the key reasons he had selected this place. Thoughts of the temple ran through his mind and the Jedi actions that would surely follow. He wondered what expectations the Eternal would have of him and where his own ambitions lay.

He didn’t bother waking her, and he figured if she dozed off enough she’d topple over and wake up regardless. Instead, he opened up a bag of grapes he had brought over as snacks, popping them into his mouth as he watched the sun over the horizon.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Sinking into a deeper sleep, her elbow eventually gave out and Lyra jerked awake and immediately felt Emryc's presence. Uncertain for how long she had been sleeping, the acolyte jumped to her feet and then sunk into a kneel in respect for her Master with her head bowed, "Master, I apologize, it will never happen again." Lyra humbled herself, speaking softly as she admitted her mistake of succumbing to sleep. Her finger tips dug into the cool dirt and she stole a glance to him awaiting for their next instruction. The Force subtly moved around her as she looked for anything that would give her a clue as to what he would do or say. She knew after these years it was a futile effort, but she would try anyways.

However, she felt something different and Lyra was unable to place a finger on what it was, "I heard rumors on Ajan Kloss," she started, stealing another glance before bowing her head, "I am glad you have returned, I was not enthused to the idea of finding someone else to finish my training." Lyra did not delve into the details of the rumors, the Force would tell her what was truth and what was a lie. If she were honest with herself, if he would have perished on such an attack, she would have questioned the quality of her training. To lead such a bold attack, one had to know what they were doing, there was no room for errors in judgement.

"What will you have me do today?" she asked.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc didn’t bother looking at her as she quickly knelt. His gaze was still on the horizon, the rays of the sun reflected on the surface of his silver eyes. He was still reeling from Ajan Kloss, the streaks more gold now today than ever before. He continued sitting in silence, popping grapes into his mouth. He heard her mention the temple shortly after, finishing up the bag of grapes and crumpling it up.

He rose from the rock then, finally turning to look at her. He had grown several inches in the time during their training, the Sephi side of him ensuring that he would have huge growth spurts as he aged. He regarded her quietly for a moment, “Are you glad?” He asked with amusement dancing in his eyes. Emryc hadn’t engaged her in conversation since they had arrived on the planet, nothing beyond commands and teaching her the principles of being Sith.

Emryc spun on his heel and began to walk as he often did, expecting her to fall into step, “We will be going to Tatooine,” It would be the first time since arrival that she would be leaving the planet, “Bring your vibroblade and pack for a week.”

He said little else, making his way over to his ship.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He questioned her choice of words, finding it amusing and Lyra was uncertain of his intent. She couldn't remember the last time he had joked with her, if he ever joked with her since they met. So, the redhead quickly corrected herself, "Relieved." Her stoic features did not change to match his amusement as she spoke softly. He rose from where he was sitting and started to walk.

The acolyte jumped to her feet and joined him, her gaze keeping ahead as she listened, her hands clasped behind her back. She nearly stumbled over self when he announced they would be leaving for Tatooine and her own cold gaze would lighten "Tatooine? Yes, Master!" she tried to quickly think what was on that world of sand, but did not bother and instead was already racing back to her quarters to gather her belongings.

It was her first trip off world since having arrived on Eriadu years earlier. Her heart pounded with excitement as she quickly put together a week of supplies as he had suggested. She paused feeling her joy and eagerness distracting her mind and took a deep breath, scolding herself for knowing better, especially with having fallen asleep and leaving him waiting, blurting out with emotion, and now she was being far from the acolyte she wanted to be. She squeezed her fists tightly, feeling her nails dig into her palms until she felt the cold wash through her body and she could return to her teacher.

With her pack over her shoulder, she approached his ship, but something felt odd about. The closer she got, the stronger the feeling, an opposite sensation in the Force. It made her uncomfortable, but the unfamiliarity also brought curiosity. Climbing the ramp, she signaled her presence, but left him to his own devices in the cockpit while she found elsewhere to tuck away for the trip.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The journey to Tatooine had been largely uneventful. He had kept his room off limits where the holocron had been stashed. He knew it would nag at the girl for the duration of the trip, but unless she asked, he wouldn’t mention anything. He had been to Tatooine only once or twice before, the barren planet having had historical significance several times over. It was a lot more packed nowadays because of tourism and desires to visit the Lars homestead. Economy had been booming on the planet for some time.

Emryc parked down at a busy space port, switching off the ship and moving to stand. Instead of walking out the main exit he bade for the girl to follow him towards the cargo hold. Emryc used the Force to call his saber to his hip, clasping it on as the doors opened. There was a swoop bike parked there that he and Renfry had stolen from an Imperial Remnant base on a planet in the unknown regions. It was in excellent shape and looked as if it cost a fortune.

He said nothing to her as he swung a leg over and waited for her to climb on behind him. The ramp door slid up as he revved up the engine before jetting out of the ship. The door closed behind him as they began to coast through the desert roads, whizzing past the local population and the abundance of tourists. It was going to be a decently long journey as he had somewhere obscure in mind for them.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The nag was relentless throughout the trip and Lyra felt herself on the edge of losing her temper by the time they arrived on Tatooine. Her meditations were interrupted, her sleep was plagued with people she did not wish to visit her in her subtle moments of calm, and she swore she saw someone else on the ship also at some point. Luckily they would exit hyperspace before Lyra would decide to break down Emryc's door to get to it.

Tatooine served a purpose in the history books she had read, not as significant as to what the Sith believed to be, but it would be more holy ground to the Jedi that followed in the footsteps of the Skywalker legacy. She gathered her pack and joined Emryc in the cockpit as he took the ship to one of the busier spaceports. She remained silent, it was always more comfortable to do so, plus she was not in the mood to recite history epics if she did speak, which she found was the case that if she were going to talk, it better be on Sith History.

Lyra followed Emryc, the girl had to do a double-take to the bike he had in his cargo hold. She knew he liked nice things, but it was always shocking to see what he had acquired, and regarding speeder bikes, she was more than willing to get on. She knew it was not about riding the swoop bike through the desert, but Lyra enjoyed it nonetheless, feeling herself grin widely as they weaved through the port city and headed into the desert.

Where are heading? the Force stirred with her thoughts, knowing he would not hear a thing physically if she would try to speak over the wind. She tried to think what else was on Tatooine that would be significant, her mind flipping through the pages of history or anything he had lectured her about.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Before he took off, Emryc had pulled out a bandana to tie over his mouth and nose, handing another to the girl without explaining. It wasn’t till they had been driving for a moment that it became clear why - grains of sand and dust kicked up all around them, “Hold on to me,” He commanded as visibility became all but nil. He had to power through, able to maneuver only because he had extensively studied the map and route while flying here.

It took some time to get through the storm and they were making their way through the Jundland Wastes. It was almost exclusively barren for a long time until there was a sudden line of speeders parked. Emryc slowed down slightly as he drove past the line and came to a stop to point at a place further away near the Lars homestead. It had huge groups of people crowded around it.

“Do you know what that is?” He asked, quizzing her. Despite what she may think, he had no intentions of kicking her off and ditching her if she got it wrong. Jedi history was just as important to learn, and he had every intention of including her when he opened the holocron.

Emryc didn’t linger there too long, revving up and speeding off further into the wasteland. Their path took them closer to a large valley and canyons, and he finally moved to park the speeder. Emryc hopped off, motioning for the girl to follow. It was a decent hike to make their way down until they arrived to where they could see a cave in the distance.

“This will be a trial,” Emryc explained, turning to face her, “There is a krayt dragon in there. It guards something very valuable within the cave. I need you to destroy the dragon and retrieve the pearl of its ancestor,” He explained as if he were telling her to go pick up a pizza. He turned to look at the cave again. The dragon itself wasn’t too large, not one of the greater krayts. He could only hope that Lyra paid attention when he reviewed all the different species and fauna of the galaxy with her. Practical knowledge for survival was a crucial part of his training.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra hung on tightly as they hit the sand storm, even with the bandana, it was difficult to breath and see. She buried her face into his back to shield her skin from being needled by the sand grains. It worked somewhat, she was still uncomfortable, though she would let her thoughts drift elsewhere, waiting for them to race out of the storm. Even in perilous situations, Emryc smelled good and she wished more Sith would follow in habit of wearing good smelling cologne.

As they shot out from the storm, Lyra looked up when they slowed, seeing the speeder lines as they took an adjacent route which still gave them view of the homestead below. He quizzed her, "The son of Skywalker was raised there...the..." she narrowed her eyes, the answer on the tip of her tongue, "Lars homestead!"

The speeder took off and Lyra hung on tightly, still curious to know where they would be heading. Though that curiosity would die as soon as they stopped near the canyons. She silently wished they were not artifact hunting, the idea of lurking around long dead worship grounds was not her definition of interesting, but would put up with it. Lyra looked at the cave ahead of them and her senses told her something was different and Emryc's explanation would confirm. He made it sound so easy and she could barely remember anything about krayt dragons from their lessons other than they were big. Her stomach sank with mild regret.

Her feelings of uneasiness would betray the confidence she would project, making it sound like it was as easy as he made it sound to be. Lyra adjusted her pack, "Incapacitate a lizard, get a pearl, and ride off into the sunset. Got it." she nodded and turned on her heel, heading toward the cave.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked at her as she casually rattled off what to do, doing her best to keep it together. He scowled when he looked at her, “It is foolish to act as if you’re not afraid,” He said flatly, “Fear is what can keep you alive. Use it to your advantage, let it become your instinct. Wield it as a weapon like I have taught you,” He paused to see if she had anything else to say before nodding at her to advance. He would only step in if needed, but this was her trial to overcome.

There was no immediate movement from the cave and she would have to delve deeper in to figure out a strategy to face the krayt. The beast was overly protective of the pearl, and it had come out to eat a few of the locals before. Currently it snoozed within the cave, but any movement would rouse it and cause it to attack. She could either lure it out or face it in the cave.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

She was scolded for her response and her checks nearly turned as bright as her hair. She kicked herself for knowing better; he was right, it was a lesson given to her several times, but had yet for it to stick. She bowed her head in response, trust her fear, it was instinct. She looked back up to see his nod and she dropped her pack at his feet, leaving just herself and her vibroblade. Lyra exhaled slowly, turning to face the cave and approached cautiously.

The Force rippled around the acolyte, her senses taking in her surroundings, more so what she could feel beneath her feet. She noted the patterns in the sand, looking for signs of recent disturbances as well as the bones of carcasses that littered the cave entrance, the scratches from its claws along the canyon's rocky walls, and of course the orange streaks of dried venom patterned on top of the sand. She was more worried about the creature spraying her with digested fluid than having it eat her.

Creatures retreated to their caves when they were feeling threatened, or worse, have a nest deep inside to protect their offspring. She stopped just short of the mouth of the cave and she danced her fingers tips as though she were playing an instrument and readied herself. There was a silence that seemed to fall on the entire area as the girl waited and felt for a shift in her instincts.

However, nothing came and Lyra stood there quietly, a slight puzzlement came over her as she quickly adjusted her plan to lure out her prey. The Force suddenly rippled, the waves crashing against living creatures that may have been in the area as Lyra took hold of the Force and in effect, the temperature slowly begun to drop regardless of how brightly the twin suns shone. The acolyte took a few steps back, feeling something stir beneath her feet; surely if the temperature was cooler out here, inside the cave would have a drastic temperature change and it became pressing for the dragon to seek heat for its own survival.

Lyra gritted her teeth, feeling the creature approach, but she knew it was resisting, it wanted to continue its retreat inside to protect what it was hiding, but also it needed to get to heat for its own self-preservation. It would of course chose the latter as it climbed outside the cave and Lyra gasped at awe at the monstrous lizard. It was more than she imagined as it let out a scream with its horned head retched high, but as it's body rippled underneath the twin suns, it spotted the tiny acolyte.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

The dragon had been in deep sleep, and it was furious to be awake. It was about 12 ft tall, smaller than average but still quite lethal. The dragon spotted the intruder almost at once, charging directly at her. All four feet pounded through the ground, the earth trembling beneath her feet.

If it wasn’t stopped, the dragon would open its jaws wide and chomped down on her whole. There were several large boulders around her and the cave itself, but not too much cover outside of that.

Emryc remained where he was, watching from higher up. He reached into the folds of his clothing, pulling out a flask of his strong alcohol mix. He popped off the top and took a sip as he watched the show.

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Lyra inhaled deeply and her eyes narrowed in focus and determination as the creature charged directly at her. She readied herself, feeling the dark tendrils of the Force crawl through her body, her world almost seemed to slow as she moved significantly faster out of the creature's path, letting it pass her as it ran. Its powerful jaws came down where she once stood and it threw back its head, letting out another roar as the sand grains flowed from between its large teeth.

Though its roar would be cut with a whine of pain and surprise as Lyra hurled one of the boulders at the creature's side, sending the dragon onto its side. Lyra quickly sprinted to the dragon, seeing its underbelly exposed, but it thrashed in the sand, its tail covered in sharp spiked protrusions whipped from side to side, stopping the young acolyte from getting any further. She raised her arm to cover herself from the falling sand, a futile attempt, but enough to keep it out of her eyes. The dragon was back on its feet, Lyra now stood between it and its cave, readying itself to charge the acolyte again.

She was not going to let it seek the safety it desired behind her. The primal rage and fear that controlled the creature's instincts was not a match to Lyra's power and as it pushed off against the sand and charged again, roaring. The acolyte let out a yell in response and threw out her palms, raising them in front of her; the darkness fell heavily in the area and the creature seemed to defy gravity as it rose from the ground, her blue eyes flickered with gold and the dragon was slammed into one of the larger boulders adjacent to the one she had thrown at it earlier.

The screech it would let out was clearly one of pain, no longer asserting who owned this territory. Lyra approached again, vibroblade drawn as the creature thrashed on the ground, trying to move back to its feet. The acolyte was not quick enough in her approach as it used its tail to defend itself, catching the girl as she tried to duck out of the way, nicking her arm, shoulder and back. It stung terribly and the sudden cooling told her she was bleeding. The girl gritted her teeth, backing up and the dragon backed up also, getting ready for another charge, hopefully one that would allow it to find security of its cave.

However, where the dragon stood offered Lyra an advantage, her focus turned to the two boulders on either side of the creature; the dragon reared its head back again, letting out a cry and Lyra sharply rose her palms, the Force in her command as the two boulders snapped together like magnets, the dragon's neck in the center of the collision.

There was an echo of bone crunching through the canyon, the venom it was ready to spurt in defense dribbled from its mouth as the creature fell to the ground in a dead weight. Blood oozed from its agape jaw, it was still alive while suffocating slowly and Lyra approached, rotating her wrist and her vibroblade as she plunged it up underneath its chin. The creature's body went limp, granting it death. However, her job was not done as she turned to the cave to retrieve the pearl it supposedly was guarding. In the cave, Lyra picked up a smaller bone of a deceased creature and made a torch with a scrap of her shirt and a spark aided by the Force, giving her enough light to see where she was going.

While the dragon laid dead outside the cave, Lyra was still cautious as she descended. Her face contorted from the stench that had settled; it had to be a combination of decay and dragon feces, but it would not stop her as she reached the nest. The torch was dimming, but she hoped the dragon's pearl had lustrous surface that would hint of its location if the light hit it. She slowly moved the torch as she stepped until she did see it, a crimson sphere nearly covered in dirt. Lyra had to dig around the object to loosen it free until she was able to grasp it in her palm. Lyra paused, feeling the weight of her success and admiring the beauty of the stone.

When Lyra would exit the cave, she was relieved to take a deep breath of fresh air, the crimson pearl in her possession.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched as the fight played out, the dragon stomping about and taking any opportunity it could to attack. The girl was quick on her feet, and his eyes followed her every move. There were tense moments where he thought for sure she would fail. His hand gripped a nearby boulder, knuckles turning chalk white as his jaw tightened. He visibly jerked when the tail found purchase to strike her, and he had to calm his mind at once.

After what felt like a tense eternity, she finally had the beast where she wanted, using the Force to pin it before delivering the final blow. Emryc smiled at the creature’s dying wail, rising up from where he was as she disappeared into the cave. By the time she arrived, he would be waiting for her with a bag over his shoulder.

Emryc gestured over to a flat, elevated rock nearby, “Sit,” He commanded. Once she did, he walked behind her, pushing her clothing away to reveal her back and arm to him. He brushed her hair out of the way. Emryc worked methodically, taking out a medpack as he began to patch her up. His touch was surprisingly gentle as the bacta was applied, “You did well,” He said quietly, his gaze focused on the rather ugly wounds.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

He stood waiting for her in front of the cave and the acolyte discarded her torch, having served its purpose. She reached out for her pack, but he directed her to sit instead. The girl didn't argue, she was feeling the adrenaline begin to wash from her system and her limbs were starting to feel heavy. She sat crisscrossed on the stone's surface, allowing for Emryc to work on the wounds on her back. She twisted her red locks over her shoulder to keep from blowing in his way and winced even as gently as he pulled on the fabric away from the wounds on her back.

She grinned when he praised her though, it distracted her from the ache until he was able to apply the bacta. It felt like a rare occasion when he did tell her she did something well, it was enough to keep her going, but not so much that she became too overconfident of her abilities and talents. Lyra opened her mouth to respond, but inhaled sharply when addressed the next wound. She decided to focus on his presence and touch instead, allow it to ease the pain for her to speak.

"Thank you, I want to do well so when I can fight in battle, I will not let you down or...even the Dark Lord in that matter." Lyra responded quickly adding the last bit; though if she were honest with herself, her loyalty lied with him before the Dark Lord. Their connection and bond as apprentice and Master was stronger than any shallow loyalty to Lords she had never met face to face. Part of her felt guilt for this divided loyalty, but it was honesty. She studied the crimson pearl in her palm, "I don't want you to worry that I would be inadequate if I fight by your side. There are so many better warriors, but I would love to fight by your side one day." she paused and frowned, "Do you worry about me?" she asked him.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

It took a few minutes to finish working on the wounds, and once he had, he pulled her clothing back on. He heard her speak during it, not offering any words in return for a while. This was something she was used to by now - there were many questions that never yielded answers. There were many phrases that simply got a blank look from him.

After a moment, he walked around to face her. He gazed at her for a moment before he dropped down to one knee to be more level with her, “Worry about your allegiance to yourself before your allegiance to anyone else,” He said quietly, silver eyes gazing into her blue ones that had remnants of gold in them, “At the end of the day, it was you who survived the nexus on Eriadu. It was you that went through all the teachings. It was you that overcame the dragon today. I can only show you the path, I cannot walk it for you.”

Emryc gave her a genuine smile as he thought of her last question, “I worry more for dummy Dona if she comes across you again,” He looked over at the pearl, “That will become the heart of a weapon you will create,” His gaze met hers again, “When you construct your lightsaber.”

Emryc rose to stand again, "I would be honored to have you fight by my side."

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

It was not often that he would answer her questions, sometimes it ranged from minutes, hours, days...most of the time, he didn't answer them at all. The silence didn't bother the acolyte though and when he was finished, Lyra released her hair, letting it blow in the heated winds and begun to push herself up from her seat when he knelt down in front of her, speaking.

He reminded her of her allegiance to herself before anyone else as well as her accomplishments being of her own. She felt herself leaning forward, being swallowed by his silver eyes as he gazed into her own. The smile that crossed his face was different from one's she had seen before; she wanted to reach out and brush his check with her fingers, but instead he moved onto the fate of dummy Dona if they were to cross paths again. Lyra smiled and nodded, glancing back at her palm, feeling herself sit a little more straighter in recalling everything she had overcome so far.

Emryc explained the purpose of the pearl and Lyra nearly shot up from her seat in excitement, but her wounds still fresh, the slightest sudden movement caused her to inhale sharply and sink. Lyra opted for a slower rise instead, tucking the pearl into her pack as she slung it over the opposite shoulder, keeping pressure off her injury. He also stood, mentioning how he felt about her fighting by his side and another smile broke across her face. Lyra glanced at Emryc and then back down at her feet, her smile quickly fading as her thoughts moved elsewhere feeling suddenly vulnerable around him.

"I have a question," she quickly moved on, "When we first met, I did not really mind-trick you into going to the mall?" she asked, though she was certain she knew the answer, his mentioning of Dona sparked the thought. It was something she thought about every so often, but never found the moment to ask.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc watched the smile spread across her face, not something he had seen very often. It almost caught him off guard, but there was no external change in expression from him. He was particular about what his face revealed, and he had a strict measure of control over it most of the time.

He began to walk back towards the bike when she asked her question. The question itself actually gave him pause, and he turned to look at her with amusement glinting in his eyes, “You wanted to go to the mall….and we went to the mall. Does it matter the means of persuasion?” He left it at that, turning to walk back towards the bike.

Emryc hopped on, waiting for her to get on as well, “We can stop at Mos Eisley for tonight,” He explained as he revved up the engine, “Your wounds should get better by tomorrow.”

With that, he set off and back towards civilization. The twin suns were beginning to set over the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant mix of orange, pink and blue. Hilariously, they were doing exactly what she had sarcastically said when they arrived here.

@GABA