Ask The Shaman

[Renfry]

Renfry's travels throughout the galaxy were primarily centered around finding other sects that followed the Shadow. She knew the galaxy was all connected, and though Dathomir may have been at the center of the magical energy that flowed through the galaxy, there was a great deal of other teachings out there.

Her travels had taken her to Felucia, a world that wasn't entirely unlike Dathomir. It pulsed with the Force and the jungle bound locals were acute sensitive to it. She had not traveled to the small, organized villages, but to the jungles. The Felucians native to the jungles were typically hostile to outsiders, but Renfry had won them over in short order owed to their semi-similar cultures.

They had fed her, housed her, and taught her of their ways in exchange for her skills in magick.

It had been several weeks that she'd been here and had begun to grow accustomed to it. She doubted she would remain much longer, but she might return one day.

The morning was surprisingly beautiful, a cool wind blowing through the jungles as she emerged from her hut to the sounds of commotion at the edge of the encampment. The perimeter sentries were disturbed by something or someone approaching. She thought she picked up the word "outsider" but her Felucianese still left a great deal to be desired.

 

[Darth Invictus]

While Ender attempted his best, whatever darkness that had plagued his mind still lingered. It could tap into his emotions and make his anger palpable but it made him lose control and he wanted the parasite vanquished from his head. The memories of the doctor resurfaced and the scar that lined his back ached momentarily but he hoped this would be the last time he ever felt that feeling.

His travels took him to Felucia, a planet that was never worth his attention until now. There were stories of a shaman finding refuge in a local village deep in the thriving jungle and could wield the powers of magik. Ender had the sense it wasn't a Jedi and regarding his parasite, he was ready to pick the desperate options to pull it out. Practically medicine no longer worked and it was time for the extreme. The journey through the jungle was hard but when he finally arrived at the rumored encampment, he was immediately greeted by locals who aimed their crude weapons at him and shouted in Felucianese.

Ender was dressed in a cloak that covered his body and armaments, a hood masking his features as well. The weapons were just a nuisance to him and he would glance around eagerly while skipping over anyone that didn't match the description. When Renfry finally approached to inspect the noise, his head would snap towards her as their eyes would lock. He pulled down his head, revealing human features, his voice calm and tongue common, "You. I"m looking for you." Already he could tell that she was different, the force reacting differently around her as her own signature reacted differently with the force.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry wandered to the edge of the village to see what the commotion was and she could sense it before she saw it. There was a dark presence like a leech on the surrounding environment that she could feel immediately. It put her on alert but she didn't turn aside.

She could tell that the Felucians were deeply unsettled by whoever had arrived as well, but that wasn't really much to speak of. The Felucians didn't like anyone who wasn't them.

The man was hooded and immediately seemed to lock onto her, stating that he was here looking for her, which... caught her off guard. No one in the galaxy even knew her, and the fact that this dark man had come here specifically for her was a bit unsettling.

And you've found me, she said with a frown. Though, I'm not sure why, she added a moment later. She felt a bit better about the fact that there was an entire village of Felucian warriors here as well if this man wanted a fight, but something told her there was more to it than that. Despite the darkness inside of him, she didn't sense the malice typically associated with violence.

 

[Darth Invictus]

The villagers were not pleased with his arrival and they continued to edge closer with their weapons aimed at him. Ender's gaze however was continually locked on Renfry as he seemingly just ignored everyone else like they were flies. "That I have." The fact that he had found her gave him so elation. There was a possibility this could actually work instead of him chasing every single rumor in the galaxy for a solution.

"I need your help. You're a shaman, more importantly, you work with magik. There is something I need to be removed inside my head." His voice was calm and he certainly didn't give the appearance of a man that was about to lose his mind. Whatever Talek had done, it subdued the sickness but had never fully eliminated it. "Payment will not be an issue." With her outer-worldly appearance, he assumed this place was only a pit-stop for her and nothing else.

After a few seconds of letting her decide, one of the Felucians stepped forward with their spear to prod him and Ender caught it with one hand before yanking it down and stomping on it with his foot. The spear broke in half and he immediately grabbed the shaft with the end and slammed it right into the Felucian's chest as the villager flew back and into the dirt. The other villagers acted up at his response and raised their weapons once more but Ender simply commented, "I would much rather do this cordially and mutually unless otherwise."

 

[Renfry]

Despite the tensions in the air, Renfry didn't gain the impression that the man was here to fight. Although she was here as a guest of the village, they offered her a certain amount of respect nonetheless. As one of the more "zealous" Felucians prodded the stranger further, she held up a hand to attempt to defuse the situation further.

Follow me, she told the man, and the Felucians seemed to back off if only a little as she walked back to her small hut. She pushed aside the heavy curtain covering the door and walked inside, expecting him to follow her.

She walked to the far side of the hut and took a seat on a small pillow she used for her meditations and rituals. She motioned to the small cot across the room for him to sit in if he opted not for the floor.

You want me to remove this... infestation? she clarified. She wondered just how well this would go over. The man gave her the impression he was very closed off, and that would make this task much more difficult if not impossible. In order to exorcise something of this nature, he would have to be open with her. Far more so than she assumed he would be pleased with.

She opted to be up front with the situation.

Dealing with this will be extremely unpleasant for you and difficult for me. And I will require payment, she said, though the way in which she said it indicated that she would likely want something other than credits. She paused to see the man's response. She needed to know what she was dealing with and she needed to know if he was truly invested in resolving his issue.

 

[Darth Invictus]

The other Felucians, upon seeing the death of one of their own, raised their weapons and made a chant as they reacted badly. Below his cloak, Ender's hand slowly slid to the hilt of his weapon as his fingers wrapped around it in preparation. But the Nightsister, somehow, was respected enough by the tribe that when she put her hand, most of them went quiet except for a few grumbles here and there.

Ender was given the instruction to follow her afterward and he gently released his grasp from his weapon before doing so. The Felucians stared mostly at him but it only continued until they reached the inside of her tent. There was nothing special about inside to even assume it was a shaman's tent but even he could sense the magik from her. Renfry gave him the choice of the cot or the floor and he chose the latter as he crossed his legs and sat across from her. The air was thick enough for him to start to sweat but his eyes remained locked on the Nightsister as he waited.

Renfry would be able to feel different forces inside of him, two that were battling for control even if he didn't show it. When she asked if he wanted it removed, it took him less than a second to answer, "Completely." When she mentioned the unpleasantness, Ender instinctively brushed his right hand across his other forearm as he felt the scars underneath the clothing and where he had burned himself to stay awake. "I just need it done."

When she mentioned however that she wanted payment, he could hear how she was intending to ask the question. Ender arched his eyebrow at her, "And what sort of payment is that exactly?" He at first thought that credits would just be enough to sate her but it seemed she desired something even more than that.

 

[Renfry]

The reality was that Renfry had put herself in a certain amount of danger in holding the Felucians back. She took advantage of one of their traditions of hospitality, and it would be held against her account. It was in part for this reason that she would exact a high price for her "treatment."

I have a task that you will help me complete; a threat that needs to be eliminated, she said. It was already something she could tell he was capable of and that made it all the better for her.

That is in restitution for the warrior you killed as well as a portion of my payment, she said.

The only other thing I want from you is knowledge, she said. He had the same mark about him as several others she'd met in the galaxy, but each was unique. Much of what she wanted to know she'd have to learn simply to accomplish what he requested. Other things she might ask on her own.

Do you agree to these terms? she asked. Her eyes never wavered from him and she anticipated his answer would be yes. Whatever this was warring inside of him was not something he wanted to maintain. She could feel it even now, a sickly violence scratching below his skin.

How did you contract this infection? Be precise, she said. She spoke to him more or less as an equal, assuming just by sensing him that he was familiar enough with the Shadow to be aware of what was happening to him and when. If she was mistaken about his competence this would become much more complicated.

 

[Darth Invictus]

'A threat that needed to be eliminated.' Luckily for the Nightsister, Ender was proficient in taking out threats but usually to himself. She brought up the warrior and he held back his tongue, ready to bring up the fact that they seemed to enjoy the act of prodding him. But the threat wasn't what he assumed and Renfry instead asked him for knowledge. He didn't really know about what but he could only assume that she meant the Darkside. His gaze met her's and he held it for a few moments as he debated with himself before giving an answer.

The parasite in his head was draining and if knowledge and the death of some creature meant that he could be fixed, Ender would take it. "As long as the knowledge you request doesn't hurt my Order, then you have a deal." It was a small price to pay in his mind but he wondered exactly what this "shaman" had in mind when they were finished. The way she stared at him made him think that she could sense whatever was inside him as well and that helped give his answer. If she could sense it that meant it was coming back.

The Shaman asked how he contracted the infection and he clenched his jaw slightly but not at her question. "I was inspecting a tomb. There was a door, Sith markings covering the entirety of it. I touched it and the next thing I knew I was being thrown back." Ender paused for a moment, the memories faint but replaying over his head. "The only thing I could feel was fire, all over me, burning." He continued to stare off for a few moments but he eventually brought his eyes back to Renfry, "Then I woke up." It wasn't much of an explanation but it was what he could remember and what he felt at the time. Everything burned, every fiber of him and it was a pain that he had never experienced before.

 

[Renfry]

She listened with rapt attention to what he told her, drinking in the information as she tried to piece together what this was. An enraged spirit perhaps? But those were rare outside of Dathomir, though not unheard of. Or perhaps a ward? If runic markings covered the entirety of the door then that would be possible as well.

She was silent for a moment before standing.

Come with me. We won't be able to do this in the village, she said. She needed space for the ritual and if it was an enraged spirit she didn't want it running freely through the village.

She led him through the village, gaining more nasty looks from the locals, but she wasted none of their travel time, continuing to speak to him as they reached the edge of the small village.

The tomb, what can you tell me about it? Whose tomb was it? Did it have any other defenses? Was there anyone else there? Were there creatures inside? As much detail as you can provide me with. she asked. She hoped that she would be able to give her more details, but if not then she would have to do without the information.

They reached a small clearing shortly thereafter. A waterfall poured down the side of a cliff into a pool below. It was unclear how deep the pool went, but given there didn't seem to be any other outlet, one could only assume it entered into an underground river or outflow.

She held out a hand in front of her and in a flash of green a sword appeared in it. She began to scrape symbols into the dirt, encompassing a large space near the edge of the pool as she listened to whatever he might have to say.

 

[Darth Invictus]

The gears shifted in the shaman's eyes and he could tell that whatever he revealed only puzzled her. At least, he thought his explanation puzzled her. The next thing he knew, they couldn't perform whatever they were about to do in the village. Ender was about to question this but then he sensed the hostilities through the force. Not openly but slowly building and aimed towards him. "Lead the way." He murmured before standing up smoothly with her and departed from the tent.

She asked him more questions as they walked through the village and he answered to the best of his ability. "It was large, underground. It was a Sith Lord's presumably but unknown." The more he spoke about it, the more he had to dig deeper in his head to provide answers. "There were... two or three others with me. Sith as well. They didn't seem to get attacked as I did." Ender had blacked out after the mental assault and didn't even know how he left the tomb.

They arrived at a clearing and he stopped at the edge of it as his eyes drifted to the water and his reflection. It was still him, all in one piece at least. The small secluded area was quite beautiful but they were there for another reason. "That's about all I can really recall for you." Ender tore his gaze from the water and instead watched Renfry as a sword appeared in her palm and she started to create her own symbols. "What kind of ritual is this?" He asked curiously, never having seen the symbols before.

 

[Renfry]

Others were with him. They were unaffected. It was the tomb of a Sith Lord. It would have been much better if she had actually known the symbols used, but she doubted that was an option. The ritual should be enough to rid him of the presence either way, but nothing was a guarantee.

She continued tracing the symbols in the dirt, careful not to step on any of the lines she had already made. Some were in patterns while others seemed more reminiscent of letters, though the language was foreign.

One that will drive the presence from your mind, she said. Should she reveal the details of the ritual? She figured she probably should. While she guarded the secrets of her people, knowing the basics and actually being able to perform it with the proper phrases and runes was a different story.

This world ebbs with power. The symbols will create a funnel for its power and drive it into the pool, she explained.

You'll lay next to the pool and let your head rest in the water. I'll use that energy to drive out the entity inside, she said. It sounded simple enough, but the process would be excruciatingly painful for him. It was violent and even ran the risk of tearing his very mind apart, but it would work.

The risks are high, and it will be painful, but it will work, she said.

Are you ready to begin? she asked.

 

[Darth Invictus]

Ender just stood there and listened as she explained what was to happen. There were many things to pick up on. A presence? So was it not just sickness but something else? She could have just been naming it that but he wondered if she knew more than let on. She explained the ritual to him and it was definitely foreign, at least to him. Desperate time calls for desperate measures and it was definitely an alternative method.

When she warned him that the risk was high and that it was painful, Ender's face remained passive as he seemed unfazed. "You speak as I've never felt pain before." He brought his gaze to her after, "You better hope it does." This was the first time the two of them have met and she was entrusted with quite a taxing process. It was obvious that he wouldn't be pleased if he came out of this worse than he entered and she would be the first one in his path.

Ender started to take off half of his clothing as he revealed his torso and the scars from the operations he had received and small nicks from battle. He entered the circle of symbols and laid down as he placed his head into the water and felt his hair get soaked and stared up into the sky. "Let's begin." He had no idea what to expect out of this and if he was prepared but he would survive it, he always had.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry didn't break from carving the remaining runes into the ground as he spoke again. She looked almost amused at his comment about pain. She was sure he knew pain and perhaps this would be a simple walk in the park for him, but she doubted it. The veiled - or not so veiled - threat triggered the part of her mind that was stubborn and trolly to the end. She had a habit of toying with danger and walking a very narrow line between life and death. There was no easy explanation for why she enjoyed that tight rope so much, but it was irresistible.

We wouldn't want any dissatisfied customers, she quipped defiantly, her eyes sweeping up from the runes to meet his. She had a smile as she said it that wasn't malicious, but there was still a glint in her eye that betrayed a reckless fearlessness. She could sense he was powerful and she may well have lost that fight if there were one, but... well, she was a decidedly difficult person.

But it wouldn't come to that. This ritual would work, this she knew.

She watched as he partially disrobed. Her glanced over the scars and injuries he'd received, trying not to make it look like she was looking at him. The last thing she needed during the ritual was to be distracted by those rock hard abs and the... nope, focus Renfry, she chided herself.

Very well, she said with a nod as he put his head into the water. She moved to the center of the runes and placed her finger to the dirt.

Energui, coe, a nen. Ichors a mair nin nall- she said. She could feel the energies of this world around her and let them flow through her. Green flames sprung up from the carvings she had made, licking at her skin and that of the Sith, but there was no pain. No burns. The flames were fire in appearance only, it seemed.

They traveled the course of every crack and crevice of the runes before reaching the pool. The moment it touched, the waters began to change. They seemed to glow and evaporate, turning from a liquid into a green mist that never seemed to escape the confines of the pool.

She continued repeating the chant and the Sith would begin to feel the mists of the pool as they clung to the sides of his head. They began like a burning and it penetrated his skull, cutting through his mind. An agonizing blaze that burned out the foreign body. There was no question in Renfry's mind that it would scorch the foreign presence, she simply wondered how much else it would destroy.

If she were fortunate, nothing. If she were unfortunate, it could rob his memory, kill him, or leave him permanently impaired. It was scorched earth. It would win the war, but at what cost?

 

[Darth Invictus]

Ender had caught the looks but he ignored them. This was far too important to be distracted by anything. The water softly lapped against his head and it soothed him before what would be a completely terrible process. The words for the ritual were uttered and green flames surrounded the two while covering him in a green hue. This was a completely foreign ritual to him, one he had heard stories about from the woman's culture but nothing he had ever experienced firsthand.

The fire found a path to the water and it reacted instantly as it transformed into a green mist. What had been a soothing sensation completely changed, the slight coldness replaced with a fire that ignited everything it touched. Ender's fingers slid into the grass and clenched into a fist as his knuckles turned white, the veins becoming pronounced along his neck and down his chest. Whatever silence he could achieve faltered and he started to seethe, his legs kicking out wildly but his hands holding him in place. His skin began to turn red and was a representation of what was trying to purge him.

Ender felt the fire consume and consume, burning whatever remnant of the sickness that had made a nest in his mind. It was undiscriminating and it torched even the parts that were him. He opened his mouth to scream but it was replaced with green light as were his eyes. The fire had entered the entirety of his body as he suffered more to make sure the parasite was thoroughly destroyed.

The ritual lasted about half a minute longer before he abruptly sat up, the green fires extinguishing with him as the mist disappeared. Ender just sat there and breathed heavily, his silver eyes, now brightly vibrant, just stared at the ground. Steam rose in small columns from his shoulders and his matted hair. He didn't even seem to take notice of Renfry still there. It felt like minutes before he eventually stood up, the steam still fomenting on his shoulders. Ender flexed his back and the rest of the body as if he was testing a new suit for appraisal as he raised his hands slightly. "I missed this."

After a second, he eventually turned toward Renfry, his silver orbs burning brighter than even the sun. "A deal is a deal. You wanted knowledge in exchange." Ender felt lighter and reborn. The feeling of a leech that constantly drained removed and permanently. Renfry would feel the difference, his signature swirling and filled with power.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry poured her energy into the ritual, letting the power of the world flow through her. She was a vessel and an amplifier. It was draining and she found herself struggling to maintain the spell throughout its duration. But she hadn't a choice. If her strength failed, the ritual failed, and that was unacceptable.

She could feel his agony, but she knew she couldn't lose focus on it. Her spirit transcended the world as she became almost one with the Shadow. Its power coursed through her every muscle and fiber. It was an exquisite feeling to have that much power within her.

And then it was over. In a flash, he sat up and she immediately released the spell. It was all she could do to even manage to hold on as long as she could. She was winded, breathing hard as she sat heavily on the ground. Her breaths continued deeply for several moments as he regained his bearings. She could immediately sense he was different as if shackles had been removed from him and he was seeing sunlight again after being in a dungeon for a year.

She was silent for a moment after he spoke, still looking at him through the Force. The parasite was gone, but he was still returning. Pieces of him came back one bit at a time and the coming... confrontation would be a prime opportunity for him to recalibrate.

Yes, but first the problem that needs solving, she said. The threat to the village needed to be dealt with first.

It will give you an opportunity to reacclimate, she said, pushing herself back to her feet.

What is your name? she asked. It seemed a better time for introductions than when they first met.

She turned and began to walk into the jungle toward the next of their destinations. Have you heard of rancors before? she asked, though the reason she asked may not have been quite what he expected.

 

[Darth Invictus]

The world was vibrant in a different way. He could hear everything clear as crystal, color was more intense. Ender had been living in a world of grey for what felt like years and hadn't even realized it. With this new vision came new clarity to his mind and it slowly hit him about how much he had missed of his own life, taste, smell, touch. It had been a black cloud over him that had leeched whatever it could for as long as he had let it. No more and never again.

The Shaman for the moment wanted the threat to the village taken care of before her own personal request. He had no idea why she was so concerned for these villagers but it was what she wanted. "I could use that. I don't how much has returned." The power he felt had been rekindled and it coursed through every fiber of his being but it was still new compared to what he had before. A small opportunity to flex his abilities would be what he needed to feel comfortable back in his skin again.

He stretched his hand out and his clothes flew to him. He quickly dressed and followed suit by following her, new energy in his step. She asked his name and he sighed softly, a quick debate taking place before responding, "Ender." It was his real name and after the ritual, he felt no need to hide it and he didn't expect that the two of them would be meeting much after this but he could always be wrong. "Yours?" Might as well figure out her's as well.

When she asked if he had heard about rancors, Ender gave her a sideways glance, "What's the catch here?" Rancors weren't an unknown species and with her witchcraft, he expected there would be something different about this. They only took a few more seconds before Ender stopped where he was. Renfry would find his eyes were closed as he pressed two fingers to his temple with his jaw clenched. The fire returned, a small crackling one but there and it slowly spread through his head. Flashes of green runes and flames penetrated his vision and he took a moment to breathe, with the sensation lingering.

When he finally regained his bearings, Ender looked over to her with skepticism in his eyes, "What are the side effects?"

 

[Renfry]

Renfry, she responded, feeling no fear in giving her name. It meant nothing. There were virtually no records of her anywhere in the galaxy and a name would get no one anything.

Ender, she filed the name away inside of her mind. Perhaps it wouldn't be worth anything in the long run, but the more contacts she made among these sects the better. Building a bridge seemed like a good idea. Even if it was a rickety rope bridge.

We're not going to kill it, she said. On Dathomir, her sisters could tame and ride rancors. Granted, on Dathomir they were far more connected to nature, but here, she should have been able to do the same. She couldn't. The creature was unsettled and plagued, not unlike the way Ender's mind had been.

We need to figure out what's wrong with it, and move it away from the village, she said.

She turned back to look at him and see his reaction when she noted the change to his demeanor. He was distant and she could tell something was wrong.

Several moments went by before he refocused on her and asked about the ritual. She'd made no attempt to hide from him that there were risks and he had accepted them. Nor would she lie to him about it now.

The ritual burned through your mind. It's a cleansing flame, but flames don't discriminate. It is possible that there was other damage, she said. The fact that he wasn't dead or completely crippled was an absolute win in her mind.

Why, what are you experiencing? she asked. Perhaps with more information she could put more pieces together.

 

[Darth Invictus]

While he had heard of rancors, this would be the first time he would have to deal with one. There were plenty of stories of them to scare children of the big bad monsters in the galaxy. He was surprised when Renfry stated that she didn't want it killed however and he arched his eyebrow but didn't say anything. The more she spoke the more she revealed about herself and her power and with his innate curiosity, he wondered just how her magik weaved with the force and nature. Or if it was somehow just a sort of, a subsect of the force that only her kind knew how to control.

The heat from his head traveled down and spread through the rest of his body. Sweat started to slowly appear as his breathing slowed but somehow remained standing. "It burns and it's spreading." He closed his eyes and pressed his palm against the base of his forehead, "I see your symbols everywhere I look, some new, some same. Even with my eyes closed as well. Fire, a lot of green fire." When Ender opened them, it appeared like tiny specs of green fluctuated through the piercing silver before disappearing. "It's showing... other things, a planet. But in flashes, I can't really make them out." Ender breathed slowly before just giving Renfry a nod to proceed.

"Just keep moving." He would survive, it didn't bring him to his knees yet and they still had to deal with this rancor. Ender could strengthen through it, he was a Sith and pain was not an obstacle for them. The pain was how he had been trained by his old friend and how he became who he was. Ender straightened his posture more as he walked as honed in on the fire that raged once more in his mind.

As they walked, he glanced at the area around then at her, how energy seemed to react to her presence but not like the force. "You're connected to it, all of it. But it's different from the force in a way I haven't felt before. How did you get your powers?" He was curious from the symbols that flashed across his vision to the ones that she implanted on the ground to begin the ritual. It was powerful as he felt it ravage his body from the inside but fightable.

 

[Renfry]

She listened to his description carefully, watching his every movement closely. She was unsure of the reason for what he described. Her best guess was that his mind was trying to access memories or skills that had been purged from him or else he was so used to relying on whatever had been in his mind that now, when he continued to try to call on it, he found only visions of residual magick.

She frowned and was about to speak when he waved them both forward, stating that they should continue on. She wasn't going to argue with him primarily because she was unsure if there was much more that she could do for him.

I suspect it will pass in time. Like retraining a reflex, was what she did offer. It was mostly all she could do, and she hoped that it wouldn't hinder him too much or get him killed in the coming... encounter.

She glanced back over her shoulder at him again as he asked about her power and smiled. Everyone was fascinated by her magick. It was an empowering feeling, and she let it flow in even if only a little.

How did you gain your power? she asked.

Study and practice; years of it, she said. Spend enough time in nature and its ebbs and flows became like a song. Learning the rituals and spells of Shadow Magick was a process that could be practiced and perfected if one had the aptitude.

Your people call it the Force, and how do you draw from it? she asked, curious to hear his answer. The Nightsisters saw it as a gift from the Spirits, but she doubted the Sith believed the same.

 

[Darth Invictus]

It was clear that Renfry had no clue what he was speaking of or how to at least counter-act it. The burning sensation continued, the tips of the flames licking at different parts of his body but Ender was skilled enough to keep it dulled as the pair continued deeper in the forest. It was terrible timing with the fact that the two were about to face a rancor but he would manage. The images weren't concrete and always flashed for the briefest of seconds. He'd have to wait and see if they would eventually reveal themselves more.

Her answer to her question was the cliche one that everyone gives but he knew it rang true. Ender would've said the same thing as well and he couldn't fault for her it even though he did wish she revealed more. Renfry flipped and asked him a question about how his kind drew from Force and he answered from personal experience, "Our emotions, we draw on them for strength and use it to control the force. We indulge ourselves to the point we can't anymore, fear, hate, passion. They're quite powerful and in almost endless supply." Ender had once been fueled by his hate and it felt like an untapped well to his potential but the taste of it only lasted for so long. That power was intoxicating and he desired that feeling more intensely every day. But he had to remove the parasites from him first.

The foliage and brush grew heavier as the path became harder to see and weaved in and out. They were entering the deeper end of the jungle as the touch of tribal life started to leave their view. "What about your people? Are you like the Jedi and close yourself off or are you do you allow yourself to feel?" Ender was curious when it came to her powers, it was possible that emotions weren't even an aspect for her. He couldn't see any of the signature marks that came with wielders of the Dark Side but she wasn't actually radiating with light.