A Beacon in the Storm

[Riamah]

Whatever answer Ace gave, Vulpesen didn't appear to like it very much. He gave the little one a dirty look, but he took Ace out of his pocket. He jumped from the finger that had picked him up over to her and crawled up to her shoulder. On his way up, she gave him a quick pet as he moved up her arm.

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye to make sure he knew she was speaking to him, "you're little and quick. If there is a fox nearby, I think you would be able to find them easier than we could and not scare them off. Then again, Vulps might be able to as well, but I think you're better suited for this."

When she finished speaking, Ra looked to Vulpesen. For only a moment, that voice that told her to run spoke up again. She pushed it away and didn't want to hear it again.

"Let's get moving."

That voice hopefully silenced for good, Ra actually held her hand out to him.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Ace thought for a moment then nodded to her words, though at the moment he didn't leave her shoulder, being far to comfortable(and lazy) to leave such a comfortable perch. "I'll try to keep my senses open for any life around the area." Without question, Vulpesen took her hand in his and started to walk. There was certainly something comforting about the woman that had allowed him to walk her planet. And even if Ace was hellbent on giving him a hard time for it, he couldn't help but thank him(albeit subconsciously) for breaking the ice a bit.

 

[Riamah]

Happy Vulpesen took her offered hand, they walked together in the direction of the overhang he had pointed out earlier. She wasn't as in tune with nature so while Ra knew it was there, she had no real feeling for it. That wasn't something she had ever considered learning about. A little surprised at herself for not thinking of it, she vowed she would after today.

A chance storm had brought him into her life and opened her eyes to a new future. As they walked hand in hand, she again wondered what it contained, but hoped he was in it. She wasn't a trained visionary, but almost wished for that skill now. A thought came to mind and she looked at Vulpesen.

"Sometime, I would invite you to my other home. There is a woman there that is quite interesting and I would her to meet you."

Mother Maria, the woman​ everybody there went to for answers. She could also read the future somehow. Ra didn't know how, to her knowledge Maria didn't use the Force and she had never picked it up on her.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen's head tilted as he listened to her words. While he did try to reach out in the force to sense what was around them, he couldn't deny that she was sapping the attention from his focus. "Oh? And who would that be?" His ear flicked towards the canyon wall as he did his best to listen for any moment. And while he waited for her answer, he allowed his focus to fall in a bit further to search for whatever life existed on the barren planet. Given how easily he had found Ra, he doubted that the fox shouldn't take too long to track.

 

[Riamah]

He asked who the woman was and it took a few moments for her to get the correct words together on how to explain what Maria was.

"Everybody calls her Mother Maria. She an older woman that just appeared one day on Helska at my facility there and stayed. It's like she is consular or something. When people have problems or questions, they go to her and she helps them."

Leaving off the fact this woman could just read people and know them almost intimately, she wondered what she would get off Vulpesen.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"I see. Sounds like an interesting person to meet. Though the definition older has changed a bit for me since I found the Zorrens. We can live thousands of years once we go through our trials." As they continued to stroll through the desolate landscape, Vulpesen's tail once waving through the air moved to settle around Ra, wrapping lightly around her unconsciously. "Whats Helska like?"

 

[Riamah]

"Oh Maria is a wonderful and interesting person to meet. She can read a person..."

Her words trailed off as she accidently started to spoil the reason she wanted to take Vulpesen there to meet her. The non-force ability of Maria to read people Ra found strange, but she was oddly always right about whatever the situation was.

His comment about age though put her off slightly and for a moment she was sad. There was no way she would live that long unless she used her trump card to keep herself from dying. That card being Essence Transfer.

"I can't imagine living that long. Though I can think of all the knowledge I could learn in that time."

As she spoke his tail wrapped around her lightly and it felt comforting since the timing had lined up perfectly to the moment she felt that touch of sadness.

"Helska is a frozen wasteland. There is no life there at all other than at my facility."

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen grinned bumped slightly into her. "And here I thought I was an open book to you." As he felt the tinge of sadness in her presence, he wrapped his tail a bit more snuggly around her waist, some voice in the back of his mind reminding him that it existed. "Neither can I. I grew up thinking I had a hundred years to live with a human life span. But the force works in odd ways." Upon hearing of Helska, he chuckled softly. "Sure this Maria woman wouldn't rather be given a trip to sunny Veradune? I was never one to enjoy the cold."

 

[Riamah]

He bumped into her only slightly in a fun manner that brought a smile to her face in saying he thought he was an open book to her. Shaking her head slightly and not at all bothered by their close proximity. The voice was no longer telling her run and instead it seemed to be sulking in silence.

"You might be honest and open with me...yes, but she like instinctually knows things."

Ra wondered what it felt like to suddenly realize one could live that long after thinking they were human.

"Indeed it does, Vulps. Maybe she would like a vacation, we'll have to ask her."

It would be one way to get them to meet, but if Maria didn't want to go, then Ra wouldn't force her to.

@Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"I'd be interested to hear what she has to say. And I'll happily arrange the flight if you decide to bring her along to Veradune some day." Eventually, his head started to perk up as he looked around, his eyes shining brightly. "Helloo..." A bit a ways off, he could feel a small light floating in the darkness. It was chasing something, a smaller creature. The latter was likely some sort of fish. But the first presence, the larger one had a very familiar feel. Like a very small Shadow.

 

[Riamah]

Deftly avoiding an agreement to go to Helska, he instead said he would be happy to arrange a flight to his home.

"Sometimes I think you're just as sneaking as Ace here. If she agrees to leave, I will let you know."

What her people would do without Maria around though was a troubling thought, there wasn't anybody else like her. Shortly his head perked up and Ace sat up on her shoulder. Both appeared to be looking the same direction and picking up on what was hopefully a fox they were looking for.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen grinned at her, showing a single fang under his curling lips. "I am born of the fox and people do say that Varos favors those who would use their mind over their might." While he was fairly certain she wouldn't fairly understand, it was nice to remind himself of this new culture he had been immersing himself in. He had spent hours upon hours locked up in a room with his mother and father lecturing him about old legends among his people as to ease his appearance as an outsider.

Refocusing on the presence of the possible fox, Vulpesen tilted his head as a signal for Ace to move. Swiftly, the small shiny wolf leaped from Ra's shoulder and started off, running towards the area, guided by his link to Vulpesen's mind, and thus the information that was being gleamed from the force. "This looks promising." Slowly his tail unwrapped and started to flick and curl in the air.

 

[Riamah]

The smile was contagious and her eyes lit up with the humor.

"Sadly I have no real idea of what people I was born into. Only what my master told me and who knows if he was right."

Giving a slight shrug, her attention also returned to the prospect of the hunt in front of them. In time, she wanted to know as much about Vulpesen and his culture as she could.

Ace jumped down off her shoulder and ran off in the direction of where this other fox was. He said it looked promising and his tail unwound from around her to start waving behind him. The linger warmth remained on her side for a time.

Her voice now quiet so that only Vulpesen could hear her, "what now?"

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

As Ace sped off, Vulpesen flicked his ear towards Ra, smiling a bit while his tail flicked back and forth. "Hopefully, Ace will be able guide the fox over here and I'll use the force to calm it down." Having grown up as the 'son' of a beast tamer, Vulpesen was quite familiar with capturing animals of all sizes and he had no doubt that he'd be able to subdue an itty-bitty fox. "I just hope it doesn't get too close to eating Ace. He'd never let me hear the end of it."

 

[Riamah]

"Interesting, I have something to admit...I have a pet nexu. Her name is Ankhaara, just wasn't sure how the two of you and her would get along. I've raised since she was a kitten and I have trained her. No connection through the Force though."

Ra reached a hand up and ran it over the top of her head as she spoke.

"How do you use the Force on an animal?"

She was sure Ace wouldn't get eaten, he was fast enough to avoid it.

"I wish I could know what is happening and see it like you do."

There was a clear smile in her voice and when her hand dropped, she put it around Vulpesen like it was a natural move and it felt right.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"My parents had a family friend raise me, and since he was a beast trader by trade, the first force powers I ever learned had to do with influencing animals." He smiled a bit as he thought about Zarro. He had instilled the love of hunting in Vulpesen's blood. Something that caused him to focus and track Ace and the unknown fox while his body leaned forward, ready to pounce and race off. Then, he felt a weight around him, snapping him back into reality. His body relaxed a bit and he wrapped his tail once more around Ra. Right... there was no rush to leave this spot.

 

[Riamah]

"I think the first I learned were those that dealt with the manipulation of people. My parents were killed when I was very little and my master trained me from that time on. At least that's what was revealed to me in a vision."

That was when it was revealed to her what she was and with her memory returned, her powers and abilities did too. However, even knowing what she was, Ra did not go out of her way use her powers, only using them when it was needed. As she thought about it, she hadn't ever actually used them to hurt anybody except in defense of her own life and that of her apprentice.

His tail wrapped around her again and Ra was quite comfortable in this form of embrace. There was more to this now. A conscience choice by both of them. That fleeting feeling or thought return and she was fine with it.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

"I'm sorry to hear that." He didn't know what else to really say. True his parents had disappeared, but he had always known that they were alive somewhere int eh galaxy. And even recently he had found them. Of course, there was the fact that he found his species on the brink of extinction, but that wasn't a particularly comforting or fun fact. Rather than try to find any other words, he curled his tail a bit tighter around her, pulling her against his side. Touching, but if I get eaten, I swear I'm chewing up the pilot seat when i get out.

 

[Riamah]

Shaking her head slightly before speaking.

"Nothing to be sorry for, Vulps."

Letting out small snort ​of a laugh, "if it had been any different, I doubt we would be here like this."

He pulled her in closer and an almost tremor went through her body. Suddenly she found herself covered in goosebumps and her breath caught in her throat. She didn't resist though and in her turn, laid her head on his shoulder. Her arm around him found a more comfortable hold on him. At this point she knew fate had been decided. It would take time, but he was the one for her.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

He nodded and kept his arm around her as they stood there. He could feel Ace baiting the vjun fox and dancing around it to catch its attention. Then, the two presences started to head towards the duo. Of course his companion would be expecting back up which he was happy to provide, but at the same time, he didn't want to move a muscle. Somehow, he had gone from cautiously entering a dark castle, to having his arm around a woman who simply felt so right. His head tilted a bit to lean over hers and he could swear that his heart was beating into his ears, though it might have been some background noise from Ace's own condition. "As I said before, the force works in odd ways."