Private I Trusted You

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: The Grotto - Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
Equipment: Lightsaber
Continuation from Here​

Another rock bounced off the surface of the lake.

Zachariah had walked. When he was tired of walking, he took an animal from a local and rode. He kept going, riding for as long as he could. He wanted to be as far from the Sky Temple as he could possibly be. He would have rode to the opposite side of Zaathru if he felt the animal he had comondeered would be up to it. He was shaking, he was feeling emotions he hadn't felt in years, if ever.

Another rock. Another bounce.

He hadn't intended to end up in The Grotto, he just went in a direction. He recognised the cave the moment he arrived to it. He remembered the first time he had ever gone through the cave with Arcturus, the surprise and shock he had felt when it had openned up into one of the most beautiful places that he had ever been. He remembered the lake, he remembered skipping rocks with his mentor and learning how to control his powers in the Force.

The walk into the cave had been slow. Zachariah took his time, retracing his steps from the first time he had done the walk. He forgot how far down the cave went. Every single time he thought he'd arrived, the cave just went further down. He kept walking it though, not stopping once. Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, he reached The Grotto. He reached the beautiful cavern where he had first learned to master his powers.

Back into his hand. Another toss, another bounce.

Ishani Dinn had gone too far. She'd choked Pharus Dystra in rage. She'd reminded Zachariah of everything Brunas Drace had done to him, just as he was starting to put it behind him. He knew he would never be free, he was aware of that, but he was starting to sleep finally. Then she brought it all back up with one reckless move, one move fueled by anger and rage. Similar feelings to what he was feeling himself, all aimed towards her.

He remembered every single time he had been grabbing at his throat, just trying to get some oxygen into his lungs as Brunas Drace cut off his airways, constricting them to allow no oxygen through at all. He remembered every single time the world went black and just as he thought he was finally free and in the grasp of death, Brunas would let go and remind him he was still a slave in the galaxy.

A single tear dropped down his cheek.

He was angry. He was furious. He had been promised safety on Zaathru but Rhiannon had proven that safety was conditional. Rhiannon proved that safety only came so long as you did exactly what she liked, exactly what she wanted when she wanted and acted exactly how she liked. Rhiannon had proven he wasn't free, he was just a slave to a new owner. Arcturus wasn't the owner, he didn't even have control over his wife. She was in charge of everything.

Zachariah used the Force to pull the rock back to his hand, and skipped it over the lake again. He felt a presence behind him in the Force.

"Master. What do you want?"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Zachariah had left the city, the guards informed him. Left on foot, south toward Mt Pele and the Grotto. Arcturus did not need to think too hard to guess at where he had ended up, or why he'd left the meeting so abruptly. The poor boy...​

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He grabbed a warm blanket, something sweet to eat, a thermos of tea, and then he drew upon the Force and found himself whisked away. Right to edge of the Grotto's waters, up on the ledge where the runes lay scribed.​

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Arcturus watched for a moment from that spot, silent and unseen, as Zachariah skipped rocks through the Force. He simultaneously felt pride for seeing him so effortlessly drawing upon the Force, and heartbroken that he was here alone, so downtrodden, so lost and angry and afraid.​

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Stepping down from the ledge, and softening his fall with the Force, he carefully made his way around the water keeping out of sight. The lessons of Arthos Vynea jumped into his mind, and he cloaked himself in the natural shadows of the cavern. He did not make himself known until he was near the boy, and even there, initially, he was quiet.​

​

The sharp query was asked by the boy, and Arcturus hung his head. Let out a soft sigh to quieten his own mind from the memories which had been pulled up that day also, and then settled down the thermos and the container of sweets. The blanket he shifted to drape around the boy's shoulders, hoping it would bring him comfort and an anchoring weight that reminded him that with Arcturus at least he was safe.​

​

"I am so incredibly sorry for how my wife has behaved" he said, "Sorry for how today played out at all. I was hoping to give her the benefit of the doubt in how she'd run the trial, Arboria is her domain after all, but... I see now that her paranoia has reached a dangerous state. I understand if you are angry with me, if you wish to be anywhere else but here."​

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He'd just learned after all that Pharus would be leaving. Everything was falling apart right in front of him, and it felt as though there was nothing he could do to stop it. But right now wasn't about Arcturus, it was about Zachariah.​

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"I'm going to be bringing you and the children into my realm for a while. Rhiannon needs help, and until she gets it I don't want her around any of you. This is not how this family operates, and I am horrified by what happened."​

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Arc's head was spinning. If things kept going like this he'd find himself with no one. Pharus? Gone. Zachariah? For all Arcturus knew he was hoping to leave too. Rhiannon? ... He didn't even know what to do there, or what she would do. All he'd wanted was a family, and to help those in need, those who had suffered as he had.​

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But somewhere along the way it had gotten so... broken.​

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Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: The Grotto - Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
Equipment: Lightsaber
Continuation from Here​

The boy didn't even turn to look at Arcturus.

Zachariah had known Arcturus had been present long before he'd acknowledged him, his natural abilities in the Force heightened due to his emotions. He didn't even turn to look at him, instead just continuing to throw and recall his pebble. He remained silent for a while, just thinking of what there was to say. When the words came to him, he still didn't turn to look at his Master.

"And if I say I want to be anywhere else, am I even free to leave? Would Rhiannon even let me? Was I ever free to leave from the day I arrived here? Would Rhiannon not be afriad I rock up with a full fleet of ships to conquer this world? What happens if I stay, and I upset her somehow? Am I the next to get choked? Or worse? What about Star, if he cries too hard, or the twins?"

He threw the pebble out onto the lake again, watching it skip across the water. He still didn't turn to look towards his Master. Darkess radiated from him, filling the entire cavern with a thick feeling of upset, hurt and anger. The Force was coming effortlessly to him due to his heightened state, and he demonstrated it by calling the pebble back to his hand again.

"She is no better than him. No better than Brunas. She is just another Monster. I thought I was free here, and maybe under you I am but I realise now that for as long as Rhiannon is on the scene I will never be truly free. I will always live in fear of becoming another slave to the next Brunas Drace, the next person to think they are better than me"

He licked his lips, tossing his pebble back out onto the lake. Every word was spat like it was venomous. Every word he spoke was laced with hatred and contempt towards a woman whom until recently he'd started to view as a mother figure, a mother that he had never had. Now, it was like there was nothing. He spoke about her like he spoke about the slave master who kept him under thumb for so many years.

"Maybe I should have let Brunas kill her"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus allowed the boy to vent his feelings, then slowly but surely reached out to take him by the shoulder, turning him so that they were face to face. "I will not let her harm a single one of you ever again, Zachariah" he said, with such a firm sincerity in his tone that it seemed like he was making a pledge.​

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And... he was.​

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"I told you from the start, you would be free to leave if you willed it. That I would never keep you here. And I mean that. Say the word and I will bring you safely to another world, and give you the means to start over. But... I do not wish that loneliness on you. I know that you are hurt, I know the trauma that brought up, because... It did the same to me."​

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He would not have admitted that to another soul, but when he'd seen Rhiannon act so maliciously, willing to harm a child, he'd been transported back to the years before Darth Empyrean had saved him. Back to when any infraction, however small, resulted in similar harm coming to him. Rhiannon knew all of this, she had traced every scar on his body. She had held him while he shook with fright, as dreamy nightmares washed up old memories and rendered him a helpless child once more.​

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That kind of trauma never truly vanished.​

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"Rhiannon needs help, and I shall see to it she gets it. I do not blame you for your lack of trust or comfort now. You will not have to come before her again until you are ready. You don't have to step foot back in Arboria, you can stay here, in my domain, and I will have your things sent for. My City is not magnificent yet, it is cobbled together, but there's plenty of room and safety to be found."​

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If he were able, he'd try to embrace the boy. He understood that he might not be feeling it though so any sign of resistance at all would stop him in his tracks.​

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"Whatever you wish to do, Zachariah, you have my support."​

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Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: The Grotto - Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn
Equipment: Lightsaber
Continuation from Here​

The boy shook his head at the hug offered.

"It is not fair of me to insult your wife how I did, and for that I apologise"

He took a breath, and looked around. Arcturus and he had shared trauma, it's part of why they'd bonded so close as Master and Apprentice at the first place. He wasn't overly surprised that everything he had felt when Rhiannon proceeded to choke out Pharus had been experienced exactly the same by his mentor. Both of them had been victims of it enough times over their lives.

"I do not wish to leave this planet permanantly, for I do not wish to leave you. What we have here is good, it works for both of us. I am continuing to learn and progress in my studies here, something I have never been granted before. However, I also do not wish to return. I do not wish to be near Rhiannon any more than I have to unfortunately, all of the good faith that has been built up has been washed away in one move"

Zachariah took another deep breath. The darkness surrounding him was shrinking slowly and he began to calm, and he took some deep breaths. He had nothing but dislike for Rhiannon, but he understood it wasn't fair to take it out on Arcturus, especially as he had chosen to marry him. Especially as he had chosen her. Zachariah wondered what he would choose if it came down to it, the kids or his wife.

"Zaathru is my home, however there is an entire Galaxy to explore. I know that you have properties elsewhere, I've overheard you discussing them. I am of the believe it may do both of us some good to get off world for a while, if you agree? I believe things here are a little tense and need to blow over in their own times when cooler heads prevail."

He stood up and took one final deep breath. He had stopped shaking at some point, he wasn't sure when that had happened. He'd been shaking when Arcturus had walked in, he was certain of it. Sometimes venting out a person's feelings had a profoundly positive effect, and he was wondering if all he required was a good venting session to calm himself down.

"Unless you have business to attend to here"

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Hug declined, Arcturus took a soft step back and then he was the one shaking his head. "You are allowed to speak freely, Zachariah. I don't have to like the words you speak, but that doesn't mean you need to apologize for it. I am a grown man, I can handle it."​

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Hearing that Zach didn't want to leave Zaathru forever did come as some relief, but that was quickly crumbling when he stated that he also didn't really want to return either. Didn't want to be around Rhiannon if he could help it. "Then you won't have to, until you're ready." This was said in response to both when he came back, and when he was willing to be in Rhiannon's presence. "I'd never force your hand on either things. You are my student, yes, but you are free. You will always be free so long as I am around to make it so."​

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As for leaving for a while, Arcturus considered it.​

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"I have things to tend to before we can make that happen" he said, but before the boy could feel too deflated or lied to he hastily added, "Give me a couple of days, to see Pharus off and make arrangements for Rhiannon's care. The children and I will accompany you to Eliad, and from there I'll see you admitted to the Academy on Jutrand."​

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Zachariah might have felt it strange for Arcturus to bring him to one world only to then send him to another, but he couldn't leave the children here and nor could he bring them to Jutrand. It was too unsavoury especially where the Force was concerned, and his children were all sponges for that sort of thing. No, Eliad would serve as a safe haven until Zach was ready to take his first steps alone.​

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"Come on, if you're ready, we'll head to Celephaïs. You can help figure out designs for your suite in the Palace they're working to construct there."​

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A whole suite, not just a room. Zachariah was old enough to have his own space. Office, bedroom, lounge, and bathroom, with an extensive closet attached. At least, that was what Arcturus wanted for him. Zachariah may want something entirely different. Lucky for him, nothing had been set in stone yet.​

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Zachariah Conway ​