I'll Show Thee The Way

[Kyrinov]

Outer Rim Territories​

Dromund Vatsu - Undetermind Cave​

0427 Planetary Time​

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]​

​

​

The air here was bone chilling and it weighed heavily on one’s shoulders. The pressure that accompanied the freezing conditions emanated from a lone figure in the center of the scarcely lit cave. The only lighting provided came from the entrance of the large crevice.

It was damp and humid, enough so that one could expect to break out into a cold sweat after only half an hour in this place. It was a paradox of swirling temperatures, a maelstrom of emotion and raw power.

She’d asked him to take her on shortly after his Knighting within the Jen’ari, mere days after they’d completed their Academy missions and celebrated by breaking a few bank accounts of various figures within their Order. It had been quite the rush, in the moment.

Dianah was his friend. Dare he say a confidant of his. They’d fought together. They’d fought each other. The two studied together and both aspired to climb the ranks of their new Empire. In that regard, they were successful. And they’d done all of it seamlessly, as one.

Yet, none of that mattered now.

It didn’t matter that they were friends. It didn’t matter what one told the other prior to this point in time.

All that mattered was that she learned. And that she learned well. With any luck, he could stir her clear of the path represented by the other False Sith in this pathetic and crestfallen Galaxy. At least, within the Jen’ari, she had the opportunity for redemption and salvation from it all.

For absolution.

Suddenly, Amnesia appeared in his grasp. Pale fingers setting a stark contrast to the midnight black leather. As she’d always been since he was but a boy, the sword became an extension of himself. Of his own trials. Of his losses and regrets. Of all he’d come to cherish and represent.

The leather hilt of the weapon seemed fused to his forearm as he twirled her around as he practiced a particularly difficult sequence that he’d recently created. A taxing and exceptionally lethal pattern of complex foot and blade work.

An unorthodox combination of two most demanding lightsaber forms. A path that his first Master, Darth Caligo set him upon as he neared Knighthood. One that he chose to embrace. It required the user and the weapon to work in perfect synchrony. It required balance and the tempering of one as a whole to be executed properly.

As he would feel Dianah come to a halt in front of him, he allowed his Force presence to leak for him, as he always did when he knew for certain that he was safe.

His blade arched over his head and his feet pivoted to spin him around one hundred and eighty degrees to face her. He exhaled through his nose and his blade came down as if to cut her right down the middle. But, his arm pulled back enough to clear past her face. Then, he extended his arm slightly and took one small step backwards. His shining steel eyes shot open to look at her. Amnesia’s sharp edge slid slowly down the fragile skin of her neck as he stared calmly into her orbs.

Metal grazed the smooth surface and paused at the hollow of her neck, biting into it. Its fangs drew out a dot of crimson blood as he pressed the tip forward ever so slightly.

He maintained her gaze and spoke two simple questions.

“Why you? What makes you worthy, Dianah?”

 

[Darth Miseria]

Outer Rim Territories​

Dromund Vatsu - Undetermined Cave​

0427 Planetary Time​

[member=Kyrinov]​

​

​

It was always a cave and they were always cold. For some reason the Sith had an unnatural addiction to them. Dianah didn't know if it was the fact that they were deep in the heart of a planet or because the lighting was rather mysterious. At least it all tied in perfectly with Kyrinov's dramatic personality. He was the whole reason for her being here in this musty cavern. If it weren't for him and the lure of an urgent question in need of an answer, she would have never been down there. Luckily for her the corridor that led her to him wasn't a very long one. In fact, from the entrance, she could see the opening where the meeting would take place. It made a nice change compared to some of the other caves she'd had the misfortune to be in.

In the dim light of the rising sun that crept slowly over the horizon and into the depths of the caves stood Kyrinov.

They had met on a battlefield and danced to the chorus of a thousand screaming Jedi. They had merged together as one to bring chaos and destruction wherever they went. Both had an affinity for the truly twisted side of life. From the moment they had met to the moment he had been awarded Knight a solid plan had formed in the depths of her mind. She had to have him as her Master. Once she had set her mind on something there was very little in the Galaxy that Dianah couldn't get. This would be no different.

In what little light stretched from the hazy orange sky to the caverns they claimed as their own Dianah stood waiting. She watched his graceful movements with perceptive amber eyes. There was nothing that wasn't impressive about it. He moved as delicately as a soft summer breeze. Each swing he made with the blade cut through the air as easy as it did flesh. There were some moments it was hard to tell where the sword stopped and his arm began. The thin edge of the blade came perilously close to biting into her skin. There wasn't a single sign of any shock or fear on her deadpan expression. But it still took every muscle in her body to resist the urge to move, even with the added knowledge that a fraction of an inch would likely be the end of her pretty face.

Pain was unforgettable. Each scar on someone's body tells a story. The gentle pain that now seared in the centre of her clavicle would heal eventually. The result of it all would be a fine silver scar barely noticeable to anyone but herself. She knew it would be there though. It would serve as a reminder of this moment.

​

A sharp brightly painted nail flicked out at the tip of his impressive blade. The noise it made was an aggressive ping that shook her eardrums with its pitch. A soft spray of crimson landed in a complex pattern that stood stark against the dusty ground. The shocking red of her own blood was a rare sight, even to her eyes. She smoothed it out in between the tip of her finger to get a feeling for its thickness. A familiar metallic smell reached her nose causing the faintest hint of a smile to appear on her expression.

When she spoke her voice was confident and came like a tidal wave over the silence of the cave.

'I think the real question is what makes you worthy of me? Why should I bring your name along with me when I rise to the top? We both know there are great things in store for us in the future. Why not make it our future?'

 

[Kyrinov]

[SIZE=9pt]Follow, sweet children[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=9pt]He chuckled, lowering Amnesia[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] away from the woman’s milky white neck. A feral light lit up his hardened eyes. His sword twirled on the side of them and came to a stop in a pale clenched fist, the tip of the blade mere inches from the damp stone, stopping the motion of it entirely. The blood splattered lightly on the ground, bright red in the revealing light. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]In truth, it had only been a few days since he and his other half had been in a combat situation. Even with the death he enacted upon those poor unfortunate souls in the Dark Temple, he was absolutely relishing in the sight of even a little blood on Amnesia[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]. Even sweeter than that, was the sight of it blemishing her pale skin. It stood out and drew the eye in. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Then, of course, there were her actual eyes. Marvelous amber crystals that held a myriad of emotion and possibility. In them, he saw the same fire that burned within the eyes of his teacher. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]And, for an instant, she was him. She was that subtle fire behind his Mentor’s sulfur eyes. She was the edge on his words and threats. She was the ferocity behind every attack he made. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]And, still, it did not matter.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Personally, he didn’t care who her parents were. All that mattered to him was what she surpassed even her famous father and made a name for herself in this Galaxy, by her own actions. That would be one of her largest chains that she would need to break. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“My name will always follow yours, and yours mine. That is how it works in this Galaxy, whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. So, yes, it will be our future. But, it will be my hand that guides you and, by extension, us towards it.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Kyrinov’s hand flicked, bringing the sword slightly forward before snapping it into a backwards spin. His hand position reversed itself and caught the hilt of the blade, the sharp tip now facing upwards. A nudge of two fingers and the blade came close to his mouth, his tongue stuck out and slid up a short length of the metal to get the drop of blood off of one side of the weapon. He paused before he made another move. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“But, before we begin, you need to accept that you are mine.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]An upward cut that curved to the left, the cool metal barely touching the skin on his alabaster wrist, arm now outstretched towards her. Meanwhile, this grey eyes never once wavered in their gaze toward her. His fingers lifted off the hilt, leaving only a thumb and open palm to support the weight of the sword. He silently bade her to take hold of the grip in place of his hand. To hold it exactly where he held it now. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Once she accepted him, there would be no turning back. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]I’ll show thee the way[/SIZE]​

​

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

A sheen of red began to pool in the small of her neck. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air and caught on the stale wind till it completely filled the dark cavern. Dianah lived for the drama and this was certainly the most dramatic thing she had been party too thus far. A slow trickle of the thick crimson liquid saw fit to free itself from the confines of her neck to make it's way down the centre of her breast.

An unabashed smile returned to the corners of her lips at his actions. Once again the sword was an extension of his arm. It almost seemed to move of its own accord, like it was a living thing desperate to please its Master. Very little shocked her so the tinge of red on his pink tongue did nothing but make her grin harder. When he finally spoke again his statement took her completely off guard. Despite the fact that it was clearly meant as a demand, Dianah took a brief moment to think on it as if it were a question.

When she finally replied her amber eyes flicked up to meet his grey ones head on. They were filled with a mix of amusement, regret and determination.

'You know... you sound an awful lot like Metus. I've never understood all of this mine melodrama. No, Kyrinov, I will not be yours. I have seen first hand the consequences of belonging to someone in such a way and I will not bend to them. There may come a day when it is so, but it won't be today.'

'I will promise you this though...'

Dianah reached out to snake her elegant fingers over the grip in place of him. It still felt warm from his touch and she relished in the way it moulded to her hand. Usually holding someone else's blade was awkward, it was like trying to fit your hand into a glove that wasn't yours. In comparison, Amnesia felt like the return of an old friend who had been gone too long.

'Every student you have after me will pale in comparison. When all is said and done between us you'll wish for me back. When you call, I will come. When you teach, I will learn. When you talk, I will listen. When you lead, I will follow. Whatever you command of me, I will do.'

This would have to be enough for him. There wasn't a single aspect of Dianah that would hold up well if caged by someone. It was in her very nature to be as free and wild as the wind. If anything she hoped that Kyrinov would at least understand that.

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

Come, little children​

“Like Master, like Apprentice I suppose, dear.” he cracked a smile and took hold of Amnesia once more, removing his right hand from the blade with the knowledge that he could support the full weight of his weapon with a single hand instead of the traditional two.

He listened intently while she spoke, hanging on to every syllable that her silky voice graced his attentive ears with. His smile widened and he emitted a low chuckle from his throat.

The sword arched back to its former position with his grip reversed on the hilt. With a simple flourish, the weapon oriented itself into its proper stance, twirling in his hand as his own experienced partner. His other half. She touched down gently and gracefully, impacting the ground of her sheathe with a hushed sound of metal gliding along metal. The laughter stopped and his eyes hardened once more.

“Good, then, it seems that the Academy taught you something. You’ve already learned the first lesson. Do not ever bend to another authority that is not beneficial to you. If it benefits you, bend enough to make them believe that they have control. Yet, remain several steps ahead.”

Leather stuck earth and he stepped backwards four times, measured and calculated in nature. His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the cave’s dampened walls, his short hair brushing against the surface as his head tilted back to slightly expose his neck further.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that you will be my best and brightest student. I will wish that I had you back, in one ways than one. I will long for you as an Apprentice and as a dear friend. But, the latter aspect of our relationship will not concern me until you reach Knighthood.”

“But, to begin our little journey, in a rather orthodox manner,”

His hand flicked through the air, cutting it into odd patterns of Ragnos knew what.

“Recite the Sith Code and explain its meaning in your own words... I don’t need an Academy-memorized traditional perspective in any answer you give me for the duration of our time together. I want your take on these things. It is your outlook, your opinion, and your life...”

“If I needed a brainwashed, pathetic worm for an Apprentice, I would have picked another Acolyte.”

The time’s come to play​

Here in my garden​

Of shadows​

​

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]​

 

[Darth Miseria]

Dianah watched him carefully. In her eyes laughter was a good sign, but she could never quite tell with Kyrinov. After all, he was insane. What made him different from other men with the same affliction? He had a way of measuring his madness, letting it slip a little at a time where necessary. Behind every choice he made was done with a purpose beyond anyone else's understanding. No matter how close they became Dianah would always be cautious. There's nothing more dangerous then a mad man with a calm exterior. It means they can unleash it without warning, quicker than a summer breeze turning into an aggressive storm. Kyrinov was this kind of man. Dianah shook her head free of the thoughts and focused instead on his voice and the gentle whooshing sound of his hand cutting through the air.

At first, his demand was simple:

​

'Peace is a lie, there is only passion.​

Through passion, I gain strength.​

Through strength, I gain power.​

Through power, I gain victory.​

Through victory, my chains are broken.'​

Her memory had always been reliable. It came as no surprise the Sith Code was embedded in her brain. Maybe it was from the years of pouring through the tedious tomes in Sinner's Well, but it came easily to her. It was the following request that caused her to pause. Many things about the code tangled in with the chaos of her life but it was hard to pick out how the words held meaning to her exactly. In the end she decided a difficult question deserved a complex answer. She took some liberties with his wording, but she knew he wouldn't mind. After all, he didn't want a run of the mill apprentice and Dianah was nothing of the sort.

'Peace is a lie, there is only passion.'

'For a long time I felt at peace at home, on Krant. I was loved, adored and given anything I could have wished for. As I grew older I watched my siblings grow and make their own name in the Galaxy, they stood proud beside my Father. But me? I was happy just standing there... Why would I have wanted anything else? Everything I needed was provided for me, everything I wanted was fetched for me, nothing and nobody in the Galaxy could have hoped to harm me. He was my protection, my idol, my passion...'

'Through passion, I gain strength.'

'While my siblings went off to learn from others I stayed with Metus. I was his shadow. Every opportunity to learn from him, I took. Even if it there was no direct teaching and all I could do was watch. Wherever he went I went too. When he left Krant to go to Dathomir, I followed. I was already strong, but watching the source of my passion at work made me stronger.'

'Through strength, I gain power.'

'But it wasn't strength by any normal definition of the word. I wasn't physically strong. But he did provide me with the strength to develop my own ambitions. By the time I was old enough to truly know of the dark side I had a wealth of knowledge. I had all the strength I needed to break away and search for power of my own.'

'Through power, I gain victory.'

'The darkness came as easily to me as breathing. Even at the tender age of ten I could feel how powerful I truly was. In the end my victory was discovering my true potential. My original ambition was to stand beside him, to join the ranks of my siblings under his name. But I realised... I could and would become the greatest Sith the Galaxy has ever known. Beyond Metus. Beyond my siblings. Beyond the name of my family.'

'Through victory, my chains are broken.'

'When we made a permanent home of Sinner's Well I could feel the call of the darkness. It told me that in the beginning he was my passion, my reason to learn, to grow, to gain strength but in the end he was the thing holding me back. If I wanted to be remembered, to make a name for myself, to stand proud of my own accord... I needed to break the chains that held me to him. My victory was the shift in passion. Passion for him is now passion to surpass him. This alone broke the bond I had formed with him.'

'Though I broke my chains the fact is they still remain. I still get by on my family name and the name of my Father...'

Dianah paused and took a short breath. Her mind buzzed and whirred with a thousand different thoughts, but she wasn't done just yet. Her eyes locked onto his grey ones, filled with a fire that overtook the amber in them and turned it into a deep bright crimson. Her voice was soft but filled with such a passionate determination it overshadowed all other noises.

'The Sith Code will be my liberation, it will be the key to my ascension. But above all else? It is my freedom.'

[member=Kyrinov]

 

[Kyrinov]

[SIZE=9pt]Follow, sweet children[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=9pt]Her recitation began. As the moonlight shone through the opening on the cave behind her already pale figure. As the stars gleamed on the deep azure backdrop that sought to bend around her, to accommodate her in the most comfortable of ways. It certainly suited her well. But, the practiced Code rose from the cords of her throat and skipped across her tongue and spilled from her mouth in a clear voice. She was confident in it. He could tell from her tone that this wasn’t simply some repeating of words she learned. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]She believed[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] what she was saying. Every word spoken hinted at a quiet and deeply rooted confidence that characterized Dianah as a person. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]As he’d promised himself, he listened to her with all that he had, focusing exclusively on her. With the degree of attentiveness that he displayed, he could see the most minute change occur physically on her. The tiny movements of her eyes as they looked to search his own. The change of tone in her voice that varied as she spoke of her younger years versus her older ones. The curling and uncurling of her fingers as she spoke of the latter. Small things, trivial details, to most. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]But, he was a firm believer that even the tiniest detail held some sort of clue, if you looked closely enough. Her determination was clear enough, as though one were staring through glass. But, the change in her voice was slightly more difficult to decipher. Was she regretful? Did she perhaps regret having lived in her father’s shadow as the others went on their way? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Was it resentment towards her siblings for leaving? [/SIZE]

'Though I broke my chains the fact is they still remain. I still get by on my family name and the name of my Father...'

[SIZE=9pt]Or, did it have to do with the fact that she’d yet to truly break the heaviest chain that bound her in place? That she hadn’t overcome that obstacle after so long. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Then, there was a fire once more in those amber drops of hers. It consumed him bit by bit the longer he gazed into them. And, like her Father, he couldn’t seem to catch his breath while he looked into her eyes. It didn’t feel like he had to until the moment that he looked away from them. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“I see…”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]A smile crossed from one ear to the other. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Words that resonated with him were but two in number. But, they were enough to base his next few inquiries off of. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]First, [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]power.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“So, then, tell me something. Is power a means to an end or an end within itself? If it is a means to an end, what purpose does it serve you? If it is an end on its own, what do you hope to achieve because of it?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]A pause. And then, [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]freedom.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“You spoke of freedom, in reference to the Code. Interesting word choice there. What freedom will the Sith Code bring you when coupled with your own decision and actions?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]@[/SIZE]Dianah Vi'Dreya​

 

[Darth Miseria]

Dianah watched him with careful eyes and in turn he watched her back. His reply to her short rant was simple. She hadn't expected any other kind, be it negative or positive, which she was rather pleased about. Kyrinov kept his opinions to himself until the time was right, though he had promised that no answer she gave would be judged. Still, Dianah had no doubts that eventually he would have something else to say on it all and she would listen when he was ready. After all, she regarded his thoughts and opinions highly.

When he spoke again the soft sound of his voice nearly caught her by surprise. In all honesty she hadn't expected any further questions, nor had she expected to explain it any further. But there was no time like the present to dive into a side of her personality rarely seen. A complicated, clever, logical thinking Dianah overtook the bubbly youth that so often made an appearance.

'Power is neither the means nor the end. It's the motivation, the will, the determination. It does not serve my purpose, just as the dark side does not serve us. We serve it. We're subordinate to it, always chasing it, always bending to its will. The end does not come when you achieve power because there is always more power to be had. What I hope to achieve isn't the mastery over power itself or the means to an end. All I can hope for is mercy at its hands and the chance to prove myself worthy of it.'

At his next question she shook her head slightly. Describing the taste of freedom she felt when she spoke the Sith code was a complicated task and it took her a moment of thought to answer it. A soft hum of concentration left her lips and her slim brows knitted together in thought. When she finally spoke her words were dreamy and her tone lilted with every syllable that left her lips.

'The Sith code isn't coupled with me... We're entangled. It's not only my guidance it's my way of life. Its what will eventually help me prove my worth to the Galaxy beyond any reputation my family currently holds. Every decision I make is tied in with it, every path I walk is guided by those very words. Perhaps a better way of saying it would be that my freedom isn't in the Sith Code itself but the freedom it promises me if I'm true to it. It's a long and perilous journey and I'm aware my actions alone won't be enough to see me through it. Which is where you come in, Kyri, my dear.'

[member=Kyrinov]