Journey to the Temple

[Yiu Amar'ra]

A distant rumble catches Yiu’s attention. A thunderstorm was approaching, its dark clouds slowly encroaching on the two lithe figures traversing Lothal’s grasslands. It was far off still, but it was catching up to them, slowly but undoubtedly so. The incoming storm was a pressing reminder of the planet’s precarious state; the First Order’s ever-threatening presence looms over their lives like a predatory loth-wolf. She quickens her pace.

“We’re close to it now,” she promises, glancing at Arisa as she passes. The short-statured girl had more than overcome the limitations of her height, able to outpace even a Wookiee. She showed no sign of exhaustion from this either, maintaining a hurried, steady gait. “I don’t like the look of that storm. They come up fast here on Lothal.”

The storm notwithstanding, Yiu feels a sense of urgency, almost as though the ancient Temple were beckoning the two. It’s odd, she reflects -- she has been here before, stumbling across the place purely by accident, not even knowing what the unusual rock was -- and yet when Arisa mentioned it years later, the path remained etched perfectly in her mind. Strange, yes, but Yiu tries not to give it much thought. Reaching the Temple before the storm breaks is a far more pressing matter.

As luck would have it, the silhouette of the Temple rises slowly over the horizon. A relieved smile spreads across her face, amplified by an unexpected wave of excitement. She didn’t fully understand why Arisa wanted to travel with her to the Temple so badly, but anticipation swells in her chest as she ponders the possibilities. Arisa understood the Force far better than she -- what was it that the Jedi wanted to show her?

[member="Arisa Yune"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

As dark clouds rolled in, Arisa began to regret talking Yiu into taking the "scenic" route with her on foot, though if push came to shove, she could always call in her freighter remotely if conditions got too nasty. She picked up the pace as she heard those first rumblings through the sky, the scent of an oncoming storm growing stronger with each passing minute. Yiu kept up with her no problem, seemingly unphased by Arisa's rushing.

After a while, she could finally make out the distinctive conical peaks of megaliths in the distance. She focused on them with her dark eyes, feeling a strong aura emanating from one particular formation. A brief glance of a map on her datapad confirmed it. They were close.

"So much for the picnic," she joked as she looked up at the cloudy sky. For her troubles, she was rewarded with single fat raindrop that splashed against the tip of her nose.

She snorted to herself as she wiped her nose dry, then reached over her shoulder for the end of an umbrella attached to the side of her pack. With a click of a button, the telescopic handle extended and the green canopy unfurled. It was large enough for two, in case Yiu had decided against bringing her own umbrella.

"Not too much longer, I think. Break when we hit the entrance?"

[member="Yiu Amar'ra"]