Let Him Run Wild

[Esis Nas]

Jungles of Dxun.​

​

Dxun was a place of deadly beauty. The Demon Moon of Onderon, as many had come to know it, was ready to surprise its visitors with a lethal wander behind every tree, hiding underneath every bush. People had come to avoid it, the dangers had grown to big to justify the visit. After all, there were but very few willing to risk laying down their lives to one of the alpha-predators of the moon in exchange for a glimpse of the dense jungles.

Esis Nas was among those crazy few. She remembered very well her first visit to the moon, the research she had been leading at the time would be immensely benefited by the samples present only in this life-threatening maze. She only knew one person who might have agreed to accompany her, yet his injuries kept him from doing so. And so she had ventured into this wonderfully terrible place all on her own. The Force was her guide, and there was no place a Zelosian felt more at home than deep within the cover of lush vegetation. It was simply a matter of avoiding the darker areas -so that her emerald eyes were not blinded by the lack of light- taking the samples she needed and leaving the wild maze.

She had not expected to find far more than the samples she needed. When she felt it, him, Esis had for the first time in her life doubted the alerts of that special sensing ability she held. It could not be, no lone person, so young in age, could survive on their own within this place. Yet the logic of her thoughts was proved wrong, for that day she met the hunter child of Dxun: [member="Graal"] .

Thanks to reasons that escaped her, the boy grew up nestled within the Demon Moon, incorporated to its environment, creatures and way of life. She was probably the first humanoid that had crossed his path, and the Steward of Padawan Kesh could not have been more glad this happened. The chances of Graal ever encountering a humanoid were minimal, not in this place, in the labyrinth of trees and predators. And it was already a miracle he had made it this far on his own. Esis was deeply moved and impressed by the boy's feats.

She befriended him, knowing it would be no good trying to force him from what, in truth, was his home. The Je'daii taught him her language, at least what she could of it, and discovered he was also attuned to the great living Force. This explained much, why his chances of survival -as low as they were- had managed to see themselves victorious, and so the wild boy of Dxun thrived in this hostile place.

Esis could not tear him from his home, but she could not forget the boy either. Ever since that day, the Zelosian returned to Dxun as often as she could, not yet sharing the discovery of Graal with other members of the Order. She kept an eye on the boy, used her time with him to heal the wounds he got and continue his lessons, hoping one day he would agree to come with her, so he could learn how to be a part of society and continue to better understand the gift within him, the Force. Yet she also thought the decision should be personal, and would respect him if he had already chosen this as his life, his path.

Today, Esis was once more visiting the boy. The Gossamer had been landed into a hidden natural platform of a mountain, one she could access with only slight difficulty, but that would keep the vessel protected from the creatures of the Demon Moon. Soon after, the Zelosian was walking the jungles of Dxun, her mind open, alert to all the vibrating life presences of the jungle. It was something beautiful to her, the net of life here. Esis knew Graal must have seen the starship descending into the jungle, and had a feeling he would find her before she had a chance to reach the 'meeting point' they had established.

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Hunger. Chase. Hunt. Thrill. Kill. Blood. Meat. Sleep.

Each was a thought process, which filled the boy's mind, as he bounded from tree to tree, slicing vines with his curved dagger, swinging on the freed extensions across gaps without pause. For years Graal, as he had come to be known, had lived and survived in the jungle, his home. He had little knowledge of the fear the moon offered to others, as the teen had simply grown up surrounded by what many considered terrifying monsters. Certainly during that time Graal had come close to dying, as the numerous scars across his lean body could attest to, but through willpower, instinct and magic he had been able to overcome; it also helped that the wild boy of Dxun had used his power to imitate the magics of some creatures of the moon.

The glint of metal ship above, followed by the distant touch of familiar presence, caused Graal to pause. He landed, leather boots thumping on thick branch, as he turned his head to listen. The metal bird moved toward the mountains, and the young boy couldn't contain himself - he gave a toothy grin, before leaping and sliding down a vine, hitting the ground running. From the past visits by Green Eyes, Graal had learned how to use his Force magic better, and as a result could now consciously perform some feats he had otherwise relied on instinctively... such as hiding his presence.

"Cha-ree lumi," Graal said to himself, snickering as he lessened his Force magic. "Eee-sis here!"

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Sometime Later...​

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The jungles were quiet, but very much alive, as the wind causing leaves to rustle and tree trunks to creak.

Around the lone individual walking through the dense foliage, small critters and insects moved, avoiding her presence and passage. Above, whether naturally or otherwise, parts of the canopy fell - twigs, vines, pieces of bark.

A distant howl, belonging to Maalraas sounded, echoing through the trees. Whether the female with the green eyes worried at the sound or not couldn't be determined, but nonetheless, something was nearby, hunting. A crack of twig, a thump of footfall on stone, sounds seeming to come from around her person from multiple directions. A blur of movement to one side, followed by a thud behind, and another howl...

And then something broke through the undergrowth, launching right at Esis!?

...

"Eee-sis!" Graal yelled, landing within feet of the visitor. "Graal hide. Graal use Force magic good to hide meself."

The wild boy let his Force self fade back out, having been concealed much like the Maalrass or Vornskyr, as he let out a perfectly mimicked howl of the former. One of the skills Graal had developed quickly had been how to imitate predators, purely to dissuade other creatures from coming too close; usually it meant he avoided a fight outright, or he gave himself some time while the hunting creature was confused, slipping away. Today, he had been playing with Esis, using rocks and sounds to give her a little scare - but hopefully nothing too serious, because Graal liked Green Eyes, and liked her visits.

"What visit? What lesson?" Graal asked, standing, almost taller than the other. He pointed to his chest proudly. "Graal am learn."

To the observant eye, there were several new scars across Graal's body. The latest, across one side of his chest, had been packed with mushed leaves and herbs, and slathered in a dark slime. Presumably to help, or to stop infection, or both. He had yet to learn healing, so instead relied on methods he had developed over time that seemed to work and help with pain. Still, the slash looked deep, even if Graal appeared unperturbed by its presence...

"Force magic?"

[member="Esis Nas"]​

 

[Esis Nas]

The darker earth tones of the robes she was currently wearing blended in quite well with the surroundings. Esis was often seen wearing the generic brown robes of a Je'daii, rather than the blue ones depicting a member of Padawan Kesh when outside of the Temple, brown was less likely to catch the eyes of bystanders and the Zelosian rarely was with the intention of getting such a thing. Normally, she would have relaxed and relished in the expanse of the life net that extended through the jungle. But Dxun was not Aurum, and most of the presences here, come of which tried to hide themselves, were too dangerous to afford lowering her guard.

Her pace reached a sudden stop when her ears caught the sound of something moving about her. A howl, a breaking branch, all around her. She reached out, unable to feel the presences and soon her mind had formulated a theory: Nighthunters. The creatures were native to these jungles, powerful beings who hunted in packs and cloaked themselves from the Force. Yet something didn't feel entirely right, she should have felt the danger, the threat they brought. With her heightened sensitivity to the Force, this alone was enough for her to pinpoint sources of danger, much like tracking a force signature. Yet today she seemed unable to do this.

Slight fear crept down her spine. Adopting a defensive posture, prepared to receive an attack, the Je'daii took in a short, soft breath. Esis had found herself in similar situations before, but not being able to feel the Force as vividly as she usually could was often enough to set the woman on edge.

Sudden movement in the undergrowth caught her eye, and today the heightened speed and reflexes of her kin would have been her savior. If a sudden tug within her, the one she recognized so well as a pull from the Force, hadn't stop her from moving. The reassuring feeling flooded her, and soon enough a bright, relieved smile stretched her lips. @Graal .

Her hands stopped their quick trip to her lower back, where her lightsabers rested, to rest at her hips. She watched the boy with brow raised, a hybrid expression between relief, amusement and pride decorating her features. "Graal! You scared me!" Her smooth voice held its characteristic pleasant and friendly tone. "Very well done!" She complimented him. Now she understood why she was unable to track him. His Force signature had been hidden, and he posed no threat to her so none of the conventional, passive sensing methods would have alerted her of his presence.

It didn't take her long to notice the new, fresh wounds in the boy's skin, her face adopting a concentrated expression in response to them. "Yes, we are going to learn Force Magic today and I've also brought some things I'd like you to see," She began, gesturing towards the leather bag that rested tightly clasped to her back, "But first, we need to tend to those." It was clear she meant the wounds. Of course she would rather have him safe and away from the creatures and places that caused this wounds, but that was not her call to make. And she couldn't have the Hunter Child of Dxun running around with open gashes.

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Graal smiled, he knew Esis wouldn't hurt him. Somehow she knew things, maybe using Force magic, but the boy always trusted her. Which was rare, considering his lifestyle and need to remain alone and isolated, in order to increase his chances of survival. There was literally no one the boy knew that would be worth saving, except for Green Eyes. The kindness and lessons she had taught him, combined with Graal's need to connect with another humanoid, had resulted in a very strong bond forming within the hunter very quickly. So with a nod, Graal looked down to his chest, as he peeled away the sap and mush, revealing the deep wound with a grimace across his face... it always hurt to remove the salves, but he didn't want to show discomfort in front of Esis.

"Claw red tooth," He said simply, using his word for Maalraas. "Graal loss focus. Am price paid."

Even as Esis tended to the wounds, Graal couldn't help but look at the bag against her back. His natural curiosity for learning and discovering new things had been awakened by Esis, and everything she brought to show him was the most important thing he had to see. After all, spending your life in a jungle, surviving against all kinds of predators, usually ended up becoming fairly common place; and if it was one thing Graal knew, it was almost every inch of these particular jungles the pair now stood in, especially closer to the Mandalorian outpost he called home.

"Eee-sis ride Futsak?" The boy asked, dark eyes observing. "He good mood. Carry both. Fun!"

The adult Drexl was nearby, hunting, but would return with a thought from Graal. Given how big the winged creature was now, it was only due to their bond through Force magic that allowed them to act in unison, which negated the need for multiple sentients steering the mighty Drexl. The two were one, as far as Graal was concerned, connected by more than a friendship that had developed when the beast was a smaller juvenile, and it had only strengthened as the years went on. Whether Esis was comfortable flying over the jungles of Dxun on a Drexl remained to be seen, but Graal had very few things to show her in return, and this was a particularly special offering - no one else had ever ridden Futsak, and no one else ever would. Only Esis.

"Slice bad?"

Graal poked at the wound, edge of his mouth twitching. It would be another scar, one to add the dozens already across his body...

[member="Esis Nas"]​