Out of the Maze

[Laira Darkhold]

The two fought and Bastet slew the maungur, its life leaving its body as the Dark Master looked on. It's death was inevitable, if not slain here while Orthus sized up the stranger it would have been done by his servants when they built their listening post here. The shadows peeled away from Orthus, revealing him standing up against the wall of the cavern where he had hid while he watched the display.

Determination was a useful state of being, the feeling of victory no matter what. It was admirable in many traits, but was not necessarily how it manifested in Orthus. The Sith was more prone to fall back when faced with such odds and return only when victory was assured. It was far better to play sabaac when you knew everyone else's cards, than it was to rely on one's own hand. At least that was how he thought, how his ancient mind processed issues. Patience and waiting was something he was easily capable of.

Survival was paramount.

"Well, little one. It seems you are full of surprises." He mused while he looked over the specimen, stalking from his perch as he looked over her wounds. "Did you learn anything about yourself in all this? If given the choice, would you fight against insurmountable odds or kneel to them and wait for your moment to strike?" The first question he meant to help the girl reflect upon herself, the second was more for his own amusement. Part of Orthus's pride would have liked to consider himself the insurmountable odds, but in truth he knew he was more likely to be the subject given the choice.

Pride was dangerous like that, one must be careful it does not grow into arrogance.

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

Did she learn anything about herself, "yes" a bitter pill to swallow, "there may be a few things lacking in my education."

She knew already she would have the Mau change the teachings. But now this question about a choice. Odds or kneel. "If I were to heed what you say it would seem the course to follow would be to kneel until I know them better." She understood patience to take action even if she was more the run in on high emotions. But she knew her own nature she'd want to fight them all. Maybe even him.

She did not like the pain she felt right now. Identifying whether it was pain from lack of knowledge or a frustration that those who were to take care of her and prepare her for her role. Now it appeared she would have to learn a number of things to further her knowledge.

She shook her head she had a feeling to that this creature was making fun of her. Which she hated.

[member="Darth Orthus"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

The tone of his voice remained calm, that of a mentor to a student or an elder to a youth, "Sometimes we must combat our own nature for our own betterment. That is how we grow." The master knelt alongside the woman, he could sense her pain and discomfort. He held out his hand to her, as if to help her stand.

"The only critique I have is that you were not alone." His hand glowed a faint blue as the Sith channeled the Force through his body and into his hand, urging the Force to reknit her wounds. "At any time you could have asked me for help. With my help, you could have been stronger, faster. You could have been protected."

A girl from a far off, no name planet wasn't of much use to the Sith Lord. But a shapeshifter, that he could use. That was something he could gain from and was worth offering some help to. For now she was unaware of his true nature or ability. "But you'll have to kneel."

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

She looked over at him she felt better as he watched the wounds heal. Her opalescent eyes looked at the mask so much symbolism in a mask. First it was great at hiding everything about the face.

Combat her own nature all her life her nature had been taught to her. She was told she was a Therian that there were expectation and her god given rights. Bastet began to feel the stirrings of hate within her for them. They were doing what they were told yes but they were ensuring she only did what they wanted. That would explain why they did not want her to go out alone among the stars.

It explained a lot.

"Asking for help is a weakness. Weakness is not tolerated for my kind." It wasn't any weakness and for certain those around her would have sought to punish her in some way. Which contradicted everything about what they were for.

"Stronger, faster, protected?" She blinked she had to admit this also. The one thing no one could teach her how to be a shifter, a therian. They only taught what they had written down.
"Kneel? To who?" She had a feeling he would say him. But why?


[member="Darth Orthus"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Refusing to acknowledge your own shortcomings is also a weakness, Little one. Too often our pride gets in the way of understanding ourselves. It blinds us to our faults." There were many things he could not do; pilot a starship, lead troops into battle, slice code. He needed help from others with all those things, and it was because of that he built the Revenant. A legion of servants, allies to fulfill the purposes he needed where he could not.

"Pride is understandable, we all have it. And many of us succumb to its siren call. It takes a strong will to resist it." Orthus spent some time as often as permitted to reflect on what he could not, and remind himself, despite all the followers, all those who worshipped him as omniscient, he was not. He was mortal, albeit a very difficult to kill one, but mortal nonetheless.

"Your solidarity is admirable. I appreciate the desire to be self-reliant, and in time, perhaps you will be." Shapeshifters were good at weaving their way into things, finding their way into many organizations that helped support them. His hand reached out and patted her head gently, "What would you like to do?"

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

In her mind for the most part if she had any short comings they weren't her fault but that would be dealt with. But then she had to admit that there were things she didn't know about all this.

"Explain Pride" She had heard these words but not really in reference to herself more in reference to those that did not understand her species. They were the ones so full of pride that they couldn't accept that there was a difference and that she was really of Ankhypt.

"me?" She had to think about this. She felt better and she felt grateful to him. An odd feeling for certain. One that did not get bestowed on many. or any. But she nodded and thought. What did she want? An hour ago if he had asked this question she would have told him flat out, rule the galaxy.

"Learn what I do not know so that I may teach others of my species these things." If she was not to be the ruler she could at the least leave behind information that would help those to come. A harsh reality for her since she had just fought her first fight and could have lost it. It was clear in just this one thing she did not know what she needed.

[member="Darth Orthus"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"I mean today, little one. What do you want to do today." Orthus's voice was warm still, almost allowing a polite chuckle to flow through his throat. He was good at these types of facades. They came naturally to the former spy, the ability to adopt a persona and simply be it for the time he wanted. It wasn't his preferred social interaction, but he couldn't remember a time when he allowed someone to see the deepest parts of himself without shades of lies and falsehoods heaped atop them.

"Pride is simple. Pride, in this context, is how you feel about your own ability and prowess. How it makes you feel to believe certain things about yourself. It can be good, as pride is necessary to build the determination to improve and helps one's self image. Pride, well placed and earned, provides us with confidence that can help you sway others and inspire them." It was easy to follow a man who acted like he knew what he was doing, even more so to follow someone with proof they could accomplish the task they requested. "But it is also bad, as it can blind us to what we cannot do. It can make us believe we can accomplish the impossible on a whim and beat any odds, making it more likely we enter into a situation we cannot survive."

Orthus stood up with a slight groan, his old body having been wasted away by decades of possessing the Sith Lord's spirit. Age and Dark Side corruption had taken its toll on the corpse of Graxus over the years. Then again Orthus could hardly remember a time when he was spry and youthful.

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

She laughed, ‘Oh today.” What did she want for today. The cave was interesting and there were not many on Ankhypt. It was more about sand and ruins than anything else.

She felt a little like she was under examination by Graxus was he trying to figure out her weaknesses or determine her strengths.

There was also the jungle that seemed to weep continually. She could go there to and walk in the sun. She could.

She thought to turn the tables though and ask what he wanted to do. She smiled should she, or should she take advantage of what he asked.
She did not want to get clawed again.

Then he groaned. “Why do you groan are you injured?”

[member="Darth Orthus"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Orthus smiled, whether she was looking for blood in the water or showing concern he wasn't sure, but either way they were emotions he could work with. "No little one, I'm old." Very old in fact, but he didn't quite keep the exact number of years in his mind. He had no idea how long he'd been using Graxus as his Voice, only that the Pureblood had been a young adult and now seemed quite venerable. His presence certainly didn't help the body's aging process however.

The sith lord cast his eyes back out into the jungle, scanning it. His people could begin their construction in secret as soon as they wanted to. The Rishii would keep their secret, they'd been given a few simple amenities they might occasionally make use of even if they preferred to remain separate from those in the cities elsewhere. They were good people at heart, kind and willing to offer aid to those who asked nicely.

"You still haven't told me what you'd like to do with the rest of the day."

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

[SIZE=14pt]What did she want? To do? Today?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]She was never ever really undecided until this moment. He asked again the question what did she want to do?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]“I would like to explore the place, but I’m not sure I would like to explore this cave. It is cold and where I come from is warm. This place is also cold I prefer not to be in here.” For once she didn’t try to make it sound like a command.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]She was trying to be….civil even though she felt she was being less than she was. She felt diminished and couldn’t put a finger exactly on why.[/SIZE]

[member="Darth Orthus"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Good, then lead the way. I've no interests on this world any longer." He said it as if to mention he didn't have any plans that concerned him or appointments he needed to keep, but perhaps she might decide to bite into his words and over analyze them. Everything about Orthus was a carefully considered test to gather information. The beast that he had made her fight, the show of strength earlier. Healing Mereet, even letting her decide what to do. All of it was to gauge her and weigh her worth against his own standards.

So far, he made no judgement. A closed mind blocked the view of small things that could be telling about one's character. The pureblood's eyes regarded her, "Are you still injured from the fight?" He had healed her, but it was more than possible she wasn't fully recovered. Perhaps broken bones, assuming the shapeshifter had bones.

"What other forms can you take?" He asked, seemingly matter-of-factly when in truth he was legitimately curious as to her limitations. Shii'do and Clawdites both had their uses, and she certainly had hers, it was just a matter of discovering what it was.

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

[SIZE=14pt]“I am ok nothing feels broken” she paused manners that was one thing they were teaching her before, “thank you.” It felt difficult to say even clumsy but she did get them out.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]“Outside to the top of the mountain I want to see the lay of the land here.” She wanted to see if there was anything more than nests and groups.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]“Change.” She thought for a moment, “I can change into anything that is similar to my form. So anything with two legs, and two arms I cannot change into furniture or things that do not possess life. I could probably look like the Rishi though the feathers might be tricky.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]She said so much because she saw no reason not to she had shown her hand that she could now it was exposed. But she did not mention her true weaknesses NOW that would be ignorant of her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]“Have you ever seen any other shifters?”[/SIZE]


[member="Darth Orthus"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Orthus strode along with her, letting the shapeshifter lead him through the jungle with his senses focused on her. He seemed to be slower than she, letting his age seem to be more serious and more of a disability than it truly was. Yes, he was old and he couldn't spend days in the jungle without becoming exhausted, but he wasn't so out of his prime. Sith alchemy and rituals prevented his aging from hampering him so greatly.

"Well, in a way, I am a shapechanger." He didn't bother to tell her in which way he meant. Better to leave her guessing. "I've been many different people in my life." Aliases, carefully crafted identities during his time as a spy and an agent. The bodies of those he claimed as his voices a Sith Lord. The identities he chose to be. The master, the mentor, the monster. They were all so very different from who he had once been, they could be their own people.

"And yes, I have met others, though none the same as you." He grunted slightly as he hefted himself up a small step in the jungle floor, following her up the trail towards the peak. "What do you prefer to look like? Not the face you were given, but the one you would choose."

[member="Bastet"]

 

[Bestat]

“You are shape changer” Bastet paused and looked him over again, “you are different than I, and yet perhaps in some ways the same. But this I do not know for certain.” She listened though as she resumed walking.

He had been many she had always only been herself. No need to hide until now until she left the safety and comfort of her home to look upon the galaxy. What she saw so far did not intrigue her it left her feeling that there was a great lacking within it.

“What do I prefer if I could choose..” She didn’t need to think about it really, “I prefer myself my natural form. All others is just for deception that is the only purpose to change. Purpose to live, evade, acquire knowledge. But to be just me I prefer this” She tapped her chest. “if I had nothing this form suits me best I am most comfortable in this.” She could look like millions of others, hide among them easily, or be among them accepted but then she’d be ordinary.
She liked being unique.

She stop paying attention to his grunts and groans he was old and the old made such noises as they moved.

“The other shapers are they easy to find?” She was curious about the others.

[member="Darth Orthus"]