Private Your Hate Makes You Strong

[Sofiel]

"Good. You're learning."

Sofiel chuckled just a little. An actual emotion, or just a replaying of such from what she'd seen in others. It was still hard for her herself to tell. Still, the determination in the girls eyes wasn't something she would deter or deny.

So long as she didn't reach so far she had her hands lopped off.

"I would simply give you my own. But, your life. Your history. What made you you, that is a payment I am willing to accept."

Syala

 

[Syala]

The chuckle felt strange to listen to. Was she actually amused that Syala was learning? Or trying to annoy the Half-Nagai. Either way, it was something she wasn't sure of.

"I see. So...a story of my childhood, would earn me another lesson?"

Syala kept her eyebrow raised. She could obviously tell Sofiel her entire history, but this way, through splitting her life history into separate chapters, the Fledgling Sith would be able to get more lessons. Haggle more and more. She stood her ground, not getting any closer to Sofiel. Though that was more for her own safety, than Sofiel. She didn't want to get close enough that the woman would think she was about to attack. She wasn't that foolish.

"In that case, my name is Syala. Nothing more, nothing less."

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

"Sofiel. Nothing more, nothing less."

There wasn't even a mocking tone to her voice as she echoed the Acolyte. She reached out a hand shortly after, bringing to her what was likely once a chair before she reshaped back into it's original form with the Force and a screech of metal.

Then, sat down.

"It would. First, though, tell me what you'd like to learn?"

Syala

 

[Syala]

"...I want to learn how to manipulate people. Or things. To be able to bend them to do what I want. To be able to make them do things they'd hate. To force them to have to against their own values."

The kind of power she'd be able to use against her people. To get revenge for how they treated her. They'd probably see her as a criminal for what she had done, but it was what they deserved. Her eyes went towards the chair that Sofiel had brought to her and the half-Nagai gave a small giggle at that, shaking her head afterwards.

"Learning how to do that would be amusing as well."

Though that statement was more of a joke than an actual request as she folded her arms along her front, trying to decide where to start with her story of her childhood. In her eyes, it was quite boring but if Sofiel wanted to know, that was fine. It would let Syala let out a bit of energy either way as she started to pace back and forth, tapping her chin in thought. It was strange, she felt like she didn't have to be as serious now. Letting more of her...energetic side out.

"I suppose we can start with where I was born. I was born on Nagi. Wait no, that's technically wrong. I was born on some random starship, before my mother decided to ship me off to Nagi instead of actually raising me herself. Though that's her loss, since I'm the best thing she's ever done with her life."

Syala broke out into a grin at that, jabbing her thumb towards herself. The more and more she was talking, the more and more...giddy she seemed to get. Almost like she was putting on a performance. In a way, she was. Almost like she was putting on a play or presentation for Sofiel as the half-Nagai went back to tapping her chin.

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

"Aren't you quite the cruel soul."

Compliment, insult, just a fact stated, it was hard to tell. Still, Sofiel listened. There was an odd fascination in her eyes as she just listened to the tale. It was ultimately not much to most, but for her, it was a true fascination. How someone lived a life, how their histories worked, she wanted to know it all. Grant it, she did raise a brow as Syala seemed to come to a stop with her story. Frowned, shortly after.

"A birth is not childhood."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"Cruel? Me. No. No. I'm just saying...she's wasting her life serving some human noble who couldn't care less about her. Doesn't even see her as a person, just a possession."

Syala waved her hand dismissively, letting out a small giggle afterwards. Though she raised an eyebrow as Sofiel seemed to frown at her and the Half-Nagai just broke out into a grin, clapping her hands together as she brought herself to a small stop in her skips.

"That's because I wasn't finished yet! I just needed to take a breath. I can't talk forever! Anyway. So, I get dropped off on Nagi. Woo, a warrior culture filled with honour and devotion! I mean some of us are pretty charismatic as well, being able to change our voices. Woopie! So at a young age, I was already having to learn how to fight, because that's how you felt prestige with my people. It was kill or be killed! Well...not normally. See, they don't really kill people if there's no honour in it, or if they think their opponent is weak...but I mean, what's the point in that? Who cares if there's no honour? And if they're weak? Well, just kill them to cull the crop!"

She broke out into another fit of giggles as she went back to her skipping around the rooms, waving her hands around as she spoke, making various hand movements to go with the story. Making fists and punching at the air as she spoke about fighting, or making a slicing motion when she talked about culling the crops of her people!

"Either way, I excelled at the combat. Sure, I may have been a bit harsh on people who didn't deserve it but...I liked seeing the pain their eyes. And their faces! The screams as well. It was so satisfying. Knowing that I had the power of their lives in my hands...If it wasn't for the fact that I was doing the killing during training, the Nagai would probably try to kill me themselves! I did end up murdering someone though. It was completely warranted though! They insulted my mother. Only I get to do that. So...I just snuck into his house at night and killed him whilst he slept...and his family. But only because he insulted mine. It was all totally deserved. Though I knew my people wouldn't see it that way...so I ran away. I stole a ship and left for Dantooine."

The Half-Nagai clapped her hands together at that however, before tapping her nose with a smirk and a wink in Sofiel's direction as the woman came to a stop in front of the White Witch, beaming with a manic grin. It was like the more and more she went into the story, the more maniac and...giddy the woman had gotten.

"But the Dantooine story is for another chapter. A girl has to have some secrets now, doesn't she?"

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

Sofiel again raised a brow as the story came to an end, but a smile formed regardless. A larger smile, at that. "You're learning. Good." Still, if she wanted to learn more, that meant telling more of the story. For the Sith Lord, it was a fantastic exchange in her mind.

"But, you want to know how to manipulate minds, yes?" She stood before turning to the door to leave, only pausing in the doorway itself as she glanced over her shoulder. "Come along. We'll need people to actually teach you that. Though- actually." Sofiel reached out a hand.

"Give me your palm. I need a drop of blood to test your compatibility with a more.. Unique form of Force usage."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"Ah. Ah. I've already paid the price for a lesson. Whilst you might need my blood to see if I'm...compatible, I do expect something as well in exchange. Because you could do plenty with my blood."

Syala raised an eyebrow at Sofiel at that. Her blood was something serious to give in her eyes. If she was giving it up, she expected to get something extremely valuable in response. She wasn't going to just give up that willingly. It was like Sofiel had been teaching her. Don't give up things like your body, mind or soul. Only if you have something that could be potentially more value than what you were offering up.

Either way, the Half-Nagai would hold her hand out towards Sofiel carefully, keeping her eyes on the woman's. She was obviously curious as to what the unique power was but she was more concerned with preserving herself. She couldn't risk letting herself getting caught into a trap.

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

"True, but this is about your affinity for Sorcery. I cannot test to make sure you are capable of sorcery without it. It'll determine whether or not there's any use of you learning any of this." Sofiel kept her hand extended regardless, offering the same smile as before.

"That is the exchange. Blood for potential."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"Seems like a risky exchange. I mean, there's a chance I don't get anything out of this whilst you get something incredibly important. Though...I suppose I can take a teensy tiny risk."

Syala was a bit hesitant about the idea of offering her blood for something that might not even work, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. The Half-Nagai wondered how the woman was going to take her blood but shook her head and just held her hand out towards Sofiel, grabbing her hand carefully. She didn't want to make any sharp or sudden moves, since this was much closer than she'd actually like to be to someone like Sofiel.

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

"That's fair. How about I show you how it works in exchange? If you can't use sorcery it won't matter regardless, but.. Knowledge is power. The more you know about yourself, the stronger you can be. Limits, skills."

Sofiel shrugged just a little before reaching her hand up towards Vorthruz's face. The white mask split down the center as it parted to the sides, revealing nothing. Truly nothing. It was the purest form of a void, where something clearly was missing. Her pale hand dipped inside before she pulled out a simple looking dagger. "Sith Steel. It's heavier than it looks. Almost as sharp as any lightsaber. More, it can't be cut by those heated blades. And, it's a good conduit for manifestations of the Dark. Lightning. Sorcery."

She brought the blade down, firmly taking hold on Syala's hand. There was no pulling away. She cut across the girl's palm. Nothing deep, just a clean line that couldn't even be felt until the blood started to leak. Just a drop, that she let linger on the edge.

"Here." Sofiel turned the hilt of the blade around, calmly handing it to the Acolyte. "Like before, use your hate. Put it into the blade. But not just raw emotion. Think what you want. Focus it. We'll start with something simple. Heat. Flame. Anything like that. Create fire."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"Exactly. Knowledge is power, even if I can't use the power. Knowing about it just gives me an opportunity to be able to counter it."

Syala gave a short nod at that, and watched as Sofiel put her hand into her familiar's mouth, where there just appeared to be nothing. It was strange, it wasn't like the nothingness of space. There was literally nothing there...and then Sofiel pulled out a dagger. Made out of Sith Steel apparently, and it was so strong that it couldn't be cut by a lightsaber? How interesting. That was something useful to know. Though she stood there, watching as the woman sliced her hand. There was no way she could have pulled away if she wanted to, but she didn't. This was her chance to learn more and more as she took the handle of the blade, listening to Sofiel's words.

Use her hate...but focus it. Don't just lash out with it like she had with the smoke demon. Syala had just let her powers out against the demon, in pure anger. It wasn't focused, she just let it flow but now...The half-Nagai just closed her eyes to focus, gripping the knife handle as hard as she could. Letting her anger start to build. As she imagined it starting to burn. Burning harder the tighter she gripped the handle, until it felt like her hand was on fire from how hard she was holding onto the dagger.

She just had to make fire. Focus on making fire as much as she could. Letting her anger swell, but trying not to let it surge out of control. Imagining her anger as flowing magma almost, moving through her entire body and just settling on her hand as she attempted to create the flame Sofiel had requested of her. She was ready to turn her anger into something physical.

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

It didn't make much prompt for flame to erupt. Sofiel let out a slight chuckle before once more reaching up into the void of Vorthruz's face. From within, a small tome. Leatherbound and very light. "Good. Take the book. Study it while we travel. Within you'll find the spell I plan to teach you." And maybe a couple others. It wasn't her own spellbook after all, but it would help someone learn the basics.

Which she'd need, with what came next.

"You can fly, correct?"

Syala

 

[Syala]

Syala watched the flame erupting from the blade, a grin of glee spreading across her face as she then tried to focus on letting the flame die out. She didn't want to sheathe this thing if it was still on fire. Though next she saw Sofiel pulling out the book, and Syala raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure what she had done to deserve the book, but she was going to take it either way. She was apparently planning on teaching Syala a spell from the book as well. That just made her more curious but she shook her head, deciding it would be best to stay focused. Sofiel's question caught the Half-Nagai off guard.

"We...can fly? I wasn't taught anything like that. Just...how to use one of those sabers and how to hide my presence." She didn't even know how to make her own lightsaber. If the one at her hip broke, she'd need to figure out how to get a spare one instead. It wasn't important for now. What was important was learning from Sofiel.

 

[Sofiel]

Sofiel paused then, glancing down to the other girl. Then motioned in the direction they were heading. "I meant a ship. We're heading to the hangar. I'm sure flight is something Sith can do, though I certainly don't bother with it myself. Vorthruz sees all I need from the sky."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"Oh. I know how to fly, yeah. I had to, to get off Nagi. No-one was going to give some woman dripping in blood a free ride now, were they?"

Syala gave an awkward giggle at that, tugging at her hair. Damn it, she seemed even more stupid now. Though it was interesting to hear that Sofiel didn't need to fly because of her...owl thing, as the Half-Nagai looked over towards it.

"How...does it work? Do you feel what they feel? Hear what they hear?"

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

"Yes." Whatever embarrassment Syala felt, Sofiel didn't seem to pick up on it or at least care. Instead she looked ip to Vorthruz, whose mask had at least reformed into one to hide away the void.

"Vorthruz is.. Special, but that is how all Familiars work. They are an extension of yourself. You can even use your powers through them."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"I see. Well. He's interesting in that case, as are you." Syala said rather simply. It wasn't meant to be a compliment. Just a simple statement of facts. Sofiel was interesting with what she knew, and the way she acted. It was interesting, the more and more she learned about the Sith, and how their powers worked. Though she wasn't sure if she'd enjoy using familiars herself. She'd prefer to get things down with her own hands. The Half-Nagai just ran her fingers over her cut hand carefully, staring down at it almost in thought.

Sofiel

 

[Sofiel]

It wasn't long until they made it to the hangar, and Sofiel simply stopped leading. Instead she crossed her arms and patiently waited for the Acolyte to bring them to a ship. She couldn't pilot one after all.

She didn't need a ship to travel.

"We are not from here; and the rules of our realm are very different."

Syala

 

[Syala]

"A different realm? Not from here? Now you've made me even more curious. Keep doing that, and I might end up wanting to hear more about you. and...Vorthruz."

Syala actually decided to be respectful towards the familiar, instead of just calling it an owl or a creature. If it was technically connected to Sofiel, it deserved some respect, did it not? Either way, she made her way towards the "borrowed" ship she had stolen from Dantooine. It was technically her's now anyway, she had dealt with the previous owner on her last trip to the planet.

"Come on in. I wasn't expecting visitors so it's not too clean. Feel free to sit wherever. There's the co-pilot seat, alongside the cargo hold."

Sofiel