Looking for the Truth ( Ajoc Laynerir's training )

[BringmetheHorizon]

Walking up the steps of the temple, ajoc was amazed at the Jedi's numbers.
There were so many that were integrated into their order. They all wore hoods over their heads and spoke with such knowledge. This was what Ajoc was looking for. And now he was nearing the top of the temple steps, it would be quite difficult to depict his Master in the mass of fully robed individuals.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Asheron sat atop the marble stairway, legs crossed and eyes closed in meditation. His face seemed serene even in the crowd that mulled about beneath him. He was easily distinguishable from the rest though. His ears were tipped and rose slightly back out of short cropped raven hair that held a lustrous sheen not unlike the glow of a crystal in the dark of a cave. As he opened his eyes, he seemed even more angelic. His face was smooth and slightly pale, unblemished and perfect. And his eyes... they were delicious cyan orbs that shone with bioluminescent drops of silver like the moon over the ocean. He didn't look real. More like a picture in an icon rather than an actual person. But he was a person. A young Sephi Jedi Knight who seemed almost emotionless to most.

The mid afternoon breeze that flitted peacefully around the temple was serene and gentle like a trickle of water flowing into a fresh water stream. It was peaceful and barely touched the man sitting down. The wind was only one factor in life. It was the essence of nature. The other factor in life was humanity. Nature and humanity together made the imperfection of life. But in that imperfection, true beauty and perfection was found. That paradox was why there was great evil in the galaxy to balance out the good. Why no one was truly perfect in any one way. But it was also why there were those who wished to do good. Not because of balance or desire to do good in itself, but the desire to help others. The inclination that some had to stoop down no matter the circumstance to aid others.

Sitting there on the step of the temple, Ash felt that desire to help the man walking below him. He could tell, sitting there, that the man was lost. He was seeking something but he did not know the face of what he sought. Ash knew who he was. Ajoc Laynerir. The man who called himself the Abbot. It was a curious title that could hold many meanings, but in Ash's eyes it meant that he sought knowledge and the preservation of it. It was why he accepted the man as his padawan. A possibly kindred soul to teach the ways of the Force to. Quite a pleasant goal in Ash's mind. He stood up with poise and grace unworldly and descended the steps down to the man.

"Greetings, young Abbot. I am Asheronicasius Chalerius though you may refer to me as 'Ash' or 'Asheron' if you wish. Most people do for my name is quite difficult to pronounce," he said in a voice that matched his appearance to perfection. He blinked those luscious eyes of silver and blue before continuing. "You are here to learn, are you not? I am here to teach you. Be welcomed into the Jedi Temple as a student. May you soon enter these halls as a member of our Order," his voice held a melodic quality even with his words that should have carried a measure of gravity in them. "Is there anything you wish to say before we begin your training into the ranks of the Order?"

[BringmetheHorizon]

Asheronicasius Chalerius. That was quite difficult to pronounce. But this "Ash" character would be his teacher and he could already tell that this man stemmed his personality from his teachings and of his own accord. He was polite and straight to the point of why he was here. To learn.
"No kind sir. Only that you would pass on the full extent of each less on to me." Their morals and knowledge was all that Ajoc wanted and any other pieces that they could spare.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ash took a deep breath, shutting his eyes for a moment while Ajoc spoke. He absorbed not the words that were spoken but the meaning behind them. After a few moments he opened his eyes, looking down at the man who called himself the Abbot. "Tell me why you wish to become a Jedi. What about our Order appeals to you? Is it the drive to do good? The passion to help others? What makes you want to become a Jedi?" He asked when his eyes were opened. He folded his arms across his chest in a comfortable manner. Not the stern mentor manner, but rather one that was comfortable in the loose mahogany robes that clung to his lithe form.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc raised his hand slowly up to his chin and rubbed it for a moment. There were many things that appealed to him about the Jedi Order. The way they teach their apprentices was one. And the way they viewed themselves at the same level as any other regular being. Yes the last one was a good explanation. "You view yourselves just like anyother regular person. You hold yourself to a higher code in which you follow to a great extent."

Ajoc paused as the next question was slightly difficult. What made him want to be a Jedi? The reasons flowed into his mind. But only a phrase of them could explain his reasoning. "To show others that we all could show kindness and peace. And to create a safer place for everyone to live. One without the strife and discord." The question was quite harder to answer than he thought.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Your answer seems a bit generic," Ash replied honestly to his apprentice. It was the response he had expected almost to the mark, but it was still just like everyone else's response. He sighed and looked down, letting his long, dark lashes brush against his smooth skin as he inhaled deeply. Something about him seemed detached and distant as if he was holding himself apart from Ajoc and yet at the same time he seemed to be sympathizing with the hardship of becoming a padawan.

"Every night you lay down to go to sleep. Every day you walk along the streets. As you do those things, do you ever wonder what you are hurting while you do? If you buy a room in a cantina for the night you may be putting someone out of a bed. As you walk along the street you step on countless insects and other minute life-forms. Do you ever think about that? Do you ever put yourself in their place and feel their pain?" He asked sagely. He knew that those questions were philosophical in nature, but they led up to something more.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc looked down for a moment and knew that Ash was correct. Events like these occur everyday. And that was the sad truth. He looked up once more and nodded his head. "I have. My small order meditates of these things. Yet sometimes there is no way to avoid such things. There is always another question for what you speak" Ajoc believed in what he said. You cannot always help things such as these yet you can try. And that is what matters in the end most of the time.

[The Dragon Reborn]

There was a pause -- a hiatus in the conversation -- as Ash pondered the answer given to him by the Abbot. He did not nod at first, but when he did it was not in acceptance. He shook his head at the answer, not accepting it as it was. "Then you are saying that their deaths are meaningless? By condoning those deaths you are saying that you are more important than them. Worth more. It is not a conscious decision to kill them, but that makes it worse. Picture it on a larger scale. All beings are equal; all life is precious. Your words say that your life is worth more than theirs. That carelessness can lead to the Dark Side. To an insidious fall," the weight of his words filled the air, dampening the already distanced mood.

"So, what can you do to prevent that life from being snuffed out from carelessness? It is action without thought that causes you to destroy life that could easily be saved. Even an ant has worth. Stepping on it is easy, but it is also wrong. Taking the time to think about your steps before you take them is key to understanding our Order. Rash action ends up with unwanted injury and death. Eventually it leads to anger and then the dark side if one allows it to continue for long enough," he continued, his tone unreadable, but his displeasure obvious. "All life has equal value. Position does not make one more important."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc listend to Ash's words and they all spoke a bitter truth once more. Indeed Ajoc now felt how his anser did on the ears of Ash.
"As I said before, you treat others with the same equal. And that is a lesson that I desire." He lifted his head up to Ash with eyes torward him. Truly spending time in an isolated village did not give him the most experience in the world.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"If you desire it, then prove it," said the Sephi Jedi Knight without hesitation. He looked down to his apprentice ever so slightly, a teacher looking down on his pupil. His next words were not heavy or full of wisdom. They were instruction. "Tell me what you know of the Jedi. Recite to me the Jedi Code and what you believe it means. And then prove to me that you desire instruction in the ways of the Jedi. If you can do that, then I will further your instruction. If you cannot then you must go to the archives and learn that which you seek alone before returning to me for teaching. Do you understand that which I ask of you?" Perhaps there was some weight to his words. The weight of consequence and the price of failure?

[BringmetheHorizon]

"Emotion, yet peace
Ignorance, yet knowledge
Passion, yet serenity
Chaos, yet harmony
Death, yet the force."

"These are tenets in which your order abides by. The first line refers to emotions of course. Yet to have a control over these. If not they could cloud judgement. The second that no matter what we as beings are prone to be ignorant. The third line regards to control ones self. You must understand yourself and the reason as to why you are losing control. In return you allow yourself control, only you decide whether or not you will adhere to your passion. And the fourth I believe points itsself to the conversation we had about the insects."

Opening his hand, Ajoc let a small bug flutter away from his hand once he spoke the word insect. He now had some what of a better understanding on what ash had said before. But now he must explain the final line of the code.

"Death, yet the force. When anyone dies it is not because some one simply wronged another. And simply snuffed out another life. It is apart of an ever persistent cycle. Simply I was wrong in what I said Master Ash. Your words held a knowledge that took some time to see for myself. And simply I can not give you a reason as to why I should be a Jedi. It is your descision that you must make on your own, as you already must know."


Ajoc simply bowed himself before Ash and awaited his next response.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Very well," Ash said, his tone neutral. It was impossible to tell what he thought of Ajoc's response outwardly. Inwardly, however, he was slightly pleased by the way his apprentice answered such a question. "Come, let us remove ourselves from the chill of the afternoon day and find a room for you to learn the ways of the Force," his tone was considerably warmer now, but just as distanced as before. He opened himself up slightly to his apprentice, allowing himself to feel some facsimile of an emotion.

"Do you wish to learn how to spar with a blade or use the many paths of the Force?" He asked as he turned, walking into the temple. His footsteps touched lightly against the marble stairs and he appeared to be gliding rather than walking, his robe barely shifting with his long, graceful strides. "Unless, of course, you would wish for me to lecture you on the tenants of our Order," he smiled a phantom of a smile, knowing that Ajoc would have had enough lecturing for a while. Action was a better way to teach the young mind. Even if it went against his personal preference.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc followed along with his new master as they walked the steps of the temple. The temple was marvelous. It has lasted through so many years. So much knowledge was stored here. Then Ajoc's thoughts of the temple were quickly put away as his master asked of how his training would proceed. And yes another lecture would not be as tasteful as learning more of the force.
He had lectured his order on subjects so he could now sympathize with what some would call their anguish. "I would like to learn the many paths of the Force. The idea of the Force period intrigues me so please let us."
The Force meant by now, some things. It was a way to understand things.
To control things if you give into the desire. All things pointed to the fact the Force is something you must be careful when using.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Very well then, please follow me to the training room," Ash replied. He finished his ascent into the Temple and began to walk with a brisk pace towards a training room. It was nothing special. Just a medium white room with a rack of training swords on one end and a few spheres on the other. "I would like for you to try and lift one of those spheres without using your hands. Focus on the sphere alone and will it off of the rack. If you can do that, impress me with your quick learning and bring it into your hand," he said without pause as he entered the room.

[BringmetheHorizon]

"As you wish Master." He wished for something an average human would not be able to do. Unless they were connected to the Force completely. Yet the task still seemed rather difficult. Ajoc sat himself on the cold marble floor and opend his mind to the world around him. At the same time he was opening his mind to the Force. He could hear the echos becoming ever so quieter yet the could be heared faintly. Now Ajoc concentrated his mind onto the round sphere that sat within Ash's grasp. Slowly he put everything else out of his mind. His master vanished from his view and so did the room. Everything become a white serene open space. Only Ajoc and the sphere exhisted.


Slowly Ajoc began to move the sphere through the Force, it shook slightly but after a couple minutes of Ajoc putting his mind through the danting difficulty task while using the Force to help soothe mind and move the sphere, Ajoc finaly had the sphere off his hand by at least a couple inches.
But then Ajoc let it float down back to its origianl position and returned to a normal state of mind. Slowly he looked back up to his Master and simply nodded his head.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ash nodded to his apprentice, not minding in the least the length of time it had taken him to complete such a task. "Very good," he said without preamble, moving over next to Ajoc. "The Force generally is mind over matter. If you believe you can lift something, then you can lift it with ease. If you can't make yourself accept your limitations and see beyond them, then lifting even the smallest of spheres can prove to be a difficult task. Each sphere has its own weight and mass. By rational logic one would assume that as you add more spheres the heavier they will be and the harder they will be to lift. Not so. Or at least if you can train your self to feel the sphere and understand that no matter how many are added, the base weight is all you are lifting. This is not true in all cases, but in this one it holds true. Observe."

Lifting a hand, Ash pulsed veins of the Force through his body and grasped onto the spheres with invisible hands. Each sphere was lifted not as an individual, but as one. Twisting his hand, the spheres reacted with synchronization, twisting and turning their way through the air as they slowly made their way to his grasp. And then they paused before looping around him like planets orbiting a star. With a flourish of his hand, the spheres rocketed back across the room, slowing at the very last second and coming to a complete rest on the rack without disturbing anything. "See? Try the same with two spheres and then three. Do as many as you can until you can get five. Once you can lift five, start manipulating them individually and as a single entity. Tell me which is harder."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc lifted all fives spheres at once. It stressed his mind yet he was sure enough that he could do what he asked. They all progressed in a straight line,while some may have lingered behind for a moment Ajoc would correct this with a flick of his wrist. Now to test his further training with the Force, Ajoc manipulated three of the five spheres to rotate around the two that still drifted alone. At first it was quite easy but then the more they two groups moved Ajoc began to lose control of the spheres. Sure the weight wasint bothering him but trying to control the two groups proved more difficult than he thought.
The three that rotated now fell to the floor as Ajoc placed the last two on the shelf/
His mind was stressed by the multitasking yet he knew their was a reasoning behind this.
Ajoc looked back to his master and awaited his next insightful knowledge.


((OOC: I know this is rather short but I had quite a long one typed out but then I lost it when I had to sign back in.))

[The Dragon Reborn]

With a wave of his hand Ash stopped the falling spheres mid-fall and they slowly drifted back to their rack. With a slight smile he looked back to his apprentice, something between satisfaction and encouragement in his eyes.

"Now, which was easier? Carrying them as one or as individual entities?

"But I think that is enough stress on your mind for today. Would you care to pick up a training sword?"

[OOC: Short post. Ack.]

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc thought for a moment about training with a blade. He had never truly done anything that related with violence. He had spent his life migrating with his family and others searching for knowledge to enlighten themselves. If danger had occured they usualy avoided it. And thats how he liked it, yet this would be the only way to continue with the training.


Ajoc picked up the training sword and examined it for a moment. It was much to dull to cut with yet if some one hit you hard enough, you might have a welt on you. Ajoc turned turned to his master and awaited the next stage of his training. Yet Ajoc couldnt help his hands shake, he was quite nervous with a weapon in his hand. But perhaps through training he could conquer his nervousness with the use of weapons.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"I will not strike at you," Ash said in a tone that would have been like a laugh on anyone else. But being who and what he was, it came out as a melodic monologue. Undeniably musical, but not a chuckle or laugh at all.

"I would like for you to work through the motions of the fifth form. They require a bit of acrobatics, but I believe you can handle them. Worse comes to worse you will at least understand the motions of that form," he continued. With his right hand he gripped a training blade with a tendril of the Force, drawing it towards him slowly.

"And then you can strike me if you wish. But first you need to actually hit me."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc concentrated on his master's words for guidance but they could only do so much. Ajoc put both his hands upon the hilt and swung his blade to the side of Ash's blade in attempt to make him lose his grip on his own blade.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ash's blade whipped out in front of him in a fighter's stance. He deftly tucked his bundled blade across his body, slapping the stick against Ajoc's practice sword and shifting back with the grace of a dancer. His blade was out in front of him, held with a grip that might remind one of opening a door. His other hand was behind the blade, his fingering motioning Ajoc to strike again. As he said, he would not strike him.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc relaxed a bit and began to let go of everything in the room but him and Ash. The endless blur of white came back only giving the images of Ajoc and Ash in the room. Instead of putting himself behind the blade he would let the Force help him through this. Ajoc could feel his fears withering away with each moment that passed as he held on the blade. Ajoc took another swing at Ash but this time aimed at his waist.

[The Dragon Reborn]

The blunted blade in Ash's hand seemed to be the tail of a serpent. Every inch of durasteel flowed like water or mercury. His eyes, those luscious cobalt orbs, were blank like a sheet of paper or the ocean without the tide. No emotions were evident, giving him the stony visage of slate. Yet his features, serene and peaceful, worked in stark contrast against that for a ghostly appearance. One ethereal like an angel without a halo or a smile. His feet brushed the marble floor as his stance shifted. Just the subtlest shift of his weight and the raising of his blade a few degrees. A single breath slid through his nostrils, heavy yet curt like one a diver would take an instant before the dive. His eyes blinked for what felt like a prolonged second and his hair fell against the nape of his neck like the feathers of a raven.

Like some inner clock the timing and rhythm of his movements were perfect. His body twisted and turned, a serpent in truth. Every lithe motion was countered by the breath of his feet sliding across the ground. Akin to a clock, his body was like the gears, winding across one another and working in synchronization. He felt the pinprick sense of awareness granted to him by the Force, allowing him to see with sight far more powerful than his own. And, as a clock, his heart beat ticked in time with his breaths and shuffling. He wasn't perfect, but his grace made him seem far more impressive than he was.

With precision earned from hour upon hour of training he slid his blade across just after his shuffle, twitching the other blunted sword away a fraction of an inch. Even such a minute distance was enough to have the other blade merely graze past him, catching slightly on his robes for a moment. There was a new heat in his eyes as adrenaline pulsed through his veins. Much like the smoker who continued his decadent path Ash felt the pull of addiction. But unlike the smoker who would sell his soul for another joint, Ash restrained himself, maintaining his discipline even though he wished to strike his apprentice. Instead he flipped his blade through the air laterally, the blunted edge sliding over in a way much akin to a regular strike. But a fraction of an inch away from his apprentice he stopped the blade. Froze it like glass dipped into arctic waters.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Indeed his master ash was a great fighter. He knew very well that he could hold his own in a dangerous situation. Rish bowed before his master as he knew that he would not break ash's defense.
((OO:C Sorry for such a short post! Not much I can work with on detail.))

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Precision is the warrior's tool. It is also the guide to the monk and the purpose of those who walk the path of moderation. Which category do you fall under?" Ash's voice was soft and deadly, not threatening or lethal, but the underlying hint of his true abilities was shining through. He wasn't just a pretty face. He was a warrior. One that fought on the path of moderation. Perhaps the Abbot would follow his path and perhaps not. His goal was to teach and the Abbot's was to learn. That was the way of things. Those whose path was that of the mentor had to teach and those who took the path of the apprentice had to learn. Otherwise there would be no such cycle and the weak would never be strong enough to protect those who needed protecting.

With the slightest twitch of his wrist, Ash's dull grey blade flicked away from his apprentice's throat. The whoosh of air that followed made a stinging noise like a whip cracking through the air. He looked at the blunted sword for a moment, taking in its balance and weight before angling it towards the ground nonchalantly. It was obviously not a feigned nonchalance, but rather the appearance of it given by his serene features. "What do you wish to focus your studies on so that we may spend more time in that area? The more you wish to know about a subject the more you will put into learning it and thus succeed in it."

[BringmetheHorizon]

The path of moderation. Ajoc thought hard about what he truly wanted to know. The Force was magifisent as the blade. But it was the Force he truly wanted to know more about. Ajoc thought that the Force was the true way to enlightenment.

"I would like to learn more of the Force master ash."

Perhaps if he knew enough about the force he could even protect his people if such a time would ever come.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Hmm," that was not the answer Ash had expected. Most young men wanted to learn more about the blade to fend off attackers. But this one wished to learn about the Force. "Very well then," he said, tossing his blade haphazardly towards the rack. He guided it with the Force, landing it smoothly atop other similar blades that were positioned there. As it landed he crossed his arms over his chest, sizing his apprentice up for the second time. The man just might make an excellent Jedi. Or he could fall into darkness. Either way Ash was going to teach him what he wished to learn first. Then maybe he might wish to learn more about other subjects. One step at a time until the entire puzzle was solved. No one solved a puzzle by throwing several pieces together and taking shortcuts. No, they walked the full mile. "Make your sword dance. Have it dance with the grace and poise of a twi'lek dancer. Show me your skill and we will go from there."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc held his blade on his hands then slowly grasped it with the force.
Raising it in the air, ajoc humed a gentle tune as the blade began to bouce slightly in the air from side to side. With each sharper hum the sword's movements would be faster. As the lower tones would make it sway with the wind. Before he knew it the blade was doing small twirles while moving back and forth from Ash to Ajoc.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Within moments Ash began to follow his apprentice's movements, guiding him by example rather than words. Words were usually how a teacher taught, but sometimes words were just far too boring. And most of the time the student started to doze off when a teacher's voice became monotone. Two blades from the rack danced through the air in intricate circles like two birds in the sky above the treetops. The clash of steel lightly tapping steel rang rhythmically as the blades arced through the training room with the sedulous speed of a lazy bumblebee. Up, down, circle left, circle right, the pattern was never ending for the short few seconds it took for the blunted swords to come to hand, just a few feet away from Ajoc's spiraling sword. "Shall we dance?" He asked, moving the blades like a fighter would without his hands. A true test of skill.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc nodded his head slowly trying not to lose his concentration.
Slowly he moved his own blade around his master's. They performed excellent movements as Ajoc put more concentration on controlling the blade.
Every now again his blade would bump the others. But he soon corrected this movement. Even his humming would move with the blades graced the air.
Ajoc felt the Force was truly his calling in life.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ash leapt into the air, flourishing for the first time since he had met up with his apprentice. He flipped, the Force flowing through him like a beacon of guiding light. The blunted blades twirled around him like butterflies circling one another. As he landed upon the ground his swords whipped to either side of him, held by tendrils of the Force in a offensive position. "Come at me now, except don't touch your blade. Only concentrate on it. Predict my movements and harmonize them with yours lest the blades strike you bare flesh," he said, spinning the blades in front of him once more, their movements exactly the same.

As he said earlier, it was easier to manipulate objects as one mass rather than as separate ones. The left blade slashed forward smoothly, the entire dulled length shooting forward further than Ash would have been able to make his blade go with his hands. But the movements were slightly clumsy in comparison to his graceful movements earlier. It flew high of where one might assume to be his mark, testing his apprentice's readiness. A second later he stepped forward, concentrating heavily on the blades he was 'holding' with the Force. They struck out in an X at Ajoc's chest. Normally it was an easily countered move, but with the Force it was slightly more difficult.

"Two lessons at once," Ash breathed almost silently as his blunted swords shot forward.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Bringing his blade back near his hand, Ajoc spun the blade slowly around the palm of his hand. Quickly he forced the blade upon his master's in an attempt defend himself. It was more difficult to command an inaminate object to some what do your bidding. But gradualy he was grasping things.

[The Dragon Reborn]

His blades flew back at his silent command, his concentration focused completely on the task at hand. Fighting in the way he was wasn't very efficient, but it was good for training purposes. Or at least that was what he supposed it was good for. Maybe it would teach Ajoc how to throw lightsabers at people if he was desperate. But mostly Ash hoped that it would teach him how to manipulate the Force to do his bidding. Manipulate the simplest yet most complicated form of energy. Moving a blade was a good start. If one could concentrate in a mock battle with a blade not in their hands but rather out of their reach, perhaps he could move other things with ease. "The dancing blades are more fun than the lectures, are they not?" He asked quietly, leaning forward slightly. He didn't really have a concept of 'joy' in his mind, but he guessed that was the sense of accomplishment or a feeling opposite of boredom. He twirled his blades around one another and lunged them forward, batting them like drumsticks at Ajoc's shoulders.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc was feeling content with this training.
It made him feel empowered, yet some what wise.
Slowly he picked up another blade in hand while using the Force to pry off one of the blades that were beating his shoulders. While the other he pushed away with his own blade in hand.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Tell me, Ajoc, how is it you fare?" Ash asked as he drifted back, his blunted grey blades following closely. "Is that the extent of your skill? If so, drop the blade so that we may practice with something more mundane. Otherwise strike me with all of your skill. Weave the blade back and forth like a gymnast preforming acrobatics. Can you do such?"

[OOC: Sorry for the epic shortness =( ]

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc was determined to prove his skill before his master. The blades floated above his hands and began to spin. It was a daunting task but Ajoc was learning how to control them. Quickly he went into a sprint torwards his master as his blades twirled, then with being a couple feet away Ajoc immediately spun the blades to their some what dull sides following up with one directed torwards his blade and the other his right arm. If his master was as good as he thought, he would be able block both attacks.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Air buzzed with the force of Ajoc's mind guided attack. The sound was akin to the cracking of a whip. Grey steal met grey steal as Ash's twin blades snapped to intercept Ajoc's own blunted lengths of steel. The ensuing clang of metal against metal echoed the sound of two fighters rasping eachother's blades against the other. Pushing back, Ash slipped his blades against Ajoc's pinning them for a moment. His eyes squinted, a frown of concentration upon his lips. There was a beacon of energy within him. It built up instantly until it exploded forth like a storm towards his apprentice's chest. The Force Push.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Stumbling back a couple feet, Ajoc was quite confused. An invisible force had just hit Ajoc straight in the chest, yey he could not tell what was happening.
Focusing on the excersise at hand, Ajoc returned one blade to his hand while the other still floated right above the other. Swinging his blade horizantly at the hilt of his master's blade, Ajoc did nothing but keep the other blade in a some what defensive posture.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ash let his blades hover for a few moments before casting them aside back to the rack. He looked at his apprentice, his eyes blank. "Can you tell me the tenants of the Jedi Order, Abbot?" He asked, breaking the rhythm that the sparring had taken. "If so, can you recite them while juggling four orbs with the Force and sparring against me with the blade?" There it was, the unorthodox twist that added an extra challenge to his teaching. Of course, no one learned unless they were pushed to their limits and then even further.

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc wondered if his master was truly trying to make him fail.
The task he wanted him to do was an incredible feat in his mind.
He could juggle the spheres and recite the tenants but not spar at the same time. He knew his own limits. "Take the sparring away and I can definetly complete the task. Although I am sure taht I will not be able to do all three task." Ajoc didint mean to disagree. But he had to say something then rather make himself look incompetent in his training.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ash sighed lightly though whether it was in exasperation or something else was unknown.

"Very well, show me what you can do," he said simply without much preamble.

He stood waiting for his apprentice to do as he said.

[OOC: Horrible post sorry. I just have a lack of inspiration for Jedi Training. ]

[BringmetheHorizon]

Reaching out with the Force, Ajoc pulled the four orbs he had sat down earlier upon the shelf and pulled them to about just a foot away from his chest. Slowly they began to rotate within a circle at a very slow pace.

"The Nine Tenents are a little harder, because they really can't be summarized.
The First Tenent explains the role of the Jedi Order in the Galaxy. How we are defenders of peace and justice, and how we guard the freedom and liberty of all life, regardless of how important or unimportant."

"The Second deals with Emotion and how it may affect a Jedi. The Third deals with love, and explains that it is an emotion to be approached with caution. It also prohibits marriage and provides a rational explanation for the prohibition of matrimonial bonds."

The first phrase he had spoken was quite easy while using the Force on another matter. Now he turned his hand ever so slightly causing the perfect circle to some what fall out of line. Quickly Ajoc corrected this and turned his once again perfect circle to rotate to the side rather as if was on a falt surface.

"We are also to respect life and only to take when needed. We must put the needs of a community above than just one individual."

Ajoc pulled the orbs closer to his body and suddenly the began to rotate around himself like planets around a large celestial body. Ajoc was paying more attention than he thought.

"We are to protect the weak. Never strike down someone who is defensless. Also we should awlays give aid to the weak and poor. Truly a show of Jedi nature."

"Also we are to always trust in the council's decisions. After all they are chosen to be in their position truly because they have followed the tenents and understand the Force."

"Wealth and other things such as power are not permitted. As this would lead us to downfall for feelings such as pride and a sense of power would manifest itsself over time and devour our ways."

Ajoc took a long deep breathe as all this work with the juggling and trying take the tenents and explain them in his own understanding.

"A Jedi must consider the living and cosmic manifestations of the Force. Nor do we fight for the glory or adventure. We fight for the people. The weak,defensless and pitiful.
The greatest Jedi is not the one who defeats an army of thousands, but the one who triumphs over himself. This statement contains such knowledge and is why the order does so well I believe"

[The Dragon Reborn]

Listening intently, Ash began to make his way forward. His body moved, a single step per sentence. If one hadn't known better they might believe his steps to be tentative rather than purposeful. He continued on until he was half a foot away from his apprentice. So close that he could breathe on the man if he wanted. "You did well, but are you aware of everything happening around you?" An orb fell out of orbit with his words, jerking upwards towards the ceiling. "Always keep your senses alive even when devoting most of your attention to a single subject," he put his arm out and made a beckoning motion with his fingers. It seemed to motion Ajoc forward, but what it didn't belie was the training sword arcing towards the Abbot's back.

"Duck or dodge," he continued. He pushed at Ajoc with his hands to throw him in the path of the blade. "And try not to break the orbs."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc quickly ducked with ease. Some of the orbs fell out of orbit then quickly he used his hands to motion them back into a perfect circle. His master certainly had a rather different approach to training. But none the less, his master was doing his job.

Perhaps joining the order would be one of the most important things in his life.
Ajoc couldnt wait to show his people some of the things he had learned to them. But as he thought of home he realized that holdign his leading position in the village would violate a tenent. He would have to give up his position.
Or the life he had before coming to the order. But that would have to wait for another time.

[The Dragon Reborn]

"Now it is time for you to take a little test. That is, if you feel up for it of course," Ash's voice should have been taunting, but instead it was flat and emotionless like a puppet.

"Are you ready?"

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc sat down the orbs slowly while taking a deep breathe. He rolled his shoulders a bit then then exhalled.

"Yes, master I am ready."

[The Dragon Reborn]

The alabaster walls and marble floors were blank, lacking color. Light from ceiling panels highlighted Asheron's pulchritudinous features to perfection. Each plane of his sculptured face all but glowed while he stood there. His all but achromatic skin gave off a luster of its own. His eyes, those luminescent oceanic eyes, watched Ajoc for a moment as he absorbed his apprentice's response. "Then there are three tasks you must complete," his tone was glacial and reserved. He paused as if considering his next words. "If you fail these tests you will have to start your training anew. If you succeed you will be one step closer to being knighted." Once more he stopped speaking, letting the weight of his words sink in to his apprentice. It was a one shot deal. He would either pass or fail. There was no middle ground. Not this time at least.

"First you will find the parts to construct your lightsaber. You will need to craft the hilt and be able to stabilize the beam. I have provided you with a crystal, the rest is up to you," he held out his hand, opening it to reveal a cyan crystal, smaller than his palm in size. "The lightsaber is the tool of the Jedi used only when diplomacy fails. It is not a thing to be taken lightly. No matter how much it is stressed that lightsabers are tools for justice, the usage of the blade ends in pain or death. Be wise in your decisions when to spare or use your blade. The lightsaber is used in reserve and defense alone. Never draw your blade in anger for your mind will be clouded and your judgment impeded," Ash continued slowly to make Ajoc understand the implications his actions from that point on would have.

"The materials for the hilt can be found on the seventeenth floor. The lens is not there though, but rather up on the thirtieth. And the power couplings are on the balcony. I'll be waiting for you there," he finished curtly. He looked down to Ajoc and said, "Once you have crafted your blade under my supervision you can ask me for your second task. Oh, one more thing. You can't use the lifts or elevators. Stairs only."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc's eye twitched for a moment. Stairs he thought. And lots of them.
But not sparring a moment he turned around and jogged in place for a moment and then he was off. Running through the halls the other padawans just looked at him as if he was a madman. Turning a corner he reached the first set of stairs. He made good time going up the steps. and the next few flight of stairs were the same. Now he was standing on the seventh floor, but where were the parts for the hilt.

A quick observation of the area he saw what he thought to be the matierals needed for the hilt. Quickly he snatched them up and tucked them away in his robes abd set off back to the stairs.

Now he was half way up the tenth flight of stairs and was out of breathe. He leaned on the side of the wall...

"Why does this lens have to be up..." Ajoc took another deep breathe. Perhaps he was over working his'self. "Twenty flights of damn stairs!"

Ajoc wasint aware of anyone but himself. The couple of rude eyes that watched him as he cursed was enough to make him resume his small quest for the lenses.

An hour or two later...

Ajoc reached the infamous thirteith floor. By now he was barely able to walk. He kept his hand secured on the wall as guided himself up the final steps. The muscels in his legs throbbed from the nonstop progress he made to this very floor. He could see his ,aster standing near the edge of the balcony. And there were the power couplings sitting on the ledge. Slowly he made his way across the room and slouched over the balcony itsself.

Reaching over with his hand he pulled the items that would complete his very own lightsaber. Looking over his shoulder he waved the power couplings within his hand showing his master he had completed the task.

[The Dragon Reborn]

The Jedi Temple was more akin to a skyscraper than a temple. As such there were dozens of floors each devoted to a different purpose. Usually training or meditation, but the number of floors made a walk from place to place a tedious thing at best. There were a few lifts and elevators that could take one to each and every level, but baring those, a trek from even the second to fifth floor could become taxing. It made getting from place to place quite difficult. Of course, that begged the question of why someone wouldn't want to take the lift when it was obviously the easiest way around the temple. But Ash's response to why he wanted his apprentice to walk was to make the task a lot more challenging than it had to be. Had Ajoc been able to take the lifts, he would have finished rather quickly and without even breaking a sweat. So Ash made him climb each and every step from the ground level and up. Some might call that a cruel and unusual punishment, but Ash believed it taught values. Not everyone had the luxury of taking an elevator, after all.

Ash himself walked into the lift to take him up to the balcony level. It might have been hypocritical of him, but he told Ajoc to take the stairs. He never banned himself from taking the faster route. Besides, he wasn't the one going through training. He didn't need the exercise anyway. He took the lift, conserving his energy while his apprentice was frantically rushing up and down the stairs. It would have been amusing to Ash had he been capable of that emotion in any strength. But as it was he was barely fazed by the slight humor.

He leaned against the balcony railing, watching the city below and above him. The sun was high in the sky, clouds mottling the yellow and allowing the cool breeze to sift across his features. His eyes were closed as he allowed the peaceful tranquility sink into him. Opening his eyes, he could see speeders and freighters buzzing around like insects in the distance by the spaceports. They were too distance for him to hear the noises they made, but they were in sight. He watched them for a while, taking in every detail in an almost meditative trance. By the time Ajoc arrived, it appeared that he was asleep with his elbows resting against the railing. He waited until the man was a few feet away before turning around and facing him.

"You have all of the parts necessary to build a lightsaber. Very good. How was your climb?"

Ash looked over to the materials in Ajoc's hand as he asked the all but taunting statement. He let a hiatus drift in the conversation before taking his eyes off of the metallic bonds. "Your hike must have taken forever. It must have cleared your head and prepared you for the rest of your tasks correct?" Once more his question was rhetoric. He didn't expect or want an answer just yet.

"Now for your second task. Take the parts of the lightsaber and create a Jedi's tool."

He motioned with his right hand towards a work bench. There was a fusion cutter and a few other supplies necessary to make a lightsaber. There was even a datapad with the basic instructions. It would not be too difficult to craft the lightsaber, but it required a bit of creativity and critical thinking. There were instructions, but those were meaningless unless one could understand them.

"Please begin and tell me what you have learned while you work."

The catch. Ash wanted to know what had crossed Ajoc's mind as he was running about his errands. What went on inside his apprentice's mind while he was given tasks that seemed far too difficult or extreme. "What do you think of my teaching method? Has it taught you what you are here to learn, or do you feel it is lacking? If so, what would you do to correct it if you were me?"

[BringmetheHorizon]

Ajoc sat at the bench while looking at the instructions but there were of no use. They looked like archaic designs something that originated from another timeline. But after a while of trying to put together pieces of the saber that didint fit properly and then correcting himself. The hilt was complete after about an hour.

"Well I did learn that there is no easy road. Not even for a Jedi. Its daunting,slow and tedious. As for your training methods it is not for me to say. Everyone has a different teaching method I think."
Too keep his workstation clean, Ajoc would pull some of the parts into the air and let them sit as he would reach out for one, time to time.
The torch was hot from one use after another as he sealed some of the sems.
Sliding in the lense with ease most of the lightsaber was done while Ajoc used the Force to tighten some thing and secure others. Now the crystal remained. Gripping it in his hand he could feel how the Force ran through these. Then slowly he secured the crystal within its chamber then locked it down tight.

Everything seemed to fit properly and nothing raddeled as Ajoc lightly shook the saber.
Standing up from the desk, Ajoc switched on the saber's brilliant blade as it gave off its glow. Finaly it was done. The saber had been completed. Ajoc felt like he had overcome a great obstacle in his life. Almost as if a new path was laid before him.
Turning off the saber, Ajoc turned and bowed to his master and awaited for his next instruction.

[The Dragon Reborn]

[OOC: I didn't see that you edited your post, sorry.]

No easy road. That was how life worked. There were no breaks and no short-cuts. Someone might believe that taking short-cuts ends up the same as the path the person who follows life to the letter, but that is completely untrue. Short-cuts, though tempting, always led to damnation. If someone took the time to think about it, they would eventually come to the conclusion that skipping steps is obviously going to end badly. But in the heat of the moment it is hard to understand that simple truth. When confronted with danger it is hard to look ahead and see that skipping a step could lead to destruction. Skipping steps in life is like skipping steps while building. If you're lucky the building will appear to be stable and sublime, but at the end of the day it will collapse. Sooner or later something will happen that reveals the lack of infrastructure. It might not happen immediately, but it would happen. And the longer one traveled with a flawed building, the more it would hurt once it collapses. One always builds upon life. If one takes short-cuts and misses out on the infrastructure in the early stages, by the time life opens its true fruits, the building will collapse with catastrophic damage.

"It is good that you understand that basic truth."

Ash nodded, his words silken like a stream against topsoil. He walked towards the workbench and lifted the lightsaber from Ajoc's hands like a king receiving his scepter. Examining the steel grey hilt, he ignited the blade. The hiss of burning oxygen suffused the room, a vibrating hum filling the air like a heartbeat.

"This is a good blade."

He said, swinging it once like a stalk of grass. The blade cut through the air with the sting of burning ozone. It flickered once before the crystal faltered. "Hmm... just a little twist here..." Ash spoke to himself, the blade rising into the air, an invisible ring of energy surrounding it. There was the tiniest of clicks before the blade sprung to life again, the blade stronger this time. "Much better," he said, handing the blade back to Ajoc. "Your blade is very good considering that it is the first time you've ever held one. Usually it takes apprentices a few tries before they are able to successfully able to construct a blade of their own." Ash's head tilted ever so slightly in acknowledgement.

"The blade could be stronger, but nevertheless, it is a remarkable first attempt."

There were no emotions in the words. Just dispassionate observations like always. "With a tool and a weapon you are now ready for your second test. This one is by far more taxing both physically and mentally than the last. This task has two parts. First you must make your way across the river outside without ever touching the water. Once you are across you must duel me. Depending on your performance, I will determine whether or not you are ready for the final task," he said, turning and starting his walk out of the room.

"Good luck. I can only give one more piece of advice: think before you act."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Bowing before his Master, Ajoc quickly found the river with ease. Although it might be hard for one to do so. In width it was rather wide. But Ajoc was determined to do the impossible.
Backing up a couple steps, Ajoc then went into a sprint while focusing on the other sideo f the river. For a moment he could swear that as he jumped over the river everything went into a state of slow motion.

Slamming his foot down on the ground as he touched down, Ajoc pulled his lightsaber from his belt and stood up and bowed before his Master and awaited further instruction.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Time suspended as Ajoc made his jump. The act of crossing the threshold silenced the beasts of life for a moment to watch as they always would. The man's feet touched the opposite bank and everything held a collective breath. Inertia. Life resumed just as it begun. The passing of the barrier was enough for a momentary lapse but nothing more. At one point in time, everyone had a threshold to cross. Whether it was as simple as the act of leaving home or as complicated as giving everything up for passion, there was always some hardship to overcome. With such depressing insight, a pessimist would say that life isn't worth living if it encompasses challenges just to reach new challenges without end. But others would recognize the gift of such and counter such an argument by saying that the endless string of challenges made one stronger and gave a meaning to life.

"The Force is an instrument to be played, yet at the same time you must let its music flow through you. Your role is that of the conductor and the audience for you must conduct the orchestra and live with the sounds it creates."

Ash walked along the bank, his feet dry and no signs of exertion visible on his person. Even his hair was perfect as if he had walked across the river instead of jumped over it. "Of course, you could have always taken the bridge..." Was it true? Such a monumental event: Ash's lips twisted upwards in a wry smile. Just as quickly as it appeared it was gone, like a ghost on a midsummer's night. Expression once more blank, Ash motioned with a single slender finger at the rather wide mahogany bridge just a few meters to the right. "But you did well. You thought out a simple solution to a deceivingly simple problem. Even though I haven't yet taught you the art of mobility yet. I am quite surprised as it is. Some would show increasing odium towards me. They would impugn my ability as a teacher and attempt to take that base anger and aggression out on me." The words were stated in a matter-of-fact tone as if that was what he expected and was still expecting. The young mind was prone to pride after all.

"Let me recapitulate my bargain to you."

Turning, Ash pointed towards the row of trees. "Inside the cedar woods there is an object. The object is a lightsaber crystal. It will be yours if you can reach it. But to enter the forest you must cross the threshold, and as with every other threshold, there will be a guardian for you to overcome. This guardian will be myself. I will attempt to stop you from entering, but you must not let me get in the way of your goal. Fight me with a goal in mind rather than anger. You are not angry that I have caused a hiatus in your journey, but rather you've accepted the challenge as it is. So fight me with a clear head and you will pass on to your final test. Oh, one more catch," there was a growl inside the forest. "Some of the hunting beasts have been deprived of food lately. They might very well attack you if you enter their territory. You may choose how you go about your mission, but whatever you decide as your course will have consequences," Ash's lightsaber sprung to life with a hiss of burning ozone. The cyan tinted emerald blade shimmered in the light as he waited for his apprentice's move.

"Choose wisely and choose well. You only have one chance. Pass or fail."

[BringmetheHorizon]

Igniting his saber before Ash. Ajoc held his saber directly torwards his Master while steadily breathing as he connected with the Force.

"You are no guardian. You are but a friend with a challenge that I must overcome."

Sliding his foot back, Ajoc positioned himself as if we would charge. But rather he would wait.