Ask Have you got the Stones

[Ava Xeto]

Devaron

Ava moved as speedily as she could through the dense jungle. Leaping onto a tree, she pushed off of it and landed gracefully on the ground. Why was she there? Artefact hunting. She’d become interested in it, after recent events on Champala, and was eager to see if she could track something down to bring back to the Jedi Order.

The objects she was looking for were a pair of telepathy stones. They were apparently located in an ancient Jedi Temple. Jedi texts spoke of a long-lost Jedi temple, supposedly somewhere deep in the jungles of Devaron. It was definitely worth exploring.

“Are you ok Roanoke,” she called back to the Jedi initiate. She had been given permission to bring an initiate along with her. She thought it would make a nice change for them to get away from the sometimes-monotonous life of an initiate. Sort of like an adventure, even if they didn’t find something. She stopped for a second, allowing Roanoke to catch up with her. She was wearing her usual clothing, her lightsaber clipped to her belt.

@Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

Roanoke was minding his own business—hiding in the library and reading quietly in the corner, rather—when the summons came to him. Knight Xeto is looking for you, said the frowning Padawan as she eyed the ex-Sith warily, says she got permission to bring you with her.

And now Roanoke finds himself running after said Knight through the jungle, trying to keep pace with the Jedi's speed. He's not complaining about running off to somewhere—in fact he's rather grateful for it, if only to break away from the cautious and suspicious glances he keeps receiving from the other Jedi learners. He can't blame them, though, given what he once was. But he was just a Sith in title, not in deed. Except he doesn't have the courage to speak for himself, at least not yet. So he's quick to accept the invitation, even if he doesn't fully know why he finds himself in Devaron, deep in the jungle, and catching up to the Knight who is considerate enough to stop for a short moment so he can catch up to her.

She's pretty damn fast, but he's not going to complain.

"I-I'm okay," he assures Ava, keeping his breathing as steady as he can. "Um... t-thanks again, for inviting me..."

Master? Is that what he's supposed to call a Knight if he's joining them for an excursion?

He gives the Knight a shy but reassuring smile, and would move to run alongside her as they pushed deeper into the jungle.

"Master, may I ask w-what we're here for again?" he inquires, glancing at Ava curiously. He's sure she already briefed him about it on their way to Devaron, but Roanoke's thoughts and emotions have been too chaotic at the prospect of a Jedi actively seeking an Initiate to join her for this unexpected adventure.

@DMCK

 

[Ava Xeto]

Ava waited for Roanoke to catch up. “Great,” she replied, watching her fellow Jedi to make sure he was actually ok and not just pretending.

“Hey, that’s no problem. I figured it would be nice for a padawan to get a break from studying, so I asked for permission to bring one along. You were the lucky one,” she told him, smiling.

They continued moving through the jungle again, only stopping when Roanoke asked Ava a question. “First of all, you shouldn’t call me master. I’m definitely no master,” she stated, giving Roanoke’s arm a friendly nudge with her elbow. “Just call me Ava,” she said cheerily.

“So, apparently there are these ancient stone artefacts, contained in an abandoned Jedi temple somewhere. They’re telepathic stones… something like that anyway,” she explained, briefly pausing to remember her train of thought. “There is supposed to be a lost Jedi temple on this planet, so I thought it was worth trying to find it. Maybe the stones will be there.”

As quickly as Ava had stopped, she started moving again. “Come on, we’ve got more ground to cover,” she shouted, as she grinned at the Jedi Padawan.

@Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

Well, he is happy to be chosen out of all the Padawans available and more legible to join her for this mission. Roanoke gives Ava a grateful smile anyway, and then they're running again because the Knight is right. They have more ground to cover, and while the mohawked teen doesn't know how vast this forest is, they wouldn't know if they chose to simply walk and continue the Q and A. He supposes they can continue that while running, and he's not about to complain about it.

He didn't know that there is a lost Jedi temple on Devaron, and he sure as hells have no idea about the telepathic stones they're seeking. He hasn't read anything about artefacts yet back in Starlight, but he's not going to try and beat himself up for not brushing up on Jedi Lore and Artefacts 101.

Roanoke remembers her correction on how to address her, feeling surprised—in a good way!—at having to forgo such formalities. He's going to be shy with calling the Knight with just her first name, but if it's what she wants he shall respect it. Force knew how much he had to stick to the hierarchy within the Sith Order, and it's refreshing to see that the Jedi isn't full of strict sticklers to rules as old as the two Orders.

The ex-Sith shoots a smile at Ava's way, then shyly tries to jest, "We gotta have to f-find the temple first if we're looking for the stones, yeah?"

Kriff, he's awful at this!

Roanoke follows Ava dutifully as they delve deeper into the forest, the canopy of leaves and branches growing thicker and the shadows getting more pronounced. The sound of wildlife, of rustling bushes and leaves, and movements in the undergrowth punctuate the footsteps of the two Jedi.

"Ava, do you have a map?" Roanoke then asks as they run, a contemplative look on his face. "Maybe we should track our routes so we won't get lost?"

He's been trying not to use the Force too much since becoming an Initiate for fear of blatantly exposing himself as a former Sith, even if he doesn't really hide it. Maybe the Knight already knows, but Roanoke doesn't want to unnecessarily draw power from the Dark Side. Most of the Padawans have been giving him suspicious looks and glares for being a former Darksider, and he doesn't want Ava to be doing the same if she doesn't know who he is yet. And Roanoke is determined to keep it this way for as long as he can.

@DMCK

 

[Ava Xeto]

Ava enjoyed the freedom of exploring the jungle. Even if she and Roanoke didn’t find anything. Sure beats being cooped up inside.

“Yeah, sure,” she replied to Roanoke’s question, the attempt at humour going completely over her head.

She came to an abrupt stop when her fellow Jedi asked about the map. “I’ve got this.” She took her holoprojector from her belt and switched it on. It produced an image of the jungle from above. “I thought we could maybe check over there,” she told the Jedi initiate, pointing towards a particular part of the map.

She didn’t know anything about Roanoke, so she wasn’t sure about what he thought of her rather impulsive approach to things.

Setting off again, the jungle gradually started to become denser. Eventually, she emerged from the trees. She was faced with the sight of cave entrance.

“Looks ominous. Let’s check it out,” she stated cheerily, turning to Roanoke.

@Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

The calm reply to his joke has Roanoke stifling a smile, secretly glad that Ava doesn't seem to get it. He's not really the funniest guy around, but at least he metaphorically pats himself on the back for trying to lighten the mood. The jungle is getting more dreary the deeper they go in, and he wants to stay level-headed. He won't be of much use if he lets his surroundings get the better of him, leaving him in a panicky, jumpy mess.

He stops when she does, just shy of bumping into the Knight at the abruptness of her sudden halt. Roanoke peers over Ava's shoulder when she shows him a map of the jungle. Dark brown eyes follow the direction she points out, trusting that she has things planned out.

"Okay," he replies with a nod.

They continue to press forward, the Initiate's ears flicking slightly as he listens for anything amiss. He'd learned a lot from his former Master despite his fear of her, and one thing she taught him was to make good use of his hearing when in a place packed with unseen potential predators. Sure, that horrible woman found glee in watching the mohawked teenager get bitten, scratched, and almost eaten, but Roanoke just accepted them all as learning experience even if she seemed to not be so helpful at times.

This time with the Jedi, however, Roanoke has faith that he would not be left to fend for himself until he could stand on his own.

Coming to a stop as they emerged from the trees, Roanoke's gaze alights upon the cave entrance Ava is beholding. It looks... beautiful, in an eerie sort of way. Plantlife crawls and curls against rock like wisps, and while it is humid outside here in the open, a pervading chill emanates from within the cave's entrance.

Ava's cheerful suggestion to check the cave out prompts a slightly unsure look on Roanoke's face. Still, she's his superior in this setting, so he doesn't try to dissuade her or tell her that he does not want to go in there. Not that he's afraid of caves, it's just that...

He mentally shakes off the first signs of fear that floats in his mind. The ex-Sith takes a deep breath, steeling himself for the impromptu spelunking. Turning his gaze to the small pack he carries with him, he pulls out two out of four glow rods he thankfully has the mind to pack then hands one to Ava.

"Let's pray the inside isn't harboring anything just as ominous in there," he tries to joke again, though the mirth he shyly tries to convey falls outright flat this time. Roanoke approaches the cave, igniting the glow rod and holding it aloft—wouldn't wanna get night blindness by holding the light at face-level. The more you know...

The interior of the cave is damp and dank. The pitter patter of water echoes just by the entry until the sound is muffled and swallowed by the wall of stone. The darkness ahead is thick, the soft light from the glow rod barely piercing it. Still, knowing that he's with Ava, Roanoke daringly presses forward—ever cautious, ever mindful of the Knight's safety above his own.

After all, he's the expendable one between them.

@DMCK

 

[Ava Xeto]

Ava thought Roanoke was going to say no to entering the cave. That was until he took out a couple of glow rods. Let’s do this.

She smirked at his comment, but he seemed to overlook it. Entering the cave, the sound of dripping water echoed near the cave entrance, until it gradually faded. The air was moisture-laden. The light from the two glow rods struggled to cut through the darkness.

“No monsters, so far,” she commented, trying to lighten the mood. They had been venturing into the cave for a while now. Looking around, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

“Hey, look at this.”

It was a small hole in the floor, near the cave wall. Crouching down in front of it, she tried to shine the light from the glow rod down the hole in the cave floor. Nothing.

“I’ve got an idea.”

Reaching out, she held the glow rod over the hole and then dropped it. Watching it drop down, it wasn’t long before it landed with a thud. She could see the faint light from the glow rod, below. “Hmmm, I think I can make that,” she stated, thinking aloud.

Without hesitation, she positioned herself to perch on the edge of the hole in the cave floor and then she dropped down it.

Landing with a thud, she allowed the momentum to carry her into a forward roll, before coming to a stop on one knee. She stood up, taking a second to go and pick up her glow rod.

“You good up there,” she called out to Roanoke.

Shining the glow rod around the cave, she noticed something on the wall. Some sort of writing. She didn’t recognise the language.

@Graveyard Shift

 

[Roanoke]

The mention of monsters earns Ava a soft, awkward, yet sincere chuckle from Roanoke as they delve deeper into the cave. He remains close, not wanting to be separated from the Knight, and not because he's scared he might get lost. He's scared that she might get lost, and...

Force, does that make sense? A Jedi Knight getting lost, and not the Initiate?

Embarrassment flares from the mohawked teenager, but he quickly tamps it down before it becomes a signal through the Force. He doesn't want Ava regretting that she ends up taking him along in this adventure. The thought, however, startles Roanoke. He's still finding his place among her people and here he is, wanting to prove helpful, useful. Wanting to prove that he won't be a burden. He visibly shakes the thought off, long, wild hair swaying lightly with the movement.

When Ava's voice breaks through the heavy silence, Roanoke pauses and looks at her. Then, his gaze lowers to the spot she's crouching in front of. It's a hole on the ground, and Roanoke's mind wanders off—

—in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Reminded of the novel he started to read yesterday, Roanoke leans forward as Ava drops the glow rod over the mystery hole. Hearing as it lands and seeing the faint light from below, the former acolyte is about to make a comment about the hole's depth when the Knight beats him to it. She beat him even further by jumping into the hole herself.

The startled yelp that escapes Roanoke is muffled by the cave walls, but carries into the hole that Ava disappears to. He drops down on his knees, one large hand holding tightly on the edge of the hole while the other holds the glow rod over his head as he searches for Ava with a wide-eyed look. Spotting the glow rod first, Ava second, the ex-Sith lets out an audible sigh of relief.

"D-Don't scare me like that!" he blurts out when she calls out to him, the paleness on his face morphing into a relieved and embarrassed blush. "Don't just go jumping into holes in caves! A-At least give me a heads up or something!" Then, realizing the audacity with which he nervously scolds the Knight, Roanoke backtracks with a mortified, "I'm sorry!"

As Ava moves to investigate something Roanoke can't see, the Initiate takes the glow rod he is holding between his teeth, then checks if he can fit into the hole as well. One he's made the affirmative, Roanoke dangles his feet over the edge of the hole then slides into it with a muffled huff. He feels weightless for a few seconds as he falls, then lands on his feet with a loud thud, mindful not to clamp his fanged teeth onto the glow rod. Roanoke steadies himself, before he moves to approach Ava, glow rod now in one hand.

The writing on the wall catches his attention, but he doesn't recognize the language as well. Along the wall of text is a pictograph depicting two robed figures, their three-fingered hands pointing in different directions. The one on the right points to the left, while the one on the left gestures to the right. Lifting the glow rod over his head, Roanoke looks at the direction the robed figure on the right points to. He spots an opening, leading into the unknown. The same goes for the robed figure on the left. Putting the pieces together, Roanoke realizes that he and Ava are standing in the middle of a fork, and it's up to them which of the robed figures' directions to follow.

Frowning, Roanoke's attention shifts back to the writing on the wall. He pulls out his recently acquired EZPhone from his jacket's pocket and opens the language app. "I'm gonna check if I could translate these writings," he tells Ava, looking for the Knight's approval.

@DMCK

 

[Ava Xeto]

“Sorry,” she called out in reply to Roanoke. The concern in his voice was evident. She knew she could let her eagerness get the better of her, which made her act impulsively. She saw a dark hole and her first thought had been to jump down it.

“Don’t apologise. Come down here.” She wasn’t annoyed by him rebuking her.

She moved closer to the wall, to see if she could decipher the writing. No. Not a clue.

There were two hooded figures, drawn on the wall, along with the text. One pointed one way and the other in the opposite direction.

She turned to Roanoke, her eyes following the light from the glow rod as it shined in one direction and then the other.

The impulsive part of her brain was telling her to pick a tunnel and see what would happen. No, Ava, you’ve got a padawan with you. Try to be more responsible.

“Sure, see if you can translate it,” she said, smiling at her fellow Jedi.

@Graveyard Shift