A New Recruit [Shyvana]

[Sianna]

Silver orbs took in the rugged terrain around her, knowing that Raien had pushed she and the traitorous Remus out here many years ago, the training that day still vivid in her mind. Standing on the small rocky outcropping that he waited for them on that day, she reached out mentally to her new student now in the temple.

~ Prove your worth and come find me. ~ Her typical regimen having been in the arena or atop the buildings not that long ago, she wanted to now test this girl and see how intuitive she was. Resourcefulness was going to be tested as the river gorge between Sianna and the temple would pose an interesting obstacle to overcome. The introduction to the Sith way of life making those who could push themselves beyond their limits, would show them both how far Shyvana would go to become one of them.

She had little information on this disciple other than her absence for some time after being accepted. Not a good way to start, the priestess mused.

[Shyvana Narcista]

Tapping her foot impatiently, the tall brunette surveyed the scene in front of her with disdain. She had received the message and had made her way through the rocky landscape fairly well, until she encountered the gorge anyway. She was on one side and her goal was on the other, causing an endless amount of frustration for the recently returned Disciple. Jumping it was out of the question which left her with one other alternative, one that she disliked just as much as jumping. She could not leap across from here but....

Shyvana gazed over the edge of the gorge and could make out rocks in the water below, they were peppered across the river although they were bound to be treacherous and slippery. Not only that but the climb up the other side would be no easy task either. The Hapan was by no means a comfortable climber yet her pride in herself prevented her from taking a step back. If she was to gain the power she so sorely desired then there was no other choice. She would pass this test.

After taking a moment to brace herself, she approached the edge and slowly positioned herself, before starting her descent. It was not a swift one and every movement of hers was deliberate and slow as she climbed down. Every second seemed like an hour and Shyvana's nerves were on a knife edge. It was vital that she kept her composure although there were one or two moments where she almost gave in to blind panic when her hand did not instantly meet the next rock. Her determination to succeed was what got her through it and eventually her right foot made contact with the ground.

A part of her wanted to just drop and kiss the land but instead, she simply turned and gazed out at the water in front of her. There were stones across the water although the distance between each one was more than she had bargained for.

Yet, there was no place for doubt and before Shyvana allowed herself to dwell on the distance, she ran forward and jumped to the first stone, soaring through the air and landing on the next stone. The moment she landed, she was moving again, leaping towards the second and that was how it continued. The Hapan pushed all of her thoughts aside and relied on pure instinct to get her across. She could of sworn that she felt the Force aid her on occasion, the brunette could almost feel it in her legs. Especially in the final jump, where she only just reached the land and almost fell in the water.

She did rest then for a moment, breathing heavily and looking with disgust up at the wall of rock in front of her. Shyvana uttered a vile curse that her mother would never of allowed her to say. She then gazed at her hands, which were blistered and bloody from the climb down before clenching them in to fists. They throbbed with pain but besides a slight gritting of her teeth, the brown eyed Hapan said nothing more. She had nothing to bandage them with so she would just have to tough it out.

With that thought in her mind, Shyvana approached the wall and wearily began to climb, lacking the grace somewhat that she had previously. The nineteen year old was healthy but not particularly athletic, physical labour had not been a part of her lifestyle. It showed in her climbing and she found it far harder to climb up, more than once sliding back down a few feet, just managing to save herself. It was more a test of endurance than anything and by the time she reached the top, she had run out of curses to use. Her hands were a mess and she was panting heavily.

She spent a couple of minutes recovering before the Hapan slowly got up and travelled in the direction of her new Master. It was difficult to concentrate but her determination kept her up and she eventually reached the pale faced Master.

All she could for the moment was nod her head politely, her voice sounding rather weary.

"Priestess."

[Sianna]

A bemused smile arced upon her pale features as she watched from on high as her new student traversed one obstacle after another and by the time she reached her, Shyvana looked like she was ready to drop. And the training had just begun.

"Nwûl tash.
Dzwol shâsotkun.
Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.
Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.
Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.
Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.
Wonoksh Qyâsik nun."

Sianna grinned, silvery orbs seemingly darker in the gloomy morning as her recitation of the Sith Code in it's native tongue rolled off her lips and she loved hearing it the way that it was originally written. Her personal hero having been the mother of the Sith Code and it's tenants. "From this point on, you'll greet all your betters in this fashion," the priestess began, then squared on her student. Curtsying straight backed, head bowed with both arms outward, palms up. "May the Force serve you well, Master."

Rising again, Sianna lowered her arms once more. "Understood?"

[Shyvana Narcista]

"Understood, Master," Shyvana replied somewhat stiffly, she had no issue with showing respect in such a way, it was common place to show such respect to those in a position of power in the Consortium using such means. Although, she did not necessarily consider all higher ranked Sith as her superiors, the Hapan ideals ran deep within her and the idea of showing respect to males was an affront to her pride. She did not believe in equal rights in the slightest, it was a foreign concept to her.

There was a strength to the words that Sianna spoke and although Shyvana did not understand the language, there was a sense of power behind them which she felt quite strongly. The Hapan had felt a shiver up her spine although it was not out of fear but out of passion, they resonated with her in a way that she could not quite put in to words.

"That recitation, I could feel the power behind them as you spoke them. What do they mean?"

[Sianna]

Sensing that the new student had some reservations about using the introduction that she just demonstrated, Sianna would allow her to show that she understood what the priestess had stated. Others in the temple would no doubt let her know if any of her students messed up in some way. Grinning as Shyvana inquired as to the code, the priestess repeated it:

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Nwûl tash.Dzwol shâsotkun.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.
Through strength, I gain power.
Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.
Through power, I gain victory.
Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.
The Force shall free me.
Wonoksh Qyâsik nun."

Sianna let her student muse upon those lines for a moment. "Eventually, you'll know this mantra like the back of your hand, in both languages. If you need to study it further or for memorizing the code, it's etched on the door to the council chambers and in the library under the first Sith Alchemist to pen it, many generations ago. She's actually been one of my inspirations for becoming an alchemist, myself." Shifting her weight slightly, Sianna crossed her arms. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. What do you think that means?"

[Shyvana Narcista]

There was an almost hypnotic feel to the code when spoken and Shyvana fell silent for quite some time, pondering its meaning. The Hapan found the mantra inspiring although it rose as many questions as it did answers. It certainly aroused her curiosity though and the brunette soon had her own opinions forming on it. She could not help but notice the absolution about it, there were no maybe's, simply statements, something that she could not help but find enlightening.

"It seems to say that a Sith should never become complacent with the power that they have or the position that they currently hold. A Sith should always be striving for more and our passion, our lust for power is what should drive us on. Passion is the driving force behind everything we do and is the key to unlocking our potential. The moment that we no longer feel the need to continue growing is the moment where we are no longer Sith at all. Without passion, there can be no strength."

[Sianna]

"Essentially," she nodded in agreement and was glad that the girl was more than looks, though she could tell that already as having watched the new recruit endure the climb and treacherous journey to get here this morning. "A great Sith philosopher once said: 'Conflict forces one to better oneself. It forces change, growth, adaption, evolution… or death.' That can be conflict within yourself as well, motivating yourself to be more than the mundanes that we see everyday. Those without the gift of the Force will never understand what drives us beyond what most can see with their eyes or feel in their heart. This is a spiritual battle with ourselves and one that once you accept that you're above the masses, can help you rise. We were chosen to be like gods and the foundation is all the things that we were given emotionally and physically. Those bases will be built upon and as the training goes on, eventually you'll reach the point where you're thinking and acting on the ethereal level." Sianna grinned with excitement and she dropped her arms and turned to face the vista around them, letting Shyvana think on what they had talked about.

"Now to begin," she stated, then closed her eyes and soaked in the Force. "Calm your breathing, close your eyes and open yourself to the universe. Quiet your mind and reach for those things that have driven you to get up here this morning." A long silent moment lingered between them. "Tell me what you see."

[Shyvana Narcista]

It was easy for Shyvana to be captivated by Sianna's words and the feeling of superiority that she spoke of was one that the Hapan already felt to some degree. The Disciple had been brought up feeling a sense of entitlement and importance compared to the vast majority of people. She had been groomed to lead her family once her mother had passed on and although her previous life had ended up falling to pieces, her sense of self importance had not died. Rather than be humbled by what had happened, it had just made her more determined to succeed. The Narcista name would mean something again, the brunette would make sure of it, she would forge a new legacy from its ashes.

"Perfection. I cannot think of a greater goal than that," she mused aloud, a grin on her face as well, agreeing fully with what Sianna was saying.`

With a nod, Shyvana then closed her eyes and attempted to calm her still slightly ragged breathing. It took some effort but she managed to relax after a few moments and allowed her mind to drift, pushing her thoughts away and allowing her emotions to come forth. She saw images of her past, events which had shattered and ruined her life. The Hapan saw faces that she recognised, stirring up feelings of anger, rage and a touches of fear. Then it all vanished and was replaced by one single image, herself, standing on a hilltop, a lightsaber in one hand and a ball of fire in the other, overlooking her homeworld, with the inhabitants bowing down towards her. Her destiny.

A gasp escaped her at that moment as for the first time, she saw through the Force and for once, she was speechless for a minute or so before words finally returned to her.

"I see.....everything. Every stone, every plant, every creature which flies or walks. Yet, it is not seeing in the usual sense, it is like I can see in to them. I can feel them, their breathing, their heartbeat, the movement of their bodies. It as if I am connected to them and they are connected to me." She paused and added, a smile appearing again, "It is beautiful."

[Sianna]

"That's what we'll be building on from this point on. All of life is now at your beck and call, the very essence of all that life around you was built upon is what has lain dormant within you until now. That sight is empowered by the Force itself." Opening her silver orbs, Sianna still felt the universal energy flowing through her veins and very being. "Now, I want you to use that power flowing through you to touch one of those stones. Your mental fingers go through it and around it because your gift is making it lighter than what the physical world tells us it is. Command that rock to rise into the air."

Unsure if she was totally clear about her own understanding of the Force and how she effected nature, but watched and waited to see if Shyvana would take the foundation that had been laid already and build upon it.

[Shyvana Narcista]

There was a moment where Shyvana looked slightly confused as she listened to her next instructions. The idea of changing the weight of one of the stones puzzled her but the Hapan was more than willing to attempt it for herself. Perhaps it was something she would understand better once she tried it. Her expression changed to a more neutral once and she once again closed her eyes before attempting the task, it seemed to help her focus pretty well.

In her minds eyes, she visualised a hand and stretched out her senses, commanding the Force for the very first time. It was certainly an intoxicating feeling and the Hapan struggled briefly to keep her mind on the task. She focused on the stone and imagined that the hand was wrapping itself around it and through it, before commanding the hand upward, lifting the rock up with it. Curiously, her left hand was inadvertently mimicking what she was trying to do, rising as the rock did.

Opening an eye to see her handiwork, Shyvana grinned slightly, before losing control which resulted in the stone falling to the floor.

"Damn," she muttered, annoyed with herself.

[Sianna]

Feeling the charge in the air as Shyvana attempted the first ability Sianna wasn't disappointed. Totally. Greyed orbs rose from the stone to her student, "Do it again, you're going to have to keep this aloft for the next few abilities anyway, so get yourself used to this technique."

Watching and waiting, the priestess noted the progress of the newly acquired disciple and once the stone was hovering in the air once more, she continued. "Now, Pull that rock toward you while keeping it hovering like that."