Down in the Dark (Silas)

[Hatoful GM]

The entrance to the site of the trial looked innocuous enough. The front seemed to be the entrance to a ruined temple, nothing immediately marking it as any different from the other ruined temples on the planet. But on second glance, the shadows within the entrance was just a little bit darker. The air was just a little bit colder. Even the smell, the taste of it was just slightly off. And the longer one studied any of these things, the more they would cause a creeping sense of dread. Of fear.

Silas stood in front of that entrance now. Master Orgus was there with him. He glanced at Silas, giving tiny nod.

[Silas Myles Pearson]

For some reason it reminded Silas of the note he found the day before... The talk of a harrowing tiral given by the Masters, they hadn't talked to them, hadn't warned them... Something about it rang home to the youth.

Turning to Ogrus he offered him a smile.

"I don't plan to fail, but if I do, I'd prefer a hug from Master Murah." He offered the Jedi master with a bit of a smile before turning towards the entrance and stepping inside.

[Hatoful GM]

Master Orgus chuckled at that. "Alright. But I'll be next in line." As Silas stepped into the entrance, he knelt down on the ground to wait.

...

As soon as Silas stepped into the entrance, the shadows seemed to grow even deeper, the cold even more pervasive, seeping into his bones. Even the light from outside seemed dimmed, and yet, compared to the inside, it was so bright as to almost appear as a wall.

He could see onward, although only just. A long corridor lay ahead, lit by a hazy red glow. It seemed to be going straight, although the strange light made it seem to shift and twist moment by moment.

[Silas Myles Pearson]

Honestly Master Chriala wouldn't be that bad either, still Silas dismissed those thoughts from his mind, taking a slow steady as he moved forward, fully entering the dark.

He shivered, he hadn't been expecting the cold, and honestly he wished he was brought a coat. The light was a bit dizzing, but he didn't need to look too far in the fistance, at least not all the time. A few steps forwwaard fould lead him along the path, as well as a occional glance into the distance. He wouldn't want to fall into a pit or anything afte all.

[Hatoful GM]

The chill seemed to cut right through his clothing. Perhaps a coat would do no good, anyway.

One step, then another, then another. The corridor seemed to go on and on. In a little time, the entrance was too distant to be seen. The end of the corridor still too far to be seen. No source could be seen for the dim red light.

After some time had passed, a lot or a little, the whispers began. At first, they might have been mistaken as the wind. But wind wasn't that derisive. Wind wasn't that mocking. Wind did not laugh spitefully.

Finally, after who knew how much time had passed, light at the end of the corridor could be seen. He could make it.

[Silas Myles Pearson]

The laughter was a bit disturbing and a frown made it's way onto Silas' lips as he moved forward. His eyes scanning the distance for a few moments as he searched for the scource.

Eventually though he gave up, the end of the corridor was just ahead, and whatever was in store for him would be found there.

[Hatoful GM]

No source for the laughter could be found.

Silas stepped through, out into the light... and he was outside again. It seemed that was it. Just a long, long corridor.

Master Orgus sat casually on the ground, not far from where Silas last saw him. He seemed to be reading something on his datapad. After a few moments, he looked up. "Oh. All done?" Disinterest laced his casual tone.

[Silas Myles Pearson]

"I don't think so." Silas replied thoughtfully. This was really pretty surreal. "Honestly I'm wondering how I got back here, the path didnt seem to turn enough to return me to the entrance." But then again it was a bit too surreal to say for certain.

"Have I been gone long?"

[Hatoful GM]

"Not long." Master Orgus said in that same tone. "And time and space work differently in a vergence. You shouldn't concern yourself much with it."

He jerked his head back towards the path. "Come on. Let's head back. And... we should talk."

[Silas Myles Pearson]

Silas frowned, this didnt seem quite right. Still that was Master Ogrus, and if he said this was done, then it must be.

Giving one glance back at where he came from he nodded and walked towards his Master. "Okay."

[Hatoful GM]

For a time, they walked in silence, Master Orgus' face set.

Finally he spoke. "I think you know what I'm going to say, so I'll just say it. You don't have what it takes to be a Jedi." He didn't break stride, nor look at him.

[Silas Myles Pearson]

That really wasn't ehat he was expecting his master to say, and it made him miss a step. He caught himself and kept walking aling, a soft frown on his features. "Why?" Was simple simpel question that came from his lips.

[Hatoful GM]

For the briefest of moments, annoyance flickered across Orgus' face.

"Silas." He said sternly. "Jedi are remarkable individuals. Fate, in the form of the Force, has marked them for greatness. You tinker with gadgets. You ogle girls. You make costumes." He shook his head. "Do you really think you're anything more than ordinary?"

[Silas Myles Pearson]

That didn't strike Silas as something Master Din would say, and honestly it was probably the first time he had ever seen his Master angry. Worried a few times, disappointed too, maybe... But never annooyed.

Maybe then this was the test, and the creepy hallway was just to unsettle him?

"There is no emotion, only peace, Master." He offered softly.

"Maybe you're right though, maybe I am ordinaary, but I can't believe that's a bad thing either. The force works through us, maybe all it needs from me right now is to be ordinary."

[Hatoful GM]

As Silas spoke the words to the Jedi code, for just a moment, everything seemed a bit more steady, to make a little more sense.



Master Orgus shook his head. "Maybe. Well, if that's the case, you'll get your chance. Don't worry."

They were out of the caverns. Master Orgus took the lead, hopping into the driver's seat of a speeder. "We're going to the spaceport. The other masters are bringing your things. The rest of the students will see you off, at least."

[Silas Myles Pearson]

That caused the young man to blink, and he looked around the area, perhaps lookign for something out of place, before turning his eyes back to Orgus. "How does that make sense, Master Din?" Silas asked calmly.

"Everyone couldn't of finished before me, and it makes no sense to have the other masters leave the students here to pack my things away." Despite his protests he did follow his Master, climbing into the speeder. "Something isn't right here, and you're not explaining it to me." He reached forward to flick up the speeders radio, seeing what channel if any he coudl pick up.

"There is no Ignorance, there is Knowdlege, Master. Did something strange happen inside the Vergeance?"

[Hatoful GM]

The radio picked up only static. Of course, the stellar arrangement had been interrupting broadcasts all day. Still, this time, the static reminded Silas of the whispers he'd heard in the cave.



"If something strange happened inside the vergence, you should know. A Jedi would." Orgus said. A glance at Silas, and then away.

They were at the spaceport. Orgus turned off the engine. "Everyone else should be just inside." He nodded towards the entrance. "This is probably the last time we'll see each other." He gave Silas a nod. "Good luck in the civilian life."

[Silas Myles Pearson]

He had always been able to pick up the Ithorian station too, which was doublet strange. They were supposedly near the town, if anything the signal should be clearer.

Which meant it was being interrupted, maybe by layers of rock. "So what you're telling me Master Ogrus, is that we're still in the Vergence."

"Or rather I'm still in the Vergence." He glanced towards the door. "Which means this is something I need to see?" He wouldn't lie, the idea of leaving all his friends behind frightened him, of going back to Coruscant having failed. He didnt need that right now, those kind of worries, that chaos. What he needed was Harmony.

Taking a deep steadying breath he stepped forward. "Let's see where this leads." Apparently he wasn't talking to Master Borgus anymore.

[Hatoful GM]

Inside, Corvin stood, a bag in hand. He held it out wordlessly. The rest stood behind him, students, masters, everyone.

There were a few smiles, a few muttered goodbyes. But no one could quite meet Silas' eyes.

"Ship's that way." Corvin grunted, his nod indicating a hangar door.

[Silas Myles Pearson]

Yet, Silas tried to meet all of their eyes, and as they avoided his the falseness of it all rung truer still. That didn't make in any less difficult to face though. Having people he thought of as friends, as family so easily cast him away. the idea of it was such a painful thing.

Looking up at Norvin, he smiled sadly. "This is a really dark place you all live in, but my path doesn't lie that way. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to leave you, may the force guide you." With that, he turned and walked away, back towards the door he had entered from.