[D7 ME] Watching the Tide Roll Away

[Eir]

"How is it not your tale to tell?" the girl snapped, harder than she intended, "how are we supposed to be equipped to face the dangers out there if you won't tell us what they are? Even if we don't have Sembylus' side of the story, there's still value in what we do know, and I'd like to think that what you know would be a little less biased than what Lord Destrus had to say on the matter." A hint of sarcasm crept into her voice.

[Chriala Hulis]

Chriala's pressed together. "It is not our tale to tell because it is a very personal one. And we do not know all of it."

She was silent for a few moments. "Destrus took control of Sembylus, using some powers of his. We do not know all of what he was made to do, but we know enough. Sembylus will was not his own; what he was forced to do should not be shared needlessly."

[Eir]

"It's a device," Eir answered, "I'm... only guessing, but I think it is like a holocron." If the girl was concerned about Chriala being angry at her for knowing this, she didn't show it.

[Chriala Hulis]

Chriala's head titled. "This is something that you have seen?" There was some intensity in her voice.

[Eir]

"Yes, Master Chriala," Eir lowered her head. "Earlier today, Lord Destrus showed me the object, and claimed that Sembylus had bonded with one like it."

[Chriala Hulis]

"You saw Lord Destrus earlier today?" Again, her lips pressed together; there was some tension visible in her body. "Eir, please, tell me everything."

[Eir]

With a hint of sullenness, “since Master Orgus cut short our tour of the Sith Temple, I went back there today to take some holophotos. Lord Destrus was... waiting for me there. He said he could show me what happened to Sembylus, and he showed me this object,” Eir instinctly cupped her hands to indicate the size of the box. “He said it contained the essences of Dark Side Force users, and would connect a person to the Dark Side. He said it was still experimental, and that it would consume the weak of will.”

[Chriala Hulis]

Chriala considered all this for a few moments before responding. "Lord Destrus has the reputation of using his... less-favored students in his experiments. The idea that he traps their essence in this box is an all too likely one."

She pressed her lips together. "I do not trust what a Sith calls weak of will. They have very different definitions of what that means; some of them would call all Jedi weak willed."

She turned to Eir, her expression serious. "Did he tell you anything else about how it works? How it is used?"

[Eir]

Eir shook her head firmly, "the implication was quite clear, Master Chriala, he expected me to attempt to bond with the device. But he did claim that Sembylus was strong, and that he was pleased with what happened. I had to tell him no all over again, he called me a failure."

[Chriala Hulis]

Chriala winced. "If what happened to Sembylus was because he was strong, I should hate to see what happens to those he considers failures."

She shook her head. "I will tell the other masters. Thank you, Eir." She tilted her head. "But please, be very, very careful. It seems the interest Lord Destrus has in you has only intensified."

[Eir]

Shaking her head once more, "when I refused, he threw me away again. I am nothing to him. Disposable," and that hurt the girl. Even if she didn't want his offer, to be thrown away as easily a child's broken toy ravaged her sense of self, and Eir dug her little heels into the sand. She had her own theory on what happened to those consumed by Destrus' device.

[Chriala Hulis]

Chriala gave her a gentle smile. "I hope you do not base too much of your own worth on what a Sith Lord thinks of you, Eir."

[Eir]

She sighed, "does it really matter what anyone thinks of me?"

[Chriala Hulis]

The gentle smile remained. "It seems that we have come back around to the earlier topic. With Corvin in the cave, expressing doubt in your abilities."

[Eir]

“I guess we have,” Eir wrapped her arms around her knees, maybe I’ll just prove everyone wrong, then.

[Chriala Hulis]

Gently, Chriala clucked at her. "Perhaps it should not matter to you what others think of you. But, perhaps until that's been achieved, you can take solace in the fact that you would not be undertaking these trials if we did not think highly of you."

She turned back towards the ocean. "Or perhaps not. Who am I to say what is in your heart?"

[Eir]

“I’m trying, Master Chriala,” trying not to care, but not realising that proving herself was the exact opposite of not caring.

[Chriala Hulis]

Smiling, Chriala turned back to the ocean.

(scene?)

[Eir]

Eir fell silent, trying to just enjoy the sun and sand, the sound of the waves and the smell of salt. She had no idea how much she was going to miss this.


/scene