Chapter II
Chicharious paced back and forth through the dim lit hallway
that connected the many rooms of the majestic fortress that he
and his apprentice dwelled in. Apophous stood along the wall,
watching his master with uneasiness. The look in Chicharious'
eyes told Apophous that his mentor was rather enjoying
reasoning with himself to decide a fitting punishment for the little
escapade that Zealotos took him on the day before. He was also
enjoying keeping Apophous in suspense for the conclusive
decision, which Apophous would preferably wish not to hear at
all. Chicharious was sure to give Apophous no facial signals or
gestures what so ever of which may give Apophous a conception
of what his punishment may be.
"I hope you greatly enjoyed the recreation that you and Zealotos
had yesterday," Said Chicharious as he approached his student.
"Because it's the last time you'll be seeing him for a very, very,
long time. It was his senseless gaffe to swindle the burly savage in
the first place. Now, get your bowcaster and go track some
runyips for our meal." Apophous watched in astonishment as his
master turned to walk away. How could this be? Chicharious
hadn't even punished him. He was about to stop his master to
question this odd arrangement, but dared not after everything that
he had already done. There was nothing to do but silently obey.
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Apophous trudged through the foliage on the vegetation
overrun forest floor of the fourth moon of Yavin, pursuing the
intelligent runyip, a large, stubborn creature that feeds on the
vitamin rich mulch of Yavin's jungles. It was quite a task to locate
this peticular species, for they were surprisingly exemplary at
hiding in difficult
to reach places. Although they were not the most elegant or
exquisite meal, their meat was edible and actually quite nutritive.
Along with runyips, other safely edible species that inhabited the
planet included woolamanders, slothlike creatures that occupy the
Massassi trees, crystal snakes, huge, extremely long serpents that,
when in certain light, seem to glisten in multiple colors, and
armored eels, large, snake-like fish that live in the many rivers that
cut through the thick, steamy woods. Apophous would
occasionally stop to check under blue leaf shrubs and feather
furns, ideal hiding places for the runyip, along with hollow fallen
tree trunks and abandoned snake holes. Apophous naturally
enjoyed hunting, for it reminded him of the times he had on his
home planet, Antooanna, the place where he grew up. But
Apophous' favorite part of hunting was the fact that it was
challenging. Apophous, like his master, greatly enjoyed challenges.
And hunting here, opposed to Antooanna, was much more
difficult, hense, it was much more fun. The many obstacles
seemed to kill the sport of hunting for some, but for the two Sith, it
made it all the more enjoyable. But what would be a part of
everyday life for some, Chicharious regarded as Sith training. A
semi-thick fog lingered above the ground that day, and smooth,
gray clouds painted the sky. The air was muggy and humid, and a
light drizzle came off and on. Apophous was constantly forced to
wipe the sweat that came with the dreary weather off of his brow.
The soggy weather of Yavin IV's rain forest like jungles were
much different than Antooanna's dry, warm forests scorching hot,
continually waterless deserts. Plus, Yavin had hundreds of wide
running rivers and streams flowing through and under the
mountain range's valleys while Antooanna, on the other hand,
consisted of vast oceans, gently rolling plains and scarce wooded
areas with miniature waterfalls and cascades. Apophous stood
atop a huge, lofty crag resting on the side of a knoll, scanning the
underbrush for movement. He held in his right hand the same
bowcaster he was given by his father as a birthday gift four years
ago. He had made minor modifications, and it was now a battle
efficient weapon. He stood perfectly still. The runyip was
near-sighted and color blind, and could not define still objects as
other creatures, even if they were standing overtop him. The
slightest shear of wind caused Apophous to quickly glance at
anything it affected, wether that be a tall patch of grass or a
swaying flower. His eyesight was incredibly sharp, and he could
run at almost blinding speeds when necessary. But his master
was incomparably stronger, not only physically, but mentally.
Indeed, Apophous was tuned in with the force, but on a very weak
level. It would be questioned why Chicharious did not begin the
training of his apprentice with techniques of how to master the
force, but he knew that Apophous had been distorted, and
perhaps even mentally damaged, by the loss of his parents.
Secondly, Chicharious knew that Apophous was very adventure
hungry and head strong, and that starting him out with such
discipline would be next to impossible and would most likely turn
Apophous against him. So, instead of levitating rocks or
meditating, Apophous was out hunting game under his master's
command. Apophous was also very independent, and considered
his point of view the factual truth. Chicharious was aware of this,
and was sure to give Apophous his elbow room when it came to
opinions, but he never let his apprentice tell him that he was
wrong. Even Apophous, although he endorsed this unusual
training method, still did not understand it. He had come to
believing that Sith training should be severely harsh, but found it
to truly be relatively simple compared to what he thought. He
suddenly cringed as a sharp pain shot through his left thigh. He
yanked the bottom of his tunic and saw a large insect clinging to
his black trousers. He immediately recognised it as a tree tic. It
was violet with black stripes lining it's back, and it's legs were a
frosty blue. He slowly extended his gloved right hand towards it.
He had to get it off fast, because if it were to bite again, the
already poisoned area would be infected so bad that his entire left
leg would have to be amputated. His index finger and thumb
clamped it's sides carefully. If he were to make any sudden
movements, his finger would be surely bit, and such a strong
poison in such a small and weak area would leave Apophous no
doubt missing his finger, no amputation necessary. Not only that,
but the poison, almost as strong as a venom, would paralyze his
hand for months. He lifted it slowly and set it, very cautiously on
the wet soil. He sighed from relief as he backed slowly down the
hill, eyeing the insect the entire time, and nearly tripped when he
collided with a protruding rock. He made his way through the
woods, and although he was startled and in pain, he still kept a
close eye out for his quarry. He was rather frustrated by now, he
had been away from his home for two standard hours, and had
found no vestige whatsoever of the annoying creature. He came
across a small spring where he refilled his canteen, treated his
wound, and continued on. It was about midday, and Apophous
was becoming very hungry. At his age, eating was almost
necessary every few hours, and Apophous had not had a meal
that morning. Not only was he in need of food, but the harsh heat
and dampness was making him sweat all of the fluid from his
system, causing dehydration. He would become ill if he did not
re-stock on water roughly every few minutes. But that would
hopefully not be a problem, considering the hundreds of water
scources in the area. He was forced to limp a few minutes after
the bite, and his leg bagan swelling. But he dare not return to his
master without food.
EXTENSION IN PROGRESS