Bell felt the cold air around him as the snow fell. His lightsaber was drawn as he started down Alfia and Zald. Demeter, Haruhime, and Ardee were over by the porch watching the spar.
Bell kept his eyes on Alfia and Zald. The duel hadn't started yet, and Bell was going over the forms he could use in his mind. He was decent in Sorseu and Ataru. Neither of which he had mastered, but he was good at switching between the two when needed.
But seeing as he was against two opponents, he adopted a Sorseu stance and waited for the duel to begin. Alfia shot forward a second later, spinning toward Bell, causing her lightsaber to look like a tornado of blades.
Bell quickly parried, making sure to use as little energy as possible. He wanted to keep his defenses up and not get drawn into a trap.
Zald was already in front of Bell right after his parry. He swung down, and Bell parried that away as well, feeling the strength behind Zald's blow.
Alfia, using her superior speed, was in Bell's face. But he force-pushed her away before jumping back. Zald was again on top of him in less than a second. But Bell accounted for this and parried Zald's lightsaber to the ground before elbowing him in the face.
Zald stumbled back, but Bell quickly dodged. A green lightsaber flew past him and then went back to Alfia. She jumped forward and engaged Bell in a saberlock.
He kicked her in the stomach, but that did nothing. She applied more force, but Bell force pushed her back again.
He never went on the offensive as a blue blade was held at his neck. Bell sighed and turned off his lightsaber, clipping to his belt as Zald turned off his.
"How long did I last this time?" Bell asked.
"Two and a half minutes. You're getting better." Zald answered.
"Doesn't feel like it," Bell grumbled.
Zald patted him on the back. "Bell, you're only 12. Puberty's barely hit you. Trust me, once you get some muscle in that body and further master your forms, you'll see the improvement."
Alfia walked up to him and ruffled his hair. "You're getting better, but you need to be patient. These things take time. You're not going to master your forms in a day."
"I know. But I feel like I'm not making any progress."
"You are. Remember when you first started? Take a look at back then and look at now. There's a big difference." Zald said.
Bell smiled a little as Alfia spoke.
"Also, a little tip. Keep using your arms and legs when someone gets too close. That was a good elbow to Zald's jaw."
"Damn right. Can still feel it." Zald muttered.
Bell smiled some more, and Zald walked away. "Well, it's not too cold. Come on time for some force training."
Bell followed him to another section of the training field where massive boulders were located. The wind picked up a bit, causing snow to blow in Bell's face.
"Apprentice."
Bell turned around and looked at Alifa, who was behind him. "Did you say something?" Bell asked.
"No, why?"
"Thought I heard a voice. Must've been the wind."
Alfia didn't buy that answer but kept quiet as Bell arrived at the massive boulders. They each weighed over a ton and were used as weights to train Bell in lifting heavier things. There were eight in total, and Bell had only been able to lift up four at once.
"Alright, you know the rules. Lift up the most you can do and hold it for a minute. After that, drop them and catch your breath." Zald explained.
Bell nodded and closed his eyes.
Demeter and the others watched from the porch in anticipation. They watched as Bell lifted his hands up, causing four boulders to rise.
Bell's brow furrowed in concentration as a fifth boulder started shaking. It partially lifted off the ground, and Bell's furrowed his brow more.
His hands started shaking, and sweat poured down from his forehead, but he kept going. Raising it half as high as the others, his arms gave out, and he lost concentration.
He fell to his knees and started panting, feeling the strain he put on his body. The frigid air stung his skin as sweat dripped down.
"Well, you've almost got five. A couple more tries, and you'll get it." Zald said.
He reached his hand out to Bell, which the boy gladly took. Once getting to his feet, he turned to Alfia, who had a smile on her face.
"You're doing well, Bell. We'll make a Jedi out of you yet." She cooed.
Bell tiredly smiled and nodded. "Thank you for teaching me."
The three walked back to the porch, and Demeter quickly grabbed Bell and hugged him. Bell didn't resist as his face was shoved into her chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Ah! You're doing so good, Bell! Most Jedi your age have trouble lifting up that many!" She cheered.
Bell just let her do what she wanted, as she had become extra clingy since Lunoire had left. Nobody knew where she was and had no idea where to even start looking.
"Demeter, I can't breathe," Bell mumbled.
"Oh, sorry."
Demeter pulled him back but still kept her hands on his shoulders. "I'm just so proud of you. You've come so far since you first started."
Bell blushed and looked away. "Oh, uh yeah, thanks. I'm just doing my best."
"And you'll only get better. Isn't that right, girls?"
"Yeah! It's so cool seeing you use the force. It's like watching a magician or something!" Ardee cheered.
"I don't like seeing how you fight with your lightsaber. I find those weapons interesting." Haruhime said in a calmer manner.
Bell chuckled. "Heh, maybe when I pick up that fifth boulder, I can pick up Ardee as well."
"Hey! Are you calling me heavy?!" Ardee pouted.
Bell looked away and whistled. He heard Ardee grumble, causing him to smirk. Which was immediately wiped off his face when it was hit with a snowball. He slowly turned to Ardee, who began to pale in fear.
"I'm sorry," She squeaked.
Bell used the force and lifted the snow, creating over a dozen snowballs.
"You're going to be." He calmly stated.
Ardee started running away while Bell force-pushed the snowballs at her. Four of them pelted her in the back while the rest missed.
Another snowball hit Bell in the face courtesy of Haruhime. He glanced at the renard to see her giggling.
"You can't use the force. That's cheating." She said.
"Then get running 'cause I'm still faster than you without it."
Haruhime took off as Bell began making snowballs. Alfia shook her head while Zald chuckled. Demeter watched in with a smile on her face as the children played in the snow.
"Hey, be careful not to get sick, and watch out for roc-
Alfia was cut off as a snowball hit her in the chest. Bell had ducked under one of Ardee's snowballs, and in return, it flew over his head and hit Alfia.
Everyone froze, and even the snow itself seemed to stop midair as everyone waited with bated breath to see her reaction.
Alfia calmly brushed the snow off her chest. She wore her gothic dress with a heavy coat over it. She looked at the three kids who still had not moved and calmly spoke.
"Run."
The three took off running as Alfia quickly began making hundreds of snowballs. Demeter just laughed as Zald stepped away from Alfia.
Bell would remember this day. The day he learned never to challenge Alfia to a snow fight. Whether it was intentional or not.
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"The dark side is strong in this place," Bell muttered.
He, Alfia, and Zald were standing outside the temple of Elsos. They had gotten word from Artemis that an ancient calamity had awoken and that she needed their help.
The Artemis familia had a camp set up just outside the entrance. The land around the temple was brown and dead, like the life had been sucked out of the area.
Bell was now 13 and was on his first real Jedi mission. This was also one of his first trials to becoming a Jedi knight.
"I can sense it as well. Don't let it corrupt you, Bell." Zald warned.
"I won't," Bell answered.
He was a little nervous that it would cause him to lose control. He was already keeping a delicate balance between the light and dark side. He was worried this place would tip him over.
"Just remember your training, and you'll do fine. You'll persevere; I know you will." Alfia comforted.
The trio made their way deeper into the camp, seeing the goddess Artemis organizing her followers. All of whom glared at Bell and Zald. All except for two.
"They're glaring at me," Bell muttered.
"That's because Artemis and most of her familia hate men," Zald said.
"Oh. Wait, why are we here then?"
"Because it's our duty as Jedi to help people."
"But why help people that hate us?" Bell asked.
"It's the right thing to do," Alfia answered.
Bell nodded but was still bothered by the glares. Zald didn't seem to care while Alfia glared back at anyone who glared at Bell.
Once reaching Artemis, she had just finished talking to a redhead, which Bell assumed was her captain. Artemis turned around and looked at Bell and Zald with an impassive gaze.
"Alfia, Zald, good to see you. Why'd you bring the boy along?" She asked.
"Well, it's a good learning opportunity. Isn't that right, Bell?" Zald answered.
Bell remained quiet but nodded.
"Hmmph, don't get in our way, boy. This monster is unlike anything you've ever experienced." Artemis scoffed.
"Watch it, Artemis. You asked us for help. If I want to bring my nephew along, I will." Alfia warned.
Artemis gulped but stood her ground. "I understand. But he is a mere child; he has no place here."
"Oh, come on, goddess. Give the kid a chance. Jedi are full of surprises." The redhead said.
She walked up and ruffled Bell's hair, causing the boy to pull away.
"I'm well aware of what the Jedi can do, Rethusa. But this monster is nothing like the boy has faced before."
"Which is why he'll be with your familia. Zald and I will attack the beast while you pepper it with arrows. Bell will be with you to provide protection against whatever this monster sends at you."
Artemis glanced over to Bell again as he was talking with Rethusa. She didn't care much for him as he was a man. But if he proved to be useful, she wouldn't deny the help.
"Now tell us about this calamity," Alfia demanded.
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The Artemis familia plus three made their way through the ruins of Elsos. Bell felt a little more unnerved feeling such a heavy dark side presence. But he would be fine as long as he remembered his training.
"Apprentice."
Bell turned around to look for the voice but only saw the glares of most of the women in the Artemis familia.
"Something wrong, Bell?" Rethusa asked.
"No, it's nothing," Bell answered. He didn't want to seem crazy.
"So, which one of them is your master?" Rethusa asked, referring to Zald and Alfia.
"Both, I guess? Zald trains me in lightsaber combat, and Alfia trains me in the force."
Rethusa nodded. "Doesn't that go against the teachings or whatever? Thought there was only supposed to be one padawn per master?"
Bell shrugged. "I don't know. Guess it's different for other conclaves, but I've always been taught by the two of them."
"Yeah, that makes sense. You ever gonna take on an apprentice of your own?" Rehthusa asked.
Bell shook his head. "Nope. Too young right now to teach one, and I also don't want one in general."
"Why not? Don't want to mold a young mind to uphold your principles to uphold peace?" Rehtusa teased.
"I wouldn't be a good teacher for that. When I turn 17, I'm going to the front to fight the Empire. Can't promote peace if I so badly want to go to war."
Rethusa was surprised. Despite being so young, he was more mature than she expected. But was also surprised that someone who looked like a rabbit wanted to go to war.
She didn't have time to ask any more questions as they arrived at a doorway that led further into the temple.
Artemis stopped and placed her hand on the door. It turned bright blue for a second before dimming down, and the door slid open.
"Alright, everyone, this is it. Zald and Alfia will attack Antares while we shoot it with arrows. The boy will protect us from any stray attacks or monsters that approach." Artemis started.
No one had any questions, but Bell was a little annoyed she didn't refer to him by his name. The familia plus three rushed into the room, seeing a mess of black and red vines protruding from everywhere.
In the middle of this mess of vines was Antares, who looked ready to fight. The Artemis familia quickly took their positions along the ridge and started firing their bows. Alfia and Zald jumped into the gorge and ignited their lightsabers.
Bell stayed atop the ridge with the Artemis familia, his lightsaber drawn but not ignited.
Zald and Alfia both stabbed their lightsabers into Antares and dragged them down as they fell. The monster roared in pain, which caused eggs to appear on the walls.
The eggs were black with red veins on them. They bursted open, causing a green mucus to shoot out as black and red scorpions shot forth.
They started approving the Artemis familia, and that's when Bell ignited his lightsaber. Its purple blade surprised many in the Artemis familia.
Bell ran forward and began slicing through the scorpions like a hot knife through butter. The Artemis familia focused their attention back on Antares and confined littering it with arrows.
Zald and Alfia were dodging any tentacles Antares sent toward them, cutting them in half as well. Back with Bell, he was slowly but surely starting to get overwhelmed.
Every time he cut down one scorpion, three more would appear. He jumped back and avoided a tail. He swung down and sliced one in half before force-pushing a dozen back.
He blocked a claw, leaving a burn mark because of his lightsaber. Bell sliced through another two before realizing he was about to get overwhelmed.
Looking to the ceiling, he thought of an idea. He threw his lightsaber up, slicing the ceiling before using the force and pulling the loose part of it down.
The rocks crushed multiple scorpions, severely thinning their number. However, there were still dozens of them left.
Bell cut down two more of them before a tail slammed into his side. The force of which sent Bell flying back. He slammed into a wall, causing the wind to be knocked out of him.
The Artemis familia, seeing this, turned their arrows to the scorpions. They released volley after volley, killing multiple scorpions.
But Bell noticed one sneaking up on Artemis herself. He didn't know why she was here, but if she died, her familia would be powerless against the monsters.
But he could do anything. He could hardly take a breath. He couldn't use force push, or else he'd hit Artemis, too. But as the scorpion drew closer and closer, Bell knew he had to do something.
"Behind you!" He yelled. He had used whatever air he had left in his lungs to shout that. Artemis didn't react quickly enough, and the claw was heading right for her torso.
"No!" Bell yelled, his hand shooting out. To the shock of Artemis, the scorpion seemed to slow down, giving her the chance to kill it.
Bell, having caught his breath, pushed himself to his feet. He called his lightsaber back to him and ignited it. He was starting to get angry at the scorpions.
Such brainless monsters only caused pain and suffering. They're no different from the Empire that killed his father. All they do is cause pain and suffering. He hated such things.
"Use it. Tap into the dark side, apprentice."
Bell shook his head, trying to get the voice out of it. Regaining his bearings, he ran forward and began killing the rest of the scorpions. He cut them down indiscriminately, leaving none of them alive.
By the time he was done, Alfia and Zald had finished their fight with Antares. They had barely broken a sweat fighting the creature.
But when they saw Bell killing the rest of the scorpions, they grew worried. His swings were aggressive. Much more aggressive than usual.
Instead of killing the monsters quickly like he normally did. He took his time cutting them limb from limb as they tried to retreat.
Bell still pursued and made every last one of those scorpions were dead. After doing so, he turned his lightsaber off and clipped it back to his belt.
"Oh, almost apprentice. Almost."
Bell turned and looked around. Where was that voice coming from? He'd been hearing it for nearly a year now.
"Bell."
He turned to Rethusa, who called out to him.
"You good?" She asked.
Bell shakily nodded. "Yeah, I'm good."
She got closer to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You sure? You look a little shaken up. That was also a nasty hit."
Bell nodded again. "Yeah. I guess I just blacked out for a second. Everyone alright?"
"Everyone's fine, Bell. Come, let's get you out of here." Alfia said.
As Alfia led Bell out, Artemis quizzically looked at Bell. She only had one thought on her mind.
"How did he slow that scorpion down?"
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Bell sat around a campfire. Night had fallen around the temple of Esos, and life was already returning to the area thanks to Antares's death.
Alfia and Zald, along with most of the Artemis familia, were clearing the surrounding area of any scorpions that could've been outside the temple.
Bell was alone but still felt the few gazes of the familia members that remained. He could tell they hated his presence simply because he was a man.
Why they hated men, he didn't know why, but it was stupid to categorize them as the same. He absentmindedly stared into the fire until he sensed a presence on his right.
When he looked over, Artemis had taken a seat next to him. Her gaze stayed on the fire, but she spoke to Bell all the same.
"You held yourself well back there. Despite your shortcomings, you pulled through in the end."
Bell rolled his eyes. "I can't tell if that's a compliment or not."
"Merely an observation."
"That all you have to say?"
"No, I want to ask how you slowed that scorpion down. It moved a lot slower when you stuck your hand out."
Bell shrugged. "Don't know, that's a new one for me too."
Artemis nodded. "I see."
"That all you have to say?" Bell asked.
"Yes, I guess it is." Artemis went to leave, but Bell called her out.
"Artemis, why do you hate men, and why do you teach your familia to hate men as well?"
"None of your business, and when you refer to me, you will say lady Artemis."
Bell didn't respond immediately. Instead, he picked up a leaf and tossed it into the fire.
"No, I don't think I will. I care not if you're a god. You're name is Artemis, not Lady Artemis."
Artemis gritted her teeth in anger but held back from screaming. He did save her life, after all. But she was a goddess. She needed to be shown proper respect. But before she could say anything, Bell spoke again.
"You know I'm told you've hated men for eons. At least that's what my grandpa says. Spending so long hating someone for something they can't control, is honestly just sad. Makes me glad I'm a mortal. It means I can grow as a person as I get older. But you gods never change. Why would you?"
Artemis, having enough of Bell's attitude, snapped back.
"You're one to talk about hating a group of people. Rehtusa tells me you hold such hatred in your heart for the empire."
Bell nodded as he picked up another leaf. He held it between his index finger and thumb.
"That's true. I do hate the Empire for what they did to my dad. Because of them, I'm an orphan, and I have a deep-seated hatred building inside me. But I know not all of them are like that. But another part of me wants to kill every last one of them. But in the end, that makes me no better. So I try and balance it with the good in my life to stave off the hatred."
Artemis scoffed. This mere child was trying to lecture her when she understood nothing about this world.
"Don't try and lecture me, boy! You understand nothing about this world. You think just because you're a Jedi, you think you're wise, you're not!"
After saying her piece, Artemis stormed off. Bell still held the leaf in his hand before letting it go and having it blow away in the wind.
He looked at his empty hand and wondered.
"What's wrong with me?"
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Bell walked through an old Jedi temple that was now a ruin. What once used to be a grand temple was now little more than cracked stones and an overgrowth of vines.
He was 14 now and in Rakia near the town of Alesia in the forest. They were currently waging war against the elves, but Bell didn't care. They spat in Alifa and Zald's faces when they offered help. So Bell didn't care that they were losing.
Since there were no lights in the temple, Bell had his lightsaber ignited as he made his way through. He was here on another one of his trials. His trials were different from the normal ones as these were tests given by Alfia and Zald.
His mission was simple. He had to be on his own and complete the task of finding old Jedi knowledge. As Bell walked through the temple and its ruins, he wondered what it must've been like to live here.
Great marble columns that stretched hundreds of feet into the air. Murals depicting the Jedi of old and their teachings. Massive statues and long stairways that had long since rotted and crumbled.
What would life have been like before the gods descended? Would it be a better time since there were more Jedi around?
Bell didn't know the answer, and it was something that he thought about a lot. How different would the world be if the Jedi weren't nearly wiped out when the gods descended? It seems the Jedi had a good handle on the monster situation.
It was questions like these that made him weary of the gods. He wasn't weary of Zeus or Demeter after all they did for him. Nor was he weary of Ganesha. But everyone else made him feel uncomfortable.
Bell felt like he didn't really belong anywhere, either. Or at least didn't belong in Orario. He didn't have dreams about being some fabled hero that cleared the dungeon and got the girls.
No, he wanted to fight. Fight the people who had taken his father away from him. He wanted them to die for what they did.
Bell shook his head and took a breath. He could think like that. He needed to remain in control. It was his life and his destiny. No one else could control what he did.
Only him.
Bell continued his walk until he arrived at the old library. Such a thing had long since been looted, causing Bell to sigh. But he felt like he should still walk in there. Maybe someone missed something?
Bell walked into the ruined library. His purple blade illuminated the darkness. All the shelves were empty, but Bell felt like he should go deeper inside the library.
Bell kept moving until arriving at a bookshelf at the far end of the library. He looked at the bookshelf and felt something calling to him. Getting closer, he touched the bookshelf and, as if recognizing him, opened.
Bell quirked an eyebrow but stepped back as the bookshelf opened to reveal a hollow wall behind the shelf. Walking inside, he saw a lone book covered in dust sitting on a pedestal.
Picking up the book, Bell blew the dust off, seeing a red cover. Its title was a simple one but something that would prove helpful nonetheless.
The guide to force healing
Bell smiled and placed this in his bag. Once securing it back on his back, he turned around and walked out of the temple.
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Bell exited the temple and immediately felt dozens of hostile stares in his direction. He sensed them and coughed 12.
Six in the trees with bows and six on the ground. Bell kept his hand on his lightsaber, but his purple blade was off.
"I know you're there. Come out." Bell calmly stated.
The ones in the trees remained where they were, but the six on the ground revealed themselves. All of them were Elves, and they looked like they wanted a fight.
All of them were dressed in plate armor, with the ones in the trees wearing a lighter leather armor. They had iron-tipped arrowheads and steel swords.
A worrying force for others but not Bell.
"You dare enter our forest, human!"
Bell mockingly looked around the woods.
"These look more like woods than a forest. Rakia kicking your ass too much that you're using Rakian woods as your forests?"
The elf growled and put his hand on his hilt. Bell remained impassive, already knowing how to kill them all if the situation called for it.
"Quiet human! Know your place when speaking to your betters!"
Bell rolled his eyes. He really hated interacting with elves like these. He really hated dealing with stuck-up know-it-alls who think they're better than everyone.
"What is it you want? I'm busy, and I don't have time to deal with you."
"You trespass on our territory. Tell us why we shouldn't kill you."
Bell glanced back at the temple before looking at the elves. "Because you'd fail."
The elves growled and fired their bows in anger. Bell easily dodged them all and jumped off the stairs. He landed in front of the leader elf and held his ignited lightsaber to his neck.
"Any wrong move and my hand might slip," Bell warned.
The elf raised his hands up in fear. He quickly ordered his men to stand down. They did what he asked, but Bell still kept the blade to his neck.
It would be so easy to kill them all. So easy to tear them apart. But that's not who Bell was. Bell wouldn't become a monster in the pursuit of revenge.
Taking a deep breath, Bell turned off his lightsaber and walked away. He would need more training to help balance his dark urges.
More training to surpass the darkness that continued to build inside him. A darkness that, if left unchecked, could consume him whole.
Well, gonna end off here. Hope you're enjoying it so far, as I have a lot planned for the next chapter. Or maybe the chapter after that, who knows.
But I'm also sick right now, so I'm gonna try and take a break. Anyway later.