45Enemies are a Part of a Jedi's Life
Young Norrin hid under his cloak as he made his way through the city, keeping his face obscure from any civilians that walked right past him. He had to keep a low profile as he tried to find a way to get off world.
'This just can't be happening.' Norrin thought to himself. 'The Clone Wars were supposed to come to an end with victory for us, not death.'
It's been a year since the formation of the Empire, and the dreaded Jedi Purge from Order 66, and Norrin has done nothing but run and hide as he tried to find a place to hunker down. He was half expecting the Jedi Council to send a distress beacon, or maybe a gathering of knights to pick him up so they can retake Coruscant, but nothing and no one ever came.
The Jedi have truly lost.
As Norrin continued to walk, he paused when he noticed a bunch of civilians stopped as they were watching a holographic video billboard on one of the tall buildings. On it was a human man wearing a high-ranking Imperial uniform.
"Citizens, it is with great pride that I announce that the Empire has reached its one-year anniversary. We are thankful for your cooperation into making this Empire great, as it could not have been done without all of you."
Some citizens gave slow claps and applauses, but the majority of the people just gave disapproving looks and shakes of their heads, indicating that this whole speech was nothing more than just a propaganda stunt to manipulate the masses. No one gave more of a disapproving look than Norrin, as he glared hard at the Imperial officer.
"To celebrate this momentous occasion, every year we shall broadcast a re-recording of when Emperor Palpatine first declared the beginning of the Empire, and the downfall of the corrupted Republic. Please enjoy."
The image soon changed to a showing of the Senate, where various senators had gathered and looked at the large pedestal, where the chancellor would stand, along with his attendants.
But to Norrin, he didn't see a Chancellor. All he saw was one man that was the sole reason the Jedi Order has fallen. The one who brought the galaxy under their tyrannical rule.
Emperor Palpatine.
"The Jedi rebellion has been foiled. The remaining Jedi shall be hunted down and defeated!" Palpatine declared, earning an applause from most of the senators in attendance to this assembly, much to Norrin's dismay.
How could the people back then be okay with the extermination of the Jedi Order? After all the good they've done for the galaxy? Did the people actually have so little faith in them that they truly believed that they could rebel against the Republic they served for so many generations?
"The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger."
'Deformed is right.' Norrin thought. 'Now the ugliness outside matches the ugly inside.'
"In order to secure the security and continuing stability, the Republic shall be reorganized...into the first...Galactic...EMPIRE!" Palpatine declared, earning a louder applause from those attended to the assembly, and a few applauses from citizens that were watching this recording.
'Galactic Empire. What a joke.' Norrin thought with disdain. Norrin wasn't sure how much more he could stomach watching this, but thankfully it was almost over.
"For a safe and secure society!" Palpatine declared, before the recording finally ended and the broadcast went back to its scheduled programming.
Norrin was thankful that was over, as he safely secured his cloak and just continued trekking onward, not wanting to spend another minute here than he had to.
/
It's been a week since Norrin had been sent to this bizarre world and tried to make a home for himself in the town of Libertus. So far, he was enjoying his time here being part of the wait staff here at the tavern. This also gave him time to get to know the people a bit, and even though he has only lived in this town for a week, they seemed to already accept him.
It was now a new day and Norrin had just begun his shift at the tavern, taking orders and delivering them, as well. It was fairly busy today, with majority of the tables and booths being taken and many men and women, even a few Mamano coming in and just relaxing, eating, and drinking.
"Here you go, sir." Norrin said as he passed a bowl to a customer at his table. "One beef soup, right here."
"Thanks, kid." The man said as he passed him a single coin for a tip.
"I'm twenty, sir. Not sure if I'm considered a kid anymore." Norrin said as he took the coin.
"Until you make it to thirty-five, or, if even, survive a war, you'll always be considered a kid." The man said with a smirk as he ate his soup.
'Oh, if only you knew.' Norrin thought to himself as walked up to the bar, where Miranda was wiping down a couple of mugs. "Got any new orders for me?"
"Yep." Miranda said as she passed him a single cup of ale. "An interesting customer ordered this ale and I want you to give it to them."
"Oh, really? What makes this customer so interesting?" Norrin asked as he took the cup.
"Because they're your favorite customer." Miranda said with a smirk. Norrin was confused, at first, but then Miranda pointed them out, causing Norrin to sigh in annoyance when he saw who it was.
The Lizardman , Eliza.
Yeah, Norrin was beginning to enjoy his time here in this town, but there was just one little inconvenience, and it was that Eliza wouldn't stop pestering him for a duel against her. He turned her down so many times, and yet she just would not leave him alone and won't stop asking him.
"Can't you just give it to her?" Norrin asked almost pleadingly.
"And miss out on the show? I don't think so." Miranda said with a smirk.
"Why are you tormenting me?" Norrin complained.
"I'm the boss, so it's my job." Miranda said with her smirk turning mischievous.
"Lucky me." Norrin said with a sigh as he took the cup and made his way over to Eliza at her table. "I wish I could say that this is a surprise, but it's not."
"You're starting to catch on pretty quick." Eliza said with a smirk. "So, have you given more thought into my challenge?"
"My answer is still no." Norrin said with a sigh. "Honestly, just what is it about fighting that you're so obsessed with that you constantly have to pester me for one."
"We Lizardmen pride ourselves into finding strong opponents and honing our skills. To truly test ourselves we must travel the world and finding worthy challenges to show just how far in skill we have come." Eliza explained.
"Well, I'm not looking to become another stepping stone into whatever path your own to achieving glory." Norrin said.
"It is not glory that I seek." Eliza said with her eyes narrowing at him.
"Then what is it?" Norrin asked curiously.
"That is...personal." Eliza said as she turned to look away, hoping to hide the slight blush that was forming on her cheeks.
"Well, I won't pry into it." Norrin said as he placed the cup of ale on the table for her. "Anyway, here's your drink."
"Thank you. I heard some talk about this ale and wanted to try it for myself." Eliza said as she took the cup and swirled the contents around for a bit, before taking a sip. The moment she swallowed the ale, her face took a bit of a turn and had a grimace on it.
The face she made actually made Norrin chuckle a bit. "I take it that it's not your style." Norrin said with a light smirk.
"This is truly the most disgusting drink I've ever had." Eliza said as she shuddered after swallowing it.
"Mind if it try?" Norrin asked, which Eliza nodded and passed him the cup. He took a light sip from the ale, and he too had to grimace from the taste of it. "Yeah, that is pretty disgusting. I'll check to see if there's anything else we can get you."
"No, leave the ale." Eliza said as she grabbed the cup form him and placed it back on the table.
"But you just said you hated it." Norrin said in confusion.
"I do, but I never start something I cannot finish myself." Eliza said as she took another sip from the ale and once again grimaced from the taste.
"Well, alright then, if you're sure." Norrin said as he left her alone to finish her drink and made his way back to Miranda.
"Sounds like you two had a pleasant conversation this time." Miranda said with a smirk.
"It was definitely a lot more enjoyable than the other times." Norrin said as he looked over at Eliza, who continued to try and drink her ale, though she kept grimacing every time she took a sip. "Honestly, if she would just stop pestering me for a fight, she might actually be more pleasant company."
"'Pleasant company,' you say?" Miranda said as she gave him a smirk.
Norrin saw the look she was giving him and was confused by it. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Norrin asked in confusion.
"I was just thinking that seeing you two together was pretty adorable." Miranda said as she went back to work. "I think the two of you would be perfect for each other."
"What?!" Norrin exclaimed in disbelief by what she said, with a light blush coming about his cheeks. "No way. All she wants is to fight me, not start some kind of relationship."
Miranda looked back at him and gave him a deadpanned look. "You don't know much about women, do you?" Miranda said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Norrin asked in confusion.
"Never mind. I'll let you figure it out." Miranda said as she got back to work.
Norrin would've wanted more of an explanation, but just then the tavern doors opened and everyone was silent by who entered. Norrin looked to see it was a man that seemed to be in his late twenties, to early thirties, with sandy blonde hair that went down to his chin, with a rugged beard along his lower jaw, wearing a green shirt under a leather brown vest, brown boots, and had a sword attached to his hip. Just by his mere presence, Norrin could tell that this man held himself as a warrior, and was someone you didn't want to mess with.
The man entered and sat at a table, waving down Miranda as she approached him. "Morning, Miranda. How are you today?" The man asked kindly, and the silence was soon broken as everyone went about their business.
"Morning, Marshal." Miranda said with a smile as she went up to him with her notepad. "I haven't seen you all week. That new baby of yours keeping you busy?"
"Yes, well, when you're a first-time parent, things can get pretty crazy at home." The man said with a chuckle. "So, I heard that this town has a newcomer and he's working for you."
"That's correct." Miranda said as she turned to look at Norrin. "Hey, Norrin, come over here. There's someone I want you to meet." Norrin nodded and made his way over to them. "Norrin, this is Marshal Galon Frey."
"Nice to meet you, son." Frey said as he held out his hand.
"You too, sir. I'm Norrin Farrix" Norrin said as he shook his hand. "So, the Marshal, eh. Does that mean you're the one who protects the town?"
"Protect the town, help with the farm work, a bit of manual labor here and there." Frey said with a chuckle. "I'm pretty much just a modest worker, trying to help however I can."
"He's just being modest." Miranda said with a slap to his shoulder. "Without the Marshal, here, this town would probably fall apart. He's done so much for us that we don't know where we'd be if he hadn't arrived."
"Oh, you're not from this town either?" Norrin said in surprise.
"I arrived in Libertus five years ago, and noticed that these kind folk were being targeted by bandits." Frey said as he took a mug Miranda offered him and took a sip. "I decided to step in and fight them off. It was a tough one, but I managed to send them away, and the townsfolk decided to name me their Marshal."
"'Tough one,' he says." Miranda said with a chuckle. "I was there, and let me tell you, those bandits didn't stand a chance against him."
"Wow. Well, I guess to protect this whole town you'd have to be a skilled fighter." Norrin said in amazement. "I only just arrived here a week ago, and I can already tell these are good people, so I'm glad they have someone like you protecting them."
"They are good people." Frey said fondly as he looked at all the patrons in the tavern. "I knew the Order wasn't going to do anything for these people, as they have other matters that they only deem as top priority, so I had to step in."
"Yeah, they're too busy with their 'holistic crusade' to deal with the troubles of small townsfolk like us." Miranda said bitterly.
"Well, at least you're not without protection." Norrin said as he decided to get back to work.
Frey watched him walk off back to work, before looking to Miranda. "He seems like a decent kid." Frey said with a nod.
"Yeah, he really is." Miranda said with a nod. "Poor young man came in with nothing, so I offered him a job and a place to stay, until he can get himself back on his feet."
"You always were the generous one, Miranda." Frey said with a chuckle. "But I can't help but wonder what do we really know of him?"
"Not much." Miranda said with a shrug. "He said he was out of country, and he came here with literally nothing. No money, no place to stay, surprised he managed to survive for so long."
"Yeah, surprises me, as well." Frey said with a critical look towards Norrin, before it changed to an easy-going smile. "Well, enough about that. I'll just take the usual, Miranda."
"Coming right up." Miranda said as she walked off. As she left, Marshal Frey just relaxed in his seat, enjoying the morning, but never once did he take his eyes off of Norrin.
'Norrin Farrix, eh.' Galon thought to himself, before he just waited for his food.
/
It was the end of the day and night rolled around pretty quickly, with Norrin just about to retire for the night. He spent the final moments of his shift just counting the coins Miranda paid him for his shift, plus the coins he earned in tips. It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to purchase some food in the towns local fruit stands.
After he was done counting his money, he went back to his room above the tavern and put on his sleepwear. After looking himself over, he looked at the door leading out of his room and gave a light sigh.
"Three...two...one." Norrin counted down.
Knock. Knock.
"Yep, here we go again." Norrin said to himself as he went to the door and opened it up, revealing Eliza standing outside. "You know, the fact that I can count down your arrival to the exact second shows that this is becoming a bad habit."
"Well, if you would just accept my challenge, then there would be no need for this habit." Eliza said with a smirk.
"Or you could just give up, and leave it at that." Norrin said, but instead of being annoyed, he gave a light smile at her.
"You should know by now that I never give up." Eliza said with a smirk, before she was about to walk off. "Well then, if there is no acceptance to my challenge, I shall retire for the night."
"You know, I've been curious about something." Norrin said, getting Eliza to look back at him. "You always come here, then leave to retire for the night. Where exactly are you staying? Do you have a room in some place in town?"
Eliza looked at him for a brief moment, before she actually averted her eyes and began to blush in embarrassment. "I don't have a room anywhere. I...well, I...have been sleeping on the...stairs that lead up here."
"Wait, what?!" Norrin asked in surprise. "That sounds extremely uncomfortable!"
"Honestly, it's far more comfortable than some of the other places that I have been sleeping during my travels." Eliza said like it was no big deal.
"Yeah, but...sleeping on stairs?!" Norrin exclaimed.
"It is no trouble. I must save what little coins I have left for emergencies, while I can just hunt for food and water, rather than purchase them." Eliza said with a shrug.
"Still, it sounds like a tough life to live." Norrin said with uncertainty.
"The life of a warrior isn't about comfort; it's about working hard to survive on your own skill." Eliza explained, before she went back to leave. "Goodnight, Norrin Farrix. I will pray that you will finally accept my challenge tomorrow."
Norrin watched her walk down the hall with an uncertain look, before he was about to close the door to his room, but stopped himself. He gave a grunt of annoyance as he knew that he might regret this, but knowing where she was sleeping tonight, he couldn't just let her go. He silently cursed himself for being a nice guy, but he just couldn't help it.
"Hey, wait." Norrin called out, stopping her from moving as she looked at him curiously. "Look, knowing all that, just for tonight, I can't let you sleep on the stairs." He opened the door wide enough for her to enter as well. "You can sleep in here, if you want. I have some spare pillows and blankets."
Eliza was shocked by this, before she vehemently shook her head. "No, I couldn't possibly intrude into your room. It wouldn't be honorable to suddenly have you do something so generous for me and not receive something in return." She said adamantly, but then a light blush began to dust her cheeks. "I mean...if you do wish for me to repay you...I suppose... I could find some way..."
"This isn't about honor, payment, or things like that; it's about being nice." Norrin said with a shrug. "It's not like we're sleeping in the same bed. I'm just offering you a few blankets and pillows to make yourself makeshift bed of your own for the night."
"Oh...I see." Eliza said with realization, before she shook her head to make the blush go away, before she returned to her more stoic visage and entered his room. "Then I thank you for your generous offer." After that was said, Norrin gave her a couple blankets that she used as a makeshift mattress, another blanket for warmth, and some spare pillows.
"You know, you could sleep on the bed and I could sleep on the floor." Norrin offered, wanting to be a gentleman about this.
"There is no need. This shall suffice." Eliza said as she lay down onto the blankets and pillow and covered herself with the extra blanket. "This is preferably more comfortable than when I was sleeping in the woods all by myself."
"Have you been by yourself for a long time?" Norrin asked her as he lay in his own bed.
"Not long; merely about six years by now." Eliza said with a smile. "I spent all those years traveling and searching for strong warriors to face in battle, and I have yet to be bested by each one." She then looked towards Norrin with a smirk. "Perhaps you may be the one to provide me with a worthy challenge."
"You're really stubborn, you know that?" Norrin said with a smirk.
"I get that from my mother, though my father made sure to instill great patience into me, as well." Eliza said, before she gave a yawn and turned a so her back was to him. "Well then, I believe I shall retire for the night. Goodnight, Norrin Farrix."
"Goodnight." Norrin said, before he turned and fell asleep, too.
It didn't take long for Norrin to let sleep take him, but the one who was late in getting some shuteye was none other than Eliza. Her eyes remained open as she turned to look directly at the young man's sleeping form.
'Could he truly be the one?' Eliza thought to herself as her golden slotted eyes did not waver from Norrin's sleeping form. 'I will not know for sure until we have our first duel.'
After that final thought, she to drifted off to sleep.
/
Morning soon came and Norrin woke up from his sleep, feeling pretty rejuvenated after not having any crazy dreams, for once. He woke up and stretched, half expecting to see Eliza still asleep, but found that she was no longer in his room, and all the blankets he leant her was folded neatly and the pillow was on top of them. There was even a note on top of it. Curious about the note, he got up and picked it up to read it.
Dear Norrin,
Thank you for letting me sleep in your room for the night. It was definitely quite comfortable, more so than sleeping on the stairs which I've been doing for the last week. Your kindness and generosity shall not be forgotten. You will not see me in the tavern today, as I will be going off hunting.
P.S. I am still expecting an acceptance to my challenge. I will hear your answer later in the day.
"She will not give up, will she?" Norrin said with a sigh. "I'm honestly thinking that, maybe I should accept her challenge, just to get her to stop asking."
Well, there will be time to think on that later. Right now it's time for his next shift at work, so he quickly got ready and made his way down to begin his shift.
The rest of the day seemed relatively normal, except for the fact that there weren't than many customers in the tavern today. It was relatively slow, with Kenny barely serving that many people; even Miranda was feeling bored as she was mainly sticking to the bar section of the place.
Finally, Miranda had enough as she placed the cup she was working on down and called out to the young Jedi. "Hey, Norrin, why don't you go and take the day off early."
"Are you sure?" Norrin asked. "I can still help out if there's anything left for me to do."
"Nah, go off and enjoy the day." Miranda waved off. "I can handle everything here for the rest of the day."
"Well, okay...if you're really sure." Norrin said as he placed his notepad down and approached her. "Actually, Miranda, before I leave for the day, there's something I gotta ask you."
"Yeah, sure, what do you want to know?" Miranda asked as she was cleaning a cup.
"Did you know that Eliza, that Lizardman Mamano that follows me around, was sleeping on the stairs leading up to my room for the past week?" Norrin asked.
"Oh, you finally figured it out, huh?" Miranda said with a smirk.
"Wait, you knew about that?!" Norrin asked incredulously. "Why wouldn't you say anything?"
"I was waiting to see how long it would take for you to notice." Miranda said with a shrug, before she gave him a little smirk. "I went to check in on her last night, but didn't find her there. You wouldn't have something to do with that, did you?"
"Well, if you must know, I invited her to my room so she can at least sleep in a much m,ore comfortable environment." Norrin said with a light glare. "I couldn't just let her sleep on the stairs. It's not comfortable."
"Oh my, how chivalrous of you." Miranda said as she gained a mischievous glint in her eyes. "There's only one bed in your room. Does that mean that you two got into some naughty business in there?"
A massive blush spread across Norrin's face as his single eye glared at his boss. "That's not what happened at all! I gave her some blankets and a spare pillow to sleep with and she took the floor! Get your mind out of the gutter, woman!"
Miranda couldn't help, but laugh. "I may not be as young as I used to be, but I remember what it was like in my youth. A strapping young man coming to the aid of a beautiful maiden, takes me back to my younger days." Miranda said with a blush, before giving a light glare. "Honestly, it was the perfect chance for either of you to make a move on one another. I know she wants you."
Norrin blushed harder as he just turned away from her. "That is absolutely not true! All she wants is to fight me, and that's that!" Norrin said as he began to walk away. "Besides, I have bigger stuff on my mind that...that kind of stuff. I'm heading out now to clear my head." With that said, he stormed out of the tavern, not looking back at his smirking boss.
"I get it. He's a greenhorn when it comes to those sorts of things." Miranda said with a smirk as she returned to work. "If that's the case, then that Lizard girl is going to eat him alive when she makes a move."
/
After that whole fiasco of a conversation with Miranda, Norrin decided to actually get away from the town and head into the woods nearby. During his time here, he roughly explored the outskirts of the town in order to feel of the land, and in case there were any routes he could take in case he needed to make a quick exit. It was a habit he developed over the years a when he was on the run from the Empire.
During one of these treks in the woods, he found a nice secluded spot that he's been coming to for the last few days. It was a nice clearing with a small pond at the center and had a large boulder right next to it. When he reached the clearing, he set himself up on top of the boulder, got on his knees and placed his hands on top of them, before he began to meditate.
It was one of the few habits he constantly kept up with ever since the Jedi Order fell. Master Plo would often have him set up a routine meditation schedule, as it would help him maintain a spiritual connection to the Force. Nowadays he would just do it whenever he just wanted to clear his head and avoid the stress of being on the run.
But when he meditated on this world, he could feel something bizarre in the air. There was just something about this planet that resonated within him through the Force. It was as if the Force was calling out to him in multiple directions; that the air itself carried it, and was trying to push him.
Even the very woods itself seemed to have a strong connection to the Force, so much so that he could put his mind at ease and felt more connected to the Force while meditating than when he was still a youngling in the Jedi Temple back on Coruscant.
"I am one with the Force...the Force is with me." Marcus whispered to himself as he closed his eye and began meditating. "I am one with the Force...the Force is with me."
As he meditated, tiny pebbles and rocks started to lift up off the large boulder he was kneeling on and started to circle around him. The strong connection he felt through Force as he meditated flowed around him, and he was getting lost in his own little world.
"I am one with the Force...the Force is with me." Norrin whispered again. "I am one with the-"
RUSTLE
Norrin gasped as the rocks and pebbles falled down from the air around him, as he quickly got up. "Who's there?!" Norrin demanded, feeling a bit jumpy all of a sudden, reaching for Master Plo Koon's lightsaber.
"No need to be alarmed, Norrin." Just then, stepping out from the bushes, was Eliza, as she carried a stick with some skewered skinned rabbits over her shoulder. "It is just me."
"Oh, Eliza." Norrin said as he took a deep breath, removing his hand away from his master's lightsaber. "Sorry, guess you just scared me. What are you doing here?"
"I told you from my note. I am out hunting." Eliza said as she gestured to the skinned rabbits she has. "No big game as of yet, but rather just a few small hares."
"Oh, that's right." Norrin said sheepishly, as he almost forgot about that note. "Speaking of, I hope you were comfortable last night."
"I was, indeed." Eliza said with a nod as she sat down next to the pond, with Norrin coming down from the boulder and sitting right next to her. "Once again, thank you for inviting me into your room to sleep for the night."
"You're welcome." Norrin said with a smile, before the words Miranda said rang in his head.
He was definitely not ashamed to admit that Eliza was without a doubt beautiful. Her long brown hair in a pony tail, her clear skin without a single blemish on it, despite some parts of her skin having green scales on it. Not even her clawed feet and hands could take away from her beauty. Not to mention her bright golden reptilian eyes that seemed to shine really brightly in the sun.
Plus, her body was completely accentuated thanks to the green one piece she was wearing. It really showed off the curves of her large breasts and...
'What are you thinking, Farrix!" Norrin shouted in his head as he tried to hide the blush from his face.
The truth is, Norrin wasn't completely oblivious when it came to relationships, as he has seen ordinary citizens forming relationships, but he was a Jedi. Jedi forbade attachments, which definitely included becoming romantically involved with someone, as they were afraid that they open a path that could lead one's soul to the Dark Side. Breaking such a rule would immediately get one expelled from the Jedi Order.
However, he hasn't been part of the Order for long to truly understand why it was such a bad thing to begin with. The Dark Side was all about negative emotions such as anger, fear, cruelty; so how can positive emotions such as love and friendship be seen as a way to the Dark Side. He wanted to ask Master Plo about it, but he was afraid that even just asking about it could land him in trouble with the Jedi Council.
'Still, though, can I really just ignore everything the Jedi have taught me?' Norrin thought to himself, before he cast another look at Eliza, who was busy setting up a little fire to cook her skinned rabbit, thinking about the words Miranda said to him.
He blushed a bit at the notion of her possibly liking him, and while they weren't so hostile towards each other, lately they seemed to be on a friendlier term, but the fact is they only have known each other a week.
'Besides, she just wants to fight me, not pursue a relationship.' Norrin thought finally as he released a light sigh. 'Not even sure if I want to pursue a relationship at the moment.'
"Norrin, do you mind if I ask you something?" Eliza said as she turned the skewer over the fire to cook her rabbits.
"Yeah, sure." Norrin replied.
"You know why I am out here, but why are you out here in the middle of the woods?" Eliza asked curiously.
"Oh, I was just meditating." Norrin said with a shrug. "I was just trying to focus my mind."
"Oh, you practice meditation, as well?" Eliza asked in intrigue. "During my travels East, I have had some teachers who taught me some of the values of meditation. I had no idea you practiced it, as well."
"Yeah, it's just something my master taught me in order to be in tune with my senses and clear my mind." Norrin said with a fond smile.
Eliza saw the smile on his face and couldn't help but smile back. "You master must have been a great man." She said.
"He was. He was only my master for about six months, but he taught me quite a lot." Norrin said as he thought back to all the lessons Master Plo Koon gave him during his time as his Padawan. "He was just as wise as he was skilled, and he was a really skilled warrior; more than I could ever be."
"And where is your master now? Have you learned everything you needed from him?" Eliza asked curiously, but then she saw the saddened look Norrin gained over his face. "Norrin?"
"He...he died seven years ago." Norrin said in sadness. "I never got to finish my training with him."
"Oh...Oh, I am so sorry. Please forgive my rudeness." Eliza says in slight dismay as she bowed her head. "I should not have stepped out of my boundaries and asked something so personal."
"No, no, it's okay, you didn't know." Norrin said as he waved his hands, showing there was no hard feelings. "It's just...I miss him. There was so much for him to teach me."
Eliza saw that he was saddened by the memories of his past, and while she wanted to ask more, it was not her place to ask something that he didn't feel comfortable about sharing. Seeing that her rabbits were done, she took one hare and passed it to him.
"Here." She said as she handed it to him, much to his surprise. He was about to ask if it was okay, but she just smiled at him, giving the signal that it was okay. "You look like you really need it."
"Wow...thanks." Norrin said in surprise, before he smiled and at took it. He took a couple of bites and smiled at the taste. "Wow, it's cooked really well."
"My mother and father took me out hunting when I was a little girl. They made sure I paid attention to the skinning, the gutting, and the cooking of all the wild game I caught." Eliza said with a fond smile as she ate her own cooked hare
Norrin took a couple more bites, before giving a curious look towards the lizard girl. "Eliza, do you mind if I ask you a question?" He asked.
"Very well. Ask your question." Eliza agreed.
"Why are you so adamant to duel against me so much?" Norrin asked, gaining Eliza's full attention. "I have constantly refused your challenge, yet that only seems to strengthen your resolve to actually fight against me."
"Well...I suppose the reason why I want to face you in a duel is because you refuse to accept my challenge." Eliza said, getting a confused look from the young man.
"I'm not sure I follow." Norrin said, wanting a clearer explanation.
Eliza gave a slight smile as she looked into the fire, a look of reminiscence in her eyes. "My mother used to tell me that if an opponent refuses to do battle against me, it usually means three things. The first is because they are too arrogant and feel I would be beneath them, the second is that they are afraid of losing the bout, so they try to avoid it. You, however, I believe value the third option." Eliza explained, looking directly into his eyes.
"And what's that?" Norrin asked.
"I believe you do not wish to fight me because you genuinely know you can defeat me, but it is not out of arrogance." Eliza said with a smile. "I have watched you all week, and you are not someone who values pride, nor do you condescend anyone. You are genuine, kind, and have shown to be a skilled warrior, but you genuinely don't want people to know how skilled you are."
'Well, she's not entirely wrong.' Norrin thought to himself.
"To be able to hide your true skills as a warrior greatly intrigues me, so that is why I wish to duel you." Eliza said with a competitive gleam in her eye. "There's just something about you that greatly intrigues me, and I wish to find that out for myself when we inevitably clash."
Norrin wasn't sure how to respond to that, as he had never met anyone so determined to fight someone just because the other person refuses to fight. She must have a keen eye if she can tell that he had great skill. Still though, he wasn't willing to just get into more conflicts than he already need to.
"Look, I've been through a lot." Norrin said with a sigh. "I've moved around a lot due to...unfortunate circumstances, and I just want to live my life without any trouble. This town may be my next chance to living a normal life, and I don't want to ruin that by getting into more conflicts."
"Hard to believe that when you stepped in to save me against the knights of the Order." Eliza said with a smirk.
"Yeah...you got me there." Norrin said with a chuckle, as that does kind of contradict what he just said. "I may not want to run into conflict, but if innocent people are in danger, then I will step in."
"A warrior who values others safety." Eliza said as she looked up into the sky. "There are so few of those in this world."
The two of them just sat in comfortable silence after that, just enjoying the fresh air and eating the cooked hares. They sat there for only an hour, before the silence was broke once again by Eliza.
"Norrin, I have a request." Eliza said.
"You already know my answer." Norrin said with a good-natured smile.
"It's not about my request to duel you." Eliza said with a shake of her head, before looking at him. "Would you permit me to join you in mediation next time you come up here?"
"Oh...uh, sure." Norrin asked in slight surprise, but then smiled at the idea. "I guess I wouldn't mind. It's been a while since I've meditated with someone else, so it should be okay."
Eliza smiled at this and lowed her head in a grateful bow. "Thank you, Norrin." Eliza said.
Norrin looked up and noticed that the sun was getting lower, so he felt it might be best to head back to the town. "Well, I guess I better head on back. You coming, or are you going to do some more hunting?" Norrin asked.
"I believe I shall head back to the village, as well." Eliza said as she looked through her pack. "I've gathered enough meat to last me for quite a while before I have to hunt again."
Norrin nodded at that and was about to walk off, but then paused as he looked back at her, growing a bit of a blush on his face as Miranda's words once again went through his head. He wasn't sure if he was going to regret this or not, but he feel just felt like this was the right thing to do.
"Okay, Eliza, how about this." Norrin said, gaining Eliza's full attention. "Give me just a couple nights to sleep on it, and may, just maybe, I may consider dueling against you."
Eliza's eyes widened in surprise, before she gained a wide smile. "Are you certain?! You'll accept my challenge?!" Eliza asked with eagerness.
"Hold on, I'm not accepting it." Norrin said firmly. "I just need some time to think on it, and then I'll give you my answer. This doesn't mean a 'yes,' I'm just giving you a possibly 'maybe.'"
Eliza still smiled and nodded at that. "That's still acceptable. For it means that there is now at least a chance." She said in acceptance.
Norrin smiled at her enthusiasm and was about say something else, but then stopped when he heard a sound in the air. "Hey...do you hear that?" Norrin asked as he listened.
"Hmm?" Eliza hummed in confusion, before she closed her eyes and listened. She didn't hear anything at first, but then she heard the faint sound of what sounded like...bells ringing. "Yes...it sounds like bells."
"Yeah, that's weird." Norrin said as he listened to the sound. The sound of a bell constantly ringing soon filled the air, even though it sounded quite far away, and Norrin was trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. "It...It sounds like it's coming from..."
Norrin's eyes soon widened with dread as he finally managed to know which direction it was coming from.
"Libertus."
/
Sure enough, the sound was coming from Libertus, as a woman was standing next to a post with a bell on it and ringing it reverently as it was an alarm. The townsfolk all ran in various directions in fear and panic, screaming in fright, and some all hid themselves by taking shelter in some of the small buildings or in the tavern.
The only one who wasn't panicking, who narrowed his eyes in determination, was Marshal Frey, who stood in the center of the town with his hand on his sword, waiting for what was coming for this town. In the distance were up to thirty men on horseback riding right towards the town, but these weren't just nay men, as each of them were wearing blue armor and one carried a flag with the emblem of the Order.
Frey narrowed his eyes as he watched the knights of the Order just stop right outside the town, just a few yards from the gates. The tension was high as Frey narrowed his eye at the battalion of knights just right outside the gate, before five of them striped forward and entered through the gate, before getting off their horses to meet up with Marshal Frey.
The knight in the middle removed his helmet to reveal a pretty familiar face. "I am Cavalier Michael of the Order of the Chief God. Are you the marshal of this...quaint little town?"
"I am." Frey said firmly, his eyes not wavering. "I welcome you to Libertus, but I cannot help but wonder why you have brought such a force into our land."
"Oh, my battalion was simply out on patrol when we noticed something along the role." Michael said with a smile that was anything but friendly. "It was a young couple that said they had recently gotten married. Normally that would be a joyous occasion, but there was just one minor problem."
Michel waved his arms forward, allowing two more knights to approach from the battalion, but these two were dragging two people with bags over their head and were being restrained by ropes around their wrists. The two knights forced them onto the ground and removed the bags over their heads, revealing that one was a young man with short brown hair, but the other one was woman that appeared to be a Mamano, a Weresheep, to be exact, with white fluffy hair that had two curled horns protruding from her head, and wool along her body, including her arms and legs, and hooves for feet. Both of them held fear in their eyes as they tried to figure out what to do, but knew they couldn't do anything.
"As you can see, this man had been tainted by the impurity of this...creature, he dares call his wife." Michael said with a cruel smirk. "But when they let it slip on where they lived, I had to see how far the corruption spread. And what do I find?"
Michael looked around and noticed some of the citizens of Libertus trying to make themselves scarce, but he had noticed a few, including some of the Mamano citizens. He noticed a young Troll woman being held by another young man, obviously her husband, and their young Troll daughter, who hid behind her parents. He also noticed a Holstaur hiding within the tavern, with Miranda standing next to her and glaring at the knights. He also noticed a couple of Werecat girls up on the tavern roof, giving a cautious look, too afraid to make a move.
"I find that the corruption of this town runs deep." Michael said with a sneer at Frey. "You sullied these lands by allowing these monsters into your domain, and now some of your citizens breed with them. It's a disgrace."
"Libertus is on independent land." Frey said strongly, not feeling threatened by the odds. "The Order has no say in what goes on in these parts. You have no authority here."
This statement only made Michael smirk even crueler. "The Chief God rules over this world, and the Order follows her will. Therefore, we also have authority over this world in her name." He said as he gained a malicious look as he looked around the town. "And we shall honor her teachings by ridding this world of all evil. Men...burn this town and kill everyone!"
Many of the citizens screamed in fright and had horrific looks on their faces. Marshal Frey's eyes narrowed as his hand firmly gripped on the hilt of his sword, ready to stop them however he can, despite being outnumbered. Surprisingly, the ones who were hesitant to carry this order was Michael's very own troops, as they all seemed to hesitate.
"Sir, are you sure about this?" One of his soldiers said as he stepped up next to him. "Our cause is to rid the world of the Mamano, I understand that, but there are some people here, even children, that look like they haven't been corrupted yet. Should we not just get rid of the monsters first and save this town from their influence? There's no need for a slaughter."
POW!
Michael responded by slugging the knight who spoke out of term right in the face, sending him to the ground and groaning in discomfort. "I am the Cavalier of this brigade, not you!" Michael shouted angrily. "This town is far from saving, and must be purged from the Demon Lord's influence!" He then drew his sword and marched up right behind the kneeling Weresheep woman and raised it up. "And I'll start by beheading this abomination."
"No!" The young man that was also restrained exclaimed as he tried to get up, but two knights held him down. "Don't do this! MaryBelle, no!"
The Weresheep shed a few tears as she gave her husband one last look. "My darling...I love you."
"How touching...too bad it's so foul and evil." Michael said as he raised his sword up high.
"NOOOO!" The young man exclaimed with tears in his eyes.
Everyone looked on in dismay as they wanted so desperately to try and stop this, even Frey wanted to charge in, but knew he'd never reach her in time to save her.
It was too late to do anything, as Michael eventually brought the sword down with a sick glee in his eyes...
But then...something happened.
Michael's eyes widened in shock as his sword was just inches away from MaryBelle, but for some reason...it wouldn't go any further. His teeth was gritting as he tried to push his arms forward to bring his sword down, but it was like his arms were frozen in place.
"What...is...this?" Micheal exclaimed as he continued to try and push his sword down, but it was for nothing, as it still remained in place. "I...I can't move!"
Everyone, from the captured husband and Mamano wife, to the townsfolk, to even Galon Frey looked on in shock as they weren't sure what just happened. It appeared that Cavalier Michael was struggling with...himself? They all then heard footsteps approaching and looked in the direction they were coming from, and were surprised by what they saw.
Walking from the opposite end of the town was none other than Norrin, who was glaring hard at Michael, and had his right arm raised up. He was followed by Eliza, who was also glaring at the knight of the Order, while she had drew her sword and held it tightly. He raised his hand up, and that seemed to bring up Michael's arms and move the sword further away from MaryBelle's neck, before he swiped his arm to the side and used the Force to send back a few feet to the ground on his back.
"Well...that's interesting." Galon said with a surprised, yet impressed smile.
"Norrin?" Miranda whispered in surprise.
Michael got up from the ground and glared hatefully at the young Jedi in hiding. "You again?!" Michael said angrily through gritted teeth.
"It seems that you didn't learn anything." Norrin said with his eye narrowed at the Cavalier.
"What did you just do?!" Michael exclaimed angrily. "Was that magic of some kind?! Are you a mage?!"
"I'm just a guy who's just trying to live his life in peace, but twice now you've managed to make that more difficult." Norrin said with a shrug, before he gave a stern look. "Last chance; take your forces and leave this town in peace, before things become more difficult for you."
Michael gritted his teeth in anger as he glared hatefully at Norrin. "I will not be ordered around by some man who sullies himself by aligning himself with...freaks." Michael said with disdain as he glared at Eliza, who glared right back at him, before focusing his gaze back at Norrin. "I haven't forgotten what you did to me a week ago, and I look forward to dispensing justice this day. Men...kill him, then destroy this town!"
All of the knights, not just the ones by his side, but also the whole battalion outside the town's gate, drew their swords and began to march right in the direction of Norrin.
Eliza's eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to remain calm, but a few beads of sweat were seen coming down her brow. "Norrin, I know that we are both skilled, but only me and the Marshal have weapons. How do you intend to fight?" She was greatly surprised by what she only guessed was magic that Norrin just displayed, but she wasn't sure if even that was enough. "The odds aren't exactly in our favor."
Norrin didn't say anything as he just watched the battalion of knights approaching closer and closer to them, and knew she was right. Odds, at first, didn't seem like they were in their favor, but that was just because she, and even these people, were not aware of what he could really do. He was comfortable keeping it that way for as long as he could, but these soldiers were threatening the town that took him in and gave him a place to stay. These were good people, and these soldiers may believe they are fighting for justice, but he will not let them commit slaughter.
'There's no going back after this.' Norrin said as he reached behind his back pulled out his master's lightsaber, earning a curious look from Eliza. Norrin looked at the lightsaber hilt with a forlorn expression, before he gained a determined look. 'Master...give me strength.'
"Eliza, if there's one thing I learned in life..." Norrin said, before he raised the lightsaber hilt up high and ignited it, revealing the glowing blue blade in all its splendor. He lowered it and gave it a few twirls, before he got into his traditional Form I stance. "...it's you never tell someone the odds."
Eliza, Galon, and the townsfolk looked on in shock by what they just saw, as Norrin just wielded a sword that looked like it was made of pure blue light. It was nothing like these townsfolk have ever seen before. Even all the knights halted in their advancements to stare wide eyed at the glowing blue blade that Norrin wielded.
Micheal's eyes widened in shock by what he saw, as well, but then he regained his crazed angered look. "Don't just stand there, men! Kill him!" He ordered. That order seemed to shake the knights out of their stupor as they all at indeed charged right in Norrin's direction.
Norrin narrowed his single eye as he leaned forward a bit, before he rushed right towards them in a burst of speed thanks to the Force. He jumped up high and landed just behind four knights, who turned around in shock at the athleticism he displayed, before they each raised their swords up and were about to bring them down on him. However, Norrin gave a spin and slashed out his lightsaber right at the swords coming down, before the unthinkable happened.
Norrin's lightsaber cleaved right through all four of the knights steel swords. The knights looked on in shock with their jaws hanging, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. They looked at the Stubbs that used to be their swords, and saw that the place where they were cut was glowing red hot and looked like it was melted, as well. Just what kind of blade melts and cuts a sword in one fell swoop at the same time?! Norrin wasn't finished as he thrusted his hand forward and Force pushed the four knights away, sending them to the ground and knocking them unconscious.
Another knight came in from behind and tried to slash at him with his sword, but Norrin rained his sword to block it, which inevitably caused it to get cut down, as well, before Norrin kneed him in the stomach and Force pushed him away. Seeing two more knights close by, Norrin used the Force to pull both of them closer to him, before he did a roundhouse kick to both their heads, knocking them out.
One more gave a battle cry as he charged for forward with his sword raised high, but Norrin expertly sidestepped from the strike, before gripping his lightsaber in a reverse grip, then plunging it right into the knights back. The lightsaber easily pierced through the knights armor, going right through his body and out his chest. The knight gasped in shock, before he fell limp to the ground and died.
Norrin frowned at this, but knew that in battle sometimes you had to fight for your life, even if it means ending another. He was no stranger to death, as being in a war and on constantly on the run has made him make the choice to killing, but he always tries to avoid it. Unfortunately these men were trying to burn this town and kill its people, so they made it the choice of either it being their lives, or the peoples. At the end of the day, he will always choose the people.
Two more knights came charging in, but they were stopped when Galon came in between them and the young Jedi, expertly blocking each of their swords with his own, before slicing both of their throats in one fell swoop. "As the Marshal of this town, I can't let you fight this alone." Galon said with a smirk, causing Norrin to nod in thanks.
It wasn't just Marshal Frey that joined in the battle, as Norrin looked to see Eliza charging in and was clashing swords with another knight, before she stabbed him in the stomach. Another knight tried coming in behind her, but she used her large lizard tail to smack him on the head, knocking him down, before she brought her sword down on him.
Norrin became surrounded by four more knights that were wielding spears, who were all glaring at him, before they all came in and tried to pierce him with their spears. Norrin ducked and weaved out of the way from each of their spear thrusts, before he sliced up all of their spears. He gave a spin and sliced each of their chests, his lightsaber cleaving its way through their armor.
Galon deflected more sword strikes from a couple other knights, before he kicked one in the stomach and caused him to bump into one of his comrades, sending them both tumbling to the ground. He looked and saw that MaryBelle and her husband had finally gotten loose from their restraints and were running in the direction of the tavern, but they were being chased by a knight. Thinking quickly, picked up a spear lying on the ground next to him, before throwing it straight on at the knight, impaling him on the side.
The young man and his Weresheep wife looked back in shock, before the former smiled gratefully at the town Marshal. "Thank you, Marshal Frey." The young man said gratefully, before they both took safety in the tavern. Galon nodded at this, before he got back into the battle.
Cavalier Michael looked on in shock at what he was seeing. This heretic was easily dispatching his men, some of the finest knights the Order have ever trained, ones he himself have personally led into many battles. His shock soon turned into unadulterated rage as he glared hatefully at Norrin, who easily dispatched another one of his men.
"Archers!" Michael exclaimed, causing four knights with crossbows to step up next to him and load their arrows, before aiming at Norrin. "Release!" Norrin heard this and noticed the four crossbow men, before they fired their arrows. Norrin quickly raised his hand up and used the Force to freeze the arrows in midair, much to Michael's shock and dismay. "That's not possible!"
"You have no idea what's possible." Norrin said simply, before he crushed the arrows with the Force. The crossbow men were about to reload, but he used the Force to yank the crossbows right out of their hands, before thrusting his other hand forward and Force pushing them all away. That just left only Michael, whose mouth was agape by how things were not going his way. Norrin gave him a leveled look as he pointed his lightsaber right at him. "You can still walk away. Leave now."
Michael's anger soon rose up again, as he drew his sword and then wielded a steel triangular shied on his left arm. "I will not allow some heretic mage to make a mockery out of me!" Michale declared, before he charged forward.
Norrin sighed in disappointment as he charged, as well. He slid down on his knees to avoid a sword strike form Michael, before the knight tried to strike him with his shield, but Norrin dodged that, too. Norrin's superior speed and training were greatly being shown as he expertly dodged each of the cavalier's attacks. He delivered a side kick that punched Michael back a bit, but his rage was getting the better of him as he just kept coming in wildly.
Pretty soon there was no strategy involved in each of Michael's attacks, only hacking and slashing as he tried so desperately to land a blow on Norrin, but to no avail. Norrin could tell that his anger was blinding him even more so than it did during their first bout a week ago.
Seeing many openings, Norrin eventually took one as he sliced Michael's sword in half with his lightsaber, much to the high-ranking knight's shock, before he thrusted his lightsaber right towards his shoulder. Michael tried to block it using his shield, but the lightsaber easily pierced right through the shield and eventually pierced right into his shoulder.
"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" Michael screamed as the lightsaber pierced not only the shield, but his armor and got his left shoulder. He stumbled back and knelt down, feeling his left arm becoming limp and numb due to the wound, forcing him to grasp it with his other hand. Everyone, from the remaining knights of the Order, to Galon and Eliza, stopped what they were doing as they watched Cavalier Michael kneel down in pain as Norrin was the obvious victor of their battle.
Norrin held his lightsaber up and pointed it right at Michael's neck, causing him to whimper in fear. Norrin glared at him hard, before he sighed and deactivated his lightsaber. He could have killed him right then and there, but he was beaten, broken, and unable to continue the fight. It was not the Jedi way to kill him in cold blood like that.
"Leave." Norrin said sternly to him, before looking up at the remaining knights. "All of you leave this town, and never return."
Michael's fear once again turned into anger, but finally regained some rational thought to realize that this was a losing battle. "Men...retreat!" Michael ordered, causing whatever knights that were left quickly run off back to their horses and ride off. One knight helped Michael up and aided him back on to his horse, before the high ranking cavalier glared hatefully at him. "This isn't over, heretic! You will die by hand one day! This I swear, by my honor as a knight!" With that final declaration, Michael and the rest of his forces rode off.
Norrin sighed at that, knowing that this guy might be a constant headache moving forward, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He deactivated his lightsaber and turned back, before gaining a wide eyed look at what was in front of him.
All the townsfolk emerged from their hiding spots and were looking at Norrin in shock and awe by the skills he just displayed in defending their town. Miranda had a look of amazement, the young man and his Weresheep wife looked at him with grateful looks, and Galon gave an impressed smile by what he just saw.
Even Eliza was surprised by the display of skill that Norrin displayed. She knew that he was very skilled, but she just had no idea how skilled he was, until today. Truly no warrior she has ever faced in the past has ever come close to displaying such prowess as Norrin just showed her.
Norrin soon stepped forward and approached Galon with a look of concern. "Is everyone in the town alright?" He asked.
"Everyone is fine." Galon said with a nod, before he placed a grateful hand on his shoulder. "This town owes you great debt, young Norrin Farrix. You saved them all."
"Well...technically we saved them all." Norrin said humbly, looking at Gaoln with a grateful smile, as well, and even towards Eliza, who compiled kindly at him. "All of us."
"Yes, but this town will never forget the great deeds and bravery you displayed in our defense." Galon said, before he stepped up to Norrin's side and raised his arm up. "Cheers for Norrin Farrix, the hero of Libertus!"
Everyone in the town cheered and applauded with joy and in celebration, happily showing their appreciation and gratitude for the young Jedi. Norrin gave a sheepish look, as he wasn't used to this sort of thing, and even back then during the Clone Wars there were hardly any cheers at the end of a battle.
'Well, so much for keeping a low profile.' Norrin thought to himself, but decided to worry about that another time and just enjoy the moment.
/
Hey everyone, I am here with a new chapter for you all!
This one was a pretty long one, in fact it was supposed to be even longer, but I feel like over ten thousand words is my limit, so I decided to just end it right here. This chapter was supposed to have this story's very first lemon content, but I decided to save that for next time.
Instead, I decided to have more quiet and easy moments of him and Eliza just getting to know one another. I hope I made some of their fluff moments enjoyable, as I enjoy writing her. Next chapter we'll see them connect even more, and have them truly connect in more ways than one.
This chapter saw Norrin finally getting comfortable living in this town and looking forward to living the simple life, but as we all know, the life of a Jedi is never simple. He made a fool out of the same enemy twice now, and this will have set in motion a string of events that'll really shake things up for him and this world.
Now, in case anybody is curious, and need a refresher on Star Wars lore, a lightsaber can cut through pretty much anything, the only exceptions being Beskar iron that Mandalorians use for their armor, and the scales of a Zillo Beast. So, it's not that hard to believe that Norrin can easily cut through steel swords with his lightsaber.
Does this mean that pretty much every conflict with the Order is going to end pretty easily? Oh no, it just means that the Order is going to have to get creative and find different methods in order to combat the young Jedi.
And on that note, he finally ignited Master Plo Koon's lightsaber. That was a scene that I would say was inspired by Star Wars Visions season 1 episode 4 "The Village Bride."
Well, that's all I have to say everyone. Stay healthy, stay safe, I'll see you all next time.
P.S. Go to my Upcoming Story Trailers latest chapter and check out the trailer I wrote for my upcoming MCU x DCEU story.