The Knight (Qimir X OC)

Chapter Three ~ The Importance of Balance

The days passed by in near silence. I was fully healed, I could have left when I wanted. But I found myself growing attached to the island, wanting to know more about it. I could sense how truly powerful the force was here.

A small part of me wanted to stay here. It was so peaceful that my thirst for adventure was quenched for the moment. Then another part of me worried about my life outside of this place. No one would miss me there, not really. Only contractors who wanted someone to do their dirty work would miss me. Granted, they paid very graciously, but being on this planet made credits hold no value.

I took time to learn the island, its nooks, and crannys. I spent one day climbing to the highest point on the island and just gazing at the horizon for hours. As the soft orange hues faded to purple, I felt Qimir's presence behind me. Without speaking a word, he simply sat down beside me and took in the beautiful sight with me. Once it had gotten dark, we carefully made our way back to the cave.

That next morning, I found him meditating in the crisp morning air. He looked serene sitting there. Around him, nearby creatures had started to lift into the air doing short somersaults before being lightly placed down. I couldn't hold in my small snicker before continuing on my way to explore another part of the island.

Today, I decided I would explore the caves. I had almost avoided going there completely, slightly fearful of the power the darkness emanated from there. Qimir had warned me to stay away from the caves. They traveled deep under the island and under the ocean around. Of course, I wouldn't listen to his warning, though.

I stood at an entrance, a different one than the one Qimir had made his home in. Sucking in a deep breath, I ventured into the cave.

The deeper into the cave I went, the more the darkness consumed the light. The temperature dropped significantly. The cold clung to me like a cloak, hugging against my skin. I shivered, wishing I had wore something with sleeves.

That's when I felt another presence nearby. This being felt old but very powerful. Their intentions felt neutral, and yet they held an undertone of darkness. It made my skin crawl, and my fingers itch to grab a weapon. The only weapons I had on me were my knives.

I slowly backed out of the cave, not wanting to trigger the stranger. Not until I had Qimir with me to see and sense this being's presence.

When I stepped out of the cave, I felt slightly better. I still took steps back away from the cave when I tripped over a rock. I braced myself for a hard landing, but it never came. Instead, I felt hands catch me right before I hit the ground.

"Did your master never teach you the importance of balance?" Qimir teased, smirking down at me. Two strands of his hair fell in front of his face that I so wanted to reach out and tuck back behind his ear.

And so I did, I reached up and tucked the stray hair back in its place and replied.

"No, they must've skipped that part." I giggled lightly, "Thank you for catching me." I noticed his cheeks slightly reddened before he set me back on my feet. He cleared his throat to clear away the blush that rose on his cheeks. I pretended not to notice for his sake.

"What were you doing anyway? You look a little freaked." He changed the subject, looking worriedly at me. I gazed back into the darkness of the cave.

"There's.. something in there. It's dark. Powerful. I never felt anything like it before." I answered truthfully. I tried to hide the fear in my voice, but I knew Qimir could hear it. And as I spoke the words, his face never changed. He wasn't shocked to hear something other than us resided on this island.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?" I questioned, "What is it?"

"I'll answer your questions, just not here. It's not safe. Let's go." His tone gave no room for arguing. He grabbed my hand and made our way back to his home. His grip wasn't painful, but had I tried to get free of it, I doubt I would've been successful. His reaction worried me, though. What did he mean it's not safe?

We were back within minutes, and Qimir was silent the entire way. When we got back, he let go of my hand and turned towards me.

"This planet.. it's different. It's hidden away deep in the outer rim. It's not marked on a single map in this galaxy. It has no name, and yet many have come to this island. Specifically, force users have come to this island. The force is very powerful here, I know you can feel it. The balance between light and dark is perfect. It has been a beacon for nearby force users for eons," He described, "I have been here many times, not staying for long. But there is one that has been here each time I come."

"Who?" I asked curiously. Oh, how oblivious I truly was.

"He calls himself The Wise. Darth Plaugeis The Wise. When I first came here, he had studied me. More than I even realized. I, much like you, let my curiosity and need for adventure take control. I went into the caves. I could sense his presence, and I sought him out. I sensed the darkness and ran towards it." He continued."He spoke of things I had never told a single soul. It was like he could physically see the words in my head."

"And that's exactly what he did. He got in my head. He forced me to see visions, visions of my deepest fears, desires, emotions, my fantasies." His voice trembled slightly. I didn't know much about Qimir's past, but it was clearly a sensitive subject for him. Rightfully so, having your mind invaded is one of the worst experiences if it's done against your will. I would know.

"At first, it terrified me. But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to know more. His abilities were unlike any I had seen. I wanted to learn his power, and so I let him teach me the ways of the dark side. He had trained me, fought alongside me, and yet.." He paused to gauge my reaction. I was shocked. I was honestly not expecting him to tell me the story of his master.

"And yet..?" I trailed off, repeating his words, letting him know I was listening intently.

"He disappeared. He was supposed to leave this planet to seek out his former master. Master Tenebrous. He was to kill his master and fulfill the Rule Of Two. When he came back, he was going to name me. He never came back. Or so I thought. I scoured this entire island looking for him. He was nowhere, and now he suddenly showed up?" He asked rhetorically. His expression was exasperated. He was struggling with this information as well.

"So if he's back now, he wants something. Or someone." I stated plainly. This was difficult to see, and if Qimir was The Wise's apprentice, who's to say he wasn't lying to my face right now.

"I think it's best if we get off this island for the time being." He murmered, "Whatever he wants, he's not going to get. Did he say anything to you?"

"No, he didn't. His presence felt dark, but he didn't have harmful intentions towards me. If he did, I'm sure I would've felt it." I responded, "And I agree, I'm ready to get the hell off this island."

He didn't waste another second. He stood up, grabbing his robe, saber, and his helmet I had seen him working on the past few days. The helmet was designed very meticulously. It had a chilling smile engraved into it. I assumed it was designed to disguise a voice decoder. It had a single slit opening for the eyes. It was.. terrifying, to say the least.

I grabbed the belongings that I had. I wrapped my robe around my body, tucking my knives into their respective spots. I turned back to face Qimir.

When he put the helmet on, I could no longer sense him. If I couldn't physically see him, hear him, I wouldn't have known he was there.

"The helmet is made of cortosis. It blocks anyone from entering your mind, sensing you. That is why you cannot sense me. Now come on." He answered my unspoken question, taking my hand again, and we began towards the ship.