46 Stop and Smell the Roses

(I'm thinking about putting quotes at the beginning of every new arc. I also forgot to make this arc a new volume so I'll be fixing that.)

"So, does the destination matter? Or is it the path we take? I declare that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road used to achieve it. We are not creatures of destinations. It is the journey that shapes us." - Brandon Sanderson

-GE-

*CRACK*

The familiar sound of ice being shattered filled the rotunda. My head snapped towards the source and I noticed a huge circular door opening on the ceiling. As it opened, strings of sunlight that appeared tangible pierced into the dimly lit room.

I followed the light and found that it landed on an incredibly massive crystal that was suspended in the air by chains. The light beat down on the crystal, eroding the thin layer of ice that had formed over it.

After a few seconds, the crystal grew brighter, reaching a near blinding radiance. Then, the light exploded out of the crystal in a beam, piercing right into another smaller crystal that was embedded into the top of the archway.

What happened next was what I could only describe as magical even when compared to monks lifting large rocks with their mind. The entire archway lit up with a gentle, white glow.

A torrent of water began to form as the ice within the arch began to melt at a rapid pace. Most of what was hidden behind the ice was a stone wall.

However, an opening was revealed as the ice finished melting away. Before I could even look further into the cave, I noticed movement at the top of the arch from my peripheral vision.

I sighed. "Shit."

Ven patted my shoulder. "Make haste, my Padawan. The ice has already started to reform."

I nodded and quickly entered the cave. It took but a mere glance once I was inside to realize that this was no normal cave. There was actually some kind of structure in here. Two lines of pillars that reached to the ceiling lined the perfectly rectangular room I was in.

As I was walking through, I received a notification.

[Quest Received]

[The Gathering]

[Unique Quest]

[While not traditionally true, this is the first step on your path as a Padawan. Find your kyber crystal among the countless sparkles within this forsaken cave. The ice continues to reform so make haste. QUEST WILL BE CONSIDERED A FAILURE UPON DEATH.]

[+20k exp, +100 reputation with Jedi Order, ???]

There was no time limit? What about the ice? How would I get out if the ice reformed? Ah, whatever. I can cross that bridge when I come to it.

I kept a moderate pace as I moved through the room, leaving behind pillars to my left and right. Barely a minute into my journey, I came across my first crossroads.

The room broke into three paths. One had a slight upward slope while the other two had slight downward slopes. My eyes darted between the three choices before me. Which one should I choose?

I thought about listening to the force but I decided against it. Aside from not being the most proficient in it yet, my gut told me that it would take me down the easiest path. This path would contain no reward. Only through fire may one's soul be tempered into steel.

I pulled out the guild token I had kept for myself and positioned it on top of my right thumb.

*Ching* *Clink* *Clink* *Clink*

The token bounced three times as it hit the ground. I didn't even look at which side it landed on but rather the path it had bounced towards.

Looking up, it appeared that the upward sloping path had been chosen for me. I shrugged, reaching towards the coin to pick it up.

Before I could even bend down, it shot off the ground and smacked into my hand.

"FUCK!"

That really stung. The flat of the coin hit my palm with great speed and felt like a ruler being swung at full strength. It didn't quite hurt but there would definitely be a slight discomfort for a few hours.

I shook my head as I stuffed the coin into my pocket and began walking again. I hadn't even tried to use the force there. The coin just moved by itself. I needed to make sure I kept this under control. It'd be embarrassing if I was in a restaurant and shattered a water glass merely by trying to reach for it. I guess the Jedi I have met weren't kidding when they said I was strong with the force.

Several minutes passed with nothing happening. The cave just grew colder with no apparent intention of stopping. I had to pull out the pair of gloves that the order provided me and put them on.

It was honestly surprising to me how comfortable my Jedi garments were. I barely got a good look at them before we got on the shuttle but what I did know was that they were comfortable. I wore a white tunic, brown belt, and brown undergarments. I had also decided to wear my rocket boots. They happened to be brown as well so they matched the full outfit. The rocket boots would most likely come in handy during this adventure through the caves of Illum.

There was something unique about walking through caves of stone rather than ice. In the past, I had gone caving with my parents a few times while on vacation. One memory that I particularly cherished was caving in The Blue Grotto. In the south of Italy, this cave was only accessible by boat.

It was quite the delight rowing the boat my father and mother sat on as we went deep into the cave with a geologist my mother was in a sorority with in college. With this expert in tow, we were able to venture significantly deeper than any other tourists.

Within the cave, the light from outside bounced off the walls and refracted through the water. The resulting subtle glow of blue was one of the most magical things I had seen in my life. As I thought back on it, I drew the similarities of that glow with how the caves of Illum were illuminated. Although they held colors of white and gray rather than a vibrant blue, it was still a comforting glow of light that pierced through what would otherwise be pure darkness.

Eventually, I came upon a clearing, the sight of which nearly knocked me on my behind. Suspended from the ceiling were massive icicles that contained stalactites within. The ceiling was semi-spherical with an opening at the top which allowed natural sunlight to penetrate the cave.

The light reflected and refracted off of the ice, which caused the entire cave to glisten and sparkle. While I could feel the force prodding me to move forth, I decided to stop for a moment. This was not my destination, but I had recently learned an important fact of life. I would take countless journeys in life. However, the destination is not what I should harp on. Rather, I should cherish the sights and experiences along the way, allowing them to shape me into the man I am meant to be. Although not always appropriate, it is best to occasionally stop and smell the roses. What is life without enjoying the beauty of the world around you?

Thus, after stopping for a minute to commit this beauty to memory, I went forth with the force as my guide. What lay ahead in these caves, there may be no one that knows. However, I would face it nonetheless as this was the beginning of my journey. I may not have known it at this time, but this would firmly place me on the path to greatness.

My continued walk into the cave was quite monotonous, only broken by the occasional shiver of my fully covered body. The cold pierced through my layers of clothing, touching my body and forcing me to consider whether these layers were actually doing anything to combat it.

Several more minutes passed before I came across my first true obstacle. Well, I couldn't even consider it as such due to my rocket boots. I was standing before a chasm that extended as far as I could see to either side.

Looking up and down on my sides, I noticed that there were a few bridges of ice that spanned the gap. Unfortunately, one of such bridges was not present in the path I took.

I looked down but could only shake my head. The chasm was unfathomable deep, to the point where I couldn't even see the bottom. My only option was to put my faith in these boots of mine.

On my left index finger, I installed a push button. The button was connected to the boots with a transceiver. With a push of this button, I could activate the boots.

I had devised this during the journey to Illum from Coruscant. Despite the use of hyperspace, our shuttle took nearly a full day to arrive at the frozen world. During this time, I entertained myself by tinkering with some of the junk that was in the storage of this shuttle.

Either the Jedi Order was not very adamant about cleaning their ships, or these parts were kept around for a reason. I eventually found some interesting stuff. Through the use of a nano generator that would convert the mechanical movement of my arm into power and a button, I fashioned a wrist and finger strap that would use the same frequency as my boots, allowing me to activate it without compromising the use of my hands.

Putting my trust in the rare item I wore, I jumped into the air, my feet leaving the safety of the ice I just stood upon. The only thing beneath me now was the apparent void of the icy chasm.

I pressed my thumb down onto the button and my boots instantly ignited, pushing me up into the air. It took me a few seconds of nearly flipping upside down, but I managed to stabilize my balance. Thus, I leaned forward slightly and gradually hovered towards the opposing tunnel to continue my journey.

*Thud*

I landed without issue and heaved a sigh of relief. The boots really worked! Even better was that they weren't excessively difficult to use. With some practice, I might even be able to fight with them like Cad Bane!

*CRACK*

My head instantly shot up when I heard this sound. I knew this sound. Somewhere very close to me, ice was breaking. It took mere milliseconds before I felt the ice beneath my feet shift as my line of sight descended.

It took a second for me to realize that I was now falling into the chasm. Not expecting this at all, I completely lost the ability to think. None of the appropriate reactions came forth from my body as I fell into panic. As I felt the ice that was once beneath my feet disappear, I closed my eyes, fully paralyzed by the dread of falling to my death.

Suddenly, I felt someone grab my hand. My eyes shot open as I laid them upon my savior. The face she presented to me, the warm smile, the signature sweater she wore, I had no doubt who this was.

Still in shock, I was unable to say anything as I was pulled up and onto the ice above. After safely being pulled up, I laid on my back heaving breaths of the cold and crisp air. My heart was racing and I still found myself unable to speak. This inability resulted not only from nearly falling to my death but also the identity of my savior.

I closed my eyes and chuckled. "Thanks, mom."

Silence. That was the only reply I received. I turned my head to the right, then to the left. I shot up, sitting on the ground, and starting looking everywhere around me. There was no one.

For a reason I didn't know, I looked up at the ceiling of the cave tunnel. A single tear escaped from my left eye as a sense of longing formed within me. It had never been this strong, even right after she had died.

One more time. I internally begged whatever power was out there to let me experience the warmth of her embrace once more. There was little I wouldn't give for this despite knowing it an impossibility. Alongside my father, this woman was the most precious thing in my life.

The despair of never being able to see her again came back to me in full force as I laid my head back down on the ice and wept. For the ones closest to us, can we ever truly be done mourning their loss?