"There is no Emotion, There is Peace
There is no Ignorance, There is Knowledge
There is no Passion, There is Serenity
There is no Chaos, There is Harmony
There is no Death, There is the Force"

Strafe spoke with clarity and a fire burning in his chest, a delighted gleam in his eyes as he recited the code. He was finally old enough to being his journey down whichever path he had chosen, and so far the only one that seemed to suit him was that of a Guardian. He was far too feisty to be a simple Peacekeeper or Lore Keeper, he riled up the other Younglings and Padawans to the point where no sane adult would want him watching their children, he wasn't a Seer, and medicine held no interest for him. No, he wanted to fight! He wanted to run! He wanted to protect his way of life and his home and prove that the Jedi weren't a pride to take lightly. Just because they were peaceful and didn't seek conflict didn't mean they weren't ready to go at a moment's notice.

"Good! Very good," Xolile said with a grin, pacing back and forth before her little apprentice. Technically she wasn't his actual patron just yet, but the rainbow-striped lioness couldn't help but see that the young cheetah needed a bit of direction in his life if he was going to be successful. Her own mother had needed quite a bit of help, still a Youngling when Xolile and her siblings were born despite being fully grown. It had taken her siblings and her to urge her mother to pursue the Padawan trials, but they had done it. Shukura was now very content as a Lore Keeper and Xolile was eager to bring someone else up in that manner. Strafe needed a guiding paw to ensure he stayed on the right course, even if it was something as simple as this.

"Now," she said, stopping in front of the dark cheetah. Strafe sat up straighter as if at an inspection, his tail flicking back and forth, betraying his excitement. He wanted to run and sprint and prove that he was ready to become a Padawan, to really face the trials, to become a Jedi Knight and help Xolile and the other Guardians keep their home safe from Sith and other outside dangers. He kept his eyes trained on the pale female before him, eagerly awaiting her next words.

"You have memorized the code, but that is the easiest part," Xolile said, fixing Strafe with a wicked grin. "Now you must prove your self-discipline. This was a tricky task for me and I feel like it will be for you as well, but it is important to do."

Strafe felt his spirits sink just a bit. Xolile was a lot like him and knew exactly how much he wanted to expend energy at any given moment, and therefore she would pick a very difficult task for him to do. Probably involving not moving for a while or only walking for an entire day. He awaited his fate with a resolute expression, trying not to appear too disheartened.

"For your task...you must run," Xolile said, much to Strafe's surprise. "But not as a cheetah runs. As the wildebeest and antelope and zebra run. Consistently. Enduring. You will stop when I stop and not a moment before." She knew there needed to be mental discipline instilled upon the young cheetah, but she also knew that was a trial better left for the Padawan stage. For now she would focus on his strengths so he could see that it was a challenge he could tackle. Cheetahs weren't known for their long distance running and Strafe was no exception, but if he could conserve his energy and not zip around at a blinding speed he could do it, she was sure.

Strafe was admittedly surprised at the task he was given, but he nodded enthusiastically all the same. He'd never tried long distance running before but if there was a time to do so, it would be now. He got up from his seated position, a determined grin settling onto his face. "Sounds good, Guardian Xolile. You set the pace and I'll keep up for sure!"

"That's the spirit," Xolile said with a laugh before turning to set off. "Come on then, Youngling! See if you can keep up!"

The two set off from the temple and into the jungle, the lioness setting an easy pace. It was hard for Strafe not to charge ahead and his feet carried him past Xolile a few times, but he quickly fell into step beside her again. He didn't find the task too hard until a few minutes in when he'd normally stop running to catch his breath. He wasn't as winded as he usually was at this point, but his body already wanted to stop. Gritting his teeth, Strafe pushed through the desire to stop, keeping up with Xolile.

The two did a few laps around the temple, and after a while Strafe was struggling to continue. He pushed his body to the limit, though, exhaustion no match for his mental strength to keep going, to prove to Xolile that he would be a worthy Padawan to train and teach. The lioness had to admit that the cheetah was doing far better than she expected, and finally she turned their path back to the temple. It was with relief that Strafe collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily once Xolile came to a halt.

"Good! Very good," she said with a laugh, reaching down with a paw to muss up his mane. "You did well, Strafe. I've never seen a cheetah run for so long before. I'd call that discipline of the highest degree!"

"Thank....you....Guardian...Xolile," Strafe panted, grinning up at the larger feline. He felt exhausted but elated that he had passed the little test and he hoped it would be a sign of things to come. He desperately wanted the rainbow lioness to help him on his journey and so far things were looking good.

"Don't mention it," she said with a chuckle. "Now rest up. Those Padawan trials are going to be a hell of a lot harder on you!"

FIN
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