Darkness enshrouded him. Running at full speed through the jungle, his heart was racing. A cool sweat was forming on his forehead. But he could feel his muscles starting to loosen, as they settled into the pace of his run.
There was an eerie quietness to the jungle at this hour. All that could be heard was the crunching of leaves, and the snapping of twigs beneath Val’s feet. He opened himself up to the Force. He let it flow through him, sweeping away all anxiety and consuming his thoughts. Running was Val’s way of meditating. It cleared his head, and it allowed him to think clearly. As he focused his mind, he reached out through the Force. He could feel the jungle life around him. He could sense the wingbats in the trees, and the snakes slithering around on the ground. If it weren’t for the Force, he would have thought himself alone in the silence.
Val always lost track of time during his runs. He guessed that is was a common occurrence for all students during meditation. He recalled from class, “…that everyone finds their own way to connect to the Force. Meditation was more of a state than an action.” Val assumed this feeling of calm was his way of connecting to the Force. He could sprint for miles without growing tired, and when he started to focus on things other than his run, he lost all track of time.
Val came to a clearing in the jungle. He slowed as he stepped beyond the tree line. Before him stood an ancient temple, built of giant stone bricks. It was easier for Val to feel the Force here. Its presence was potent surrounding the temple. It permeated from the stone walls, and it clung in the air. “Perhaps,” Val thought, “It is why I found this place to begin with.” He had run to this temple many times before. No matter where he started his run, something always drew him back here.
He approached the temple, and reached for the first moss covered stone. It was hard for him to believe that this temple had been built thousands of years ago. Val found his footing on the temple’s base, and began to climb. With green moist moss covering every inch of the temple, Val had to watch his step. He never climbed the same angle twice, because he liked a new challenge. Slipping on a piece of shrubbery, or stumbling on a crumbly stone block kept him on his toes. It kept him sharp.
As he climbed higher, he tried to remember why he did this every morning. He heaved himself over the last brick, and onto the unfinished top of the ancient stone building. Unlike most temples around the jungle, this one had a large flat roof to it. Whether it was damaged in a war, or just unfinished, was not apparent. As Val looked up over the trees though, he recalled exactly why the muscle aching climb was worth it. His eyes settled on the horizon, and the orange sun beginning to peak over the tall trees.
