An Explorer's First Steps

[Vaylin]

Vaylin remained where she was, just staring towards the tree and breathing heavily. Her mind abuzz both with questions and nausea. Had this been a test? Or was this just some twisted machination of whoever had originally corrupted this place. Or could it have been the nature of this part of the forest. Either way, the moment she tried to move Vaylin let out a groan, another wave of nausea hitting her.

Feels like it got headbutted by a Cannok...

She deactivated her lightsaber, clipping it back to her belt. A realization dawned on the Zabrak.

This would be a test for her, especially if her suspicions were correct, and that the tomb Sumiko was taking her too was the source of this corruption. She had avoided the one on Dxun specifically because in some strange way...it had repulsed her. One would think she would've welcomed it, willingly embraced it like she had done to the rest of the Demon Moon. But no, she had avoided it like the plague from the first time she had ever tried to go near it. Perhaps because it was early on, during her first year on Dxun. Maybe her still lingering Light had played a factor into her fear of it.

Vaylin shook the thought away, grimacing as the nausea returned as a result. With a deep breath, she turned around to see Sumiko was on the forest floor. The Zabrak frowned initially, but realized the Atrisian had likely suffered a similiar attack as her.

So she walked up to her, gazing briefly over to Akuma as he stayed near his Master's side. Vaylin said nothing even as she stood there, and reached down with a hand to help Sumiko up.

When she did, a connection suddenly sparked to life - a result of the recent assualt on both of their minds. Although Vaylin saw nothing of Sumiko's, while her untrained mind was an open book for the Atrisian.

Flashes of memories and emotion came.

Of a young, teenage Vaylin huddled somewhere in the jungles of Dxun, crying as beasts circled around in the distance. Fear.

Voices echoed out, ones that registered as familiar to the Zabrak, of her fellow Jedi Padawans, even her Master. Happy memories that sharply twisted into spite towards her. Confusion.

The steady descent from the Light, falling into Darkness. Realization dawning on her that she had been abandoned, left to die by those she had trusted. Anger.

Glimpses of her countless fights against the beasts of Dxun, how she slowly grew more and more bestial in how she moved. Fury.

The moment when she had to kill one of her pet Maalraas', after her control over one of them had slipped. Sadness.

And finally, her fight against [member="Aria Vale"]. The various emotions she had gone through during it. Capped off at the end with her finally leaving the Demon Moon. Freedom.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


Ouch. Her head hurt. Moreover, she felt nauseous and dizzy. As the haze left her eyes, the Atrisian registered that she had landed on the forest floor. How humiliating. She felt a wave of anger wash over her, feeling irritated with herself. The feral girl was back at her side and reached for her hand.


Sumiko wanted to shoo her away, but Vaylin had already taken her hand and pulled her up. As they made contact, something happened. It felt electric, as if sparks of electricity had passed between them.


Quickly, Sumiko sought to close her mind, unwilling to let the girl see anything of her life. But for a brief moment, she could look into Vaylin's. It was comparable to watching a holovid while it was being fast forwarded. It was a flood of feelings and images that bombarded her mind. Fear, confusion, anger, fury, sadness, and, finally, freedom.


In order to survive, the girl became akin to a beast and abandoned the Light. Sumiko felt something like kinship with her. Kinship, not sympathy, for there was only room for one person in the Atrisian's black heart - herself.


But Vaylin had been abandoned by the Jedi and cast out, left to fend for herself in an unforgiving jungle. Just like the Empire had abandoned and scorned Sumiko, leaving her at the mercy of Archangel. Serve no master but your own ambition, she thought. Vaylin was still young, unrefined and almost feral, but someone she could possibly mould...sculpt. It would be lovely.


Ah, now that's a face I did not expect to see, she considered when she saw the fight against Aria Vale. Sumiko did not know much about the Dark Jedi, beyond that she used to be the apprentice of the late Darth Vitium and was now part of Xiangu's coterie. Speaking of Vitium, the Atrisian had been harvesting her corpse.


As the connection was dissolved, Sumiko snatched her hand away. She straightened her robes and fastidiously brushed some mudd off them. She took a breath, composing herself. "I see this jungle has more to offer than mere beasts. I imagine you were tested by visisions as well," she stated. It was a statement as opposed to a query.

 

[Vaylin]

The moment her hand touched Sumiko's, Vaylin felt an energy suddenly snap between them. Like volts of electricity had coursed through them, the Force around them acting like a conduit. Vaylin immediately tried to pull away, but whatever grip was keeping them tied, didn't budge. Amidst all this, Vaylin felt a strange presence and her eyes followed down their arms and to the Atrisian's eyes. It felt as though the woman was looking at her, not with her eyes but something else. Vaylin tried following the course, curious like a newborn, but before she could get far the connection was severed and Sumiko yanked her hand away.

Vaylin stared at her own, still outstretched before she slowly pulled it back and let it fall to her side.

This place truly unnerved her. Fight against a real, physical threat? Vaylin would jump at the chance. But something like this, invisible and attacking something she had no defence over?

She didn't like that, it angered her.

Her eyes fell on Sumiko again, hearing the woman's words. "I did." She didn't say much, didn't need to. Just tried to hide how much the 'attack' had surprised her. Instead she occupied herself with looking around, trying to remember which direction they had been going. Ultimately she waited until Sumiko continued to lead the way,

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


"It disconcerts you, doesn't it? That there are powers capable of tearing through your defences and gazing into the deepest recesses of your mind, bringing forth your fears and painful memories to bury you beneath them," Sumiko spoke conversationally as they made their way through the blighted forest.


With each passing moment, the Dark Side became stronger. By now what little vegetation remained was thoroughly tainted. Here and there, they would come across a skeleton. The whispers remained, but at least they were not being mind frakked with the intensity of earlier. Perhaps Akuma heard them too. Either way, disembodied whispers annoyed him, so he growled.


"Your mind is an open book. I could show you how to close it," she added. In the far distance, the ruins of the tomb could be made out. The stench of death, decay and grave mould was in the air. Sumiko crinkled her nose slightly.

 

[Vaylin]

"It does." She admitted at first. "I've fought against beasts that have nearly tripled my sized, managed to kill a few as well. But that back there, I've never experienced something like that...or rather I've never intentionally encountered it. It-it reminded me of the tomb on Dxun."

As they walked, Vaylin's attention was ever shifting. Her eyes moving around each time a whisper breezed past. Each time one managed to get under her skin, Vaylin pushed it aside and didn't let it dwell in her.

Eventually she could see it, the ruins that Sumiko was presumably leading her towards. And even from this distance, she could feel its eerie tendril reaching out - stretching the spanse before them and whispering in her ears.

Vaylin shook her head, and turned to Sumiko.

"I will take whatever lessons you are willing to teach me about closing my mind."

As much as it pained her pride, Vaylin knew that she wouldn't get far in that place if she didn't have some measure of defence against it.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


Sumiko grinned like a Cheshire cat. Or a crocodile. Good girl, she thought to herself. "Perform your services well, and I shall do so. Impressive and terrible things can be done to a mind, but they can be overcome with the right training, discipline and diligence" she said softly. She would not mind keeping the girl around for longer. Perhaps it helped that Vaylin was cute - and not insane, unlike her ancient namesake. Then again, that had been Valkorion's fault. Stupid, inconsistent, senile world-eater.


Regardless, our merry band of darksiders and their pet Sithspawn finally reached the outside of the tomb. Once it must have been a grand structure, but now the obsidian walls had decayed badly. The structure had crumbled much since the days of yore, but the dark aura was still powerful. Walking across the ground that had turned muddy, Sumiko could hear the cackle of lightning slashing down from the heavens in the distance, as if some deity was voicing his displeasure about the resting ground being disturbed. She passed more bodies, which had been stripped of flesh to the bone, just like all vegetation had been blighted.


An old, rusting door barred them entrance. It still looked imposing. Sumiko raised her hand and touched the door. A faint, scarlet glow could be seen. Without a moment's hesitation, she reached for an ornate dagger on her belt and made a precise cut across her palm. "Blood, it's always blood with the ancients," she muttered. Blood was smeared across the door and the glow became stronger, until scarlet runes could be seen. Then she began to chant in the dark, forbidden tongue of the ancient Sith.



"Nwûl tash.
Dzwol shâsotkun.
Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.
Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.
Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.
Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.
Wonoksh Qyâsik nun."


At first nothing happened, then finally the heavy obsidian door opened. The explorers were greeted by a smell that was most foul, dank, humid and smelling with an oppressive humidity, along with an equally oppressive darkside aura. The sense that something long dead and forbidden awaited them was palpable.

 

[Vaylin]

Again Vaylin was reminded that the woman she was currently accompanying was dangerous. At least it was the case in the Zabrak's mind, for better or worse it was something that had ingrained itself, a subconscious distrust and wariness of most things. Yet at the same time, there was but a weak defence should someone manage to gain her trust. Sumiko's wide grin, tugged on certain mental alarms, the same ones whenever she had caught sight of a beast licking its lips, sighting a particularly delicious meal. But the Atrisian wasn't a monster, at least not outwardly so. And that's what made Vaylin wary, and yet the soft words that followed dampened it. That, and the overwhelming dark aura that was flooding the area didn't help.

So Vaylin focused on that, every few steps she felt the aura wash over her, though it refrained from attacking; from invading her mind again. Her steps became less heavy and sluggish, gradually becoming evenly paced and steady. It's general overwhelming weight against the Zabrak was lifted enough for it to not be a complete hindrance.

When they had finally arrived at the tomb, Vaylin's eyes were darting around, taking in everyone before her. The crumbling walls, the decay that had set in; like a twisted version of nature taking it all back. Only this had nothing natural about it, just a surrounding darkness finding a place to settle in the cracks of of this place's history.

The sudden crackle of lightning startled Vaylin, the Zabrak immediately looking up but realized there was no sounds or indication a storm had suddenly brewed. Her eyes fell on the tomb, understanding the source of it had been something else entirely. Vaylin followed just behind and to the side of Sumiko, watching as the Atrisian examined the door and seemed to know exactly what was needed. There was a curiosity in Vaylin's eyes, as Sumiko cut her palm and spread the spilt blood over the door. Then began to chant in a tongue the Zabrak had never heard before.

Vaylin braced herself, the smell hitting her first temporarily knocking her senses off kilter as it hit her nose. Then the oppresive aura struck the Zabrak, buckling her knees and sending her down to one knee. She gritted her teeth, ignoring how the putrid smell wanted to make her throw up, and slowly pushed herself back up onto her feet.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


((Feel free to have opposition of your choice show up ))


Sumiko cut a piece of cloth to cover the small injury in her palm. "Get up, girl," she said sternly, noting the effect the oppressive aura had on Vaylin. "Don't fear the dark. Here, it is inecaspable. Harness it. Feed on it." Mere endurance and survival were for the uninspired.


The strong were willing to embrace the darkness and turn it into a tool for victory. Without flinching she crossed the threshold into the tomb. Akuma trotted behind her, though the tiger gave Vaylin a nudge and licked her hand, perhaps trying to encourage her.


"In the light of how the average Sith tomb works, I suspect we'll run into zombies and/or insane cultists and at least one absurdly large monster that logically would have been unable to get through the door. Naturally none of these creatures will be on the brink of starvation, despite the lack of sustenance. We can also expect traps, so be on your guard." Sumiko seemed awfully intent on demolishing the 4th wall.


Within the tomb, here and there transculescent light fell through cracks inside the ceiling. The walls were dominated by images painted by some bygone civilisation, displaying past glory and triumphs, probably showing the dark king for whom this tomb was the final resting place.


It was quite dark inside, but a glowrod provided a measure of illumination as she examined every nook and cranny, every crevice of a wall. One image commanded her attention, depicting lesser beings performing sacrifices in the name of their dark god, who towered above them from a golden throne.


"Notice how the prevailing themes are obedience - and faith. Religion is the opiate of the masses. Lesser beings flock to those with power, put them on a pedestal and make deities out of them, hoping that their idols will give them succour in this world or the next," she commented, while she traced a gloved hand across a pillar.

 

[Vaylin]

"Get up, girl."

Vaylin held her tongue, a retort quickly rising to her lips but she refrained from letting it leave her lips. It was anger, not at Sumiko's words but at herself. Did her years of survival mean nothing, had she not derived strength from it? And here she was, cowering to knee before the darkness here. The Zabrak took a step forwards, but immediately felt the overwhelming aura immediately push back.

"Harness it. Feed on it."

She listened to the Atrisian's words, focused her attention solely on them. Rather than trying to protect herself, shield against the aura. She opened herself to it, let it invade her entire being. Only then did she move, taking in the presence and twisting it, just as it was trying to do with her. No longer did the darkness try to push her back, instead was trying to take control of her. But it meant she could move, press on step by step, until she could physically lay a hand against the tomb's doorway.

Vaylin saw Sumiko disappear within without issue, then Akuma moving past giving her a nudge and a lick to the hand. She looked down at the beast, realizing his intent before he followed his master in. The Zabrak didn't take a relieved breath, there would be no room for that. This would be an ongoing battle until Vaylin could walk these halls with her head held high.

Inside, she followed just behind Sumiko, listening to everything the woman had to say. Occasionally, Vaylin's attention wandered over to the various images and carvings that littered the walls. Countless questions occupied her mind, who were these people? What had they been? How did they die?

"Religion, faith...have always been something that could hold together entire civilizations. But more often than not, those deities are proven to be false. Pretenders taking advantage and making fools out of entire populaces. Leaving them floundering when the truth is inevitably revealed. There is no merit in such faith, especially so blindly."

It was a moment of insight for Vaylin, the Zabrak reminded that there was no such faith available to her on Dxun. Just raw and brutal survival day in and day out.

All of a sudden something skittered across the floor, somewhere in the darkness. Vaylin turned to face it, wondering if it was another arachnid. She saw a shape not far away, it paused almost as if it had realized it had been discovered and was staring her down. Then it leaped at her, but Vaylin grabbed her lightsaber and flicked it on, slicing the would be attacker in two.

She gazed down at the remains. It was no spider, it was human...or something that was originally bi-pedal at least. Skin was pale, limbs twisted into impossible angles. The body itself contorted to move on all fours. One eye socket stitched shut, the other missing the eye entirely. Abominations. Experiments.

Vaylin gripped her lightsaber, remembering Sumiko's word earlier. She draw on the dark aura around them, letting it feed her and she suddenly felt them. Many presences suddenly stirring around them. Several pairs of amber eyes becoming visible in the darkness around them. Some perched high aboves, others on the same level as the two women and Akuma. All were some twisted variation of the first abomination.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


"I have walked across the deadlands. Ashira, Sargon, the Corellian Gods...all frauds. Faith is like a leash. It is an easy way to collar lesser beings...but can just as easily be turned against you. Never shackle yourself to an ideology or a cause," Sumiko commented.


The scene was more than a little ironic when one considered that Vaylin and Aria would end up in the ranks of the Primeval. But then it was likely that many of the zealots did not really believe in the eldritch abominations the cult venerated, as opposed to seeing the faith as a useful instrument to attain power.


All of a sudden, the dialogue was broken up and Sumiko was pulled from her examinations of the walls, for new threats assailed them. Vaylin was the first to react, using instincts honed from the daily struggle for survival upon the Demon Moon to detect and dispatch the first creature.


"Sithspawn. Failed experiments, no doubt," Sumiko drew Souldrinker. More of the perversely mutated, twisted creatures assailed them. Some leapt down from high above, for it seemed their four legged state allowed them to run across walls, others charged themd directly.


Their teeth resembled fangs and claws sprouted from their hands. Souldrinker tasted the blood an attacker when it pierced the mutant's flesh and removed its head from its torso. When it seemed like she was being cornered by beasts, she retreated, trading space for time while keeping them at bay with precise sweeps of her blade, though one managed to score a cut on her thigh.


One jumping at her from behind her she sensed, and then stepped aside rapidly so it actually leapt through where she had been and smacked into another beast to her front. Rapidly, Akuma was upon both and ripped them apart. Sith Lightning blasted from her hand, producing a forking arc of pure, dazzling hatred that clawed towards the abominations.

 

[Vaylin]

The trio were vastly outnumbered by the abominations, or Sithspawn as Sumiko called them. As they took a few ton, twice as many took ther place, clambering out from the dark hallways around them. The large room was filled with the cacophonous sounds of lightsaber searing through flesh, of it being torn about by Akuma. Even the mutants themselves made little noise, just the ever constant skittering of their movements towards them.

Vaylin moved with a sluggish flurry, her oppressive aura still having some sway over the Zabrak. But her own bloodlust fought against it. She twisted her body around, ducking and weaving as some of the creatures lunged at her, trying to pin her down. Vaylin swung her blade in accurate, yet wild arcs, severing limbs from several creatures at once. But each time she took one down, another two were assailing her. It certainly seemed like the abominations were fixated on Vaylin the most, as though they were capable of sensing she was weakest link of the group.

And while the Zabrak's rage got her far, it couldn't combat the number game that was going against her. A whole pack; roughly seven in total charged at her at once. One tackled her to the ground, and the others began a pile-up. Vaylin grimaced as she felt their combined weight crash down on her, keeping her pinned. A few of them; ones without their mouths stitched up, tried to bite her. But their chaotic pile was a mess of interlocked limbs and bodies, keeping them from being able to sink their teeth in.

The dark aura stirred again, though this time with her opening herself to it, Vaylin could hear it. Almost as if it was whispering to her. She felt a surge of power, creeping up through her body as several of the creatures began to claw at her skin. There was a brief moment of silence, until Vaylin's red blade suddenly pierced through the top of the pile. And then, with an empowered roar, the entire pack of abominations were sent blasting away. Bodies flew all across the room, a few smashing into their fellow mutants.

Vaylin was immediately on her feet, and reached out with the Force. She grabbed one of the nearby creatures and began swinging it around like a ragdoll or a wrecking ball. Just flicking it around crashing into its brethren, with enough blunt force to kill anyone it struck. The rage however kept building, never relenting as she continued to take down the beasts. Until eventually, it reached its boiling point, she stopped flinging the mutant around and simply tore him apart with the Force.

Then Sumiko's torrent of Lightning tore across the room, slamming into where the largest pack of the abominations were. It was overwhelming, it was powerful. Enough so that those that survived began to screech and whimper, as though cowed by the demonstration of the dark side. And then, just as quick as they had arrived, the remaining creatures quickly fled, leaving the small group alone. Vaylin simply stood there, saber in hand, just breathing heavily. Her body still shaking from the burst of power that had energized her. Though amongst all that, there was a moment of clarity, a second of insight that had occured when she had connected with the aura the of this tomb.

These things were simply the appetizers. Something much worse, and bigger was awaiting them.

"Well, I suppose you were partially right..." A grin formed in the corner of Vaylin's lips. "They weren't zombies exactly."

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

​

On the one hand, Sumiko was obviously a lot less powerful than the good old Emprah. But on the other, she was not a shrivelled, old zombie, so it all evened itself out. Given her vanity, it would probably be ironic if she ended up that way, but this one digresses.


[member="Vaylin"] tasted pain as the abominations cornered her, eager for her flesh. Then she tasted power when she opened herself to the darkness that suffused the chamber. Empowered by her rage, the young acolyte became a force of nature, a dealer of death.


There was a beauty to her savage onslaught as she decimated the pack of hungry fiends that assailed, creating a pile of corpses at her feet. More beasts fell to the torrent of lightning that surged from Sumiko's fingertips. By the time she was done, the air was heavy with the scent of ozone and rankid, burnt flesh. With angry screeches and whimpers, the remaining creatures fled into the shadows from whence they had come.


Sumiko breathed in, lowering her hands. Her scarlet painted lips perked in a cruel twist, demonic amusement dancing across her hazel eyes. "Close enough. I wager I could improve upon their design with enough time at my disposal," she remarked.


True to the implications of her word, she began to collect some samples. That's right, she stuffed some body parts into a small container, which vanished into her backpack. "Akuma, don't eat that. We're moving on," she ordered her pet. He looked as grumpy as a tiger could. After all, he'd just been munching on one of the mutant's tasty legs.


A slow smile spread across her face as she gazed upon Vaylin. The girl was wild and her feral nature could easily become a double-edged sword, but she had potential. Greater challenges awaited them in the tomb, which would give the wild one a chance to show her mettle. "You did well, dear. You feel it now, yes? How the Great Darkness empowers you. Your rage makes you like a deadly predator - and you can be much more. Stoke that fire inside you. Let it ignite you - but not dominate you."


That was, in Sumiko's estimation, the crucial thing many practitioners forgot. "You are an adept of the Dark Side, not a beast. At the right moment unleash it like a thermic lance, laying waste to all who stand in your way, without hesitation or mercy. The Dark Side is a fierce storm that sweeps aside the weak, but the strong can ride it to unfathomable heights."

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin watched with curiousity and bewilderment as Sumiko moved about the room, picking at the deceased bodies for limbs and taking them for sounded like further study. It was a subject that confused the Zabrak, why would the woman be bothered with collecting limbs? Then she remembered Sumiko's words not a moment ago, about their 'design'.

She called them Sithspawn, didn't she?

The name was both a mystery to her, and yet it rang a bell in her head. Vaylin had heard it once before, but couldn't quite remember where. But a moment later it struck her.

Her Master had mentioned them once, when she had warned the Zabrak about the potential dangers she might encounter when exploring Sith tombs. Though she never went into specifics, just that she should not expect anything that made sense. And as she looked down at what remained of the abominations, Vaylin couldn't help but agree.

Vaylin looked over as Sumiko as the Atrisian mentioned they were moving on. She chuckled lightly at the look Akuma had when he was ordered to leave his meal alone. Vaylin fell in line, as she had since the start of their journey and followed along.

When the topic moved to her, Vaylin looked down at her hands. She could still feel the fire burning, now fleeting compared to how it had been when she had lashed out. But the Zabrak wasn't going to let it go, nor did it seem the tomb's aura want to either. It instead simply remained, no longer fighting against her, but waiting for another opportunity. "Yes, I feel it. It's a...strange feeling. Back on Dxun I had used the dark side as a tool, a means to survive those years. But now, in hindsight, it appears I never truely embraced it then. I had still been afraid."

As they continued walking, the topic from earlier cropped to mind. "You mentioned the term 'Sithspawn' before. What are they exactly? I don't believe I've ever encountered them up until those...things back there."

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


Sumiko raised an eyebrow. The Sith Mistress was quite willing to pass on knowledge when it suited her - and she did not consider it a threat. It would probably become apparent that she also liked to hear herself talk. "The Jedi did not give you a wholesome education? Typical," she spoke haughtily.


Unlike many Sith, Sumiko did not hate the Jedi per se. Too many of 'her' order wasted their time pursuing an ancient vendetta purely becaus their 'forefathers' had a grudge about being exiled or repeatedly exterminated. Those Sith were slaves to path dependency. Jedi were deluded and more often than not obstacles that needed to be removed. That was it. And their commitment to the Light makes them predictable, she thought.


"Faithful Akuma is one of them. Sithspawn are creatures altered by the application of Sith alchemy. Through this Art, both beasts and sentient beings can be mutated, transformed. Through the power of the Dark Side, a sorceress can remake a living being's mind and physical form, right down to the cellular level. They can be made stronger, more durable, cunning...or bestial. With enough knowledge, you can literally create new life."


As they continued on, a pillar got her attention. She walked over to it and began examining the symbols. They were written in an elaborate script of ancient Sithese. "'Those who seek my treasures must endure the tides of darkness while covered by the veil,'" she frowned, realising the implications. Her hand went to her sword, but suddenly the corridor was bathed in darkness as a massive black cloud manifested, rolling towards them at tremendous speed, swallowing the entire hallway. Physical sight would become almost impossible as everything turned pitch-black. An oily sense of dread permeated the air as the cloud brought about a vampiric draining effect. Disorientated, Sumiko felt as if her powers were being leeched.

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin gave a small shrug in response. At this point she recalled little of her time amongst the Jedi, aside from the annoying fact she was once one. There had been a time, between her years on Dxun where she wanted to erase every part of the Light that still clutched to her. That and just being swamped by the Dark every day had an erosive effect on her knowledge of such things.

"I see," she said. There wasn't much more for her to say after listening intently to Sumiko. The Zabrak mulled over the information in silence, her attention at one point lingering over to Akuma as the trio walked. The tiger now made sense to her, from when she had first sensed the creature through her connection with beasts. To Vaylin, Akuma still gave off a natural presence, but it was blatantly mixed with the unnatural too. As though someone had meddled with his very being, on a cellular level it seemed. The Atrisian's final words on the matter had struck a cord in the Zabrak, it made it sound as though the creations would likely see their maker as some type of god that had given them life.

The moment they entered another room, Vaylin was immediately on edge. Not that she could particularly sense something coming, but purely on the fact they had been attacked in the last room, and suspected the same would occur here. Which the Zabrak was proven correct, albeit it was not what she was expecting. With her hilt still in her hand, Vaylin went to ignite it but the cloud hit swiftly, and the Zabrak immediately felt its effects. She crumbled to her knees, feeling the vampiric effect it was having on her. Vaylin gritted her teeth as she tried to fight back against it.

"What's happening?" She called out. Vaylin kept herself low to the ground, taking deep breaths to try and calm the panic that was trying to set in. She thought of her time on Dxun, during the particularly dark nights when she was on a hunt. The Zabrak placed her hand down against the floor, feeling for any telltale vibrations if something or somethings were approaching.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


In short, their situation was unpleasant, to say the least. On instinct, Sumiko tried to fight back against the cloud of blackness. She tried to muster all her strength in the Dark Side. Yellowish tendrils of corrupted energy erupted from her hand as she sought to dissipate the cloud. It was made of darkness and fed on the Force, so it could be dispersed that way.


Initially, she felt it weaken, but her efforts only made her weaker. The cloud could restore itself by leeching their energies faster than she could drain it. As the cloud thickened, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Her head seemed to spin as if she were riding a rollercoaster. Blood dripped out of her nose, and it became more and more difficult to think clearly as the drain took its toll.


She grit her teeth. She feared no construct of darkness. "We need to go," she barked, just before Akuma knocked into them, forcing the Sorceress and the dark acolyte down. Ere she could give voice to her fury, the situation turned from bad to worse when very sharp spikes suddenly closed in on them from both sides of the wall. The tiger growled when the tip of one cut his side.


"Come on top," Sumiko urged. As more spikes shot towards them, she jumped on the tiger's back. A sharp pain surged through her hip, but she was too pumped full with adrenaline to really register the pain. Or notice the blood that seeped out of her flesh. Akuma, being mutated, was just about big enough to accommodate both. He would begin to race as the spikes closed in on them, jumping into the air as he sought to follow his nose and ears as opposed to his eyes. Ideally, they'd make it out of the room without being skewered!

 

[Vaylin]

When she felt nothing approaching, Vaylin felt even more unsettled. If there was something physical she'd find comfort in that, in some strange way. But there was nothing, just this cloud that felt like it was sapping the life out of her. At first she tried not to breathe, believing it was trying to suffocate her. It meant nothing however, as the overwhelming feeling remained strong.

Vaylin whipped her head in the direction of Sumiko when the woman began her attempts to disperse the cloud. It gave the Zabrak a push; a reminder to not just sit there doing nothing. Instead she tried whatever instinctively came to her. She began to try and wrap the Force around her, form a barrier around her body so the leeching effect struck it and not the person. But it was a futile effort, as little as it worked by the time Vaylin was able to stand up again, her legs were wobbling, unable to take much a step more without collapsing again.

Then Akuma suddenly tumbled into them, sending both women crashing to the ground. Vaylin groaned, hissing out in annoyance, but the sudden introduction of the newest threat to their lives halted it. Hearing Sumiko's words, Vaylin reached for Akumo, feeling out for his fur before managing to pull herself up and onto the tiger's back. That's when the Zabrak let out a cry of pain, as she felt something sharp strike her left shoulder.

She said nothing, just clutched ahold of Akuma and held on for her life.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


It was a random, moderately absurd thought, but Sumiko could not help reflect on the fact that this was supposed to be the room with the zombies. Or the lava pit. That's what standard tomb raiding cliches dictated. It was...deeply disconcerting to be out of control. The Force was power - without it, you were sheep. But she could not resist the draining effect. Or make the spikes of doom go away. So she clutched Akuma's fur and held on for dear life as the tiger raced, leapt and dashed through the chamber at a tremendous speed.


From both ends of the room, spikes shot out. Some the magnificient dodged, others he leapt over. Others again cut into him, smearing his fur with blood. With a loud roar, the large feline jumped, crossing the threshold and emerging on the other side of the cloud.


There was a loud thud when he landed upon the ground, outside of the fog of blackness. Abruptly Sumiko felt the Force return to her in full...force. This was accompanied by a stab of pain, and she fell off her pet, sliding across the stone ground before she came to a halt. Finally awakening from her daze, she breathed in deeply, greedily sucking in air. Her head bloody hurt, but they were alive. "Good boy," she muttered.

 

[Vaylin]

Without her sight Vaylin could only listen, hear the sharp whistling that whipped past them constantly. The spikes occasionally nipping across the Zabrak's skin, most missing her as she kept her body low against Akuma's back. All the while she held on tight, feeling her body slip and slide a bit as the tiger dashed for the exit. She despised this feeling, of being weak and unable to defend herself against some unseen foe.

Once they were clear, Vaylin let out a sigh of relief and simply remained clutched top Akuma as she felt the Force flowing through her again. Only to then frown when she heard a wispy, yet deep chuckle reach her ears. As if the tomb itself was amused by their near death experience. She tried moving, only to unceremoniously slide off of Akuma's back and fall into a slump on the floor beside him. Vaylin groaned, her head thumping like a crazed drum beat.

"Mhm, good job Akuma." She gave the tiger a grateful pat and stroke of his fur.

Vaylin went to move, but felt a sharp pain when she tried to move her left arm. With the adrenaline now shifting away, the Zabrak realized she was injuried. And a quick look cemented that fact when she saw one of the spikes had managed to lodge itself just below her left shoulder. She let out a groan, one of pain and annoyance.

"I swear, if we somehow manage to encounter the person who made this tomb. I'm going to torture them."

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]​

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Vaylin"]


Against all odds, they were alive. "Art of the Small is useful for that. Destroy them at the cellular level, bit by bit. Or drive them insane and lock their mind in a never-ending loop of torture," Sumiko said. She had a vivid imagination when it came to torture.


A groan borne out of pain and annoyance escaped her throat. Pain shot through her leg when she tried to get up, but she forced herself to stand, though she had to lean on the wall for a bit. "Keep that anger close to your heart. Feed on it. Stoke the flame," she instructed Vaylin while she drew upon the Force. Crucitorn could do its part to make the sensation of pain less intense. Her hazel eyes were filled with a cold fire.


As she gave Akuma a pat, she heard the same wispy, deep chuckle as Vaylin had. There was a sinister quality to it. "That cloud was old magic. I must give whoever placed the spell credit for making it so potent and long-lasting. There is a dark power at work here. Perhaps a shade of the Sith who lies buried here, or something else. It shall be smote. It deserves all the pain for this indignity. Then the tomb's secrets shall be mine."