An Old Familiarity

[Briah Song]

View attachment 188
Thapean Moutains, Thape, Mid Rim
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The nights had gotten colder; much colder. Thape was not known for its forgiving climate, but something had stirred recently in its winds that gave Auron a fierce wariness. For a long time now, this place had become his home; his refuge from all that sought to tear at him. It was a place of ancient power and mysterious history, but was as peaceful as one could hope for in the era of eternal chaos. Peace did not come easy to the half-dead man, but as he remained hidden from the world in his hermitage, he valued the time to continue his new work inspired by his Priestess. But there was much to be done, and when he was not scouring the galaxy as a shadow, he would recuperate from his long excursion deep in the harsh mountains of Thape, the grim landscapes of which seemed to be the only thing offering him some sense of solace.

In the resting halls of his huge, empty abode - a fortress of imposing power and a graveyard of his nemesis and his father - he sat alone in the dim firelight meditating, conjoining himself with the dark abysses of this most mysterious planet. Reaching out with the Force, he could feel the vicious wind wrap around the castle's many spires, yet unavailed in their attempts to unhinge them. He could feel the gentleness of snow finding a home along the wall tops of the stronghold, nestling firmly into layers of hard ice. He could feel the storms overhead and the solemn black of the planet's many abysses. He could feel the few remaining creatures that managed to survive the twisted Thapean climate; lowland birds and rodents that were small enough to find burrowed land where it was warmer and drier. Yet those, too, would soon be consumed by the planet, as all had been before.

But something else gnawed at him. There was something unusual out there; the faintest of touches on a breeze of deafening noise. Perplexed, he sought to dive deeper.

 

[Anora Vahn]

The dreams were so very, very vivid. Everything from the snow blasted colors, to the very feel of the air around her, it was as if Anora would step from one plane of existence into another the moment her body fell into slumber. It had been disorienting at first, confusing, and caused quite a bit of concern to boot. She had no idea why she was here, or what this place was. There was nothing but the snow and the sound of the wind whipping around her as she attempting to figure out why she was in such a place.

It had taken her time to figure out that she had even been dreaming; more than once she had come to this place in slumber, and each time she was closer to a large place she still did not recognize. However, the very last time she dreamed of this place, there was familiarity lingering in the air. A presence she had not felt in...Hell, she didn't even know. This very thing had lead her to research, the drive to discover this place, and once that had been accomplished? A way to get there. She did not want to drag Tyran into this, it was not something for him to get involved in. So it took Anora some time to gather the means for transport as well as needed gear so that she could survive the place once she got there.

And her dreams in all their vividness still did not prepare her for the terrain of Thape. Honestly, she had no idea why she had been driven to this place, why after all of this time she had been brought here. But it didn't stop her, and she trudged her way forward with heavy legs and tired limbs. The place she had barely seen in her dreams appeared to be a castle of some sort, and she was drawn to it - whether stupidly or not. Whatever the case, she was here now, and there was no turning back since she had come this far.


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

Something was most assuredly coming to him. What that something was, however, was unclear. It seemed so very familiar, and yet totally alien. Glimpses of someone's past seemed to echo in his mind the deeper he delved. It was a person? He wasn't quite sure. Tired and chest stinging in pain, Auron moved to a long sofa that sat in the retirement chamber. He reached for a bottled tincture on the table beside him and gulped generous servings to keep his body from suddenly failing him. The potion was bitter like blood and rust, and he winced and coughed once in response before setting the bottle back down again.

He needed to know. What was this mysterious sensation that was plaguing the furthest corners of his senses? He found it infuriating that he had his own limitations, and his anger at his own incompetence pushed him to a private rage for all of five seconds, before settling back down to a calm. Finding the whole scenario ridiculous, Auron disciplined himself and prompted his mind to search more detail... Closing his eyes, he connected with the mountains once more. The wind... The stone... The ice...

It was a woman. The image suddenly came to him. Yes, it was a woman. But it was someone from a long time ago... It was someone from before, long before...

Anora.

It suddenly all fit in place as the name swept along the breeze of his subconscious, and his memory flashed to him in a second, but much of the order and details remained vague to him. Why would she see him, now of all times?

 

[Anora Vahn]

She had felt it, being watched that is. Or rather, being observed. It wasn't in the sense that someone was around her, nearby watching as she moved forward. No, it was deeper than that, a connection she was still grasping at most of the time, but was clearly strong enough to bring her here. So despite the wind and the snow Anora stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. She breathed as steadily as she could in that moment, calmed herself, and reached out. She was careful about it, she didn't know what to expect after all, and she didn't want to dive Force deep into something she couldn't back pedal away from.

But it didn't take her long to find what she was looking for, and she breathed out a sigh of relief to know that she hadn't come all this way for absolutely nothing. Vivid or not, dreams weren't always reliable.

'Auron...' she spoke out to him, unsure if her control was good enough to even speak to anyone this way, much less him in these crazy weather conditions. 'Can you hear me?'


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

Echoes reflected in his skull over and over again without definition; a wash of noise that defined itself with indistinct voice. As his name came into clarity, looped and looped through his mind, he could feel the calm winds of Voss and hear the rustling of ancient trees overhead, flanked by families of birds flocking to their peaceful home, and in an instant snuffed out by the unwelcome imagery of fire and smoke, death and blood, and the most terrible of screams that came from his mother. Memories flooded him to exhaustive manner, until they were suddenly sobered by that voice one more.

"Auron." At last, it was defined and strong, a hard punch to the gut that scared away all other confusion. "Can you hear me?"
Auron breathed shallowly. He could feel his head was damp from cold sweat and his breathing had shortened, his heartbeat risen. With all of his might he mustered what energy he had left, pushing his voice back out to where hers had come from.
"Y-yes. I can hear you." He could feel the cold of the mountain around her. She was here, on Thape, right now. He stood before her, and could see her clearly as if she was right there in the room with him. The mountains around them screeched with the voice of the Abyss that so desperately wished to swallow them both; cold black, rotting talons and fierce eyes of the unknown, and suddenly he felt forced out of his trance and back into waking reality, the connection closed once more. He panted and spluttered, clambering for solace and stability once more, cold and damp from perspiration, eyesight fuzzy from confusion. Anora is here, he thought. Why would she come here?




Anora Vahn

 

[Anora Vahn]

The connection wasn't as vivid for Anora, at least not like this. Strange how it was so much easier when she was sleeping than when she was up, awake, and about. Still, she could hear him clear as a bell, and as such she sighed out again when she received firm confirmation that she hadn't been crazy. Well, that was honestly still up in the air, but at least she really did have a reason to be here.

The confirmation also drove her forward again. She needed to get out of the weather, and she had at least been connected enough to see that where ever Auron was? It was out of the wind, which was more than enough to keep her moving. At one point, she felt the connection wane, but it didn't stop her from pressing on until she was almost literally at the front door of this large, fortress like place.

Nora did not however reach out to go inside. This was not her domain, it was not her place, and she would not invade. She did however reach out again, searching once more for the old familiarity. 'Its cold out here...' she informed him, 'And I'd really like to not freeze.' Which wasn't a far fetched request, really. She was here, and being let inside would be appreciated - or at least taken some place out of the wind.


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

Auron stood still as a statue within the empty halls of his keep. Seconds seemed like minutes, and minutes like hours, and every crack of the fireplace and every collapsing, embered surrender of its burning timber were obstinate whippings against the tender back of silence, rivalled only by the subdued thrum thrum thrum of his half-animated heart. Should he really let her in? After all this time? Would it really be a good idea? A shadow of doubt and villainy overcome his mind. He could simply let her freeze and nobody would ever know.

He clutched onto his skull, biting his lower lip to draw blood and seethed at himself. No, he must not. He would not. He sought as deep as his soul would allow him to desperately find any remnant of humanity still left inside of himself. It was there, nestled in silence beneath a cocoon of ash, but it was most certainly there. He stood straight and breathed deeply, before allowing himself to feel through the Force, raising his hand in silence and flurrying it mid-air. Somewhere beyond the retirement room, out through the main hall and to the entrance of the castle, the gates solemnly opened on their own accord for their new guest. Auron fell back and slumped silently into his armchair, face in his hand, staring half-blind at the fireplace before him that spat and hissed venomously at him.



Anora Vahn

 

[Anora Vahn]

The gate coming open caused Anora to take a step back and watch with guarded expression for a time. She was waiting for someone to be on the other side, friend or foe either one, and yet she was not at all shocked to find no one there. Her brow did crease a tad, and she leaned a little this way and that to make double sure that this was not some sort of trick before she stepped through.

While absolutely nothing about this endeavor was normal, walking within this castle did not feel right to her at all. It wasn't a sensation that immediately made her wish to turn tail and flee, but it most certainly made a shiver race down her spine and brought her guard up in a severe way. Her footfalls were quiet, she had always been the stealthy sort, and she had only gotten better at such things with age and experience. But something told Nora that her careful and quiet maneuvering through this place was not going to protect her from whatever it was that had the little hairs on her body standing on end.

'Quite the place you have here....' she pressed for that connection again. Anything to not feel alone and vulnerable in this place as she attempted to navigate it. 'The ambiance is really....welcoming.' Seems her wit had not dampened or changed in the years she and Auron had spent apart. Nor her ability to cover unwanted sensation or emotion with whatever level of humor she was capable of at the given time.


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

His face rested in his hand and eyes half-closed in rest, Auron made shallow breaths and sought to calm his mind. But a dozen questions flowed through him. What had happened? Why was Anora here? How did she find him here? What was that connection? Was she coming to kill him for abandoning the Jedi? They cycled over and over in his head and his head throbbed in pain. Her voice came to him again.

"Quite the place you have here... The ambiance is really... welcoming." Her typical snobbery and inability to take anything seriously had persisted even now after all these years. She is not welcome here, came a voice from above and behind him. Trespassers are not allowed in this domain. We would do well to cut her down once she arrives. Take your saber. His struggled to silence the voice in his own head, but his hand did motion closer to the lightsaber that sat beside the armchair, moving on its own accord but with some difficulty of Auron's own personal resistance. His voice tightened and contorted until at last he managed to spit a venomous "Silence!" back at his own subconscious, and he breathed slowly and deeply to recover his strength. He sat in silence, contemplating the inevitable arrival of someone from another life.



Anora Vahn

 

[Anora Vahn]

There was nothing in reply, which did not at all make Anora feel better. "Well...that was helpful...." she muttered to herself, and pulled the collar of her outer layer of clothing just a little more snuggly against her skin. Yet as she wandered a bit farther, it became apparent to her that it wasn't the cold that was causing such sensations. There was most certainly something off about this place she had so carelessly wandered into, and she could feel it closing in on her the deeper into this place that she went.

"Some welcoming party." she sighed out. The halls were empty, and there was little light protruding from any of the arch or doorways she came across. Which made the sudden glow of yellow in a doorway off to her side both startling and suspicious. It had caused Nora to stop moving and watch with wary eyes for a time as she watched that glow move closer until the source came into view. The sight of the yellow lightsaber caused Anora's chest to tighten in a way that damn near took her breath away, and all she could do was take a step back when it's wielder stepped into view not moments after.

"Nia...h-how...?" But there was no verbal reply from the younger Vahn sister. Just that dark, sinister smirk that took hold of the blonde's lips that Anora was all too familiar with. Nora cursed, loudly, then sent out a rather loud and distressful cry for help through that link she had with Auron, but her eyes did not move from the smaller woman stood menacingly across from her.


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

There was an unusual disturbance, a shriek both in the Force and that echoed against the cold stone of the castle's long halls. Auron's half-animated state suddenly sobered and his eyes flared with misty blue as he focused on what had happened. He could sense that Anora was actually in some amount of real danger, and that she had lured the remnants of the fortress' ghosts to her. This would prove to be trouble. It was not long ago Auron had actually managed to subdue the meddlesome spirits for a time, and he had savoured at least week or two of peace; or rather, peace from such troubles, for there were many more troubles that clawed at him every second.

He stood and thought a moment, fighting with himself. His feet stuck to the floor, prohibiting him from moving. But he persisted, pushing himself through the sludge of his own demons. He would not be a slave to his own darkness. Not now. He strode out of his chambers and into the long central hallway that melted into long darkness ahead. Whispers of the keep's black secrets crept along him, invading the corners of his mind, but he was not deterred. He strode on into the long, dark silence, ears to the air in search of his new guest.



Anora Vahn

 

[Anora Vahn]

Deep down, Anora was quite aware that the thing standing in front of her, was not her sister. While she may not know what this thing actually was, she at least knew that much. However, the threat appeared very real. The similarities were uncanny, the hum of the blade was far too familiar for Anora's liking, and that sinister expression was one the older of the sisters would never in her life forget. So she had very real reason to back slowly away from whatever this thing was, even if she didn't know what it was actually capable of, or if she was in any real danger.

Fact of the matter was? Nora still didn't have a saber of her own. She had gotten to be a pretty good shot with a blaster since her time spent with her Mandalorian friend, but something told her that the blaster holstered on her thigh was not going to help her in this situation. "This is so not what I came here for..." she muttered aloud, and continued to back up for the time being. Soon enough she would run out of room to retreat, but right in that moment? It wasn't something Nora was at all thinking about. All she was concerned with was not getting herself impaled or chopped in half by that lightsaber.


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

"Begone, spirit of Gevurah!" came a harsh and gravelled voice from the darkness. To Auron, the antagonist that haunted his guest was merely a shadow, but he knew it had the power to appear as one's weakness to those who were not prepared to resist it, and take advantage of that weakness. While ultimately harmless on the physical realm, echoes of the Sith Lord Gevurah's ghost still crept along the halls of his ancient keep, which had been the seat of his brewing, silent empire of alchemy and abomination. From this place, he had twisted and tormented Thape into his playground of creation and destruction, and had thus become Auron's inheritance upon their final conflict and his own rebirth.

The spirit screeched a horrendous noise that pierced the eardrums, and Auron raised a blackened hand as if holding air by the throat, and pulled it hard into a fist. The keep rumbled, and the scream and the image of black suddenly dissipated into nothingness. With a quick glance to Anora, Auron hid his rotted hand back inside of his blue-grey cloak. Without any further eye contact with his guest, he marched back down the hallway from whence he came, through the darkness and into the retirement chamber once more. The room was stony but adorned with antiquated ornamentation and tapestry work. Large rugs flanked around a long chaise longue, all arranged around a fierce fireplace. Ignoring Anora, Auron moved to his armchair and, taking the small vial of medicine, took another gulp of the disgusting mixture, wincing in the process. Instead of sitting, he leaned his arm against the mantlepiece and stared directly into the fire beneath him.
"Why did you come here?" he finally said after a long silence that seemed as cold as the planet itself.



Anora Vahn

 

[Anora Vahn]

"Spirit of what?" But there was no answer, and in fact when she had turned around she had nothing but Auron's back to look at. Anora made a noise in the back of her throat and was quick to follow, but was now beyond both weary and alert for all things that went bump in the night within the walls of this place. While she had felt the strengths of this place when she had entered, by no means had she expected anything like what she had just encountered. The idea that she had, had no idea what she was getting herself into had crossed her mind more than once, just from the time Auron had found her, to when he had stopped in some other room with her in tow.

Her gaze swept this new room, a frown etched onto her features now. None of this was anything she recognized from the dreams that had brought her here - which made sense sure, but didn't make her any more comfortable or feel any better about it.

"That's a good question," she answered without missing a beat, despite her own train of thoughts in the moment. "And the honest answer?" Both of her shoulders shrugged deeply. "I kept dreaming of this place, outside. The familiarity, your familiarity. It was strange, and would not stop. So here I am." Her arms then folded and her brow creased. "What are you doing here?" she asked in return.


Briah Song

 

[Briah Song]

Auron's eyes had been locked in stony silence towards the fireplace for as long as possible. When Anora spoke to him, he did not respond immediately, for the dances of its flames reflected the chaos of his own mind, and thus gave him some sense of peace and contemplation. His rotted left hand stung, pain shooting up through his arm. Slowly and carefully, he flexed and clenched it, but he did little for him. Solemnly, his eyes returned to the fireplace.

"This is my home now," he said at long last to Anora. "The planet is..." A whisper shot across the dark - like a sudden fingernail on rusted steel - and in a flash vanished into silence. Auron's breathing stilled and his eyes shot sharp to the side. Was that only in his mind? He was not sure. Normality returned almost instantly, and after that Auron finally looked at his guest directly. "You really shouldn't be here. You're not welcome." Auron's voice was firm and cold, a polar contrast to when they had spent time together all that time ago, in the mountains and wilderness of tragic, devastated Voss. Until now, Auron had forgotten all about it, and her sudden arrival had revived bitter memory for him. "I am working here. There is so much to do. You..." he thought a moment on how he would appear to her in this moment. What had happened to him since he last saw her? His voice faltered. "You... should not see me, like this. You-You should be here."


Anora Vahn