First Hunt

[The Hound]

Ord Mantell~15:30 GST

The Sith shuttle hovered over one of the many volcanic islands that dotted the planet's oceans. The pilot said something, the sound lost to the hounds standing at the edge of the open cargo bay as the wind whipped around them. It stood , eyes deep black pits and orange hair flapping behind him, ready. A hound brought him his weapon, a black, Sith Sword.

It would suffice.

The shuttle came closer to the ground and the small pack disembarked, activating their lightsabers all at once. It nodded forward. An order. The hounds scattered searching for their prey. One of the flock had lost their way. Denounced the Ember of Vahl and fled Isolda's grasp. To do such a thing...To the High Priestess? It was unheard of.

An example had to be made.

 

[The Hound]

The shuttle had long since gone, a crate of rations left for the pack. Isolda's Hound sat upon volcanic rock, black as coal, with a fruit in its hand. Its skull-like jaw opened and rows of sharp teeth bit into the fruit's flesh, the purple juice running down its white claws and chin. A flash of excitement ran through the Force. One of the Hounds had found something. Tossing the unfinished fruit to the sea, it stepped into the cool water and made its way back to the black beach.

Swiping its sword from the sand it made its way into the jungle. Plants drooped as it passed them, the Dark Side suffocating and thick like jelly. It grunted as a large flutterplume flew through the trees. Carrion eater, something was dead. Following the avian with its head, the black socket-like eyes watched as the bird flew North.

 

[The Hound]

Following the bird it the Hound to a clearing where two hounds lay dead, a small number of the carrion eating birds picking at their light armor. Its eyes narrowed. This was recent. Making its way towards the two it noticed that it seemed as if they killed each other. Growling as it knelled beside them, the birds scattering, it rolled the body of one hound over. Female, the other, also female, their long black hair draped around their shoulders.

This heretic was close.

 

[The Hound]

What were these things? Abominations in the Force. The Dark hung over the Hounds like thick clouds and the storm that led them was nearing by the minute. She closed her eyes, wincing in pain as she attempted to heal her lightsaber wound with the Force. Her original allignment with the Dark Side made it difficult to pull the flesh back together, but if she didn't soon, this apostate would soon be a sacrifice to the goddess.

 

[The Hound]

A Hound held two duties in life. To search for the prey its master desired and either apprehend it or alert its master and to protect its master no matter the cause. Loyal to its dying breath. This was Turin's new life, though to call this Hound Turin Val Kur would be wrong.

Pulling a branch aside to clear the way through the forest it made its way deeper and deeper into the woodland hiding the apostate. It was getting closer. It could sense the faintest bit of the Light.

Closer and closer crept the loyal hunter.

 

[The Hound]

The apostate swallowed hard, attempting to quash her presence in the Force as much as she could. She had heard stories of Priests' Alpha Hounds, but she had never seen one in person. It stood two meters tall, covered in white. Its hair rippled down his back in the wind, red as if touched by the Goddess herself. Impressive horns sat atop its head and tufts of red fur sat neatly around its wrists and neck. Its head held the uncanny resemblance to the skull of a bovine with rows of sharp teeth. She could not help but stare in awe, and fear.

~~~​

​

The fear. It could smell the emotion, and though the presence was small, it knew that this feeling was unmistakably close. Its head jerked up into the trees, its black eyes scanning the skyline.

~~~​

​

The beast's gaze met her own, she knew it was now or never. She fell from the trees, brandishing her own lightsaber, burning through the treeline. Grunting in surprise the beast raised its arm up in defense. The blade struck, hissing, slowly eating away at the exoskeleton. Frowning in displeasure the Hound swung the blade away, lifting its own sith sword to strike.

 

[The Hound]

The apostate rolled to the left, narrowly missing a decapitation. The blade chopped into the tree deeply. Growling in frustration it left the blade in the tree, turning to face its prey, without a blade. Its gaze fell on her leg, wounded, no doubt against the two Hounds she had slain earlier. With a deep, throaty grumble his feet left the ground. Propelled by the Force it rocketed at its prey.

Ruthless and brutal yet simple, its swipes were easy enough to dodge by the apostate. She raised her blade to strike only to find that she wasn't halucinating before. His skin actually repelled the lightsaber. Cursing under her breath she continued to attack, putting the Hound on the defensive. Lightside attacks were out of the question in her case, what could she do that would hurt this thing?

 

[The Hound]

With a powerful Force push, she pushed the Alpha Hound away from her and turned to run away, but the two other hounds dropped from the trees, blocking her path. Their masks glared at her and the hum of their lightsabers made her uneasy. Turning back to the beast she had been fighting earlier her eyes widened as it stood within arms reach.

It had moved so quickly-How?

She didn't have time to think she reached into her coat and pulled out her Sith dagger, plunging it deep into the beasts chest with a final battle cry. Its eyes widened in shock and surprise as the blade penetrated its skin, drawing dark blood. Jumping back, gripping the dagger in pain it gnashed its jaws, barking like some hound of hell.

 

[The Hound]

The two other hounds started to move in, but stopped when the Alpha let loose a haunting roar. Pulling the dagger from its chest and tossing the blood stained blade to the forest floor it raised itself to its full height of six meters. Reaching out its right hand it called to its sith sword that had been stuck in the tree.

Gripping it in the Force he tugged it towards him, gripping the precariously spinning blade with a cold calm.

 

[The Hound]

Dashing at the woman who now had little to do than defend, he swung his blade with deadly precision, beating her down into submission. Backed into a corner with the black eyes of the beast looming over her she began to sob. It raised its sword as if to strike and then suddenly froze, lowering its blade.

Within its deep black eyes, yellow slits opened and its mind touched her's. At first a floundering confusion of Darkness and thought, and then silence as if something had just brought calm to the beast's mind. A voice touched her's.

Will you lay down your weapon and return to the fold?​

The woman looked up at the beast.
"Never"

Then perish in Her name​

Isolda had taken control of her Hound, given the apostate a last chance. She had denied it. Reaching down, it gripped the woman by her hair and lifted her up as she screamed curses through tears. He pulled back his sword arm and thrust the black blade through her heart. She went limp as the blade ran its course.

Dropping the body it went back into the woods, collected the two fallen Hounds and with the other surviving two made its way back to the shore.