Hidden Amongst The Thicket

[Maiev]

Maiev was quick to move to Elpsis' side, managing to catch the empath as she collasped. Albeit her armour made it difficult to stop her completely falling, but was still able to ensure she didn't slam her head down onto the ground. She had been concerned when the redhead's body began shaking, but the witch had stayed her hand on the assumption that Elpsis knew what she was doing. When she saw the Felucian suddenly gasp, Maiev became more alerted especially when moments later Elpsis's entire body shook one last time.

Carefully, she lowered the redhead onto the ground and checked her. Thankfully thought she was simply unconscious, though that said nothing about the potential repercussions of her actions.

<Well, that didn't go to well.> Maiev would've given the spirit a deadpan stare if she could, instead she focused that emotion through their connection.

"Thanks for stating the obvious Kalax. Now, can you tell me what happened to her?"

<I'd assume she remained in the ferals mind when he kicked it. Which is highly dangerous for an empath.> Maiev frowned, her concerned expression deepening as she looked down at Elpsis. <She's probably brain dead.>

"Kalax!" Even though she couldn't visually see it, she knew the spirit had shrugged in response. "Do you think she'll wake up by herself?"

<Hmm, not sure. You might need some of your salts to stir her awake.>

Maiev waited for a bit to see if Elpsis would indeed awaken herself. But when there was no response other than her breathing, the witch unlatched her satchel and riffled through it until she pulled out a small bag. Tugging at the string that tied it shut, Maiev gently brought it to Elpsis' nose allowing the pleasant, earthy scent waft into the redhead's nose. And that was what she'd awaken too, with Maiev crouched at her side leaning over her with strands of her black hair falling down close enough to nearly brush against her face.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


On the list of do-nots for an empath, being inside someone else's mind when they died was pretty high. Still, that's what Elpsis had done. The feral's brain went the way of the dodo, and Elpsis was still right inside it. Maiev catching her meant that she did not get her head slammed into the ground. A concussion would have been the least of her problems.


Darkness swallowed the young empath when the strands of life were cut. She was trapped in a black abyss, unable to awaken. Her entire body had gone rigid, as if she had shut down fully. However, her heart still beat in a slow, steady rhythm, though it was weak, and she had a pulse. Faint embers of life inside her remained.


Her vacant eyes remained open, looking as if she were locked in trance. They looked even deader than usual, as if that were possible. Deep inside her mind, she could perceive naught by darkness, an all-consuming void that threatened to swallow her.


Then she saw a flash of light, piercing the darkness. Awaken, daughter of the white wolf. It was accompanied by a pleasant, earthy scent that wafted into her nose. It took a bit, but slowly Elpsis stirred, as she was pulled out of the pit.


The girl looked startled, unable to figure out where she was. Confused, milky-white eyes focused on Maiev. The very real, physical form of the witch blurred with the transluscent shape of the spirit who used her as a host. "Whaat...who...Maiev...," Elpsis spoke haltingly as the words rolled off her tongue, finding it difficult to articulate herself in a coherent manner right now.

 

[Maiev]

Now that she was closer than before, Maiev got a good look at Elpsis' eyes. They were admittedly quite creepy to gaze into with blank they looked when the empath was unconscious, and with an added spark of danger within them. It was as though the witch was seeing a frozen snapshot of what Elpsis had gone through while in the Felucian's mind.

Maiev continued to hold the salts close to the redhead's nose until she saw the telltale signs of the woman stirring. There was a flash of confusion as eyes blinked, Maiev could tell the empath was looking at her, but at the same time was looking at something else.

To Elpsis, the transuscent shape that was Kalax-Ra looked like an almost mirror image of her host. Female, but with a much thinner frame and her hair was straighter in comparison to Maiev's wild locks. However she was only there for moments, and was gone not long after Elpsis fully regained consciousness.

<Interesting...>

The witch probably would've asked what Kalax felt was fascinating, but her attention was on the woman currently laid out before her.

"Yeah, it's me Elpsis. How are you feeling?" She asked, pulling the small bad away, tying it shut before placing it back into her satchel.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


"There's...two of you...now," Elpsis muttered, for she was still in a daze. However, as the haze left her eyes, the transluscent shape that was the spirit inhabitating Maiev's body vanished from her ethereal sight and she was left with the darkhaired woman.


"I'm....ok, I think. Head hurts," she tried to get to her feet with a deep groan - and promptly fell again. Her legs had not just fallen asleep on her. They felt like jellie. She finally managed to stand on her second try, though she did so more than a little shakily.


Her eyes fell upon the Felucian. She checked his pulse, though in her heart of hearts she knew he was dead. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry couldn't save you," she spoke sadly, gently closing the alien's eyes. "May you find peace in a world without war. May the white wolf guide you out of the void into her eternal forest. We'll avenge you."


She turned her gaze back to Maiev. "There was a dark, evil force trying to push me out. It killed him. It must be controlling the creatures. But...I know where we gotta go. To a massive sarlacc pit. I think the locals call it the ancient abyss. It's gonna be crawling with beasts and cultists," she took a deep breath.

 

[Maiev]

Maiev frowned slightly at the empath's initial words. It seemed as though she had caught sight of Kalax-Ra somehow, explaining the odd look in Elpsis' eyes when she first stirred. But clarity returned to the redhead as the haze began to lift.

"Yeah, I imagine it would after doing that." Maiev commented, helping where she could to get Elpsis back on her feet.

She watched as the empath moved over to the now deceased Felucian, checking his pulse to confirm it. The witch's lips thinned into a sad smile as she looked down upon him, then to the other captured ferals. Fortunately they hadn't shared the same fate, but the sudden death of their brother seemed to have knocked them unconscious, furthering the idea that there was some form of hive-mind at work.

The witch was tempted to get rid of the roots, but a quick warning from Kalax-Ra stayed her hand. There was no knowing if it was trick from whoever had originally corrupted their minds.

Maiev listened to the information Elpsis had acquired, and frowned in response. She had heard rumours that a sarlacc existed somewhere on Felucia, but had always thought they were just tales from the Felucian villages. Was this creature the one responsible? Or perhaps it had a widespread connection to various parts of the planet, and such a key target for anyone wanting to spread corruption.

"We should probably do some assessment of the situation once we get there, figure out what exactly we're dealing with." Maiev leaned down scooping up her satchel, throwing the strap over her shoulder. "All right, let's get going shall we?"

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


Elpsis' first instinct was to charge in, guns blazing and tossing fireballls. But as angry as she was, intellectually she knew that would...probably not go well. Especially if there was an army of rabid creatures down there. Not to mention the fact that it involved entering a damn sarlacc. No, she needed to be more strategic about this. So she gave Maiev a curt nod. For a moment, her milky-white eyes drifted towards the unconscious Felucians.


Now that they had lost consciousness, they looked even more like puppets, who'd suddenly asleep because their strings had been pulled. Just to be certain, she checked their vitals, but fortunately they were still alive. Hopefully no wild beast would eat them while they were tied up.


"Yeah, let's go. Time's a wasting. Be on your guard," she said in a determined tone and trotted off, deeper into the benighted bushes. Lightsabre and Cylix bolt pistol were in reach. She could not shake off the feeling that they were being watched as they moved into the wilderness.


"I saw another presence inside you," she suddenly spoke up after a moment of silence. "It's not just you there, is it?" Ostensibly a question, but the way she phrased it made it sound more like a statement of fact. There was really no good way to say 'so you're possessed, how's that working for you?'

 

[Maiev]

Thankfully the fate of the restrained Felucians wouldn't be completely left to chance. Once the duo were far enough away and the one that had called them was gone, the roots slowly returned back to the ground underneath. They remained unconscious still, but they would be capable of leaving once they awoke.

As they walked, Maiev too could feel the presence. She couldn't place it, what it was or where it was coming from, but it was definitely watching them as they moved. And it was everywhere, like it had eyes and ears throughout the fungal forest.

I wonder if it's the Sarlaac that's watching us? It could be that its an unwilling participant in whatever the one's corrupting this place are doing.

<It is a possibility, but we can't ignore the fact that the creature might be compromised if it's being used to spread the corruption.>

Maiev nodded internally, mulling over the concept as they continued onwards.

Then Elpsis dropped the bombshell both witch and spirit had been waiting to happen.

<Well, that certainly didn't take to long.>

She is an empath, Kalax. It surprised it didn't crop up sooner. Remember, you were sighted not moments after Elpsis woke up.

They walked a few more steps before Maiev stopped, and turned to face Elpsis.

"No it isn't, I'm in fact a host to a spirit that's been part of me...well a long time now."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


Now it was time to have that talk. Before they inevitably ended up in danger again and were assaulted by primitive aliens, cultists or the manifold beasts that populated the wilderness of Felucia.


"For a long time? How? What happened? What sort of entity is it?" Elpsis asked. Caution was evident in her tone. The redhead's expression and stance did not convey hostility, but she looked guarded...and rather concerned. Her faith acknowledged the existence of benign spirits. Indeed, every believer had a spiritual guardian, which usually took the shape of an animal that reflected an aspect of your personality. However, they tended not to possess you.


She knitted her brow together as another thought popped into her mind. "Have I really been talking to you all this time...or the spirit by proxy?" Of course, if the spirit was evil, it would probably not let Maiev tell the truth! That said, if she was faced with a lie, Elpsis' empathy might pick up a hint or two.

 

[Maiev]

<Well she didn't start outright with hostilities, so she's got that going for herself.>

Maiev mutely agreed, Elpsis' reaction was certainly more reserved in comparison to some of the previous ones the witch had been witness too. Plenty of folks that had come before, did not take to well to learning someone they're working with was in fact a host to a spirit.

"Well firstly, her name is Kalax-Ra. And she's been part of me for as long as I remember. As in, she was there when I was nothing more than a baby, squirming and crying in my crib."

She had been what one would consider an 'imaginary friend' to Maiev, being there as an active element when the witch was old enough to understand things. Living in a village that was solely devoted to you was overbearing, and often enough Maiev retreated to her mind to simply talk with Kalax. The spirit had no qualms with bending to whatever the younger witch desired, whether it was some manner of creature or running off on an adventure or two.

"And it depends on what sort we're talking, she's not malicious if that's what you were wondering." Oh, Maiev was certain Kalax could be if she wanted to, the spirit was old enough and had seen enough that those lines were easily blurred. "It's less of a possession than it is me simply being a host for her."

<One does get awfully bored being stuck on one planet after all.> Kalax-Ra chimed in, though went largely ignored as Maiev focused on Elpsis.

"Believe me when I say that you've only been talking to me, not Kalax. My relationship with her is more of a partnership. She has no desire to take over my body, but rather to simply be a guide to further a more balanced agenda when it comes to the Force." Though there was no denying now that with the revelation of Kalax's existance, that the darkness Elpsis had sensed before originated from the spirit within the witch.

Though her empathy certainly made this conversation a lot more simpler than the previous times it had cropped up. As there was nothing but truth coming from Maiev's lips.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


"Ok. Thanks for being honest," Elpsis looked thoughtful. Empathy did make their conversation simpler. This gift - or curse in some ways - did not confer infallibility, alas. Otherwise the redhead's life would be a lot simpler. She could be deceived and had been so in the past.


However, what she could glean from Maiev's emotions told her that the older woman was telling the truth. Or at least what the darkhaired woman believed to be the truth. In the depths of her mind, Elpsis could not help wonder if the spirit was truly as benign as Maiev believed she was.


After all, who the hell chose a baby as a host? Creepy. Sounds like the perfect way to mould someone in your image and make them dependent on you. She could not help feel cynical, even though ironically a balanced approach to the Force tallied with her own views. "This is rather difficult for me to wrap my head around. Seems all sorts of wrong that someone would pick a kid - a baby - as a host, no matter how benign the entity is. A toddler can't choose to say no. But I accept that you're not evil and wanna help. So we're cool."


She frowned slightly. The situation would bear watching, but she needed the help. Besides, she liked Maiev. "So...does this mean Kalax is always watching? Like, even if you're getting laid?" she blurted out, attempting to lighten the mood a bit.

 

[Maiev]

"It's a fair reaction to be wary, it's understandable and I thank you for not immediately jumping for my throat." She said, a small smile on her face. "There have been several in the past that haven't taken to the knowledge nearly as well."

Which she was glad for, as it was always a shame when someone suddenly did a one-eighty and was scornful at her. It got tiring real quick, and often enough the witch found herself losing potential friends and allies before the day was done. The Vigil had been a risk, introducing herself to that many people at once. The potential of being turned away was high, but in the end she had been accepted - albeit there were a couple amongst the group that cautious around her still.

"If it weren't for Kalax, I would've died." Maiev's eyes lingered away from Elpsis as memories were drawn to the surface. "My mother died not long after I was born, I...was supposedly still in her arms when Kalax-Ra had found me. If it weren''t for her and the Force, I wouldn't have made it back to my village and lived on." The witch's gaze returned to Elpsis, wincing slightly at the admission.

"But I am aware there's certainly some morality in question there." While Maiev was devoted to Kalax-Ra's beliefs, she wasn't blinded to how morally grey they were.

They resumed their walking once more, but after a minute or so Elpsis decided to blurt out one last thing. Maiev, for her credit tried to stifle it at first, but inevitably let out a small laugh.

"Oh, she wishes." Maiev smirked, already hearing the spirit in question grumbling.

<Can you blame me? You've complained at times going without for months. Try going eons without getting any.>

"But like I said before, it's a mutual partnership and I'm ultimately in control. So I can block Kalax out when needed, which...getting laid is certainly one such occasion." The witch managed to stifle another laugh into a chuckle. "Of course early on I was oblivious to it, was certainly a surprise to learn she could. And well you can imagine my shock when in the middle of a lovely tryst, I suddenly hear her...reacting along with me."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


Maiev's words gave Elpsis pause. "I'm sorry about your mother," she said feelingly. "No one should ever grow up without one." The redhead had not known her birth mother until very recently, after all. "I'm glad Kalax helped you then." If that's really the full story, she thought. She really did not want to be cynical, but experience had taught her otherwise. She was relieved to hear that the other witch was not an unquestioning follower of the spirit who'd set up shop inside her.


Then, as they walked, they got the truly pressing issue of the discourse. Elpsis could not resist giggling. She could not hear the spirit's words, but she was certain that she'd felt a degree of...grumpiness, which clearly did not emanate from Maiev.


"Oh, is Casper the Friendly Ghost grumpy about not getting any? Must have massive spiritual cobwebs down under, if you know what I mean. Did I mention I'm an empath? So much fun stuff you can...," she abruptly trailed off. Her expression turned from playful to serious.


The redhead sniffed, as if she'd smelt something foul. She bent down and touched the ground with her bare hand. The soil felt disturbed when she felt it. "Something's coming. Something big. Prepare yourself," she ordered. There was a bright flash inside her eyes. They would have a moment to seek cover or prepare themselves, before a volley of spears and slug rounds came flying towards them.


A moment later, the ground was shaken by heavy footfalls, while a blood-curdling roar tore through the air. A huge mountains of scaly flesh had caught their scent and hungered for their flesh. Razor sharp teeth protruded from its flat faces below slitted nostrils. A feral Felucian, this one a shaman, commanded the rancor as a mount. Flanking it was a host of Felucian warriors, looking wild and angry.

 

[Maiev]

That time Maiev couldn't help but laugh. Between Elpsis' words and the sheer indignation she was feeling from Kalax-Ra was too much for the witch. She could imagine that Kalax was just standing there, arms crossed against her chest as she huffed.

<Casper the Friend Ghost! Who does she think she is->

"You asked for it Kalax, you were the one who made that comment." She let out a mental chuckle, but the spirit was suddenly quiet and becoming increasingly serious. "Kalax?"

<We've got company, they're heading our way quickly.>

Maiev's attention returned to reality, to see Elpsis was crouched to the ground and was touching it; reading it. The witch moved for one of her blades, but quickly shifted focus and grabbed Elpsis arm. She moved behind a nearby a towering mushroom, pulling the empath along with surprising strength given she was moving someone wearing armour.
"Well, you did ask for a rancor." She commented, an amused smirk appearing despite how dire their situation was.

Peering around, Maiev began taking in the enemy's numbers and strategizing a plan. As she poked her head out once more, a spear went zipping by and slammed into the ground by them.

"Alright, I'm going to focus on the rancor and its rider." Maiev began, her eyes falling on Elpsis. "Can you manage the warriors? I could probably keep one or two on me."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


A very petty, immature part of Elpsis felt like arguing the point. She wanted to ride...uh, take on the Rancor! After all, she was a Witch Elder. Whatever that was supposed to mean. Fortunately, the more mature Elpsis won out and realised that bickering in the middle of a battle would be a bad idea.


"Sure. Don't ride off on it without me," she called to her new buddy and moved to engage the host of feral warriors. Wanting to at least explore the option of taking them out of the game without spilling their blood, she opened herself to the Force and reached out to their minds.


However, as she sought to establish a link and exact her will upon them in order to subdue them, she hit a durasteel wall. Then she heard loud, torturous screams inside her mind. It sounded like a thousand souls wailing in agony, and was accompanied by red-hot needles of psychic pain slicing into her mind. So intense was the sensation that she was knocked to the ground, landing hard. Pain surged through her mind, she pulled back, and was violently forced out of their minds. Blood was dripping down her nose when she'd recovered.


<< They belong to me. You cannot save them. Will you kill them? >>


"Then I'll send them to a better place," she hissed through gritted teeth. A feral, grossly mutated warrior launched himself at her and she rolled to avoid his blade as it came for her unprotected head. As the feral came at her again, she tripped him. His existence - and his suffering - was put to an end by a flash of blazing yellow light when her lightsabre ignited and pierced his neck.


However, he was only one of many. A forceful punch sent her reeling, but she recovered. Whilst her laser sword gave her breathing space by parryinfg blows, her free hand, the one not wrapped around a sabre's hilt, brought forth flame as an orange fall of blazing heat manifested inside her palm. The air was filled with animalistic screams when warriors were consumed by the blast of scorching heat. There was backlash, for she felt the agony she inflicted upon them - intensely and viscerally, but she fought on.


A warrior got lucky and scored a cut across her wrist, but rather then relent, she sheathed her hand in a glove of fire and drove it into his tentacled face. The punch caused quite an impact. There was a mental jolt in her skull as the Force sent her a warning - too late. Roots sprung up from the depths of the earth and wrapped themselves around her limbs. As she sought to escape her entaglement, yellowish-orange tendrils of consuming energy leapt from the hands of a Felucian Shaman towards her.

 

[Maiev]

"Wouldn't dream of it," Maiev chuckled as she shifted out from cover and into the view of the enemy. With the warriors occupied with Elpsis, it left the witch with facing the shaman and rancor.

The beast was fairly large, a decent degree more than an average rancor but the ones on Felucia were usually like that.

Maiev reached out with the Force, attempting to connect with the beast. But the moment she did the shaman let out a snarl, raising his staff up. The rancor seemed to lurch to life on command, letting out a bellowing roar before charging directly at her.

She dived to the side, dodging the lunge towards her. Maiev skidded across the ground and pulled out one her Dathormirian blades. There was no chance of her taking on the beast itself, but if she could get a hold of its rider...then maybe she'd be able to turn the tables.

With that in mind she ran forwards, as the shaman pulled on the reins and urged the rancor to turn around. Maiev chanted a spell, her eyes igniting briefly as a green glow stretched across the length of her blade. The rancor swung one of its large hands, the witch ducked and slashed at the beast's respective leg. It roared in pain, and tried swatting Maiev in anger. But the woman quickly twisted backwards in a flip, emphasising her Vahla blood. The rancor attempted to move but suddenly stumbled and fell into a crouch. It's leg; the one she had cut was growing increasingly numb.

As she went in to jump atop the Rancor's body, she felt the ground shift. Maiev looked over to see Elpsis bound to the ground via roots. Another shaman was stood close by, hand raised poised to drain the empath of her life force. On reaction, Maiev grabbed her second blade and threw it. The weapon soaring across the space directly towards the side of the shaman's head.

<Watch out!>

Unfortunately it distracted her, enough that the rancor was able to swing an arm towards her. Maiev just had enough time to throw up a Force shield before she was sent hurtling into a nearby towering mushroom.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


Elpsis grit her teeth as the draining tendrils seized her, just after the roots seized her in an iron grip. Her attention was split between avoiding being strangled and dealing with the fact that the shamn sought to suck out her life force. White-hot pain surged through her. The young empath felt her energies diminishing. Her vision grew hazy, for she needed the Force to perceive the physical world around her. As darkness enveloped her, there was a jolt of precognition and she saw the sword sail through the air.


The shaman experienced a moment of exultation when he felt the girl's barriers weaken, as if she was relenting. His moment of triumph was short-lived, for the girl gave him a nudge and he was pushed to the the side. Instead of shooting towards the side of his face, the sword embedded itself in the back of his head and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.


Bruised lips whispered an incantation, and the roots released her. Staggering, she breathed in deeply. Ethereal eyes took in the scene in front of her. Brave Maiev had been tossed into one of the giant mushrooms that populated Felucia. No way was Elpsis going to let the rancor eat her friend. Especially since they had not even gotten to first base yet. Besides, Casper the Friendly Ghost was fun to troll.


A battle cry escaped Elpsis' lips as she charged, leaping through the air towards the beast. One hand held her blazing yellow lightsabre, eager to plunge it into one of her foes. Her other hand birthed fire. Heat surged through her arm as she channelled her gift, using her own body as a conduit. Then a veritable lance of blazing heat and flame rippled from it shooting towards the rancor and its rider. The beastmaster faced a choice: Abandon his mount, or face the risk of being consumed by a fiery immolation intense enough to burn away his flesh.

 

[Maiev]

It was a good thing Maiev was quick on her feet, or soaring through the air in this specific instance. Her Force shield had dulled the rancor's attack, but the impact still struck and sent her flying. And as the witch went soaring, she shifted the Force around her, moving it from the front to her back in order to soften the blow that was swiftly approaching.

Maiev struck the mushroom with a loud thud, and thankfully lacking the cracking of bones. Her action had indeed cushioned her, but it still managed to take her breath away. The witch collapsed to the ground weezing.

<You okay, Maiev?>

I'm...fine. It didn't break any bones, but it's going to leave one hell of a bruise.

Amidst this, the shaman took advantage. He urged its pet beast into action; now that the numbing effect in its leg had faded. But as they charged towards her, Elpsis sudden battle cry startled both to a halt. They stopped, turning to intercept the empath. But the shaman had other ideas, recognizing that there was no getting away from the attack. So he pulled on the reins forcing the rancor up. In doing so, the shaman rolled from the beast just as Elpsis hit the rancor head-on.

The Felucian scrambled to his feet, snarling some choice words in his native tongue. He looked at the empath before deciding to make a hasty retreat. At least he would've done if it hadn't run straight into Maiev.

She lashed out the moment the shaman was in reach, her blade cutting across his neck in one swift motion. His eyes widened in surprise, hands reaching up to clutch at his throat. It was pointless, as the life drained from him and he crumpled to the ground.

"You okay?" Maiev asked, looking at Elpsis. She walked up to her, taking a moment to examine the state the rancor was in now. Very dead, to say the least. "A shame, we could've taken a ride."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


First the lance of flame produced a fiery conflagration. Then her burning yellow blade pierced the rancor's skull. Elpsis slid off the creature, falling to the ground and landing hard. The shaman, seeking to escape death, ended up getting his throat slit by Maiev.


With a groan, Elpsis got to her feet, albeit a bit shakily. The attack with the roots from earlier had left its mark. She looked around, taking in the scenery around her with her ethereal eyes when the other witch approached. Her anger had passed as swiftly as the monsoon, now she was left with the aftermath.


"Yeah. Sorry. Got aggro. Least we didn't get eaten. Free and ride the next one?" she responded, when her gaze fell upon the dead rancor. She patted the creature's head, seemingly unconcerned by the fire. "Sleep well, big guy." A sigh escaped her throat when she looked upon the dead Felucians.


Auntie Siobhan would have killed them without a second thought and then moved on. They'd attacked her, so they died. Elpsis, on the other hand, felt a stab of remorse. All these creatures had been twisted and manipulated. She would have felt none if they'd been Sith or other beings who willingly embraced evil instead of being forced into its service. "May you find peace," she said quietly, closing the eyes of one of them.


"I tried to reach out to them, but I was blocked. Felt like my brain was being scrambled. We gotta find the evil force that's doing this to them - and make it pay," she frowned. "Does your ghost buddy have any insights?"

 

[Maiev]

"Indeed, though hopefully we find one that's not tamed by whoever is corrupting them. It'll be much easier to communicate with one that's been untouched." Maiev said, nodding in agreement. "And not getting eaten is a plus too, perhaps not getting sent flying too." She added, rubbing her back slightly. There weren't going to be any broken bones, but it was certainly going to leave its mark for a while.

The witch followed Elpsis' example, and walked up to the rancor's head placing her hand on it. Maiev spoke a brief Dathomirian prayer, to guide the poor creature's soul to a better place. Rancor's were after all native to Dathomir and the various tribes made a point to look after them. While the ones outside of their home were less intelligent, the ones on Dathomir had some measure of sentience enough to form a very primitive society. Both the creatures and the tribes lived in symbiosis with one another, and the Dathomirians looked after the rancors to a point where both their young would form a bond and eventually evolve into a partnership between rider and beast.

Despite the fact the Felucian ones were a distant relative at this point. Maiev prayed for this one all the same.

She looked over to see Elpsis doing something similiar for the dead Felucians. The witch frowned slightly, her hate towards whoever was doing this growing more intense. It didn't matter how sentient they were, both were being twisted against their will and forced to act against their will.

Maiev mused quietly at the empath's question, Kalax-Ra had proved insights here and there but they needed a longer stretch of time to just sit down and think things over.

"You got anything in mind that could help?"

<A couple yes, mainly hypotheses though.>

"I'm sensing a but?"

<But we should get somewhere a bit safer, less out in the open. Then I think it's about time I had a chat with our empath friend.>

The witch turned to face Elpsis, giving her a nod. "She has a few ideas, but suggested we move somewhere more concealed before we discuss things. She apparently also wants to talk with you."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]​

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Maiev"]


Her Jedi teachers would have told her that anger and hatred were a sure pathway to the Dark Side. Once you went down the dark path, forever it would dominate your destiny. In Elpsis' mind, those Jedi had never stepped out of their cloister. Evil could just as surely be committed while serene - and was even more reprehensible for it then. The intense hatred she felt for those who had twisted life forms and turned them into their mindless puppets was justified.


What mattered was that she did not let it twist her into something equally malevolent. Or stop trying to preserve life wherever possible. But the true evildoers were excluded from this rule. They had to experience the consequences of their actions.


Thus she nodded to Maiev, after ending her own prayer for the dead Rancor and the Felucians. If they wanted to put a stop to this evil, they needed some sort of plan and deeper insight than the firemaned empath possessed.


"Oh, we get to have that chat. Cool. Let's go over there," she pointed towards some gigantic mushrooms in the distance. They should provide some cover - and shade from the merciless sun. "If you need to be patched up, I can provide some healing," she added, not knowing if Maiev might be in need of help or not.


Once they were there, covered by mushrooms and bushes, she looked around to make sure they were not about to be pounced by more ferals or wild animals. Then her gaze settled upon Maiev. "Ok. Let's chat...Kalax." Yes, she actually used the spirit's name. She'd go back to calling her Casper when the situation was less dire. She knitted her brow together, wondering how the dialogue would work. Would the spirit suddenly assume direct control, give Maiev golden eyes and a deep voice? Perhaps Elpsis had watched too many bad holovids.