Raven had come at the Dark Lord's summons. Since their...training in his office, the Pantoran woman had roamed the tower. She had been seen here and there, perusing whatever she could. However, she did not leave the private floors of the tower. In fact, rarely did the blue figure frequent a place with any gathering of people. Her eyes were razor sharp whenever someone caught her gaze; their pulse quickening as though an electric shock cracked across the intervening distance.
One place she did manage to go, however, was a place specializing in outfits for the Lord's adherents (or servants, slaves, and 'guests'). The tips of her fingers had roamed over many materials just as her eyes had the styles on display. In the end, she chose a relatively simple, leather catsuit for everyday prowling about. There had been many others that caused her dark lips to part in temptation; but Raven couldn't bring herself to seize the outfit for her own. Far too...Just far too much. Far too soon.
The fire danced in the rings of Raven's eyes as Animus strode about the room. He began to chant a mantra, which she listened to carefully. From the tone of the man's voice and the solitude the two had, Raven expected everything he said would be important sooner or later. Everything. Even the way the man said it; down to the inflection of every syllable. Did she suspect him of trying to trick her? No, not exactly. But after what had happened... After
whatever had happened Raven felt she'd entered deep and troubled water.
Peace, a voice only Raven heard hissed,
is a lie.
A quiet trembled shuddered on inhales breath. Something --
something -- was with her. No one else seemed to see or hear it, but it was always there now. It whispered to her here or there at its leisure. Raven had gotten better at not being so easily distracted by it, even as its 'voice' seemed brush against her ear as it spoke.
Animus punctuated his declaration of freedom by tossing the torch at his Apprentice's feet. It clattered and echoed off the walls of the Temple Hall that surrounded them. He then spoke of passion having been her first step toward freedom. Raven wasn't entirely sure that was what her present circumstances could be considered. She felt more confined than ever. What was this voice, and had she begun to lose her mind?
We will cross together.
When talk circled around to a status 'bleeding' some black fluid that was when Raven's attention was drawn more to her surroundings. Imbued with the minds of people? Their
pain and
agony was within? And Darth Animus naturally wanted Raven to... indulge herself with those emotions. This was how Sith trained? She was no stranger to physical suffering -- you didn't explore ruins and not smack straight into a wall now and again -- but this sounded a bit much.
Go. Embrace the darkness.
Raven's eyelids fell and rose in one fluid motion before she strode forward to get closer to the statue. As close as Animus seemed to want her in that moment. She stepped over the torch without bothering to knock it out of the way; what good was fire when it came to feelings and spirituality?
"As you command," was all Raven said aloud in a calm, measured voice. Inside, however, was a smell of fear, trepidation, disgust, and even disbelief at Animus all but saying he'd... What? Tortured them to death? Ripped their souls out? By the Ancient Ones of Pantora
what had she agreed to in accepting the Sith's offer?
How much timed passed, Raven couldn't say. A minute? An hour? Her eyes were locked on a skull as it bled the suffering of a dozen people. Reach out and 'connect with them,' Animus said.
But there was no turning back. It was the opportunity of a life time. Join the Sith. Obtain power. Because, screw it, why not? No one else was extending a hand out to her. No one else had cared what happened to her. Just a Sith and his bleeding skull of pain and suffering.
Together, it hissed. An invisible hand stretched itself along the length of Raven's arm and helped it aloft. Her skin did not touch the fluid, but a strange sense of reaching out further than the length of her arm begin to creep across her conscious thoughts. As if her arm was growing longer while her eyes observed no such change. Her breath caught in her throat then, and the light of the flames began to grow dimmer... dimmer... and then, only darkness.
In that instant, the abyss was filled with deafening screams from all around and from no discernible source. Raven's physical body was still, but in her mind she tried covering her ears only to find the volume hadn't diminished by a single decibel. Her heart began to pound faster. Her muscle tensed. Breath raced between her lips as the cries and beginning for release seemed without end.
Stop. Stop. Stop. Stopstopstopstopstop, Raven thought with wide eyes.
Fire. Broken buildings. Battered corpses. Silence. Deafening silence of a broken world. Silent screams of the forlorn and questioning lost souls. So many... countless...
No, no, Raven tried to shut it out. The fire. She knew the fire. She'd felt the heat before. On her ship. Before the crash. It was endless. Consuming.
Her own cry of pain was awash in the crescendo of terror all around her. It felt as if something had scratched her. Then again. Pain blossomed, and the screams remained. Suddenly the sensation of being clawed it grew in frequency and intensity. Raven thrashed trying to find this 'control' -- control she'd nearly forgotten Animus demanded of her -- control to master... master...
As countless hands of the damned tore at the Pantoran, a darkness stirred in watch over the scene.
Is this all you are? Is this all you will ever be?
Raven stretched out a hand toward the abyss as if to grab hold of something. Her teeth clenched in agony. Is this all? Was she nothing more than a failure as a daughter, a student, an explorer, and now a Sith?
The Force began to stir around the Pantoran in the Temple Hall, out in the world.
Stop. Stop. Stop. You
will stop! The words howled into the void as she thrust her arms out from her to knock the hounds of some hellish nightmare away.
The Living Darkness swept in about Raven to feast on the energy she released. Whether it happened to protect Animus' precious Temple from harm hardly matter; but it was delicious energy from its favorite meal.
Tag: [member="Darth Animus"] |
Outfit: Black Catsuit
