Lapse

[Uthixo Nazim]

All around the sand of the desert picked up creating a maelstrom and in the center of that Maelstrom, a crimson-skinned figure stood. No, not a being of flesh and blood, one of crystal and stone. A taunting smirk on the beings face as the air around seemed to grow cold. Tendrils of dark energy streaked from this being as with each step he grew closer. A single hand outstretched coming closer and closer till finally, all that remained was darkness.

Shooting upwards sand flying upwards as Uthixo's torso exploded from beneath the desert of Ryloth. Chest heaving, sand clinging to his face, skin a shade paler than usual Uthixo's eyes glanced around his surroundings. The image of the figure emblazoned upon his memory. The Sandali's heart hammered in his chest as though it sought to break free of Uthixo's chest cavity. Lips dry and chapped from dehydration, eyes sunken, Uthixo's hands dug into the sand, muscles straining as he pulled the rest of his body free to only collapse once liberated. Each exhalation of breath pushed sand away from the fatigued Sandali's body. With an exertion of force, Uthixo rolled over onto his back and looked towards the sky. All across the night's sky, he could see stars unfamiliar to himself, and multiple moons which cast a faint white glow across the sands of the dessert.

Searching his mind for the name of the planet Uthixo found nothing when he sought out memories of how he’d arrived here there was nothing. When he tried to remember anything about his past there was nothing. Just a great void in which the Sandali could remember nothing but his name. Raising up despite every muscle in his body screaming in protest the Sandali rose. Far smaller than other of his kind Uthixo appeared more human than a member of the gigantic warrior race.

No matter which direction he looked all that welcomed Uthixo were the rolling vasts of Ryloth’s desert. Yet on the air, he felt something tugging on his conscious, calling out to him. Never before had Uthixo felt something like this, as far as he could remember but the sensation lingered was a warmth that filled his body and seemed to offer sanctuary. No choice left onto himself Uthixo set off in that direction, pushing against the exhaustion that wished to claim him. Fighting against the urge to give up. Each step brought him closer to the presence he’d felt.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

There was something peaceful about a sandstorm in the desert that came from years of courting death. It was a danger to the health of any sane individual not properly prepared and under significant cover, but Alkor sat quietly on the low lying rocks, in the shade of the dunes as daylight dipped behind them. It was useless to try and run for cover, because by now he had traveled far from civilization. Sahet'yaim- the Sinner's Well, and home to his brother and their kin- lay half a day's journey, and the first vestiges of cool, dry wind were upon him.

It was decided that he would brave the Trial of the Elements, a test of his ability to survive in the wild with the bare minimum equipment. He wore a cloak and a loosely fiiting shirt beneath, colored lightly to refract the heat of Ryloth's sun. Alkor chose from a myriad of items to wear a distillation unit, giving him the ability to recycle water his body wasted. Because of that choice, he was denied rations, but hydration was more imperative under these circumstances than food.

None of that mattered if he could not find somewhere to wait out this sudden sandstorm. He took a sip of the warm water and moved it over his tongue, wetting his mouth but not drinking more than he needed. It was a hot day, and under any other circumstances, the coolness of the air would have been a welcome change.

Alkor knew better.

He also knew that to let himself lose his cool spelled certain death. He needed to react, but he needed to do so in a way that optimized his responses. It was well after nightfall before he made his move, and the darkness visible on the horizon loomed with a finality he did not care for.

The Knight trudged through the sands with purpose, in the general direction of the rendezvous point. There was no time limit. It was simply a test, one meant to be failed. It was likely that they would unbury him from the high sands sometime in the next week, or by some miracle, he might get spotted by a Security detail. At this point, he was beginning to not care

He felt a stinging beneath his bandages where the coarse sands reacted with his wounds and the burns and created abject discomfort. He transformed that pain into willpower. Every doubt in his mind washed away in the dusty breeze as the wind only continued to pick up.

That was when Alkor saw the man. [member="Uthixo Nazim"] seemed ready to cave beneath his own exhaustion as the more seasoned man hobbled toward him. Whether or not he belonged on this world or in this place, the Confederacy would want to assure that he lived. To defend and value life was the promise he'd made. It was the oath that bound him, and though he still struggled to understand it, Alkor made peace with himself and reached out a hand.

"Not exactly the best venue for a stroll," he mentioned. "Storm's blowing in from the west."

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

The sand whipped against Uthixo's body as he made his way deeper into the desert that sought to claim his mind, body, and soul. His mouth grew dryer as every minute passed. His skin dry and caked with sand, some even reaching to places the Sandali never knew he had. Its courseness made the journey all the more uncomfortable as the man made his way to the presence that called to him. In a way, it was his light at the end of the tunnel, a welcome escape.

Crossing a sand dune and standing at the top of it Uthixo stared off into the distance of the desert the moonlight bathing his dark skin. Wearing nothing but tattered rags the warrior's hardened body stood out as did the scars that littered his torso. How much further? The Sandali wondered as he felt a presence slowly come near. It chilled Uthixo to the very core causing his hairs to stand on end.

Spinning on a heel and looking down the dune what he saw was a clothed figure approaching. Breath catching in his throat, heart starting to beat faster Uthixo's muscles tightened as the figure drew near a hand outstretching. The fear built up until the white flesh showed instead of the crimson from his nightmare. Releasing the breath he'd held since the figure had arrived.

Reaching out his own hand and clasping the other man's around the forearm Uthixo slightly inclined his head. He knew not why but the gesture felt comfortable and fitting. "I did not choose to travel here. Where is here?" Uthixo asked, his voice harsh from dehydration. "I just woke here and... I, I remember nothing. Who are you?" The warrior asked placing a small bit of trust in the man before him. Looking around having no clue which direction was west on the foreign world Uthixo's black eyes went back to the man before him. "Is there shelter nearby at least?" This man had just arrived, he must know the area or at least a place the two could avoid the storm.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

"Not for several clicks," he admitted balefully. It meant they had to make due with whatever they could find within the minutes they had before the smothering sandstorm fell on them. Alkor had been searching for any sign of wreckage in the shifting sands or a natural cave to duck into, but had no such luck.

It was a deadly, imminent problem. Their cloaks combined might keep out the sand, but they would still be buried with no hope of digging their way out. Alkor watched the horizon with both hands on his hips and absently wondered what would come of this test. Was the intent for him to survive at all?

Worse yet, now he had another life to consider. It added layers of difficulty that gave him pause. It was hesitation he had no time for, and yet, he found himself stealing seconds from his own fate. The sweat that drenched his back felt like ice now as grains of sand buffeted his back and the wind washed over him. He chewed on his lip and crouched low, palm to the desert.

His eyes flickered in and out, like consciousness threatened to leave him as he sought answers from Ryloth itself. Latent energies of the Living World coursed upward and through his arm, coalescing around the bandaged appendage in the form of prismatic light. All the colors of the rainbow danced around his fingertips as the Dark Jedi communed with nature.

He sucked in a harsh breath of hot air, shuddered violently, then spat sand. After several hacking coughs, he found his feet once more and brushed the sand away from his palm. "Vague answers," he shook his head, "but we have nothing better to do than take the risk. Follow me."

He began to move, then called back. "My name is Alkor Centaris," he told the man. They had very little time left to waste, and they could manage to walk and talk at the same time. "And you are on the planet Ryloth in Southern Space, a world protected by the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

If the world intended to save him, they needed to move north. It brought them no further from the storm, and it did nothing to give them time. The lack of visibility also concerned him. "I felt something enticing," he muttered, unsure of himself. "Almost like it was hungry, and it wanted to swallow me whole." Listening to his own words, he found his trust in himself waning. "Darkness," he explained, "there is a powerful darkness in this direction. It could be a temple, it could be unhallowed ground- all we can hope for is walls to keep out the sandstorm."

[member="Uthixo Nazim"]

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

Alkor's words seemed to take whatever hope might have remained for their survival out of Uthixo, the storm would be upon them within minutes let alone the hours it would take to cross several clicks. Standing at Alkor's shoulder the Sandali looked down to his new ally as he kneeled down to the sand. Staring down at the strange man's hand what graced Uthixo's vision took the warriors breath away. Cascading colors rising up from the ground to engulf Alkor's fingers. Let alone the flickering of the strange man's eyes. Just what type of being is this I've allied myself with? Uthixo asked himself not as confident in his choice to accompany the stranger. Yet there was no other choice.

At the command, Uthixo set off following his guide. "It is a pleasure to meet you Alkor Centaris of Ryloth, I am Uthixo Nazim of..." Stopping Uthixo searched his mind to no avail, he couldn't remember where he was from still. Leaving that conversation where it was and pulling the rags closer to his body to shield his skin from the pinpricks of sand that beat against his body.

Having stayed silent for a bit more of the journey, Uthixo hung on Alkor's every word. If they were to survive the man was their best hope. "What do you mean by dark, and enticing? What was that sorcery you did before with the sand?" Thinking back to when he'd first woken on the planet and the sensation that had filled and called him. "Earlier I felt a warmth fill me and almost like it was drawing me near. Whether it was you or the temple you speak of I know not. Yet I'd rather die on my feet than buried beneath the sand."

Setting off with as fast a pace his exhausted body could manage Uthixo moved across the sand. "Tell me Alkor of Ryloth, why do you take such a dangerous journey? Do you hunt for your people? Are you exiled? What brings you to this godforsaken land?"

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

The Galaxy was comprised of many powers, both natural and unnatural in origin. Corruption took hold often and sank its fangs deep, and the lure of those fell energies toward beings attuned to them were almost like bright, brazen signs that beckoned attention. For Alkor, a Dark Jedi who spent most of his life taking the lives of others and surrounded by a veil of the darkness, it was much like an old, familiar presence. He didn't need to fully comprehend its meaning or intentions to know it for what it was.

And he did not particularly care what secrets it held, either. Walls were their only chance to live. Whether or not those walls held danger, if it came to a fight, at least his weapons would matter against flesh and blood. Nature was a less surmountable adversary.

"You have too many questions," Alkor held up a hand and motioned for [member="Uthixo Nazim"] to follow him. They had to move quickly to cover as much ground as possible. Words were literally a waste of time. "Focus now on living, because that is our only hope of doing so."

It would mean a concentrated effort, more than simply fleeing from certain death and finding the source of darkness. The Sandali man and the Corellian would both need to move at peak speed and sure footing. The storm was already on their heels.

Alkor raised his voice. If the man had not understood what he was doing when he reached out with the Force, there was precious little chance he had any training with it. That meant they had no otherworldly aid to call upon. "You should limit your questions to those with the answers most valuable to you at the time," he said as he began to slide down a dune, toward land that looked less arid. A forested area, perhaps? Trees meant some shelter, at least. Not a temple, but not horrible news. "That way as you learn, you can apply your new knowledge most effectively. Knowing more about me in the present will not save you from the death breathing down your neck."

He pointed toward the large thicket that seemed to recede as the sand encroached. It was a land that stank of the circle of death and rebirth. Shadowlands, much like those on Kashyyyk. "Focus on staying alive. If you fail to do that, none of the other answers matter anyway."

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

Head jerking back as though he'd been smacked Uthixo simply stared onwards at Alkor. What could he expect from someone who had no memory of where they were let alone anything that was happening at the current moment. Yet the Sandali had to set such insults aside, the man before him was perhaps the only hope of survival they had, and heading in any other direction away from him would spell the Sandali's doom. Taking one more deep breath Uthixo moved after Alkor at a frantic pace. His body howled in agony as the soreness of his muscles tried to overtake him. Breathing through clenched teeth Uthixo pushed on.

Reaching the top of the dune, Uthixo misstepped as he held his side and ended up tumbling down through the sand kicking it high into the air till he came to a stop at the end face first in the sand. Every waking moment was torment for the Sandali, a part of him just wishing deaths cold embrace would come, the other part fearful of it. A grunt escaping his prone form Uthixo pushed himself up moving to continue towards the trees that lay before him and Alkor. Behind them, the wind becoming stronger as the storm approached. Usually, people always say don't look back, Uthixo did and what he saw approaching caused his heart to sink to the depths of his stomach. A massive sand cloud that consumed all in its way.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Uthixo plunged through the trees not fearful of the dark presence that clung to his body, that made his blood feel as though it had been turned to ice. That cold dark energy that chilled his breath. That was the least of his concerns as he pushed on now alongside Alkor for fear of being left behind. Through the trees in front of the duo, he saw stone pillars. Not only those but what seemed to be walls. "There! Shelter!" Uthixo called pointing to the area not realizing that it was where all the dark energy was concentrated and he was moving right towards it.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Shelter, or something even more dangerous than the Sandstorm?

It was too late now to determine which they were about to collide with, but either of those things was preferable to certain death. He was practically dragged along behind the Sandali as the ground became more even, but both of them managed to somehow maintain their footing. The blackened tree branches stretched out like withered fingers, seeking to seize something just beyond their reach.

Alkor passed through them, shattering dried wood and tumbling into dried leaves as he went. Even that did not break his stride- no, both men continued to move as if possessed, taken over entirely by their animalistic drive to survive. Madness swirled in his mind like intoxication, beckoning Alkor away from his wits, away from danger, and into the welcoming arms of Bogan.

He ripped himself free with a single hand, closed around a thicker branch that resisted as he passed. His arm went taut, muscles stretched to their limits. The pain that jolted through his system was apart from the enmity of the Force, a disruption from the otherwise rhythmic flow of the darkness.

He ground to a halt, breathing heavily. The wind screamed overhead, coarse grains of sand buffeting his face as he turned to glance at the desert leering down at him. "Let go of it," he barked loudly toward [member="Uthixo Nazim"] as the other man continued to barrel into physical and spiritual uncertainty. "Fear, or whatever it is- break free from its grip!"

 

[Uthixo Nazim]

The darkness became so thick that it felt as though Uthixo was moving through quicksand, time seemed to slow as the dark miasma clung to him. It pulled on the Sandali's very being feeling as though it ate at him, that if left it would devour him. Bloodcurdling shrieks came from the trees surrounding Uthixo as Alkor seemed to have come to a halt ahead, his mouth moving but Uthixo heard nothing. Darkness swam at the corners of his vision threatening to blind the man.

Legs giving out Uthixo collapsed to the ground, oppressive weight pressing down on his body keeping him pinned. The shrieks growing louder as they drew near, the sound piercing causing the Sandali's ears to ring despite not truly hearing them in these moments. Teeth gritting Uthixo looked up to Alkor reading the man's lips, an arm reaching out Uthixo felt the presence around them grow stronger. The words Alkor had said somehow reaching into his mind.

Breaking free of the grip the forest seemed to have on him felt impossible, its power feeling supreme. With each passing second whatever horrific figures released those screams drew closer seeking to claim the Sandali. Breath catching in his throat Uthixo's outstretched hand flexed, his mouth hanging open his own scream emitting out cutting through the silence, and from it a burst of energy came out pushing the presence away, the weight lifting for an instant. Just long enough for Uthixo to rise and start moving towards his ally, and then past him.

"Run" Was the only Alkor got in this moment as a spectral hand could be seen grasping onto a nearby tree. The forest seemingly coming to life around them, those branches stretching down to snatch at the two.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]