Sharp Things Are Fun!

[Enoch Zambrano]

~Ziost~

Enoch paced back and forth in the old street, his arms crossed as he waited. Recently, he'd landed on Ziost, and had been staying in Adasta'kun, a rebel city who Enoch was helping to win their war against the capital in return for their loyalty. However, he had another task he wished to accomplish. The city followed the ways of the ancient Sith Lords who lived on Ziost, and they wish for the return of a few artifacts from an old tomb out in the hot deserts of the planet. Enoch truly doubted whether he would find anything, as according the denizens of Adasta'kun, most of the alchemized items were either stolen or lost, and there wasn't else worth much. Maybe the young man would get lucky and find an old scroll or, perhaps, some sort of holocron.

As small sigh escaped Enoch's lips. Why am I doing this? He'd called Darth Noxia to Ziost to help him search the tombs, figuring she would enjoy a good treasure hunt. She was perhaps the only Sith Enoch felt wouldn't kill him over an interesting artifact. Or, so he hoped. Either way, Enoch was prepared for her arrival. He had decided it best to leave at night, less chance of someone following them. If someone dared. A small speeder sat before Enoch, a smaller engine, but good enough. It had a few different supplies on the back, but hopefully they wouldn't be needed, survival gear and what not.

He dropped himself onto the seat of the speeder, waiting for Greta to arrive, and then, they would go hunting for secrets.

[member="Darth Noxia"]

 

[Komo]

Darth Noxia was on route to Ziost. Her apprentice, Enoch had extended an invitation to go tomb raiding in the ancient Sith temples in the planet where he was based, and that was not something she was planning to miss. She had always loved exploring, discovering new things and taking in new sights, just as much as she loved combat and fighting.

The pair were unlike your typical Sith master and apprentice duo, with Noxia acting more like a mentor guiding the acolyte further down the path of the dark side. That was also something Greta really enjoyed, training and converting potential young bloods into an invigorating force to be reckoned with. Enoch was one such acolyte.

As the Omen entered the planet's atmosphere, Darth Noxia's personal corvette sped towards the intended meeting location. Being late certainly wasn't on her agenda. As the ship made its landing on a clearing nearby, a ramp was lowered with a pnuematic hiss followed by the clicking of heeled boots as the blonde Sith knight walked down to meet her apprentice.

"Hello Enoch. Lovely to see you again." In the faint light of the nightsky, her amber orbs seemed to have a distinct twinkle about them, enhancing her presence. She saw the speeder parked beside him and gave him a questionable look.

"We're going in this?"

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

Enoch's eyes darted to the sky as he saw the familiar ship enter the atmosphere. He simply stared at the Omen as it landed in the clearing, and tilted his head as Noxia walked off the ship. As she approached, he noted how good she looked, but quickly brushed off the thought as she spoke. To respond to her question, he simply sat on the speeder, turning it on.

"Not good enough for you?" Enoch looked over his shoulder as he spoke, giving her a quick wink. The Zambrano stared off into the distance as he waited for her.

[member="Darth Noxia"]

 

[Komo]

Darth Noxia gave him a brief shook of her head as she simply said. "No quite what I had expected is all." Waving her hand to the speeder he sat in, she continued. "You seem to come up with all kinds of stuff from nowhere, accessing your family's wealth with ease I suspect?" Hopping onto the empty space behind the acolyte, the blonde Sith waved them off with a quick gesture. "Let's be off, shall we?"

The pair would then be off as the Enoch gunned the engines, sending the speeder speeding into the darkness of the night. "So where exactly are we going again? You do know you haven't told me yet." The Sith knight had accepted her apprentice's invitation to the planet knowing that they were going treasure hunting of some sort, but exactly where, she had no clue.

If she was to make a guess, Noxia's guess would be some Sith temple or some such. After all, several millennias ago, the Sith of old had established Ziost as a key planet in their empire. It was only after one of the first of the Republic victory, that the planet was abandoned and left to ruins. The planet was reclaimed by the Sith and abandoned once again after the Seventh battle of Rusan. There were countless of ancient treasures and relics that lay once where they stood, waiting for someone to claim them once again.

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

"Only the best for you!" Enoch spoke over his shoulder, before gunning the engine. His curly black hair only got curlier as the wind whipped through it. When Noxia asked her question of their location, Enoch simply ignored her. While he did in fact have a location, it was rather...vague...Off in the distance sat a range of red, sharp, snow capped mountains. They were massive, yet still a good bit away. Enoch quickly judged the distance. Thirty minutes?"

"Those mountains. Somewhere in there." As Enoch spoke, he pointed a finger out to the mountains, steering with one hand. He was practically turned all the way around as he spoke the Greta. It was rather reckless, a the speeder quickly swerved to the side. Enoch quickly returned to facing the controls, pulling it back on track.

"...oops..."

[member="Darth Noxia"]

 

[Komo]

Enoch ignored her questions, only to reply to the one about their destination with a rather vague answer, coupled with a gesture towards the range of red snow capped mountains that stood on the horizon. That didn't exactly answer her question, but at least she knew the general direction of where they were heading to. He judged the approximate arriving time to be in thirty minutes, turning around as he spoke to her, leaving just one hand on the steering wheel.

That was rather reckless of him, but was not unexpected. Greta had spent quite a far bit of time with the acolyte so far and she starting to get to know more about him each day. It wasn't very long before the speeder started to jerk and swerve as it started to veer off course. As Enoch turned back to get it back on track, she would conjure up several sparks in her fingertips before jabbing him in his sides, before clasping her palms on his cheeks as she ordered.

"Keep your eyes on the road!"

As the pair sped off towards the range of red mountains, Darth Noxia began to wonder what awaited them ahead. Raiding places of ancient history tend to be filled of both interesting treasures and potentially dangerous creatures and what not.

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

Enoch jumped as Noxia jabbed him, and in return he swerved the speeder about wildly, almost taking them completely off course. His signature giggle rang through the air as he brought them back on track. The young Sith enjoyed the nontraditional fun he had with his 'Master,' if one could call her that.

"I'll behave!" He shouted back to her. Enoch wouldn't tease her anymore as they sped towards the mountains. He kept going for a little while once they reached their destination, until they came across a point in the mountains where two large peaks met at the base, forming a small passage to a valley on the other side. Enoch slowed to a stop once they reached the small V shape, turning the speeder sideways to the entrance. He quickly turned the speeder off, and stood, looking at the formation.

"...in the Valley lies the treasure of ancient Kings..." Enoch spoke quietly as he looked beyond the V, and into the valley that lay beyond. He had quoted some man who started his thirst for the treasure hunt. Said man's words also came with another warning, but he didn't speak them to Noxia. Turning around to face her, he spoke.

"Greta, this should be the place. In the valley...somewhere..."

[member="Darth Noxia"]

 

[Komo]

Several slaps to the acolyte's shoulder would follow as he continued to swerve wildly, threatening to take them off course. Noxia would then hear the sound of his signature giggle before he swerved once more, this time, to get them back on course. He'd say he'll behave, but she knew that he'll only do that until the next thing that gets his attention sets him off.

Eventually, the pair made it into the range of mountains, entering a narrow passage that led to a valley down below. The speeder's engine was turned off as Enoch began to gaze at the wide valley that lay ahead. "...in the Valley lies the treasure of ancient Kings..."

Darth Noxia listened as Enoch spoke, making a comment on the treasures that awaited them in the valley. The young man then turned around before continuing whatever he had to say. "Greta, this should be the place. In the valley...somewhere..." Noxia then rolled her eyes as she spoke. "Why, thank you Darth Obvious!" Her hands splayed out as she gestured to the valley ahead. "I would never have guessed that said treasures lay in the valley...somewhere.." With that said and done, the blonde Sith would stick her tongue out at him before walking on ahead. She was eager to get things started.

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

"I'm sorry, I thought it best to clarify. I know how you blondes struggle..." Enoch let his voice drift off as he spoke, turning back to give Noxia a smile and a wink. He let her walk past him, and began following behind her. As the pair walked into the valley, the entrance of boulders they had walked through led way to a beautiful site. Below them sat a massive river, covered on both sides by scarce, yet thick trees, and beyond that the sheer red walls of the valley. The path before them went at a gradual slope, leading down to the river. Enoch took a quick gaze of the valley, not seeing anything of interest.

"Perhaps hidden in the trees or the river?" Enoch glanced at Greta, putting his hands on his hips and putting his feet at shoulder width. After a short pause, he began to walk down the slope. Occasionally, a set of rocks would give way, and Enoch would slide down the hill a few feet, yet he never fell. Eventually they reached the bottom, and about one hundred yards in front of them sat a large bustle of trees and bushes, and Enoch could hear the roar of the river beyond that.

"Lead the way."

[member="Darth Noxia"]

 

[Komo]

Greta let out a chuckle at the words of the young man. "Well, I'll have you know, I'm not like most blondes." She would retort as her hand waved submissively in the air. His wink was returned with one of her own as she continued walking down. Darth Noxia didn't need to look back to know that Enoch would be following close behind. As they walked past the row of boulders that lined the entrance of the valley, the pair came to a wide, massive river.

It was covered with a forest of trees that lined either bank, and beyond the forest lay red mountains. The blonde Sith then heard Enoch mention. "Perhaps hidden in the trees or the river?" Replying him, she said. "Perhaps both. We'll need a way to cross the river anyhow. The river is too wide to simply wade across it. It definitely looks deeper than it seems as well. I wonder if there is a secret entrance somewhere underneath."

Enoch then took the lead for several moments, showing signs of slipping as the ground beneath him began to turn unsteady. But he never fell. That earned him a grim smile. As they reached the bottom, Noxia could hear the roar of the river from behind a cluster of bushes. Enoch spoke once more, this time asking her to take the lead instead. She obliged, walking past the bushes, heading towards the river bank. There lay their immediate problem.

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

Enoch walked up to the river, crouching at its bank. She was right, it was deep, wide, and moving incredibly fast. Three things even two Sith Knights wouldn't be able to overcome easily. Two of his pale fingers moved down into the water, letting it rush across them. After a few seconds, he pulled his hand back, shaking the water off and standing to face Greta. Enoch shrugged at her, before turning his gaze to their surrounding area. He couldn't see where the river ended, or even where it began. Most likely the snow atop the mountains. A boat? He looked near the edges of the river, seeking a possible abandoned raft of some kind. None. If they had to, they could carve one out of a tree, but that would take time. A lot of time. Then, he saw it.

"There. Look, do you see it?" His finger pointed to a large rock sat in the middle of the river. The water whitened as it hit the rock and split around it. But that wasn't what Enoch was interested in. He was interested in the light glow underneath the rock. It appeared as if underneath the water lay a cave of sorts, where the water dropped into it. If their was a light, that had to mean there was some sort of light source. It looked like a flame, but he couldn't be sure. Maybe it was an odd rock and Enoch would find himself trapped by the current, and drown.

Enoch decided to not care about it, and quickly began removing his outer shirt. As always, he wore his pure black, and underneath was no different. A tight black shirt pulled itself against his chest. Enoch whipped off his boots and socks, leaving them all in a pile on the riverbank. This all happened in a matter of seconds, and unless Noxia moved fast enough to stop him, the young man would jump into the river.

[member="Darth Noxia"]

 

[Komo]

The Sith duo were left contemplating with whatever ideas they could think of, working out whatever solutions and methods that was possible. Darth Noxia watched as Enoch stuck two fingers into the running water, probably trying to gauge something. Probably the speed or the temperature of the water? Either way, the current was really strong and crossing it without a plan was a real foolhardy decision. She saw his gaze that travelled one side-to-side, trying to look for an alternative. There were none. She had already looked. He then spoke. "There. Do you see it?"

Her eyes followed his fingers as he gestured towards a large rock that sat in the river, the sole bastion of resistance among the raging currents. "Oh, that rock there? Yeah, I do." Her keen eyes spotted the glow of light from underneath, and she was sure that he had spotted it as well. Enoch then began stripping, removing the top layers of his clothing as well as his boots, leave his chest and feet bare. There was hardly any time to react, before he jumped into the river without warning.

Greta quickly followed. She stripped off the black bodysuit of her casual outfit, leaving just a black tank top and a pair of tight black shorts that were definitely in-line with the current Sith fashion. She wasn't actually expecting to go for a swim today, but luckily she happened to be prepared. The action involved Greta jumping into the water after Enoch. She didn't want to leave him alone.

Who knows what he might get himself into?

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

Enoch felt the river pounding against his body, forcing him downstream. His strong arms and legs kicked out, pushing him towards the rock. Through the water, His hands pawed at the rock as he was pushed up against it, and he slid through the narrow tunnel. With a large drop, Enoch felt himself fall out of the water, and then splash down into more water. As he rose to the surface, Enoch gasped for air, treading water. He looked around. They would land in a small pool, filled by the water from the river. Another small stream ran off into the depths of some cave, lit by torches that somehow still blazed with light. Enoch spun around in the water, waiting to see if Greta had followed.

[member="Greta Kohler"]

 

[Komo]

Greta felt the gush of water pushing against her, the force of the water kneading against every part of her body as she sought to fight against the current. She struggled to maintain sight of Enoch, not wanting to lose him in the raging torrents. Her athletic arms and legs kicked and pushed, her swimmings skills put to the utmost test.

What was seconds felt like forever to her forever she eventually grabbed hold of the same rock they had seen on the surface. Using it as leverage, she propelled herself forward into a narrow tunnel. The pressure of the water lightened as the currents were diverted through the tunnel which soon gave up to a steep drop, the tunnel ending abruptly.

The blonde let out a surprised yelp as she fell into a large pool of water that awaited her below. Greta had heard a splash before she fell, which she guessed had belonged to Enoch. Her splash soon followed, submerging herself, before she scrambled to the surface. She looked around at Enoch, amazement clearly present in her eyes.

What a thrill that was.

[member="Enoch Zambrano"]

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

Splash! She hit the water, letting out a quick squeak. Enoch smiled as he brought a hand up, blocking the water from splashing up in his face. As she looked around the room, he was already moving to get out of the pool. It was indeed, a pool. The water from the river fell into it, and from there another small waterfall left that pool. Off in the distance, Enoch could hear the water flowing down the cave. As for what he could see, it was rather close to nothing. The cave was small, maybe half of it being taken up by the pool of water. The only light source was a single torch, and Enoch had no clue how it had been kept burning; the place looked like no one had been there in at least a decade.

"Come on." Enoch said to Greta as he hopped up out of the pool. It was a sheer drop on all sides, meaning he could sit on the edge with his feet dangling into the water. He held a hand out to her to help her out of the water.

[member="Greta Kohler"]