Trials of Fate

[Kel Novastar]

†Trials of Fate†​

Loro Babis system - Athiss​

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Athiss. It was a harsh world, if you asked him, but such conditions weren't uncommon to him in the days when he still traveled to similarly sun-baked backwater planets while under his parents care. It was no surprise to Kel when his former master informed him that such a world would be his next destination on the path which he now walked. He'd heard enough about the Sith to understand that such a life was rough, to say the least, if not entirely driven on the hardships which one faced. After all, the training that he undertook for the past year was all leading up to this moment as he recollected the extreme conditions he was put through.

Be it gravity training, strenous mental exercises and the usual physical routines to develop his body, the Sith who took him underneath his wing was slowly but surely crafting his temporary apprentice into a fine specimen worthy of the order which he served. After all, it was not only Kel's life on the line, but his former master's as well. Having vouched and invested his time into the boy, the trials which he was to face had both of their lives depending on his success. Failure was not an option, even once he put the risk of potential death aside. He needed to succeed, even if the only reason was so that he could further his personal ambitions in the process. It was a foolish thing, to put your life on the line for something which could be argued otherwise obtainable, but Kel was never one to take the path which he deemed weak, or even unfitting to his station. Such was the reason he deplored the Light side of the force which his own parents had gravitated towards in spite of their so-called "Neutrality" towards the force.

Yet the task set in front of him was indeed one of the toughest ones he would have faced yet. Ordered by his superiors -- as well as a handful of other Acolytes -- to undertake the first is a series of trials to prove their worth, the group would be tasked to head to an ancient Sith temple and retrieve an artifact of great importance to the order. It sounded rather simple on the surface, but in his short time as his master's apprentice he had learned that nothing was simple when it came to the Sith. They were not told of what would await them, only that they were to retrieve the artifact at all costs, their life included. Nobody had any objections, nor were there any questions asked in the process. The group headed out at the morning's first light by landcraft and had made it to the temple roughly by the mid-afternoon.

The temple in question was in dissaray, to say the least, but it wasn't uncommon considering just how long it was most likely there for. He'd seen his fair share of temples -- Jedi and Sith alike -- and they could easily range from pristine to scavenged to all hell. He figured that this temple simply succumbed to the elements, as the world was indeed quite harsh to whatever had the honor to embrace its environment. Thankfully, although, the entrance appeared to be intact, and no hassle came about simply entering the temple itself. But such was the easy part, and the overwhelming feeling of the dark side of the force still lingered quite heavily in the air once they passed the threshold. Whatever it was they were after, his gut told him that there was a high chance it was still in there.

One of the Acolytes, a woman named Neesa, was the only one who he had any relative background with; that background being briefly meeting her after his arrival onto the planet. He took to staying near her side as they began the trek deeper into the temple, if only out of a habit of keeping close to individuals who he deemed worthy of being a potential ally. "Hmmm.." Kel couldn't help but shake that feeling of despair that caused a tingle down his spine. In spite of accompanying his parents to temples just like this one, he'd never actually ventured inside of one before, and with good reason. "This feeling...you feel it too, don't you?" The question was directed towards Neesa although several of the other Acolytes looked his way as if they wished to respond. An apathetic stare towards their general direction would prevent a response, although. The lightsaber at his hip swayed as he walked, but for the time being it remained strapped to his utility belt. Surprisingly he was one of the few Acolytes who even possessed one, although such could be attributed to his background, he assumed. His advantage, either way.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

This was a landscape unlike anything she was used to. Coming her made Neesa feel like years of hard work had been undone in a flash. She had been a street orphan, nothing to the residents of the city she had grown up in. Being told that she was special, had pure sith blood in veins, had seemed...right. It had never been the natural order of things for Neesa to be on the bottom rung.

In time she had come to own that city. The nights had belonged to her. But there were no rooftops here, no airspeeders, guard droids and mechanical traps. There was just sand and ruins. And the growing feeling that something dangerous lingered ahead.

The question caught her off guard. From beneath her cowl she gave the bold one who had spoken out loud a cursory glance up and down. Tangled black fronds fell from that cowl and were hastily tucked back by slender fingers, pale as milk.

"Don't know what yer feelin'," she replied bluntly. In her opinion the loud ones were often the foolish ones. He hadn't seemed particularly foolish when they had spoken briefly before. All had slowly come to realise that they were being put forwards as potential members of the organisation. Whatever they had been before, it wasn't even the bottom rung of this new ladder.

Back to start. Back to basics.

She looked ahead with determination. She didn't belong on the bottom rung. This was new terrain, new threats. That merely required an adjustment of attitude and perspective. But what was the danger? That made a great deal of difference when it came to deciding whether it was better to go alone or in a group. Maybe the bold one could go first and see what they were being sent into. His death would perhaps show the path to survival.

 

[Kel Novastar]

[member="Neesa"]

The reply he received was lackluster at best, but it was expected enough that he managed to crack a slight smirk in the aftermath of it all. The Sith, as he came to learn, were not a talkative bunch by any means. Secrecy was prized more than loyalty, if you asked him, although the latter was still demanded while the former was simply expected. It was all confusing to him, but his master had informed him of what he was to expect upon being introduced to the wider flock on Athiss.

After a short period of walking in silence, the group had traversed for quite some time down the long hallway that connected to the entrance of the temple. It was quiet, eerily so if you asked him. It didn't help that the same feeling that sent a shiver down his spine had ceased to dissipate from his body; something he attributed to the powerful connection that the temple had with the Force.

The path was dark, with only a dim glow from braziers placed at random intervals along the walls, but somehow it seemed as if the light from the torches just wasn't fully emanating into their surroundings. There were so many odd things he could have probably pointed out; little things that the average individual might not have picked up, but he figured it would do him no good to focus on such incessant things.

Light would eventually be seen to their front as they reached the end of the hallway and entered what appeared to be a large open room, several other paths available for them to take. A low chuckle escaped his lips, the smirk returning to his face ever so briefly before being replaced by that impassive mug of his. "Of course.." He muttered, commenting on the clear case of what appeared to be the first part of the trial.

With no clear directions as to which way to go, it was rather obvious that the temple itself was designed to confuse those who did not belong. They would have to not only trust in, but use the force to guide them down whichever path they deemed the correct one. Several of the acolytes split off almost immediately, rather impulsively, if you asked him. The small "teams" that had formed out of their group choosing whichever way they felt confident in going.

As each of the groups dissapeared down the dimly-lit passages, Kel and Neesa, as well as two remaining acolytes, were the final four left out of the original group. Only two of the paths had not been taken by the acolytes that had already left, and the two acolytes aside from him and Neesa appeared to be of the same mind as those who had already left.

Turning towards Neesa, he'd offer her an almost absent-minded gaze as he attempted to peer into the force and seek out which path was potentially the right one to take. "It appears we've got two choices..." His head swiveled between the two paths to their front, which were ironically the two not chosen by any of the splinter groups. "What do you see? Which path do you think we should take?" He'd continue, his own mind still attempting to focus on the correct answer despite the interference he received from that overwhelming feeling that shook through his body.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

Neesa had been prowling from entrance to entrance. She checked with sight, smell and sound. But the floors of each corridor were evenly worn, there was no difference in the flow or scent of air from each, no audible clues on the right path.

Several were still left, the bold one assuming they would form another group. That out a dampener on her original plan to tail one of the other groups. With cloak pulled tight around her milky white skin she could have moved through the shadows in silence and let a larger group face the threats. Then claimed a prize herself.

You will know what you seek when you find it. they had said. For some apparently that would include joining the Force permanently and releasing their mortal coil.

"No one said we had to pick a different path," she replied. But then another large group would take an awful risk that the group ahead took whatever they were searching for. When Neesa turned back to the passages ahead she focussed on the two none had been down before. Neither stood out to her mind's eye.

 

[Kel Novastar]

Kel watched as Neesa prowled and searched the two paths ahead of them that were left unmolested by the rest of their peers. She'd came to the same conclusion as him, which was nothing in particular. In his opinion, the temple itself simply provided too much interference for him -- and possibly her- - to be completely sure on any sort of decision they might decide to take concerning their path of choice. That shiver which pulsated down his spine had only lightened up momentarily, and that was only after he attempted to attune himself away from the dark energies which seemed to pulse off the walls of the temple.

But such a move was to no avail, as even the slight relief it offered didn't last long until that overwhelming feeling returned, sending a shiver down his spine and a tangible lump tumbling through his gut. In spite of this feeling, he showed no sign of being affected by the temple itself, but the occasional wince out of the corner of his eye might've been caught by one with a trained and focused eye.

Taking a handful of steps forwards, Kel would center himself with the two paths laid out infront of him, taking a moment to once again attempt to silently guide his mind through the force in an attempt to gauge which path might be the best. For several moments he was speechless, his head dipped and his eyes closed shut as he concentrated everything he had into the effort. "Hmph.." He shook his head slowly, raising his head ever so slightly and opening his eyes.

Turning to face Neesa, Kel would lace his previously dangling hands into his pockets, then took several steps towards that dimly lit path directly to his right. He attempted to peer down the hallway, the light of the scattered braziers visible along the walls but dampened just as the previous hallway had been. It seemed unnatural, to say the least, but he would not question the things which occured inside of the temple. He could remember his master telling him to expect the unexpected, and don't expect what one might expect is the normal. While a bit cryptic at first, it had made total sense following their entrance into the temple.

Narrowed eyes peered down the hallway for roughly a minute as he stood there in silence, his lax form and nonchalant demeanor showing little to no signs of emotion. "Well then." He began, turning towards Neesa as that low smirk crawled onto the corner of his lips. His right hand exited his pants pocket, and soon it motioned beneath the left side of his jacket as his fingers curled around the lightsaber attached to his utility belt. A firm yank would release the velcro strap that allowed it to dangle safely on his waist, and soon his arm would hang rather lazily at his side as his opposite hand also exited his pocket as well.

"We're heading this way." It wasn't much of an order, as much as a statement made with extreme confidence. He wasn't confident in his ability to that seen the path through the force, but instead had come to a conclusion that picking a path with confidence was better than choosing one in doubt. Scratching at the side of his head with his free hand, he turned back towards the passage and began taking the first few steps towards crossing the threshold into the next hallway. "C'mon, if you wanna live to see tommorow." Said in jest, of course, but his detached tone might've said otherwise.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

Better to go with a small group than alone she decided. The decision wasn't easy though. She could move more quickly and quietly on her own and the other candidates were perhaps as much a threat as what was in this temple. Perhaps they were the only threat. The masters had been clear there would be few victories today.

On the other hand if she was careful - and she was always careful - there could be strength in numbers. And they would be a worthy distraction if they met something that could not be overcome by strength of arms.

Neesa nodded her assent. She carefully eyes the rodian that had joined their group. She didn't like him. The sith Pureblood who had stayed behind kept a stoic expression on her face.

The passageway started to angle down very quickly. Neesa had expected some way higher into the crumbling temple. Her eyes on her comrades as much as their surroundings, she noticed something in the Sith's expression finally. Wonder. Neesa had been groomed far away from Athiss, on the streets of her home city. Perhaps for someone who had grown within the culture, this building itself was a wonder.

Then something caused her to come to a sudden halt, blood suddenly ice cold. Her hand shot to a slender blade nestled against her ribs.

It was a scream. A very human scream. One of the other groups perhaps.

 

[Kel Novastar]

Having not looked back after speaking towards Neesa, he was a bit surprised when she not only joined him, but a rodian man as well. He could only assume that the planning between him and the other man had fell through, and that previous acolyte was now either left behind or went his own way. Wasn't his problem, regardless, and the strength they had in numbers would prove useful if something actually came about to greet them.

Such a move would eventually prove to be somewhat the wise when a loud scream could be heard echoing down their direction from what he assumed to be another part of the temple. The acolytes elsewhere had ran into something, but he wasn't sure just what exactly that something was. It still meant that there was definitely something to watch out for; be it hidden traps, enemies...or maybe something more nefarious.

After spending a good while traveling down the hallway, it began to angle itself even more-so than the previous hallway which they used to enter the temple did. The angling turned into an extremely fine curvature, which would review yet another chamber at the end of the dimly lit path ahead of them. The Rodian took point upon spotting this newest feature, increasing his pace much more than the two other acolytes who now slightly trailed behind him.

He entered the room first, his gaze shifting all over the large chamber which was quite bigger than the previous one they'd encountered. Large, ancient statues were placed near arches leading into a smaller number of dimly lit passageways further into the temple. The layout was simialr to the one they'd encountered before, but that feeling of the force -- the dark side of the force -- it was heavier. He couldn't tell why that was so, and any assumptions were just that, assumptions.

But his assumptions appeared to have some merit when a high-pitched scream echoed into their chamber, and followed quickly by a set of several more of various tones. Unlike the sound of the acolytes who obviously met the end of their fate, this one was close. In fact, if he could pinpoint the sound, it was coming from a passageway off to their right. The sound of metal grinding against stone followed, and from that dimly li hole in the wall, one could spot the shadows of several figures, sparks. flying off the ground from what appeared to be an object one dragged against the floor.

When they entered the chamber, not even Kel was sure what the hell he'd just seen. His master's words remained a constant in his head, but it still didn't change the fact that things were happening that he'd next seen in his life. There were three individuals who emerged from the darkness, each of them appearing to be the mutated version of a common species throughout the galaxy and carrying what looked to be Sith-forged weapons.

Luckily for Kel, his nerves weren't broken, unlike the Rodian man that had so boldly led them down the chamber. The quiver in the man's knees was evident, but perhaps the fact that he'd taken a position at the rear of Kel and Neesa made that even more-so out there. Disregarding the man, the stare-down between the two parties didn't last long until those abhorrent creatures began their advance onto the three Acolytes.

His right hand slightly raised at an angle, that familiar sound of plasma cutitng through the air coming about as a result of the activation of his lightsaber. His relaxed form had only stiffened by a pinch, which was enough for him to properly assume a fighting stance once the creature he faced was close enough to attack him. His specific enemy was a Cerean male, or at least it appeared to be that way once you saw through the abomination which it had became. Armed with a finely-crafted -- albeit rusting -- sith blade, Kel was ready for the next step of this trial to begin.

As for his peers, he had little hope for the Rodian craven. Neesa, on the other hand, he figured she'd do well. She had potential, perhaps almost as much as he himself had.

 

[Neesa]

Neesa weighed up what was in front of them. If this was a challenge it appeared to be an early probe of their abilities. None of the three appeared to be moving particularly quickly, nothing in their footwork suggested particular skill or training. Perhaps being turned into whatever they were now had swapped those skills for other abilities.

The rodian turned and with a few muttered swear words fled. He did not get far. In the darkness behind them there was a flash of scarlet and silver. The Sith Pureblood who had followed them at a distance stepped out into the light, her blade now wetted on the rodian coward. She muttered something below Neesa's hearing.

The Nagai shrugged off her cloak. Bare arms now free to weild the two curved swords her master had alchemically forged. The cloak kept her bright white skin concealed in the darkness. She gave the sith an inquisitive look. In return she pointed her single straight blade towards the spawn. Neesa noted the ornate breastplate the Sith wore. Whose apprentice was she? Neesa wondered.

Good enough for now, but Neesa would keep an eye on their 'ally'. The bothan before her had ragged fur. Chitnous plates grew out of her skin in several places, covering her neck and breast. There was some method in the random patchwork it seemed.

Neesa went from motionless to a white blur in a heartbeat. Two quick strikes were deflected by the rusting polearm the bothan weilded. Apparently there was some instinct still buried down in there.

 

[Kel Novastar]

The pureblood sith accompanying their group struck down the Rodian who attempted to flee craven. None of the others reacted in any manner worth noting after the blade pierced its flesh, and Kel was no exception to this at all. His disgust was already evident when the Rodian showed signs of weakness; he wasn't sure how one would be a potential Sith candidate with that trait within them, but it wasn't his concern either.

His attention remained focused on the Cerean moving to engage him, its speed quickening up just a tad as he leaped forwards in an attempt to lunge the blade right on top of Kel. He leaped backwards, throwing his weight into it as well as his free hand extended outwards to place a palm on the ground in order to perform an elegant backflip of sorts. Aided by the force, he threw himself backwards and into the air from his palmed position, then landed at a crouch. The Cerean wasn't wasting any time to watch his manuever, though, as he soon came at Kel once more, blade at the ready to strike and slash where it could.

Leaping forwards into action, the lightsaber in his hand easily deflected the wide-arced and seemingly hasty strikes his opponent threw at him. When not deflected the sith blade, he'd be observed making a few strikes of his own, although not anything special by any means. He'd managed to bring the lightsaber across the Cerean's side, but the organic-like patchwork of plated armor which grew out of its skin seemed to take the brunt of his assault. This creature would need to be defeated with alot than that, but he was up to the challenge.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

Her first strikes had made no ground, but Neesa would not be deterred now. The blades in her hands felt right. Perfectly weighted her hands knew the feel of their hilts better than any other instrument.

The bothan's polearm was large and heavy, Neesa knew she had to keep close and apply pressure. If the sithspawn had been fully sentient it would have used to point to keep Neesa at a distance.

A quick offensive routine should have pushed the spawn back, out it off balance. Instead it held its ground. One blade came in high, the other low. One struck metal, the other caught the spawn at the shoulder. The wicked curve of the blade struck home. The spawn didn't even flinch but used the centre of its polearm to thrust forwards. Neesa was struck in the chest, the air smashed from her lungs.

She reassessed the situation, putting some space between her and her opponent. Apparently she couldn't consider this a normal duel. She started to circle, getting her breath back and watching the bothan carefully. The spawn never took its eyes off her, always advancing, dragging the polearm along the ground as if it had been forgotten.

 

[Kel Novastar]

[member="Neesa"]

Eyes gazed over the Cerean's body as he kept as a manageable distance began circling around the creature. The plates which portruded from its skin were enough to prevent his lightsaber from immediately slicing clear into its flesh, but that would only serve to prove a temporary obstruction to the victory which awaited him at the end of this duel.

His opponent, not necessarily fathoming what he was doing, simply lunged forwards once more in another attempt at wildly striking down the man in front of him. But alas, Kel wasn't going to let this creature completely put him at a disadvantage. As the blade once again swung towards him, this time in a side-arced motion that would've cleaved him horizontally in two, he moved forwards quickly and dropped down to a single knee.

His free hand extended forwards quickly, hand shaped almost like a set of claws as he punched into the air, all the while his torso leaned backwards enough that the whistle of the blade slicing over his head could be heard in both ears. A wave of force energy had emitted from his hands, although, and the Cerean found itself being thrown back completely, flying across the room before finally colliding with one of the several giant statues in the area.

It had dropped its weapon, but quickly it was recovering and once more reaching for the blade on the ground. Kel raised to his feet and set off into a dash, leaping forwards in time to intercept its hands grasping the Sith blade. Bringing the lightsaber down on top of it, the Cerean had just managed to block the lightsaber in time to prevent his opponent from cleaving it in two, and once again forced Kel to leap backwards into a more defensive position. "Tough one, aren't you?!" He called out albeit not expecting a response. It didn't seem...all there, to put it nicely. Besides, he didn't expect anything lurking around an ancient Sith temple to be anywhere near freindly.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

Neesa waited for the spawn to cross its legs to face her. Then she darted in. She feinted high with both blades. The creature reacted and brought its heavy polearm. That was exactly where she wanted the heavy weight held. As her blades changed direction and flicked back and kicked forwards. She wasn't heavy, but the bothan spawn was off balance. So when her boot connected with its chest it was sent stumbling.

Neesa danced in after it. Her blades were alchemically forged, razor sharp. She sliced over and over, the cracks resounding around the small chamber as chitinous chunks of hide were cut free. When the bothan regained its footing its fur was soaked in its own blood, the plating around the neck nearly cracked through. Yet it drew itself up to its full height and swung the polearm with a ferocity that nearly caught the nagai off guard.

 

[Kel Novastar]

[member="Neesa"]

Once more the amalgamation of a creature came forth at him with blade in hand, wild swings slicing through the air with a ferocitiy that didn't match the seemingly lifeless look which peered from its eyes. Kel weaved and dodged from the initial set of attacks, a final strike from the creature being outmanuevered by a well-timed lunge to the side which caused him to skirt across the stone floor, dust picking up off his boots.

With the help of the force, he leaped at the creature from its side, his weight thrown forwards into a somersault as his lightsaber came swooping down from above, cutting clean through the upper part of the chitinous armor plates covering its back. It let out a scream from the blow, but he wasn't sure if it was out of pain or annoyance at his actions. Regardless, it swiveled around on instinct, the blade extended outwards in hopes of cleaving through the man that had just cut into its form.

But alas, Kel's body was clear out of the way of the attack by the time it came around, his lightsaber temporarily deactivated as he barrel rolled off to the opposite flank of the reacting sithspawn. He slid forwards in response, dust picking up in his wake, and his free hand cocked backwards with that same clawed-palm positioned near the center of his frame.

As soon as he had a clear position to the creature's rear, his arm shot forwards, another wave of force being exuded from his hand. It slid across the ground, but it kept its footing this time around. Kel was right behind it, although, and his reactivated lightsaber was currently on an diagonal arc across the whole of its back. It connected, more of the armored hide being chipped away and burned through as the plasma blade of his lightsaber managed to cleanly strike its target.

It wasted no time after this strike to retaliate quicker than before, its annoyance at the human it fought increasing in spite of the apparent half-sentience it possessed. A series of strikes were sent his direction in quick succession, and Kel was once more forced onto the defensive as he whipped around his lightsaber, his stance loose and low to the ground as he did so. The clash of weapons sent sparks flying off each of the blades, and soon he found himself being pressed backwards in a defensive backpedal. It would only serve to his disadvantage if it kept up for too long.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

The polearm swung back and forth that the air went whoom on each pass. Neesa doubted the creature still had the sentience to have made this a deliberate tactic. More it seemed to be an instinctive reaction to the damage it had taken. Seeing Neesa driven back by the wildly swinging blade at the end of the polearm seemed to drive it to repeat the act. A basic, anamalistic intelligence then.

The ice was back in her veins. That cold focus that came when she was under threat. The blade glinted as it swung back, she dared not try and party. This time it caught her tunic, leaving a three inch slash.

Darting away she formed her plan. Backing away, always just inches from being caught, spurring the bothan on. Back she went towards the walls of the chamber. The bothan grunted and prepared another sweep.

Neesa ducked and the head of the polearm crashed into the rock wall. It buried itself two inches into the dry stone, the head snapped off. In came Neesa, going for the leg this time. Even a spawn that couldn't feel pain would stop walking if it's tendons were cut. Three quick swipes and she found the back of the knee.

The bothan went down to one knee, desperately staving off the determined acolyte. Suddenly a brilliant, gleaming straight blade erupted from the front of its throat. One roll of the eyes and the sithspawn fell away to reveal the Pureblood who had joined them.

Neesa was afforded an emotionless stare. The purebloods rarely saw any, even with some watered down blood, as equals.

"Your skill will suffice," she grunted. Neesa raised an eyebrow and turned towards Kel.

 

[Kel Novastar]

[member="Neesa"]


His battle with the creature was, for lack of better words, drawing out much longer than he wished. While his ability to use the force was rather developed, it was highly apparent that he wasn't quite as trained with the lightsaber he wielded. But with that in mind, he had not fell to the blade of the foul creature attempting to slay him with no remorse, and the cowardice of the Rodian would never dare to be taken, regardless of the odds.

With carefully-placed steps in his backpedal, he managed to use the lightsaber in his hand to block each of the wild swings thrown his direction. After the series of blocks had nearly reached a dozen, he met the Sith blade coming at him halfways, the impact knocking it backwards and allowing him an opportunity to once more exploit its weakness.

The lightsaber had deactivated once more, Kel lunging towards the ground to the right of the sithspawn as he came to a skidding slide behind it. A force-assisted leap to the left would prevent the reacting creature from setting its sight on it once more, and with the reactivation of the lightsaber it was finally time to act.

As the sithspawn turned towards its right, it would greet the air instead of the Acolyte which had once been there. He grasped the lightsaber with both of his hands, cocking his arms back as he once more sought to use the force to his advantage. With a springboard-like leap off the ground, he threw all his weight into a forward thrust that sent him flying towards the creature's side.

The blade of the lightsaber pierced through the side of its hide thanks to the added momentum by the force-assisted charge. The impact was powerful enough to knock the creature to the ground, the weapon in its hands tumbling across the ground as its hand smacked against the floor and caused its grip to loosen. Pushing himself off the fallen creature, Kel would quickly retract the saber, and a small series of downward stabs towards the neck, and the head, would bring the form to a lifeless end.

Thankfully it was over with-- for now. His gaze turned towards the Pureblood Sith and Neesa, both of which seemed to be a-ok as far as he was concerned. It appeared his battle had taken a bit longer than theirs, but that was of no concern to him. He was alive, and his opponent was a lifeless corpse. That's all that mattered in the long run. Deactivating the lightsaber, his form loosened and relaxed a bit once the tension began to wore off. "That was fun."

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

This had been a deliberate trap. A test. Now the battle was over she could see the recessed alcoves where the spawn had been waiting. She wiped down her ornate, curved Sith Swords. There was no where to go but the path ahead.

The bold one was unhinged. That or he was using bravado to cover how challenging their first test had been.

"There are no more screams," she whispered. Against the protestation of her lungs she slowed her breathing and focused her hearing. Not a sound from the others.

Just one passage ahead, there could be no going back. Neesa collected her cloak and pulled it tight. She followed the lead of the Pureblood this time, keeping her weapons in her hands.

As they headed further down the passage remained straight and narrow. The light slowly faded until she could barely see the ground ahead of her. She checked for her companions on either side. Then there was a moment of complete, unatural darkness. It came and went in a heartbeat.

Neesa paused her walk. That had been...

She looked towards her companions to see if they were as perturbed as she was, only to find she was now alone. She twisted on the spot, head turning back and forth. They were gone. She was utterly alone. In the returning light she could see strange runes down either side of the passage.

Neesa stayed rooted to the spot until she had control of her breathing again. She dared not call out to the others. She dared not go back. Only forwards, forwards and down.

 

[Kel Novastar]

[member="Neesa"]

After the battle had finished, the path which they were to take was rather clear, if you asked him. In fact, it was too clear, almost as if they were being purposefulyl goaded into choosing that specific one in question. Of course the trio had the option to take the path which potentially lead to a den full of sithspawn, but it was safe to assume nobody saw the value in doing so.

With that in mind, the Pureblooded Sith took the lead and lead them down the immediate path forwards. He'd taken note of Neesa's words from earlier, which was rather informative to the fate of the Acolytes. Whatever they were doing before, they were all most likely dead now, or at least it appeared that one. Thinking that would also assume that their group were the ones who had chosen correctly, and considering they were alive it was a safe bet to assume this.

Yet the path forwards was the same as before, at least at first. The straight and narrow passage was dimly lit by the same type of wall-mounted brazier as before, yet that dimming darkness which nullified some of the light remained a constant reminder that things weren't completely right within the temple. With Neesa at his side, and the Sith at the front, he felt rather secure in the abilities of all three to take on whatever might come there way.

But his faith was tested when an all-consuming darkness slowly faded what little light there was from view, his vision completely blind to the world around him. For even that moment it seemed as if his auditory senses were also deafened, but it all didn't last long before an even more unnatural light returned as his senses came back to him. Glowing runes lit up along the walls of the passageway, although he was now alone in his endeavors.

He continued to keep his master's words tucked into the front of his mind as the unexpected continued to happen, much to his annoyance. But without hesitation he walked forwards down the path once more, regardless of having to walk it alone this time. His mind felt through the force to determine the cause of his peers disappearance, but to no avail. The interference caused by the temple had seemed to only increase, and he was unsure if what had happened was real, or an illusion.

He simply pressed forwards, his eyes gazing over each rune with curiosity as to their meaning. While they appeared to be hieroglyphics of sort, perhaps Sith in origin, his knowledge of the language wasn't diverse enough to figure out the meaning behind it all. For now, he'd continue walking until he couldn't walk anymore, or at least ran into something worth stopping for.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

She had only learned to read over the last few years. The written language of the sith was well beyond her. Yet she could recognise it. Even a quick comparison against the etchings down the flat of her blades was enough to confirm that it was the language.

Trepedition percolated up, but she kept placing one foot in front of the other. Now her blades were sheathed once more, her cowl drawn tight about her face. Alone once more there was no need to be more visible than necessary.

She began to see the ground opening up before her. Neesa slowed her pace, approaching cautiously. She pushed one foot out, angling it down to feel the smooth ridge where the tunnel simply ceased to be. Standing at the edge, there was no sign of anything beyond the end of the tunnel. Just an inky darkness that went on forever. She stood back, noticing more etchings in the ground before her. As she studied them they seemed to reform into something she could read.

"Walk," she muttered. Why would it say that?

 

[Kel Novastar]

[member="Neesa"]

The path he walked was layered in that same dimly lit darkness of before. He'd walked for what felt like a few minutes altogether before anything else of note had happened. The runes glowed the same, the braziers refused to brighten, and the nothingness which surrounded him had yet to reveal the location of his fellow acolytes.

Peering out into the darkness ahead, Kel thought he would eventually end up walking that path forever, if not for an unholy amount of time. Perhaps he was stuck in an illusion of the force which he had no means of breaking out of? The possibilities were multiple in number, and without the right knowledge to back up his assumptions, that's really all they were.

Thankfully for him -- or not, it was yet to be seen -- the sign he was looking for came forth in the form of the ground to his front sliding open to reveal a set of stone stairs which declined into the ground. It was a path of some sorts, and an inscription carved into the ground appeared to beckon him forwards if he understood the word correctly.

Gazing forwards, there was nothing left but darkness to greet him if he decided to skip the path. It was tempting, especially when considering if the stairway led to another trap, but he felt compelled to take the stairs. Besides, there was nothing for him to see on the path ahead besides more and more darkness. With that in mind, he took the first step leading into the darkness down the stairs.

But not before that familiar sound of plasma interacting with the molecules in the air sounded off the reactivation of the blade at the end of that white and black gripped in his hand. It would serve as a means to see forwards down the steps, if anything, and perhaps a deterrent to what laid forth to greet him.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Kel Novastar"]

Walk. Her sign said walk. Yet there was nowhere to go except back. Back up to her master and failure. Ahead was just an empty, infinite darkness.

Neesa was uneducated, but she wasn't stupid. They had been purposefully separated now. Her readings had only been low level instructional tomes and Sith philosophy.

Walk. Was she supposed to walk back, to teach her that sometimes you had to fall back and find another route. A perfectly valuable lesson, but one that she had learned many times before. If the others were making progress then she might get left behind.

In case the solution to thos problem was more simple than it seemed, she jogged back up. Once more there was that pulse of pure darkness. It's depth astounded her. But not as much as the fact that she was suddenly rushing down. Back towards the pit

Walk. If the etchings could shout at her, they were doing so.