What Was Once Mine

[Judah Lesan]

Munto Codru, the last known location of a long since passed Tapani Noble. Danger had been an assassin, a Sith, a King's lover. That was over eight centuries ago, but to Xander Blackmoore it had been just like yesterday. Fingers played at the violet jewel which hung from his neck. The amulet was on half of a pair he had unearthed as a favor to a friend. His reward was to keep one. Over time the amulets proved to be more than jewels, but something more, homes for ancient Sith spirits which desired to live eternally. Two lovers had wanted to cheat death, only to be imprisoned and apart from each other for near two millennia.

Xander wanted the amulet back. Danger had been given it as a gift once the truth was discovered. It only made the two desire each other more, enhancing the passion already felt by the two noble lovers. Perhaps a record was kept of where she had been laid to rest. Xander hoped for something.

It was awkward being on the planet once more, but Xander pushed the memories past himself. That was an era which no longer existed. He would not shed tears for a woman that woman that was taken from him. Instead, Xander would trust the force. There was a purpose for why he had been put into a coma for so long. Still the mystery of the amulets was his burden, and he would solve it.

Determined steps carried him to the planets archives. Xander would press through as much data as needed to find record of his Dangereuse. She was somewhere, and with her was the red amulet.

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

By the request of her dear friend and Master, Matsu Xiangu she had been sent to retrieve a particularly special and very valuable amulet. She didn't ask how the Atrisian woman had come across the information for the amulets (although she could guess that Hades had something to do with it if she asked) but rather nodded her head in agreement to see the job through and return with the amulet.

Hades had sent her with what information he had found and a promise to contact her as soon as he knew more - the information currently wasn't much, but it was a start as she made the trip to the planet Munto Codru in ample time. Once she had landed the ship (stealthy and sleek, easy to get out of a bind with) she set out on foot to the archive building where all three of them had been in agreement that she would have the best luck in finding more information.

The building was standard size and quiet as she shifts through what feels like endless rows of datachips that leaves her head spinning. Just when she's all but given up hope she came across a small section that peaks her interest, setting to work she tracks down a chip about ancient relics and plucks it off the shelf. Just as she is about to turn and find a seat she gives pause, picking up on the faint pulse of another Force users signature from somewhere in the room.

Curious she takes a step in the direction it's coming from, following it like a dog tracking a scent until her gaze settles on a man who appears to be here on a mission. She can't get a definitive read on him but she can only guess he's here for something too as her gaze studies him closely before catching the glint of the purple jewel hanging around his neck. It takes a second for the gears in her mind to set to work, recalling the image that Hades had shown her about the missing sister counterpart.

Excitement washes over her as her eyes narrowed and lips curl into a sinister grin (this ought to be fun) she thinks to herself as she casually makes her way over to where he stood. "That's quite the necklace you have." Her tone is pleasant with an underling of a tease as she stood beside him, revealing the chip to him. "You weren't looking for this now, were you?"


[member="Xander Blackmoore"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Actually," Xander stated as he looked the woman over, "I was..." his baritone voice said determined, yet matching the playful tone.

The monarch walked toward her slowly. Curious steps circled around her as he mused about what he might do to her. Xander was like most men of his culture when it came to women. They served their purpose, and since his Dangereuse was long since passed, the Sith had no use for fidelity. Something told him he shouldn't play with this one though. She had an aura about her that proposed she was more than she seemed.

"You like the jewel, it's nothing really a trinket that has been mine for near a millennia. The other half seems to have eluded me. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

She would answer him one way or the other. Xander could be very persuasive when the situation required it. A strong hand reached out for the data chip. He knew the information he wanted was on the storage device.

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

In her line of 'business' she had been quick to learn that you picked off the weak in order to survive but if you wanted to get greedy then you had to be very patient. Kesare was nobody's fool, she knew how to play the game and she knew how to play it well - patience came to her as easily as breathing.

She could sense the importance of the chip from miles away as she makes note of the determination in his tone and the caution in his steps as he slowly approached her, circling her like some vulture. He doesn't fool her for a minute, her own caution hidden behind a layer of impassiveness as she keeps her gaze trained on him (always watch your own back) she gives nothing away, no notable emotions in her features or in her posture to support she was a threat as she feels her lips curve into an amused smirk.

He was lying about the amulet, she can practically taste it in his words when he attempts to make light of its value. She doesn't know what he was hiding or why but she doesn't care - what she does know is that she is willing to play this man's game to find out the truth once and for all.

"Now if I did know something, what makes you think I would be inclined to tell you?" She keeps her voice light, carefree as she pulls away the data chip before he can grab it out of her hand. "Or think I'm willing to share?" This time she steps towards him, her gaze tracing over the hard lines of his features - he was a handsome man she would give him that and his clothing suggested that he had seen plenty of credits in his lifetime, but none of that mattered to her because what she truly wanted was that jewel around his neck and the information that she knew he had sitting somewhere nicely tucked away somewhere in the recesses of his mind (perhaps fashioned off into a lovely bow) "Everything comes with a price, so tell me what are you willing to give me in return?"

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

This one was shrewd. Had he wanted to, Xander could simply ravish every part of her mind until he had the answers he sought. His power should not be underestimated, yet this was not the time or place for such a display. The game would be played, both of them in possession of something the other wanted. The monarch knew there was a way to tip the scale. His first master had taught him so many centuries ago how to reveal only what was necessary, but not enough to lose control of the situation. This was the matter, they both wanted to be in control. It would seem Xander had a play he could make.

Blue eyes had not missed the fact the woman took note of his features. It was only natural for her to do so. No doubt her own awareness had picked up on the much slower drink Xander took of the female form in front of him as he circled her earlier. The posturing had already begun. The cat and mouse game would continue for some time, of this Xander was certain. Her question demanded an answer. What price would he pay?

"The truth, perhaps,' the answer came from his lips in a calm, even, tone. "Only a Sith would make such a statement, everything comes with a price. Our kind has preached this lesson to our disciples for longer than you or I have been taking breath into our lungs."

Xander observed how her gaze greedily hungered the jewel which hung from his neck. If she only knew the truth of the burden it was, the other relics which were required to solve the mystery of what he possessed. The monarch was certain the chip in her hand did not contain the knowledge his mind possessed. If she wanted it, she would have to be willing to pay for it.

Booted feet carried Xander forward once more. The gap between them nearly closed off completely.

"Everything does have a price, but this jewel will not be leaving my neck. It's mate however, is of no use to me unless it is around the neck of another. Do you wish to know what that data chip cannot possibly tell you. Only two individuals have ever know the power these jewels possess, and you are looking at the only one of them who still draws breath. I belive that makes valuable to you."

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

The man could play a good game of this she was certain, but what he didn't understand yet was that she lived for games (a wolf who watches – waiting for the right time to sink her fangs around your neck the second you let your guard down) fourteen years of her life had been dedicated to countless games, and in the end she'd been the one to step out of the ring as the crowned victor. If this stranger thought she wouldn't take him down with her then he already severely underestimated her.

She knew better than to call attention to herself, she'd learned that early on in training from both Matsu and Lucas – that it was better to lie in wait and feel your opponent out before striking. With a faint lift of her eyebrows and a small widening of her eyes in mock surprise, cocking her head slightly the corners of her lips twitching in amusement. "Please, spare me the lesson lecture, I've heard it all before."

Something inside of her shifts when he steps closer, an air of caution whispering in her ear to keep her guard up because he is dangerous – a man who will his charm and use his good looks to get what he wants, but two can play that game and she was very, very good at getting what she wants. Her gaze lifts from the jewel to meet his gaze and his challenge head on, did he think she would be so easy to fold? That she wouldn't have a few tricks up her own sleeve? "Perhaps this is all true, but you seem to have forgotten that I still have the information that you seek." Her fingers tighten around the data chip instinctually – whoever this man was, he didn't come all this way to leave empty handed but then again neither did she. "Should you choose to share your information with me then I, in return will gladly return the favor – this is my offer, you may take it or leave it but remember to choose wisely." And should he choose to give her a difficult time then she would be ready for him.

​

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

What an interesting dance this was turning out to be. The monarch was very intrigued by the female in front of him. It had been some time since he had been in the presence of one so cunning and beautiful. Xander would have laughed had he known she thought herself to be like a wolf. The king of the Indupar Crown Worlds had known many a she-wolf in his history. All of them were beautiful, intelligent, and rather vicious. In a way the brunette reminded him of them. None of them were to be underestimated, and had been among the most powerful Sith he knew. Xander knew how to deal with the one in front of him, with caution.

Her attitude regarding the lesson was one Xander did not appreciate. While she was showing her true nature as Sith, it was fortunate she was not his apprentice. Were she, lightning would make a good way to make his point, or perhaps she would find her throat constricting about her. Everything came with a price, whether she wanted to hear it or not. Her offer, the same as Xander had made, proved his point. It was best to let her win this round because the datastick was not the ultimate prize. The prize was something far beyond anything the woman could possibly know.

"As I have already said, the second jewel is of no value to me unless someone else possesses it," came his cryptic acceptance of her offer. It was a curious thing she had not asked why that was so important, but the truth was something on this which would have to remain ellusive. The second jewel was hers if she wanted it. "As long as this jewel remains in my possession you have my cooperation, but from this point on, we are looking for the other half together."

Xander's eyes shifted from the datastick in her hand, to the dark orbs which were set upon her face. A dark brow quirked as he pondered what to tell her now. The agreement was precise information. This was fortunate for him, and it gave him some semblance of control. He even knew the name she was looking for on the datastick, who that person was, her origin, her connections, her profession. He knew her lover. The jewel had been a gift to her from the very man who still wore the other. Did the Sith in front of him really want to know the truth?

"That datastick is useless to you without my information, and my journey will take much longer without the information you possess. We are stalemated unless I concede it seems. You are looking for a specific burial record. Shall we find a kiosk?

Xander motioned as if to say ladies first. He would share his information, but only as they continued along the search. When something became pertinant, he would reveal it. It was the only way to ensure she would not simply ditch him without keeping her end of their agreement. She was Sith after all.

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

[SIZE=11.5pt]The man was cocky, he had an air about him that told her he was not someone accustom to hearing the word no and getting his [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt]way[/SIZE]. She had met many men similar to him throughout her life, men that thought so highly of themselves that it eventually became their downfall. Power was a fleeting thing slipping through the cracks of time, there would always be a bigger fish in the sea and it was only a matter of time until someone got caught.

[SIZE=11.5pt]Fortunately for him she was feeling lenient, perhaps she was just in a good mood or maybe she wanted to conserve her energy for when her true test of patience began but today no was not a word that would be found in her vocabulary. Besides, playing hard to get would only make things more difficult for her, she knew men to be much more malleable when they believed she had rolled on her back like some dog and submitted to them (easy, so easy to just reach out and snap your neck and take what I came here for) "Fine by me handsome, but if you try to double cross me I will kill you."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11.5pt]It isn't a threat but a promise as she lifts her gaze to him, her lips curling into a sinister smirk. He had no idea who he was dealing with or who he would be going up against if he so much as looked at her the wrong way.[/SIZE] [SIZE=11.5pt]"And if you purposely withhold information I will make sure to get it out of you one way or another." She mentions with a casual air as she brushes past him towards an empty kiosk. She was not nearly as gifted in the art of sifting around brains like Matsu was, but she had her own talent of making someone sing any song she wanted when she was done with them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11.5pt]Slipping into a seat she plugs in the data stick and as a show of good faith she moves off to the side slightly so that he can search for the information that they were both looking for. "Now, how about you tell me why this amulet is so important, and don't bother lying because I'd know and there's nothing more I hate than a liar."[/SIZE]

​

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

"First, I have no intention of double crossing you, beautiful. Believe me I am smart enough to kill you first."

Xander had no intention of withholding information either. She would know anyway. The Sith had good instincts, and her master was a good teacher, whomever she was. The Knight was not concerned with what she could do to his mind. If the woman dared enter without permission she would find Xander's master had made him deadly in the art of the mental skills available to force users. The woman would find herself in a pain which would make her beg for death.

He captured her gaze for a moment, as he considered the promise. She thought she could kill him. Xander smiled. "How cute, the girl thinks she stands a chance..." Xander thought to himself. He knew she would try, but she would fail. Perhaps with more training she would be a threat, but Xander had already assessed her aura in the dark side. While she was strong she was not stronger than the Knight.

"I will answer your questions precisely," he answered as his eyes dipped to gaze just below her waist as she passed.

He turned and followed her. When she sat and moved over slightly for him to see, he leaned over her shoulder with his right hand resting on her left shoulder. The king's cologne would waft in her direction he was so close. His left index finger pointed at a name before he stood to a full height once more.

"These amulets house two Sith spirits, one male, the other female, a husband and wife, or lovers at least."

She would know he was not lying.

"I have spent the better part of my career as a Sith trying to solve the mystery of these amulets. However, they only react when they are paired together and worn by the proper gender. Though there are certain side effects..."

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

[SIZE=11.5pt]There was a smugness to him that was like tasting something bitter, her lips puckering slightly and dipping at the corners (you think I can't play your game? I look forward to showing you how wrong you can be) He thought because he was older, perhaps wiser that he had an advantage.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11.5pt]He was wrong.[/SIZE]

"Excellent, I'm glad you could see it my way." [SIZE=11.5pt]She wouldn't tell him that though, she would let him believe whatever he'd like for the time being as long as he had the common sense of playing nice. Tick, tock, the clock was ticking and it was only a matter of time... [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11.5pt]She had long ago grown accustom to feeling the leer of a man's gaze peeling off her clothes in their imagination the moment she stepped into room. Men were a predictable species, just a whisper of a suggestion in their ear, a hint of a promise to keep them coming back for more made them malleable and so very easy to curl around her finger before snapping them in two.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11.5pt]Her fingers curled around his fingers resting on her shoulder, squeezing tight enough in warning that he was not to touch her unless she suggested otherwise and removes his hand without breaking her concentration from the screen that he is pointing at. She knew enough about the Sith lovers from the information Hades had acquired before she left but she didn't assume to tell him, letting him believe she knew as little as possible about the amulets. "And these Sith lovers, why don't tell me about them. Who were they?" [/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt]Their names meant little to her, in fact most of what he is saying went in one ear and out the other until he says something that finally peaks her interest. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11.5pt]"These side effects, what might they be? Actually, why don't you start from the beginning and tell me what you do know about the amulets."[/SIZE][SIZE=11.5pt] She turns her gaze up to him, studying his features with feigned interest, her tone a low and sultry purr. "And you. Why don't you tell me a little something about yourself, handsome."[/SIZE]

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

She was foolish if she thought her flatery would get him to talk, or be wrapped around her finger. He was Sith, and used to dominant women among them. He knew how to handle her. The truth, they would remain at a stalemate. One giving the other just enough to get what they wanted. Xander did think he held the upper hand. It was the one thing which he knew about the amulets that she was now asking to know the details of. He knew it would pique her interest.

"A bit about my self, I could begin with my name," he smiled. "Xander Blackmoore, a brief study of the history of the Induparn crown worlds will produce my name as their king. Yet the force saw fit to put me in stasis for 800 years. They obviously think I am dead, but I will have my throne again."

He called a chair to where he stood with the force, and sat as it stopped. It was not meant to show off, but rather, he wanted to sit.

"To other Sith I am know as Darth Vizios. I am a seer. I know many possibiliites of the future, and to keep from going insane, I paint them on canvas."

With a bit of personal information out of the way, he twisted the jewel around his neck as he debated whether to give her the truth or not. She struck him as the type to know if he was lying or not, so the truth would be told. Knowing the truth was in his best interest anyway. He was curious to know what she would do if she knew the pull of the Sith lovers. His blue eyes looked to her darker eyes directly. He was done playing the game they had begun for the moment. Oh he enjoyed the flirting, and her figure was very attractive. This was business now, and she had honored her end of the understanding they were beginning to come to.

"The effects the amulets have are rather dangerous if unchecked. As I have stated they house two lovers, spirits. What I have not stated was their goal to be reunited. This jewel has not left my neck for the better part of 800 years. I unearthed them aiding a friend free herself from the chains of her family. She took the other jewel and our friendship became clouded with tension. Our judgement became clouded, and we found ourselves fighting a desire to relieve the tension through passionate means. When she left the Sith, I took a lover and gave her the other jewel, still not understanding the nature of the amulets. We were drawn in the same to each other. There were those who thought our union was caused by the influence of the jewels only, but that was not the truth. The name you are looking for is my former lover. She will have been dead for over 700 years now."

Xander stood once again, and began to walk away. The woman would see some humanity in the man. His feelings for his lover had been genuine, and in a moment she had been stolen from him. Weakness? Perhaps it was, but Xander did not care to be strategic about what he revealed about himself. Turning around to face her again. There was more to solving the mystery of these spirits.

"I want to see these spirits destroyed. The visions I have seen of what will happen should they be loosed are devastating. I will not see it come to pass. Even though I am Sith, I do not believe in destruction for the sake of destruction. These seem to want that from what I have seen. I would enlist you to assist me in this if you chose. There are two more artifacts of interest to find as well. But you must be aware of the effects if you take the amulet into your possession."

She would know he was telling the truth. He was not hiding anything, or lying to her. All his cards had been laid on the table, most of them anyway, and the decision for how they proceeded here was hers to make."

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

[SIZE=12pt]As she expected, flattery got her a long way with him (give an inch, take a mile) the note of pride in his voice when he spoke of his upbringing was not lost on her, pocketing away the knowledge for another time. She knew his type, she knew men that were carbon copies of him - born with a silver spoon in their mouth and growing up never learning the meaning of the word 'no'. He was the type who fed off others for their wanting, dragging down anyone who dared to defy him with the belief that he was someone superior.[/SIZE]

Fighting for the opportunity to play lord over a battlefield was of no consequence to her when the picture was so much bigger than the one he had painted. If he wanted to take back his inconsequential crown she wouldn't stand in his way unless he stood in the way of doing her job here. "Long live the king.[SIZE=12pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] Suppressing the sarcasm from her tone her lips curl into something of a sly smirk and performs a small [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]curtsy[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"Forgive me your majesty, I didn't realize I was standing before royalty."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]His story about the gem was a curious tale, so outlandish that he could only be possibly telling the truth. Listening carefully she took meticulous mental notes while streaming the information telepathically through the connection she shared with Matsu who sat high above the clouds in her office on Coruscant. "Your lover still wears the amulet, even in death? Why did you never retrieve it? Unless...you don't know where her body was buried?"[/SIZE]

She speaks of his lover in an unimpressed tone, unswayed by his sudden slip of humanity. Attachments were an unnecessary burden that made him vulnerable, weak. Still she would need him if she was going to locate the amulet, what happened to him after would left to be seen. "I will help you destroy the spirits if you help me obtain the amulet. But if you try to double cross me it will be the last thing you ever do." [SIZE=12pt]Conceding, her agreement lingers in the air. Leaning in close enough to count every eyelash, her gaze matches his and she grins conspiratorially and speaks in a husky whisper. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"Are you trying to warn me that one of the effects of the amulet is being drawn to you? Because I can agree to keep my hands to myself if you can."[/SIZE]

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Oh come now, you shouldn't waste a curtsey on me. We are both Sith after all are we not? Title outside of what we earn as Sith means nothing to us. Let's not pretend that it does now. While there are women in this galaxy that would fling themselves at me because of the title I have, you do not strike me as one of them, another thing to admire about you, Xander said with a smirk.

While he was usually one to enjoy the attention his title earned him, from the woman it seemed ingenuine. As he stated, she did not seem the type to care much about whether a man was a prince or a pauper. It was something that was admirable, because there were many who pretend to be. Life was beyond the crown which he no longer wore, but he would have it back nonetheless. Why? The resources it came with. It was a means to an end, and perhaps the woman could appreciate that mentality.

"You could give me your name however," he remarked as she stood.

The question had been asked, why had he not retrieved the amulet? The simple answer was he went into a force enduced coma before she passed, that was likely the case anyway. Xander had not known how long Dangereuse had lived after stasis had taken him. Xander pushed the thought aside and grabbed piece of flimsi and something to write with. Her grave marker was written on what he had procurred, and Xander returned to his full height before choosing to answer the question.

"The dark side put me into a force stasis of sorts. She passed during the time was not concious I suppose. There are disadvantages to cheating death, one of them being to seemingly blink and 800 years pass by, robbing one of everything they held dear. Everyone I knew is dead, and the dark side has given me the chance to start fresh. There is only one still alive I knew then, but his species live this long. I was never intended to. Consider me weak if you will, but my reality is a far cry from anything you could possibly understand."

Finally he showed he could care less. Xander was Sith after all. What Kesare thought was incosequential to him. The reason he could play her game was because he didn't care about the outcome as long as he got what he wanted in the process. He would give whatever he had to in order to gain what he wanted.

His blue gaze watched as the woman came closer to him. Her words made him smile. A true Sith to the end. Giving to get, with a threat if Xander should decide to double cross her was exactly what he expected of her. Even the distance was closed between them. Her voice was pulled into a whisper, and Xander's eyes locked with hers. Had she not made it clear he was not to touch her without permission, or at least some kind of indication to, the King would likely make some kind of move here. The old Xander would have, the less mature and more arrogant Xander. Instead he closed the distance even more. They were as close as they could be without actually indulging in carnal passions. The tone of his voice matched hers.

"I am saying that we," he motined with his index finger back and forth to indicate he was talking about the two of them, "will be drawn to each other. I cannot promise to keep my hands off you, and neither can you, so I will not. However, I can promise you that I am not going to double cross you, and the amulet is yours when all of this over. The one I wear, it remains with me."

Xander broke her gaze as he sized her up, noting the confidence she exuded. Why was he always attracted to the strong willed ones?

His gaze returned.

"If this is acceptable to you, and if you can deal with the possibility this may bet interesting between us, then follow me to the grave marker. We will need shovels."

With that being said, Xander turned on his heels and led the woman out of the archive building into the lush forested world of Munto Codru. He knew exactly now where the old temple stood, and where his former lover was burried.

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

[SIZE=12pt]He thought highly of himself, she could tell just by the way he spoke and held himself – she didn't have the heart to tell him in the grand scheme of things his self importance meant less than nothing to her, (it was always pleasant playing with her food before consuming it –[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]play nice and the world became your oyster[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]) because one day they would need nothing from each other, flesh and bone turning to decay: [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]the everlasting circle of life. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Except she wanted – [/SIZE]something from him and was willing to certain sacrifices that were required to retrieve what she had come to the planet looking for, (if he thought she was going home empty handed then he was sadly mistaken) and if that meant tempting him to follow her down the rabbit hole then so be it.

[SIZE=12pt]For a flash flicker of a second she briefly considered giving him her alias name, but despite his arrogant demeanor he'd also proven that he was perceptive and a sharp thinker that also made him useful to her for the time being. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"Kesare." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]She doesn't elaborate further, offering her name like something of a rare gift. "It would seem to me King Blackmore that you are still tethered to your past –[/SIZE]" [SIZE=12pt]Spitting the word king out like she swallowed poison she studied him with an open interest, her curiosity having been piqued. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"but I can recognize the past is inconsequential because it has already occurred and therefore can't be changed."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The truth of the matter was that she didn't care enough to feel one way or the other, her only interest was to achieve a means to an end before she moved onto her next assignment. However she enjoyed his battle of wills and his obvious attempt to keep her feet dancing over hot coals. Her lips split into something of a twisted grin, amusement flooding her features that she made no attempt of masking from him. Reaching up her hand and dragging metal claws along the sharp arch of his cheek, something predatory flashed behind her gaze at his suggestion and she had to suppress the urge to rip into her prey and tear out his still beating heart. "The likelihood of that happening remains to be seen." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]A note of challenge could be detected in her tone when she dropped her hand away, deciding that for now she would follow him, knowing she could just as easily dispose of him should the circumstances change as she fell in step beside him and allowed him to navigate them out the archives building and began walking North.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]"If you think I need a shovel, then you are sadly mistaken." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Insulted by the implication her tone implied as much when she looked over at him. A low whistle broke the small stretch of silence and carried through the air, where she waited patiently for the creature to appear – a large, black monster prowled from around the ship and slunk up beside her. The tuk'ata had been a gift to her from Matsu, a massive beast made out of pure muscle who landed at her hip and weighed at least two of her. She watched as Vashsti's ears flickered, fangs bearing and snarling low in her throat at the man who walked beside her that ceased when Kesare waived her hand in a dismissive manner before returning her gaze to Xander and once again studying him before speaking. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"So this mysterious place that you're taking me, where is it and how far is it from here?" [/SIZE]

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Tethered yes, but not chained," he smiled as he her name proceeded to roll off his lips, "Kesare."

He rolled it around in his mind a bit before nodding in acceptance of it. The name was solid, feminine, and yet powerful. Yes her name would do nicely. There was much to be said of names after all. Naturally she followed him, but still played at the game which danced between the two. Xander would have suggested there was no need for the amulets to cause tension between them, but that would have been a moot point. This was the game of their making, and both would see it through to their own benefit. There would not be two winners to this game, and both would have to make concessions along the way. Hers had been made, his as well, but something told Xander it was not over by any means.

Xander paused as her clawed fingers scrapped along his cheek. He smiled at her challenge. She should know better. This game they played was in every arena it seemed, and if there was a prize to claim in this one, Xander would have it too. He had been challenged, dared even, to attempt his move. The man would strike subtly, but his will was now determined to succeed here as well.

"It does remain to be seen doesn't it," he said biting at the clawed tip as she pulled it away. His lip caught it, pricking the surface causing himself to bleed slightly. "Sharp," he observed as one brow raised. His eyes looked above as the beast which had been called flew to her side. She was too much like his Kazrah had been. Were she red of pigment, and had the tattoo's his red huntress had borne, Xander would have thought it to be her incarnate. This did not help certain male desires subside. This game was to be truly interesting then.

A wash of the dark side fell over him as he recalled his lessons in Beast Language. Should the need arise, he had the skill to turn the beast on its own master, though Xander was certain this was not going to be needed. It seemed neither of them would need a shovel, and Xander knew he would now have to return to Dathomir and claim a spider once more. He simply could not be outdone.

"She will have been buried near the Sith Temple which was very active near 800 years ago. I was trained on this world in the arts of the Sith. I was knighted here, given the title Darth Vizios. This is bit one thing required to loosen the tether chord you have so astutely observed. We shall arrive there in two hours on foot, sooner if I command your beast to carry us."

Xander pointed to the Northwest.

"There, that way!"

Setting out on foot, Xander did not even attempt to carry through his claim. He simply made the statement to inform her he had power over beasts. It was a warning to not be foolish as his back was turned to her. They would arrive in the two hours time, and from there sift through the markers, until the correct one was found.

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

[SIZE=12pt]Detecting the scent of fresh blood wafting in the air causes her nostrils to flare and pupils to shift into two small pins, she could feel the hunger claw its way up her throat –[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]a shark circling its prey, prepared to strike. She is confident that if she were given the chance he would taste delectable, ([/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]800 year old meat was meant to be savored, flesh so supple it passed through her teeth like butter that she paired with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to enhance his exotic flavors[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]) temptation enticing her to steal a bite.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]"All the better to eat you with, my dear" [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]There was a note of hunger in her tone that was unmistakable – a carnal craving for meat, [/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt](and forget about the other amulet, once she picked his bones clean she would take all that he held dear off of his cold, dead corpse and present them to their rightful owner who stood worlds apart from here) [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]that she made no secret from him or anyone else. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Suppressing the urge to reach out and slice his throat into thick strips of ribbon, instead she visualizes his eyes going round in surprise when metal tore into flesh. The sound of him suffocating on his own blood is like music to her ears that develops into a satisfying strangled wheeze when his windpipe overflows with the warm, sticky crimson before spilling over his lips and staining the dirt beneath their feet an ugly shade of muddy brown.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Her vision became increasingly violent when he made what she considered to be a not so subtle threat of tampering with Vashsti's mind, her eyes shifting to a brilliant shade of gold as her features sharpened and hollowed demonically. Her initial reflex was to finish him off before he became a real threat to either of them, resisting the automatic fight or flight response she pressed a hand against the tuk'ata's massive shoulder to quiet the monster who could sense her Master's disturbance. "You could try, but I can guarantee the second you make an attempt I will cut you down from where you stood." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Both of them were fiercely protective of the other, so much so that it became rare to find Kesare without the tuk'ata by her side on just about any mission [/SIZE]– [SIZE=12pt]having the beast around proved to be useful when she was equally as astute as her Master when it came to trusting others.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]With a twitch of her ears the monster paused and knelt slightly, offering her back to Kesare without a hint of reluctance. "Fortunately for me, Vashsti has no objections carrying my weight." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]A smirk toyed at her lips as she slid onto the tuk'ata's back and studied him briefly from above before nudging her ride forward. [/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]"You are welcome to try and join me, except Vash isn't a big fan of strangers and you are not allowed to force your way inside her head to compel her to respond otherwise." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]As if understanding everything Kesare just said, she extends to him a low, warning growl in the back of her throat. "And you might want to keep your arms, legs or any other body parts she can rip off, as far away from her as possible."[/SIZE]

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Is that a hint of concern I sense from you," he responded sarcastically. "Or perhaps you hope it to be the case so you can have that excuse to taste my flesh. There is more than one way to get that."

Now they were simply dueling with their words once again. Her predatory nature was attractive to the King, but he would not readily admit it, nor would he readily admit the he saw her as his equal in this game they played. Naturally he thought highly of himself, everyone did. Those who did not never made it to the heights Xander had reached, or the ones Kesare aspired to. They were too much alike, both hunters of the same kind in a sense. While Xander never thought to eat the flesh of another, he had certainly never blinked at ending a life, not even that of his own father.

He carefully mounted the beast, which seemed not entirely thrilled about what was happening, yet also understood. Xander sat directly behind Kesare, and wrapped his arm around her lithe waist for some measure of security as the beast would soon take flight. This gave him yet another chance, a soft whisper in her ear, as his hot breath would dance against the lobe.

"I suppose I'll have to trust you are slightly more civil than your pet, though should you wish to leave your mark, you will not be the first female to do so."

Xander had three scars on his body, all from women. Two from Kazrah his red huntress. The first had come when she kissed him, and bit hard, breaking his skin. Technically the scar was not visible to the eye as it was inside his mouth. The second from her was on his left shoulder. Her blade had cut him when they battled, the day she awakened the monster inside Xander. The third scar came from the woman who had taught him the art of using the lightsaber. Her blood was acidic, and she cut herself and grabbed his right wrist marking him as her pupil. Xander wore bracers to cover the burn scar left behind. Though, if Kesare wanted the stories, she only had to ask.

"As long as you give me no reason to enter your pet's mind, you have my word I will not. We are a reluctant paring after all, and despite the games we are playing, I am certain we both know what the other truly thinks. I simply refuse to voice it, because the games are more fun than the alternative test of strength and skill which would lead to one of us dying. You need me alive to the amulet you seek, and I think killing you would be a waste of such youthful beauty. So you see, we are at an impasse."

Xander shrugged.

"There will be a clearing in the massive forest from which you will see a dark ominous structure. That is the temple in which I studied 800 years ago. Perhaps someday I will restore it to the glory it once had. You can land in the clearing, and hope the Codru-Ji haven't littered the ruins."

[member="Kesare Salazar"]

 

[Kesare]

[SIZE=12pt]My, what BIG teeth you have[/SIZE]

​

[SIZE=12pt]Even though arrogance grates her nerves, he is clever enough to continue teetering on the edge of her good graces, (one false step and the hunter became the hunted – [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]in one final, begging salvo her jaws wrap around his throat and for a brief, blissful moment she savors the sound of his indistinguishable screams before snapping her muzzle shut as the thick, warm metallic taste floods her mouth and trailed by the symphony of bones snapping that was like music to her ears as he drowns in a pool of his own blood until the twitching stops, his eyes dull and lifeless as she dragged his corpse off to be picked clean[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]) and though he cannot see, there was a flash flicker of a smirk that tugged at the corners of her mouth before quickly disappearing like it had never been there at all.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]"You say excuse, like I need one." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]She didn't need him to speak feel his attraction to her, she felt a familiar heavy, red, dry heat that pulsed off of him in waves. "I'm sure you taste delicious." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Stretching out the syllables, there was a hiss to her final word as it slithered past her lips.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The brush of his touch came so unexpectedly that her body immediately grew tense beneath his hands, and had to momentarily resist teaching him a lesson by envisioning herself sinking a knife into his flesh. Slowly, meticulously, dragging the jagged blade back and forth, back and forth, past the delicate bones and tendons of his wrist that kept his hand attached to his arm. "That hardly comes as a surprise, however what I have in mind has less to do with scars and more to do with disfiguring."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]There was a thinly veiled threat guised as playful banter as she bristled beneath his touch but for the time being deigned herself to withstand the temptation of violence as Vash began to pick her way through the thick forest, in the direction that Xander had mentioned. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"You have no idea the type of games that I enjoy playing." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Pressing her lips into a thin, flat line, eyes narrowed as her jaw ticks up, down, up, down at his provocation. "Perhaps you soon will."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]_______________________________________________________________[/SIZE]​

​

[SIZE=12pt]Studying her surrounding with interest, she doesn't need to see the clearing to know that it was close as she felt the pull of its dark energy vibrating from up ahead, luring them in like a moth to a flame. Except she could detect more than just the energy that surrounds the temple. There was a disturbance to its power that felt unusual – [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]not Sith, nor Jedi, it didn't even feel human to her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Instinctively her fingers reach for the lightsaber strapped to her hip and curl around the hilt just as Vashsti breaks through the clearing, ears flat against her skull and teeth bared as the connection they shared allowed the beast to sense what she was feeling.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Except instead of being greeted with an attack, there was...nothing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Nothing but a massive ancient temple that stood in ruins from years of neglect that she envisioned in its prime had once been a magnificent piece of architecture. "Something's wrong." [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]Sliding off the monsters back and igniting her saber she delicately sniffed the air, she caught a scent she'd never smelt before and assumed it was the Codru[/SIZE]–[SIZE=12pt]Ji he'd mentioned during their travels. She had never encountered the species before and equally less familiar with their culture, but that didn't mean she wouldn't slaughter every last one of them who stood in her way of getting what she'd travelled all this way for. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]"You feel it too. They're watching us and waiting as they devise a strategy before they attack, but I say we take the fun to them before they are given the chance to hit them hard, first."[/SIZE]

[member="Xander Blackmoore"]​

 

[Judah Lesan]

Yes he was aware of her warning from earlier about not touching her ever again without permision, but he'd rather take his chance with her than the beast. Though if he were honest, he wondered if there was much of a difference. She seemed serious about actually wanting to taste him, and not in the way Xander would find pleasurable. Yes, she was too much like his huntress.

"Perhaps I will, and perhaps, I may surprise you," he said leaving it at that.

She did not need him to say he was as much a monster as he was a civilized ruler. Should the Codru-Ji attack them, she would get a first hand demonstration of how he could be. No other words were exchanged until they landed. Xander smiled at how quickly Kesare was ready to kill those who surronded them. He motioned for her to lower her weapon. It was time for a little story, one which all the Codru-Ji would know.

"This species is a very superstitious one my dear... They are as barbaric as their figure supposes. Their children six legged wolves, and their adults stand on two legs with four arms, as human looking as you and I. Yet, despite their size and considerable strength they fear the red she devil and her king. Almost a millennia ago they wiped through many of their villages simply for sport, and enjoying the passionate feelings which came with each kill. The names of these two haunted the minds of every Codru-Ji, and stories were told of the day when they would wipe out the entire race. Granted most of those stories were exaggerated as most tales are, but..."

He turned from facing Kesare and called his twin sabers to his hands. With a flourish he ignited the violet blades and stood at the ready. His voice raised for the entire wood to hear.

"THEY ALL KNOW OF THE SHE DEVIL AND HER KING. THE KING HAS RETURNED AND BROUGHT A HUNTRESS WITH HIM!!!"

At the sound of his voice, they all rushed and charged, and Xander raced toward them as well. It seemed Kesare was going to get to see the monster he was on the inside, and the thrill which came from the kill.

"I will kill more than you!"

[member="Kesare Salazar"]