Haruun Kal's Open Terrain

Karanc's answer provided more clarity to the situation than the zabrak had perhaps realized. The male shrouded figure nodded with a faint bob of the black hood that hid his face. The twi'lek kept to the front, allowing Lord Xanatkc to walk and speak more freely with the group of four -- Sith, he presumed now more positively than before -- yet leaving Lady Rhu'een at the back. Once Al-Har's rays reached them on the other side, the woman murmured lowly under her breath. She seemed to cycle through a chant, yet her words were too hushed to make sense of the spell.

The pathway from the cave system to the village was clearly cut into the greenery beneath their feet. There was no question that this 'road' was heavily used. Still, the town they spoke of was nowhere to be seen among the dense trees and flourishing flora that spread nigh endlessly in all directions around them. Slowly, a thin wall enshrouded all of them, leaving a hazy film between the entire party and the rest of the outside world. As though wholly unbothered by this sudden development, Lord Xanatik addressed Karnac, casting him a faint glance from beneath his hood.

"Ah yes, the darkness which brought you here," he acknowledged, a small smile curling at the corners of his lips. He appeared to take a moment for reflection, though, and his smile disappeared, leaving a grave expression to take its place. "It is the regrettable byproduct of a ritual gone awry. As scholars, we all seek deeper knowledge and understanding than we did the day before. Unfortunately, this thirst for knowledge sometimes leads our youth down a path of no return for their minds or souls." Lord Xanatik paused deliberately, inhaling and sighing. "What you sensed was the loss of one of our brightest minds. If you wish to inspect the area where he was found to satisfy your own curious mind, it can be arranged once your proposition is made and decided on by the council."

The twi'lek sorcerer at the lead paused to turn and offer Karnac, his team, and Lord Xanatik a smile at hearing that offer. He nodded, pleased, before leading the way deeper into the jungle and towards this village that still was nowhere to be seen. However, if Karnac and his team took a moment to discern their surroundings, it would perhaps be rendered impossible to spot the village at a distance. The filmy barrier had thickened like a dense fog, and the world around them seemed to blur if they focused too hard on any one thing. Trees shifted if concentrated on, seemingly jumping two feet from where it was once spotted. Bushes appeared in a haze yet disappeared once perceived. Any wildlife that was once spotted before entering the cave had disappeared from view entirely.

"Don't mind Lady Rhu'een's spell," the twi'lek sorcerer chirped. "I'm sure you've clearly noticed the barrier around us. It is simply a protection spell of invisibility. We wouldn't want a branch leopard or wild grasser to find us on our walk back. While the guards could easily down any creature, it would be a waste. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Xanatik?"

The hooded man grunted as he nodded his head towards the twi'lek. "The sanctioned day of hunting is still two days away. We would be wise not to anger the High Elder in a moment that should bring him the greatest joy. He does enjoy knowing when his prophecies have come to fruition. We wouldn't want to spoil it."

The two shared a moment of laughter like they were two masters sharing a moment of pride in their younglings. If the two guards accompanying Xanatik or Rhu'een found anything amusing, they didn't show it. They offered only stoic silence. Regardless, the moment was short, and the twi'lek continued down the path, leading the group forward.

"There is a curiosity I have towards your earlier sentiment, though, Karnac," Lord Xanatik continued as they walked. He needed confirmation of one thing before they reached the village. "You said being scholars does not keep us from being Sith. While I find your point endearing -- to desire a common footing between your group and ours -- I must ask you this. How does your cult currently feel about using the Force in its Light Side?" He grimaced at his own use of the term 'Light Side.' "You may correct my assumption if I'm wrong, but I have a hypothesis. Because you felt such a strong surge in the Force's umbral energies," Lord Xanatik coughed, "excuse me -- in its Dark Side energy, you believed us to be Sith before ever meeting us. But are you familiar with the Force's astral might? The power of the Light Side and what it has to offer? Healing? Invisibility? Even bonding with your fellow man so that you share each other strength?" He motioned to Karnac's comrades then. "Or do you study the way of self-preservation, the ways of finding hollow, fleeting strength to best your master in a single, meaningless battle, tear his soul asunder, and banish it from the living realm?"

Karnac's answers, although still seeming roundabout on the surface instead of piercing the heart of their questions, gave them the reassurance they needed. "Your condolences are noted but unnecessary, young wanderer," Lord Xanatik answered. "If one's desire grows feral, they are of the same use as a rabid animal."

"It speaks volumes to you and yours, though," the twi'lek whispered to Karnac. "Not many, Jedi or Sith, would offer as much to another's grief."

"Yes, it is odd, you and your team. I will thank the Force that you were tasked to seek out the darkness that fell over us that day and not another of your kind. Although we are prepared to defend what we have, violence is not something we actively seek." There was a faint glance towards his guard, the Korunnai man who walked just behind and towards his side. "It is refreshing to realize that the Sith, even if only a few, are starting to stray from their old ways."

The village finally arose in the distance and greeted them with stone and wood, dominating the area with primitive dignity. To any who grew up in worlds glistening with quadanium and transparisteel, this cult lived a life of the poorest. Yet their buildings stood tall, and several people moved within their walls with lively purpose. As the group passed the threshold of the main gate, the bubble surrounding them dissipated, allowing a vibrant and colorful world to envelop them. As the fog lifted, even with Lady Rhu'een's whispered words still chanting faintly in the background, it was more clearly evident that the village people all walked in the same general direction towards the heart of the town. It was the same direction the twi'lek sorcerer continued to lead them.

"As I mentioned before, young Karnac, we are humble scholars," Lord Xanatik answered. "We want for nothing more than save to satisfy our hunger for knowledge. Too much food or materials is unnecessary labor, waste, and time."

"There is also some truth in your speculation," the twi'lek added. "It also poses an issue of bringing unnecessary attention to ourselves. A quieter life to continue our studies is a fruitful life. It is better to etch out a day and time to complete the task to fulfill our physical needs, so there isn't a concern when fulfilling our spiritual needs."

Slowly, a larger building peeked into view. Although it stood at the same height as the other structures, it was capacious, designed to hold room for multiple more people. Double doors were held open for the handful of villagers ahead of them to enter, and the twi'lek sorcerer continued to guide them inside the front entry.

"It will be fascinating to see how our High Elder takes your ways into account with your proposition. One might say you do not carry yourself as a true Sith but as a seeker of truth, just as we are. Come."

Although it was Lord Xanatik who spoke, the twi'lek sorcerer was the one who guided the group inside. The chamber was simply one giant gathering place like an amphitheater dug down into the earth instead of built up and reinforced with stone. Half the village appeared present but left an aisle for the group to descend towards the center. Similarly to Xanatik and Rhu'een, three figures stood in black robes with hoods raised to mask their features. Looming just behind them were three others, standing unwavering. One, a twi'lek male, and another, a togruta boy. Both flanked a small echani woman and seemed to keep one eye on her and another on their respective Elder.

The group soon separated. The twi'lek sorcerer shuffled off and found an empty place to settle. He waved to Karnac and his companions to follow his lead and seat themselves near him for the time being. However, Lord Xanatik and Lady Rhu'een, with their respective guards following suit, made their way to join the council at the center.

"As our anticipated guests, your time to take the podium will come," the twi'lek whispered to Karnac and his team. "For now, make yourselves comfortable until your arrival has been announced to the rest of the village."

There was little more to be shared between the foreign wanderers and the sorcerers who guided them into the council chamber. As with all beings, each had their own stance to drive them to their own truths. It was a natural custom to share in such debates; even if minds weren't swayed, new information could be gleaned, and new perspectives could be rendered into reality. It would be a shame that they would not be around long enough to share in such a debate or two.

More cultists poured through the front doors and filled into empty rows. A lulling roar echoed around them from various conversations all around. Oddly enough, though, if Karnac or his team tried to glean a word or two from those around them, they were only met with unintelligible blabberings. Still, they wouldn't be able to shake the eyes that seemingly pierced into them from everyone in the room. The fact that they refused to sit with their twi'lek guide added to the matter. More and more continued to enter the council chambers and settle themselves into their seats, leaving Karnac and his crew among the only ones standing in the room -- save for the Elders gathered upon the stage and their respective guards that stood unmoving behind them. Soon, the rumbling voices around them all hushed as the center figure stepped forward and lifted a hand to his gathered audience.

The High Elder addressed the whole room. "Allin ch'isi."

"Allin ch'isi," echoed the voices of the several dozen gathered.

From beneath his hood, a pleased grin was evident on the High Elder's lips. Purposefully, he turned his gaze towards Karnac and his crew.

"Or as one would say in Basic, good evening," he stated, lowering his voice to a more personable tone, "and may I also say welcome, young wanderers to the Cult of Abyssos."

A soft applause filled the chamber, muffled by some unknown force. For the briefest of moments, one might consider if it ever existed at all. In what felt like a beat and a minimal motion from the High Elder, their applause faded into absolute, almost unreal, silence. Magic, perhaps. Lady Rhu'een still appeared lost in a spell. Her lips moved, but whatever she uttered must have been whispered. The two other Elders seemed to join her as well, their lips moving in some synchronized incantation. Lord Xanatik stepped forward yet remained just an inch behind the High Elder and addressed the audience.

"As our High Elder had prophesied mere days ago, we would see travelers find our hidden paradise within these deadly jungles. They would come, not to burn our village to ash as many of our enemies have tried to do and failed, but to search for an undiscovered truth that only we may offer them. In turn, they would bear their own offerings to Abyssos. Little did we know that his spoken vision would not take weeks or years but merely days."

Again, applause resounded but much more robust than the first. Several audience members cheered in what was seemingly the cult's spoken tongue. The High Elder allowed this to continue for longer than the last, allowing them an extended moment of joy. Business was still to be had, though, and a voice gently reached out into Karnac's mind.

<< Lord Karnac, I have been made aware that you come to us with a proposition. >> His tone carried a soothing lull, his voice mild like a teacher to a young student. << Not only for me but for all of Abyssos. The stage is yours when you are ready. >>

The High Elder nodded towards Karnac. On cue, Lord Xanatik stepped back and returned to his position on the stage. Then, the High Elder mimicked his right-hand man to allow Karnac (and his team if he so desired) to take to the stage and address not only the Council of Elders but those of the cult who joined them in this moment.

"KEEP HIM UNDER."

The High Elder's command created panic among the sorcerers gathered around them, but their chants persevered through their clouded doubts. Still, once the spell was realized, the tendrils' essence, wrapped around its victim, dissipated like smoke. Karnac had already understood that he resided within his mind, not within reality -- the first step to breaking out. It would be much more complex now to submerge him back into the depths of his mind, though not impossible so long as the Elders could guide him back under before he discovered his next steps to freedom.

---

Karnac's blade plunged into the dream-High Elder, but there was no satisfying thud from his body hitting the floor. Instead, glittering grains of ash disintegrated. Again, the landscape changed. Karnac remained on a podium, but the faceless nightmares in the crowd flickered out. The stage felt real, but it was now utterly and wholly empty, a blank canvas for Karnac's mind to paint whatever it wanted. It could resemble an area he once fought in or some chamber he was acquainted with and had gathered in. Familiarity paved the foundation for any believable dream or nightmare, and the Elders worked their magics to drift Karnac back down.

It was all for naught, though. This emissary of the Sith Eternal -- no, this amateur in comparison to the Elders of the Abyssos, splintered himself free from their spell as though it was child's play. The final string had been plucked, snapping and resonating with a soul-shattering note that knocked Lady Rhu'een from her feet--

---

The sound of Lady Rhu'een hitting the floor ushered a dramatic disruption of all spells in the room. A hushed yet audible gasp escaped from some, while others instinctively started making their way toward her. The High Elder took his eyes off the boy he clutched for the briefest second to turn to the other Elders, but that beat was enough.

"I said, keep him UND-"

The High Elder gagged. A sudden and forceful pressure squeezed around that he couldn't finish reiterating his command. There was only a beat to realize his fate but not another beat longer to dispel it. Not like he could when his tongue had been quite forcefully ripped from his mouth. Although, even if that didn't happen, his head tearing from his shoulders might have done the trick. Or maybe the dozens of fractures that exploded from his skull, splattering his brain matter like confetti from a popped balloon. The rest of his demise was just a bit overdramatic: his ligaments ripped bone from bone; muscles torn asunder; each tendon shredded; skin slivered, split, and sliced at every possible joint, creating a masterpiece of scarlet rain that painted everything and everyone within a few-yard radius; and finally, that satisfying 'THUD!' reiterated dozens of times with every scrap of the High Elder's body dropping to the floor like a round of applause.

The extravaganza was not yet fully underway, as Lady Rhu'een was the next to fall. As all others gathered, the guards stared at the zabrak in shock. They felt like the ones now in a dream, but the twi'lek among them was the first to move. He ignited a saber of sharp blue that matched his skin -- a Jedi's saber, one might conclude -- and rushed towards Karnac.

Despite the worst to come, the next few moves from the Elders seemed too calculated, as though practiced should the worst ever come to pass. Lord Xanatik pushed himself back and further away from Karnac and his team, and with his movements, his korunnai guard kept himself poised between the enemy and his liege. While the other two Elders also forced space between them, only the twi'lek seemed at the ready with his saber. The other two guards, the togruta and zabrak boys, shakily reached for their weapons and hesitantly ignited them, although it was clear they had never prepared to face such brutality as they just witnessed. Their reactions, or lack thereof, were unnecessary, though, as the other two Elders, unnamed and unknown in their arts, took their leads.

One, a lofty and gaunt figure, kept his attention squared on Karnac. An incantation hastily parted from his lips, moving so quickly. His words warbled, nonsensical in nature, yet the world around Karnac accelerated as though he was stalled in time. The twi'lek appeared like a flash of blue as he descended upon the zabrak intruder. Although his blade work was less precise than a classically trained combatant, he carried out his attacks with fluid confidence and with an artificially heightened speed, as though he knew the exact strengths and weaknesses within the Elder's spell. Whatever Elder chanted this incantation, this must have been his guard. Karnac's feet would feel glued to the ground, his limbs heavy as though he and his weapon weighed tenfold what he was used to. Although time wasn't something the Elder could create, it was something he could manipulate. As if standing on the polar opposite end of Karnac, this Elder held himself in a warped pocket of time where the world around him moved in slow-motion, allowing him to savor and dissect every moment of every second. It gave him much more time to complete his hex fully. Still, the power and depths of a spell as deadly as this would take time to complete. Soon enough, though, the severity of the shift in time and space around Karnac would become known, and if Karnac didn't act quickly, he would implode. He would have to choose: die an interesting death by an artificially created black hole or die a warrior's anti-climatic death by the blade. Karnac had snapped out of Lady Rhu'een's spell, so perhaps there was an uncalculated third option in the cracks of his hypothesis. The Elder had computed that the probability of this possibility bearing any sort of success was only 3,720 to 1, though.

The final Elder, small and fragile, kept his attention on the three others awakening from Lady Rhu'een's spell. Without that magic reaching a definitive and precise conclusion, the drowsiness would be incomparable and far graver than usual sleep disturbance. So, with lacy words given life with magic, the Elder wove together further ailments to heighten their fatigue. If they were in as rough shape as he estimated, the spell could creep into their minds and make their bodies feel weary from a thousand miles traveled, their bones feel splintered, their muscles ache, their souls feel weighted down with unwillingness to move to help their companion. He only needed to carve the Elders time to deal with them later. They weren't the real threat, the ones able to shatter through Lady Rhu'een's spell.

"Who told you to stop?!" shouted Lord Xanatik to the tumultuous crowd. "Deal with them!"

Hesitantly, the rhythmic chant thrummed again, further depleting him and his companions of their essence. Finally, the two boys seemed to take the twi'lek guard's lead, but instead, they pushed toward Karnac's comrades in hopes of staying out of the way while also dealing with another threat before they became a problem. The korunnai stood back with a heavy gaze that moved between each pocket of the chaos unfolding before him and the echani girl who remained unmoving as though locked within a dream of her own with her liege in pieces at her feet.

The Elder watched Karnac slowly raise his hand towards him. He gritted his teeth as he tried to beat Karnac and uttered those final words:

His words betrayed him, the air choking in his throat. He held his concentration. His twi'lek guard could disrupt Karnac, and the spell could be completed. But with the twi'lek's offensive attack, his last hope to finish off the intruder, another conclusion burst to fruition. The twi'lek hurtled towards him. He watched in slow motion, and no other options remained. No matter his next choice, his concentration on completing the spell would be ruined.

Lifting a hand, the Elder ceased his spell and sent an equally powerful thrust towards his sentry. A push in the Force parried the guard so that he would hit the floor at his feet. The effect did more than cease Karnac's imminent demise; the well of time fell from around Karnac and the Elder, and the world began moving like normal for them both. But at least now, though, the Elder remained standing. However, it took a moment for the twi'lek guard to regain himself. Slowly, he started to push himself to his feet.

"Move it, boy!"

The twi'lek grimaced, slammed his saber and fist into the floor, and launched himself back into battle. He was alive, for now. But he glanced back at the echani girl, who even now seemed oblivious to the carnage. When he needed her command and guidance the most, she was gone. All he could think was: ~What did they do to you?~ before his blade was on Karnac's again. His opponent appeared hardly any older than the high guard he answered to, so why did he seem so much stronger? Karnac was a demon that left blood and death in his wake, and he would become just another one of his victims. He had to keep fighting, though. It was his only use.

The twi'lek's offensive wouldn't be enough, though. Even then, Karnac managed to stop the crowd from stealing his life force. He would have eventually died a slow and painful death that way, but he didn't lend enough of a distraction for even that. His anger boiled over. Anger at his failure, at his imminent final breath drawing near, at the cruelty of his masters. Would his rage be enough to overcome his enemy finally? The answer would soon come, but the twi'lek's movements were now amplified, heightened by his emotions. His attacks appeared reckless, and they were to any trained eye. But his attacks came with a newfound strength, a need for victory -- a need for survival.

The Elder would have to begin his spell again, but glancing over at Lord Xanatik, he realized he might not have that time again. He smirked. Preserving his piercing gaze upon the zabrak, the Elder again began chanting, yet a different spell parted from his lips this time. If he could synchronize his hex with Xanatik's, he could chain down this insolent child the split second before Lord Xanatik was finished. It was easier to strike an unmoving target, after all...

And with Karnac now distracted by the twi'lek and two boys, the greenest of the guards, they would have their chance. The togruta, unprepared for an assault from behind, felt his blade clash with the girl's in one moment, and then his world went black the next.

"Kal-!" the zabrak boy called over to his friend, but his distraction made him an even easier mark. The wind was knocked out of him, and he gasped for air as he fell to his knees. Death would follow next, but the zabrak couldn't move. Air wouldn't fill his lungs, and his body refused to listen to his commands. He would die here, yet even the fear of that knowledge did nothing to help him. He would die.

With Karnac now distracted by the guards and freeing his comrades, it allowed Xanatik a rare opportunity. All of them were gathered in a small section of the stage. He only needed to widen the area of effect of his spell slightly, and he could take them all out. The three other guards would be a necessary casualty.

The Elder who wove the magic of space and time and completed the chant of his minor hex. Etheric chains appeared to rise from the floor, yet they had no material form to grab or tear at. Still, they found their way, weaving around Karnac's ankles, waist, and wrists to bind him. His brute strength would be enough to shatter them, but it would still take him a second to accomplish. A second was all they needed--

Lord Xanatik wickedly cackled the final words of his spell as though he saw their victory before it had happened, but it would happen by his hand. The new High Elder. The new leader of Abyssos. But with that final word cast into the air, the flames that danced upon his fingertips were thrust towards the crowd of Karnac, his comrades, and the youngest members of the guard. Fires like a white-hot sun would leap at their feet, eat away at their clothes and skin, and disintegrate them, turning them all to ash. This zabrak warrior, nay, this god wearing the skin of a youth, couldn't have an answer to this. Or perhaps he did but at the cost of saving himself and leaving his comrades to die. Oh, this was the question worth answering, and Lord Xanatik craved to see Karnac's solution to this new puzzle of life and death.