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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Aug 17, 2024 12:58:25 GMT -8
Chronicles of the Shadow Phoenix: Heart of the Force, Pt I
Principal Authors: ππͺπππ²π΄π²π·, Gavin Phoenix
Location: Valley of the Jedi, Ruusan
Critical Responses: No
Standard Universe Rules: No
Over a decade has passed since the restoration effort of the Tiernvael Temple on Ambria, since the death of the first Fallen Empress, Mariah Shadows, within the indecipherable devastation concentrated upon the Throne Room. Although some once voiced their thoughts, opinions, and arguments about that fateful day's incident, only four hold the key to that secret. This is their story.
The story so far:
A shard of pure Force energy doused in Ashla's aura was discovered within the Ambrian Force Nexus by Mariah Shadows, Fallen Empress of the Dark Jedi, and an unsuspecting and unwelcomed guest, Gavin Phoenix, mentor to some of the Blackguard's brightest pupils. A single piece of a whole and powerful relic to the People of the Shadows, Mariah engrossed herself within her people's tomes and holocrons to decipher where its twin shard rests, an equally terrifying relic boasting the immense power of Bogan. Time is no longer on her side. Should the relics surface again, wars would further rip the galaxy apart as mortal men staked a claim to their power. After months of research since the first shard's discovery, the crimson-haired Empress finally pinned down its brethren, sealed away in the Force Nexus of Ruusan, the Valley of the Jedi. She can only pray to the Ancestors that she isn't too late.
Author's Note:
The principal authors had long devised these plots, which unfortunately hadn't been given the proper opportunity to be written on the boards. During lulls in our current ongoing storylines, these stories of our characters and their pasts are our way of exploring a world that might have been and perhaps paint an exciting future we have yet to envision. |
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Aug 17, 2024 13:08:44 GMT -8
Nearly a week had passed since Mariah arrived on Ruusan, and as expected, she was still bumbling in the dark, no closer to her goal. The crimson-haired woman trudged back into her makeshift camp, stomping the sand off her clothes and shaking the film of dust out of her hair. This would be her life for the next few months if she were lucky. More likely, this would be her life for the next year or longer with her luck. The Dark Jedi Order would survive, especially with Aiofe, her right-hand woman, taking the reins on her behalf. Keeping to the shadows, even as their Empress, always had its perks. No one would be able to tell the difference β except maybe Ifrit, the Fallen and true leader of the Order. It was a blessing he had disappeared without signs of returning anytime soon.
Mariah tore into the brick of condensed foodstuffs with furious gusto. She had equipped enough for an average person to survive out here alone for six months easily, which meant she could keep here for over a year if needed. Slowly and deliberately, she chewed her rations, even if there was nothing to truly savor. Bland and boring, but none of that mattered, not to her. It was sustenance after a long and fruitless day. At least the act awoke her mind from the day's dull traversing through the Valley of the Jedi. Poring over ancient tomes, Mariah continued searching for clues to this relic's whereabouts. The where, though, was riddled with mysteries. Instead, she was met with details of the sorcery that weaved the rock, protecting the crystal from the outside as much as protecting the outside world from the crystal's influence. The Ancestors who wrote about this clearly never wanted the shards to be found again, and rightfully so.
<< Just be patient. It'll get easier when he's here. >>
A voice echoed through the Force, but to Mariah, it resounded as if the source sat just beside her. Worse than an old friend, a ghost that continued to haunt her and meddle in her every affair.
"If he answers my missive," Mariah retorted without missing a beat, still steadily chewing on a piece of the flavorless brick. "I wouldn't be so sure he will."
Mariah had packed as though she would make this journey alone, like all other journeys she traversed over the past four decades. Over the years, some had offered her temporary company, like the Pirate King and the Fallen. None had proven themselves to permanent company, nor did she desire to deal with it. Despite Aria's hopeful prodding, Mariah knew that Gavin would soon prove himself to be like all the others. The sentiment didn't bother her; in fact, she relished the idea that one day, she could be rid of that shadow doused in light.
<< Oh... you silly fool of a girl. >>
Mariah rolled her eyes at the senseless name-calling. It would take more than these sisterly pokes and prods to sour Mariah's mood further than it already was.
With another night creeping in, Mariah slunk back into her ship. Another day wasted; she was no closer to finding this damned relic as when she arrived. Aria might have been right, but Force be damned, Mariah wished luck would finally be on her side for once. Drifting off to a light sleep, she clung to a single thought: tomorrow, she would find it, and by the time Gavin Phoenix responded to her missive (if he even planned to bother), she would be long gone with the relic in tow. |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 17, 2024 17:06:27 GMT -8
It came suddenly, the emergence of a black YT-1930 from the depths of hyperspace. Despite slowing down to adjust to real space, it vessel continued to press forward at full throttle. Not a single ounce of energy was wasted as it pushed towards the planet.
Gavin had leaned forward in the pilot's seat once the planet came into view, thinking over once more the message that Mariah had sent him. Such a demand, telling him to be here rather than asking, though that was what he expected of the Fallen Empress. The simple thought caused him to smirk lightly. The moment he noticed the message, he had dismissed his students and instructed them to continue on in his absence and departed in less than half an hour. Considering he had quite a ways to go from Iridonia, there was a second to waste.
Truthfully, he hadn't expected her to contact him, especially only a month after he left Ambria and the little adventure that came from the trip. She spoke nothing of the reason, but, as she suspected, he knew the reason. She had sorted out the artifact's location. He did have questions, mostly as to why she even needed him, but he wouldn't complain. He would simply have to do his best to aid her and not frustrate her as he seemed capable of doing quietly easily.
Entering the Ruusan's atmosphere, he tried reaching out but found the act fruitless. Not surprising considering she usually kept herself fully hidden in the Force. But he likely suspected another reason as well. Unless well hidden behind barriers, the nexus that was the Valley of the Jedi would be the only logical place to hide it. Such power would overwhelm any presence that existed around it, causing it to be lost in a sea of energy. Setting up his course, he pinged her ship, just as she instructed if only to let her know he was close. Unless she was elsewhere, he continue on his path.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Aug 18, 2024 18:11:55 GMT -8
Hours of fitful sleep haunted Mariah, but no worse than she was used to. Rest in its truest form was a rare commodity; she had long learned how to function without it. Unfortunately for her, that expected yet unwanted alarm went off and woke her during one of her more restful moments. Or at least, it felt like it on the surface. Even groggy from her slumber, she knew immediately who it was from. Even if Gavin was the only one who knew her exact location, only he had such impeccable timing that he would arrive at such a terrible moment.
Mariah stirred unwillingly but made haste to the cockpit of her Nox-class freighter. She glanced at the chronometer synced to Ruusan's time; they still had about an hour before daybreak. Mariah sighed deeply as she rubbed her temples with two fingers as if that might have helped the impending migraine she could feel forming and pounding within her skull. Of course, she knew better; she'd have to take some kind of painkillers before the day even started. Today would be an early start, but if all went well, this would mark the final day of this adventure. That was her only solace.
As Gavin's ship moved closer to the atmosphere, a message with exact coordinates planet-side was sent to his YT-1930, leading to where Mariah had landed, resting deep within a ravine within the Valley of Jedi. She offered no hologram or other fancy, personal missive or greeting. If she had, though, then he might have reason to worry. Mariah provided only the bare necessary information at exact and reasonable times. No more, no less. The coordinates would guide Gavin's ship close to the edge of the sun's touch, where the light began advancing on the night's shadow. By the time he landed, the sunlight would threaten the darkness with its arrival.
For the time being, Mariah slunk back into the pilot's chair and shut her eyes. She had a few more minutes before she would need to begin her preparations for Gavin's arrival and the busy day ahead of them. However, another seemed to think she didn't need to relish the scarce remaining quietude.
<< Told you so. >>
Mariah growled another frustrated sigh, her only response to the voice, before hopping to her feet. She had plenty of time to prepare, but if she kept busy, she could ignore any further quips and savor the last few moments of solitary silence she would have. She knew the moment Gavin landed, it would be thrown out the airlock. |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 19, 2024 6:39:42 GMT -8
For a few minutes, silence filled the cockpit. It was a bit longer than he expected as he figured she'd be all over him with where to go. Perhaps she was out? It was dark so it was more likely she was sleeping. Whatever the option, the ping eventually came. Quick and to the point, it gave simple directions to her location. As he expected, it would take him straight to the valley. Taking in the distance from his current location, he would arrive just as the sun came up.
Pressing forward, the craft shook a bit as the shields adjusted to the additional pressure of the vessel's increasing throttle. It did give him time to think. Was he ready for this? Ever since his return to Iridonia, he had begun training further, drawing on the residual feeling the stone left upon him, trying to work to better contain the light within it. Honestly, it was the only reason he could see for needing to be here. He had gotten a glimpse of the chamber the dark counterpart resided. No doubt he'd have to hold it once more and let it serve as a guide. But this was a big step. They had already spoken of his knowledge and what helping her again meant in the end. It wasn't like it mattered to him, but he gathered it was an important part of her people's traditions. Asking him must have been difficult. He'd have to try and reign back when speaking to her out of respect...if he could manage it.
Just as the sun's light broke the horizon, the faint shaking as the YT-1930's approach could be felt as it passed over Mariah's ship. The hiss of the landing thrusters echoed from the nearby rock walls as it finally settled and powered down. Gavin remained for a moment, taking a few breaths before finally standing and exiting the ship. Reaching the bottom of the boarding ramp, he only moved a few more feet towards the Nox-class before stopping and waiting.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Aug 24, 2024 16:54:40 GMT -8
It took Mariah no time to prepare for the day ahead. She was ahead of schedule, so much so that she found herself sorting through her gear to double-check and triple-check that everything she possibly needed was on hand. At the very least, she managed to stave off her sister's scoldings and teasings, a battle won as far as the crimson-haired woman was concerned.
Finally, the vibrations resonated through her ship's walls, heralding the arrival of her undesirable yet required companion. Mariah quickly shoved everything back into her pack and headed for her ship's boarding ramp, which was closed and sealed to ensure unwanted beasts didn't make a home of her vessel throughout the night.
Gavin wouldn't have waited long. By the time he reached the end of his ramp, the Nox-class freighter whirled, its ramp lowering, revealing a figure standing at the top. The ramp was halfway through its descent when the woman, dressed in her usual black, approached. However, Mariah hadn't donned her usual warrior's attire or anything that would mark her standing among the Dark Jedi. Instead, she appeared more like a typical bounty hunter or nameless treasure seeker outfitted from head to toe. Breathable black cloth, hardy knee-high boots, light protective gear, and a cowl lowered around her neck. She lugged one knapsack on her shoulder and another by her side.
"Ah, excellent," Mariah murmured, sidestepping any sense of greeting. "You can follow directions. I won't have to demote you."
A reminiscent expression of a dark-humored grin pulled at the edges of the woman's lips as she stepped off the fully lowered ramp and tossed one of the packs at Gavin's feet. Truthfully, he didn't hold much standing among the Dark Jedi anyway, nor would he, with his current ties with the Blackguard Imperium and Savage's newest generation of Sith. With that point, she honestly abhorred the idea that he was already this intensely interwoven with these particular relics. However, the damage was already done, and the Sith had yet to come knocking on Ambria's door.
Regardless, her devilish reminder that she still held such power over him remained and carried with it a dual meaning. After all, Mariah was the Empress of the Dark Jedi, second to another crown. She wondered if that would remain lost to him even after their last fiasco on Ambria. Mariah waved that thought with the faintest twitch of her hand and tilted her head, narrowing her eyes upon Gavin as if her gaze could pierce through him.
"So, do you need to be briefed before we start? Or do you have your wits about you?" |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 24, 2024 21:08:12 GMT -8
Gavin watched as Mariah descended the ramp, a hand coming up to rest on his hip. He look a moment to assess her attire, one that was different than her usual. Yet, despite that notice, it wasn't something that held Gavin's attention. Clothes were interchangeable and people had different fashions and functions they preferred. As such, Gavin remained in his usual, mostly accented with his long grey coat.
As the bag was tossed to him, he made no effort to grab it as it landed in front of him. Her intended target for the ground made it clear that grabbing it was have created an unbalance and sent him to the ground. Not something he was fond of doing in front of her, especially that it could trigger one of many frustrated responses. And if he was going to try and keep himself reined in when talking to her, he didn't need to stoke the fire.
Not that it matter as she was the one to fling the first dagger. His soul dropped a bit with amusement realizing that in the end, nothing would change in their interactions, prompting the response that escaped his lips. "Demote me, huh? Not sure how much further I can going passed nothing, but if you find one, I'm sure you'll implement it some how." While that quick in realization, there was a point where reality peeked forward and he grasped the double meaning. No rank in the Dark Jedi yet and even though he had come here, despite their last conversation, he opted to ignore what him coming here was supposed to mean.
Reaching down with a grunt, he grabbed the sack she tossed to him and slung it over his shoulder. "I get why I'm here. You want me to help you find the other relic. I'm good to go unless you have anything else with wish to inform me about before getting underway?"
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Aug 26, 2024 18:16:04 GMT -8
Something about Gavin's presence seemed... off. Mariah couldn't tell if he just appeared more rigid. Cautious might have been a better word. Whatever it was, it was almost humorous. There was suddenly a fire within her eyes, and one might've sworn that that faintest of wicked grins she wore became even more prominent.
Mariah looked at Gavin with a raised eyebrow, her lips parting as if to goad him further, but she stopped. With her suspicions confirmed, she didn't want to reveal her hand today. Mariah would take the win from what she could see anyway; Gavin was unaware of his current position, leaving an invisible target for her to exploit later. As amusing as it might have been to take advantage of it now, where she had the high ground in their battle of quips, she was weighed down and tormented by the task ahead. Perhaps another time, he'd give her another opportunity where she could verbally rip him to shreds, and she wouldn't have to hold back.
"Everything you could ever need for the journey ahead is in that pack."
Mariah stressed the word 'everything,' her crimson eyes locking in on the intensity of his blue. Once she confirmed that Gavin would accept her unusually generous gift β a pack stuffed with various necessities from his own set of rations, supplies, tools, a small medpac, and an ominously sealed container scrawled with blood runes that pulsed in hushed whispers, begging and pleading for a mortal ear β the crimson-haired woman lifted her cowl to cover her face and hair and began to take the lead towards the many caverns, marked by enormous statues. Yet, before the woman wandered too far from Gavin, Mariah paused and turned to face him again. At the very least, she tried to disguise that she needed him to take the lead once he was ready.
"You saw the crystal where it currently resides, which is more information than I could offer, Phoenix." 'It's the only reason I demanded your presence here' didn't need to be said; it could be discerned in the venom of her tone. "The faster you lead us to it, the faster we can both leave this Force-forsaken planet." |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Aug 27, 2024 9:11:56 GMT -8
Though faint, the subtle parting of her lips as if to speak did go unnoticed. Yet, silence was all she gave. He raised an eyebrow before giving a smirk. He had no clue to what she had thought to say, but he could only imagine it to be one of her usual responses, be it a frustrated retort or an actual quip. Which he got seemed to depend on her mood and his response or action. But for now, she held back, clearly ready to get on with the task ahead.
When she spoke, he picked up on her emphasis on everything. His eyes didn't leave her as she raised her cowl and moved past him. Taking a look inside, he glimpsed over the items. Everything one would expect for traversing the unknown for an indeterminate amount of time. All except for a single item, the box that held the relic they got on Ambria. Any questions that remained had vanished. He remembered what he saw upon taking hold of it, another chamber containing yet another relic of her people. It was clear he'd have to take hold it it once more and be the guide.
Removing the box and throwing the pack over his shoulder, his thoughts were confirmed as Mariah spoke, now stopped a little ways away, waiting for him to carry them onwards. He eyes settled on her for a few moments as he took in a deep, slow breath, recalling the power that had coursed through him when he held it. At one point, he almost lost control when a Hssiss followed them into the tunnels of the Meditative Canyon. Just they feeling of it and wishing to stop it was enough to let the power take hold, if even slightly. That was nothing compared to what they were about to embark on. His eyes then lifted to fix upon the valley before them. It was said the Valley of the Jedi was the strongest Force Nexus in the galaxy. A great place to hide the relic, ensuring that even if the chamber couldn't hold its presence completely, none would notice it otherwise. But that immense power made this even more dangerous. Would the bit of training he did over the past month be enough to check himself in check? He would just have to trust in himself and Coretha.
With a final sigh he moved, walking up and past the woman as they made their way into the valley. Canyons, caves, valleys, and mesas made of the whole area. He could only imagine how much of a needle in a haystack approach this was without the crystal. And yet, how long had Mariah been here? He was sure she didn't just wait for him. She was too stubborn for that. Hopefully, he could help find the proper path. Passing the statues and truly taking his first step into the valley, he came to a stop as the full depth of the nexus weighed down on him. The air thickened in his lungs, making it harder to breath. His body felt heavier and he could almost swear he heard faint whispers all around him. Where they remnant of the past or just him mind trying to be twisted by the power? He knew no spirits remained within, having all be freed a long time ago. Yet it didn't change anything.
But now that they had entered the nexus, he dropped to a knee and set the bag down. With the box in his other hand, he opened it and allowed the light energy within to be freed. Still so tempting of a power. Another moment or two passed before he touched the crystal, taking small steps in feeling its power again. He figured the slow movements might have irritated Mariah, but he rather be safe than sorry right now. If something happened here, that would be the end of them both as he guessed none knew of this trip.
Taking hold of the crystal, he removed it, the shard glowing white in his hands. Already, he felt Coretha step in, taking in some of its power to ease the burden on him. Replacing the lid, he returned the box to his bag and threw it properly onto his back. "Alright. Show us the way." Holding his hand out in front of him a bit, the crystal began to glow a bit in response. Closing his eyes, he listened to the whispers. He felt the waves of energy coursing over him. But within it, he felt a tug. The stone was seeking to connect with something else. That, or something was trying to connect to it. Opening his eyes, it was as if wisps of faint white mist took shape and began to move. Lowering his head, he began to follow.
As the his steps went on, the wisps slowly began to take a more refined shape, becoming people. None of them resembled Jedi and the way they carried themselves didn't speak of Sith. Pausing for a moment, he tried to sort out what he was seeing and where they were going. Just then, the imagine of a woman passed by him, covered in the same white glow. When he did look, he caught her eyes, the faintest hint of red within them. His head turned to follow, almost as if this one woman was the guide that beckoned him forth, though she seemed to not notice them.
As she passed, he had a thought. Turning his head slightly towards Mariah, he spoke curious to what she saw. "Do you see them? Figures in a faint glow of white?"
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Sept 1, 2024 13:09:37 GMT -8
Allowing another to wield just one of these shards was a risk, but Mariah was constantly calculating chances for success, for survival. Unlike her sister, she wasn't a seer but didn't need to pull on future paths within the Force to know the worst-case scenario. Even should Gavin lose control in this Nexus, whatever outcome or loss would far outweigh the consequences of another stumbling here and finding it. It didn't stop the woman from resting a palm against her saber's pommel, though, as Gavin finally took hold of that relic.
That Force-forsaken relic. A shard that would absolutely annihilate her if she dared to get too close, much less hold it.
Mariah hissed as she forcibly turned away, the crystal and all its brilliance channeling through its new host. Even if the physical changes were minor, the pulse within the Force was enough to knock an unsuspecting person to their knees. Mariah braced herself; she had been pressed back by worse, but she still threw up a barrier around her within the Force for good measure. If Gavin lost control this time...? One wrong move, and she would have to do the impossible. Getting the upper hand on him was challenging on a good day, even if she refused to admit it. Now, wielding the sheer power that pierced her soul and rendered it into oblivion, Gavin could destroy celestials if any still existed. She'd first need the shard's brethren to have a chance against him.
The metaphorical dust settled in her soul, and Mariah could finally lock her gaze upon him. Still, there was a piercing feeling in her chest like a thousand daggers hitting her over, and over, and over again. Maybe one day, she could unlock the 'how' these relics came to be, although she was quickly learning the 'why' her Ancestors had initially sealed them away. Regardless, if her sister's meddling hadn't brought her to the first one, the one Gavin now wielded, her hand would have been forced the day she was met with that Force-damned message for her, encrypted in a fashion reminding her of her days as a petty assassin in the Coruscant Underworld.
Signed off by the Nightingale, a rather prestigious figure in the Underworld and even better than her at remaining hidden. Mariah didn't need that signature mark, though, not in the deliberate way the message was encrypted, that carefully selected access code Mariah needed. A day before, she vowed to drag Phoenix back to the Meditative Canyon to re-seal the crystalline fragment with his next visit. After the ominous message, she doubled down to find its brethren.
Silently, yet poised to strike, Mariah followed Gavin from behind as he led the two deeper into the valley. Thankfully, keeping the shard's power in check kept his lips sealed, so there wasn't a need for banter. As he did on Ambria, Gavin appeared to carry himself well enough, a miracle in and of itself. Only one lineage should have been able to accomplish that feat; Mariah had long accepted that Gavin must have hailed from a long-lost line of that family. Through him, the shards were indeed calling out to one another, leading Gavin right to the other. She tried not to think of the second phase of this mission; she'd burn that bridge when they got there.
Mariah paused, though, as Gavin turned to catch her and ask his question. Figures of glowing white. If this were any other time, any other mission with him, she would have mocked him for hallucinating, but she wouldn't dare disrespect the crystal's power.
"No," she said in a curt answer.
Even if she despised this man, especially for allowing himself to be meddled with by her sister, Mariah still feared these relics more. She would need to tread carefully and not divulge any more information than she deemed required, but still, some understanding was necessary if Gavin was to lead them to the other relic's chamber. With a huff, Mariah continued in the direction Gavin had led them and spoke, her voice still sharp as ever despite the incoming explanation, even minor.
"The crystal you bear connects you to its other half. That's why you could see its resting place even on Ambria. We're in close proximity now; you could be seeing anything, past or future, within their existence. Follow them. They should guide you exactly where we need to go." |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 1, 2024 20:44:08 GMT -8
The man's ice blue eyes remained fixed upon the crimson-haired woman as her response came. First, it was but a singular no, nothing else there to direct his thoughts. He had his own opinions on the matter, the most likely being a memory of some sort. If anything, it was a path to follow without simply relying on just his senses. But a few moments more allowed for more words to slip through. They were direct and to the point, giving no true detail to anything...anything but a single truth: follow them.
He let his gaze linger for only a moment more, taking in what he could see and sense from her. He could tell she was ready to strike at him, waiting for that exact moment the crystal took control. She might have stayed her hand once before, but considering what he held in his hand, the deeper reality he now understood of its power, ending his life was the safest choice. No need to think or contemplate. A quick strike and things would return to calm. He could also sense the barrier in front of her. It was potent, the crystal and the light it possessed. To many, just the act of touching it could release a wave of power that could put many down. So it wasn't surprising she was taking every precaution. Of course, he still didn't know the full depth of what this power meant for someone like her.
Giving a nod, he finally pushed forward, watching the ghostly figures as they moved. They all moved about in different patterns and a few down different paths, yet there was a singular path in which the majority went. Taking a turn to the left, he began heading down a path. Quickly did its walls close in around them and the tunnel shrunk down to where barely three could stand side by side. Something inside of him felt things were off. Outside of the pressure of the nexus, was this all they would face? A nexus on its own tended to craft illusions of light or dark depending on alignment. Yet, they only had these memories before him.
Or, at least, that's what he thought. After a few minutes of walking, he heard the faint echoing laughter of children. His pace stop for a moment, hesitation as he looked around. AT this point, he didn't bother asking Mariah if she heard anything or not. She had given him enough information to carry on. If she heard this, she would have said something or made a movement to prepare that he would have caught. However, there was nothing. Once more, he continued, a bit slower as he steeled his mind and resolve for whatever would transpire.
The laughter echoed louder though as they went. It was then that his next step found sand. He looked down, the golden brown grains shifting under his weight. But something was strange. The coloration didn't match the area around him. Was it an illusion? His silent question was answered when he suddenly felt a chill. The laughter had faded and a swelling sense of panic and fear began to rise within him. He had a good idea of what he was going to see when he looked up again.
Sure enough, he was right. Two parents, three children, and single man cloaked in shadow. It was that day, the day when he lost everything. The day that put him on the path he currently walked. The voices were muffled, but the father stood in front of the children, separating them from the man. Suddenly a clear "RUN!" could be heard before an ice blue blade cut through him, causing him to fall dead to the ground. Screams could be heard as the mother gathered the children, hopping in the landspeeder and fleeing the scene. Yet, it was all for not. The shadowy man appeared out a portal of dark shadow onto the hood. The icy blue beam carved free the nose of the speeder, causing it to crash. The children were thrown into the sand and the man, who had easily jumped from the vehicle, walked up to the mother, lifting her by the throat and running her through.
The children, watching in horror and anger lashed out at the man, no concern for safety in their minds. A girl and a boy made the first attempt, each getting thrown. The girl was tossed behind a sand dune while the blonde-haired boy hit a rock and fell unconscious. The final child, a brown-haired boy then attack, showing enough fire that the man replaced his blade. Rendering him on conscious, the child was taken while the others were left for dead.
It was memory of his past, one that transpired on Tatooine when he was three. He had lost his memories that day when he hit the rock and it was decades before he'd ever regain them and find his brother. The feelings surging within him were amplified. Yet, he didn't falter in his steps. He had faced this moment and many more over and over. It had been part of the Dark Jedi training from those that once existed on Zonama Sekot. Many more times after that he faced them so that he would never crumble under them. He would rise above them and kept moving forward.
~No. These illusions will not deter me. So begone from my sight.~ Those words echoed in his mind as if trying to speak to the nexus, to the shard they sought. And with that claim, the scene faded, leaving the stone walls and the guiding figures of white. He had to remember that not only was this a nexus, but the shard had been hidden with no intent of being found. Even with the crystal in his hand guiding them, the magic of those who placed the stone here would work to make him run.
With his memories out of sight, he continued down the path, turning right into another as he watched the people move. Before long, the had come to a dead end. However, as Gavin moved the stone around, his eyes watched. Why would the be led to a dead end? Was the stone intentionally trying to get them lost? Did it seek to remain hidden and would seek their deaths so it could be buried? Was the other stone shifting the compass and trying to force them to give up? These thoughts were dismissed as he watched the figures pass through the wall. Walking up to it, he placed a hand on the wall and rubbed it before channeling some the Force into the rock. At first, nothing happened. But quickly did the area shake before the wall crumbled and revealed a smaller path meant for one. Was this path hidden by those that sealed the shard away? Or did time and nature seal this path? So many questions. But they would have to wait. He had a single task that needed to be focused on and that was where it would remain.
Glancing over to Mariah, he took a moment to gauge her and how she was faring as well as to see if she had any opinion to the hidden path.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Sept 3, 2024 17:10:41 GMT -8
During the first leg of the journey, Mariah heard nothing, felt nothing out of the ordinary. Naturally, the Force Nexus weighed heavily all around her, but after a week out of here on her own already, the woman had acclimated to the thickness of the air, to the Force's powerful presence. She also accredited it to her time on Ambria, in the Meditative Canyon, another Force Nexus, another environment that steeled her mind, body, and soul to the sheer depths of these vergences.
Silently, Mariah stalked behind Gavin as he led the pair further into the Valley. Her hand remained faithfully on her saber's hilt as if the need to use it could strike within the blink of an eye, within the battledrum of her heartbeat. Not like it would do her any good, not for the sole purpose keeping her on high alert. Still, the woman tailed Gavin, although remaining several yards behind, as if the sheer blinding light he wielded was still too much for her to bear.
Ignorant of his visions of the past, the crimson-haired woman swallowed and narrowed her eyes as Gavin wandered down a familiar path, and skeptically, she followed.
"I've already been down this way, Phoenix," she called out, sounding absolutely bored. "It's nothing but a dead end."
Silence.
Mariah might have told him to follow whatever he saw, those glowing figures, but now, she questioned if that was a mistake. She inhaled deeply and rolled her eyes, yet she held her tongue from further pressing how much of a waste of time this was beginning to be. Perhaps dragging him out here, allowing him to handle this relic, was an unnecessary risk after all. As far as Mariah could tell, it had already overwhelmed Gavin's senses to the point where he couldn't hear, and the Force only knew what other senses of his were dulled and muted. It already demanded enough of his concentration and control that the faintest hiccup could cause things to go terribly south.
Silence still.
Gavin continued leading the pair, and Mariah followed regardless of her exasperation. Despite the piercing light that forced back the shadows, she could still make out the faintest laughter echoing against the expanse. It wasn't a hallucination of the shard, though, or the vergence; it was just her personal shadow. If she was laughing, though, as if this whole mission was some huge joking matter, then there was something she saw, a future she excitedly watched come to pass as if it was nothing more than her favorite HoloNet drama. That was the most concerning issue on Mariah's plate now.
That thought ushered a snarled sigh from the woman. Another problem for another time. At long last, they reached the dead end she had mentioned earlier.
"It's as if you wanted to hear me say, 'I told you so.'"
Mariah finally lifted her hand from her saber to cross her arms over her chest. Those crimson eyes darted between Gavin and the wall as he approached, placed a hand against it, and watched the rock crumble. Mariah cursed.
"Why am I not surprised."
So it wasn't a fluke, and the shard had indeed led him here. Of course, it would be another hidden pathway. Just like Ambria. Typical. How many more labyrinths would they have to traverse to find the burial chamber? The question added another piece of fuel to her burning agitation. She'd give credit where credit was due; her Ancestors truly went above and beyond to ensure these relics couldn't just be stumbled upon.
Mumbling a string of obscenities under her breath, Mariah slowly approached to glimpse the pathway ahead, yet the woman still clearly opted not to get too close to Gavin for her safety. She appeared less than pleased by the tighter space they'd have to traverse, but there wasn't exactly another option on the table. So, the woman jerked her chin, silently motioning for Gavin to continue onward. Her eyes still revealed a guarded concern, enough so that she dropped back another few yards behind him when he would lead the way. |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 4, 2024 5:28:37 GMT -8
As Gavin progressed, the silence they shared was quickly interrupted by a quip from Mariah, telling him that this path was pointless as she had already explored it. Yet, he continued on without so much as look towards her. While he was keeping focus on keeping control, it wasn't so much a task that he couldn't hear her or couldn't respond. It was far more simple than all that. He merely wanted to think she was being sarcastic and making some attempt at breaking the silence. After all, she was the one that said he should follow the figures. And if she was actually being serious, this was a moment where he decided it was best to to respond in kind. He would merely lead and hope that something more would be revealed.
Nothing was said regarding the illusion of his past. As with the memories of those that had once been here, he doubted she could see what he did. But considering she remained silent meant that he must have not wavered in his steps, at least not enough to draw concern. That was a good sign. It meant that if this was the only thing the guarding enchantments could do, they'd be just fine.
As he had with her first statement, Gavin gave her no response when she gave him the "I told you so" statement. All he did was walk up to the wall and cause it to crumble to reveal a new path. Only then did he turn to look at her. Even in the darkness, even against the light of the shard, the ice blue stood out as his gaze found her crimson. But they didn't hold their typical cockiness, especially considering who truly won in that moment. In them was the simple request to trust in what he saw and trust in her own claims. They would find it without delay or detour. They just had to be patient and take it step by step.
Pushing forward at her command, he navigated himself into the smaller pathway, a quick look back revealing she was staying further back than she was before. Always the best option. While being closer meant she could strike him down faster, it also meant small subtleties could be missed as she would be able to take in the whole picture. Plus, when she needed to be, she had speed on her side.
Moving further, the tunnel curved and twisted. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a blaster shot. After that, fast paced running before the grunting of those of another race. He already knew what memory was about to play before him and closed his eyes with a deep breath. Once he opened them, he bore witness to his adoptive father fighting a tusken raider in their home, his mother pinned, just as he was. He had arrived after being out and was lucky enough to get a shot in on a single tusken, but was quickly caught and brought before the group. And here he was, watching as his new father was killed by the leader before he went over and brutally slaughtered his mother as if she was an animal. But when it came time for him to be carved, the Force responded to his emotions, reawakening inside him since losing his memory. It brought fear to the tuskens as they fled, leaving him here before the unrecognizable corpses of his parents.
He took a moment to actually stop, a touch longer than normal as he let himself reflect on the memory. While he had grown past its effects, he rarely thought back on them. It caused him to take a second to remember them and the short time he was with them, ten years of his life as he was thirteen when this tragedy transpired.
When the vision faded, they were at a crossroads as he could see three new paths before him, two branching out in front while another turned back, almost looking to take them back the way they came. Looking around, he caught sight of the figures once more heading down the path that seemed to send them back. No doubt this path would curve further in before long. With a breath, he pressed on again.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Sept 4, 2024 12:16:32 GMT -8
Truthfully, Mariah expected some kind of response, some cocky comeback after the wall fell to reveal its secret corridor. Their prior interactions taught her as much; the crimson-haired woman remained suspicious around him more times than not because of it. When all Gavin did was turn to glance her way, it told her everything she needed to know. The gravity in his gaze hadn't gone unnoticed; even if she wouldn't say as much out loud, she respected that he could at least be serious when it mattered.
But that drew another question, one she refused to ask, or else it would be mistaken as a scrap of softness for him: what was it that Gavin experienced that converted the cocky bastard she knew and hated into a dutiful warrior?
<< Ah, so not just a tool, but your dutiful warrior? >>
Mariah ground her teeth together as she ignored the meddling song in her mind's ear.
The further Gavin led them, the more Mariah began to hear. The sounds of lightsabers clashing and children's laughter, young Blades training to protect their Spellweavers one day. Unrecognizable words mumbled over each other as if hundreds of those Spellweavers spanning thousands of years worked their magicks in tandem. Mariah saw nothing yet, although she suspected that would soon change. The vergence was robust, but the shard's power oozed from its resting place, heightening the Nexus's potency. This was its way of singing to her, drawing her closer to find it. Fond memories, recollections that were not hers but should have been, ripped away from her. They were getting closer; he wasn't leading them astray. The relic was doing as she read about, as she predicted that day on Ambria when he connected with this other lightyears away.
Mariah's gaze remained on Gavin like a beast's talons pierced through its prey. When he paused, so did she, and for a long beat, she said absolutely nothing. A blessing or a curse; either she took pity on him, which was less likely than the truth. More than likely, she was getting tired of him and whatever games he played. But perhaps neither of those was true now. Although Mariah voiced no pity, no empathy, and not even a trace of concern for him, the crimson-haired woman spoke quietly.
"What's wrong, Phoenix? What is the crystal showing you?"
At the very least, Mariah revealed curiosity, yet in a way that a warrior might be seeking out a wounded opponent's weakness. At the very least, she needed to know if this mission grew more dangerous for the both of them. Very quickly, the risk could outweigh the reward. He had already gotten them this far. It had already shaved off a few months of her figuring this out alone. That could be enough. Yet Gavin continued guiding them into the labyrinth, even taking a pathway that appeared to twist back, as if to take them right back to another exit to the open area of the Valley. Mariah said nothing, though, refusing to make another foolish quip. If this is where the crystal led him, then she would follow. Her hand remained dutifully on her saber, though. She was sure the closer they got, the more she would hear and even see. And that was just on her own; with each step, Gavin handling this relic became more of a risk to them both and the mission. |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
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Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 5, 2024 9:11:21 GMT -8
It was a curious distinction, how the enchantments that sought to repel them worked at them in different ways. For Mariah, it sought to break her down by reflecting on a future that never came to pass. An attempt to draw out sadness and longing, making people lose the will to fight by making them reflect on how life could have been and what they might not have had to endure. A solid approach in attempt to make someone submit and confess they are done fighting.
For himself, they sought to drag up the tragedies of his past, showing him his loss and failure, hoping to break his spirit. Nothing like showing someone how weak and incapable they are, turning negative emotions that would sometimes grant power into a soul crushing weight. But Gavin had grown beyond that. And trying to give him glimpses at a future that never was meant nothing as he did find his memories and his family once again. In fact, not enduring the tragedies would have led to a less than pleasing outcome. Sure, he had hard times and trials, but experienced so much more. Had his family lived, he would be living a peaceful life on world without hardships doing little more than worrying about tending to crops or taking care of animals. A rather unexciting life with little meaning.
He was a bit surprised when Mariah spoke, asking him just what he was seeing. Not stopping, he was silent for a few moments before speaking. "Memories of the past. Loss, pain, failure. Once again bearing witness to the loss of my family." The way he spoke, it was calm and steady, though not cold. It was clear it was something he had come to terms with over the many years. Certainly not something that was easy to overcome, but overcome it was. He then glanced back towards her. "Don't worry. I've long since grown passed the burden and emotions of the memories. If anything, it gives the chance to reflect on the other, happier memories." Turning down another path, he took a breath. "I doubt its the crystal showing me anything, though. I'm still being led, so I'd wager any enchantments placed around the area and feeding into the nexus in attempt to break us and force us away. I suppose that even when in possession of its counterpart, they still didn't want to risk it being found." He then shrugged. "Guess it's too much to ask for an easy task when you have, in essence, a guiding key."
If only it had been that easy. But nothing in life was ever that way, especially when it came to obtaining power in whatever form it chose. And he doubted the visions would just stop because he denied their influence. And sure enough, as they continued through the twisting and forking labyrinth, another vision came to mind.
Jumping ahead, he was now eighteen and a Jedi Knight. He was sent on a mission with his master to deal with some negotiations, yet what came to pass was something he could have never foreseen. The entire time, his master had been a Sith spy, skilled enough to hide his darkness and play the Jedi, fooling everyone around him. And now he sought Gavin to join him. Denial led to a fight for survival, one that ended with Gavin winning. Yet, the words that had been spoke by his master stirred within him. For some reason, he now felt he couldn't return to the Jedi, not only for killing his master, though he suspected they'd understand once the truth was revealed, but also for his shaken beliefs. He needed to separate himself from everything and think. It was from this point he ran off to Dagobah.
Deep inside, Gavin couldn't help but smirk. It was funny that though his master wasn't successful in turning him to the Dark-side, it did put him on the path that found the balance. Ironic, to say the least.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Sept 13, 2024 17:03:52 GMT -8
Memories of loss. That wasn't what this shard of absolute light should have shown Gavin. The crystal offered power, the desire to banish the darkness, and the ungodly strength to do just that. If painful memories haunted Gavin, then it came from the failsafe of the wards protecting the chamber, attempting to chase Gavin, an outsider, away. Mariah noted the fascinating paradox of the situation. The crystal guided; the wards defended.
The realization only put Mariah even more on edge. Eventually, those two forces would clash within Gavin. Regardless of how long-lived he wanted to claim himself, how many decades he had training every facet of himself, even he had his limits. Every living mortal being did. The Fallen Empress braced herself for the coming onslaught she was sure would transpire.
Still, the crimson-haired woman appeared as 'at ease' as she usually was when her hand was on her saber's hilt.
"I'd certainly hope you'd grown past all that after decades upon decades."
<< Maybe there's hope for you after all. >>
Mariah rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath, a string of curses in some odd language, judging by the intensity of her exasperated tone. She didn't bother to explain herself to Gavin or translate. If anything, the timing would make him think she was criticizing him further, which was fine with her.
"Is that all why you haven't bothered to return to your home star, Phoenix?"
Mariah briefly recalled their last conversation when he admitted to leaving the home of his people and refused to return for whatever his own reasons were. It was still insanity as far as she could imagine. Her question still carried that bite, that judgment to his decision to be a lone wanderer, to teach younglings among the Sith, instead of going back to be among his people, the judgment from one who would raze the galaxy if it meant she could do the same.
Mariah paused briefly, pressing a palm against the rock wall surrounding them. She could sense the magicks were getting more potent, and her every breath warned her that the air was laced with them. Another breath and Mariah could feel the weight of those blood-ruby eyes upon her β dozens of them. She rested her eyes, only blinking for a moment, and Mariah met her father's eyes, so gentle compared to the intensity of that striking feature of her people. There was a warning, yet a plea.
<< Find your sister. Hurry. >>
Mariah shook herself out of whatever trance she started to fall under. The crystal called out to her, begged her, warped these memories she hadn't bothered remembering in decades. Find her sister before tragedy struck. More like find it, this part of her people. Part of her. The desperation was there, raw in her chest again. The idiotic innocence of a youngling rekindled. Mariah pushed that feeling deep down, yet even she couldn't hold back her right hand as it pressed against her chest, as if wanting to claw out her own heart to free her from that lingering weight. She refused to show the heaviness in her every step as if she fought against a rope pulled tight around her every limb that dragged her in every which direction as if the crystal's genuine desire was to confuse her, lose her within these tunnels, and drive her mad while feasting upon her very essence until her final dying breath.
"It's absolutely the wards trying to keep you away. As it calls to me, it pushes you out. You're not supposed to be here. This whole... ability you have is an anomaly in the Force. So keep talking, Phoenix. I need to know when it gets worse."
'When,' definitely not 'if.' If it wasn't for the snap in her tone, her words could have been misconstrued for an ounce of concern for his safety. Perhaps that much wasn't a lie; Mariah needed to keep tabs on him the further they delved for both their sakes. She'd rather counterattack that baseless banter than the truth of her ulterior motive β to keep her mind distracted. |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 14, 2024 21:30:27 GMT -8
If she only knew the depth of training he endured to finally rise above it all. The first step in all of it was his time with the Jen'Jidai. The group had a focus of mastering self, emotions, and past. Rooms built to draw out and amplify emotion. And for that to be at its best, it had to draw from the past. For those that couldn't, false visions and memories of the trainer slipped them into the minds of the trainee. It was what he had done to Luxeria to help push her further as her lavish lifestyle had left little in terms of pain and loss to draw from.
But that wasn't the only thing. There was another aspect that demanded his mastery. He had existed within a hidden organization, only that was barely surviving from its ancient roots. Its function once upon a time was to maintain balance within the galaxy, using merged skills of foresight and shatterpoint to quietly navigate orders and governments down determined paths. But such things had faded as the group became divided among themselves due to the influence of factions they infiltrated. In time, the Shadows had been lost to time, only a few ever learning a small fragment of the true history. But, being the last of them, Gavin had found the eventual truth. It was one he realized couldn't last as history had proven. But he had learned of a cave that was meant to test people to ensure they could carry out this mission. The Cavern of Illusions forced those who entered to relive their memories, their minds twisted to make them feel as if it was truly happening again, not just seeing a memory from the outside. What's more was the greatly amplified draw of emotions of the moment. It made it far more intense than even the Dark Jedi's lessons as it wasn't a single emotion. He had successfully passed the test and knew he'd never be brought down by them.
He then looked back to her as she asked the question. He remembered the conversation not more than a month ago. He never really gave her a true answer, or at least one that could give any kind of satisfying answer. He had felt her anger towards him for that. At this point, there was no reason to hold back any truths. "Yeah. While my people continue to thrive and live, my family, both those that came before and after, are gone My parents, brother, wife, and daughters have passed. There is nothing for me there. All I've experienced in this galaxy, all I would have there is a simple life of peace where my only concerns would be ensuring crops were growing right and animals were taken care of. Only my sister remains and we barely speak as she, too, wanders the galaxy on her own mission." And there it was. With really no family, all that awaited him back home was a boring life that held no true meaning. Maybe he'd return one day, when he had decided he had lived long enough and chose to let what remaining years he opted to have exist in peace with no worries about what went on around him.
He allowed his eyes to watch her for a bit more before looking forward again, taking a turn down another tunnel. She had confirmed his own thoughts, but what was curious though was what she mentioned about her. It called to her but pushed him out. What was she experiencing? And if that was the case, being so close, how could she not be pulled directly to it? Why did she need him and the shard in his hand? So many questions he wanted to ask. About her, the shards, her people. Still, even if he did ask, he doubted she'd say anything. He did decide on giving something a try, however.
"So, if it is calling to you, what are you experiencing now?"
Suddenly there was a shift in the air, at least to him. He couldn't tell the cause, be it their proximity or the enchantments realizing the approach it was taking wasn't enough. Screams and laughter filled his ears. He had a thought of what memory might have come to him next, but things were weird. The sounds he heard weren't apart of that memory. Suddenly, he watched himself run by in a panic, busting down a metal wall. His wife laid there on a table cut open. Standing behind her was creature he couldn't place. The more he set his eyes upon it, the more he seemed to pick things out. A demonic figure those mixing features as two different beings. One was of a man he stood beside among the Grey Jedi. A friend, a rival, an enemy. This man had been responsible for stealing and torturing his wife. But when Gavin found her, she was rough, but not dead and cut open like this.
But that wasn't all. The other features came from a Shadow Demon, Rowne. In his hand held the corpses of two others dear to him, Tierany and Videl. His daughters. Yet, this never happened. The very truth of it all was the many years these events happened. The many memories of his past were merging together, amplifying the terror and anger and transforming it into the nightmarish abomination before him. He could only grunt and frustration at what he saw.
~Don't you even dare. These memories of pain and loss are not to be twisted into false nightmares. My memories are not your weapon. And your feeble attempt to push me away with these distorted illusions only hinder your goal. We are coming for you.~
Just then, things fade and the air returned to normal for him. He stopped for a moment, taking a second to breath and sigh. He turned his gaze back to Mariah, debating informing her. But he wouldn't disrupt her fragile trust by keeping things hidden, even if they posed no threat. "I suspect we may be getting closer. The wards just twisted two memories into one, distorting it and creating a nightmarish scene, but one easily dispelled. I guess it thought to overwhelm me with emotion and terror, but I will not be swayed but such illusions. I will not falter to disrespected memory.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Sept 22, 2024 5:37:58 GMT -8
Still as edgy as ever, Mariah followed Gavin down the twists and turns of the catacomb's tunnels. As he spoke to her, answering those questions, she expected more distress in his tone. An optimist might see that Gavin was steeling his body, mind, and soul to the effects of the crystal, similar to the impact of specific training exercises. But Mariah was the furthest thing from an optimist. The way she saw it, Gavin was slowly being chipped away, bit by bit, by the crystal and would eventually be no more, which the vicious side of her mind would have smiled at if it wasn't for the consequences of what that meant.
A simple life of peace, and yet he avoided it at all costs. Because wandering the galaxy like someone who didn't belong was so much better. These were all thoughts Mariah kept to herself for several reasons. The biggest reason was not to cause further distress until she knew the shard was out of his hands. So, instead, she remained the silent, stalking shadow behind him as he continued to guide the way.
Gavin's question to her was answered with a snarl at first. At least if she focused on what she deemed his idiocy, she could better ignore the siren's song beckoning to her.
"My people. My Ancestors. The one who put this thing away to never be found again. It's as if I can feel them watching me."
Mariah tried to keep her explanation as basic as possible, revealing no details about her experience. However, there was a tugging on her mind, what she assumed to be her little guardian from beyond the veil. The flash of their conversation in her chambers a month ago surged as a remembrance of those details Gavin shared with her. Again, the woman snarled and shook her head as if to fight against the chiding, the pushing, the meddling. She knew it wouldn't stop until she gave in, and that was worse than even the effects of the relic that called out to her.
"The day I lost everything, my father asked me to seek out my sister. It was a typical request, but I knew from his eyes that it was a desperate plea to find her as quickly as possible, that something was wrong. The crystal is using that memory, warping it, as if now I have to find this thing as desperately as I needed to find her then."
Mariah's words conveyed no emotion, as if she were simply stating facts about the galaxy. She hadn't realized Gavin's newest trial until she heard his growl of frustration, which prompted her to prepare for a quick draw of her lightsaber. Regardless of whatever the wards were throwing at him, Gavin seemed to keep the crystal's power in check. Perhaps that newest struggle muddled her explanation. The less he knew about her past, the better.
She followed him until the tunnels opened into a chamber, a pocket that could have comfortably allowed about a dozen individuals to gather. More tunnels stretched out from the cardinal points, each leading to unique destinations. Mariah was confident only one of these paths was the correct one. However, as they pressed onward, everything in her vision flickered. Gavin became like a blinding sun, not just to her soul but to her mortal eyes, too. And gathered around, standing at the edges of the chamber, were robed figures, their hoods raised to hide their features. They weren't human, though, and stood as tall as the twelve-foot ceilings of this part of the cavern.
"No shit."
Mariah breathed her response, her words slow and drawn out. Oh, they were definitely getting closer. Thankfully, these phantoms didn't move in on the two, but they watched as if that was their sole task for a millennium. Each step Mariah and Gavin made, their heads tilted as if one wrong move and the whole of them would pounce and swallow them whole.
<< The Mother of a new era has come to claim her birthright. >> << The new era has come. >> << Praise be unto the Mother. >>
These shadows' words rang out hollow and distorted, dissonant songs surely summoned by the relic. A shiver ran down Mariah's spine. Truth rang in those words, a prophecy Mariah had tried to escape by any means necessary. The relic had to be abusing that; that was the only explanation. Like Gavin's experience, it was twisting memories of the past and, for her, anticipations of the future. By Chaos, she would not tell Gavin about any of this and would only divulge that the phantoms were there.
"We're definitely being watched. There's about eight of them in this room with us now. Just stay on your guard and keep moving, Phoenix. It's about to get much worse." |
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Gavin Phoenix
The Dark Jedi Order
"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body"
Posts: 1,144
Affiliation: The Dark Jedi Order
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Post by Gavin Phoenix on Sept 25, 2024 9:02:39 GMT -8
He heard little of her explanation regarding what she saw and how the crystal was shifting her reality as the vision that taken shape just before. Perhaps it was coincidence. Then again, perhaps it was the crystal's timing, seeking to muffle any truth to the Shadows and this woman's past. He was an outsider that had no business knowing such things, much less holding a highly regarded relic of her history. What he did hear, he couldn't focus on, nor understand He could have easily asked once again, but decided it was better to leave the matter be.
He had started pressing on through the chamber, making his way towards the path the figures led him down, but stopped when she spoke again, this time in response to his claim of being close. He turned his head back to her before she went on to explain that they were being watched by something. He let his eyes shift around the room but saw nothing. But he didn't doubt her. Just the separation of realities and purpose within these caverns. But as she beckoned, he continued onward.
No other visions came to him as they pressed onward. Yet, something was off. He felt something, as if they were being watched and followed. Perhaps though he couldn't see these things Mariah did, he was now reaching a point her could feel them in some way. But there was also movement, faint and rapid. If there was anything he could say, it was as if something was moving around the floors and walls on all fours. He kept this to himself for the moment, though, only his eyes shifting about, trying to see something moving.
The further they went, the more pronounced each of these sensations became until it finally drove him to a kind of breaking point. Perhaps it was at this point where the clash of dark and light existed outside of harmony. Then again, it may have been because it was in his hands. The crystal's power, in a way, fine tuned his senses, especially towards that of darker energies. It might have been that fact that created this slight irritation. He was still in control but he couldn't stop the feeling, like a prickling at the back of his neck. Finally stopping, he sighed a heavy breath, turning to look at Mariah and inform her of the current situation around him.
Yet, as he did, he saw what looked to be the glow of multiple sets of yellow eyes, approaching in a rapid pace from behind her. To him, he sensed darkness and danger. Were the things she mentioned fully making themselves known and attacking? Whatever they were, it was clear their intentions as he saw the glint of silver from an unsheathed blade. It was draw and aiming for her.
In a blink, he move from his spot to her. He slipped up just beside her, his free hand closest to her as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Coming to a stop just passed where she stood, he lifted the crystal, ready to use its power to send whatever was there flying. Yet, as he lifted it and the light it gave off found where these figures stood, nothing was there. He breath was a touch heavier now. Was this the next stage of the wards? If so, the unrelenting sensation of a present and looming threat was a much bigger deal than simple memories. From here, things would really grow tense. He silently hoped they were almost there, for the sake of his control.
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Post by ππͺπππ²π΄π²π· on Oct 8, 2024 18:01:26 GMT -8
In silence, Mariah followed Gavin deeper through the tunnels. At least, silence was the reality. To the crimson-haired woman, whispers ebbed and then intensified in her mind's ear. Unintelligible murmurers resonated in her skull; the only words she could understand were those dreaded commendations.The Mother has come. With all her might, Mariah pushed forward with a snarl as if she heard nothing, but the further they trekked, the more those hissing praises rose into a crescendo, echoing throughout the very tunnels around her. Yet she knew better than to ask Gavin if he could now hear those whispered praises; they were meant for her and her alone.
She was too distracted, just pushing through the rattling in her skull. She didn't immediately recognize something was wrong with Gavin, and he moved like the first breaking of light over the darkness of the night's horizon.
A pang of her heartbeat, the weight within her chest, and crackling electrifying her nerves first drew Mariah's attention. With the instinct of decades of training, the warrior reached for her saber, secured to her hip, and ignited the fire-red blade in a flash. However, Gavin was already upon her, so close it felt like fire coursed through her veins. Her very soul flinched and tried to press back. She barely had the time to react, much less dissect what had happened. Had the shard finally overwhelmed him? Had the wards worn him down? Or were his hallucinations finally getting the better of him?
Whatever the answer, it was too late now, and she cursed this Force-damned decision to involve him. Mariah had been tortured before, lied on death's threshold more times than she could count, and taken blows that would force an average fighter on retirement for the rest of their days. She was no stranger to suffering. But this? This excruciating pain was unlike anything she had felt beforeβher own personal hell summoned to her within the realm of the living.
Gavin's hand touched her, pulling her back, and unknowingly linked her to this shard, opposite her very being.
At first, it felt like frost snaking through every vein in her body from where Gavin had seized her. Ice quickly turned to fire that spread over the skin, devouring her muscles and turning her bones to ash. The blaze then heightened to lightning, shooting through every nerve ending, splitting apart every cell. Her soul cried out for deliverance, and for a second, she felt suspended from her body yet still bearing every ounce of its hell.
Even she couldn't bite back a howl of agony.
White crept over her vision, pulling her under. Mariah snarled, stumbling, as she tried to pry herself out of Gavin's hold, snapping her arm free. Her saber clattered to the ground, and the blade retracting back into its hilt elicited an echoed hiss. She had to hold on to consciousness, though. She couldn't fall victim to thisβnot now, not if Gavin was losing control. She needed her saber and reached for it. Another second was all she had before the stars in her vision overwhelmed her, the remnant light tearing the darkness of her soul asunder.
Mariah hissed, a feeble attempt at a final command to Gavin. The blackness of unconsciousness beat her; her body gave in and slumped to the ground. |
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