Ask End of the Heretic

[Kalique Baize]

Vjun

Where an underground temple had once stood in full pride, there now was a ruin. Even as their ship was descending towards the surface, the sheer extent of damage bore witness to what had once happened within the ancient walls that no longer remained the way they had once been.

The information about how the catacombs had collapsed had been available, yet the Knight-Captain didn't want to leave it to fate alone. She was convinced that the artifact was still down there, perhaps buried by the rubble of seemingly endless layers, potentially it was even guarded, but she truly wanted to make sure that the powerful gauntlet would never fall into the wrong hands.

"Squire, are you ready to leave? Once the ship lands, we'll immediately head out, so that we can be back before nightfall" Kalique was still strapping the last parts of armor into place while she turned her head to the young woman. She was fairly certain it was her first real mission, but Kalique was confident that there weren't many sentient beings that knew the artifact could potentially still be out there.

"Do you have any questions so far? Be sure to leave with all of your weapons. We'll hope we won't need them, but it's better to be prepared" she gave her a quick smile. They'd have to find some kind of an entrance first or they'd spend all afternoon digging deeper by moving stones.

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

Today was an exciting day for this young squire. After their evaluations and training had gone well, it was necessary to put these lessons from the classroom into the field and actually test herself. Rhia felt that she was born ready having already gone over each piece of equipment multiple times to ensure that it was proper and ready. The prospect of chasing after an elusive dark side artifact was both terrifying and exciting at the same time, so long as the mission itself wasn't just them digging a bunch of dirt out of a hole to find it.

If that was how they'd find it, it would have been much more fun to at least be chasing some bad guys first, or perhaps following a pirate treasure map, something like that. "Yes Ma'am I am ready." she chimed in eagerly. It was even more exciting that her best friend Laila was also squiring under the very same Knight-Captain. A little bit of friendly rivalry would go a long way to motivating the would-be knight into excelling amongst her peers.

Quietly she stood with her hand proudly nested upon her battle belt. "Yes actually, umm...not to be rude or anything but how exactly are we supposed to find this thing? I thought you said it was buried." The matter-of-factly-looking squire was genuinely confused, although she tried to hide it. She figured that Miss Demici wouldn't have brought them all the way here if there wasn't a way to get to it, right?

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Rhiannon sounded eager and judging from the way she phrased her positive reply, she wasn't too nervous either, which was a good start at least. She wasn't sure whether she would be another handful, like Laila, as they were at least the same age, but admitted, this squire wasn't the brother of the Grand Marshall at least.

"Good". Kalique was almost done readying herself and she finished with clipping her lightsabers to her belt. With the experience in training squires she had already gained so far, she was confident that taking Rhiannon out into the field would work well, however as the ruins were unpredictable, they really had to be on their guard.

The ship was slowly descending towards the surface with the pilot droid skillfully maneuvering them down. "Yes, a part of the catacombs has definitely collapsed, but the underground premises are vast. We'll find a way in at first, or cave our own path, and then I assume the Force will guide us". She explained, meeting the squire's gaze.

Her features looked relatively familiar, but as the galaxy was a vast place, Kalique didn't think too much in it. She was confident she'd learn more about her training so far, but as the ship touched the ground, it was time for them to get going. "Stay alerted. It is unlikely, but perhaps we'll run into scavengers or creatures that roam the area".

With that, Kalique began leading the way. They were still a few hundred meters from the outskirts of the ruins, but close enough to take a first look around. "The temple once had various entries. If we find one that hasn't imploded, we'll save us some work".

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

Rhia listened quietly as an excellent little attentive student should, it was simply too important to soak up every bit of information in order to become the very best knight she could ever be. Tucked neatly into her waist jacket was a little notebook she intended to scribble notes on, a relic of her diligence in school if nothing else. It wasn't super likely that they'd run into anything dangerous but the squire nodded and watched carefully as she watched the master of their trade at work.

Getting closer to the ruins filled her head with all sorts of thoughts and theories about where they were actually headed. It was kind of intense that supposedly a Sith had been here sometime in the past, perhaps even recently, and then perished. Even though she knew that the Sith were the enemy, and she'd so confidently sworn to defend the Empire for better or worse, it still felt sad to her.

A life lost in the pursuit of something valuable, but what did he leave behind? Rhia presumed that even Sith had family, or someone to miss them after they were gone. Had this person simply never returned home without a trace and no one to tell them what happened to their son in some faraway cold world? The thought of such news being delivered to her own parents tore a knot in her stomach, but it did nobody any good to dwell on such things.

Rhia knew her rank and name, but she hadn't considered what the proper form of address was yet. "Uhm excuse me Ma'am..." it seemed a little funny in retrospect to be asking this now and now prior to them leaving, but the excitement amongst it all had distracted her. "Respectfully, how am I meant to address you? nobody told me and like I didn't know how to ask."

A gust of wind gingerly blew through the area shaking the leaves nearby ever so briskly. It all seemed so quiet and calm without a care in the world, but even as they got closer to the supposed entrance, they would see no easy way in from this spot. Whatever had caused the entrance to collapse must have been quite powerful indeed, as their hopes for a swift entry faded away.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

What Kalique noticed so far was that Rhiannon wasn't just quieter, but also more focused than Laila. From her point of view, that was more relaxing, but she'd see how this would all go. They started to approach the ruins and Kalique kept studying the rubble on the ground and everything that remained for any holes or undestroyed parts.

There was a slight breeze that slowly picked up its pace and Kalique narrowed her eyes a little as she felt a subtle tugging. It was faint, fuzzy and impossible to locate right now, yet while she has no doubt it could have possibly been triggered by the artifact, her gaze fell on something else. In the far distance stood a tower that seemed vastly undestroyed and as rumors were only the main chamber had been collapsed, she expected a way in for now.

She guided the squire towards it, her senses fully aware of everything that was going on in the near surroundings as she didn't want to be ambushed by anyone. Rhia piped Ma'am again and as she had never been called Ma'am, it let a faint smirk tug at the otherwise focused features as she turned to look at her. "Hm?".

Her full question then hit her relatively unprepared as funnily enough, she hadn't fully made up her mind about it as the Imperial Knight body was new for everyone. Did Master imply the religious component? Yes...Definitely, for her at least, as Jedi and Sith both considered themselves Masters. Knight-Captain though? Too military.

She was a mentor to her...but that was weird way to adress her as well, so she was thinking back to where the name of the Lord Commander came from. "Lady Demici, I guess", she indirectly admitted that with the first official squires in training, there was perhaps still a debate going on, but for now it might suffice if she referred to her as Mi'Lady or whatever. Was that too noble though? On Serenno she was called the same. But it was a simple matter and they were on a mission, so she settled on that for now.

"Do you see that building over there? It looks like it's a way inside". They were soon about to approach it and as they drew closer, they'd spot the flight of stairs that definitely led down into the catacombs. As soon as they approached the entrance, Kalique took a flashlight from the utility belt she has brought and offered Rhia the other one. It was better than nothing as the stairs led into darkness.

"Stay on your guard" Kalique took the lead but made sure her squire followed close behind as they descended the stairs together. Kalique walked carefully, also not wanting to trigger any traps as she was relatively sure this temple had a few. "Sooner or later we'll have to carve our own way". They could try to lift pieces of rubble, however had to made sure they wouldn't be crushed as well, yet as they kept going in deeper, Kalique could at least feel the dark presence again. So it was still here...or something was. "Do you feel that?".

@Xorism

Spoiler: roll

10/20

 

[Rhiannon]

Lady Demici had a nice ring to it, slightly broadening the smile Rhia was showcasing. It would be a long time coming, but her mind imagined the day in the distant future when she had a squire of her own calling her Lady Delevigne. Her parents would be so very thrilled, as would she, of such an honour being bestowed. But before any of that could become a reality, there was much work to be completed, lessons learned and likely many triumphs and failures along the way.

Catching a glimpse of the building in question, she nodded. "I do," she said calmly, taking the flashlight when it was offered. Oh great she thought, looking for buried treasure was one thing, but nobody said anything about walking through a spooky-as-all-heck building. The stairs into the catacomb confirmed her hypothesis, but at least that meant they wouldn't have to stay up there long, she just hoped that down below was somehow better.

The dark and lingering presence washed over the young squire, sending tremors down her spine that she didn't understand. Rhia battled her fears fervently, but even she had limits. "...is this place haunted... Lady Demici?" she added quietly as if to be hiding her thoughts from whatever might be out there.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The Imperial Knights descended deeper until they reached a point where the stairs simply ended and disembouged into a stony ground floor. There was a thick layer of dust and sand lacing it, which indicated that no one had recently passed through those halls, but there was an undeniable thick, oppressive air down here.

The catacombs were surely a place where no ray of sunlight had ever touched the ground and yet it was surprisingly warm. There was also a dampness lingering in the aid that resulted in a slightly unpleasant, rather moldy scent, but what they'd notice more was the darkness that awaited.

"This place is not haunted, yet something is clearly still lingering here. Stay close" she advised her, her voice relatively soft as she pressed onwards. There was no living Force perceivabale, not even in the form of smaller rodents, insects or whatever, which actually surprised her, but this place was just literally dead.

She could feel Rhiannon's nervousity and thus stopped for a moment. "Don't let the fear take control. There is no imminent danger around, I can assure you that...but do take a moment an reach out through the Force". She glanced over to her, waiting for her to follow through with her instruction. Depending on how well she'd manage, she'd feel two things. One relatively strong, even violent pulsating presence and something faint, much more alluring right next to it. It was still relatively far off and to their right. "What do you sense?".

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

The comfort in knowing that there were no such hauntings or imminent danger helped rally the young squire's sensibilities although she was far from calm. The distractions swirling in her head and the strange new place made focusing quite difficult. It was nothing like the academy where such things were more steady and controlled environments allowing for practiced hands.

Even through all the disruptions, Rhia would sense the stronger pulse but lacking a strong foundation to guide her, it was for naught. "I ugh.." she hesitated to answer, not wishing to disappoint her teacher but also not wanting to be caught in a lie. "I can sense a ripple through the force, but I'm not sure..." The poor girl seemed a little rattled but considering it was her first field trip, perhaps this was to be expected.

She looked up to Lady Demici for clues, not immediately taking any. If the Knight-Captain was worried about the feeling, Rhia wasn't picking it up yet. It was then that she also noticed that she had been holding her breath a little longer than usual, slowly exhaling to avoid sounding like she was winded. Dang it, she thought. Think Rhia, you can do this.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Even if her words seemed to have some effects on the Squire, she remained relatively nervous. Admittedly, this was her first mission of this sort and so being nervous was fairly human, but she had to remain in control and so Kalique was monitoring her constantly.

"It's okay. We'll get closer soon, but don't let it deter you". They pressed on until at an intersection, Kalique could tell that the path they'd have to choose was the one that was half collapsed. "We'll squeeze through the rubble and carefully move the parts we'll have to move" there were a few gaps and judging from the looks of it, they'd be able to squeeze through it even with the armor.

Rhiannon had a similar built, so if she fit, so would the squire and so she started to move in. At some point, Kalique did have to press a layer of thick stones away to push through and she held the gap open for Rhiannon to pass through, but once they were on the other side, they'd find themselves in a wholly new chamber.

Their flashlights weren't the only source of light here. Funnily enough, there were lit torches at the far sides of the chamber and even if the air was already thick and made breathing much more difficult, there seemed to be enough oxygen for them to burn brightly. She noticed they had a slightly reddish hue and the handles of the torches were pure black ebony, but what concerned her the most was that the sinister pulsations were eerily close.

"This...is odd" she remarked as she slowly stepped forward, flashlight in one hand and grasping the hilt of her lightsaber with the other. It was much colder here, and suddenly, there was a dark presence all around, lingering in the air like a veil that slowly started to envelop them. "Someone is coming...no, something". This was her signal for Rhiannon to get ready as just a few seconds later, they'd suddenly hear heavy footsteps approach that made the whole ground shake.

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

Rhia was determined as ever to put on a brave face and kick the butt of her fears. Following closely behind her mentor, the young squire clutched the flashlight tightly. Flicking between any suspicious shapes or sounds until they reached the intersection. "Umm okay," she replied with a little caution in her voice. It was luckily not going to be too difficult to squeeze through the same gap that Kalique found and in short order they both appeared on the other side.

The odd sensation worsened, even Rhia picked up on it turning her face sour. Whatever it was, it didn't feel like it was going to be a good thing. The funny feeling clawed at the back of her mind as the presence could be felt all around her, bravely she fumbled with one hand for her lightsaber hilt following Kalique's example.

"What the frick." she exclaimed with a gasping breath as the heavy footsteps startled her, nothing was supposed to be down here!!

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Judging from the heavy thuds, there was no regular human approaching. In the heavy steps alone there was also a brutal determination as the closer it got, the more obvious they'd both feel that it was hostile and not amused about intruders. But how? How was something living down here?

A shadow emerged on the ground, indicating that the beast was approaching from the corridor yo their right. Kalique placed the flashlight on the ground and let her right lightsaber spring into her right hand as she readied her stance. "Squire, stay behind me for now" she instructed her curtly, her voice hushed as she briefly turned her head to look at her.

She was shocked and afraid and while it was a fairly human reaction, Kalique still needed her focused. 'Stay concentrated. Be with me in the Force. This won't become a conversation'. As she had already turned to face the approaching threat, she chose telepathy, and as the subtle ripple traveled through the Force, the emerging shadow suddenly stopped.

Kalique involuntarily held her breath before the figure set itself into motion again, the shadow growing taller and taller until the horrid figure finally revealed itself. The crimson eyes pierced right through her, lifeless and thus furious. The Knight-Captain moved in front of the squire, shielding her from whatever the massive Guardian would possibly launch at them, right as an immense sense of dread permeated the thick, yet icy air.

In the very midst of the beast's materialized torso was a visible gash, so as if it had once been bisected, but where there should have been shared flesh was nothing but an abysmally black trace of miasma. Kalique's attention was immediately caught by the ebony gauntlet that shielded its hands.

The artifact...judging from the pulsating force, they had found exactly what they had been looking for, yet it was obvious that the Guardian who had watched over the gauntlets for millennia wouldn't give it away willingly. This was no fight for a Squire to witness, yet Kalique knew she wouldn't get the chance to flee either, so she did give her a task: "Stay calm"

Kalique had no clue what they were facing and what it was capable of, yet they had to stay focused. It stood menacingly and suddenly as if frozen, watching them hauntingly, so that Kalique dared to speak slowly and quietly. "Whenever you get the chance, try to yank those gauntlets of, okay? But stay away from the-", it wasn't going to let her finish, as suddenly, a crimson her bolt came flying their way and they both immediately had to jump out if the way.

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

The terrifying figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light revealing its monstrous form. Rhia was astonished such a thing existed, let alone something that now stood meters away ready to confront them. The strength of her mentor helped the young squire focus her mind and fears, the simple terror that ran down her spine was a force unto itself but with fierce determination, she held it back.

Slipping behind the Knight-Captain with only faint glances visible to each side of the beast, Rhia quietly mumbled some lines of the code she had recited a thousand times already. Reaching out with the force, she latched on to Lady Demici's mind for both comfort and strength. Focusing on the task at hand as her confidence grew with every second and thought. "Okay." was all she mustered before the squire had to leap out of the way of the incoming attack

Ooomph she groaned, slamming into the dirt floor to one side. Rolling back over, she glanced up and saw the beast and gauntlet that she was somehow supposed to steal. Judging her as the greater of the two threats, it focused its efforts against the knight-captain.

Okay Rhia, you've got this. Remember what Lady Demici just said, focus and trust in her. It would just take the right opportunity to snatch their prize, and by the force, she hoped she was ready for that moment.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

They were engaged in combat from 0 to 100. Right after the hex bolt, the walls around them suddenly began to shake as a low rumble erupted that slowly shook pieces of debris from the rocky ceiling. "Watch out!" she hissed through gritted teeth as she was forced to dudge a larger junk of rock crumbling down from above, hoping the Squire would watch her head, too.

Her emerald gaze was still fixed on the Guardian as a sudden cold seemed to encompass her. It was quick, so as if the warmth was momentarily drained front the atmosphere before the Guardian's crimson eyes glowed even more eerily than before. Kalique was about to hurl a ball of flames at the sentinel, when suddenly he his left arm up.

The gloved hand was pointing right at her as a streak of ebony flames erupted from his fingertips. Her eyes widened in shock as she brought a barrier of her own flames up that collides with the ebony counterpart mid-air, yet the ebony immediately consumed whatever reddish, orange embers remained.

Kalique jumped out of the way in the last second, however already feeling the heat of the flames that threatened to consume her too as she only narrowly made it before she rolled and faced him again. What the kriff was this monster? It was fairly obvious it was protecting the artifact it had claimed for itself, but the problem was that they couldn't leave it in its hand.

Now while gaining experience was good, the Knight-Captain also protected the squire fiercely. She constantly ensured the main attention was on herself and after the cone of ebony fire finally ceased, she fired right back. The flames easily consumed the distance between the massive Guardian and the Knights and soon engulfed the beast as well. It wasn't that he minded it much, but Kalique sensed how most pain erupted from his gash.

The wound was perhaps their exact chance and so she intended to use the existing disadvantage against him. As the Guardian snuffed out the fire, Kalique focused a massive force attack on his wound by clipping her lightsaber back to her belt for a moment. With both hands outstretched, she dug into the materialized flesh and intended to rip the old wound apart. Perhaps it would distract the creature enough so that Rhiannon would get a chance to harm it as well. One way or another, the beast was roaring in agony as it furiously twitched.

@Xorism

Spoiler: roll

13/20

 

[Rhiannon]

The freakish monster slash guardian was a menacing combatant equipped with many tools to use against them. The flame attack was dreadfully potent against force users, something the Sith gained great experience within the past with Mandalorians. Rhia couldn't let it get close to her or else her own fight would be over before she could blink, thus she kept her distance.

The downside with doing this meant that almost all of its focus was on Lady Demici, not that the Knight-Captain would have it any other way, but at the same time, Rhia knew that she had to find a way to pull her weight all the same. Watching the two fight it out was the most amazing sight and a showcase of the force and a knight's power that she could only so far dream of. Panting to catch her breath as she continued to move around the room, she saw an opportunity.

All of her earlier doubts and struggles haunted her, the force was a fickle thing that she had yet to master and yet right now, right here, Lady Demici needed her. Lady Demici needed Imperial Squire Delevigne - and she couldn't let her down.

Collecting her thoughts into focusing all of her training, her mind, and her willpower, the squire got to work. Her outstretched hand pointed toward the guardian, she coiled the force around herself with one sole task in mind. Hopefully, while it was distracted, she could manage to telekinetically rip the gauntlet from the guardian's hand. While there were two to take, the squire knew that splitting her focus wouldn't work and instead focused on one.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

As the beast roared in agony, the walls began to shook even more violent than before and for a moment Kalique was afraid the Guardian would let the temple collapse upon them, thus probably rendering the rest of the underground catacombs useless.

It didn't though...it didn't want to die or get buried alive, perhaps because it was even clinging onto the artifact it guarded so fiercely, and also, while Kalique literally tried to rip their adversary apart, the squire got her chance to strike. With newfound determination, she yanked at the first gloved hand and the Guardian had to choose between life and glove.

Obviously, it chose its materialized life and so it hurled a crimson bolt Kalique's way again before the first glove came of. As her focus had been on the existing wound, she had put her everything into reopening it, but this also meant that she was hit by the blast and hurled off to the side. A searing pain went through her left arm, but she immediately jumped back to her feet with gritted teeth and faced their opponent fiercely.

"Hold onto that!" she yelled at Rhia while a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her force attack had been strong, so while the gash had partly reopened, creating a partly gaping gash that was only being held together by strings of abysmal black miasma, it had taken a toll on the Knight-Captain.

She had no other chance than to engage with the lightsaber next, and while she let one lightsaber snap into her right hand, she immediately started dashing at him. The Wraith's glowing eyes were furious, yet it was good that he kept his main focus on her. He had time to ignite his own, apperently one and only crimson bladed lightsaber to meet her mid air, but this meant that the battle was now changing to melee range. It was risky, giving he still had the other glove, but she had to keep him away from getting to one Rhia already had and create another opening.

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

Rhia watched with budding excitement as her hard work paid off and the first gauntlet came loose, suddenly flying in her direction. Landing just a handful of feet away, it was the first chance she had to actually study the sought-after object in any real detail. The craftsmanship was intricate, although it was certainly not winning a beauty pageant anytime soon.

Curiously, she could now feel its presence in the force distinctly from its former wearer and oh was it an intriguing one. Flush in the moment Rhia felt its cool and calm wish to be held, the thought just gently plying away at her subconscious. After all, wasn't she a strong squire now? and just imagine how much help she could provide with such a relic at her command!

Meanwhile, the fight continued to escalate between the Knight-Captain and the ghoulish monster. With sabers now drawn and down to the singular gauntlet in hand, one false step could be their last. Grace and agility met brute strength and determination unmatched by the living, given his singular desire was her destruction. The blades caught high mid-air before the wraith made a series of diagonal strikes from shoulder to hip, aiming to cut her into itty bitty pieces.

This aggressive attack came with him stepping forward to meet and push her back and counter her own aggression.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The artifact was drenched in darkness, just like the Guardian, even if his darkness still seemed to stem from a different source. His bubbling rage permeated the air like sharp ice crystals looking for their next victim, but Kalique didn't leave it a single chance to manifest in her mind.

Kalique was focused on the battle, but in the back of her mind she still kept monitoring the squire, knowing that such young spirits were still vulnerable to such twisted influences and she was dearly hoping the girl would manage to resist by simply keeping her distance. Still, the Guardian couldn't be allowed to get his hands on it either and so Kalique hoped she wouldn't be forced to fight a battle on two fronts soon.

The beast began to slash at her wildly and she was forced to parry the aggressive, incoming strikes within split seconds. Her injured left side was in pain and so with gritted teeth she pushed back before he attempted to push her back.

She didn't let it: instead of giving way to his push, she kept their sabers locked, feigning to begin to crumble under his immense force, so that she used her second hand to support the first, only that this second hand suddenly slipped down in a split second and summoned the second lightsaber.

The orange glow was immediately ignited and the blade pierced the massive body right in its midst. Where there had been and old wound, there was now a new and the materialized horror suddenly froze as she blade bisected it anew. A hand reached out and grasped her throat, constricting the air flow and making her wince, until the pressure suddenly stopped.

The walls no longer rumbled and while the terrible crimson eyes were still locked with her fierce gaze, the pressure against her other blade suddenly faded. The materialized Wraith dissipated into thin air and all that was left was the second gauntlet that suddenly dropped to the ground with a heavy thud.

The ebony details were flawless, but Kalique was refusing to pay it any unnecessary attention, knowing the darkness resulting from within would soon enough start to call to them. She coughed severely and her eyes were bloodshot, yet the room was suddenly feeling less oppressive. "Are you...okay? she asked the quite, her voice a little hoarse.

@Xorism

Spoiler: roll

16/20

 

[Rhiannon]

The intense battle between the guardian and invader was over quicker than even it had anticipated with the sudden arrival of the second lightsaber. The familiar klink echoed through the room as the final gauntlet likewise hit the floor in a cacophony of sounds. The horrific scream that the wraith let out upon its demise pulled Rhia's attention back to Kalique in time to witness its disappearance, her eyes bubbling with unfamiliarity and weariness.

"Uhh I think so.." the squire attempted to pull herself together in answer. Truth be told it was the single scariest moment of her life so far and the artifact had left her dazed and confused. "It was the most beautiful voice, so very calm and understanding..like my mother's but friendlier if that makes sense."

Rhia knew that they were hunting the dark side but in her mind, it had always had this horrific and terrible reputation, a malignant terror in the galaxy that had to be forced out into the open. The fact that it had preyed upon her in such a way was truly worrisome and despite her best efforts to remain calm and focused, it did seem to rattle her a little.

"But I focused on what you taught me, and uhm I think it worked?" At least she hoped so. With the battle done the squire picked up the gauntlet and brought it to the second, placing it neatly next to it. "Will I be okay?" Being touched by the dark side was never a great moment, but even if she resisted it the young squire was worried about her future.

@LadyRen

Spoiler: Dice

10/20 to resist 3/20

 

[Kalique Baize]

Just like a veil that was suddenly lifted, this oppressive, dark aura of danger was immediately lifted. The Knight-Captain glanced around tensely, somehow expecting his quick vanishing had been nothing but a mere trick, but the coast seemed clear for the moment.

She walked back to Rhia, quickly assessing the squire and realizing that she was okay. She did look her up and down for a moment, assessing any possible damage, but she seemed rather fine and she was also not clinging onto the artifact, which was good sign. "That's great to hear...this thing was a strong abomination, but we've been lucky it had been wounded".

They had outmatched him, but Kalique still assumed that if he had been stronger, he would have collapsed the caves, leaving them buried as well. The Squire then shared her impression about the powerful artifact that was simply drenched in pure darkness, nodding faintly at what shared but also motioning for her to start moving towards the entrance to leave.

They'd have to squeeze through the same gap, as Kalique felt like it was the nearest exit. There was no purpose in checking out the rest of the remaining parts of the catacombs, as they'd only run into more dangerous, and so she picked up the gloves and followed her. "I hear it too...".

For a moment, her emerald gaze lingered on them. They were beautifully crafted, pure ebony and delicately ornamented, but Kalique had absolutely no intention to slip them on. The darkness that radiated of them wasn't too enticing for her, but she was rather a little disgusting, knowing that whoever had crafted them must have done horrible things.

"You've done well. You kept your cool, you followed my orders well and you resisted the calling". Her mind and deepest motives were still getting shaped, but she saw a lot of potential in her. "You'll be okay. We'll get out of her and get rid of those gauntlets, then we'll meditate together" she added with a soft smile, focusing on her instead of the artifact.

@Xorism

 

[Rhiannon]

The joyful look ablaze across the young squire's face at the recognition given to her by Lady Demici was worth its weight in credits for her budding confidence. For sure Rhia had earned a gold star that she'd stick into her diary after they got back to the barracks. But in the meantime, holding her head high and with a cheery smile, the squire watched carefully as to how Kali handled the dangerous artifacts in case she ever had to do it herself some time.

The call to leave was definitely the right one as far as she was concerned, the creepy aesthetic didn't exactly scream that the designer had any real taste beyond the dreadful dead. Was it a prerequisite to working with the dark side that you'd have to dress in black and build edgy castles and jagged stone buildings?

Once Rhia was happy that she could leave, and that the danger had passed, they made their way back toward the entrance and through the narrow passage. Coming back out into the now darker environment, Rhia paused with a puzzled look. "How long were we in there for?" It didn't seem like much time had passed and yet the day had slipped away from them.

If it was something her mentor wasn't concerned about, then she'd likewise bottle it down with a passive gulp and look around one last time to make sure the coast was clear.

@LadyRen