Ask Into The Darkness

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar scowled as Karys asked where his things were, “Help the droid land the ship!” He practically screeched. Even he knew that for landing they couldn’t rely on autopilot and the droid was only so reliable. Azar was no pilot, but he hoped Karys had enough knowledge to safely get them down with the droid as the lead.

Once Karys safely landed the ship, he would realize Azar was nowhere to be found. If he wandered back to the cabin, he would find the pureblood curled under the covers and taking a nap. In fact, Azar was even snoring and enjoying a wonderful, restful sleep after months going without. He was Force drained, sore, and tired. As far as he knew, Malachor was ominous and menacing but didn’t actually have anything living on it.

If Karys thought Azar was going to be in a rush to put on his scary Sith Master persona, he was mistaken.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys stopped trying to get dressed when Azar practically screamed at him to help the droid land the ship. His eyes widened as he realized, Azar was right he had to land the damned ship. <I got it babe, no worries.> He called out as he sprinted towards the cockpit, with only a shirt on.

<Fuckshit.> She cursed as he slid into the co-pilot seat and flipped several switches to activate his control over the ship.

Karys was entirely focused as he began to dip the vessel between chunks of debris and space junk. The space around Malachor was a veritable ship graveyard, with ancient husks hanging in space. As they guided the vessel down, Karys felt his hands sweating. the controls jostled and jiggled in his hands as he kept them on course. Eventually, he would enter atmosphere, break the clouds of the dead world, and then begin landing protocols.

He would land the vessel in an ancient and clearly unused landing pad. He assumed that it had likely been used in some conflict, likely the same one that wiped Malachor clean of life. He could still spot several vaguely humanoid shaped pillars of charcoal and salt that stood at the end of the platform. Some looked like they were running towards something that had been on the landing platform eons ago. Others were reaching for something at their waists that must have rotted or rusted with time.

Karys swallowed hard at the sight. What the fuck was this place?

He got up from his seat and began to head back towards the bedroom. There he would find Azar fast asleep on their bed. He gave the sight a tired smile, brushed his lover's hair from his face, kissed his forehead once, and then quietly laid down on the couch. He wanted Azar to be able to rest comfortably and while he wanted to sleep next to him, it was likely to wake him up as well.

Karys laid long ways on the couch, one of his feet firmly planted on the floor, the other draped over the arm of the couch. There a contented smile spread on Karys' face and he would slowly fall asleep to the sound of Azar's soft snores.

THUMP
<Fuck>
But no breezy giggle.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was finally awake, and he stretched and flexed for a while, cracking joints and rising after a wonderful rest. He immediately caught Karys asleep on the floor, rolling his eyes as he once again insisted on stuffing himself into a couch instead of using the bed. He crouched next to the man, taking a moment to smile at him and brushing his fingers along the side of his face and those ridges. He rose up and walked over to the terminal from before, confident about sending that letter.

Azar stared in silence when he saw something entirely different staring back at him. He saw his own words -words he spoke when he was trying to hide his tears, when he collapsed against Karys on that balcony, when he felt like he knew where he belonged for the first time in a while. Azar thought back to that same man that was now sprawled on the floor like a goof, the memory making him chuckle to himself.

No, he wouldn’t change a thing.

Azar found his way back to Karys, nudging him awake, “Come on, I haven’t showered with you in ages,” He said, practically dragging the larger man with him to the refresher.

They emerged a while later and Azar finally put on a set of robes to prepare for the planet. He could already feel the energies whirling around even before they stepped outside. Azar packed a bag of supplies, along with his Sith blade and lanvarok.

Azar stepped down the ramp, the land completely barren and the Dark Side of the Force pulsing all around them. He turned to regard Karys, “Do you feel that?” He asked quietly, “This was once the site of a great battle. You will feel an imprint of those that died still left behind,” Azar said. It was only a small hint of it now, but it would get stronger the closer they arrived.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys vaguely felt a familiar touch as it stroked along the side of his face and facial ridges. A small smile formed on his face at the sensation but he didn't rouse from his sleep. Instead, he simply rubbed his face against the pillow he was tightly clinging to, turned his head and continued to sleep. His mouth hung open, a small spot of drool discolored the pillow case and had dried on his face. However, even in his sleep one of his hands instinctively flopped out, his finger briefly extended as if they were reaching towards Azar.

Karys knew he was there through their unique bond, the Force ensured it.

A few minutes later, Karys would feel Azar's hand on his back as his lover began to rouse him from his restful sleep. Karys would push himself up on his elbows, his head lazily looked around. An expression of groggy confusion was plainly written on his face before his gaze turned to Azar. A tired smile and a look of recognition appeared on his face.

<I had the craziest dream about yo-WOAH!> Karys was cut off by Azar pulling him into the refresher to clean up.

It wouldn't be hard to undress Karys, he was only wearing the shirt he had fallen asleep on the couch in. As the pair of them slipped into the shower once more, Karys was glad to share this moment with Azar. It wasn't overtly sexual but it was intimate and that was what Karys desired more than anything else. He stood behind Azar as the water fell on them both and simply wrapped his arms around the man he loved. He held him close and lived in that moment for an eternity.

Eventually the pair would have to finish their shower and emerge to Malachor. While Azar was dressed in his simple robes, Karys wore modified Acolyte robes. He borrowed elements from the armor he'd worn on Zygerria in conjunction with what the robes provided to create a fuller set of armor. Karys' heavy footfalls echoed down the ramp of their shuttle, he stood just behind Azar, his eyes watching him. Once they had fully exited the craft, Azar would turn to him and speak. Karys listened and extended his senses to comb what Azar had commented on.

It was faint to Karys, distant but present. The echoes of rage and suffering pulsed through everything here. Karys eyebrow ridges furrowed as he realized this. It reminded him of Ziost, the old ritual sites that had been steeped in blood and death for generations. But this was far greater, and somehow Karys knew he'd only sensed the very tip of the iceberg.

Something out there called to him and the Dark Side within his blood pulse back it's reply.

<Are the figures the remains of fallen warriors then?> Karys asked, gesturing towards where the shapes he had seen from the cockpit had been.

Where there had once been burnt out husks, there was nothing. No shapes frozen in death that he'd seen when they first landed, just nothing. No soot on the ground, no prints, nothing. A cold chill ran up his spine at that realization.

<Are you sure we're alone Azar?> He whispered.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“There…should be..” Azar mused as they arrived closer to where he would have expected the petrified remains of those that were killed in battle. The Sith silently considered numerous explanations when Karys’ question sent a chill down his spine. No, he wasn’t sure. However, he was being tested here just as Karys was. Karys wasn’t going to know everything, but neither was Azar. However, Azar’s wiser position meant he needed to guide Karys on navigating dangerous and uncomfortable scenarios.

“This planet has had many wounds on it,” Azar explained quietly, “It has left an imprint - something almost tangible that will never truly die. While that is fascinating, it also serves as a lure to other entities of the Force.”

Azar turned to regard Karys, “Remember, Karys, you were born Sith and what the neo-Sith have termed Dark Side has been our way for millenia. Concentrate on it and see through the realm of the Force. You do not need eyes to see. Tell me what you witness.”

If Karys concentrated and focused the Force, he would find it challenging with all the different types of violent interferences and rifts in the balance. However, once he managed it, he would apply Sight and be afforded a greater perspective of what was around them.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys' eyes kept glancing between where what he had seen should have been and Azar. His pulse quickened, his hands perspired, he was nervous and it was obvious. His anxiety was building as he tried to focus on Azar instead of whatever caused those bodies to just go missing. It was Azar's quiet whispers, his gentle explanations and teaching that broke through that veil.

Karys began to control his breathing, his chest rose and fell at a more even pace. He was born Sith, he could do this. Karys did as Azar bid, he closed his eyes and focused. He felt the Force, it was a distant thing to him, as he reached out to grasp it, he found that he couldn't quite grasp it. His eyebrow ridges would scrunch together with exertion and confusion as he attempted to draw on the Dark Side once more. But it kept slipping from him, his jaw tensed and frustration mounted.

<I see the insides of my own eyelids!> He spat in frustration, his crimson gaze peeling open and returning to Azar.

Karys had overcome each of the challenges that Azar presented without the use of the Force so far. Whether he recognized it or not, that had consequences, consequences that manifested now. His grasp and control over the Force was weakening due to his lack of maintaining that connection. For every action, a consequence.

@Sreeya
4/20

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar did a double take when he felt Karys attempting to use the Force. By the time he opened his eyes, he would see Azar standing there with his arms crossed. His brows were raised and he eyed Karys with pure fascination, “That was abysmal,” He stated helpfully. Azar almost grinned, “You’ve never actually truly used it, have you?” He asked as he slowly began to walk around the other man in a circle, “Silver-tongued, smooth words, punching Dalon, hitting Gemini…all physical things or using words to get your way. This has been an area of weakness for you,” Azar outlined, coming to a stop in front of him again. He recalled Karys unleashing that Force scream that made his quarters explode, but that hadn't been control.

“When you have nothing to grasp from, concentrate on the pain,” He said simply, “Emotion, physical, whichever hurts more. Find it. You will not control it at first, but after you unleash it a few times, you will learn to grasp it and manipulate it.”

This was back to basics, but it was important to get this right the first time. Azar channeled the Force to himself, prepared to throw up a barrier against anything Karys launched. He didn’t like the idea of having to introduce the pain variable, so he hoped Karys had plenty to draw from.

“Use the Force, apprentice.”

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys stood still and listened to Azar as he circled him. Azar finally saw through the guise that Karys had erected, he didn't use the Force often to accomplish things. He usually talked or fought his way out of situations, using his charisma, strength, or intimidating presence to reach his end goal. It had served him well so far, but those things wouldn't be an asset here on Malachor. This was a nexus to the Dark Side, he would have to understand that, steep himself in it, or be swallowed up by it.

Karys listened as Azar instructed him, he told Karys how to tap into the Dark Side, how to begin using it. Karys nodded slowly, he closed his eyes again and thought back. Through their connection, Azar would be able to catch the faintest glimpses of each memory. His memories took him back to his childhood, starting at the death of his oldest brother. A member of his family that he loved dearly. The young man had died on Korriban defending it from the Killik, the creatures had consumed him entirely. He remembered the feeling an anguish as he watched an empty pyre burn where his brother should have been.

Karys felt a cold chill at the tips of his fingers.

He jumped forward in time, he was thirteen now. He stood over the bed of his only remaining oldest brother, a bloodied piece of broken glass in his hands. He had stabbed him so many times, there was so much blood. What would father do when he found out?

The fear and self-loathing that coursed through his veins in that moment ran icy corridors up his arms.

Again, old memories flowed forward, fifteen just before leaving to join the Sith Order. He stood in forced impassivity as his father punished his half-sister and her lover. Father had flayed the skin from her lover's back and left him groaning on the ground for the Tukata. His sister's eyelids had been peeled away, she would watch every moment of the man she loved's death and then join him.

The echoes of her screams lit a cold flame in his chest.

Then newer memories bubbled forth into a confusing miasma of anxiety and insecurity. From Azar's cold distance. To the feeling of his hand at his throat in the alleyway. To the emotional suffering of being called a liability. The taste of Azar's lightning. The smell of his own skin burning, the way he twitched and spasmed on the ground.

It was too much.

Karys fell to his knees, tears rolled from his cheeks, and screamed in the suffering that coursed through him. It was the same gut wrenching scream that shattered Azar's apartment. The same broken cry of pure unadulterated agony. This time it had been intentionally tapped into, it had been pulled forth. The duracrete beneath him spiderwebbed at the uncontrolled emotion that rushed forward. Karys would eventually fall silent, his voice giving out long before the pain that burned so brightly in him did.

Karys opened his crimson eyes to peer up at Azar. His chest heaved. He didn't feel powerful in that moment, he felt drained, he felt weak. But that had been power, the evidence was undeniable.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar felt the pain Karys underwent as he rifled through his memories. It surged through the Pureblood through their shared, rapidly forming bond. He had to compartmentalize to avoid letting his own emotions swirl in and break him down. He only saw glimpses of another Pureblood that looked similar to Karys, and he saw those vacant eyes and that tremendous surge of emotional pain. Part of it was what Azar had inflicted himself, and that stung worst of all. He exhaled, keeping himself leveled as he channeled the Force in preparation for what would come next.

Right as Karys unleashed his scream, the Force spiraled all around them, physically manifesting through the duracrete. However, Azar didn’t allow Karys to recover, diving into the plane of the Force at the same time.

“Do not waver,” Azar commanded both in the physical plane and through the Force, his voice a magnified projection that would echo through Karys.

The whirlwind of nightmares that Karys saw wouldn’t yield. He would see those same images - his brother, his father, the lightning, all of it all over again, “Search for a way to harness it,” Azar said, “Focus. Look beyond your reaction to the pain. Look for the thread you can grasp.”

Karys would have to see the same memories, but he would also need to focus to isolate his own feelings from it. Only then would he begin to see the Force in an almost tangible form, one he could grasp into his hand in the plane of the Force, “Once you have it, unleash it only through your hand,” Azar’s voice instructed.

If Karys did it correctly, he would unleash a controlled, but powerful Force push towards Azar.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys was caught in the midst of agony, the depths of his pain. He tried to scream but found that his voice was gone, worn thin from the power he had unleashed. The chaotic maddening froth of emotion was threatening to overwhelm him, when he heard Azar's words in his mind. Do not waver. Azar instructed him on what to do, he had to focus. He had to find a way to weaponize that pain and suffering.

Karys pulled himself from those scenes, he couldn't afford to dwell within them but had to look at them from an outside prospective. He had to view them and not relive them. He had to remember without stepping back into what he was. Azar would be able to watch Karys' brow furrow, the veins that bulged as he concentrated on this task. The beginnings of a headache would radiated through their shared connection. Karys pried himself from the scene of his brother's funeral, he still felt the echoes of pain without being lost in them.

His finger warmed.

The blood that coated his young hands, the broken body of his dead brother. Karys too slowly pulled himself from that memory, viewing through a pane of glass. He still felt the anxiety and fear, he could taste it and almost touch it.

The cold furrows in his veins thawed.

The echoes of his dying sister were steadily deafened as he pried himself back. He watched her death as an observer and took the emotions into his core. He accepted what had happened.

The flame of the Dark Side ignited.

All the most recent painful memories that Azar and he had shared too flooded forth. Karys struggled with separating himself from them, it was difficult to watch them occur without reliving them. But Azar's voice gave him guidance. And with his instruction, Karys finally saw the thread of fate. A small wisp of power that had eluded him until this moment.

He didn't gently reach up to grasp it, the Dark Side didn't work this way. He snatched the string, the connection to his agony and ripped at it. He tore at the veil of what lay beyond, he clawed viscously at the traces of power. He enforced his will upon the Dark Side, demanding that it surrender power to him. He poisoned the Force by reshaping in the way he saw fit. He embraced his suffering and used it to his own gain.

Karys' eyes had been twisted gold when he reopened them. They had been soaked in suffering, and stoked by the rage it brought. There was no finesse to the power he unleashed from his hand, no subtle control, it was as wild and chaotic as the Dark Side itself. But the blast of telekinetic energy, as inefficient as it was did occur. The thunderous sound of reality being forced to his will, boomed down into the battlefield below.

Karys panted, despite feeling exhausted power coursed through his veins. It wouldn't let him fall to the ground, it forced him to remain upright on his knees. This was the potency of the Dark Side. This was his birthright.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was well versed enough in the Force to see when the waters were receding before a tidal wave. He braced himself, channeling the Force to himself to anchor his mind and physical presence. Not a moment later, Karys unleashed his blast of the Force. The Champion had launched up a powerful barrier to catch it, but he was impressed at how much effort that took. Azar skidded back several feet, his yellow gaze surveying his apprentice.

“Good,” He stated curtly, watching how Karys was all but drained and panting, “Get up,” He said flatly, “You have been neglecting a part of you as basic as breathing,” He chided Karys, his eyes narrowing. Of all the things to work on with the other man, he didn’t think the basics of the Force would be one of them. Fortunately, they were on the right planet for it.

Azar took a moment to do what he originally commanded of Karys, closing his eyes as he saw through the plane of the Force. Already he could begin to pinpoint the presence of various entities. After a long moment, Azar opened his eyes and grimaced.

“Whatever has been unleashing the Dark Nexuses across the Core... perhaps this Darth Raze... has given life to spirits long banished from this world,” Azar mused, “If we play our cards right, we may appease and learn from them.”

He said as he began to walk. This planet would be toxic to Jedi with the darkness that was present here, but it was a language that Azar spoke.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys tried to control his breathing as he listened to Azar. He knew that his lover and master was right, he hadn't been focusing on fostering his strength in the Force. Instead, he had turned his attentions elsewhere and it caused him to weaken in that area. Karys was frustrated at his own short-sighted failure and the look in Azar's eyes it caused. He felt Azar's disappointment and it stung.

His attentions would have to shift. Karys refused to be a liability.

Eventually, Karys was able to rise to his feet and watched as Azar closed his eyes for only a moment before reopening them and informing him of what he saw. The same excitement that filled Karys on Zygerria was rebirthed, a faint tired smirk tugged at his lips and fascination twinkled into his eyes. He had a thousand questions to ask Azar but pushed all save a few back down.

<What do they look like Azar?> He asked, referring to the ghosts that Azar had seen. <Do you think what I saw earlier was the manifestation of the spirits?> He continued. <What can I do to help appease them? I want to learn more Azar.>

Even as Karys spoke, he moved to the edge of the platform to look across the battlefield. Several of the figures on the field were now facing the landing platform. The looked like they had been moving only moments before. Then something tugged on him to look down the set of stairs, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Three of these figures had to have moved, they were at the bottom of the stairs, frozen as if they had been climbing up them just moments before.

<Uh, Azar.> Karys called. <You should really come and look at this.> As he said this, his eyes broke from the figures.

He heard the sounds of footfalls on the metal walkway.
Fear gripped him.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“They are not exactly people..more manifestations of the Force. They present as wounds or rifts…here they are either Dark or tortured Light,” Azar explained, “Attempting to appeasing them may backfire, so we must first learn why they exist. Something here is tying them to the physical realm and preventing the spirits from becoming one with the Force.”

Azar looked over when he spotted the figures suddenly much closer than they were before. He could sense the fear from Karys, “Courage, darling,” He said smoothly, choosing a term of endearment to anchor him, “Fear is amplified here and seeps like blood in a pool of sharks,” Azar said as he pointedly looked the other way from the statues, “They must not believe us weak.”

Moments later, Karys would feel as if something was directly behind his shoulder. There was no breath, but he would feel that icy chill up his spine nonetheless as if frozen fingers traced up each vertebrae like the keys of a piano. Azar stood as still as a statue himself, gazing out over the horizon. He was well aware of the presence, but he remained unwavering.

“Courage,” He repeated to Karys. Azar then closed his eyes, focusing on the plane of the Force. An eerie, ethereal voice would echo within both their minds.

Whyyyyyyy dooo you dareeee to walkkk upon theeeese lands?

Azar stayed calm, “You do not make the demands here, ghost,” He said sternly with his voice echoing both within the plane of the Force and physically, “You will let us pass and answer our queries.”

There was nothing but silence for a moment. The tension was thick, but Azar remained unwavering. His presence in the Force was almost tangible with how anchored he was. The Pureblood knew who he was, what he was, his strengths, his weaknesses. He fully embraced all of it, and that made him infallible to such wounds in the Force.

Verrrryyyyyyyy wellllllll

Karys would hear something crumbling behind him as the corpse that had been lurking fell apart. The other figures across the field remained stationary, no longer moving. For now.

Azar turned to Karys, his otherwise downright intimidating demeanor from before melting away briefly. He cupped the side of Karys’ face, “Strength comes from embracing our weaknesses as well. With spirits such as these, and many adversaries in life, you have to show them you have no weakness by virtue of making your weakness one of many parts that sum up to a whole. Altogether you form an unwavering wall that nothing can breach,” He explained quietly, the affection clear in his tone even as he was teaching, “Do you understand, Loth-kitten?”

Roll: 19/20 for engaging the spirits

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys listened to Azar's explanation, wounds in the Force were excessively rare and so finding a world that was meant to be dead but instead was alive with them was...shocking. Not only that but these spirits used the petrified husks from an ancient war to move around, to hunt for any intruders. As Azar explained, Karys felt his anxiety rising he couldn't help but wonder if this had been a mistake.

Yeeeeessssss, miisssstaaaakeeee

A dozen voices chimed in the back of Karys' mind, none of them were his own. Panic continued to rise in his chest, his eyes were becoming wild. That was until Azar steadied him, he called him darling, the term of affection drew him from his own rising terror and back to where he was. He stood before Azar, the man he loved. He listened as Azar told him to be courageous in the face of the spirits, that fear was just blood in the water to them. Karys let out a small wavering breath, he closed his eyes and nodded once to his lover.

<I understand Azar.> He confirmed.

While he wasn't freed from fear, the unease had been vastly muted. He heard the spirits as they began to climb towards them. The footfalls coming close, there was no breathing, just silence in the air. Standing there with Azar, Karys found a firm foundation to brace himself upon. He drowned out the whispers of the restless dead with the memories of the voice of his beloved. So long as Azar was by his side, he wouldn't fear what this world threw at him.

He heard the voice of the dead thing in his mind, he heard Azar's reply, he heard the withering submission of the creature.It's body crumbled when it realized there was no prey here, only Sith, true Sith. Karys didn't reopen his eyes when Azar did, but he felt Azar's gentle touch as his lover cupped his face. Karys leaned down into that touch, his hands gently gripped Azar's forearms, he savored the moment of intimacy in the storm. Karys nodded in affirmation of what Azar was saying, he understood embracing how he felt, he understood his own emotions on a deep level.

<I understand Azar.> He replied, finally reopening his eyes to gaze at his lover. <This world will not break me, not so long as I have you and your teachings.>

The chill of pleasure rippled through Karys upon hearing his pet name from Azar once more, it had been so long. It brought Karys the final push he needed to glance down at the spirits who froze under his gaze. He no longer saw them as threats, just obstacles that the pair would have to overcome to achieve their goals. The ghosts had failed in life and so they would continued to fail in death.

<Leave us.> Karys commanded them, his voice held the ice of Ziost in it.

The trio of spirits that had been in the midst of climbing towards them both, looks of hate and anger overwhelming their faces simply collapsed into ash and dust. Karys turned his gaze back to Azar, the ice within him melted before the passion that burned within his chest. He was tired still, but he felt this world, Malachor and it's dark presence refreshing him even as he stood there. Had he passed the first test? Was this the blessing of the Dark Side?

<Let us take the secrets of these dead things.> He whispered to Azar. <Let this be the cradle of our power together Azar.> He continued, offering his hand for his lover to take before they would wander into the battlefield, together.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar couldn’t help but smile when Karys offered his hand. For how big and intimidating Karys appeared, the man was a total romantic. Azar humored him, holding his hand as they walked through the valley that pulsed with an unnatural life. He gave a playful grin to Karys as they walked, “I hope you’re not this adorable for just anyone,” He teased as if they were on a beach stroll and not some hellish planet.

He stopped every now and then to collect the ashes of the figures that collapsed for academic and sinister purposes.

“There is a temple here,” Azar explained, “I want you to lead us to it. You must trust in the Force and let it guide you. There is a lot of darkness present here, but the temple will pulse with a concentrated energy. You can only find it if you clear your thoughts of distractions,” It sounded like a basic exercise in applying the Force, but Karys would find it actually challenging given his skills with the Force but also from all the various interferences from the spirits.

“Do not ask the spirits,” Azar told Karys, “You must rely on yourself to find this.”

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

<I’m only this way for you babe.> Karys replied with a smirk.

He held Azar’s hand as the walked across the battlefield. The only time he’d pause is when Azar would stop to collect samples. He’d mostly help his lover collect whatever he needed before wiping the ashes from his hands onto his chest. Afterwards, he’d extend his hand again for Azar to take.

<Babe, what were your favorite foods growing up?> Karys asked as the walked through to eternal gravesite of countless Sith and Jedi.

Karys hadn’t been able to ask some of these questions months ago. He and Azar were getting to know who each other were truly when they’d been paired as Master and Apprentice. The day that news was given, Karys had intended on asking this very question. He had wanted to cook something for Azar, something that was from his culture and not Karys’.

Now he could again.

Eventually, Azar stopped him and explained that there was a temple on world. He instructed Karys to quiet his mind and find it using the Force alone. Karys’ brow furrowed but he slowly nodded to Azar. His eyes closed gently and then slowly clamped tighter as Karys began to concentrate.

He utilized the same method as before to connect with the Dark Side, it was slightly easier to build his emotions to the height needed. It wasn’t easy though and still took him considerably longer than it should have. However, once he was connected to the Force, he could hear the countless voices of the dead. They spoke in unison, like a discordant chorus of the damned.

It was mind numbingly loud.

Karys remembered Azar’s words to embrace everything about himself including his weaknesses. By embracing his fears, anxieties, and insecurities alongside his pride, strength, and charisma. As he did this, the screams and cries of the fallen fades to little more than whispers at best and the occasional shout at worst. It wasn’t silence but it was quiet enough to focus.

Karys’ senses extended, he hunted for a beacon in the force of some kind. He looked for a place of total shadow, an area so steeped in the dark side that it could only be a temple. But he couldn’t feel anything. Instead, the flares of entities in husks whitewashed his sixth sense, casting everything around him in shadow.

“No. Leave. Depart.” His mind shouted at the ghosts, unbeknownst to him, his voice echoed those mental commands.

These ghosts were stubborn and took time for Karys to dominate and send screaming back to their graves. But he slowly did so. By the time Karys was able to begin sensing what he believed to be a temple, he was already drenched in sweat. He had barely noticed it though, similar to Azar’s potion on Zygerria, Malachor’s influence didn’t allow him to feel his own fatigue.

A blessing and a curse.

It took Karys over half an hour but he finally sensed something. A Fel beacon, an inverted flame that drank in light instead of shining it forth. It was the power of the dark side but it was so faint to him he barely noticed it at first. How had he allowed himself to get this weak?

Karys pulled himself from the realm of the Force. The influence of Malachor was removed from him and the exertion of what he’d done hit him in a singular wave. His knees almost buckled at the sudden shift, he felt himself because light headed and dizzy. Karys stumbled, his grip tightened momentarily on Azar’s hand as he tried to regain his balance. He barely succeeded.

Karys’ mouth was dry when he spoke. <It’s that way.> He told Azar, pointing in the direction of where he had sensed the source. <I’ve let myself become weak Azar.> He told his partner in an exhausted voice. <This should have been easier, much easier, but it isn’t. Where did I go wrong?>

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar opened his mouth to say something about just casually wiping such dark ashes on his clothing, but Karys was Karys. The Pureblood instead just rolled his eyes and shook his head as they walked together. The question caught him off guard, the term of endearment always sending a rush of warmth through him, “K’lor’slug chowder was definitely a favorite growing up,” Azar said, “They are big and difficult to hunt, but taste wonderful. Also chickpea curries and desert flowers,” He mused aloud.

He could tell Karys was struggling, but it was a necessary step. The Pureblood stood patiently as Karys navigated his way through the Force. He was rapidly drained and this would push him past his limits, but this was the foundation of what it meant to be Sith. Karys stumbled and grasped at Azar’s hand and he didn’t waver.

“You have,” Azar agreed. He wasn’t the type to sugarcoat. Karys had allowed himself to fall into elementary levels with the Force, “But this blade can be sharpened once more,” He followed up. With a new heading, Azar walked with Karys, their path largely uninterrupted thanks to their earlier intimidation of the spirits.

“The wound and imprint left behind here is what empowers you,” Azar explained, “Remember to pull from it and not solely rely on yourself.”

It wasn’t long before they approached the massive pyramid shaped temple. The building pulsed with the Dark Side of the Force, and it housed within it a dark nexus. Azar marveled at the structure and the smooth, flawless design that stood for millenia, “It is curious the Order calls our way the Dark Side,” Azar mused with amusement, “For us it is only sorcery,” He said leading the way into the temple.

“These walls hold many memories,” He said as his fingers brushed against some of the interior walls, “Memories of Sith of old, a powerful weapon, the power of the Force. I want you to search for it, Karys.”

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys listened intently when Azar told him of his favorite childhood meals. He’d never heard of any of it but he was determined to learn how to make it for him regardless. He knew it wouldn’t be perfect but he’d get there overtime.

Karys found that despite his weakness, Azar didn’t abandon him. He didn’t coddle him but Azar stood by him. That was all Karys needed as Malachor’s renewing strength coursed through his veins. Karys fingers intertwined with Azar’s own, his thumb would lightly rub back and forth on Azar’s hand.

Karys felt nervous and didn’t know why.

<I have to strengthen myself again. I cannot be brittle and weak like this.> He told his beloved. <I refuse to ever be a liability to you…> Karys whispered, he gripped Azar’s hand a little tighter as the words left his mouth.

Karys would listen to Azar’s musings. He’d never known the Dark Side as anything but just that. His mothers had taught him to draw on its potent energies. Once he was elevated to his house’s agent and heir, he was sent to the Sith Order to become powerful. It had never been sorcery to him. But, he supposed this was different for Azar.

As Azar spoke of the memories that dwelt within the halls, Karys listened. He watched as Azar’s fingers traced the wall of the temple. He spoke of old Sith, memories, and a long lost weapon that he was to find. Karys looked at Azar through tired eyes, he didn’t refuse him though. Instead, he simply nodded once, leaned forward to kiss Azar deeply.

<For good luck.> He whispered, a tired smirk appearing on his lips.

Then Karys would head into the depths of the temple, alone if Azar didn’t join him.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Liability.

It stung Azar anytime he heard Karys say it, even though it had been the word he had thrown at the man. It clearly struck him deep and wounded him beyond what Azar could have expected. He considered himself older and wiser, and yet he found himself regretting such harshness. Where did it even come from? He glanced briefly at Karys, studying the other man. His love for Karys was dangerous on multiple levels. He was possessive of Karys on dangerous levels. Perhaps more than he anticipated of himself.

Even so, Azar couldn’t bring himself to refute what Karys said. He couldn’t go back on what was ultimately driving Karys to do better now, even if it was something negative that was fueling him. Azar was taken out of his thoughts when Karys leaned in for a kiss. There was a brief flicker of surprise, but he welcomed it.

Kissing Karys here was both exhilarating and unusual here. Only a brief hint of passion surged powerfully through them both, that thread of their Force bond pulsing more than ever. The simple gesture of a kiss was a rush because all emotions or passions were amplified many times over near such a nexus. Azar drew back after a while, blinking in surprise. He briefly considered tossing Karys on the floor to take things further, but restrained himself.

“Uh..hmm… yes, I shall wait here..” He muttered, still reeling from that rush. This portion had to be Karys’ journey alone to discover his strengths in the Force. Azar could read into the memories, but Karys needed to learn how.

For now, Azar sat down and meditated in that outer chamber. He could practically hear the sabers clashing from when Darth Vader fought Ahsoka Tano. He could feel Darth Maul’s presence. None of these names or figures had meant anything to him until right then. All of it washed over him in the form of a deep, spiritual understanding.

The Mortis Realms.

Hints of that caught Azar’s attention. He needed to find a way to that realm and re-awaken the dark entities that empowered them.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys felt the force bond between him and Azar flare to life. It was something that usually only occurred during their deepest moments of passion and vulnerability with one another. But here on Malachor, even smallest spark of emotion was intensified to a wildfire. From that simple kiss, Karys felt a wild hunger rising up within him, a hunger to have his man immediately.

He wanted to cave to that desire. He wanted to take Azar, here in the entrance of this place of power. He wanted to bask in sacrilege with him. But he didn’t. There was another need that was being pushed to the forefront of his mind.

The lust for power.

Karys pulled himself from their embrace. He tore himself away from his desire. This could wait, Azar could wait. The lure of the Dark Side, the lure of ancient and forgotten knowledge was too strong. Karys rested his forehead against Azar’s for a brief moment, relishing in all the emotions that were so bare between them. Regret, lust, fear, passion, but most importantly love radiated there. Karys rested one of his hands on Azar’s chest for a moment, just long enough to feel his heartbeat.

Then he turned and left.

As darkness overtook him, Karys reached onto his belt and pulled from it a small flashlight. He clicked it once and a luminous beam cut through the shadows. Karys walked forward, pausing once in a while to examine the writings on a wall or the ancient contents of a room. That was until he heard a voice or rather several voices twisted together into a singular one calling from somewhere within the temple.

Karys wasn’t sure if he heard the voice in his mind or if it was with his ears. But it trailed and echoed as it called to him. A voice so faint and weak that he didn’t know view it as a threat.

Is anyone there? Hello? Help me!

Karys followed the voice in silence, unwilling to give himself away. It led him to a corridor that was different from the rest of the temple. Dust had settled here, no spirits lingered. Aside from the voice, it was deathly quiet.

That is what gave Karys pause.

The sound of the voice changed. It beckoned him closer. It begged for freedom in exchange for power.

Karys almost believed it. But he remembered Azar’s teachings. He remembered to rely on the Force. He drew upon the wellspring of power that was Malachor and threw himself into the realm of the Force. And as the walls and doors peeled away, Karys saw it.

The creature was bound by runes and incantations of long dead Sith. It writhed against them. It hungered for freedom. But it desired the taste of souls. It would devour him mind, body, and soul if he opened the door to the room it dwelt in. It’s innumerable tendrils would ensnare him and he would be gone.

Karys stumbled back, his connection to Azar would flare with momentary panic at his discovery. And then Karys would try something they had never done before. He wasn’t sure if it would work but he was curious. He pushed the image and sound of the creature through that bond. If Azar received it, he would feel the query behind it, as if Karys was asking him what it was without words.

The Acolyte wouldn’t wait long for a reply. He would leave the corridor and the demon that was trapped there. There was another voice calling to him, this one thrummed with power and was spoken in a deep mechanical voice. He heard the rush of a rebreather and felt the presence of despair. A word or name echoed in his mind.

Vader

@Sreeya