Ask Magic and Monsters

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”Really? And I thought that it’s because you liked my company.” he joked, because this was impossible and he was aware of it. Today was the first time that they interacted beyond some brief conversations during parties. The Pureblood probably didn’t know him that well until today, there was no reason for the other man to have liked his company before. And for some reason, the thought that Azar couldn’t really like his company hurt.

To think that moments like this one, where they could simply talk about random stuff and act like common citizens of the Galaxy, could never happen again was painful. He wanted more days like that, where Caerllion’s old self, the one that was the Mudskipper of Atravis and that idolized Altair Din as his example for life, was pulled out from the deepest part of his being where he was buried by his Master and him during the early years of his training. And he didn’t feel ashamed at all. He felt wonderful. It felt lovely.

Love.

He bit his lip, while touching the flower crown still on his head. The feeling had returned to his stomach, while his heart started to beat fast. Caerllion felt tempted to consider that such reactions were still the brandy doing, but by this point he didn’t believe in his own lie anymore. Perhaps it helped at first, by leaving him at ease during their talk in the cantina. However, his nearly confession that he liked the Pureblood was totally his doing.

‘By the Force, I’m falling for Azar Kressh!’ the thought scared him at the same time that relieved him from the sensations in his stomach. It was different from the teenager crushes that he had on Wodan and Arla, having no comparison with the carnal desire that he had for Ayomi during that party. It wasn’t simply a physical attraction.

He was falling for Azar not only because of his body, which was really hot by the way, but because of how pleasant interacting with him was. Caerllion was starting to think that he could stay near the other Sith for hours, only listening to him talk and smile. It would be enough for him to be happy.

However, he still dreaded to consider that it could be love, preferring to not give his feelings for Azar any label. When they arrived at the hostel, Caerllion had brushed these thoughts away. He could think about what he was going to do with this realization when not preparing to face an exalted.

The hostel was probably the worst thing that he ever saw, with even the Imperial barracks being more pleasant. It was dirty and the decoration terrible, with the administration needing to rethink if they really wanted to open it to more tourists. Caerllion smiled when Azar cleaned the counter, it was a clever idea.

With the confirmation that Omar was really there, Caerllion pondered about what they should do. Both options offered by Azar were good, but only one of them seemed to work for them at the moment. “While I really dislike this place.” he whispered, while looking at how the painting in the walls was peeling off. “I don’t want to risk having the abomination running around in a rampage. It’ll give us more work to subdue it and drag it away, besides the attention that it could attract.”

“I think that the best is if we pose as guests and corner him, preferably in a place where no one will see what we are doing.” with the Jedi playing of crusade, Caerllion really wants to avoid attracting unnecessary attention to the Sith. “To help in the ambush, we can settle some tracking spells over Omar’s room to alert us when he leaves. I think that it’ll work.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“We would be taking far less detours if I did not enjoy your company, princeling,” Azar said with a voice that was velvety smooth. He could tell Caerllion had some sort of internal conflict going on, but he assumed it had to do with nerves from Omar being so close. At the end of the day, anything to do with Raze was normally beyond the abilities of a Champion. However, given Caerllion’s long tenure and success as a Sith, he was beyond ready to be a Master.

“Very well,” Azar said out loud, as he forked over enough credits for them both, “We will take two rooms,” He gave the attendant his information, choosing the name Talzi Zafar as his cover. He made sure the rooms were next to each other and across the hall from where Omar was staying.

The Pureblood went upstairs, opened the door and grimaced at how small the room was. He could stomach it for a night but no longer. He commed his droids to bring his things up to allow him to settle in for the night. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before they had an opportunity to track Omar. For now, there was no harm in relaxing.

Azar stood at his doorway, glancing over at Caerllion, “What kind of tracking spells?” In truth, Azar hadn’t heard of such a thing beyond blood magic, but surely Caerllion didn’t partake in that. Did he have other means of doing it? Magick perhaps?

“In any case, he’s not here right now,” Azar mentioned, “I will probably change and go explore the town and the live music that’s supposedly playing in this inn’s courtyard,” He normally loved being lazy, but anything sounded better than being cooped up in his own thoughts right now, “Maybe take you up on that food you promised,” He added with a grin.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

A large smile appeared on Caerllion’s lips after hearing Azar’s answer. His heart could be beating like crazy right now, but it was in a good way. Knowing that the person that you liked appreciated your presence was wonderful. “I’m also enjoying your company. A lot, to be honest.” his cheeks got a bit red with this small confession, but he didn’t care about it anymore. Saying it even made him feel better with himself.

Who knew that understanding his own feelings could have a liberating effect?

Caerllion was already prepared to pay for their rooms, but Azar ended up being faster than him. He felt tempted in arguing, while offering to do it himself. However, he decided against it. The Annfyn had pampered the Pureblood during this entire time, leaving the other to pay for it himself this time wasn’t going to kill. Besides, he was a king and a Darth with many possessions, money probably wasn’t a problem to him.

When he opened the door and saw the state of his room, Caerllion was already prepared to turn around and go scream at the attendant. It was terrible, perhaps even worse than the state of the whole hostel. It was small, the carpet seemed to not have been cleaned for weeks and the bed was tiny. How was he going to fit on it? At least the sheets and pillows seemed to be clean. Although he was sure that if someone illuminated it with a UV black light, nasty things would be discovered.

He preferred to not think about this possibility.

Azar’s voice made Caerllion turn away from the state of calamity that was his room. “I know some spells with runes. I can carve it in his doorway and any time that someone with a Dark side presence enters or leaves, I’ll be alerted through the Force. I can also make a tracker, but we’ll need to have an object that is owned by him and carve runes on it.”

“I also brought something that will help us maintain an eye on him while he is outside.” he gave a knowing smile, before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were red. “I brought one of my spy birds and released it before we met at the cantina. At the moment, it’s at the roof of the hostel and will alert me through our bond if it sees anyone entering the building. When we identify Omar, it’ll fly after him. We’ll only need to follow.” after the explanation, his eyes returned to the black color.

A grimace appeared at his lips when he caught a glimpse of the Pureblood’s room and the bed. “It’s bad like mine. Even the beds of the Imperial barracks were larger than that. Were they expecting only Ewoks as guests?” even Arcanos, not being exactly a tall person, was going to have problems with that tiny thing.

If for some reason they had to expend a second night here, Caerllion would bring his ship for them to sleep. The red-skinned man could stay on his bed while he would take the floor without any fear, because it was perfectly clean. He had the recipe of the cleaning to prove that.

The Annfyn’s mood changed completely when Azar mentioned going out to eat with him. The possibility of spending more relaxing time with the Pureblood without needing to think about their problems made a smile appear on his lips. “It’ll be a great honor for me to provide you with a wonderful dinner, your majesty.” he said with a formal tone, while giving a playful bow.

His eyes were full of excitement when he looked back at the Pureblood. “Someone so wonderful like you only deserves the best. Rest assured that I’ll find it, even in a place like this one. I'll make anything to see you happy, my king.” different from the other times, where Caerllion mentioned Azar’s royal status in a playful way, these two words came out full of fondness. Full of adoration. Full of…

Love.

Still smiling, Caerllion bowed one last time and went to bring up what he would need for the night and to find a good place for them to eat. After all, his king deserved the best that this village had to offer. No, he deserved the best that the Galaxy had to offer. While he walked away, The Annfyn thought how he wanted to replace ‘my king’ for two other words.

'My beloved.'

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Runes? It sounded like magick that the Dathomirians used. The idea piqued Azar’s interest immediately, “You will definitely have to show me this use of the Force,” He said, “I love learning new schools of it. Each day I learn something new since leaving my home,” He mused, thinking back to his old reality where alchemy and Dark Side was the only application he ever knew.

Azar smiled as Caerllion promised him dinner, but the smile faded slightly when the Annfyn mentioned seeing him happy. That caught his attention and his yellow gaze fixed on Caerllion for a moment, “Happy?” He repeated, tilting his head slightly, “I suppose it’ll be some time before I can feel that again,” He said with a sigh as his gaze fell, “As you know, I lost my husband a few months ago," Azar said, “I am not foolish enough to act like emotions don’t impact me..in fact, I think it is empowering to embrace the very things that make up the core of what you are,” He smiled again, looking at the Annfyn, “But you are doing a pretty decent job at keeping me cheered up so far. Thank you.”

With that, he bade him goodbye for now.

An hour later, Azar was dressed in a fashionable yet casual outfit with a thin fabric over his bare, tattooed arms. The festival was still going on outside and there was live music and dancing all around. He told Caerllion to meet him downstairs in the courtyard. There was no sign of Omar just yet, but Azar was certain they would be able to track him before the night ended.

There were ropes of lights hanging above with the starry sky above. There was wine and all sorts of food with a band playing. Some of the guests were already drunk and dancing. Azar found a table off to the side, taking a seat to watch. The low lighting accented his crimson features and gleaming yellow eyes, and his ears were adorned with multiple earrings and studs. Despite Karys’ death, he still hadn’t dropped the habit of wearing his wedding ring. Not yet.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”Definitely! I’ll be happy to teach it to you.” Caerllion said, feeling ecstatic with the possibility of spending even more time with Azar. “Maybe you can teach me more about alchemy. My old mentor never finished his mentoring because he vanished from the known Galaxy after trying to make a doomsday virus and cure the infected by Killiks. It’s a long story, but I can tell you about it later.” sometimes the Annfyn wondered where Sol could be. Like Vex, the Kel’Dor disappeared completely, without even leaving a message. Would he be dead? Or was he cooking a mortal disease on some uncharted planet in the Unknown Regions, before releasing it and making his great return?

The Annfyn shuddered at the last possibility. The Kel’Dor was completely mad.

Caerllion felt a pain in his heart when Azar voiced his suffering, feeling completely impotent. The Annfyn wasn’t going to say that he felt sorry, the other Sith probably heard it a lot during the past months. When his mother died, he heard it from everyone and hated how empty and fake these words were. They had no idea of how terrible her death had been and how bad it was for him to watch the whole ordeal. If there was something that he hated more than pity, it was the false one.

Since he never lost a lover, Caerllion felt that any ‘I’m sorry’ that came out of his mouth would be as fake as the ones that he received during his mother’s funeral. He didn’t have the experience to give meaning to these words. “Then I’ll continue working to cheer you up. Every day of my life, if it’s necessary.” he said, while thinking how Azar was incredible. Even as a Sith he admitted how his emotions affected him, but yet was capable of not being consumed by them. Few could do it.

When they separated, the Annfyn went to pick his bags at the speeder and could see more of the village. Surprisingly enough, all other establishments seemed to be tolerable. Most of them had gone through obvious reforms, while some were still being reformed. If what he overheard from two vendors was true, their village was going to become part of a tourist route that would be made in Batuu and the people wanted to impress the outsiders.

He nearly snorted with this revelation. The local hostel was a piece of trash. Someone needed to remember its owners that they needed to turn it into something habitable, or the little plan for tourists would end badly. Starting by buying large beds.

Once he brought his bag to the room, Caerllion carefully rummaged through its contents in search of clothes. When he came to this mission, the Annfyn wasn’t expecting to participate in a festival. However, he still was a person that liked to dress well. He chose to wear a leather jacket over a patterned button up shirt. Black pants, a leather belt and more fancy boots finished the outfit. If he didn’t see that the village’s roads were well pavemented, he would have put on different shoes.

The boots could look simple, but they were too expensive to get covered in the mud of a tiny villager like this one.

After brushing his hair in front of the mirror, which also looked like something that only an Ewok could use since Caerllion had to bend to be able to see himself on it, he left his room and went after Azar. He found the Pureblood waiting for him at a table in the courtyard and was already prepared to say something when he froze, his mouth open.

Azar looked even more gorgeous.

The red skin was being accentuated by his black clothes. A white fabric covered his arms, hiding his tattoos like some type of enigma. Caerllion could spend hours deciphering each one of them. The Pureblood’s ears were covered in earrings that seemed to have their own light due to the reflection of the light on them. All that made Azar look like perfection incarnate.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Caerllion said, finally coming out from his stupor. He took a seat in front of the Pureblood, feeling his heart hurt a bit after seeing the golden ring at Azar’s finger. The symbol of his marriage with Karys and the pain that he was feeling at the moment. If at least he could take this pain away and make the red-skinned man completely happy.

For a brief moment, he got mad with Karys for dying and leaving Arcanos with so much suffering to bear. Azar only deserved happiness.

The Annfyn turned his attention to where the people were already dancing and drinking, then remembered that party in Nar Shaddaa. It seemed to have been a lifetime ago. At the time, he didn’t know how Azar was capable of making feel so amazing. If he knew, Caerllion would have talked more with him, simply to catch a glimpse of his smile during the time that he was completely happy.

Karys would have smacked his face, but he would endure it a thousand times if he could see Azar’s joy reach his eyes.

He also remembered how Azar had given him that dancing potion during that party. Now he regretted not having asked the Pureblood right there to dance with him. Perhaps now it could be corrected. “Do you want to dance with me?” Caerllion smiled at the other Sith, offering his hand to him. “I think that we could join their fun a little bit.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was temporarily distracted by the performance when Caerllion arrived. The Annfyn had crossed his thoughts, of course, especially what he said last before they parted. The Pureblood assessed the Champion’s own attire, smiling at him, “You don’t look so bad yourself,” He responded, “What you said earlier..” Azar began, thinking back to the very significant comment Caerllion made. However, he stopped short of saying it, shifting the topic, “Earlier you mentioned your Master. Was that, perhaps, Sol Kenuk?” He asked. Azar knew the name solely because Tempest gave him the works of prior Masters such as Kenuk or Darth Veles.

“Of course,” Azar answered to Caerllion’s offer of a dance. In truth, he loved dancing and it was a nice break from wallowing in his own thoughts. The music was more upbeat and cheery, which was different than what he was used to. He extended his hand for Caerllion to take, shrugging off the white fabric.

His countless tattoos were revealed, the black ink weaving intricately over his red skin. Azar extended his arms up to wrap around Caerllion’s neck, “I’m always surrounded by such tall men,” He chuckled as he gazed up at the Annfyn, feeling tiny next to him. Azar decided to do his hair for the evening, the sides of his face framed by thin braids while the rest of his hair neatly fell over his shoulders.

“I don’t think we’ve really gotten to know each other before this trip,” He said as they spun into the dance and Azar began to mimic the steps the others around him were doing.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion smiled, his cheeks getting slightly pink. Knowing that the person that the Annfyn liked also thought that he looked good made him feel at the top of the world. As if he was the luckiest being in the entire Galaxy. He was certain that this feeling would only be matched, or better yet, surpassed if the Pureblood said that he had the same feelings for the prince. It would be amazing, but there were chances that it would never happen. Surprisingly enough, the thought of not having his feelings being mutual didn’t scare him. He would be happy simply by knowing that Azar was alive and having a good life somewhere in the Galaxy, because the other man's happiness was his own.

This thought made him realize that, from the two types of love that existed among his species, he got the most terrible of them all. The one that his father had for his mother and was leading him to his death. By this point, even if he still denied, his feelings for Azar already had a name.

Love.

“Not exactly. My Master was Vex.” he explained, leaving his musings behind. “She was a powerful sorceress and taught me how to use Dark side magick after a very complex and excruciating ritual. The knowledge about this ceremony disappeared with her, but some of the spells are replicable with the typical Sith sorcery. The rune ones that I'll teach you later are an example of it.” since her disappearance, Caerllion had filled the gaps of his knowledge with spells that he found during his searches alone. Mostly based in his experiences with Arla and from Sith sorcery.

“Regarding Sol, he was my mentor for a time. I met him in Dromund Kaas some months before I became a Champion.” having his teachers disappearing before they finished teaching him seemed to be a pattern in his life as part of the Order. “We worked together in some of his experiments, adding my sorcery to his alchemy. We created some creatures with it, one of them was a mutant rat that he gave as a gift to Altair Din. The poor thing was killed by Darth Draugr on the same day.” this party in particular was still one of his most bittersweet memories. It was the last time that he saw the Sith completely united, when he still could talk with Wodan and Altair. Now one was dead and the other would kill him if they even met again.

He deeply missed these times.

“My ideas to create Sith abominations come from my experiments with him.” his loth-cat was a result of one of these experiments with the Kel’Dor. However, Caerllion didn’t mention it because he remembered how Azar’s mood had changed while seeing the pictures of the animal. He wanted to avoid anything that could be painful to the Pureblood, because seeing the other sad would be like hurting himself. “However, I stopped working with him when he tried to make a mortal virus that would be nearly impossible to cure. I thought that he was mad. What is the purpose of killing all life in the Galaxy? How would you rule it if there is only a pile of dead bodies and agonizing people?” the Annfyn desired to submit life to his will, not eradicate it. “The last time that I heard of him was that he fell in disgrace because he tried to make a cure for those infected by the Killiks, but it ended backfiring against the Order completely. Then he vanished in shame.”

He felt the very familiar feeling on his stomach when Azar accepted his offer to dance. Thousands of butterflies seemed to be flying there when he held the Pureblood’s hand. Caerllion watched completely dazzled when the other Sith dropped the fabric that had been covering his arms, revealing all the tattoos here. They were perfect, with the black of the ink and the red of his skin matching in complete harmony. The Annfyn wanted nothing else than to worship every single one of these patterns with tender kisses.

While Azar put his arms around his neck, Caerllion had wrapped his waist with his. Being this close with the Pureblood made the Annfyn feel like being in paradise, full of happiness for being able to have the king in his arms. The proximity allowed him to see the other’s hairstyle. The braids were so elegant and together with the rest of the hair that was still loose intensified the regal appearance that Arcanos already had naturally. It made him look ethereal.

“Yes. We barely had time to talk with each other before. Last time, you gave me a potion that made me go into a dancing frenzy.” Caerllion chuckled, while he copied the movements of a nearby couple. “I regret deeply for not having asked you to dance at the time.” he whispered, before smiling. “We can change it now. What else do you want to know about me, my king?” the Annfyn said the last part in a tender way, once again struggling to not say ‘my beloved’ instead.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Vex. Now that name did not sound too familiar to him, though it should have. He had read or heard about it before, but he couldn’t place it. Azar despised any lapses in knowledge, but this was a thread he would have to pull once he was back in the academy. The rest of his assumption appeared correct about Kenuk. Azar did smile at Caerllion’s criticism of the Kel Dor.

“Perhaps a disease where everyone afflicted obeys,” He said smoothly, revealing he found the notion enticing. Was that not what Raze set out to do before he was unceremoniously nuked from orbit? As he pondered, he moved fluidly with Caerllion while they danced. They moved to the music and Azar was light on his feet.

At a certain point he spun around and had his back pressed against Caerllion’s chest. One of his hands came up and his fingers lightly traced underneath the Annfyn’s jawline, “It’s no fun if I just ask questions and you answer,” He said with a teasing smile, “I prefer to simply observe and learn,” Azar spun around again and gazed up at him, “For example, I know me getting close makes your heart pound,” He said with a giggle.

They were able to dance for few more moments before Azar felt that familiar pulse in the Force again. He paused what he was doing, his gaze flicking over to where he saw the outline of a figure disappearing behind a building, “It’s him!” Azar said, quickly giving chase.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”That is a good idea. Perhaps a search with what the Killiks used to infect their victims could give a lead.” he said, while his dance movements remained in perfect synchrony with that of Azar. “Rather than turning them into literal monsters like Raze did, we could turn the afflicted into perfect puppets while maintaining their innocent appearance. This would be perfect for espionage and internal destabilization. And the Jedi would be terrified when they see civilians becoming murderous without any apparent reason.” Caerllion smiled deviously, reflecting about the idea.

He never had much interest in spreading fear and destruction only to watch a bloodbath. For him, there must be a purpose beyond destroying and killing things. Taking control of planets, for example. Even the monsters that he was hoping to breed were to be used as weapons for the Order against its enemies, and the deaths and fear that they would leave behind was part of the warfare, not because he wanted to have a trail of bodies in his path.

“The Empire would be a perfect test subject for it, don’t you think?” he said, while the music reached in a slower tune. He moved his hands slightly, so Azar’s body was closer to him. “Sow chaos inside it, making people panic with the fact that they don’t know what is happening and having them turn against each other would be an amazing revenge. After all, they did turn Sith against Sith.” he remembers the old members that became the mockery that was called the Imperial Knights. They deserved annihilation.

His thoughts about revenge and experiments were interrupted when Azar had spun and was now with his back pressed against Caerlion’s chest. He held his breath, his cheeks getting a bit red. However, this time he didn’t stand idle, trying to rationalize the situation and came out with some introspective reflexion. He embraced the moment, with his hands moving down through the Pureblood’s bare arms and stopping at his waist.

Caerllion closed his eyes, feeling Azar’s fingers touching the skin of his jawline. A shiver spread through his body, making his ears twitch and this time wasn’t due to embarrassment.

When he opened his eyes again, Azar was staring back at him. A large smile appeared at Caerllion lips when he saw these perfect golden eyes so close to him. The Annfyn could get lost staring at them forever. “And you know why it happens, don’t you?” he leaned enough to the Pureblood to hear him whispering with a sultry voice. “It’s because my heart is now your captive, my king. It wants to be your vassal forever.” he got back to his previous position, being able to look at the red-skinned man’s beautiful face.

“I’m falling for you.” the confession came out before he could rethink about the thousand possibilities that it could bring. He even felt tempted to lie, telling that it was a joke. However, he remained strong in his decision. Caerllion was now waiting for Azar, the king of his heart, to say what he would do with him.

However, he had to wait because Omar decided that it was the perfect moment for him to show up. Obviously the exalted appeared at the worst time possible, leaving the answer for his revelation to another moment. Caerllion turned to look in the direction that Azar pointed, right on time to see the figure leaving the scene.

He ran after the Pureblood, briefly closing his eyes to connect with his familiar. A crow-like bird with red eyes appeared in the sky, passing over them and flying ahead to see where Omar was going. “He turned right at the next crossroad.” Caerllion said, his eyes returning back to the black color. “He seems to be going to the forest around the village. Are we going to try to reason with him?”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar eyed Caerllion curiously when he spoke of the empire, “Quite frankly, if I were Altair I would have done the same in his shoes,” He admitted, “He ensured that the Empire survived at the cost of a smaller branch of the Sith,” He reminded Caerllion. He knew the Annfyn felt wronged, but tough moves had to take place in order to ensure the survival of factions and ultimately Altair Din acted as a Sith.

“Now is the perfect time to strike the Empire,” Azar agreed in the end.

After he called Caerllion out for getting flustered, he was surprised to hear him outright admitting to things. He half expected Caerllion to make up some excuse or outright deny it. What he said, however, made him pause. Words like forever were especially significant coming from a long lived race such as Annfyn. Azar eyed him curiously, wondering if he truly understood the gravity of what he was saying. After all, they hadn’t spent much time together and he was all but confessing his love. One thing was for certain, Caerllion was smitten and Azar could see it even in his eyes.

“I’m surprised,” Azar admitted to the confession, “I thought you were bound to that little blue demon,” He said with a smirk. He had seen Caerllion chase Ayomi around like a puppy at several socials, so this tone shift was suspicious to Azar. The Pureblood was not one to fall easily when it came to emotions and he had to spend more time before he truly believed Caerllion.

In any case, they had little chance to discuss further before the focus shifted back to Omar.

“We only observe for now,” Azar answered as they began to catch up. He could see the figure disappear into the woods, which was absolutely perfect to isolate him. They barely made it in a few feet before there was dead silence. Azar felt a chill run down his spine. It felt as if they were being watched and tracked by a hunter. Had they just become prey? The Sith Lord was not afraid, but he despised situations where he didn’t have full control.

There was a bit of a rustle and the man from earlier stepped out from the shadows. He was illuminated by rays of the moon, his gaunt face and yellow gaze fixing on the two Sith. Omar stared at them calmly.

“Why are you following me?” He asked them bluntly, having caught on.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

What Azar said about Altair made Caerllion think. What would have he done if he was in the Tiefling place? It was the first time that he ever thought about it under this point of view, he was usually consumed by hatred with the betrayal to even reflect this event in another way. Now that the Pureblood mentioned it, this was really a clever move on Dim’s part.

Rather than feeling furious for the Order having been betrayed, the Annfyn should be annoyed with the fact that he didn’t see it coming early. After all, it was exactly what a Sith would do. Betrayal was an important part of their business. Caerllion wanted to laugh, now that he was free of the blindfold made of resentment, he could see clearly the truth of the situation.

Altair Din was a great Sith.

The man had been more Sith than any other member of the Order during that time. The rest, Caerllion included, had been acting like a bunch of sore losers due to the Great Marshal’s master plan. Well, no surprise that the Tiefling had been the Annfyn’s idol during his time as an Acolyte. He was genius.

However, he still wanted to bring the Empire down. He admitted being a sore loser, didn’t he? “Sign me in to help you with that.” Caerllion was petty and he would love to have a hand in destroying the results of Altair’s master plan. Besides, it would be good for the Order.

Caerllion felt ashamed and annoyed when Azar mentioned Ayomi. The first because it was terrible to think that his actions around the Tiefling could have offended the Pureblood. He felt as if he had committed a great betrayal against his king, even if at the time he had no idea that he would develop such strong feelings for the red-skinned man.

The second because bounding was an important point in Annfyn’s relationships, being a sacred ritual for his species. It went beyond a simple marriage, being basically the union of different souls to become one. It was to give your life to the other and vice versa. Even with his growing love for Azar, Caerllion would still need to think a long time about offering it to the Pureblood if he ever came to show the same feelings to the Champion.

However, his ashamed side triumphed over his annoyed one, making the Annfyn babble like an idiot while trying to apologize. “It was only carnal desire, a simple case of fleeting passion.” Caerllion explained, when he finally was able to find words. “Besides, at the time I had no idea that you would make me feel this way, happy for simply being able to talk with you and see your smile. I never felt this way before.” he said, his voice full of sincerity and fondness. Perhaps he would have kneeled like a penitent begging his deity for forgiveness, but their chase after Omar stopped him from trying to do that.

He nodded at Azar plan. Since they wanted to avoid a conflict and the attention that would come from it, observing Omar's next steps would be good. This way they could find a safe way of cornering him. Caerllion used the bound to reach his bird. It was flying in circles over the woods, as if pointing to the area where their prey went.

When they entered the woods, the atmosphere changed completely. Even with his keen hearing, the Annfyn couldn’t hear any sound, not even the crickets. The only sound came from above, the flapping of the wings of his bird in the sky above the canopy of the trees. It refused to come down, even with Caerllion ordering through their bound.

It was afraid.

Now he understood why it was flying in circles. It wasn’t trying to point them to Omar. The bird was trying to warn them of the danger ahead. The man emerging from the shadows like a specter as this realization hit, had the Annfyn with shivers running through the spine. The human looked terrible and sick, which was exactly how Caerllion expected that the human form of an exalted would look like.

“We only want to talk with you.” Caerllion said, while raising both his hands to show that he had no weapon. It was true and a lie at the same time, since the Annfyn could still use Force lightning or throw a blast of magick at him, but Omar didn’t know that. “You don’t seem well. We can help you with it.” he looked at Azar, inviting him to participate in the conversation. Perhaps the two working together could be able to convince the human that they wanted to help, thus leaving him more relaxed.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

“Don’t seem well?” Omar scoffed, “What gave it away?” He asked through gritted teeth. His gaze flicked over to Azar, “Such a tiny thing you are. And yet I can practically smell the darkness on you,” Omar said, “I’ve been wandering like this for months….always hungry…always craving that darkness..always this insatiable need to consume and devour,” He growled, “But nothing can help me. No one can help me. I hear it even now that he’s supposedly gone.”

The ‘supposedly’ in that sentence sent a chill down Azar’s spine. Why were Razelings still compelled by him while he was dead? Azar thought back to when Kaldar had come sniffing around for ways to bring the Sith Lord back and he wondered if his followers actually managed. No, surely the galaxy would take notice if Raze returned again.

Before he could react, Omar growled and got down on all fours. He began to transform before their very eyes, his body contorting and twisting. Azar took a few steps back, sighing, “I really do detest when people throw temper tantrums,” He said calmly with a wave of his hand, “I’m not dressed for a fight,” He complained as if he was complaining about the weather.

Omar, meanwhile, transformed into a massive abomination, a beast that towered over the two and filled with raw, unbridled Force energy. Already Azar could hear the screams of some of the citizens behind them.

“How are we supposed to experiment on him now?” Azar said with a sigh, calling the Force to himself to prepare for a fight he didn’t want.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

The way that Omar talked and looked at Azar, like a predator studying their prey left Caerllion furious. The Annfyn couldn’t stand thinking that this filthy creature had the audacity to threaten the Pureblood. He only wanted to wrap his arms around the red-skinned man, to protect him from the monster. Perhaps he could even stand in front of the other Sith, to hide him from that predatory gaze.

However, he was still capable of using logic, even with his predicament of falling in love with the other man. Azar was a Darth, he didn’t need protection. Maybe he would even consider it shameful if Caerllion started to fight his battles while treating him like he was some type of damsel in distress. Helping during the battles was something completely different, though. In the end, it was more probable that the Annfyn was the damsel in distress due to still being a Champion.

The image of Azar, tiny as he was, carrying Caerllion, with all his 1,97 m of height, in bridal style would be hilarious.

When Omar was still talking, Caerllion pulled a small metallic sphere from his belt that could have been dismissed as an ornament. He pressed a button that revealed a needle, before using the Force to throw it right in the moment that man fell on all fours. It pierced the skin between the neck and shoulder, making the Exalted roar while his transformation started.

“It’s really annoying. It’s even worse when they are adults.” he said to Azar, while watching the metallic sphere fall to the floor when the skin there changed. Caerllion stepped back with the Pureblood. “This thing is used to hunt Rancors alive, people put sedatives here. I replaced it with something that I made to sedate my cloned terentateks. It’s a long story that involves a Sith spirit with too much personality and a nightsister that is very reserved with hers.” he would tell him about that later, if the other man was interested. At the moment he gathered the Dark side around himself, prepared for the fight that was coming.

“I’m not sure if it’ll work, but the sedative usually takes effect in fifteen minutes. We can try to not kill him during his time and maybe we get to do our experiments with a living specimen. If it don't works, a dead one is still useful.” his hands got covered with red energy, before he stretched them toward the exalted. He would release a blast of red concussive energy toward it. Once colliding against the monster, it would explode and the creature would scream with pain.

“Unfortunately we still need to fight.” after he said it, the exalted charged towards them. Caerllion used the Force to enhance his movements and would jumped to the right. When he landed, the Annfyn would turn to look if Azar was fine.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Caerllion proved rather resourceful by having a sedative handy on him. Azar was known to carry poisons, so this was especially interesting to him. The Pureblood remained calm, letting the beast charge towards him moments before he simply disappeared into thin air. He reappeared a moment later, now behind the beast. The abomination roared in frustration, unleashing a Force scream that sent pulses of the Force throughout the village. Azar was certain that a few people had their heads combust from the force of that scream, but he wasn’t too worried about it.

“This beast acts with control,” He observed as he charged the Force and coiled it around the beast’s legs and jerked back. As a result, the abomination fell forward and landed with a heavy thud on the ground. Azar held it in place, glancing up at Caerllion, “Help me hold it down!” He called out to him.

Their attempts at holding it would only work for a moment. The abomination was powerful and began to roll like an alligator when it caught an animal. Eventually, it sent a concussive blast all around itself powerful enough to send both Azar and Caerllion flying back from it.

This wouldn’t be as simple as they had hoped….

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion stared to the place where Azar had been before the creature’s charge, the Pureblood had vanished completely. The Annfyn’s surprise didn’t last long because he immediately concluded that it had been some type of teleportation. Differently from him, the exalted didn’t understand what had happened.

When Azar reappeared, now behind the creature, the abomination’s confusion was replaced by frustration. Caerllion felt the creature gather the Dark side and the Annfyn immediately created a shield around himself. Due to their positions, he couldn’t stretch it to protect the Pureblood too. However, he was sure that the other man was already prepared for what was going to come next.

The Force scream that came out of the creature’s mouth would have been capable of cracking even the hull of a star destroyer with its sheer power. The nearby trees were destroyed, while screams in the distance showed that people were suffering in some way. Caerllion was sure that, had he not been able to create the shield, he could have ended like them.

Azar, on the other hand, didn’t seem much affected. Due to that, he was able to make the exalted fall with the Force. Hearing the Pureblood calling, the Annfyn rushed to his side. He coiled the Force around the parts that the other Sith was already holding, this way strengthening the grip over the creature. If they could hold it long enough, the sedative would take effect and the fight would end.

Unfortunately, the exalted still had the will to fight. It trashed and rolled with such violence that Caerllion was sure that it was hurting itself. It. He wasn’t even referring to the abomination as Omar anymore.

During a particularly strong roll the abomination was able to throw a concussive blast that was strong enough to push them away, releasing it from their grip. Taking some steps back, Caerllion watched while the exalted rose to its feet and prepared to move toward them. Suddenly, it stumbled. The Annfyn immediately noticed how the movement of its feet seemed to be slower.

“I think that the sedative is finally working.” he said, while gesturing to how the movements of the abomination weren’t as fast as they had been during the beginning of the fight. “We only need a bit more time.” using growing lethargy of the monster, Caerllion stretched his hands toward it. They shone red, while the Dark side gathered in the ground below what once had been a man. Several tendrils of red energy erupted, binding its legs and arms.

Using all his strength, Caerllion tried to use the tendrils to pull the creature toward the ground, forcing it to lay down. However, it was fighting against his efforts, trashing and pulling. He broke some of the tendrils, but the Champion replaced them with another. However, he didn’t know for how long he would be able to maintain that. The fight of wills between them was starting to make the Annfyn tired.

“Even with the sedative’s starting to work, it’s still strong. He’ll break my immobilizing spell.” the Annfyn muttered to the Pureblood, his face getting completely red and this time it wasn't because of being with Azar. “I’ll need your help here. Your Force grip will help aleviate the strain over the spell and make it last longer.”

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was starting to lose his patience. He was well versed in killing and destroying, not so much incapacitating. As Caerllion made his request, the Sith Lord simply huffed in response. After a moment, he began to drain from the abomination. He consumed the darkness that created the beast, feeling a rush. It was as if a vampire was drinking from the most exquisite blood. The abomination was created from the darkest manifestation of the Force and Azar had never consumed it before.

The beast could hardly move as it dropped to the ground, feeling weak from being eaten in the Force. Azar nourished his energies from it, siphoning away the thread that kept the beast alive. It was only after a moment that he remembered they were trying to keep it alive. He finally stopped what he was doing, but by then the drugs took effect. The abomination slumped on the ground, knocked out and within inches of death.

The Pureblood’s eyes gleamed, black streaks of veins briefly appearing on his face. For a moment he looked absolutely demonic, terrifying to behold and like a monster of Raze himself. The way he looked at Caerllion for a brief moment would make the Annfyn feel as if he were a lamb being eyed by a wolf. However, the black streaks disappeared into his skin and his eyes returned to normal. Azar stood there for a moment, pondering on what just happened. Would there be long term impacts of drinking from a Raze abomination?

“This thing is positively massive,” He said, crossing his arms over his chest, “Where are we supposed to fit it to do some..experiments?”

As if on cue, the abomination shrank away and formed back into the humanoid shape of Omar.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion eyes widened when Azar used Force drain against the Exalted. The last time that he saw someone doing it was during Cremek's execution, when Tempest had drained the Mandalorian's life force and it never occurred to him that the Pureblood could use it. However, it shouldn’t be a surprise. He was a Darth, such power probably was under this level.

The Annfyn wondered if the Pureblood could teach it to him.

While more of the Dark side that filled the creature was drained, the Annfyn started to feel concerned, not with the fact that the Pureblood could end up killing it. Even a carcass could be used in experiments. He was concerned with Azar's well being. The red-skinned man was basically drinking part of Raze’s essence. Who knows what effects it could have on other Dark siders. What if they ended up becoming a new Raze?

The idea of replicating Raze’s powers from the scattered Dark Side energy that he left in his creatures wasn’t so bad. Caerllion would study this possibility later.

At the moment, he was more concerned with Azar. At first he thought that the Pureblood would not stop draining the creature, but it wasn’t the case. When the exalted was in the ground and nearly dead, Caerllion ended his spell and freed him from the red tendrils. He smiled, satisfied with the fact that it was still breathing. Their mission was successful.

His smile disappeared when he turned to look at Azar. The Pureblood had dark veins in his face, while his eyes were shining. He looked at Caerllion as if he was going to drain him next and it left him terrified for a moment. Darkness flowed from his body, it was more intense than what the Annfyn felt the other use during the fight to the point that he felt as if he was going to drown. It sent shivers through his body and not all those were of fear.

The sight was ghastly, oppressive and even demonic. Azar looked like a demon that escaped from the deepest pit. However, for some reason he couldn’t look away. Perhaps it was the fear of being attacked, or it was the fact that a part of him felt compelled to bow and worship such great power.

A power worthy of a Dark Lord.

No, of a Dark Emperor!

This dangerous thought died out together with this sudden compulsion when Azar’s face returned to normal. It was good to see the normal face of the man that he had been falling in love with. The Pureblood’s sudden question made Caerllion look at the exalted, trying to think about how they were going to drag it. Thankfully, the abomination changed back to Omar.

“Well, now I can carry him.” he said, while kneeling next to Omar. Caerllion touched the man’s body, feeling how cold it was. The skin was even paler than before. A bit more draining and he would have been dead. “I have some acquaintances in Arkania from my time as an Acolyte and they told me about a warehouse where geneticists came to make more… sacrilegious experiments without being disturbed.” Batuu wasn’t only a hideout of criminals, but also of mad scientists. “It’s just outside the Black Spire Outpost. I had rented the place and landed my ship here.”

The Annfyn grabbed Omar in bridal style, grimacing with how dirty the human was. In reality, he wasn’t in a better state, completely drenched in sweat for trying to maintain the spell. He looked at the sky, it was already getting dark with the sun having set during their fight. “Now that he is back to a normal size, we can dump him in a stasis tube in the warehouse. Maybe we could start tomorrow? We could spend the night in my ship and start in the morning. I really need a bath and some food.”

“Besides, I promised a homemade dinner for you. It can be a celebration for our successful hunt.” Caerllion smiled and prepared to walk toward the speeder. They would still need to pick their things in the hostel, but no one would ask if they used the excuse of wanting to leave a village plagued by a monster. The locals were still in a panic that he doubted that anyone would notice them leaving.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Of course Caerllion had a lab prepared. The man seemed the type that was always ready for some scientific experiments. Azar found it amusing, watching as the Annfyn crouched down and effortlessly hoisted Omar up. The Pureblood eyed the gesture for a moment, thinking back to how much he adored being carried like that. He didn’t vocalize any of this, his gaze flicking back to meet Caerllion’s, “That sounds like a great idea,” Azar said, also deciding he wanted to relax somewhere that wasn’t that dingy hostel room.

He sent his attendant droids over to gather both of their luggage to bring over to Caerllion’s ship. This meant that some of his cargo had to be sent back to his own ship since there would be no room for his excess things on Caerllion’s. Azar followed Caerllion up the ramp of his ship, taking a moment to sink into the sofa as they entered.

“So what are you going to make me?” He asked with a smirk, genuinely curious about this homemade meal they had been discussing for some time now. Azar was quite hungry after the day’s activities and he was ready to enjoy a nice meal.

He relaxed on the sofa, leaning back and letting his arm rest along the spine of the couch. Azar crossed one leg over the other, sitting as if he owned this ship and with the demeanor of a proper king.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

After Azar voiced his agreement, Caerllion went to the speeder and left Omar in the back seat. He gave the man one last look, wondering how long it would take him to wake up. If it had been only the sedative, the Annfyn would have given it some two hours. Due to that, he had brought another dart, this one with half the dose of the previous one. This would put the exalted to sleep some more.

However, since Omar had nearly all their energy drained, Caerllion believed that the human would not wake until tomorrow morning. This made the dart useless and even dangerous. Applying it while he was that weak could kill the specimen. The Annfyn didn’t want to risk it after all that work.

Caerllion returned to his room in the hostel as fast as he could. The place was completely deserted, like the rest of the village. Apparently, the locals had fled to some place during the attack. He didn’t care, his mission had already been achieved and he would be happy to never stay in this place ever again. It was pleasant to think that he wasn’t going to need to sleep in that tiny bed.

The tiny bed where a flower crown was resting.

The Annfyn carefully picked it, while remembering how Azar had placed it on his head. A smile appeared on his lips. Caerllion could be complaining about the village, but he had some good memories. This place even helped him understand his feelings. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as he previously thought. He put the flower crown inside his bag carefully to not damage it and left.

He drove them to an area just outside Black Spire Outpost, being close enough to still be possible to see the lights of the city in the distance. The place had only one building, a warehouse that looked like any other from outside. However, inside it was completely equipped to work as a laboratory. There was even a team of medical droids to help in the experiments. Caerllion gave Omar to two of them. They dragged the unconscious man inside the building and put him inside the stasis tube.

The interior of Caerllion’s ship had changed completely since he had stolen it with Trael in Nar Shaddaa. It had been cleaned and refurbished to look like a vessel owned by nobility. Furniture with black and silver colors were added in all the rooms. Among them was a velvet black sofa. The exact one that Azar was seated at the moment, looking like a king in all his glory.

He wanted to take a picture of this scene and guard it forever.

Then he would kneel and pay his respects to his king.

Caerllion had stared for some time until he remembered that Azar had made him a question. His cheeks got a bit pink, but he still smiled at the Pureblood. “The menu of the night is very special. We are going to have filet mignon with seven spices. A piece of meat acquired according to Annfyn culture and seasoned by the servants of House of Cyfnos. You’ll see how it’s tastier and softer than normal.” their conversation about meat came back to his mind, but he dismissed it before he could blush again.

“White rice with cilandro, roasted potatoes with parmesan and herbs. To drink, we have an assortment of drinks, but the house recommends the Chandrilan sparkling wine.” he said, while mimicking the way that a waiter would speak. Then he looked at Azar’s golden eyes, a smile appearing at his lips. “I hope that it’ll be according to your taste. I only offer the best to my king.” these words came once again with a tender tone.

“If you want to have a shower before dinner, the bathroom is at the end of this corridor. There is a bathtub there, too. If you want to use it, my bath bombs and bath salts are in the third door of the cabinet.” he smiled, before walking toward the kitchen. Was there the necessity of him adding a bathtub in the ship? No. Did he do it because he liked to relax there and had the money to afford? Yes.

While he went to the kitchen, Caerllion also wondered if Azar liked bathtubs.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar didn’t miss the way Caerllion took a moment to just stare at him, an amused smile gracing his lips. He tilted his head to rest on his curled fingers, clearly entertained by seeing the Annfyn get flustered. When Caerllion began to rattle off the food items, Azar had to actively fight to keep his stomach from growling. Everything sounded delicious, and he began to wonder how he had this pattern of finding men that were exceptional chefs.

“A bath sounds delightful,” He said, rising from where he sat as he used the Force to drag some of his bags towards the back of the ship. He would claim the guest room, though really he wanted to nab the captain’s quarters. To his delight, this ship was built for Annfyn and Sephi sizes so beds and refreshers were massive.

Azar took his time with the bath, relaxing and soaking in the warmth with bubbles. After he was done, he gazed at himself in the mirror, still seeing faint remnants of darkness on his face that briefly emerged before disappearing again. He had a feeling there was a permanent change in him from the Drain, but he couldn’t identify what. It was unsettling.

The Pureblood emerged wearing silk robes that revealed the bare top of his chest. His copious tattoos were visible where bare skin was exposed. Azar helped himself to a glass of wine, making his way into the kitchen, “That smells exquisite,” He said as he inhaled the aroma. By now, everything would have been close to finishing.

“You certainly know how to pamper a king,” Azar said with a teasing grin as he took a sip of his wine while leaning against a counter.

@LouJoVi