Ask Predator in the Ring

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

- FARMLANDS || DANTOOINE

.

Alienor Pom Blodau was almost shaking with excitement and nerves. She was a ball of wide-eyed emotion, threatening to spill out at any moment. She clung to her bag in some vain hope of stability as big eyes took everything in. This was her first official mission with the Jedi. This was the first time she'd been allowed out from the temples since she'd got there. This was a seriously big deal, honest!

Reports had come to the Jedi that farmers on Dantooine were dealing with increasingly aggressive, increasingly hostile packs of kath hounds. More than they had dealt with in quite a long time, if the reports were to be believed. It sounded like an ideal opportunity for the Jedi to get out there and do some good, so they'd assigned her and a young knight to investigate and conclude matters.

She had never met the Kage knight before, but he seemed pretty okay. Younger than who'd she'd expected, but that wasn't a bad thing. Linny held him in slight awe on the whole journey to Dantooine. An actual Jedi knight. One who went out on missions and stuff. One with his own lightsaber and everything. The other girls in the padawan dorms were going to be incredibly jealous.

As the shuttle they'd taken across the plains finally stopped, letting them spill out in the endless farmlands, Linny took a moment to look around. It seemed all quite idyllic, though her research had told her otherwise. Dantooine had been back and forth between Jedi and Sith again and again. Managing to find any sense of stability there was a wonder. Naturally, she'd also spent days learning absolutely everything there was to learn about kath hounds too.

"What do we have to do first then?" Linny finally asked, still clinging to her satchel bag. She looked up at the knight, cocking her head slightly to the side with curiosity. The tips of her ears quivered slightly with nervous, erratic anticipation. "Speak with the farmers? I suppose it'd be better to seek their first-hand experiences before we do anything," Linny said, starting to ramble. She managed to catch herself this time, however.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to take over, knight Kade." Her eyes locked on his. "Wh... what do you think?"
@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

Dantooine. The world had more history than Ashen would've ever cared to learn; right now all that mattered to him was the farmers in potential danger from the local wildlife. Still, he'd like to potentially come back someday and explore a little more than it'd be possible on this mission. The view from the shuttle was nothing short of breathtaking. The world below seemed to be a picture-perfect depiction of tranquillity and peace, despite the reports stating otherwise. Still, he liked to fantasise.

It had been a rather silent shuttle ride. Ashen didn't really have many things to chat about and he'd often start daydreaming when sitting for too long. The Padawan he was assigned to on the mission seemed friendly though. Truthfully, he was a little surprised upon learning that he would be accompanying her on the mission, considering his limited experience as a novice knight. Regardless, he was confident they would be fine and saw this as a great learning experience for both of them.

When the shuttle landed, Ashen got up and followed the Padawan outside. She seemed content in leading the way, and Ashen saw no reason to stop her. He listened attentively as she shared her thoughts on what they should do first. They were good ideas, great even. If anyone knew what was needed here it was the farmers themselves. Ashen simply smiled at the Padawan's apology, finding it to be wholly unnecessary. "I think we should follow your lead," he offered. There was no harm in letting her spread her wings a little before things got serious. "Maybe we could start there?" He hinted, pointing at the quaint farmhouse in the distance.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny's eyes opened wider, momentarily caught in surprise. She had expected the knight to take over things pretty quickly. He was the senior one there, and the instructors had been very clear that she should always listen to the instructions of the knights and masters on missions. There had been a lot of muttering about 'padawans' and 'ideas' and even an 'idiots' thrown in there once or twice.

"Um... if you're certain, then okay!" Linny nodded quickly, smiling at him. Taking the lead on her first mission! Astonishing! But also, nervewracking! This could be her chance to prove she could be a good Jedi. It could also end up backfiring massively. She might end up hurt. She might end up sent home. She might end up dead. Again, her ears twitched with anxiety as she nodded and breathed, starting to walk towards the little farmhouse.

The walk was short and pleasant, through serene Dantooine farmland. As the farmhouse approached, Linny worked through ideas in her head of how to approach this. She hoped that a nice, smiling farmer and their sweet family would open the door and invite them in. They'd ask for help in a polite manner and be thrilled to get the help of two eager, helpful Jedi. Fortunately, Linny was not quite that naïve.

Greetings, sir/madam/farmer, I am Alienor Pom Blodau and I'm with the Jedi Order...

Hi! We're Jedi and we wanna help!

Let's deal with some kath hounds! Too brash.

Linny was so wrapped up in her head she failed to notice the twitch of fabric in the one of the windows. A flutter of movement in the shadows beyond the windows and viewports of the house. She approached the front door, building herself up to speak to the farmer. After a couple of breaths, Linny tapped on a panel beside the door. She heard the faint ringing of a sensor chime inside.

After a few lingering seconds, the door started to open. This was her moment. This was where it began. Here, she would prove she could be a Jedi. Linny took a deep breath.

"HimynameisAlienorwe'rewiththeJediandweheard-" she started to splurge, before coming to a halting stop as she looked down the barrel of a blaster rifle. Her hands shot straight up as her face paled and ears curled up tight.

"I... I..."

"What do you want?" the farmer snarled. A grizzled human well into middle age held a rickety looking rifle directly at Linny, as he squinted over at Ashen. "There's nothin' for you here. Nothin' at all."

@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

The farmer's reaction was not totally unexpected, but Ashen hoped it wouldn't be this tense. The young Knight looked over at the Alienor and offered her a reassuring smile. She's tried and that's what mattered. Stepping forward, he positioned himself between the farmer and the Padawan and spoke up. "We apologize for the intrusion. I am Knight Kade and we are of the Jedi Order. We've heard about the increased kath hound population causing havoc across your farms." He paused for a second, trying to gauge the farmer's intentions. "We were wondering if you could share any information that might help us address the situation." Ashen calmly explained to the farmer, unfazed by the blaster still pointing at him at almost point-blank range.

The farmer maintained an icy stare at the Knight, his finger twitching with the urge to pull the trigger, as the young Jedi approached him. Emitting a grunt in response, he remained enigmatic, but Ashen was confident that he wouldn't actually fire the weapon.

After a tense standoff, the farmer reluctantly lowered his blaster and directed his words towards the two Jedi. "You kids wanna go out there an' get yourselves killed then be my guest," he scoffed, proceeding to retreat inside momentarily before reemerging with a rough map of the area. "Here. Now, go," he growled, slamming the door shut.

Ashen arched an eyebrow as he gazed at the door that had been shut in his face. He couldn't fathom the man's motive for being so hostile, but he didn't dwell on it for long. "What a lovely fella..." he muttered under his breath as he turned towards Alienor, offering her a kind smile while glancing at the map handed to him by the farmer.

It would provide some assistance, though apart from several vaguely marked spots, there was little other information to rely on, let alone the potential hazards in the vicinity. "What do you make of this?" He asked while handing the map to the padawan, intrigued to hear her take on it. He speculated that the markings might indicate Kath Hound lairs, breeding grounds, or any other danger zones for the farmers to avoid, but he lacked certainty.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

She had a blaster in her face and for some reason, Ashen offered nothing but a smile. Welded in place by fear, trying desperately to stop herself from shaking, Linny held on until Ashen walked between her and the blaster, casually putting himself in danger. As she sighed in relief, lowering her hands gingerly, he just spoke to the farmer as if they'd just passed him casually on the path.

Once the door slammed shut for the second time, Linny finally breathed properly. She sagged a little, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. She didn't have any idea how Ashen had managed to defuse that and get what they wanted, but she wasn't going to argue with the results.

"Why did he have to..." she started to whisper to herself, before shaking herself out of it. No, she couldn't give in. No matter how many blasters were shoved in her face, she was there with something to do. She offered a silent prayer to the natural world around her to avoid any further hold-ups as her partner handed over the map. Linny held it up and studied it, taking in the rough markings.

"These wider areas look like where the kath hounds are extending territory?" Linny offered, tracing a finger over the largest swath indicated there. "Um... the texts I looked up didn't say much about how they bred..." The perfect time for Linny to start blushing. "But I'm guess they like privacy? These caves?" She pointed to one set of marks along what looked to be the bottom of a sheer cliff, where the rolling hills turned into larger cracks in the landscape.

"I never found anything about kath hounds being so... invasive though. Not the most pleasant animals and predatory against the young or wounded traveller... but active invasion of land is very unusual." That was the part that really unsettled Linny. Such a drastic change in an ecosystem that had been fine until then? Deeply disquieting to an Annfyn.

"What do you think?"

@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

Linny was right, something strange was happening here on Dantooine and Ashen couldn't deny that. He was glad to have her with him; she seemed to know far more about kath hounds and nature than he did. "I'm not quite sure honestly. Wildlife biology isn't really my expertise," he admitted. "But if I had to guess, these must be where they reproduce as you've pointed out." Indicating the caves marked on the map, possibly the most dangerous area in the region. "And all the surrounding area must be the territory they've expanded to."

It was becoming obvious they'd have their work cut out for them, first reaching the caves and then figuring out what to do. Fighting the beasts until there was none left would probably be the worst thing they could do, never mind the most dangerous and least efficient. No, they would have to find a more creative solution to solve the issue— if they can.

Ashen read the map for a little longer, searching for a potential route that would avoid the area infested with the kath hounds. Fortunately, there seemed to be a narrow path along the hills on the outskirts of the kath hound territory. While he speculated that they might still encounter some unfriendly creatures along the way, it seemed to offer a safer alternative to crossing through the lowlands. Pointing towards the rolling hills, Ashen informed Alienor, "There seems to be a pathway through the hills that we can take. Let's go."

As they began walking, Ashen pondered about the incident they just had with the farmer. He was so accustomed to conflict that he momentarily overlooked the fact that having a weapon pointed at someone is far from ordinary. It had not occurred to him at the time how it might have affected Alienor. As realisation dawned on him, he slowed and looked towards the Padawan with an apologetic look on his face. "Hey, how're you holding up?" he inquired, pausing briefly before adding, "I'm sorry about what happened with the farmer. I never imagined it would turn out the way it did." He acknowledged his role in exposing her to that situation, and even though it ultimately ended 'well', he recognized the needless risk involved.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Happy to get some acknowledgement of her ideas, Linny smiled at him and nodded. His path suggestion seemed to be a good idea, and it wasn't as if she was going to wander away from him. He was the trained knight and she was the padawan. No weapons either. Just her wits, her research and a satchel bag with a datapad in it. And with her training so far, she could just about manage to perhaps tickle a kath hound with the Force. Maybe.

As they walked, Linny's thoughts focused on the question of the kath hounds. Her mind wouldn't let it go. Such a strange change in behaviour and an explosion in their young... something was not balanced in this ecosystem. Things like this just did not happen. The messiness of the problem at hand proved a good distraction from what she'd just endured, though she was grateful when Ashen brought it up.

"I'm... better now," she said, looking up at him as they walked. "I don't... think he was going to do anything. Not seriously. I don't think he even saw me properly before he pointed it at me." When she closed her eyes, she could see him. The barrel of the rifle. The widening of his eyes as he saw just who his weapon was pointed at.

"Please don't worry about it. I don't think anyone could've guessed what he'd do when we-" Linny started to say, before stopping suddenly. She'd heard something. Her head flicked around a little, ears twitching. What was...

A scratch. A muffled tumble. A bark. Linny span around, looking for the source. She pointed up at one of the hills beside the narrow path, where five dark shapes tore through the shimmering, verdant and golden Dantooine grass.

"I think we've found some of them," Linny muttered as she tensed, balling her fists on instinct. The five kath hounds approached at an unusually quick speed, snarls echoing around them as they spread out, getting closer and closer with every half-second.

@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

Ashen abruptly lifted his head when Linny suddenly stopped, shifting his attention to the direction she was indicating. Kath hounds had discovered them and appeared displeased with the presence of the two young Jedi in their domain. Without hesitation, Ashen unbuckled his lightsaber and assumed a defensive stance, activating the vibrant orange blade. "Stay back," he urged the Padawan with a serious tone.

Then, he paused, his entire concentration captivated by the five kath hounds as they scattered upon approaching them. He observed one of the beasts deviating towards their right, attempting to flank them. For a moment, he redirected his attention and used a slight force pull on the beast's leg, causing it to stumble down the slope and become briefly incapacitated, possibly increasing its agitation.

Without any warning, another lunged at him. Sensing the danger, the young knight evaded the attack with a quick sidestep amplified by the force and delivered a swift downward strike, severely injuring the beast as it landed behind him. Now completely focused on the three kath hounds approaching from various angles, Ashen momentarily ignored the incapacitated hound from a moment ago.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny didn't need to be told twice. She stepped back from Ashen as he activated his blade, jolting as she was bathed in orange light. The world seemed to turn into slow motion smears of colour as the kath hounds approached. Ashen moved and Linny felt a strangeness in the air around them, followed by one hound tumbling down the slope. It skipped and skidded down the slope, coming to rest just off to the side of them.

Linny couldn't pull her eyes away as she watched Ashen move with trained grace, quicker than quick. Her eyes wrenched shut in the instant before his lightsaber sliced into the hound. Conflict raged within her, fear of the kath hounds mixing with horror at what was being inflicted upon them. It didn't seem right. Unfortunately, Linny's introspection left her blind to the happenings to their side, as the incapacitated hound rose up, groggy and angry. As Ashen focused on the approaching hounds, the other took it's chance.

Linny felt the surge of anger from their side and opened her eyes, seeing it charge towards her. Fangs bared angry, powerful legs bounding towards them both. Linny held her breath, acting on instinct. She raised her hand, staring right at the hound as it raged towards her. Wrestling with the urge to flee, she stared as hard as she could.

No.

She felt the word pulse out of her. The hound still ran. She breathed deep and focused. No. Nothing. The hound kept moving, so close now. Linny closed her eyes and pushed out her fear, listening to her breath. Please, stop.

A backlash of darkness wrenched out towards her, making her wince. She shivered, feeling it sluice around her with a cloying coldness. When she opened her eyes, however, the hound stood in front of her. Breathing heavy, mouth leaking drool, but docile. Tamed.

@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

Prepared for the next attack, Ashen felt a shift in the force. A calm within the chaos and confusion. He felt a vicious intent disappear after hearing Linny's plead for something to stop, unable to react before the young Annfyn managed to tame the beast charging her.

It was an inspiring presence to behold, clarifying his senses. He listened, open to the force and felt the suffering of the hound he wounded, laid behind him, helpless and awaiting death.

The Knight closed his eyes, reaching out through the force to the remaining hounds charging them and deactivated his lightsaber.

Chaos, yet harmony...

As he concentrated on the light, he felt the force shifting and the darkness lifting from the beasts' heart. When he opened his eyes, they were a few feet before him; now tamed and docile.

Ashen promptly shifted his attention to the kath hound laid behind him, briefly observing the wound he had inflicted earlier before bending down and placing a hand on it, once again reaching out to the force.

Death, yet the force...

He focused, the light within him pouring into the wound. Ashen opened his eyes, feeling drained and exhausted. He looked at the hound lying before him, its wound healed, leaving only a scar. With a satisfied smile, he stood up, feeling weak after exerting himself so much with the force.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny breathed out slowly as she felt the hound's behaviour slip back to normality, leaving her safe. As she opened her eyes, she felt a deep twist in the Force around them all, as Ashen calmed the other hounds in a similar way. She watched with a deep admiration as he bent down and drew further on the Force, healing the hound from the injury that he had given it.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking up at him. He seemed quite tired, all of a sudden. Linny herself felt a little woozy and light-headed, but the effort of calming one hound was not the same as calming many. Once she was sure that her companion was fine, she approached the kath hound that she had calmed. Reaching out, she ran her fingers through it's fur as she smiled. It seemed... almost sweet.

"They don't seem so bad, really," she muttered idly, feeling her slim fingers catch in some of the matted fur. She was methodical and careful, trying to avoid the worst of the tangles as she felt the kath hound murmur. Or growl. Or sigh. It was some kind of sound, for sure.

"Did you feel it too?" Linny asked Ashen, looking over her shoulder at him, "That dark feeling? That can't be natural. Not when they're like this." Still rather new to the ways of the Jedi and the Force, Linny lacked the experience to suggest what could've caused it. Still, the thought of it made the air feel chilly around her.

"I think they can lead us back to their home," she suggested.

@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

"I'm fine, yeah." Ashen smiled wearily at Linny. Using the force so intensively took a toll on him, but he didn't feel it significant enough to trouble the young padawan. Ashen watched with a smile as Linny walked over to pet the kath hound she tamed. They were quite sweet, now that they weren't out for blood anymore.

It was troubling, however. As far as he knew kath hounds weren't usually this aggressive. "I did feel it, and I don't like the implications of it." The young Knight wasn't entirely sure what could've caused them to go so feral, but whatever it may have been, it was teeming with the dark side.

Ashen took a moment to ponder Linny's suggestion; "That sounds like a wise idea to me." With a smile, he approached one of the kath hounds he had tamed and extended his hand, letting the hound sniff it. "You think you can do that for us?" he asked while gently stroking the beast's head.

The kath hound exhaled a strange howl before pivoting, seemingly anticipating Linny and Ashen to go after it. Ashen shrugged and gestured for Linny, indicating that they should follow. Once she caught up, he would lean towards her and jestingly whisper, "I didn't think that'd work honestly". He beamed, wearing a contented smile as they trailed behind the group of hounds across the rolling hills.


@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Feeling relieved that Ashen was okay, Linny continued to pet the kath hound. She tried to keep her thoughts away from the fact that this wolf had probably been ripping something living up recently, or the fact that it'd recently thought of her as nothing but prospective food.

The hound lead the way for them, with Linny following with Ashen. She snickered as he expressed his scepticism, but she felt happy in a way. Scary as it had been so far, they had managed to fix something without resorting to real bloodshed. That was a kind of victory in itself!

"At least we don't have to follow tracks," Linny suggested with a shrug as the hounds kept moving ahead. Along a few twisting paths and into a rolling field of tall, messy grass... all the way towards an ominous hillside. In the distance, nestled behind rocks and ragged thorn-bushes, was an opening to a cave. Judging by the howls in the distance, that was where the hounds were coming from.

Linny lingered a little bit, staring out over at the opening. "Whatever it is making the hounds like this, it must be in there."

@Scrumppe

 

[Ashen Kade]

"Right, here goes nothing. Try and stay close." Ashen inhaled deeply before cautiously proceeding into the cavern. The pull of the lingering dark presence got stronger with each step as they made their way through the cave. Packs of kath hounds growled as they observed the Jedi's passage, yet surprisingly, they refrained from attacking or showing any signs of aggression.

As they stepped into the expansive central cavern, an eerie stillness enveloped the surroundings. A slender beam of light penetrated through a narrow crevice in the ceiling, casting a faint glow on the cavern floor. Their elusive objective rested within, quietly observing their every move.

Without a word, he abruptly halted at the centre, gesturing for Linny to stop as well. A strange feeling seized him, prompting him to instinctively reach for his lightsaber as a kath hound peeked from the shadows. The beast's immense stature made all others pale in comparison.

Even so, something was very wrong. A sense of darkness emanated from the creature. Its horns had an abnormal shape, and parts of its fur were absent, exposing the corruption festering on its skin.

Ashen faced the creature, maintaining a tense standoff and refraining from activating his lightsaber unless the beast initiated an attack. "Uhm... any ideas?" he prodded Linny while keeping a vigilant eye on the enormous beast.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny followed Ashen into the cavern, keeping as close as she could. She too could feel the presence growing stronger as they stepped further and further inside. The growls of the other kath hounds set her on edge and made her jump a couple of times, but she kept walking.

Right up until Ashen held out his hand to stop her. The huge kath hound emerged from the darkness around the cave, it's eyes glinting in the bit of light given by the hole atop the cave. The room felt colder than cold, with it pulsing and oozing off the creature in a way that made Linny feel sick.

As Ashen faced it, Linny wasn't sure what to do. Whatever had happened to this hound, it'd twisted it beyond the normal instincts that they possessed. Looking at it's skin, Linny took a couple of tentative steps towards it. Hands held up gently, as if the kath hound could interpret what that meant.

"I think maybe... if we try to heal it?" Linny suggested, but even that idea seemed troublesome. The hound growled and she could feel it through the dirt beneath her feet. Gingerly, she looked over at some of the darker, most corrupted and painful-seeming patches. One hand carefully moved closer... closer...

The kath hound roared and lashed out. Linny squealed and fell back, just far enough to get nothing more than a scratch across her face.

@Scrumppe

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

Hiraya had seen salky hounds before, but never kath hounds. He did, however, heard multiple phrases that referred to the creatures, and he would not want to be on the receiving ends of them.

Much like the first pair of Jedi who ventured on the farmlands of Dantooine, the Tiefling and the gruff-looking human Knight he accompanied were met with the same warm welcome from the locals. But unlike Alienor Pom Blodau and Ashen Kade, Hiraya and Zion received no map, just a begrudging instruction about two Jedi inquiring about the kath hounds wreaking havoc in the farmlands. With only that bit of information as their guide, the Padawan turned to the Knight for instructions as to where should they begin.

The two made their investigations, and Hiraya was quietly relieved to discover that the Knight was an accomplished tracker. Following the physical tracks left by Ashen Kade and Alienor Pom Blodau, the human and the Tiefling inevitably came across the spot where the former pair were approached by kath hounds. Hiraya listened to Zion, curious as to how the Knight could discern what seemed to have transpired here based from the tracks on the ground, and where the grass were in disarray. And when the tracks became difficult to find the Knight resorted to using the Force, letting it guide him and the Padawan to a path towards a hillside. Spotting a cave opening nestled behind rocks and thorn bushes, the pair cautiously approached, their steps turning quick at the roar that echoed from within the cavern itself.

"Stay behind me," Zion instructed Hiraya as they hurried into the cave. Stumbling upon Ashen and Alienor, the human Knight was quick to assess the situation and reacted accordingly. He reached out with both hands, manipulating the Force to attempt to hold the immense kath hound in a stasis. "Hiraya, the Padawan!"

The Tiefling did not hesitate. Seeing Alienor being targeted by the angry kath hound, he took the opportunity and lunged forward, where he would carefully scoop the smaller Annfyn in his arms and make a mad dash back to Zion's side while the Knight held the hound back.

"Are you okay- you're hurt!" exclaimed the Tiefling upon seeing the scratch on her face. The irate snarls and roars of the kath hound prompted Hiraya to carefully put Alienor down, one of his hands straying towards his training saber. "We'll get you patched up, but we gotta deal with this angry dude first. You up for it?"

His tone was kind, helpful, considerate. He would not hold it against her if she was still shaken from getting hurt, but instead he would protect her without a doubt if it came down to it.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

The other two Jedi had arrived just in time. Linny felt the claw catch her, scratching across her face. Not enough to take her out, but enough to draw blood. A thin, ragged line across her face that leaked, smearing redness into her pale features. She felt herself be pulled back as the kath hound froze, held in a questionable stasis by the arriving knight.

Carried towards relative safety, Linny nodded as the Tiefling told her she was hurt. Her hand moved up over her face, making her gasp as she saw the blood against her palm. The scratch throbbed angrily with pain as Linny's ears twitched and curled to avoid the horrific screech of the huge kath hound.

"Yes. Yes okay..." she said in reply, still gathering her thoughts as she scrambled back to her feet. There was no time to fuss and panic now, not when they were in danger. The human knight held the creature at bay for now, but it couldn't last. It was taking his concentration to hold it even to that state and Linny could see the sweat forming on his forehead.

What exactly Linny could do, she had no idea. She had no weapon, no blaster, nothing but her wits and the Force. She gathered up the energies around them all as best as she could, drawing on her limited training with the Force. With a swirl of her hands, gusts of energy swirled around them, gathering up stones and rocks in a vortex before she pushed her palm forwards, launching them at the held beast.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

There was a shift in the air as Hiraya watched Alienor scramble back to her feet from the corner of his eyes. He felt the force coil around her, saw the stones and rocks gather before getting launched towards the kath hound with the intent to not just hurt but subdue.

The Knight, having sensed the Annfyn's intent, tightened his hold on the beast so Alienor's attacks could hit it. And hit the rocks did, but it only incited the kath hound's wrath further. With his control slipping as the beast's rage fed its strength, Zion instructed the two Padawans,

"Get ready to run. We'll make it chase after us, fool it into thinking that we're luring it out in the open. Once we cross the threshold, unleash Force Light to blind the darkness I sense that emanates from it, and I will use that distraction to knock the beast out."

Nodding at Zion in agreement, Hiraya kept his training saber in hand just in case things got awry. Waiting for the Knight's signal and still mindful of the younger Padawan should she needed assistance, the Tiefling met the kath hound's crazed eyes and bared his fangs at it in a show of both challenge and defiance, taunting and baiting the beast while he sent out the intent through the Force. Brushing against the kath hound's consciousness, Hiraya snarled at it, and Zion seemed to take it as their cue.

Relinquishing his hold on the beast, the Knight barked out, "Run!"

Quickly Hiraya turned tail and bolted towards the mouth of the cavern, one hand wrapping around Alienor's arm to make sure that she kept up with his and the Knight's pace. The Tiefling tasted and smelled petrichor in the back of his throat when he heard the kath hound roar, its footsteps thundering behind them as they ran for the exit. Light poured from outside as they neared the exit, and Hiraya let go of Alienor's arm to swiftly turn to face the cave again.

Force Light... Force Light...! thought the Tiefling Padawan, thrusting his free hand towards the charging kath hound as it neared the line of light that separated it from crossing the darkness' threshold. How do I-?

Pops' grilled cheese sandwich when he took ten year-old Hiraya out on a camping trip. The little Tiefling did not know what kind of cheeses his father put in there, but... It was the perfect balance of sweet and salty, milky and buttery, and Pops' soft chuckles only made the meal more enjoyable.

Drawing on the wellspring of Light that resided within him, Hiraya borrowed from the Force with the intent to protect his companions, and the energies around him manifested in the form of a bright, blinding light that emanated from his extended hand. On its own it would not be enough to cause a severe reaction from the kath hound, but with Alienor's help the Tiefling hoped that it would work.

@Charndley

 

[Alienor Pom Blodau]

Linny grimaced as her attempt failed, just making the hound more and more aggressive. The Knight had a plan and she didn't have any other ideas. She braced herself, waiting for the command that came. When it did, she turned on the heel of her boot and ran. Relying on her small frame and natural grace, Linny leaped over the scuffs in the ground and rocks that threatened to unbalance her, seeking the entrance to the cave.

As they reached it, Linny turned and stopped, feeling her soles scrape on the ground with the momentum. Force Light wasn't something she'd done much training on, but she could try it. Wasn't like she had much choice. With a look over at Hiraya to check what he was doing, Linny held out both of her hands in front of her. Extended, she placed one on top of the other and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing. In and out. In and out. Ignore everything... but feel anything.

The smell of fresh grass. The crunch of autumn leaf beneath her foot. The thrill of new life, the cycle of rebirth, from life to death and back again. The sliver of light between the branches of trees. The feel of a soft sheet over your body during a wild storm, warm and protected. The look of pride and smiles as they all learned that their little Alienor was going to be a Jedi...

Linny could feel it blossoming out, radiating in a refined, stark beauty. The mouth of the cave was bathed in clear light, beyond anything that Linny had experienced before. Together, they had managed to create a searing barrier of Light. To Linny, it felt warm and crackling with life, though she could feel it burning and eating away at the residual darkness.

@marshland

 

[Hiraya Manawari]

With the combined efforts of Alienor and Hiraya, the Force Light was more than enough to not just blind the kath hound, but also immobilize it. The creature let out a pained howl, cowering away from the light. But before it could retreat back into the cave, Zion reached out for the beast through the Force, wrapping It around the hind legs and powerfully yanking it back to consistently expose it under the Light.

The kath hound's skin seemed to sizzle and burn, but in reality it was the darkness that clung to it that was being chipped away by the Force Light. Its roars and howls of pain began to morph into high-pitched whines and whimpers as it curled into itself. The Knight slowly relinquished his hold on the creature as he cautiously approached. Focused as he was in maintaining the Force Light, Hiraya noticed Zion reaching out a hand towards the cowering kath hound.

Then, piercing through the pained beast's whimpers, Zion began to hum a soft tune. Though wordless, Hiraya could feel the intent to comfort behind the song. Even the kath hound began to lift its head to warily glare at the Knight, snarling, but not poised to attack. The aggressive display seemed to be defensive, but the human was undeterred. And as the Force Light washed away more of the darkness from the kath hound, the creature's aggression reverted to it's more animalistic nature rather than one driven by a dark influence.

"It's alright," Zion muttered softly as the kath hound, now freed from whatever kind of darkness that was influencing it, stared back warily at the Knight. "You're alright. We're not here to hurt you. Yes, that's it..."

The Knight's palm found the top of the hound's head, stroking it gently. Though still cautious, the kath hound seemed to give Zion its consent for the human to touch it. With a gesture for the two Padawans to extinguish the Force Light, Hiraya followed with a silent nod. He glanced at Alienor with a small but genuine smile.

"You did well, Alienor, Hiraya," Zion softly told them as he began to assess the kath hound for any further injuries. With his focus trained on the hound he asked the pair, "Do either of you know how to heal? If so, please, I ask for your assistance. Approach slowly, so as not to spook our newly-liberated friend here."

"I don't know yet, Master," Hiraya responded softly then glanced at Alienor with a tired but friendly smile on his face. "How about ya?"

@Charndley