Promises Kept

[Vash Windrider]

Spoiler

@Taz , @EmilyHuene
Dice Thread

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The Harbinger dropped from hyperspace with a thunderclap. Filling the view port was the distinctive red orb that even from this distance, would call to both living members of the ship's crew through the cold grip of the dark side. Much like the world they had just left hours ago this was a place of darkness, of evil, and most importantly. Of great power.

The Sith Master glanced at the instruments to check his entry and then to the ship into atmosphere. The red hue of the sky made it difficult to gauge distance, day or night. Vash had little choice but to trust his instruments, and the programming of his droid. That, and the will of the dark side. Seeing an open field the Sith decided not to push his luck and made his landing.

"Wake my apprentice. We are here." Speaking into the depths of her mind without uttering a word. The Nightbringer would then open the cockpit of the ship and leap the six or so feet to the Dathomir's surface. "Hard to belive it's been so many years." he said to himself.

 

[Aris the Witch]

"Wake my apprentice. We are here."

Another dream left unfinished. Aris opened her eyes and viewed the red system in front of them. Her dream had been so vivid. She was there on the planets surface, red earth and dark trees. Yes she could see it now. Her dreams had led her here for reasons unknown and Aris was ready to fulfill that destiny. She could feel the Darkside of the planet calling her. There was no doubt in her mind that this is what the Force wanted of her. Aris was silent but her anticipation for what was to come was overloading her emotions. Her master had kept his promise.

She watched in awe as their ship flew to the surface over the land she'd been having constant dreams about. She was here. She was finally here. When they landed and the hatch opened and she would vault from her chair and land on the rough ground. Her master was quick to follow. Aris breathed in the foreign air but treated it as if she had longed for such a taste.

As usual she was wearing Sith garb though hers had been tailored with more of a purple color scheme than most. It complimented her bright blue eyes and long white hair that were distinct in the Nagai race. Her chest and shoulders were covered with thick pads as were her shins and forearms for battle. On her hip she carried her duel-blade saber which she'd become quite proficient with in her training. Aside from Vash she'd only ever fought training droids, so it was still unclear how the female would do in actual combat. Still, Vash must have been confident enough to let her come along.

"Hard to belive it's been so many years."

"You have been before?" she asked.

In all the areas of study Vash required of her, the most important was language. When he found her she could barely speak. Communication was still slightly off for her when she tried to speak with others, but she'd come a long way. She still spoke mostly out of body language, for example now how she would tilt her head as she asked him the question. Aris knew that Vash had heard of Dathamir but he'd never said he'd been to this place. Why did he neglect to mention that? Not that his past was any of her business.

 

[Vash Windrider]

Vash had played off his history with this place when they first spoke of it. But as they set foot on the red planet the former Jedi could not hide the restlessness inside himself. The fear crawled up his spine like a Hoth spider. Vash allowed the feeling the creep over and through him. As he took a deep breath the dark side fed off the fear. Filling his body to a point he felt like an overcharged power cell.

"Before, Ilum." He was broken. The fear and anger building as he looked around the area. His Black Hand armor blending with the ink black trees. He was not the weak frail Jedi from years ago. He was a Sith, a MASTER of the dark side. A cold harsh snap of the force and the thoughts and doubts would be pushed back into the box in the shadows of his mind. "Well, Aris, we are here for you. Which way does the dark side guide you ?" He spoke now more even and optimistic.

 

[Aris the Witch]

"Before, Ilum."

Aris looked now at her master with some concern as she felt fear rising up inside him, something she was not used to seeing within him before. She could feel he was trying to battle it. She wanted to try and console him, perhaps resting her hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there for him. But he'd never allow such an action so she just watched. Then she reminded herself not to show weakness. And then just like that it passed and he was in control again. But this would be something she would not forget...

"Well, Aris, we are here for you. Which way does the dark side guide you ?"

Looking away from him she turned to view their surroundings. It all looked the same to her from where she stood, so it was really hard to tell just by sight. Then as she almost finished turning full circle she stopped. A path seemed to light up for her amid the trees and she could feel something calling to her. It must be the Force. Like her visions she knew to follow after this feeling and her feet just started moving. She forgot about Vash and just like in her dreams she was now moving through the forest in a sort of daze. She'd been here before; she couldn't explain how. But she had. She knew the way to go.

 

[Vash Windrider]

Vash could feel a strange shift in the force. A power growing and flourishing. It was a shift centered around...his apprentice? He could not be sure if it was the power of Dathomir or if Aris was coming into a power all her own but there was definitely a change in her. Before he could question here about it however, she seemed to be walking away from him. "Aris," he called. But the young Knight continued to march away from him. "Aris?" he tried aain. But she only continued to walk away.

He thought to call the force to hold her, but decided perhaps he would see where this was going. The dark side was now very strong within her. To his place of his past and her future. So it was time to see where the path took her, took them. Vash would walk silently behind Aris now.

 

[Aris the Witch]

As Aris walked through the long forests of seemingly never-ending trees she eventually found a clearing and with it some relief. Opening up before them now was a long and massive canyon that stretched for hundreds of miles. It reminded her of Korriban, where Vash first took Aris to reveal the Dark side within her. Though this great canyon seemed far more formidable than the ones they jumped off from.

Moving from the treeline she looked in wonder and awe at the beauty before them before spotting something else. There to the East of them, on top of one of the massive cliffs, was some sort of encampment. At least that's what it looked like at first due to the tents that were organized in concentric rings. But further inspection would show the camp had been there for years, if not generations. It simply looked as if the whole thing could be packed up and carried to a new location should the need arise. It was difficult to see what else this village had in it from this distance, unless aided by binoculars of course; though, Aris carried none.

Still walking as if she was being called there in some trance, Aris began to move once more. Her master's voice in her head was long gone at the moment, as it had been from the moment she set foot on the red earth. But the both of them would feel a sudden shiver down their spines as threats and feelings of fear reached them. From behind them came the rumbling sound of hooves as two dozen plus riders came out of the trees and approached them. They shouted war cries and raised their primitive weapons to the two intruders.

Instinctively Aris grabbed her saber and ignited both of the red beams. The riders had arrows pointed at them and spears ready to throw, but they did not engage. Instead they quickly caught up to the two and created a circle around them. Aris gritted her teeth as she prepared to defend herself from the attackers. Her mind went to her master and she dared a quick look to see what his instructions were. Attack...or flee?

"Lower your weapons!" one of them shouted in Paecian; a language Aris did not know.

"Surrender!" another would command.

The riders all began to howl and chant in an intimidating manner. The leaders of the band would repeat the commands until finally one of them spoke in Basic.

 

[Vash Windrider]

Vash followed after Aris with caution as the force guided her to her destiny. It was also forcing him to face demons from his past. A fact that he would have preferred to leave berried in the past with the end of the war. For both Sith the path was laid out before them and there was little the two could do other then follow the trails. So he did just that, followed his instinct and his apprentice as they guided him further down the path.

The Sith Master would then gaze to the view and the village that caught the attention of Aris. It was impossible to see clearly at such a distance but Vash assumed it the be the village of a clan, be it male or female he also couldn't tell. But knowing the hostility of both it was likely they would find out shortly. If the Sith could sense the village then most if not all of the warriors of that village would sense them as well.

He had no sooner assumed the thought then the force would see it fleshed to reality. His spine would chill and the hairs on his neck rose as danger, fear and distrust would ripple through the force. As the riders approached Vash would draw the energy of the force to him and reach for his sabers to activated them, with a snap hiss. As the approaching guards drew there own weapons, the assassin continued to gather power.

He could feel Aris, wanting to fight but searching for his approval. While the apparent leader of the enemy group growled for some guttural tongue. The Sith Master would answer her demands by reaching his right hand out and with his pointed finger and thumb, called the force to close her throat and raise her into the air.

"I have slain man and beast, been tested by Lords and gods of the dark side. I will not surrender to a child" Vash spoke with vial hatred and venom in his voice.

"Then perhaps you will lower your weapons for me Rider" said a cryptic and gravelly female voice.

It bellowed before a grey smoke that seemed to appear from no where. A thin muscular feminine figure emerged from the flowing smoke and into the world before them. As if the smoke itself hand transported her from one place to this one. As she emerged her eyes would change from a bright fury green to a dark, cold, and soulless shade.

"Unhand my child and speak your purpose Exile." Mother Nor commanded. Never taking her eyes from Vash.


The Sith Master released the hunter from his force grip. Allowing her to fall to her feet. Then he withdrew his blades and returned them to his side before taking off his helmet, revealing himself to all around him and his apprentice. "So, you're alive. Nora." He replied. Once more Aris would feel a tremble in the force. Vash apparently knew this witch and it unsettled him in a way Aris never would of expected.

 

[Aris the Witch]

"I have slain man and beast, been tested by Lords and gods of the dark side. I will not surrender to a child"

The woman rider gasped for breath as Vash lifted her from her mount. Aris smirked and watched the others all considering attacking to free their captain. Aris was just waiting for the first one to move and she'd begin her assualt. She was already planning the battle out in her head. She'd dodge the first strike and toss one of the riders from their perch then run into the midst and slash at them with a spinning twirl of her blades.

"Then perhaps you will lower your weapons for me Rider"

But before she got the chance another voice spoke up. Smoke spread out around them to which Aris looked around in search of the source. She backed up some so she was almost back to back with Vash, the best way to defend themselves. A priestess of sorts would then make herself known and appeared from the smoke. Aris was watching her now like a hawk. What would this woman do? Was she a threat? A danger to them. Or...on the other side, was she the one that called to Aris? Was she the source of her dreams? Never in her visions had she seen other lifeforms in them; so, she wasn't really sure what to expect upon arriving here.

"Unhand my child and speak your purpose Exile."

The captain fell to the ground as Vash released her, eliciting a groan of protest from Aris toward Vash. He then deactivated both of his lightsabers. Aris was less quick to do so. She was still very uncertain about this. Looking behind her for a second she tried to see why Vash had retreated -so to speak- and seemed now to be giving up. Did he expect her to do the same? Unless he gave her a very specific instruction she would not be lowering her weapon.

"So, you're alive. Nora."

Another wave of fear came off of Vash. He was afraid of this woman. But why? She didn't seem powerful. She didn't exactly know to not judge someone. She had only ever seen Vash and he proved his worth to her. She knew right from the beginning to fear him. But nothing in this woman's appearance gave her that impression. She didn't even seem to have a blaster or saber. How much of a threat could she really be?

Stepping more in front of Vash to protect him she looked at the woman he'd named Nora and spoke, "Who are you? How do you know my master?"

The captain behind them would shout again to the pair, though mostly to Aris since she was still armed, only now spoke in Basic so they'd both understand, "Lower your weapon in front of Mother Nora. Do it now!"

 

[The Storyteller]

"Silence child," said the Mother. "The dark side has brought this one," she continued as smiled at Aris. "She is powerful, but without direction. Yesss. And you have already felt the power of her Sith Master." Her eyes darted to Vash and burned holes into him for a second. The tension between the two could be felt in the force by all who surrounded them. There was a history that neither of their followers knew of and it did not seem as thought Mother or Master intended to share that history yet.

"Now children, go and ready the village for our guests. We will prepare a feast and a dance to call forth the spirits and bless this meeting." She commanded of the others and turned away. The smoke would rise once again and seem to swallow her like some kind of large phantom.

The horse riders would then part to show a path in the direction of the village. It would walked them across the edge of the great canyon divide for what felt like nearly a mile before it would end at the outskirts of the witch village. A modest scale that seemed to blend the man made and the natural. Structures of earth and rock that seem to have been grown from the red earth they rested on. The over all sight of it was beautiful and cryptic.

At his center was already a large fire, with flames dancing white and green. Around it danced several nearly naked young men and women who chanted in a strange language as they moved about. Seemingly emerging from the fire was her, The Mother. Still covered in the robes and furs that she was in before, yet not burned of singed from the flames as one might expect.

 

[Aris the Witch]

"Silence child, The dark side has brought this one. She is powerful, but without direction. Yesss. And you have already felt the power of her Sith Master."

For a moment Aris wasn't sure if this priestess was shushing her, or her lieutenant. But then she went on to compliment Aris and it wouldn't make sense for her to do that as if she was talking to her about her. The last sentence explaining that the rider had 'already felt his power' made it even less clear. Unless that was supposed to be a threat to her own people that they really shouldn't mess with Vash. He, who was now receiving some form of hatred from this priestess, could take them all if he chose to. Aris knew this. She would help; not that he would need it. Still, the way she was looking at him made even Aris feel uncomfortable. All her time understanding gestures and body language was raising all sorts of red flags so to speak. It made her want to look away to avoid the situation all together.

"Now children, go and ready the village for our guests. We will prepare a feast and a dance to call forth the spirits and bless this meeting."

Alright. That was the answer then. They were guests now. Not intruders. Aris felt much more at ease hearing this, even if there was still some slight distrust. She trusted in the Will of the Force, and that kept her on point. They were here for a reason. She was called her by the powers inside her. This was destiny. Aris would learn something from this clan; that was for certain. She would have to put away all doubt and uncertainty. Aris made up her mind then as she watched the strange woman vanish once more into the smoke like the way she'd come in. Whatever happened next she would put her faith in.

Following the path before them, Aris put away her saber and trusted what was to come. Her eyes watched the village get ever closer, never faltering from the great beauty beside them where they walked. She had a purpose just like when she'd first landed on the red soil. It wasn't until she saw the dancing group that her eyes wandered to view them. She stopped in her path and her eyes fell upon the Mother who was dead center in the fire, but it was merely some illusion or something; as was the smoke. Such control over the element. Aris did not understand how, but she knew such a thing could be possible. Vash had shown her that much.

 

[Vash Windrider]

The entire even was leaving Vash on edge. Nora was still alive, and somehow was the priestess of this sub clan of what. Witches? Nightsisters? There would be questions to be answered soon enough from Aris, but for the moment they would need to survive this event.

The Sith Master was even more surprised when Nora called off her dogs and allowed Aris and him to continue and not only that but join in some manner of celebration. A ritual. He would be no part of it. This was all some manner of show for Aris and to put him further on edge. Vash could not understand the end game of such but he assumed that she was aiming for revenge, for being left for dead. Left to become what ever it was she became almost 10 cycles ago now.

As the beast riders and their mounts departed for the village Vash would follow along the path with Aris. He was not as drawn in as his apprentice. This was not his destiny, not his path. He was here to allow Aris to grow and learn. To become stronger in the force, stronger in the dark side. Not within the weakness of the light, as Vash himself once was.

 

[Aris the Witch]

The music and tones of the dancers was like a drug to Aris. Her hips began to sway. Her feet began to tap. Without even realizing it she was now mimicking the dance, although she had not moved from her space. Never before had Aris danced like this, yet she was a mirror image to those around her. All perfectly timed and choreographed as if they'd practiced day in and night out. Something about the ritual was calling to her. Aris could not resist.

"Come my child," the Mother would call out to Aris.

Slowly at first then more with purpose, Aris would move forward into the circle of the dancers. She moved so gently it was like she wasn't even trying. Her body just moved on its own perfectly in sync with the others to not get hit as they spun in their arc and continued past her. Aris' eyes were now locked onto the flames that licked back and forth around the woman in their center.

"Come to me," she would say again and outstretch her arms.

Aris was out of her head. It was all a dream to her. She stepped foot into the burning ash and the flames made way around her. Just as the Mother she too was now overtaken by the flame, yet no harm came to them. Aris lay her hands into the Mother's who then curled her fingers around her outstretched palms. The priestess began to chant; Aris mouthing the words right along with her. The language meant nothing to her, yet at the same time she knew it.

The dancing then changed and got more aggressive. The tempo picked up and the drums beat louder. The priestess was now shouting her chant. Aris began to twitch as she felt like something was taking control over her body. She felt like the flames were trying to dig into her, or that something inside her was trying to come out. Her knees began to buckle but the priestess would not let her pull away. The flames around them suddenly began to spin violently until they spun so fast and so bright that Vash would no longer be able to see past them.

And then she started screaming. Aris cried out like she had when Vash tortured her. There was pain, but not from her body. The torment was in her mind, or her soul. It was hard to explain, for she not even knew. The cries were being drowned out by the beating of the drums but Vash would still hear them. That was the connection he had to her. Yet he felt this connection dwindling. Something, somehow, was causing their mental link to stretch too far to focus on. A new power was there. A new entity which jeopardized everything he'd worked for in his apprentice.

The fires grew hotter still and spun more rapidly that they became blue in color. The light was blinding. The dancers then halted abruptly and fell into a bow. They lowered their torsos as much as they could and outstretched their arms above their heads. The fire continued to rise and then now start to take shape. No longer a tornado of flame it molded into a dome. Now it seemed less and less like fire, and more like water in the way that it circled around them. That was all he could see for his connection to Aris was now completely shut off.

It lasted like this for only a moment before slowing in speed and breaking apart like water stretched over an open surface. In between the breaks Vash would see Aris standing as she first was, her palms open in front of her. He would be able to feel her now, only just not as strong as he once had. There was something different in her aura. Yet also somewhat familiar. He would feel Mother Nora inside her as well, only slightly. As the dome broke apart more Vash would then see the Mother on her knees as if offering something invisible to Aris. The blue water/fire continued to spin as it stretched and thinned out. Round and round the waves moved until they all finally became too thin to be seen anymore.

Then it was silent. The priestess stood up and closed Aris' hands which prompted her to open her eyes. She was calm, and very still. For a second she looked dead. Yet she never felt more alive. Aris had changed. Something unlocked inside her and would not begin to grow. What this was Aris would not know, but Vash would probably come to fear. The dancers would all start to rise to Aris and their Mother. Aris turned her attention away and stared at the night sky. Silently.

After what felt like a quiet eternity Aris would finally speak, "I feel it. I feel it."

The priestess moved closely and would ask very quietly, "What do you feel, my child?"

"The truth."

 

[Vash Windrider]

He edged the camp as the music and dance started. The fires and chanting would open the floodgates to memories and nightmares that he had not felt in years, since the first years after the destruction of Ilum and the slow rise to the movement that would become the Empire. Vash fell back into that place of fear and darkness. When witches like these were dancing over a wild blaze as him and Nora were kept in a type of force cage.

Vash walked slow toward the bonfire the anger and hate building within him. He watched his apprentice dance and join his fallen former partner. His memory flashing to Nora and himself screaming in tortured by dark magic, the dancing. Flash back and Aris is now in the arms of Nora. Flashing and he his being swallowed by a green miasma as his skin feels like it's being pulled from his bones. Flash again and his connection to Aris is silent, broken. He's alone again.

Under his black helmet his dark brown eyes now glow a sinister yellow. The Nightbringer now fully surrenders himself to the dark side, to his emotions. To power and freedom, and unbridled hatred. Vash then focuses and builds on that power and hate as he steps closer. Step by step, the air around him now dropping to a bone chilling temperature.

Finally the ritual ends and his connection is restored, all of her emotions and power surge back to him and his does to her, slightly. The lesser witches are tired and warn from this little exchange of power, Nora is focused on her wanted apprentice. Vash would waste no time reestablishing control over the situation. He would push his way into Aris' mind effortlessly, even with her knew found power.

"The truth? The truth is they are traitors to our empire. They seek to continue the chaos risen after Ilum. She seeks to take you from me apprentice. We must stop them. We must end Nora." his voice as strong and as demanding as ever. His hold over her absolute. But even so, she could feel the fear coming off him.

Vash would not wait for her to reply to him, he knew she would come around. Instead Vash focused his build up energy into a powerful large orb that surrounded him, and he moved into the crowd. As he did so the life force from the younger witches in the circle would leach from their bodies to be absorbed into the orb and thus by the Sith Master. He was feeding off of their force energy. Combining the force drain with another power of tutaminis, provided to him by his gauntlet.

 

[Aris the Witch]

The ritual was over. Aris felt different than she had ever before. For years she'd felt like there was a hole in her mind that desperate to once again be filled. And now that void was beginning to mend itself. Then something else snuck in. Her master's presence wormed its way into her mind and latched onto it. Only he could have that power over her. Only he knew the labyrinth of her mind so well as to break through with no effort at all.

"The truth? The truth is they are traitors to our empire. They seek to continue the chaos risen after Ilum. She seeks to take you from me apprentice. We must stop them. We must end Nora."​

Aris felt it. Her eyes had gone blank with no light behind them at all. Yet she saw things the way they were. A strange feeling overcame her like she was back again in her dreams. She saw herself turning on Nora. Aris saw her hand grab her lightsaber and raise the blade forward slightly from her hip. She saw her finger slide over the ignition switch and then a red beam extending from it. There was nothing she could do to stop herself. And then it happened.

Nora's expression would change as she gaped in confusion; a large hole entering into her midsection. She knew she was dead. Lifting her hand her thumb pressed against Aris' forehead and spoke silently to herself. Her body was getting heavy and still, cold and lifeless. And then she vanished into nothing, leaving only a pile of clothes behind her. A green mark remained where her thumb had been upon Aris's flesh before fading into her skin as if it was never there.

Now panic would take over the village. A scream elicited from the tribal dancers as Vash began to strike them down and rip their lives from them. There were only a few of them who actually had their weapons at the ready; the rest had left them behind to complete the ritual. Those with the weapons charged at Vash to try and bring him down, but they would stand no chance aginst the Sith Master. The others came for Aris as they watched their mother die right there in front of them. Aris was swift, and they were defenseless. She hadn't even needed to activate her second beam.

Body after body they dropped. The light had still not returned to Aris' eyes. She was a killing machine. She walked slowly toward her prey, cut them down with a simple flick of her wrist, then turned to face the next one and repeated. Those that didn't die right away ran for their lives, some hoping to get weapons to defend themselves. With Aris' left hand she raised it palm out toward the fleeing villagers and spoke in the dark language of their people. A green mist formed around her arm which would then shoot small orbs of fire from it. The green fire struck their backs, or missed and landed on the homes and tents. The green fire would then change into a regular flame of orange and red and quickly began to spread outwards.

Aris continued to move forwards into the village ending them with her flame. Her saber she now carried unused at her side, no more than a threat to those who might even dare to try and get close. None did. It wasn't until she came across a young boy curled up crying in the street did she raise it again to end the droning noise. It took her no time at all to make her way across the encampment which was now fully engulfed in flames. Now that their enemies had been ended she began to return to her senses. She looked over the burning bodies and let her blade return to its hilt.

~END THREAD~
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