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[Wodan]

The blood red light from his saber illuminated the stalker as it first pounced towards Arla, then towards himself. The thing was fast, even faster than Wodan, but the Firrerrian was prepared and already bringing his lightsaber up into a guard. The vicious little blade was blocked by the lightsaber, though the force of the blow pushed the Sith back a step.

Gathering his footing he pushed back hoping to lock the stalker into a duel of strengths so Arla could flank but it quickly gave ground stepping away from him. With a flick of its free wrist a trio of two inch blades flew out towards Arla, looking to embed themselves into her torso.

Whilst he was momentarily distracted Wodan let out a wave of Force energy looking to smash the creature into the wall behind him and daze him enough for Wodan or Arla to make the killing blow.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla leapt back as the knives flew through the air, one of them narrowly nicking her left arm to leave a small cut, but otherwise no injuries as a result of the blow. It seemed Wodan, too, had managed to avoid losing an eye, which was fortunate.

The man was slammed into the wall by Wodan and Arla let the Force grip more tightly around him, pouring her pain and rage into the choke as his eyes began to bulge out of his head.

She heard a clapping from over her shoulder.

Excellent work! Please, do not kill my student, a smooth voice said and a man dressed in fine clothing stood across the balcony. For a long moment, Arla weighed the life held in her grip and considered crushing his throat and finishing it in a single fell swoop, but she relented after a long moment, releasing the man to fall to the ground.

Thank you. I am Duke Abelle and this is my home. I see you have already met my student. He will not cause you any more trouble now, the man said.

Please, come join me in the sitting room, he said.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

As the attacker slammed into the wall, Arla took control of his throat. Twisting the saber in his hand, he took two steps forward ready to plunge his blade into the man’s chest when the clapping broke his attention. Predator eyes snapped towards the old man, Wodan preparing for another attack, as the smooth voice broke the tension of the situation.

Like Arls he was not totally convinced by the man and continued to hold his sabre ready to strike at the ‘student’. Then the Dathmorian let go and he plopped to the floor, Wodan looked down on the Anazat as he coughed and heaved for air, before deactivating his saber. He slowly placed the weapon back on his belt as he followed Arla towards the sitting room.

Even in the Duke’s sitting room, it was dark and gloomy as if the Anzat had not mastered interior lighting. Three armchairs and a large double sofa surrounded a coffee table which had a number of snacks and drinks arrayed for the pair. A fire burned in the corner, the main source of light within the room. Wodan’s eyes surveyed the room looking for any other ‘students’ or signs of a trap but found none.

“Please take a seat.” The Duke offered as he took one of the armchairs, the student took another. Wodan chose the couch, as it was the furthest from the two Anazat. “I would say that this wasn’t the welcome I was expecting when we arranged to come here, Duke Abelle.” Wodan said as he sat, his hand hovering close to his saber just encase.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla could sense Wodan's discomfort, and she didn't blame him. This entire place was unnerving, and she found herself looking over her own shoulder more than usual, too.

She reached out for the briefest moment and placed a hand against his forearm before pulling back as they walked on to the sitting room. She took a seat in one of the chairs as well, not quite so far away from the Anzat but not exactly close either. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be that upset by what had transpired despite the situation.

I'm sure you understand, my people have customs of their own. And if two Sith weren't able to live up to their reputations, then I wasn't sure this meeting was wise after all, the Duke said.

Arla's eyes flicked over to the "student" who looked particularly unhappy that the Duke had just admitted that he was expected to fail.

I had to ensure that you truly were who you said and were capable of what you said. Now that I have verified that and you have earned the - perhaps begrudging - respect of my pupil, we can proceed, he said.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan frowned slightly at Duke Abelle’s explanation for the test, to him it felt a little too much. His student was skilled and powerful, if they had split up there was a chance that one of them would have got seriously hurt before they subdued the student. There was also a number of other ways he could have confirmed their identities, to Wodan it just seemed like the Duke had a sick sense of humour.

“How do we begin?” Wodan asked, eager to remove himself from this creepy ass mansion and creepy ass planet as soon as possible. Duke Abelle flashed them both a smile which only sent more shivers down Wodan’s spine as he began. “I am glad to hear your eagerness to learn. The Fog that blankets the surface of Anzat, is the beginning of our training as children and yours today. The thick covering forces you to develop your other senses whilst hunting your prey and avoiding detection.”

Abelle interlocked his fingers placing his hands on his knee, more shivers ran down Wodan’s spine. “You will both be given a prey to hunt in my grounds. You must find that prey and take it down before the time runs out.”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla listened to the Duke's explanation, and it all seemed to make sense to her. She seemed completely undisturbed by the idea of hunting in the fog, and that was likely because of the fogs and mists that covered so much of Dathomir. It was just like hunting at home... though the prey was likely going to be different.

More of your students? she asked, wondering precisely who or what they were hunting. She didn't have to ask what would happen if they failed to meet the time limit.

No, you'll be facing some off-worlders that were brought here for this purpose. Contracts who we were hired to dispose of. They will be armed, he said. Arla couldn't say she was shocked by that, but she wondered who they were... not that it mattered, frankly.

I'll allow you two a few moments to discuss things and then we'll begin, he said, pushing himself out of his chair and leaving the room along with his student.

You feel okay? she asked. She knew this wasn't typically his preferred thing, but frankly after Nal Hutta and now this, he'd probably be getting begrudgingly good at it.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan wasn’t entirely thrilled by the concept of hunting people in the thick fog of Anzat. Not that he was against killing, no but he just knew he sucked at the whole hunting, stalking, hiding shindig. He was more of a blunt force object compared to the delicate scalpel that was Arla.

His eyes were locked on the two Anzat’s as they left the room, only being pulled off them with Arla’s words. “I wouldn’t say this is my preferred method of training.” Wodan said as he stood up from the sofat. “Although I am sure you will succeed with flying colours. Lets just hope I don’t die.” He said with mock sarcasm.

Wodan checked his single blaster, a sign of nerves as he moved towards the door. “Any words of advice?”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla could sense the discomfort in him as they brought their heads together. It was an irregular way of doing things, but such was the nature of different cultures of the galaxy.

You'll be fine, she told him reassuringly. She had faith in his success even if he didn't. It may not have been his specialty, but he had shown himself resourceful throughout their missions so far.

Trust the Force and let it guide you. The fog can be your ally as much as anything. And be patient. Patience is key when stalking a target, she said. Sometimes you have to pass on a mediocre shot to wait for a good one, she said.

She reached out and patted his bicep somewhat awkwardly and headed out to take her position. She followed the student out and into the misty darkness, heading into a swampy area that surrounded the villa. She swung her bow off of her shoulder and let it expand outward, looking into the gloom before the student vanished back to the villa one again without saying a word. She wondered if Wodan had gotten anything more out of the Duke in terms of conversation.

She didn't waste any time setting off to do the hunting, looking for any signs of tracks out of or around the villa.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan nodded at her reassuring statement, taking her words to heart that the woman knew more about hunting than he expected he ever would. Every ounce of information or help he would take. His eyes flicked down to his bicep as he placed an awkward hand on it, he went to place his own hand on top of hers, but she departed before his hand could make contact with hers.

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves with Arla as well as the hunt at hand, he followed her out of the room and the mansion. When he reached the door, Arla and the Student were nowhere to be seen, leaving him alone with the Duke. “Any info on what I am hunting.” He asked, but the Duke just shook his finger, great, not even an idea. At least if he had some information he could make a rough guess about what he was after.

Wodan was led deep into the surrounding forest, around and around in circles quickly losing sense of his direction and that of the mansion. Getting frustrated he turned around to say something to the Duke when he realised he was alone. “Shit.” He said under his breath. Pulling his saber out with one hand and his blaster with the other, he crouched low and moved towards a nearby tree trying to get his bearings. This was going to be more difficult than he expected.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was really not having much luck here. Thus far, she hadn't managed to find any tracks despite having worked her way around the villa almost entirely. She was about to started heading out in a further circle away from the compound when she first caught sight of something. They appeared heavy and deep, which she assumed must have meant it was a man. Humanoid and boot shaped, which meant it wasn't a Wookiee or the like.

Well, that's good at least, she thought to herself. While she had hunted large prey and game in her life, that was something best done with her Sisters, and it was also something that was better done when you knew what you were hunting.

Got a trail, now just time to finish him off, she muttered to herself. Her grip on her bow tightened as she started following the path through the dense foliage. At several points, she had to stop and retrace her steps to find the right path. It was slow going, but she was confident she was on the right trail. Her prey would have to stop eventually and even if it took her days to track him down, she would do it.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan stood at the tree for perhaps too long, Arla surely would have smacked him over the head if she had witnessed him dither and dather about what to do next. “Ok Wodan, be smart.” He mumbled to himself as he tried to peer through the fog, nothing. Great. He had two options, try and hunt which was not his favourite pastime, or hold up and look to ambush whoever was out there.

The Duke was too tricky to assume those they were tracking didn’t have some kind of head start or advantage. So Wodan would have to leverage whatever he had against him, that was his lightsaber and The Force. Granted the former was both a boon and a curse in this fog, the red blade illuminating the surrounding area like a lantern to his location. The Force it was, closing his eyes for a moment he let go, allowing the mystical energy to converge upon his presence, corrupting itself around his soul before extending out like tendrils searching for something.

Something pinged in his mind, to his right, something was alive, moving out there. Good that was a start, now he needed to find somewhere to ambush this miscreant.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla gripped her bow tighter as she sensed... something else close. The precision she normally had with her senses was muddied by the millions of voices from the fog. The whispers hadn't subsided, and try as she might to focus past them, it didn't seem to be much use.

She continued to follow the footprints until something seemed to move in the distance. She should have waited to follow her own advice, but she didn't. She raised her bow and pulled the string, sending a shot through the fog at the movement in the hopes of striking and at least slowing her target.

She wasted no time in moving forward whether she struck him or not, moving swiftly in the hopes of subduing her target before he could get away.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

His ears pricked at the noise, it was moving closer, getting into a readied stance he held his sabre out in front of him. Afraid that lighting it would just create a target his enemy couldn’t miss. That fear cost him however, as without its defence a bolt of energy lanced its way out of the fog. Crashing into the Firrerrian’s thigh.

He let out a deathly scream as he collapsed on that leg, rage and anger flowing through him he raised his blaster and let out a half dozen shots in the direction of the attacker. He couldn’t see nor tell if he was hitting, he just hoped.

The burning wound crashed over his nervous system, gripping hold of the ambient Force Energy throughout the fog, twisting and torturing it inside him. Wodan’s eyes flipped from gold to a sickly yellow as the Dark Side took hold. His lightsaber igniting as the attacker closed, The Force poured through his body giving his weak and burn leg the strength to stand at least for the moment.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Something in the back of Arla's mind was screaming at her to stop, but before she could heed it, blasterfire tore through the mists. She dove to the ground, slamming against the dirt as shots whizzed over her head, even snapping through part of her hair and leaving its charred smell in the air.

Kriff, she spat, rolling along the ground and behind a tree before sending off another arrow, this one not particularly aimed.

Something in that cry of pain sounded familiar, and suddenly she wondered if Wodan had unintentionally tangled with her target. For a reason she couldn't explain, the thought made her angry. Not that he had gotten in her area, but that her target might have hurt him. She should have been faster.

Her teeth gritted together and she collapsed her bow, grabbing out her lightsaber instead before leaping up and letting it snap to life as she charged forward with a guttural war cry of her own.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Perhaps, if the pain was less, the burning sensation coursing through his body the smell of charred skin filling his nose. He would have seen the red hum of an approaching lightsaber and questioned whether this was Arla. But no, the pain, the sensation, the smell clouded all of his judgement, only anger, fury and pain flowed through him. Those yellow sickly glared with vicious intent towards the approaching blade.

His caines visible a guttural growl emanating from his chest, filled the air as he snapped his arm out, the blaster dropping to the ground as a wave of Force Lightning crashed through the fog into his attacker, his prey. A moment later as the waves of lightning cascaded around him Wodan gave into that beautiful feeling and high of power and outstretched his other hand, Lightning flew from both covering the area ahead of him, looking to vaporise every living creature within his might. It felt good, the pain, the anger, the suffering.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla leapt forward only for lightning to tear through the darkness. She brought her saber around, but only a fraction of the energy was captured by the plasma. Another portion crept around the blade, slamming into her left arm and torso, snaking down to her hip and nearly causing her knees to buckle. She cried out in pain before bringing her saber in to fully block the remainder of the lightning.

It was only now as she stumbled back, back hitting the tree that she saw who she was fighting.

KRIFF! Wodan, it's me! she shouted. Was this how it was supposed to be? Had they just crossed paths accidentally? Surely that was it and their target was still out here.

Are you okay? she asked, unsure if he was even going to come out of his haze of rage and fury, but prepared if he didn't.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

It was a thrill, a high unlike anything alcohol, nicotine or any other drug could give. The high of life and death, the control of one's fate and the Dark Side flowing through him. If Arla could see his face through the bright sparks of lightning she would see a smile as euphoric as that night back on the yacht, but eyes as sick as the dead.

He pushed on, he felt the enemy step back, good they were weakening he would win. The pain and anger continued to course through his veins, pushing the broken and torn muscles of his leg forward as he stumbled towards his victim, towards Arla.

Then he heard it, a voice, it was Arla’s and for a moment the sickly yellow eyes flickered away as he heard her saw her. The lightning stopped, he blinked, pain and anger continued to course through him, but it was smashed away by fear and concern. What had he done, had he hurt her? His lightsaber dropped to the ground as he stumbled towards her. “Shit, Arla, I’m sorry.” He called out as the Darkness left his body, his leg no longer supported by anger and hate gave way. The Firrerrian collapsing to the cold Anxat floor. “Arla, are you ok? Did I hurt you?” He cared nothing in that moment for his own pain as he struggled to get back to his feet.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

The lightning stopped and in a flash Wodan seemed more concerned about her than about himself or anything else. She winced and rotated her arm where the muscles were still spasming, but shook her head.

Yeah, I'm fine. Did I shoot you? she asked, looking back and frowning, smelling scorched flesh that she didn't think was from herself, but she wasn't sure.

Were you fighting someone? Other than me? she said, already dropping to her knee and pulling out a medpack to start working on his leg without even asking.

I thought my quarry was over here, but I... she stopped as something clicked in her brain. ...I haven't seen anyone else out here except you, she said. It seemed... odd. Was it just a coincidence or was something more nefarious going on here?

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan’s hand’s dropped the lightsaber to the ground as he struggled his way back up to his feet. As Arla pulled out the medpack and began trying to treat his leg, he would push her away. “See too yourself first. That looks nasty.” He said pointing at the marks where the lightning struck her flesh.

Yes his wound was worse, but he had his biology to fall back on and she did not. If Arla looked closely she would already begin to see signs of healing, the wound was still there, but at the far extremities of the blast, the red burnt skin would begin to return to normal. As she knelt on the floor next to him he would give in to trying to stand and flop onto the ground next to her, extending his injured leg to one side.

“No, the first person I saw was you.” He said, pulling his blaster back into his grip with The Force. Wodan was still concerned that their prey was still out there and now would be the optimum time to attack. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He repeated, audible concern in his voice.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was perfectly ready to argue with him about who was going to get treated first and would absolutely have argued just for the sake of being right if she weren't seeing the wounds close in front of her face. It caused her to pause, scrunch up her face, and then go huh.

She relented and started patching up the worst of her own wounds, scowling angrily at not only the pain but also the implications of what he was saying.

You don't need to apologize. I shot you first, she said. I think this was the goal anyway. I think they wanted us to hunt each other, she said, the frown deepening.

And that pisses me off. I think it's time for us to pay a visit to the Duke and put this game of his to an end, she said.

@Braden